Sojourn at Sigiriya Village (Sri Lanka)
I have so many backlogs on my travel posts so I'm starting with this one. My Sojourn at Sigiriya Village. Sigiriya is a town in Sri Lanka, four hours away from Colombo. And after nearly a week of listening about financial risks and everything, we deserved a break from it. It's just too bad, I will be leaving my beloved room at Taj Samudra with a nice view of the Indian Ocean, which is actually owned by the Sri Lankans (inside joke). Well, thank goodness its just overnight.
It was mid afternoon when we arrived at the Village after a sumptuous lunch at Heritance Kandalama. Boy, I will never ever forget the most delicious meal I've had in my whole life! I just don't want to remember the many monkeys trying to get my camera instead of the grilled pork I just got from the Grilling Butler. No relation to Gerard Butler.
After hopping off the most modern tourist bus, this is the sight that greeted us... The Sigiriya (pronounced as see-gee-ree-yah) Rock Fortress. It look very intimidating I'm telling you. But the view from afar is really amazing.
This is the fortress and hideout of a King who murdered his father in the far distant past. And listening to our tourist guide retelling the past makes me think that this story is good for a movie. Looking at the fortress again, I was kind of excited that by tomorrow, we will be up there. (Second mountain I will be climbing in my life.)
While we were waiting for our assigned room, I decided to roam around,. I was attracted by the tranquility of the place. Everywhere I looked, the scenery is so lush and green. I loved it here already, the atmosphere is soothing and life here seem to be unhurried. The cottage where we will be staying is surrounded by landscaped gardens.
Inside my room, I love how rustic it looked, the bed is so inviting. But I don't like the dim lights and it was set that way. It was so quiet that I decided to turn on the TV set but the TV seem so out of place and the sound is intrusive. Outside you can hear the birds chirping and from the distance other birds seems to answer that call.
I went outside the room and sit at the veranda to read. There's a little pond where the cottage is situated and as the night falls, flying insects came out which I'm deathly afraid of for fear that it will get inside my ear so I stood and left the veranda. Good thing its dinner time.
The Dining Hall is located far off the cottages. The walking trail is so not scary at night time and the natural environment looks magical. The main restaurant serves buffet and the bar have alcoholic and non alcoholic drinks. Most of the dishes is Sri Lankans and Indian food.
After that I had a very good sleep and I woke up early and decided to look around again. With my camera, I took photos of the trees and the surroundings. It's too bad the camera didn't capture the many Mariposa butterflies flying overhead. The leaves are so dense and thick. And ten I saw a Red Robin, too bad it took off before I can take a photo of it.
After breakfast, we took off to climb the Fortress.
There were many do's and don'ts we should remember as we walk toward it. Like you cannot walk on this part because its sacred or only royalty could walk there among other things. It was still so early in the morning but already there were lots of people going up the fortress. They look like ants from afar and as we got closer to the fortress, the metal ladder looks far too intimidating. Maybe I should just joined the group who opted for bird-watching. It was so cold and windy going up that we haven't had the energy to take pictures.
But we made it!!! (only I didn't want to post photos of our windblown appearance and my seminar-mates threatened me not to post it and I abide this threat even after 5 years!)
It was such a magnificent rock fortress! The wind was blowing hard by then. I still can't believe that once, a demigod king made this place his kingdom. (Pity the people who climber up and down to serve this King) There's a pleasure garden and only a lone lion guarded this place in the past The King made his home here but eventually he was betrayed and murdered in this magical place.
The breathtaking painting on the walls is a testament that even then people are so creative and a lover of beauty and the arts.
This is the fortress and hideout of a King who murdered his father in the far distant past. And listening to our tourist guide retelling the past makes me think that this story is good for a movie. Looking at the fortress again, I was kind of excited that by tomorrow, we will be up there. (Second mountain I will be climbing in my life.)
While we were waiting for our assigned room, I decided to roam around,. I was attracted by the tranquility of the place. Everywhere I looked, the scenery is so lush and green. I loved it here already, the atmosphere is soothing and life here seem to be unhurried. The cottage where we will be staying is surrounded by landscaped gardens.
Inside my room, I love how rustic it looked, the bed is so inviting. But I don't like the dim lights and it was set that way. It was so quiet that I decided to turn on the TV set but the TV seem so out of place and the sound is intrusive. Outside you can hear the birds chirping and from the distance other birds seems to answer that call.
I went outside the room and sit at the veranda to read. There's a little pond where the cottage is situated and as the night falls, flying insects came out which I'm deathly afraid of for fear that it will get inside my ear so I stood and left the veranda. Good thing its dinner time.
The Dining Hall is located far off the cottages. The walking trail is so not scary at night time and the natural environment looks magical. The main restaurant serves buffet and the bar have alcoholic and non alcoholic drinks. Most of the dishes is Sri Lankans and Indian food.
After that I had a very good sleep and I woke up early and decided to look around again. With my camera, I took photos of the trees and the surroundings. It's too bad the camera didn't capture the many Mariposa butterflies flying overhead. The leaves are so dense and thick. And ten I saw a Red Robin, too bad it took off before I can take a photo of it.
After breakfast, we took off to climb the Fortress.
There were many do's and don'ts we should remember as we walk toward it. Like you cannot walk on this part because its sacred or only royalty could walk there among other things. It was still so early in the morning but already there were lots of people going up the fortress. They look like ants from afar and as we got closer to the fortress, the metal ladder looks far too intimidating. Maybe I should just joined the group who opted for bird-watching. It was so cold and windy going up that we haven't had the energy to take pictures.
But we made it!!! (only I didn't want to post photos of our windblown appearance and my seminar-mates threatened me not to post it and I abide this threat even after 5 years!)
It was such a magnificent rock fortress! The wind was blowing hard by then. I still can't believe that once, a demigod king made this place his kingdom. (Pity the people who climber up and down to serve this King) There's a pleasure garden and only a lone lion guarded this place in the past The King made his home here but eventually he was betrayed and murdered in this magical place.
The breathtaking painting on the walls is a testament that even then people are so creative and a lover of beauty and the arts.
I wish I could come back here again when it is not that windy and cold. So come and visit Sigiriya Village and see the magical Sigiriya Rock Fortress.
(From my 2010 Travel Journal)
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