Polonnaruwa

After we retreated from Ella and forsook the south , we went back to Kandy and then Danbulla and then on to the ancient city of Pollonaruwa. The ruins here date back a few thousand years. The ruins are pretty impressive and spread out over about five kilometers. We rented bikes and explored the ruins over one hot morning. 

That evening we went on a boat trip on a large man made reservoir. Despite being beside a large town the water is clean . No motorized boats are allowed and the locals ensure no one pollutes this reservoir which has been in operation for a couple of thousand years. It was a treat to swim in this reservoir. There are crocodiles but the locals convinced us the waters were safe.

There is a canal that is fed by the reservoir. Every evening the locals come to its shores to bath and wash their clothes. It was very pleasant to bike beside the canal and the locals were very friendly. 

Part of the reason I have such good memories of Pollonaruwa is that we're staying at a very beautiful guesthouse right beside the ruins . In fact there are ruins on the hotel property. The owner was very friendly and knowledgeable. His mother cooked us spectacular meals. It was the perfect spot to get out of the tourist frenzy.

One of the remarkable things about  this part of Sri Lanka is the extensive management of water that has been around for thousands of years. The first kings decreed that not a drop of water should pass to the ocean before it had served mankind. Every lake or swamp has been dammed and diked with the water flow being diverted for irrigation and other purposes. So when the rainy season comes all the water is captured in these reservoirs and the slowly doled out through the rest of the year. Flooding is almost nonexistent and the water lasts through the dry season. And I will say it again . It has been happening for a couple of thousand years.