Today is full moon so a very auspiscious day for the Buddhists. We have a long drive to Anarhadapur, the ancient capital of the island. The main reasons for our visit are the temples and the ancient stupas. it took most of the day to drive here and we just had a couple of hours for our sightseeing. The main temple dates back to 200 BC and today is very busy due to the full moon. It was amazing to see all the locals going to the temples and enjoying this wonderful sight.
The Cinamon Lodge at Habarana will be our home for the next 3 nights – bliss 3 days in the same hotel. The clients are tired after our long journey. The hotel is lovely with bungalows dotted around the extensive grounds. Monkeys and monitor lizards roam around – in fact the monkeys sit in gangs loitering with their shoulders hunched up like hoodies. I have a local guide, Kama,l for the whole tour – I worked with him 3 years ago. He is very sweet and smiles all the time. Because today is full moon, no alcohol is available anywhere in Sri Lanka, though I have advised my group that they can get a drink from the mini bar in their rooms.
Kamal approached me in the restaurant and cheekily asked me if I wanted a drink. I wasn’t really bothered but he was very persuasive so we sneaked off and had a glass of arrack, the local drink made from coconut!!
I went to bed early as tomorrow we have a busy day!