Sri Lanka - Day 2 Part 1

Man, we had a jam packed day.  Our driver picked us up smack on time at 8am, and we were off.  A quick 2 hours of dodging cows and passing trucks on a two lane road, we were at our first monument.

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I can't remember the name.  I tried looking it up, but there wasn't anything that looked close.  Anyway, it was old.  Like, 1st century AD old.

The ruins of the surrounding monastery.

Below is the main dagoba (or stupa).  Remember that these are structures that you can't actually go in, they just usually have a religious relic parked inside somewhere.  We took our time here, wandering around the outside, not knowing if this was a big deal or not (the driver was fairly vague as to what exactly we were doing that day).  I did learn that dagobas symbolize a meditatiing buddha:  The spire is his crown, the square is his head, the vase shape is his body, his legs are the steps, the square base is his throne.

Detail of the pillars.  More naked ladies to come in the following days.

I'm pretty sure that this was not the elephant's original intended purpose (holding the extension cord).

We had just started to get to know our guide at this point.  He was from Sri Lanka, and could reel off tons of facts about the monuments, none of which were written down anywhere I could find so of course I can't remember.  He would never tell us what our next destination was, or how far away it was.  He often just parked the car, got out, and started walking away.  Were we supposed to stay in the car?  Follow?  We were also to learn that he didn't eat lunch.  Which means that we didn't eat lunch.

Like here.  He just stopped the car and pointed.  (I found out later it was called Kuttampokuna).  "Oh, pretty, should we get out and take pictures?"  He just shrugged, "There is much else to see, there are just pools."  We got out and took a couple of pictures anyway.

From Wikipedia:

"The faces of the pools were cut granite slabs which includes the bottom and the sides of the pool. A wall was also built around the pool which encloses the compound. Flights of steps are seen on both ends of the pool decorated with punkalas, or pots of abundance and scroll design. Embankments were constructed to enable monks to bathe using pots or other utensils. Water to the pools were transferred through underground ducts and filtered before flowing to the pool and in a similar fashion the water was emptied.

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On to the next site, but I can't remember the name of this place, either... Wait, I found it, Anuradhapura!  That's it!

This buddha was supposed to show a different mood depending on which way you looked at him.  You be the judge (his name is Smadhibuddha):

Left side:

Right side:

I couldn't tell the difference.

The remnants of another seated buddha:

I swear these colors are not enhanced, the moss really was this stunning green color.

Any guesses what this stone canoe was for?

Apparently the entire thing was filled with rice, enough for 5000 monks that used the refectory.  Here's a shot of what used to be the rest of the kitchen.  Or library?  Again, there were no signs.  The guide could have said it was the bathroom and we would have had to believe him.

A Guardstone, located at the front steps of another temple nearby.  Here's the story:  "Two lovers emerge from the dragon's mouth above the cobra king, who has in his had the pot of abundance, signifying prosperity.  This is said that fertility generates prosperity.  (7 - 9 century AD)."  Can't find who the little guy is at the cobra king's feet, maybe the "whimsical dwarf" we would start seeing everywhere.

We met this family along the way, they wanted their picture taken.

She started to get a little shy when I zoomed in...

The Moonstone is one of the more famous features in Sri Lanka, placed at the entrances of most of the temples.

The lotus flower (Nirvana) is at the center, followed by a row of swans (distinction between good and bad), a ring of foliage (worldly desires), followed by a line of elephants, lions, horses, and bulls, symbolizing the four stages of life:  growth, energy, power and forbearance.  Or birth, decay, disease and death, depending on if you're a glass-half-empty kind of person.  Here it is inverted and up close:

You're supposed to start at the outside ring and go in, ending up at the lotus flower (Nirvana), right before you enter the temple.  Or the other way around, I supposed, as you leave and go back into the world.  Clever.

Another dwarf guarding the entrance.  Good parting shot, I think.

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Had enough for one day?  Ready for dinner?  Too bad, this was only the first half, not even lunch time yet.  Back in the car, off to the next one temple...