Our Round-the-World adventure

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

Great stuff.....really looking forward to your next post(s). Thanks so much for sharing and allowing us to follow along.....

 

[ITTOG]

I can't help but imagine the time it took to carve those caves. Just imagine the time spent and the number of slaves it took to create it.

On the Temples at Khajuraho, was there any info on if the intricate carvings were done before or after the temple was built. It just seems it would be a lot harder to build if the carvings were done before the temple was erected.

Thanks for taking us along.

 

[tacototheworld]

Based on what we have found out they were carved on the ground and assembled using mortise and tenon joints. Amazing that they have stood the test of time for hundreds of years

 

[tacototheworld]

Sri Lanka - Part 1

Pilgrims dressed in white coming to visit an ancient Buddhist stupa (building to house an important religious relic) at Anuradhapura

A small island nation off the southern coast of India, Sri Lanka held a mystique for us and we were eager to visit. It was cost prohibitive to try to ship the truck there but flights from Mumbai were relatively cheap and since we thought we would never again be so conveniently positioned to visit the country, we should go.

We did our research on the highlights (mostly reading Lonely Planet and Googling), and chose an eleven day route to take them all in. As we starting to look into rental cars, we discovered it was actually cheaper to hire a car and driver than drive yourself. No problem, Andy was ready for a break after a month driving in India. We booked a driver through an online agency called Digital Tourism and hired a driver for $60 a day which included gas and his accommodations and food.

Our eleven day, 1300km route through Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is developing its tourism infrastructure and is a comfortable and easy place to visit. Hotels and food are reasonably priced and there is a range of choices from budget to high end. We chose the mid range route and the hotels were lovely. We pre-booked all our hotels on Booking.com and the average was about $50 a night for the two of us, including a hearty breakfast. Our total cost for an eleven day trip for the two of us was $2400 (not including airfare). The highest cost was our driver followed by hotels at $500 and then tours and cultural site fees for about $500. There is definitely a tiered system with cultural sites charging a premium for foreigners as are hotels and restaurants designed for tourists. A savvy budget traveler could definitely spend a lot less.

Day One - Colombo to Anaradhapura, 200 km and 4.5 hrs

Our first cultural site to visit was Anaradhapura, the center of the early rulers of the country for 1000’s of years beginning in 360 BC. The ruins sprawl over acres with temples, stupas, and statues of Buddha. Buddhism started in Sri Lanka in about 250 BC in Anaradhapura and today Buddhism is the official religion of the country. Sri Lanka is the oldest continuously Buddhist nation in the world and you could see and feel people’s faith in the culture..

Statue of Buddha, in the first version of this photo Dawn was standing with her back to the statue but then we found out it is considered disrespectful in Sri Lanka to stand with your back to a statue of Buddha

Buddhist stupa

Today Sri Lanka is peaceful and the predominantly Buddhist Sinhalese people live harmoniously alongside the Hindu Tamil people. But the civil war following independence from the British was not that long ago. In what is becoming a sadly familiar story, colonization caused rifts between the island ethnic groups and war ensued after independence. The majority Sinhalese came into power following independence and the renaming of the country from Ceylon to Sri Lanka. Under British rule, the Tamil people had become strong English speakers and were overrepresented in universities and public sector jobs which caused resentment with the Sinhalese. There was also fear that the Tamil ties to India (many traced their heritage back to South India) could lead to being culturally overtaken by their large neighbor.

Our favorite Sri Lankan breakfast, hoppers (bowl shaped crepes, sometimes with an egg), coconut sambu and lentil dal

Day 2 - Anuradhapura to Sigiriya, 75km and 1.5hrs

Along the way Dhammika asked if we would like to visit a local village and be shown how traditional food is prepared. We agreed, thinking it sounded like fun.

So we were loaded in an ox cart

Then on a boat across a lake

Pounding rice to make rice flour

Weaving palm fronds for the roof

The village of Sigiriya was tucked into the jungle with the highlight being Sigiriya rock - an important cultural and spiritual place for the Sri Lankan people.

It was a relatively warm and muggy afternoon so we decided to climb the smaller, Pidurangola Rock that day and save the bigger Sigiriya rock for the cooler early morning. It was a steep climb up Pidurangola Rock but worth it for the statues along the way and the amazing views across the valley to Sigiriya Rock.

