Subida a Sigiriya (i/v), Sri Lanka
near Sigiriya, Central (Sri Lanka)
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Trail photos
Sigiriya has some ruins on top of a mountain surrounded by plains that are worth visiting. Not in vain is it a World Heritage Site by Unesco.
To get there, you have to pluck up the courage to climb the nearly 800 steps that separate us from the ticket office at the start of the route. You have to take into account that the sun falls to pieces in these latitudes and you are going to have to sweat a lot (in spurts).
The path begins at the access ticket offices. If you are a foreigner, you will have to pay 8 thousand rupees (which is €25).
As soon as you arrive you will be harassed by a large number of guides. I did not need a guide and I had to reject about 30 proposals (with great patience).
First you go through a plain with the royal gardens, with a pond and vegetation. Shortly after the ruthless climb begins. Step after step. Getting drenched in sweat. We will arrive at the entrance where at first there was a stone lion and now only the claws of the two legs remain. At that point the steepest stairs begin and coincide with those that go down (separated from each other so as not to get in the way).
After much sweat we will reach the top. That top is a fairly wide plain with remains of buildings. In reality, only the foundations remain.
The views around are magnificent. After walking and looking at each viewpoint to take a look at these wonderful views, it's time to go down again to where the lion's claws are. (What a difference, go down than go up). Upon reaching the claws, we follow the same path we came from and shortly after we will find a detour to the left that will take us to the Mirror Wall and further on to the famous Sigiriya paintings. The mirror wall (Mirrow wall), was named for the painting that it had that reflected everything as if it were a mirror. That, today, we cannot corroborate. Still, you must not touch that wall, they warn you at every step.
Some metallic spiral stairs take us from the Mirror Wall to the cavity where the frescoes are in the rock. It is actually an area 30 or 20 meters long, where two guards make sure you don't touch anything and that you DON'T TAKE PHOTOS. I don't quite understand why you can't take pictures without flash at full daylight. But that's what there is.
Then we go down another spiral staircase that will lead us to a path that, after passing through the Cobra Cave, leads you to the west exit, the end point of the route.
To get there, you have to pluck up the courage to climb the nearly 800 steps that separate us from the ticket office at the start of the route. You have to take into account that the sun falls to pieces in these latitudes and you are going to have to sweat a lot (in spurts).
The path begins at the access ticket offices. If you are a foreigner, you will have to pay 8 thousand rupees (which is €25).
As soon as you arrive you will be harassed by a large number of guides. I did not need a guide and I had to reject about 30 proposals (with great patience).
First you go through a plain with the royal gardens, with a pond and vegetation. Shortly after the ruthless climb begins. Step after step. Getting drenched in sweat. We will arrive at the entrance where at first there was a stone lion and now only the claws of the two legs remain. At that point the steepest stairs begin and coincide with those that go down (separated from each other so as not to get in the way).
After much sweat we will reach the top. That top is a fairly wide plain with remains of buildings. In reality, only the foundations remain.
The views around are magnificent. After walking and looking at each viewpoint to take a look at these wonderful views, it's time to go down again to where the lion's claws are. (What a difference, go down than go up). Upon reaching the claws, we follow the same path we came from and shortly after we will find a detour to the left that will take us to the Mirror Wall and further on to the famous Sigiriya paintings. The mirror wall (Mirrow wall), was named for the painting that it had that reflected everything as if it were a mirror. That, today, we cannot corroborate. Still, you must not touch that wall, they warn you at every step.
Some metallic spiral stairs take us from the Mirror Wall to the cavity where the frescoes are in the rock. It is actually an area 30 or 20 meters long, where two guards make sure you don't touch anything and that you DON'T TAKE PHOTOS. I don't quite understand why you can't take pictures without flash at full daylight. But that's what there is.
Then we go down another spiral staircase that will lead us to a path that, after passing through the Cobra Cave, leads you to the west exit, the end point of the route.
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