Sunkissed in Sri Lanka (Part 4): Sights and Heights of Sigiriya and Dambulla!

- April 16, 2025, Wednesday.

- The image of a palace on a giant mountain-like rock feels like something that only appears in fairytales. However, Sri Lanka has a wonder like this, or at least "had". The Sigiriya Rock Fortress is one of Sri Lanka's icons, and it partly the reason why I've been meaning to go to Sri Lanka. What today remains the ruins of gardens, and the palace itself was once a majestic palace on the rock, with a city surrounding it.

- My trip to Sigiriya from Kandy was organized by Oneworld Tours Sri Lanka; I found the tour via TripAdvisor. My chauffeur Janaka picked me up at the hotel and on we went to a comfortable 2-hour drive to Sigiriya. Upon arriving, I had to buy my ticket before exploring the archeological grounds. 

Remnants of the water garden.

Also part of his water garden.

I cannot believe I am seeing rock fortress after so many years.

Wearing my best Sri Lankan saram (sarong).

I have a thing of ancient historical rocks. I was also fascinated with Uluru (Ayer's Rock) in Australia.

- The climb to the top takes anywhere from an hour or more depending on your pace and fitness, the weather, and the crowd. Visitors need to climb up a thousand steps or so, but with some flat parts in between the climb. Nearing the top might be anxiety-inducing for those with acrophobia (or fear of heights) because the steel stairs are built around the rock with a full view of the jungle around the rock. 

Enter the rock arch.

Saw this big white Buddha statue from maybe a third up the stairs.

I promise it's just the angle, it's not as scary as it looks.

Part of the ancient citadel.

- The palace was built by King Kashyapa in the 5th century both for his residence and as a pleasure palace. It is said that he built the palace high up because his step-brother Moggallana will come and attack him. Kashyapa actually usurped the throne from Moggallana after killing their father, Dhatusena. Eventually, when Moggallana sought revenge and Kashyapa died, the palace was converted to a Buddhist monastery. Unfortunately, the palace/monastery fell into disuse after the 14th century when the Sri Lankans moved to the island's southwest for political and economic reasons, where Colombo is today.

This was already....halfway(??)....up the rock.

One of the two paws left from what was supposed to be a giant lion (Sigirya means "Lion's Rock", and was called as such because of the giant lion that once stood here).

Pidurangala mountain, where at the peak you can see Sigiriya.

Monkeys.

What's left of the palace on top of the rock.

Other pools/ponds left.

The Knuckles Mountain Range seen from Sigiriya's peak.

The walkway/pleasure palace as seen from the peak.

It was a challenge bringing materials up the peak as this was a rock, not a mountain. It would have been difficult to climb up in the first place.

The other paw.

This was called the Mirror Wall because it used to be so polished, like a mirror. This was also the path going to the Buddhist cave paintings (photos not allowed.)

Painting from the Cobra Hood Cave (photos at this area were allowed, but the paintings were hardly there already.)

- Although fried by the sun, I made it back to flat ground in one piece. Janaka took me to Dambulu Kitchen for lunch so I can "refuel" myself and get a bit of rest. It was an amazing buffet - Sri Lankan food with many vegetable dishes - with an even more amazing price!

This buffet was just heavenly.

See all the colorful Sri Lankan curries!!

- For the afternoon, I was all set for another hike (I didn't really have a choice as it was part of the tour and I didn't want to miss it). Before the hike to the Dambulla Cave Temple, I had a brief photo stop at the Golden Buddha Temple at the base of the cave temple. Unfortunately I didn't have time to explore the three-story museum. This temple was built in the late 1990s.

At the Golden Buddha Temple, but the Buddha is currently being restored.

There was also a golden stupa at the entrance.

- Although the Dambulla Cave Temple can be accessed by climbing a path from the golden temple, it has a second more accessible entrance at the base of the mountain with stairs that go directly up the rock to the temple. There were some rest stops along the way, so it was easier to pace myself.

- The Dambulla Cave Temple has been a Buddhist temple since the 1st century BCE. It has five caves, each with ornate paintings and statues of the Buddha. The white terrace outside the caves were built in the 1930s to further protect the caves from natural causes such as heat and rain. 

