Sri Lankan Tales - Lost in My Anuradhapuran Reverie

My car didn’t have AC. I must have downed my 3^rd bottle of water within an hour. My driver was trying hard to catch up with my itinerary’s list, and he was rather thorough. Devil with a purpose, I actually considered someone was probably waiting for him back home. But not on my time's money. It was really up to me to optimize my visit of the ancient city of Anuradhapura. I sometimes interchange it with Myanmar's ancient city called Amarapura which I visted last year. I considered getting an AC car, but hiring a car all for myself – instead of sharing the bulk with some other tourists – was not inexpensive. But I’d rather be the boss. I wanted the car and the driver at my beck and call.

My driver earlier suggested we take a short break at a cozy bread shop in Dambulla. I might as well recharge. My legs were starting to shake from the fast turnover of places. Who says traveling is all relaxation? My travels have constantly tested my stamina, but I am not complaining. I know one day when I am old and grey, I shall look back on all these with fondness.

My driver would stop in the middle of nowhere and point me to some scenic spot, and I’d be – “Uh, nice!” – Polite but a little perplexed with his choice of “nice”. Beauty after all is in the eye of the beholder. As we were winding down our Anuradhapura adventures, I have conjured wild elephants lazily crossing down our road. We were traipsing through the jungles of Sri Lanka, and it wasn’t a far fetched idea to encounter such wildlife. In my reverie, I didn’t notice that we were already plying through the lakeside; gliding through a placid lake. I somehow waited for my driver to stop the car. I was thinking, “Hey, this would be your cue to stop and show me this beautiful scenic spot!” He didn’t! A few minutes later, I asked him to.

The gentlest winds blew against my hair. There was hardly a soul in this wet paradise. It felt like a solemn moment to thank the heavens for such beauty.

Then a motorcycle drove by, reminding me I had places to go. What did Brown say? And miles to go before I sleep. So be it.

This is the Eye in the Sky!

Sri Lankan Tales - A Perplexing Moment in Dambulla

Sweat was trickling down my back as I finally conquered the several steps that lead to the hill where 5 caves have been carved from a stone hill. I was feeling a bit let down for having paid several times just to visit this site. It is beautiful, but there's a certain psychology involved in overpaying for stuff. The $50 Round Ticket that I bought from Anuradhapura a few days ago was supposed to cover for a Dambulla tourist fee. Yet upon arrival here, I had to pay for the cave entrance - another 1,100 rupees. I went to the loo and I had to shell a few rupees more. Then as I made my way up the caves - after an arduous climb - I had to once again deposit my shoes at a shoe rack, and guess what? More rupees!

In my country, people would take the streets and complain to the D.T.I. if malls fail to provide adequate amenities, such as "public toilets". In Sri Lanka, we pay for every little thing we do. They must have forgotten to charge us for the air we breathe.

When I got inside the compound - up the hill - the view was spectacular! Green trees spread as far as the eyes can see. I wondered where the town was because I couldn't see a commercialized area down below. There were 5 separate caves, with several buddhas inside each! A nice guy volunteered to tour me around, but I didn't have the time. I was in a hurry. Otherwise, I would have loved to listen to those little stories that Lonely Planet doesn't provide. I hope he didn't find me dismissive. But I somehow wondered if I were to be charged a few more rupees if he did "guide" me!

There was this small "temple" between the carved caves, but i didn't bother check it out. There were devotees on the ground chanting, and by the time they finished their piece, they stood up and went to the Hindu statues: touching them, offering flowers, and stuff. These people are indeed very religious, if "religious" is a term that can be applied to buddhists and hindus. I have always considered the same term as an entity within the Catholic realm.

I have my photos with me. One day, I shall show them here in this blogsite the way I saw the buddhas, the caves, the chanting locals, the copulating monkeys - haha!

I think I forgot to mention that several donation boxes were scattered all over each cave! All those fees - and they expected more donations! It's enough to summon the Gods for such seeming greed! But yeah, Dambulla is beautiful!

This is the Eye in the Sky!

POST SCRIPT:

For some strange reason, I can receive the "Comments" made by our friends sent through my email but when I approve/accept them for publication, they do not appear at the blog post. So here are a couple of comments from our friends:

Ever ( Pamatay Homesick ) : Pards, minsan error yung Eye in the Sky blog mo. Di ko mabuksan.;)

Anyways, Kakaiba yung cieling ng Dambulla. Artistic!

Trotter ( BLOGTROTTER 2 ) : Hi Eye! It seems to be life... Pay, pay and pay till the end, and even after... ;). At least it was beautiful... Blogtrotter Two is showing some incredible rocks by the sea... Enjoy and have a great week!

@ Ever: I know, I get that a few times too. Ewan ko ba nagloloko. It might have something to do with the Neocounter. As for the caves, the walls have been thoroughly painted, kaya I am sure it inspires the artist in you.

@ Trotter: Pay, pay, pay. Stuff of life. Enjoyed your new post too. The seas look rough but dramatic.

Seagull Inland Resort Revisited - Guihing, Davao del Sur

We first visited Barangay Guihing's Seagull Inland Resort a couple of years ago and we were pleasantly surprised to find such an establishment of its kind in Davao del Sur. When we were finally able to explore Davao del Sur, we made sure we dropped by Seagull Inland Resort to check it out once again.

The place doesn't seem as well maintained as it used to. The cobbly road going to the main hall was lined by grass that needed weeding, but the rest of the facilities looked exactly the same. The pine trees have grown, casting a shadow on the pavement. There was a single family waddling in the swimming pool waters. There was no one else there. Several edifices near the entrance have mushroomed; they weren't there the last time we visited. The huge white tourist cart was nowhere in sight so it must have been decommissioned.

Yup, there's no entrance fee for visitors, but if you plan for a dip in the pool, a cheap fee is to be paid at the counter. The sun was bearing down its wrath, but when we ordered for a cold diet coke, we were told they only had the regular coke (which was fine by me).

We walked towards the fenced ostrich farm and saw several of those long necked creatures, each one looking menacing. I do not like ostriches. They seem to charge forward without due intimidation. I am fearful of their beaks. Grrr...

This is the Eye in the Sky.

Frangipani aka calachuchi

Children's Playground

Here's our post for our first visit/basic information: http://eye-in-the-blue-sky.blogspot.com/2008/05/seagull-inland-resort-and-spa-pleasant.html