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Day 19- A morning hike and elephants

So this morning was an early start for a hike up Sigiriya Rock. This site was selected as the capital by king Kasapa (477-495 CE). He built his temple on the top of the rock and decorated it with frescoes. About half way up on the side of the rock he built a gateway in the form of a lion. 



The capital and palace was abandoned after the kings death. It was used as a Buddhist monastery until the 14th century.









When we first got to the top (very sweaty and exhausted) it was a bit foggy but when the fog cleared the views across the Sri Lankan countryside were gorgeous. 





In the afternoon we took a trip to the elephant safari. There are about 5000-6000 Aidan elephants in Sri Lanka. Smaller then African. Only 2-3% of the males in Sri Lanka have tusks. These beautiful creatures are endangered but due to good conservation the numbers have thankfully increased. 














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