Anuradhapura

Another night with bad sleep, we changed places from the previous night, A/C was blowing directly into me. After breakfast, we met with Shanaka (called him Chanaka for 2 days) driver with Toyota van from 1991.

For 11 days of driving (driver, vehicle, gas, his stay overnight) and 10x sleeping costs were approx. 475€. First, we drove to Anuradhapura. Even he drove by rules he was stopped twice within a few km by police and paid once 1000 LKR. On the road, we stopped for food. We eat in some kind of wedding venue (3600 LKR for all, buffet).

Anuradhapura was nothing special even it is Unesco site, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities and was capital for 15 centuries. Part of it is that Shan was just a driver, not a guide. We saw on site (3750 LKR/person) pools, buddha statue, the stupa, moonstone …, walking around barefoot on the hot sand.

Later we went to the city, while it was a full moon (Poya) there were a lot of pilgrims in white at Ruwanwelisaya stupa and oldest human-planted fig tree, the rain caught us and we returned completely wet to the van, quickly changed and to hotel.

Had some dinner (600 LKR/person), fighting mosquitoes with citronella (220 LKR) and played Don’t Get Mad.