Sri Lanka's Glorious Past - The Cultural Triangle

The history of Sri Lanka goes back a long ways - around 30,000 years ago when the island was first inhabited by prehistoric man. Throughout the centuries, powerful civilizations have risen to power & fallen just as quickly leaving behind remnants of a glorious past. Sri Lanka's cultural triangle situated in the center of the island is home to most of these World Heritage sites & the region became a must visit for us after a bit of research. We spent a total of 4 days exploring these incredible past kingdoms & were able to really reflect on the grandeur and influence that these ancient civilizations had and still have today.

We woke early, eager to tackle the second most ancient of Sri Lanka's capitals - Polonnaruwa. This city was first declared capital in the 11th Century AD when the Chola invaders were defeated to reunite the country under a local leader. For over 200 years, 3 kings reigned supreme over the island & brought great wealth & power to their people. Enclosed within three concentric walls, the city contained royal palaces, bathing ponds, monasteries and sacred architecture such as dagobas and image houses. The great man-made lake Parakrama Samudra greeted us upon arrival. Built in 1200, this massive lake provided the medieval city with water, cooling breezes, an additional line of defense & irrigation for over 90 square kilometers of paddy fields! In addition, the city itself remains one of the best planned archaeological sites in the country. Definitely a long standing testimony to the discipline & greatness of the kingdom's rulers.

These Guys Were Everywhere!

Despite being ravaged by invasion in the 13th century, Polonnaruwa's ruins remain remarkably well preserved. Stone reliefs remain extremely detailed, massive pagodas & stupas still stand erect & the structured city plans remain clearly visible. We strolled around the grounds in the oppressive heat, stumbled in and out of crumbling palaces & splendid Buddhist shrines while marveling at ornate statues and trying to imagine how glorious this civilization must have been at it's peak. Packs of wild monkeys went about their daily routine on the ancient stone structures with us.

LOVED This Place!

Among Polonnaruwa's highlights was the Vatadage (circular relic house) in the Terrace of the Tooth compound. Considered one of the most beautiful buildings in Sri Lanka, this incredible circular structure is a fantastic riot of artistry meant to house one of Sri Lanka's most sacred relics - Buddha's tooth. Almost every surface is carved in a melee of decoration without parallel. Four sets of steps lead up to the upper terrace, each one covered with masterpiece carvings of dwarfs, lions & makaras (Hindu mythical creature) & guarded by seated Buddha statues. At the base of the steps lies some of the best preserved moonstones in the entire country. These semi-circular stone slabs are only placed at the entrances to Buddhist temples and serve as doormats where people could wipe dirt from their feet before entering important buildings. Engraved on the moonstones are rows of detailed animals which embody the teachings of Buddhism. It was strange to walk over these beautiful carvings in part because in Thailand your feet are considered the dirtiest & lowliest part of the body and stepping over something important or beautiful is considered rude. Not so in Sri Lanka, so we stomped away!

Nice Sandal Tan!

Jody Saying Hi To Mr. Buddha

We gazed at the beautiful Gal Vihara or "Stone Shrine" which represents the pinnacle of Sri Lankan rock carving. Four Buddha statues in different postures are all carved from one massive slab of granite here. The consistency of the rock is flecked with natural black sediment giving it a wood-like appearance. The deities themselves are supremely graceful & serene in their poses & facial postures. Just fascinating to marvel at. It's easy to see why this is one of the most celebrated sights in Sri Lanka - there's just nothing like it that I've ever seen before!

Awesome!

There were plenty of massive stupas (dagobas) to gaze at. These huge structures housed relics & were built for worship. Image houses & flower alters are located around the circular foundation giving devotees a place to pray. We strolled around the wide sand terraces surrounding these stupas and marveled at how these incredible structures were constructed over a thousand years ago! Polonnaruwa was a fantastic introduction to Sri Lanka's Cultural Triangle & to top it off, we caught a glimpse of a wild elephant grazing in a pasture on the way back!