Giant sleeping Buddha statue along the trail

View across to Sigiriya Rock from Pidurangola Rock

Early the next morning we made our way up Sigiriya Rock (also known as Lion Rock). The trail was well traveled and actually less steep than the Pidurangola trail of the night before.

Steep staircase up the rock face, carved lion’s paws at the base

Fortress ruins on top of the rock dating back to the late 5th century

Day Three - Sigiriya to Polonnaruwa - roundtrip 50 km and 1 hr each way (layover night in Sigiriya)

Roadside elephant sighting! The first time we had seen wild elephants alongside the road since being in Botswana.

Polonnnaruwa was the second ancient capital, established when Anuradhapura was abandoned after repeated raids by the South Indians. In general, we appreciated the sites at Polonnaruwa more, probably because they were newer they were more intact and impressive. The city was the center of the Sinhalese Kingdom from 1017 to 1232.

Carved statue believed to be of King Parakramabahu who oversaw the expansion of the new Sinhalese capital, Polonnnaruwa in the 12th century

Dawn is always entranced by statues of Buddha

We figured out no turning our back on Buddha but this time unfortunately Dawn is accidentally sitting on the offering table. Eventually we will get it right.

The whole site is covered with fascinating carvings and statues

After a day of cultural enlightenment we returned to Sigiriya for a second night. This was our only layover night. For most people planning a trip to Sri Lanka we would recommend extending the time and doing more layovers. As usual, we were working toward a tight timeline (this time to cross Tibet with a group of fellow overlanders) so we shortened our trip. We were also feeling a little conflicted, on the one hand being driven every day, completely cared for, staying and nice hotels and eating every meal in a restaurant was amazingly relaxing. On the other hand, it felt counter to the way we had committed ourselves to traveling the world, doing it on our own, making our own way, sleeping in our own vehicle and cooking our own food. But we managed to get over the conflict and enjoy the sheer luxury of the experience for eleven days.

Garden view from our hotel breakfast area

 

[tacototheworld]

Sri Lanka - Part 2

Day Four - Sigiriya to Kandy, 136 km and 3.5hrs

Along the way we stopped at the amazing Buddhist rock temple at Dambulla

The largest cave temple complex in Sri Lanka dating back to the 5th century BC

Kandy was a beautiful town, built alongside a forested lake. The main attraction is the Temple of the Tooth - the palace where Sri Lanka’s most holy relic is housed - Buddha’s tooth.

Dawn also talked Andy into attending a cultural performance featuring the traditional music and dance of Sri Lanka. The variety of dances, music, costumes and masks made for an entertaining hour.

Dawn managed to talk Andy into going to a traditional song and dance performance

Day Five - Kandy to Sri Pada (or Adam’s Peak) 67km and 2 hours

Andy was on a mission to buy some ebony from a licensed source for his woodworking artist friend Oliver. Harvesting of any ebony, including dead trees is illegal without first getting government approval. So first thing in the morning, Dhammika helped us track down a woodshop which was able to sell us some. Then we were on our way to the town at the base of Sri Pada (translates to Sacred Footprint) also known as Adam’s Peak in the Christian world. We planned to climb the peak the next morning.

Artist at work

Evening view of Sri Pada from our hotel room


Day Six - Sri Pada to Horton’s Plain, 60km and 3 hours (slow road)

The pilgrims’ tradition is to set off at about 3am to reach the top of the sacred mountain for sunrise. But we are just not that hardy so we left at about 6am. One of the most popular pilgrimage sites in Sri Lanka, the peak is well set up for a lot of traffic. Most of the climb is on steep concrete steps (5500 of them) and the way is lined with tea and snack shops.

The peak gets larger as we get closer

And the steps began . . . and continued - 5500 total to the top

Shrine at the top encasing the golden footprint of, depending on your religious beliefs, Adam’s footprint where he first landed after being expelled from the Garden of Eden, or Buddha’s footprint, or Shiva’s

It was exhausting and hard on the knees but we felt a huge sense of accomplishment, returning to our hotel by midday to continue our journey.


Day Seven - Horton’s Plain to Ella, 45 km in 2.5 hours

Our next stop was the highland Horton’s Plain National Park. It was very a very different landscape from what we had seen so far in Sri Lanka - wide sweeping views. Once again we set out early in the morning for our hike.

