Whilst some days you know are going to be good, others you expect to be uneventful and then pleasantly surprise you. Today was one of those days.
Standing at the wrong stop for the bus to Anuradhapura meant I got to see a real-life chameleon:
He would skit somewhere, do a few press-ups and then sit dead still.
Later in the day, there was one showing his camouflage abilities as he blended into the bark of the tree:
The bus ride (75p) took half the time we’d estimated:
And when we arrived, a tuk-tuk driver took us to what turned out to be a great “tourist rest”. This might be a first – usually they take you wherever they get most commission. He then suggested an afternoon trip to Mihintale (Min-ta-lay), the “birthplace” Buddhism in Sri Lanka).
After a proper Sri Lankan lunch at a local cafe (£1.50 for the best food so far):
…we set off and were greeted by a friendly, but not pushy, guide – Tharanga. Decided to risk his fee, and we weren’t disappointed as he brought the place to life. Let’s start with the main story:
Buddhism arrived in Sri Lanka when six monks came to the area and met Mahinda, the son of the king who was there to shoot. Killing is against their religion (ok, Buddhism isn’t a religion, it’s a philosophy – but it’s close enough for now), so the monks wanted to stop him. They asked him four questions about the trees, and his answers proved he was intelligent. He decided that he wanted to stop killing and so converted to Buddhism. Mihintale is where all the action took place. Under a mango tree.
We started at the alms house or “monk’s canteen” (see the long rice trough, and shorter curry trough):
Then the relic house – the large bowl at the entrance is for them to wash their feet, and the old Sinhalese script on the stone entrance slabs list the 56 rules for monks:
Round tombs of important monks are built around their ashes:
The Buddhist flag – the colours symbolise confidence (blue), holiness (yellow), wisdom (red), purity (white) and desire (orange). Monks dress in orange in recognition of the fact that all humans desire:
There are three “relics” of Buddha in Sri Lanka – his tooth (in Kandy), his collar bone (in Anuradhapura) and his “third eye” (here, although it’s moved to the main stupa now):
We went to the main stupa next where we encountered a small group of monks in the main shrine:
… who were really keen to chat. So keen that they fetched an English-speaking monk to translate. Some monk facts:
- They retire at 10:30pm and rise at 4am (for prayers)
- They will be monks their whole lives
- The monastery has about 30 monks
- They rely on donations from people, both Buddhist and Hindu
- They travel for free (they have no money, but are given vouchers, but rarely have to use them)
- They have “sister” monasteries in Basildon and Uxbridge (who knew?!)
- They were at the temple today because it’s the death-day of Mahina, so had come to pay their respects (how fortuitous for us 🙂
- They forgo all worldly goods… but also all worldly stresses 🙂
We chatted for ages, and then they wanted to give us gifts: some incense sticks, fuel and wicks.
The youngest monk had clearly taken a shine to me. All the signs were there: the shy smile, the way he didn’t take his eyes off me whilst we were talking and how his face lit up when he found out Rudy and I were “just friends”. Oh, and he followed behind us as we wandered round the site, smiling shyly when I turned to find him watching us. I look young for my age – he was probably young enough to be my son. Mind you, dating a monk has gotta be good karma, right? 😉
By this time, Tharanga had popped up to see where we’d got to! Chatting to him gave an insight into a Sri Lankan life. He is one of nine children. When their father left, their mother couldn’t support them, so him and one of his older brothers joined the monastery as assistants. When the monks had finished eating, they took the leftovers back to their family. The experience has shaped his outlook on life – he is grateful for what he has, doesn’t want for material goods and is keen to build his “karma” for the next life.
Then to the Buddha:
And strategic angles for photos:
Buddha’s hands are in the “teaching” position. The three erect fingers represent Buddha, philosophy and monks. The position of the thumb and index represent the “circle of life”, which can be good or bad. Following the Buddha, philosophy and monks mean that it will be a good life.
We caught sunset on the descent:
Then, whilst putting our shoes back on, Tharanga warned us of the local tuk-tuk driver tricks: they’ll offer to show you around Anuradhapura without a ticket, but you’ll only see the minor places. Or they’ll keep hold of your ticket (which gets stamped at key sites), show you copies of the famous sites and then sell your unused ticket to another tourist. He repeatedly asked that we didn’t tell the drivers what he’d said. Back at base, the tuk-tuk driver did exactly as he’d predicted – promised a tour for a low price and for “a small amount extra” he’d get us in without a ticket. Sometimes travelling is relaxing. Mostly you’re on your guard. Thanks, Tharanga.
An unexpectedly wonderful day 🙂
Random stuff from today:
I wish I had hands like this woman’s (well, I say that, but working for a multi-millionaire early in my career taught me the value of money – what it can and, more importantly, want it can’t buy):
Walking back to our hotel, some monkeys hopped, skipped and leapt across the bridge, into the trees and off over the roofs. Free-runners, I’m afraid you’ve a long, long way to go before you can compare to these beasts 🙂
As Sri Lankans often eat with their hands, a sink is a feature of most restaurants and cafes:
Bars on tables are back – specially installed so I can’t get my long legs underneath.
Bus conductors remember everyone – who’s going where, who’s paid, who’s owed change. And with up 56 seats and another 14 standing, that’s one impressive piece of RAM.
And finally, another impressive bug of the day:
… although this one came a well-deserved runner-up:
