Two ancient cities down, two to go… We started the day driving through Anuradhapura (I can finally say it in one try), Sri Lanka’s most sacred city and first ever capital. Unlike Polonnaruwa, the sites of Anuradhapura are scattered across a much larger area. We drove around, walked around, drove around, walked around…visiting the ubiquitous dagobas, the Sri Maha Bodhi tree, and numerous other ruins/monuments. Dagobas are pure white domes with a pointy hat, varying in size and importance, filled with relics. They pop up out of landscapes all over the country, often times up on hills where they blend with clouds. Some of the oldest ones in Sri Lanka are in Anuradhapura, and, though they’re all beautiful, if you’ve seen one you’ve seen ‘em all. The Ruvanwelisiya Dagoba, the Abhayagiriya Dagoba, the Jetavaranama Dagoba, the Mirisawetiya Dagoba – couldn’t tell the difference, to be honest. Ya know, it’s like visiting churches in Italy (though my mom would disagree). The Bodhi tree is the oldest historically authenticated tree in the world. It grew out of a cutting brought from the one in India that Buddha chilled under for a while. The path leading up to it (that you must walk barefoot) is filled with monkeys swinging on branches, digging through trashcans, and grabbing food from tourists. The actual tree is enclosed in a special area, supported by metal poles and guarded 24/7, but the fallen leaves are free for the taking. Kyle and I collected a few as souvenirs – quite a treet. We got a good look at all of Anuradhapura from the dagoba at Mihintale, the neighboring ancient city. There has been no lack of stairs on this trip: Adam’s Peak, Sigiriya, and 1,840 more today. It was well worth the climb, however, as we watched the sun set over distant mountains and (more) dagobas. When we got back to MB’s house, the front patio was filled with people. MB decided to wait a few minutes before telling me that they were (we were) hosting a clothes distribution project. The people I had thought were strange loiterers were called out by name to come and receive a bag of clothes from me. With a smile of gratitude and a kneel at my feet, individuals emerged from the crowd and then sank back in again. A great last night in Maradankalla.

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