Travels of my eBid Tee & Cap - to Sri Lanka

[Oldandintheway]

Anuradhapura continued:-

#1 Bro at Isurumuni Raja Maha Viharaya - dates between 247 & 207 BC & henceforth known as IRMV. (phew)
#2 Bro tests his new cameras' macro powers - tiny flower outside IRMV
#3 Inside IRMV
#4 Sil tempting fate - notice the ready running position!
#5 IRMV viewing platform or lovers leap???

Next leg shortly to either Dambulla or Kandy by BUS!
(are the roads any better?- we'll find out)

Hope you're all enjoying the ride!

[Tiskets]

What a stunning place. Wonderful photographs

[HerMajesty]

Pic no. 7 especially got my attention! Wow.....what a strenuous climb that would be!! And it had to be incredibly hard to build. Thanks for sharing the pics!

[NuttyKrafts]

Am enjoying the great photos, thank you for sharing them

[Oldandintheway]

Hi all, well our intrepid duo have made it to their next local called Dambulla.(pix to follow)
The mini bus trip (which usually takes 2 hours) only took their driver 1 hour 15 minutes.
Hair raising by all accounts, & they think his name was Jack -........Brabham that is!

The current accommodations are described thus:- (more on this later, after leaving)

We are staying at a Guesthouse which shall remain nameless for the time being, mainly because I am about to bag it.

Occasional rain ATM is preventing an easy move, but hopefully won't stop some Cave Temple visits in the area. Stand by for more religion folks!

Cheers & glad you're enjoying the ride, Allen.

[Oldandintheway]

The Great Dambulla Temple Caves Trek

plus more words on the current digs:-

We got up early to an overcast day. It had obviously rained overnight.

A somewhat strange breakfast - a cold fried egg, what must have been banana juice, a big pot of loose leaf tea and 15 pieces of toast with about a quarter of a pound of butter and a big dollop of some sort of marmalade. Initial price quoted by the Mistress of the Guest House: 2,000 rupees (very roughly, about $18,00). At our looks of amazement she immediately dropped the price to 400 rupees - which is more like the going rate.
At 8.00am (and after quite a lot of toast) we set off on foot to the Cave Temples which are on the main (Kandy) Road that runs through Dambulla.

All pix are of inside/outside the caves complex & surrounds, with my tags under various pix. (Circa 1st century BC)


Sil outside the Golden Temple

Bro after a hard night ( I think he forgot to shave)

Whoops - no here he is! (notice the replacement for the lost eBid cap!)

Sil doin' her best "Elle"

Bro realizes he's married an "Elle" lookalike!

An uncommon view of the Buddha

Colourful street scene

Permanently on their way to prayers

Inside looking out

With a guardian at her shoulder

more pix next post:-

[Oldandintheway]

Dambulla Temple Caves cont:-


Up close & personal

Bro:-"these are less aggressive than their Indian cousins"

Think I'll just take a rest here

Me too!

More deities inside

Back outside

Another Indian cousin

The mighty Tata Nano & transport home!


Where to next, we'll have to wait & see (possibly Kandy?)

[Oldandintheway]

Have just received the next batch of pix from Bro & Sil & it appears they have climbed a monolithic rock at Sigiriya, which is north east of their last location.
I hope nobody suffers from vertigo! Bro's tags under the pix & again spread over two posts.
Enjoy!


Approaching Sigiriya rock

Galago (bushbaby) local resident

On the way up!

The Sigiriya Damsel frescoes (part way up)

Frescoes gallery

Sil descending the 19th Century spiral staircase

Some repairs underway

The Lions Paws (used to be a complete brick Lion with entry through the mouth)

Happy to be at the top, plus the fact that he beat someone with more modern knees!

Looking down at the Royal Gardens

cont. next post:-

[Oldandintheway]

Sigiriya rock cont.-


Celebrating on step #1,200

The Lions Paws from above

Stairs,stairs,stairs!

View part way up

Vertigo anyone?

A few more steps - aaarrrhh!!!

Our first Sri Lankan Elephant with Rock in background

Hope everyone's OK after that climb

[sucadot]

I've just caught up with all the pics - thanks so much for posting!

I'm happy to have been sitting on the couch with a cuppa, it helped with the vertigo