Some Perspective

:)

Mom Finding Serenity After A Long Day at the Ruins

We spent these evenings eating, drinking & conversing at our guesthouse. We sampled the drink of choice in Sri Lanka - Arrak. This spirit distilled from coconut has a rum-like sheen due to the addition of burned sugar. It's dangerous, strong & so cheap that most of the locals are in a state of perma-drunk - a serious problem in the country. It really didn't taste too good, but mixed with coke it was manageable & paired nicely with the bevy of Sri Lankan cuisine our hosts cooked for us every night. We shared our lodging with monkeys who woke us up in the morning with their scampering on our roof & praying mantis's who fluttered about in our open dining room while we ate. One evening, we strolled through a bustling local market & bought some presents while seeing what's on offer. The pungent smell of fermenting fish permeated the makeshift tent-city & loud yelps of market sellers pierced our ears. A memorable invasion of the senses.

Enjoying the Local Market

Mom & Jody On a Pilgrimage to the Top of Mihintale

Another early wake up the next day as we headed an hour north to the Mihintale temple & the first ancient capital of Sri Lanka - Anuradhapura. Mihintale isn't at the top of the guidebook list of places to visit, but I'm so glad we added it into our itinerary - it was a highlight! Believed to be the cradle of Buddhism in Sri Lanka, Mihintale is a mountain peak much frequented by locals as a pilgrimage site. We climbed the thousands of ancient steps along with locals & hoards of resident monkeys (2 species!) up to the sacred rock where the Buddhist monk Mahinda is believed to have descended from the sky to bring Buddhism to Sri Lanka for the first time in the 3rd Century BC! The ascent was a little stressful because of the height, the unstable iron railings & the barefoot climb around pilgrims; not to mention aggressive monkeys & jagged rocks surrounding us. We finally reached the apex & were rewarded with spectacular views of the fertile landscape below. The place did hold a sense of mysticism as Sri Lankans dressed in white prayed & chanted at the "sacred" peak. We marveled at the landscape & were startled when a vigorous toque macaque monkey (only found in Sri Lanka) leaped up the lamp-pole and sat at the top for an even greater view! This guy must have been the king of the monkeys because he proceeded to sit regally on the rock and look out over his Kingdom.

Territorial Residents of Mihintale

We strolled around the grounds for a few hours checking out the massive white Buddha statue, the families of gray langur monkeys playing all over the place & the giant stupa where the relics of Mahinda still reside. We absolutely loved Mihintale, but it was time to move on to our next supremely holy site of the day - the Sri Maha Bodhi tree.

This is One Important Tree!

Perhaps the most revered site in Sri Lanka's cultural triangle is the Sri Maha Bodhi - the sacred Bodhi tree in the first ancient capital of Anuradhapura. This ancient fig tree has been grown from a cutting of the original Bodhi tree in India under which Buddha attained enlightenment! It's the oldest documented tree in the world with a chronicled history since the time it was planted in 288 BC. The place was an absolute frenzy of devotees & priests worshipping & meditating while offering lotus flowers, fragrant incense & coconut oil lamps. Since we weren't Buddhist, we felt a little out of place & intimidated by this supremely sacred spot. We didn't have anything to offer & weren't dressed in pure white like the hundreds of devotees worshipping around us. Despite the chaos, the tree retained a sense of tranquility and peacefulness that made it special. It was something I'll never forget, and I think my Mom may have been tempted to convert to Buddhism after the experience.

Offerings

More Stupas!

The rest of the day we marveled at the ruins of the greatest kingdom in Sri Lankan history - Anuradhapura. This kingdom flourished for almost 1500 years from the 4th century BC up until the 10th Century AD when invasions from southern India moved the capital further south to Polonnaruwa. We stared in awe at more palaces, monasteries, monuments & even larger stupas! Jody and Mom offered some lotus flowers at the base of one along with the hundreds of Sri Lankans who were doing the same. Countless more monkeys greeted us at these ancient sites - a theme that followed us everywhere we went in Sri Lanka. Despite the old age of these ancient structures, we were able to get a sense of the majesty of the kingdom from the remaining ruins. It served as the political and religious capital of Ceylon (Old Sri Lanka) for over 10 centuries! Anuradhapura stands as a permanent manifesto of the culture of Sri Lanka, impervious to outside influence and is a must visit for any tourist.

