Janet's Journal

The Beginning

I left England in a cold, snowy February and arrived at Bandaranaike Airport the following day.  Brilliant blue skies and blazing sun greeted me, and I was shedding layers of winter clothing as quickly as possible before sinking into the luxury of an air-conditioned car.  

The long drive to Kandy was broken up by several stops for refreshment; my first king coconut to drink, a rice and curry lunch that was so hot that it gave me instant hiccups and my host made the waiter take the chicken & wash the gravy off it.  Finally, after many close encounters with 3 wheelers, bikes, buses and anything else on the road we arrived at the house on the outskirts of Kandy.

The following morning, we set off at 6am heading north.  It had been suggested that I should climb Sigirya before it got too hot.  So, you can imagine the scene – I am unfit & a little overweight after a difficult Winter, tired from the previous two days travelling and now faced with this huge rock in the middle of nowhere and over 1,200 steps to climb on a metal stairway pegged to the side of the rock.  

Fortunately, I teamed up with two lovely girls who said they would help me get to the top (my Sri Lankan host had no intention of climbing and said he would wait in the car).  Halfway up at the Lion’s Paw there was a chance to sit and look at the view.  I wasn’t sure if I was going to have a heart attack or just literally melt in the heat.  The girls were quite insistent that I keep going and somehow, I got the very top and gasping could survey Sri Lanka way below.  Thankfully going down was much easier and quicker.  Am I glad I did it, you bet I am.  Would I do it again – no, I will be the person waiting at the bottom whenever I take people there