Another monkey.

I might be smiling but it was so painful walking on hot tiles.

Really had to be quick with this photo. But please appreciate how nice the temple looks.

Five caves of varying sizes.

- The biggest challenge of the visit was having to walk barefoot once I reached the top. The rock was exposed to the sun and it was difficult to walk as I felt my feet were being cooked (think of meat on a sizzling plate!) But I was able to see the beauty and serenity of each cave. I still cannot believe how people were able to do such incredible work before advanced technology was present. Painting and putting big carvings to many Buddhas inside the cave are not easy, even today!

Reclining Buddha.

My favorite cave. I felt calmest here, maybe because of the size of the cave as well as the nice ceiling paintings.

Rows of Buddhas.

Statues of the gods Saman and Vishnu.

- Visiting the cave temple did not need too much time, and I went back to the car to refresh and rest before visiting the Royal 100 Spice and Herbal Garden. This is one of the many famed spice gardens in Sri Lanka, and is the perfect place to learn more about how spices look like, their uses, and to buy naturally-made products from herbs and spices such as shampoos, soaps, lotions, sprays, perfumes, and other items.

My guide showing me cardamom plants.

They gave me complimentary cinnamon tea.

So this is what citronella looks like!

This is a medicinal pineapple, and it's a lot smaller than the typical sweet pineapples used for desserts.

How to make curry powder from various natural spices!

Showing me various products made from the herbs and spices in the garden.

- Finally, I visited the Sri Muthumariamman Temple at Matale. Built in 1874, not only is it historical, but it also boasts its gopuram, or tower, which is one of the tallest in Sri Lanka. It is also admired for its colorful appearance.

The temple's towering gopuram.

At the temple.

Colorful interior!

That's an unusual looking elephant creature!

Back gate.

Close up of the gopuram.

Above the doorway.

- After my tour concluded once I finished going around the temple, I was driven back to my hotel. After which, I spent some time going around the downtown before having dinner delivered to my hotel. I was so happy that I was finally able to visit Sigiriya at the cost of being a lot more sunburned and having tired legs from all the climbing. Sigiriya might be Sri Lanka's most recognizable landmark, but other landmarks in Sri Lanka have also been gaining much attention especially due to social media. One such place is my next destination, Ella! 

** Check out my other Sri Lanka adventures here!

Part 1: Colombo Fort, Pettah Market, Lotus Tower, Galle Face Green - here

Part 2: Kandy, Ambulawawa Tower, Three Temple Loop - here 

Part 3: Kandy, Sacred Tooth Relic, Central Market, Sri Maha Bodhi Viharaya, Kandy Lake Club - here 

Part 5: Nuwara Eliya, Nanu Oya, Ella - here

Part 6: Kandy, Bogambara Prison Park and Train to Colombo - here

Part 7: Colombo, Gangaramaya Temple, Independence Memorial Hall, National Museum - here

Spring in Tokyo (Part 3): Kawagoe - A Glimpse of "Old Edo" (and My Superhero Stint)

- March 27, 2024, Wednesday.

- A sunny Wednesday greeted me and it was the perfect day to go out of Tokyo to explore a bit more of Japan. I decided to visit Kawagoe since it was recommended to be a couple of times by different people. Kawagoe, also called "Ko-Edo" ("Little Tokyo", "Edo" being an old name of Tokyo) because it is a well-preserved historical city. Kawagoe is actually located in Saitama, which is a prefecture north of Tokyo.

- Getting to Kawagoe can be quite an adventure. Depending on where you are you may need several transfers to get to Kawagoe. In my case, I had to ride the train to Nerima Station, then ride the train to Tokorozawa Station, then from Tokorozawa to Honkawagoe Station. The most important thing is to ride the train all the way to Honkawagoe Station, in contrast to Kawagoe Station. Honkawagoe Station is the closest to the city center where all the historical and tourist stuff are, so it's best to ride the train to Honkawagoe Station. From Tokyo, the total journal would be around 1.5 hours more or less.

