It was dark when we checked in last night to Cinnamon Lodge, Habarana. In the morning, we had a good look at the surroundings. It is a resort like our Costa Sands Resort in
Singapore. Quiet and beautiful.
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| Cinnamon Lodge |
We only had two places to visit on Day 5: Rock Fortress at Sigiriya and Minneriya National Park
In the morning, we went to the Rock Fortress at Sigiriya, not far away from Habarana. We climbed up to the top of the rock where the Palace was. I'd never climbed up anything like that before. I wondered anybody had heart attack during the climb. It seems that there was no end to the staircases. Frankly speaking, I was a bit nervous when looking down from the steel staircases built along the rock face. Halfway through the climb at the Lion Paws, I was almost attacked by a few hornets while taking the photographs had John not shouted and warned me from a distance away.
Rock Fortress in Sigiriya
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| Signboard at Minneriya National Park |
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| Ticketing Counter |
It is said that King Kasyapa, who murdered his father to usurp the throne, built this fortress and palace in 500AD to defend himself from his brother Mogallana, the rigthful throne owner. There is archaeological evidence which suggests it was not a fortress or palace but an ancient buddhist monastery.
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| Heading for Rock Fortress |
Fresco paintings on Rock Cliff Face
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| Fresco 1 |
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| Almost reaching the summit |
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| Shelter to escape hornet attack at Lion's Paws |
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| On top of Rock Fortress |
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The sandy rectangle is where the living room
of the palace was. 27m x 21m |
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| Fortune Telling |
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| Cobra Hood |
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| Cobra Hood Cave |
On the way to lunch, we stopped by a roadside store to buy two packets of dried chilli and one packet of white sesame seeds from a village damsel.
At Sisila Cafe, my two partners ordered fried rice. They said it was not bad, similar to the fried rice we have in Singapore. I had a local buffet lunch with additional plate of beef curry.
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| Village damsel at roadside store |
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| Sisila Cafe |
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| Local buffet lunch |
After lunch, we detoured to Minneriya National Park to see the wild elephants.It is a wild life sanctuary. When we were there, I felt as if we were in Africa, similar to those wild life documentaries we watch on National Geographic TV Channel. On the way out, we encountered a loner elephant. It seemed that it was looking for opportunity to attack our vehicle.
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| Elephant 1 |
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| Loner Elephant |
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| Ranger |
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Dancing Amandhi
Daughter of John's niece |
