The featured photo (above) is the Sigiriya rock formation — the magma of an extinct volcano.

	We hired a car to drive us from Anuradhapura to Kandy with a 2 or 3 hour stop at Sigirya. Sigiriya is a 200 meter rock formation, formed from magma of an extinct volcano (where the outside of the volcano melted into the surrounding jungle leaving the magma rock). It is considered the most visited site in Sri Lanka because it astonishes visitors with the unique harmony between the nature and human imagination. On the top of the rock is a fortress complex with remnants of a ruined palace, surrounded by an extensive network of fortifications, vast gardens, ponds, canals, alleys and fountains. Since the 3rd century BC the rocky plateau of Sigiriya served as a monastery. In the second half of the 5th century king Kasyapa decided to construct a royal residence here.
	There is a complex pathway and metal climbing structure tourists can attempt to climb. All the tourist books say that no visit to Sigirya is complete without climbing to the top of the rock. The first stage of the challenging climb commences through the Terraced Gardens. Here are a series of steep stairs, leading up through a number of terraces, once planted with colorful flowering plants, to the Zig-Zag staircase. This grand staircase leads to the Mirror Wall. At the top of the Zig-Zag stairs is a platform where the climber can catch his/her breath and admire the scenery. A narrow spiral staircase that leads up to the Sigiriya frescoes located 20 meters above. Painted over 1600 years ago, the frescoes depict the ladies of king Kasyapa’s harem. They are richly adorned with lavish jewelry and dressed in fine garments which barely concealed their graceful bodies. The highlight of any visit to Sigiriya, they apparently are well worth the effort to see them. William and I climbed several levels of the staircase but Keith was the only one to reach the top of the rock.
	Kandy is the country’s second-largest city and the capital of Central Province of modern Sri Lanka. Its geographic location has made it a major transportation hub in the island: while Kandy being the gateway to the Central Highlands, the city can be reached by major motorways and railroad in every direction of the island. The main roads Colombo-Kandy and Kandy-Nuwara Eliya are two of the most scenic roads in the country; Colombo-Kandy road passes through rubber plantations and rice paddies, Kandy-Nuwara Eliya road cuts through paddy fields and seamless tea plantations. You do not want to be in a hurry to reach your destination on any of the roads in this region since they claw their way up winding, hairpins rounding over the rings of hills.
	Surrounded by mountains and in the heart of the ancient city of Kandy a beautiful man-made lake borders the historic Temple of the Tooth and lay in the shadow of Udawatte Jungle, a tropical paradise in itself. A two mile walk around the lake will encounter basking monitor lizards, tortoise, screeching bats and nesting storks. Walkers and joggers often exercise here and we encountered smiling friendly and chatty Sri Lankans.

Just behind the Temple of the Tooth we stumbled upon a very interesting cemetery. The caretaker, Charles Carmichael, has an intimate knowledge of the history of the cemetery and the people who are buried here, men who survived great British naval battles only to succumb to cholera, typhoid and malaria — women, children, plantation owners, early settlers. A real snapshot of what the hardships would have been for the colonial settlers living in this very different environment. Moving amongst the headstones he told the stories behind the gravestones. A few years ago Prince Charles visited the cemetery and Charles proudly expounded on his tour of the graveyard with the Prince.
Sri Lankan Elephant getting a bath from the Mahoot This Lake is a highlight in the middle of Kandy William & Keith with the Cemetery Caretaker
Kandy Accomodations We stayed at the Kandyview hotel in Kandy. Its highlights were fantastic views of the city and a great rooftop restaurant with great Sri Lankan fare. Lowlights: WiFi only worked in the lobby (they need to invest in WiFi extenders for each of their 4 floors — $50 x 4).