We visited four of the eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Sri Lanka while on this tour. One of these sites is Sigiriya, which means “lion.” At the top, there are two lion paws that mark the entrance to the final ascent. There used to be a lion mouth that you climbed through, but that has since been destroyed. It was built in the 5th century by the king and was originally a palace. Along the path, you walk through the old water gardens where many pools of water helped to keep the area cool. The fresco paintings about halfway up the climb are remarkably well preserved, although visitors can only see 18 of the 100 paintings at the site. Fresco paintings are paintings made on wet plaster, therefore mistakes can be seen as there are no “do-overs.” One of the fresco paintings shows a woman with six fingers on one hand from one such mistake.
The apricot colored wall is called the mirror wall, named for its highly polished surface like a mirror.
We stopped at the largest fruit and vegetable market in Sri Lanka after visiting Sigiriya.
WOW! I remember seeing a video of Sigiriya once – but I had forgotten what it was called and which country it was in. It was fun to see your photos and hear the descriptions. That’s so cool you got to go there. I’m putting Sri Lanka on my bucket list now. Since they were occupied by the British for a while, did you find many who speak English, or did you need a translator?