Wanderlust: Éliane, Chloé, Carlos: SRI LANKA. Itinerary Part 1: temples, buddhism, ruins, rain

Au départ, le Sri Lanka ne figurait pas sur notre itinéraire. Comme notre vol de Kochi (Inde) à Bangkok (Thaïlande) comportait une escale à Colombo (Sri Lanka), notre agent de voyage nous suggéra de visiter également le Sri Lanka car cela n'ajoutait aucun frais à nos billets d'avion. Nous en avons donc discuté avec une collègue à moi qui avait été en poste au Sri Lanka et qui nous recommanda fortement de prendre au moins quelques jours pour visiter ce pays qui, selon elle, en valait vraiment la peine. Nous avons donc décidé de passer une semaine au Sri Lanka et avons élaboré notre itinéraire autour de cinq sites qui ont été désignés par l'UNESCO comme patrimoine mondial. Un autre collègue à moi, présentement en poste au Sri Lanka, me donna les coordonnées de notre chauffeur/guide, Amila, que des amis à lui avaient utilisé et qui avaient été très satisfaits de ses services. Voici donc notre itinéraire:

Initially, Sri Lanka was not on our itinerary. As our flight from Kochi (India) to Bangkok (Thailand) included a stop in Colombo (Sri Lanka), our travel agent suggested we also visit Sri Lanka because it did not add any fees to our tickets. We therefore discussed with a colleague of mine who was posted there; she strongly recommended that we take at least a few days to visit this country. We decided to spend a week in Sri Lanka and planned our route around five sites that have been designated by UNESCO as world heritage. Another colleague of mine, currently posted to Sri Lanka, gave me the details of our driver / guide, Amila that friends of his had hired, and were very satisfied by his services. Here is our itinerary:

Jeudi 16 octobre: arrivée à Colombo à 10h55, nous avons passé la journée à l'aparthôtel Unique Towers (qui est superbe) pour que les filles puissent faire des devoirs. Carlos et moi sommes allés à un hypermarché à 3 minutes de l'hôtel pour acheter tout ce qu'il nous fallait pour dîner. Nous avions l'air de deux paysans qui débarquent en ville. Après l'Inde l'hypermarché nous a paru gigantesque, super moderne, et ils ont de tout. En soirée, nous décidons de rester à l'hôtel où nous faisons venir de la pizza et des desserts, que nous dégustons en regardant un film de Batman (The Dark Knight).

Thursday, October 16th: arrival in Colombo at 10:55, we spent the day at the apart-hotel Unique Towers (which is awesome) for the girls to do homework. Carlos and I went to a supermarket 3 minutes from the hotel to buy everything we needed for lunch. We were like two country bumpkins come to town! After India, the hypermarket seemed gigantic, super modern, they have everything. In the evening, we decided to stay at the hotel, had pizza delivered, and watched a Batman movie (The Dark Knight).

Vendredi 17 octobre: Amila vient nous chercher à 8h00, nous devons faire environ 5 heures de route (pour faire 210 km...; nous découvrons par la suite que c'est la vitesse normale à la campagne) et nous visitons la ville sainte d'Anuradhapura qui est l'ancienne et première capitale du Sri Lanka (elle fut capitale pendant 1300 ans). Il s'agit d'une visite magique; le site de l'ancienne cité est gigantesque et nous l'avons presque entièrement pour nous car il pleut. Nous sommes en pleine saison des pluies et la mousson bat son plein (jusqu'à maintenant, nous avons eu plusieurs heures de pluie tout les jours). Mais la pluie ne nous dérange pas, au contraire. Il fait si chaud et si humide que la pluie est la bienvenue. La visite sous la pluie ajoute une dimension mystérieuse et mystique aux ruines d'Anuradhapura qui sont dans la jungle. Je vous assure qu'ici, quand il pleut, c'est du sérieux; la mousson n'est pas une pluie comme on en connait chez nous: ce sont des torrents qui tombent du ciel!

Friday, October 17: Amila picked us up at 8:00 am, we must drive about 5 hours (210 km..., normal average speed, we discover thereafter) and we visit the holy city of Anuradhapura is the oldest and first capital of Sri Lanka (it was capital for 1,300 years). This is a magic visit; the site of the ancient city is huge and we almost entirely for us as it rains. We are in the rainy season and the monsoon in full swing (until now, we had several hours of rain every day). But the rain did not bother us, on the contrary. It is so hot and humid that the rain is welcome. The visit in the rain adds a mysterious and mystical to Anuradhapura ruins are in the jungle dimension. I assure you that here, when it rains, it is serious; Monsoon rain is not as we know from us: they are torrents falling from the sky!