View across Horton’s Plains National Park

Detour to a waterfall. Our goal was to hike the World’s End loop - a nice easy mostly flat 9km loop trail. A welcome break after our 11,000 step climb the day before.

Made it to World’s End, sheer cliff with a 4,000 foot drop off


We were happy to have done the hike, it was a great way to stretch our sore muscles and a beautiful new landscape to explore.


Day Eight - Ella to Uda Walawe National Park, 124km in 3 hours

Ella was a sweet mountain town, lots of cafes and shops and well set up for tourists. Dhammika had the suggestion that we visit 9 Arch Bridge, an iconic bridge for the local train so we drove and then walked up a steep mountain track to check it out.

In front of the iconic Nine Arch Bridge

Then the train comes! Lots of cheering and waving

Visiting the giant Buddha carvings at Buduruwagala, dating back to the 10th century


Day Nine - Uda Walawe to Mirissa, 104 km 2.5 hrs

The next morning we woke early to go on a safari in Uda Walawe National Park - known for elephants. Another benefit of traveling with a driver is that he was easily able to book these experiences in advance for us - we have never had it so easy.

The elephants did not disappoint!

Even spotted a wild boar

Our next stop was the beachside town of Mirissa. The beaches were gorgeous - white sand with crystal blue water. But we were a little dismayed by the number of tourists on the beach. Dawn managed to find a solo beach walk away from the bars and restaurants - but it was not a long one.

Main area of Mirissa Beach, beautiful white sand but tons of tourists!


Day 10 - Mirissa to Colombo, 60km and 1.5 hrs

We stopped off at beautiful Galle Fort which looked like a fun place to explore but the heavens opened up and dumped on us and we were soaking wet in 20 mins so ran back to the warmth of Dhammika’s car

Wandering the streets of the capital, Colombo


Day 11 - Fly back to Mumbai

That was our time in Sri Lanka. Many thanks to Dhammika who made the trip so much better than if we had done it on our own. If anyone is interested in contacting him as a driver his number on WhatsApp is +94 77 329 0722 It was a different travel experience, a bit of a splurge for us but worth it. Soon we will get back to more overlanding stories, Nepal and Tibet are coming up.

Thank you for reading!

 

[Sierra Valley]

WOW great trip. I hadnt checked in since XMAS on your journey been a few fun days catching up! You guys sure are living the dream!

 

[tacototheworld]

WOW great trip. I hadnt checked in since XMAS on your journey been a few fun days catching up! You guys sure are living the dream!

Thank you. We are definitely still having fun after five years on the road.

 

[tacototheworld]

Bhutan - Part 1​

View across the valley to Tiger’s Nest Monastery (Paro Taktsang)

Bhutan is a country that was shrouded in mystery for us. A remote kingdom nestled in the Himalayas, it only opened to tourism in the 1970’s. Very aware of their position surrounded by India and China, two huge and powerful neighbors, the people of Bhutan are fiercely protective of their strong cultural traditions. Outside media was not allowed in the country until 1999. With less than 800,000 people, the kingdom relies on selling hydro-electric power to fuel its economy. They forbid climbing the Himalayan range between themselves and China preferring to keep a strong geographic and mental barrier between themselves and the giant in the north who has encroached on their borders in the recent past.
As it is a Buddhist nation, visiting and understanding Bhutan required a deep dive into religious history, visiting ancient temples and learning how the faith is built into the fabric of Bhutanese culture.

Straight of the plane, meeting up with our guide Karma and visiting our first Buddhist monastery

Everywhere in Bhutan we saw these small clay stupas, called tsatsas. Made with the ashes of deceased loved ones mixed in the clay, they are created as a form of remembrance and to generate merit for the deceased's better rebirth. They are usually placed in larger stupas or at sacred sites.

Bhutan had some of the most exquisite and unique architecture of anywhere we had been. Intricate wood work, with detailed and colorful painting adorned every building from simple homes and markets to magnificent temples and monasteries

Buddhist stupa - a building which houses an important religious relic. Stupas can be elaborate like this one or simple rock and brick structures. We learned the proper way to visit, walking three times clockwise around the building.

