We started the day with a hike! We had the option to choose between two hikes. The class therefore split into two groups, where half of us went to Sigiriya rock and the other half went to Pidurangala. Before starting the hike, we went to Sigiriya´s museum where we were introduced to the history and archaeological findings. As mentioned in yesterday's post, The Sigiriya rock is one of the biggest tourist attractions in all of Sri Lanka. In addition, it is also part of UNESCO'S Heritage List. The rock was formed over approximately 2.5 million years ago. Some of the first archaeological evidence dates back to 7500 years ago. However, it is mainly the history from the King Kasyapa empire in the 5th century that remains.The locals have an inside joke that King Kasayapa brings more tourism income than the current president of Sri Lanka.
On our way to the top, we saw many of the archaeological remains from Kasayapa rule. For instance, we walked past the famous Lion paws, which are huge stone carved paws. It used to be a complete lion with a head, but sadly, it has faded away. The hike consists of 1200 steps, with newly constructed stairs laid over the historical and small stairs. We think it is a wonder how people managed to get up the rock without any safety equipment. At the very top, we could see the foundations of a former fortress.
On our way down, we walked past “the mirror hall”, which used to be a wall that was polished to the point where the King could mirror himself. Today, it is just an orange wall with graffiti. The last thing we saw before walking down again was a wall with paintings of different damsels. Archaeological experts think that the wall used to be plastered with 500 different figures. However, only 19 different female figures can be seen today.
The other half of the class went to the Pidurangala rock, another hike in which you could see the Sigiriya rock. This hike was not long either, but it was very steep in some places. The view from the top was beautiful, and we could see the rest of the class that went up the stairs on the Sigiriya Rock
After the hike, it was time to go visit a local village. When we arrived to the starting point for this activity, we realized we would be traveling by carriages pulled by cows. While we understood that this used to be a common form of transportation in Sri Lanka, and therefore can he considered a part of the local culture, many of us reacted to the way in which the cows were equipped with ropes through their noses and around their necks. This relationship between animal welfare and the cultural aspects of practices like this is a topic of debate in Sri Lanka. Another example of this, is how elephants are sometimes held captive as “pets” in some homes, which we have seen here in Sigiriya. While this is legal, animal rights activists are reacting strongly to this, due to the animals not being able to move freely and are kept in smaller areas. This is also the case in some temples in Sri Lanka, and it is important to also recognize that these elephants hold great significance for the culture and religion.
With this in mind, none of the students chose to use this form of transportation, and instead took tuktuks. Thereafter, we had a short catamaran ride over to the village. On the way we were shown a crocodile, but we are unsure if this was real or just a show for the tourists. In the village we were taught how to cook typical Sri Lankan foods such as rice and various curries. There were two women who demonstrated this, and as Ajith explained to us, it is common that women are encouraged to learn how to cook. However, while one could assume that men do more of “heavy” work, some of the household chores and kitchen activities require physical strength as well. An example is when making rice, which one if the women demonstrated to us, where one has to crush the rice with a large wooden pole. Finally, we were able to taste the food, which was delicious! We were served the rice and curries, but also fruit and sweet snacks for dessert. Then we headed back to the hotel, where we were able to relax and soak up some sun from the rooftop deck. Now we are ready to head towards Hambantota tomorrow, and are very excited for what is to come.
Group 3 Kristin, Martine, Rebecca, Signe