Ready to Climb Lions Rock - Entrance Through Ancient Gardens

Sigiriya's Gateway Amidst Lush Forest

We were a little "ruined" out by this point, but we still had the most visited historic site in Sri Lanka to see the next day - Sigiriya or 'Lion Rock'. One of the best preserved examples of ancient urban planning, this aged palace is dominated by a massive column of rock nearly 700 feet high! Built in 495 AD, King Kasyapa built his palace on top of this rock for protection & superiority and decorated its sides with colorful frescoes. We approached through a series of elaborate gardens that run up to the foot of the rock. These gardens are considered one of the most important aspects of the site because they are among the oldest landscape gardens in the world! The water, cave & boulder gardens were terraced in a perfect geometric line leading up to the great rock.

Admiring the Ancient & Beautiful Cave Paintings

It was foggy the day we were there, so the top of the rock was shrouded in a eerie layer of invisibility. We started our ascent passing ancient rock shelters that indicate the area was occupied nearly five thousand years ago during the Mesolithic Period! Up and up we ascended on the stone stairway past caves where early Buddhist monks lived and worshipped to a gallery half way up the rock called the 'Mirror Wall'. Originally, this wall was so highly polished that the King could see himself while he walked alongside it. The wall is now partially covered with verses scribbled by visitors dating back to the 8th century. In essence, it's a very early graffiti wall! Continuing upward through a series of spiral staircases, we arrived at a naturally protected niche in the rock face where amazing frescoes were painted into the rock. Originally, these paintings would have covered most of the western face but over time with the elements, they became lost forever. The remaining paintings are considered unique in style & depict beautifully elaborate maidens which testify to the advanced Sinhalese civilization at a time when Europe was in the Dark Ages.

At The Feet of the Great Lion

Final Ascent Into the Clouds & The Fortress

Stumbling upward even more, we reached an ancient gateway built in the form of an enormous lion! Only the massive paws remain today, but they indicate how gigantic the rest of the carving must have been. We proceeded up a new metal stairway that would have taken us through the lion's mouth; up to the summit - hence Sigiriya's alternative name, "Lion Rock". I couldn't help but marvel at the incredible feat of construction. Without these modern staircases, we would have had to traverse straight up the vertical rock face! Apparently, small niches were carved into the rock for the ancient people to gain a foothold & ascend. After a harrowing hour climbing up the rock, we reached the summit ruins at last!

Jody @ the Summit Enjoying the Royal Baths

It's too bad visibility was poor on the day we went to Sigiriya because I'm sure the panoramic views would have been fantastic. Every once in a while, the fog would lift a little and we could catch a quick glimpse of the lush surroundings and the extremely well-reserved garden layout below. The top consisted of an complex of terraced palace ruins that must have been pure luxury back in the day! We marveled at what's left the ancient fortified palace and strolled around the remains of King Kasyapa's private bathing pool. The capital and royal palace were abandoned after the kings death yet the site was still used as a Buddhist monastery until the 14th century. The grandeur of this astonishing rock lives on & will continue to do so for centuries. It was a fantastically unique place & something I'll never forget. They say Sigiriya qualifies as the 8th wonder of the world - ranked closely with the Great Wall of China and the Taj Mahal...I have to agree.

Happy Family After Conquering Lions Rock

4 days in Sri Lanka's cultural triangle and we were exhausted! Time to move on to the next destination - Kandy.

Welcome to Sri Lanka!

Sri Lanka for me was a total blank page. We were never planning on visiting during our Asian adventure. However, after two and a half months backpacking throughout Southeast Asia, we decided to meet up with my parents someplace totally different. Someplace relatively off the tourist map and exciting. Sri Lanka fit the bill perfectly! We spent 2 weeks traveling through this fascinating country & loved every minute of it!

