Hike, Swim, and Eat: Final Days in Sri Lanka

Hello from Chennai, India! We arrived here yesterday after a memorable two weeks in Sri Lanka. The last couple of days we spent on the tropical island were unexpectedly two of our best so far, with a diverse mix of hiking, exploring ancient ruins, relaxing at the beach, and happening upon a huge annual Catholic festival.

In Sigiriya, we heeded all guidebook and hotelier advice and woke up early to arrive at the  famous rock fortress when it opened at 7am. Sigiriya is yet another UNESCO World Heritage Site we were able to check off our list in the country, the location where King Kasyapa established his capital and built a palace in 477 CE. The area was also evidenced to have been inhabited by Buddhist monks in the 3^rd central BCE, with rock carvings and shelter structures still intact. The grounds were well-equipped for tourists (as they should be, with the price of $30 USD for each foreign visitor!), and we were handed a map detailing where we could tour the ruins of boulder gardens, water gardens, latrines, settlements, and more. The main activity that we tackled upon arrival was ascending 1,270 steps to the top of the 200-meter high boulder upon which the palace was built. Thankfully it was not too hot or crowded so early in the morning, and we were able to take lots of pictures of the beautiful view from the top of the rock. As we climbed back down, monkeys were goofing around and picking and eating each other’s fleas, so we watched for a while before wandering around the rest of the Sigiriya facility.

That afternoon, pooped from the morning’s activity, we relaxed at the guesthouse we were renting in town. Similar to the situation with many of our accommodations so far, we were renting from a family that built a few stand-alone hotel rooms on their property so they could bring in extra income. Very entrepreneurial! This Sigiriya family was very eager to please, bringing us tea, cookies, and juice whenever they saw us hanging out on our room’s front patio. We were very satisfied with the guesthouse, except for the fact that multiple frogs kept crawling under the front door and hopping around our room! Each time I saw a frog (they seemed to like hanging out in the bathroom the best), Matt would pick it up with a little bag and toss it back out the front door. We’ve since left Sigiriya, but every time I open my big backpack, I half-expect a little lost frog to hop from its depths.

Before our climb up Sigiriya Rock!

View from the top of the rock.

Walking around the palace ruins in Sigiriya.

We wrapped up our trip in Negombo, a beach town just north of the airport. Booking our room there with proximity to the airport in mind and few other expectations, we were pleasantly surprised with our experience there! Negombo is known as “Little Rome” in Sri Lanka because of its predominately Catholic population and also its canals that crosscut the town. We happened to stay there during the Festival of Saint Sebastian, the patron saint of Negombo, which meant colorful lights strung up across the town, street food and rides were set up along the main road, and Catholics were joining together in prayer and song throughout the neighborhood. They practiced Catholicism in ways similar to how Buddhists practiced across Sri Lanka, with depictions of Jesus, Saint Sebastian, and other religious figures displayed prominently in glass cases on every street corner. The church, built in 1936 and modeled after the Reims Cathedral in France, was the focal point of the town. We spent part of our time in Negombo observing the Catholic culture, but we also very much loved going to the beach for a midday swim. The water was so warm and there were lots of kite-surfers out and about. We also rented lounge chairs for an hour and Matt drank a chocolate milkshake. Paired with the evening sunset and festival, the beach made for a perfect last day in Sri Lanka.

 Sunset at Negombo Beach.

Lights decorated the entire town of Negombo during the Festival of St. Sebastian!

I also wanted to write briefly about Sri Lankan cuisine! After two weeks, we had tasted the key dishes served at restaurants and food stalls. It’s important to note that in Sri Lanka, there isn’t much of a restaurant scene. Most people eat in the home, so restaurants often seemed geared towards tourists and were probably a simplified representation of what Sri Lankan families actually cook and enjoy on a regular basis. A few of the Sri Lankan restaurant staples included:

• Roti: A flatbread typically rolled up and filled with meat, fruit, or vegetables and varying spices. It’s eaten either as a snack or similar to a sandwich at lunchtime.
• Kottu: We discovered this dish during the second half of our trip, and it ended up being one of our favorites. It’s made of chopped-up roti and vegetables, chicken, egg, or meat that is all thrown on a grill similar to a stir-fry with sauce and spices.
• Pol Sambola: A side dish made of shredded coconut, chili peppers, dried fish, and other spices. Surprisingly hot!
• Rice and Curry: A consistent offering on every Sri Lankan restaurant menu, they’ll bring out a selection of curried vegetables in little bowls along with white or red rice. Usually comes with a crispy cracker-like side dish as well as a serving of Pol Sambola. You can ask for curried fish, chicken, or beef on the side as well.