- Kawagoe's city center was generally walkable, and thankfully it was a sunny day so walking was quite easy. The only thing I had to deal with was the wind (mostly because I was wearing a kimono and I only had my undies underneath my kimono, so I had to make sure my kimono was always in place). I first made my way to Kita-in Temple. Built in 830AD as a Buddhist Temple, it later grew after some parts of the original Edo Castle were moved to Kita-in in the 1600s. There is a special room where visitors can see parts of the old Edo Castle, but unfortunately photography isn't allowed in that area.

We weren't allowed to take photos from inside the Edo buildings, but we were allowed to take photos of the sakura outside the buildings.

This main hall was also part of the Edo Castle.

Temple's pagoda.

- My favorite part of the temple was the 500 Rakan (Gohyaku Rakan) area, where the 540 disciples of Buddha were carved and displayed. Each statue is unique, and the have a lot of personality too. Honestly the Gohyaku Rakan was the part I was most excited about, because I just found the individual statues intriguing.

Find me!

This was a rather unusual one as this arhat was reclining.

The main Buddhas in the middle.

- A few blocks north of the temple is the Honmaru Goten (Inner Palace) of the Kawagoe Castle. Built in 1457, it was a strategic castle because Kawagoe was a trade city. The structure today is but a small part of the original, before many parts of the castle were abandoned and demolished in the 1870s due to the Meiji Restoration. 

Honmaru Goten facade.

One of the halls inside the palace.

- After visiting the castle I walked all the way to Kashiya Yoocho, which is Kawagoe's "Candy Alley". People can literally buy all sorts of traditional sweets and treats in that alley. One special pastry is called "fugashi". It's a big and long airy pastry - not sure if bread or cracker - that is lightly coated in sugar. I bought one with a sweet potato flavor, as sweet potato treats appear to be popular in that area.

Kahiya Yokocho.

Fugashi. This was around 3-feet long!

- The highlight of Kawagoe is the Warehouse District (Kurazukuri Street), where many old Japanese warehouses are preserved and now turned into shops and restaurants. The most prominent of these structures is the bell tower (Toki no Kane), built in 1894. Taking photos with the buildings is quite difficult as the streets and sidewalks are too narrow, and many cars pass by the streets.

Toki No Kane.

The street was so crowded, this was the good-enough shot I was able to take.

One old building was turned into an Edo-style Starbucks!

More old houses from the Warehouse District.

Now this really makes me feel like I went back in time!

More former warehouses.

- A bit south from Kurazukuri Street is called Taisho-Roman Street, which is a little bit more modern as these buildings were built in the 1920s. They still feel historical though!

Taisho-Roman Street.

 keep seeing these giant seafood crackers. This one is made with baby octopus.

I don't think I'll eat this again. It wasn't bad but they press the seafood so flat you barely get to taste the seafood anymore haha.

- I walked back to the train station and went back to Tokyo after my adventures in Kawagoe. It would have been nice to stay longer if not for the harsh winds that day. At least I was able to see majority of what I had to see in Kawagoe. 

- After arriving in Tokyo, and resting for a bit after a really long trip, I decided to go back to Tokyo Tower. Shiba Park was definitely dry this time because it didn't rain the whole day, so I was able to do my golden-hour to early-evening superhero shoot! - You be the judge of my crazy antics. 

The wind was my friend, look at my "hair"!

Manga cover or what.

There was a playground there.

Trying to catch that twilight glow.

- I honestly thought it was just a nice opportunity to revive my male Sailor Moon costume since I debuted it in Osaka last year. Sailor Moon was actually set in Tokyo, so what better backdrop than the Tokyo Tower. 

- Wednesday was a really nice day for me because of the pleasant weather and the chance to see another part of Japan outside Tokyo. Despite the long train trip I didn't feel too tired, and I was able to explore so much in a day. I like how Japan is so good at maintaining historical sites, such as the streets of Kawagoe. I had a few days left to explore Tokyo, and I had few more things left to see!  

** Please check out my other blogs in this series:

Part 1: Shinjuku, Shibuya, Super Sentai Restaurant (click here)

Part 2: Imperial Palace, Tokyo Tower, and nearby shrines (click here)

Part 4: Sensoji, Ueno, Ameyoko, Cat Cafe (click here)

Part 5: Odaiba and Gundam, Tsukiji Outer Markets, Tsukiji Honganji, Ginza (click here)