First temple visited, where a beloved relic (Buddha's tooth) was kept for centuries

In this very sanctum of Sri Lankan buddhism, each temple has an image of some hindu god, to which buddhist pilgrims will also pray. Our guide told us that "You cannot ask anything of Buddha, but you can ask assistance of your favourite (hindu) god"... Very disconcerting for Westerners steeped in our exclusivist religious Weltanschauung of "Either-Or". BTW, you just don't see hindu gods in Thai or Mongolian buddhist temples (although you do see strong Chinese architectural and decorative influences).

Los amiguitos de Carlos...

Rain at the first temple, which held for centuries Sri Lanka's most venerated relic, the Buddha's tooth, which then was moved to Polonnaruwa, and then to Kandy. Part of the reason these cities WERE the capitals. Of course, Sri Lankan official and popular (Singhalese) knowledge tend to underplay the rôle of Hindu/Indian power and culture, except to mention that the successive capitals were moved following troubles and invasions from S. India. What's significant about this city, is that its rulers in the 3rd century BC adopted Buddhism wholeheartedly, and with the Singha's assistance (buddhist order) unified and evangelized the country, turning it forever majority buddhist.

You must always be barefoot and decently clad at a buddhist temple

One of the oldest pagodas (stupas) in Sri Lanka, around 2nd century BC. Originally they all had roofs (see the columns)

Temple entrance, with moonstone, guardian dwarfs and mythical animal

Moonstone, a semi-circular stone, more or less elaborate, that stands in from of all buddhist temples. Here the four animals that represent the four stages of life (or illumination, not clear from our guide's explanations!). Later they eliminated the ox, probably as a concession to hindu (Tamil) power/inhabitants

Combination mythical animal that guards the entrance of temples. Along with the traditional symmetrical dwarfs, these 3 elements around constitute the normal decoration of a buddhist temple (with religious significance, just like a Christian church's entrance)

Evening prayers led by a monk, at Sri Maha Boodhi Temple

The second most holy place in Sri Lanka. A beloved Bodhi tree, believed to have been propagated from the original Bodhi tree, under which Buddha meditated and was illuminated.

Hay muchas procesiones en templos budistas. Los fieles se visten de blanco, llevan ofrendas (flores, comida, bebidas), banderas y en general siguen a algunos músicos y a alguien (muchas veces un monje) que lidera las plegarias. Al llegar al templo o estupa, recitan sus plegarias (a Buda y a los dioses hindúes que estén presentes)

Devotees light candles. The lights flicker feebly in the night, through a slight incense fog

Samedi 18 octobre: Visite d'une autre ancienne capitale (bien que pour une très courte période), Sigiriya. La citadelle est construite au sommet d'un rocher de pierre rouge haut de 180 mètres, le «Rocher du Lion». Éliane et moi montons jusqu'en haut alors que Carlos et Chloé nous attendent un peu plus bas (ils abandonnent au pied de la dernière montée, très à pic). Il faut dire qu'il fait très chaud et humide, et ce bien que nous fassions l'ascension entre 9 et 10 heures du matin. Un autre site magnifique, éblouissant, nous sommes de nouveau charmés par ce pays.

Saturday, October 18: Visited another former capital (for a very short period), Sigiriya. The citadel was built atop a granite outcrop 180 meters high, the "Lion Rock". Eliane and I go up to the top while Carlos and Chloé wait for us slightly lower (they stop at the foot of the last climb, very steep). It must be said it is very hot and humid, although we climb between 9 and 10 am. Another great site, dazzling, we are charmed by this country, again.

Iguana peering out of an old thermite nest, by the road

Incredible defensive and civil works. Here, a tiny part of the enormous outer moat.

Very colourful and interesting frescoes in a cave, half way up the rock. Sri Lankan guidebooks piously speak of some king's daughters or perhaps of women performing religious duties (this city always had a huge number of buddhist monks). I will let you decide whether this is a work apt to advance the religious path of monks.

The Lion Gate

Atop

Un Buddha visto desde arriba. Visitamos el templo un poco más tarde

Dimanche 19 octobre: Visite de la seconde capitale du Sri Lanka, Polonnaruwa, qui fut la capitale du Sri Lanka du 10e au 13e siècle, après la chute d'Anuradhapura. Encore une fois, un site gigantesque et époustouflant, ainsi qu'une chaleur très humide.

Sunday, October 19: Visit of the second capital of Sri Lanka, Polonnaruwa, which was the capital from the 10th to 13th century, after the fall of Anuradhapura. Again, a huge, stunning site, and a very moist heat.

Believed to be a courtly building

Nos encantó la serenidad de estos Buddhas meditando.

Otra stupa gigantesca

Finalement de la pluie!!!...

Sigiriya from afar. Note one of the numerous artificial lakes (amazing civil engineering, two thousand years old) built and maintained by royal decree. Many of these are still in use for drinking water today.

There were hundreds of different illuminated monks around the perimeter of this temple, all slightly different, but all in the same position, including this one. They look in, towards the massive standing Buddha statue