The tribulations of Day 3 seem to have caught us in the wake. We realised this after arriving at the wonderful accommodation at Anuradhapura late in the evening. Despite being promised by the owner that an extra bed would be provided for my nephew and travel companion, we found the room had just one king-sized bed. In every other way, the place was ideal with just two large bedrooms, one on each floor. The building was set in the midst of a large compound on the shore of a lake. But we didn’t see the greenery nor the lake as it was dark and that was just as well because the last thing we wanted to see was more water!
The person who checked us in spoke no English and we were left to deal with him as our Sinhalese driver had left for his hotel. A sample of the conversation went,
“Where is the extra bed?”
“Bed?” He pointed at the only bed which was mine following the uncle-nephew protocol.
“No no. EXTRA bed. You promised.”
Total incomprehension. Then I discovered there was no toilet paper.
“ No toilet paper!!?”
“Finished.”
“Finished?”
“Finished.”
Checking the tea coffee supplies, I found they had not provided any milk.
“No milk? Morning tea – we need milk.”
“Milk?”
“Milk – milk for coffee tea.”
“Coffee, tea,” he responded pointing at the tray with tea bags and instant coffee but no milk.
Somehow, with great persistence we managed to communicate the extra bed issue to our man. A folding bed that looked like it’s been rescued from a junkyard was promptly provided. Raju was not impressed and a nimbus cloud settled on his face as he settled in his hammock, sorry bed.
With the help of a translation app we eventually overcame the language issues and the man returned with one roll of toilet paper and a small packet of milk (kiri). Then he gave us a phone number and said,
“Call madam.”
Madam reassured us that the bed would be replaced the next day.
The next morning, after breakfast, we drove to the Mihintale Buddhist temple complex where we hired a guide. The place was made famous by Emperor Ashoka’s son Mahinda who was brought up in the Buddhist faith and had attained the status of an Arhat or enlightened monk. He is supposed to have arrived in Sri Lanka around 250 BC and converted the king and his 40,000 subjects to Buddhism – every missionary’s dream.
Those of weak knees need not visit this place but it’s worth each of the 1000 odd steps one has to climb to reach the various places of interest within the complex. The intricate channels conducting water from Naga Potuna (Snake pond) to lower levels, the refectory where thousands of monks were fed, the present day monks – just young boys – learning the Buddhist dhamma (dharma or moral duty), the tablets inscribed in the Brahmi script and later in medieval Sinhala with details such as the remuneration to be paid for every job role ranging from dancer to keeper of relics and the living code of monks, the 60 odd stupas encasing their remains, and the dagobas, are all delightful markers of history one must not miss.
Many firsts are claimed and authenticated in the archaeology museum including the first ever requirement for an accounting system for businesses and the first hospital in the world. At Mihintale temple we witnessed another first – a cat and a deer who seemed to get along like a house on fire. We saw elderly ladies with walkers painfully negotiating the treacherous granite steps just to visit the cave where the prince turned monk slept for 48 years. Faith, as they say, moves mountains.
I was intrigued by the number of common words in Sinhala, possibly a derivative of the liturgic language Pali, and Indian languages. I must refresh my knowledge on Pali and its connection with Sanskrit, the mother of most Indian languages. I wondered if there exists an app that could list common words from languages.
We returned to our accommodation, but not before picking up a few cans of beer at an Anuradhapura wine shop which didn’t stock wine. Raju’s bed was replaced with a sturdy one and peacocks called out as dusk set in. And it didn’t rain on day 4. Things are looking up, the cyclone has hopefully moved on. The frog from day 1 and 2 seems to have followed us and is now living behind the bathroom mirror.
gopistory.com 
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