We arrived in Sri Lanka's capitol & biggest city Colombo after a 4 hour jaunt across the Bay Of Bengal on a red eye. Our first impression was pretty rough - a long line of touting taxi drivers vying for our attention and money after our guesthouse driver bailed on our airport pickup. Add to that stifling heat, humidity & a completely foreign culture that we weren't used to at all. We took a short taxi ride to the ocean side city of Negombo and spent our first few days relaxing on the Indian Ocean and learning about the country during long conversations with the awesome owner of our guesthouse - Nishan.

Fishing Boats on Negombo's Coast

In the 1970's Sri Lanka was experiencing a tourist boom until civil war broke out, and for 25 years, the country was locked in a constant state of chaos. The majority Sinhalese government & the minority Tamil tiger militants battled constantly for over 2 decades crippling Sri Lanka's population, environment & economy with an estimated 100,000 people killed during it's course. It wasn't until May of 2009 that the Sri Lankan military defeated the Tamil Tigers finally bringing war to an end. Throughout our time here, it was clear that the country is still reeling form it's recent strife. To make matters worse, Sri Lanka endured a recent, terrible natural tragedy as well. The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake triggered a massive tsunami that ravaged the tiny island's coastline and killed over 47,000 people! The waves engulfed entire trains. Boats swept out to sea, houses ripped off their foundations. In places, the tsunami waves went inland as far as 1 mile! The fisherman living in wooden beachside shacks simply didn't stand a chance as waves up to 30 feet high smashed into the coastline on that fateful day. Nishan told us about the British couple who was staying at his guesthouse that week. They had left their bags at the guesthouse with the intention of picking them up a week later at the end of their trip before heading home. They took a seaside train along the Eastern coast and were never heard from again. Nishan went on to tell us that after weeks of no word from the couple, the British government requested they ship their bags back to England. The reality of the tragedy sunk in for us at that point.

Beach Side Fishing - A String Is All You Need!

The Days' Catch

We went on a long sunset run around the neighborhood, along the coastline where kids were playing Sri Lanka's beloved cricket in the sand & into the lush hills past crumbling buildings, burning trash & cattle jingling their way down the road led by their owners. A fascinating landscape. The locals totally stared at the crazy white couple running! Not something they see everyday I suppose, yet we took pride in this & the fact that we got to see a bit of everyday Sri Lankan life. We motored around in a Sri Lankan Trishaw (a tuk-tuk of sorts) & had our first taste of Sri Lankan cuisine - Rice & Curry along with Sri Lanka's national beer - Lion! It was a nice introduction to this interesting Island on the Indian Ocean.

First Real Meal in Sri Lanka

Despite the recent dark days, Sri Lanka is showing signs of a resurgence. Per capita income in Sri Lanka has doubled since 2005 & quality of living has increased greatly in recent years. Tourists have began to come in droves to Sri Lanka and after our experience, it's easy to see why. The whole world will fall in love with this place and it's already jumping up the list as one of the "places to see" on the planet. After a joyous reuniting with my parents after over a year of being apart, we hopped in our pre-arranged van & headed inland towards the Cultural Triangle & a treasure trove of some of the island's, if not the world's finest ancient monuments.

Bout Sums Up Negombo For Us - Ready To Explore The Rest Of Sri Lanka

Penang, Malaysia - A Foodie Paradise

Awesome Street Art in Georgetown

If you look at any Penang blog, almost every page you'll find is related to food. The tiny island on the Northwest of Malaysia is world famous for its unique, delicious cuisine. Being the foodies we are, Penang was always near the top of the wish list of places to visit during our time in Asia. We spent a total of 5 nights in Georgetown, the island's capital & quickly found out the place has more to offer than food.  Georgetown is filled with beautiful, old colonial buildings and retains a lovely small town charm. The hostel we stayed at in Little India is actually one of Georgetown's many 'heritage houses' - well preserved homes which display unique architectural styles brought about by the multicultural society who took up residence here. The quaint streets are flanked by these colonial houses, Malay mosques, Hindu and Chinese temples & awesome street art! The city is simply a joy to wander around & we now know why it's dubbed 'The Pearl Of The Orient'.

Such a Fun Night at Red Garden with Jenny!

Hilarious Lady Boy Show!

