๐ฑ๐ฐ Sri Lanka
Ancient City of Polonnaruwa - UNESCO World Heritage Site #3 on our Day Tour of North-Central Sri Lanka
The third and final UNESCO Heritage site we visited on our day trip to North-Central Sri Lanka was to the ancient city of Polonnaruwa, the second kingdom in, and capital of, Sri Lanka after the destruction of Anuradhapura in 993. Trade and agriculture were key here, leading to the building of an intricate irrigation system that still used today to supply the water necessary for the paddy cultivation in the eastern part of the country. This was probably our favorite part of the tour, especially since we love exploring ancient ruins. -J ๐ฑ๐ฐThere are many ruins scattered throughout the site. Here is a ladder leaned up against a ruin wall to show the scale of some of these ruins.
There are many statues scattered throughout the site, sometimes framed by things like doorways.
These two jokersโฆ.
โจโฆwere guarding the stairways to see this guy.
Peek-a-Boo.
Nope, he was actually the centerpiece in this ruin.
The ruins have quite a bit of detail still visible.
Didnโt I already tell you there was no more monkeying around?!
There are many temples to see.
And Buddhas sitting, standing, and laying around.
Sigiriya Ancient Rock Fortress - UNESCO World Heritage Site #2
The second UNESCO World Heritage Site we saw during our day trip from Colombo was the Sigiriya ancient rock fortress, dominated by the massive column of granite. In the 5th Century, King Kashyapa selected the rock and surrounding area for his new capital. On the top of the rock are archeological ruins, but we didnโt have time to climb up and explore. So we settled for a tuk tuk tour around the area checking out the surrounding ruins. -J ๐ฑ๐ฐ
Here is the Sigiriya rock:

No monkeying around - there are many ruins to see:
The Ruins:

Cairns in a circle:
Many ruins have this bright green moss on them:

I said quit monkeying around:
Oh, the weird Buddha with the Cobra behind him will definitely scare the monkeys away:
During the tuk tuk ride, we noticed many of the roads contain these fences - itโs to keep the wild elephants from getting to close to homes and tourists (just like deer fences in the US):
Dambulla Cave Temple - Sri Lanka UNESCO World Heritage Site #1
While in Sri Lanka, we did a day tour from Colombo to three UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the first of which was Dambulla Cave Temple - the largest and best-preserved cave temple complex in Sri Lanka. The complex dates from the second and third centuries BC. The main site is spread over 5 caves and contains paintings and statues relating to Gautama Buddha, Sri Lankan kings, and gods and goddesses. -J ๐ฑ๐ฐ
Here is what the Temple looks like from the outside:
The cave ceilings are adorn with vivid paintings from centuries ago:
The caves themselves have many statutes of various numbers and sizes:



Colombo National Museum and Independence Square
Sri Lanka has a National Museum that was built and opened in 1877. It focuses on the various Sri Lankan Kingdoms that existed before the Dutch took over in 1658, and the subsequent British rule (1796-1948). Interestingly, the museum now holds 6 artifacts that the Dutch took in approximately 1765, that were only returned to Sri Lanka in 2023. -J ๐ฑ๐ฐ

Wow-look at those feet!








We also visited Independence Square, dedicated to the independence gained from the British in 1948 (the museum there was closed when we went).


More highlights from Yala National Park
If you haven’t seen our first post about our leopard sighting already, go check it out.

A langur monkey with baby
An Asian green bee-eater out for a stroll
These painted storks give off some flamingo vibes
“Which way did he go George, which way did he go?”
I could have posted an entire album of these two looking in various directions, both of their heads swiveling back and forth surveying the landscape. It was quite comical.
Asian elephants are different than African ones; here you can easily see how much smaller their ears are.
Man, I just really wanted to give this guy some lotion. Look at all those wrinkles!
When you just wait for lunch to magically arrive in your mouth
We haven’t seen nearly as many reptiles as I had expected on this trip, but we ran across a whole bunch of monitors here
These are spotted deer, and they seem like a perfect snack for a leopard, as we nearly witnessed.
Licking its chops, perhaps starting to get a bit hungry
Getting a bit more interested…
But it seemed like the leopard wasn’t willing to work too hard for dinner, at least this early in the evening.
This little guy seems like a crotchety old character
One thing I don’t get about peacocks is how colorful they are…but only from the waist up. It’s like they went over budget during development and had to skimp on the lower half.
How close does the wildlife get on a safari? Well, sometimes they have to walk around the vehicles.
Awww shit, that’s the end of the safari photos! (sorry, but we’ve had to see this far too often the last several weeks, so now you get to see it once, too ๐).

