Polonnoruwa

The weather threatened a late afternoon shower and this made for a stunning sunset over the lake on our arrival. Lightening could be seen in the distance and locals were bathing in the lake.

Jason got to see the local hoons pulling increasingly unlikely motorcycle wheelies until one of them went down, and they all calmed down. He will be limping for a few days after that.

Our evening visitor in our bathroom. Him and ten of his friends.

This is Parakramabahu's royal palace, it would have been 31 metres by 13 metres, possibly with seven stories. There are places where you can see where beams would have supported the floors, and Jason (should have been an architect) spent far too much time sussing this out.

The Vatadage in the Quadrangle is a well preserved example of the traditional entry to a building of its day.  You can see the guardians on either side and the moonstone at the bottom of the steps. The beautiful carved moonstone is where you are supposed to wipe your feet before entering.

There is alot of walking around the temples that mean your feet get muddy. Not one for feet infections, Claire wears this stunning ensemble around each sight. This particular combination of socks and sandals is being sent to the editor of a German Backpacker magazine.

Stalking....would Claire like to buy a wooden Buddha or an elephant?

Maybe not. The further away someone seems to live from the coast the more likely they are to use Tsunami guilt as a sales tool.

The Latha-Mandapaya has the most amazing lotus stalk carved pillars.

The real soul stirring is usually from the door steps. The footprints left in the stone from hundreds of years of use by thousands of monks can make you feel a little insignificant.

Polonnoruwas glory is the Gal Vihara. A collection of Buddha statues carved insitu into a single piece of rock.

The reclining Buddha is 44ft long and the detail is awesome.

The Langur monkeys seem to ignore the rope and get straight on with the task of farting in the Buddha's ear. They might be admiring the grain of the stone instead.

The Macaques are little more sedentary and more photogenic.

The Lankatilaka appears a little cathedral like with its 17m high walls. What is left of the guardian statues on either side of the entrance and the big Buddha at the back suggest immense grandeur of times past.

The Lotus Ponds were once a place for monks to bathe.  They are now a place where Jason can sit and plan scripts for B-grade pornos.

We had had enough ruins and on the way back to our hotel we found this little impromptu meeting. It was under a tree down a steep back away from the middle of town so we figured it was a vote buying exercise.