Two transfers and eight hours in transit, its 11:47pm and I’m back home in Trinco. This morning I woke up early and headed to the ancient city of Polonnaruwa. When I arrived it was about noon, and I spent a few hours walking along the ruins, and really enjoying landscape. Two friends, who had been staying with me, joined for the trip – I was glad to have the company.
Polonnaruwa was the site of Sri Lanka’s second capital. It was populated from the late 600s until about 1200 a.d. The city declined when the South Indian Empire of Chola defeated King Nissankamalla. After the King’s defeat the city was largely abandoned and lost to the jungle, until British explorers discovered it in the 19th century.
I’m hard pressed to think of a situation in the States where I would spend eight hours on mass transit for five hours anywhere, but in Sri Lanka it seemed natural. Things take much longer here, the 70 mile trip from Trinco to Polonnaruwa for example.