-S ๐ฑ๐ฐ
Cheers to 100!!
Cheers to country number 100 for Jen!!!! Sri Lanka was the lucky country and we ended up having the best leopard experience there.
It has definitely been a journey to get here, and it hasnโt always been the easiest ride. But that is what travel is all about and Iโm lucky enough to have a husband who loves it all just as much as I do โค๏ธ
To honor the occasion, Scott and I found a bottle of Proseccoโwhich my dear friend Helen always loved. Helen was the person who started me on this quest when I met her back in 2013. While she isnโt with us today to celebrate, I know she would have been ecstatic for me and would have raised a glass too. Cheers, my dear friend. I will never forget you โ๏ธ๐ทโพ๏ธ -J ๐ฑ๐ฐ
Itโs always interesting seeing what American fast food companies sell overseas. -S ๐ฑ๐ฐ

The highlight of Yala Natl Parkโperhaps the top wildlife experience of our whole tripโwas seeing a Sri Lankan leopard! We followed it for a long time, tracking it thru four areas of dense vegetation.
But this last portion was the best: we watched it (unsuccessfully) go after a spotted deer! -S๐ฑ๐ฐ
The Gangaramaya Temple in Colombo
One of the first places we saw in Colombo, Sri Lanka, was the Gangaramaya Temple, one of the most important Buddhist temples in Colombo (completed in the late 19th Century).



It had some interesting โguardsโ out front.


It had many Buddhist figures and other interesting artifacts displayed through out the museum.








But it also had a bunch of โstuffโ (the best I can describe is stuff from your weird grandparentsโ estate sale). Notice the Atlanta Braves bobble head in the third picture. (Apparently these are โofferingsโ to the temple)



Last but not least, Scott took a short video of a very interesting room.
Monkeys just never follow the rules. -S ๐ฑ๐ฐ

Today was all about Sri Lankan history and culture. Over the course of a 16-hour private day tour, we visited 3 UNESCO World Heritage sites: the ruins of the ancient city of Polonnaruwa, the Dambulla Cave Temple, and Sigiriya (the Lion Rock Fortress). More photos of each coming this weekend -S ๐ฑ๐ฐ
Speaking of elephants, we saw several along the road as we drove thru Minneriya National Parkโour first in Asia. -S ๐ฑ๐ฐ

Donโt be a douchenozzle and pay to ride an elephant. Just donโt. -S ๐ฑ๐ฐ

Iโve noticed some of these โforeigners onlyโ toilet facilities here in Sri Lanka.
They seem to be around touristy areas, where foreigners pay a higher fee. The (controversial) idea is that Western visitors might have higher expectations of hygiene than what is often found in public toilets. -S ๐ฑ๐ฐ

There was a live band at our hotel bar last night, which is always fun to enjoy while overseas. There are usually plenty of American songs being played, but the lyrics sometimes come out as sounds rather than actual words. I find it so endearing. This group did much better than most. -S ๐ฑ๐ฐ

Sri Lankan art? ๐คทโโ๏ธ -J ๐ฑ๐ฐ

The view from our hotel window in Colombo, Sri Lanka, is of the Lotus TowerโSouth Asiaโs tallest self-supported structure (1,168 feet). During the day the Lotus flower is purple. But at night, it changes color! -J ๐ฑ๐ฐ

We arrived in Sri Lanka today in the early morning hours following an overnight flight. After a refreshing nap, we headed to an Irish Pub (per our quest to visit one in 32 different countries) for our requisite Guinness and also to grab lunch. This is an Irish Pub in our 18th country! -J ๐ฑ๐ฐ