21 Nov. Day 2, Anuradhapura

If it would only stop raining, maybe I'd have a bigger smile on my face. Left my umbrella in my room, didn't I.
The walk / bus ride to town doesn't seem as arduous after the first time. It's still a bit of a trek, but there are lots of opportunities on the way to shoot interesting people and things.
I put aside today for visiting the main cultural/historical.Buddhist sacred city region in Anuradhapura. Maps help a lot - online or otherwise. The sacred city area especially stretches out over a relatively large expanse of land.
When the sun rises in late morning, it's hard going but interesting. Some of the ancient sites are easily accessible, many of the entrances are policed by chaps in brown, army-looking uniforms and staff requiring shoes to be taken off and handed in.
I think (hope) the shot of the golden fenced-in tree is of THE tree. It might be that, or one grown from a sapling from the tree Buddha was supposed to have sat under.
Yes, after a ramble around various buildings, I had a bit of trouble finding the right place in the complex where I'd left my shoes.
Reunited with them, I nipped into the big refractory with lots of white-clad Sri Lankans. Once again, the food was okay and astonishingly cheap: Asian catering for the hungry, pious masses.
I seem to spend an inordinate amount of time on these trips being mildly, or riskily, lost. It's kind've fun, but it eats up a lot of time.
Later on, I just went on a bit of a walkabout. Sri Lankan faces galore, I'm still slightly (pleasantly) shocked that almost all the locals I've met and chatted to are fine about standing still for a photo. What jolly nice people the Sri Lankans are.
With a bit of luck, I think I might have managed to reserve a place on a trip out to another significant site tomorrow, promising a stunning sunset no less.Read more