Entrance gate to the giant seated Buddha on the hill above the capital, Thimphu

Posing with the giant Buddha - in Bhutan they did not follow the same courtesy as in Sri Lanka - it was OK to pose with your back to Buddha. We are wearing our white scarves gifted to us upon arrival by our guide, Karma.

Our visit to Bhutan was short - a mere five days- mostly for financial reasons. Tourism is highly regulated and very expensive. On top of normal expenses there is a government fee of $100 USD per person per day. And you are required to travel with a guide. Likely we could have found a cheaper option with a larger tour group, but we signed up for a short private tour with a guide and driver. Our total cost was just under $3000 - $1000 in tourism tax, then $400 a day for guide, driver, accommodations, food and entrance fees. In the end we enjoyed our time with our guide and learned a lot more than we would have in our normal way of traveling on our own. It was a strange and luxurious experience being driven from place to place without having to think or navigate next steps.

Our five day mini-tour of Bhutan

Takin - the national animal of Bhutan and unique to its high mountain regions - we saw them visiting a national reserve for their preservation.

To us it looked like a cross between a buffalo and a yak, this was a small one, some of the males were fully as big as a full grown buffalo

A mountainous nation, Bhutan’s population primarily lives in a series of valleys. Each valley is typically protected by an ancient fort or dzong. These fortified buildings provided a dual purpose - a monastery for the region’s religious leaders and an administrative center for the government.
Bhutan is officially a kingdom and pictures, posters and billboards of their much revered family of monarchs are a common sight. King Jigme Khesar Namgyei Wangchuck and his wife have three young children. Our guide explained that he had great admiration for the king who dispersed payments from his personal accounts to unemployed people during COVID and is implementing a vision for the future of Bhutan which involves building infrastructure to encourage business development with its southern neighbors. There is also a prime minister appointed by the King. The prime minister leads the executive branch of the government and typically is the leader of the party who wins the most electoral votes in parliament.

One of the oldest dzongs on the hill above Thimphu - Druk Wangditse Lhakhang

One of the most common words seen throughout Bhutan - druk - means dragon. The Bhutanese name for the country - Druk Yul - translates as “land of the thunder dragon.” Stories about ogres, dragons and evil spirits being conquered by Buddhist heroes are woven into the national folklore.

Beautifully painted prayer wheels were a common site

Sunlight hitting the gorgeous painted woodwork

Watching the national sport - archery

Our driver and guide - dressed in the traditional clothing of Bhutan

Traditions felt strong in Bhutan. Even in the two big cities, Thimphu and Paro, most of the people were wearing the beautiful traditional clothing and fabrics of the country. At temples and stupas, worshippers circled the buildings with prayer beads and personal prayer wheels, chanting mantras. Families with young children and groups of teenagers prayed in the shrines.

More beautiful architecture - and always the mountains behind

Site of 108 stupas. The number 108 is important in Buddhism as it represents the number of earthly desires or passions that Buddhists strive to overcome on their path to enlightenment. These stupas were built to commemorate the lives of Bhutanese soldiers lost in fighting rebels from India in 2003.

Traditional village home. Despite being a very modest country, it was common to see phallic symbols painted on walls - representing a desire for fertility.

Artist at work on traditional religious painting

More fertility painting

Dawn could not stop taking photos of the painted wood

 

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

The photos are absolutely incredible. I can't even imagine how difficult it must have been to only have 5 days there. It's unfortunate that the fees are so exorbitant but ultimately that will probably save the country. Bhutan is such a mysterious country. I'm hoping that you might have some mountain pictures to post here ? Thanks so much for continuing to share your fascinating journey.....

 

[tacototheworld]

The photos are absolutely incredible. I can't even imagine how difficult it must have been to only have 5 days there. It's unfortunate that the fees are so exorbitant but ultimately that will probably save the country. Bhutan is such a mysterious country. I'm hoping that you might have some mountain pictures to post here ? Thanks so much for continuing to share your fascinating journey.....

Unfortunately while we were there it was during the pre-monsoon dry season where seemingly everyone is burning their fields in preparation for planting. The air quality in India, Nepal, and Bhutan was simply atrocious with visibility at times less than a half mile. So their beautiful mountains were completely obscured. One interesting point is that all mountains in Bhutan over 7,000 meters (roughly 23,000') are considered sacred and therefore no one is allowed to climb them.

It's a long story short we didn't see any tall mountains there!