Our first night in Penang was very memorable. We met Jenny, the nicest cab driver upon arrival and she invited us out that night to join her and her family for dinner, drinks & entertainment at one of Penang's most well known night markets - Red Garden. It turns out Jenny is kind of a big deal in Georgetown, so we were given VIP treatment all night and she seemed to know everyone! We had way too many beers, dish after dish of incredible Penang hawker street food & really enjoyed the raunchy lady boy show even though we didn't understand most of it! Jenny introduced us to all kinds of friends including the owner of the extremely successful Red Garden market, nearly every waitress stopped by to gulp down Carlsberg with us, and I even got to talk to the star of the night - the lady boy after her(his) gig. It was then that something unexpected happened. She grabbed my hand and pressed it against her breast. Jenny's old Chinese father who hadn't spoken a word of English all night then said to me - "Apples or Oranges?" Seriously, that is the hardest I'd laughed in a long time! A great night out & a great introduction to Penang - thanks Jenny!

On Top of Penang Hill Overlooking Georgetown With Some Monkeys!

Monkey Beach at Penang National Park

During our time on the island, we climbed the exhaustively steep Penang Hill & pissed off a ballistic monkey at the peak who jumped off a roof & sprinted straight at us! He chased us for a good 30 yards before finally stopping after I screamed at him!! We enjoyed a leisurely evening watching the sun set over Georgetown & the sprawling Malaysian mainland in the distance. One day we went to Penang National Park & hiked through the jungle to deserted Monkey Beach. We looked down at the jungle on the canopy walk, refreshingly took a dip in the natural pools & lounged on the beach for hours. We learned about Penang's interesting history at Fort Cornwallis & strolled around the countless halls, pagodas & lakes that make up Kek Lok Si Temple.



Like I mentioned before, one of the main reasons we came to Penang was the food and it definitely didn't disappoint. It's a tough call, but overall I think I liked Malaysian food more than Thai food - call me crazy! The incredible cuisine here is a result of Penang's convenient location on the Straits of Malacca. This strait has been the main shipping channel between the Indian and Pacific Oceans, linking major Asian economies such as India, China, Japan & South Korea for centuries. The influx of exotic cultures has resulted in a uniquely Malay blend of flavor. There is very traditional Indian & Chinese food on the island but there's also one-of-a-kind dishes you'll only find in Penang. 5 days eating our way through Penang has changed my palette forever & I'll never forget the incredible flavors that make this tiny Island such a food paradise! Here are some of the highlights:

Breakfast of Choice in Penang - Roti Canai (Indian Flatbread with Spicy Curry Sauce)

Killer Chinese Food at Tek Sen Restaurant (Twice Fried Pork, Fish Head Curry and Sauteed Asparagus With Shrimp)

Incredible Indian Specialties at Jaya

Rojak (Sweet & Sour Fruit & Veggie Salad)

Keeping Cool in Penang's Heat with Refreshing Ais Tingkap (Rose, Coconut & Basil Seeds)

Hokkien Mee (Spicy Prawn & Pork Noodle Soup)

Incredible Nasi Kandar (Indian Curry Buffet) at Line Clear - Anthony Bourdain Knows Best!

Chendul (Sweet Shaved Ice Dessert with Coconut Milk, Palm Sugar, Kidney Beans & Rice Noodles)

Penang's Version of Pad Thai - Char Koay Teow (Way Better BTW)

Grilled Stingray

Penang Asam Laksa (Sour Tamarind Based Fish Soup)

Kickin' It in Kuala Lumpur

Kuala Lumpur from Above

Our schedule allowed us only one week in Malaysia, but what a fantastic week it was! We hopped on the short 2 hour Air Asia flight from Siem Reap, Cambodia to the modern, bustling capitol of Kuala Lumpur & were immediately shocked at the stark difference in culture! After our 21 days in Cambodia, we had become accustomed to the travel difficulties that come with such an undeveloped nation, not to mention the last 5 days exploring 10th century temples of Angkor. Our first taste of Malaysia was like jumping into the future! We were confronted with a plethora of modern, air-conditioned bus options for the ride from the airport to the city proper. We had arrived back in the 21st century!

