Rocky

Sigiriya, Sri Lanka

The chosen guest house in Sigiriya (Nilmini Lodge) was too dark and not very clean. I needed a place to feel 100% comfortable now. A friendly Canadian outside the porch suggested to try the guest house across the street. This place is full of flowers with airy, big, clean rooms at an affordable price. The lady who showed me the room has a stunning smile. I treated myself to a coconut to beat the heat and strolled through the tiny village. Over dinner, I met a very charismatic hippy-like Russian lady. Talking about India, her eyes sparkled. She had travelled all over India and is an absolute fan. She could not even say which place she liked the most. Right now, she is on a half-year trip with her daughter, giving her the chance to discover the world before she goes to school. Two French brothers, Laurent and Romain, kept me charming company till late in the evening. I entertained them with my spooky story of the night before. They, rightly, concluded that I am a bit of a crazy woman. They recommended a nice place at a beach further north, which I may not be able to resist!

Today morning, I got up early and was proud of that for at least a few hours. The alarm rang at 7am and after a quick breakfast I set off to climb Sigiriya Rock. The roughly 1,600 steps to the top were a good training to climb Adam's Peak later on. At Sigiriya Rock, 90% of the visitors get a guide. I definitely did not want anyone chewing my ear for two hours, nor helping me up the stairs. To the dismeanor of the guides, I chose to stay independent and soon found a path off the beaten track. The southside of the rock is deserted in the morning and noone hassles you with picture books and secret wooden boxes to sell. The painting and the mirror wall was not really impressive, but the view from the top was stunning. You can see the mountains and an ocean of trees. You can hear the sounds of the jungle all the way to the top. I could even see Amaya Lake, the eery place, where I had stayed the night before.

The rock

Secret paths
Sensual wall paintings
Kandy & Amaya Lake

Thick jungle

Back at my guest house by 11am, I drank my daily coconut and got a garden tour from Preethi, the owner. By 12 noon it was so hot, the best thing was to take a cold shower and a well-deserved nap. The afternoon was great: typing up all the stories of the past days, I was surrounded by flowers and groups of monkeys with their little offspring. They still make me happy!

In Preethi's garden

Flower family
Monkeys everywhere!