Hokkien Mee Mee at Lot 10!

Kuala Lumpur - where to begin! Bright lights, clean streets, new motor vehicles! This city has grown from a sleepy Chinese village to a bustling metropolis of 6.5 million people in only 150 years! The growth & wealth is on display everywhere you look from the massive Petronas Towers to the electronic subway system to the swanky bars lining the streets. Not many 150CC Honda Dream motorbikes here. Ducati's racing around corners & high performance Bentleys cruising the streets is what we witnessed. For a little perspective our first night, we wanted to see the city from above so we headed up the 1400 feet to the top of the KL Tower. The view from here was stunning & is actually a higher (and cheaper) viewpoint than the more famous Petronas Twin Towers! Kuala Lumpur's modern city seemed to sprawl on forever in the distance. KL is a bit short on must-see attractions actually. The real charm lies in wandering around shopping & eating your way through. We ate that first night at a legendary food court in the bottom of one of the countless malls. This wasn't your run-of-the-mill food court. Lot 10 Hutong has restaurants that have survived 2nd and 3rd generations. It's considered the only heritage hawker center in Malaysia. Each of the 30 stalls has been around for over 40 years! We really felt for a second like we were back in Beijing, strolling along the narrow cobblestone Hutong streets, catching whiffs of amazing meals being stir fried all around us & gorging on authentic Chinese cuisine. Needless to say, a big reason why we came to Malaysia was the food!

Glorious Batu Caves

Pesky Lil Fellas

We hopped on a subway the following morning for a visit to the Batu Caves. Located 8 miles north of KL, this limestone hill has a series of cave temples that are some of the most popular Hindu shrines outside India! We eeked our way past 140 foot golden statue of the Hindu God Murugan (largest in the world BTW) the and up the 272 steps surrounded by curious, aggressive macaque monkeys & fruit bats squeaking above. Quite an experience! Once inside the massive, dark caverns we watched local people getting blessed at the colorful temples & it was really our first taste of practicing Hinduism. So different than the Buddhism of Thailand - that's for sure! That evening, we went to KL's main attraction & landmark - the Petronas Twin Towers. The tallest building in the world from 1998-2004 until eclipsed by Taipei 101, they are still the tallest twin towers in the world today. The buildings themselves are so impressive. They dominate the skyline especially lit up at night & serve as a symbol of the nations soaring success. The mall inside the buildings is almost as impressive as the gorgeous outside. We watched Gravity in a state of the art IMAX theater which was so sweet!

KL's Main Attraction

Malaysia has an extremely diverse environment. The influence of a variety of cultures is obvious. Everything from the people to the architecture to the food is a fascinating blend of Malay, Chinese, Indian, Persian & European. It was a bit strange for us to be confronted by a variety of people who looked like they could be from China or India, yet they were locals. The countries in mainland Southeast Asia don't have nearly the diversity that Malaysia does. Islam is the national religion so we saw our fair share of women covered head to toe in black burkas. They even had segregated train carriages only for females. We had a delicious lunch of indian fish-head curry & proceeded to one of the coolest museums I've ever been to - The Islamic Arts Museum. This ornate, lavish 4 story building houses an impressive collection of priceless Islamic artifacts from ancient texts of the Qaran to weaponry & current pilgramiges to Mecca. I didn't know much about Islam, so it was very interesting for me to learn about it's history & principles. Particularly awesome was the room filled with scaled models of mosques from all over the world.

No Guys Allowed

So Many Mosques!

We strolled through Chinatown checking out a beautiful Sri Mahamariamma Hindu Temple which happens to be KL's oldest & richest. We learned about the history & culture of KL at the Kuala Lumpur City Gallery. That evening, we checked out Jalan Alor which is totally street food paradise. Such an overwhelming array of local delicacies on offer, but we opted for a delicious claypot chicken rice. After 3 fun days in KL, we were ready for the 4 hour bus ride to our next destination - the Island of Penang!

Killer Claypot Chicken Rice!

Daily Prayer at the Hindu Temple