Sleepy hamlet

Dambulla bowled a googly at us. The name of this sleepy and quiet hamlet in Sinhalese, means 'the place of waking'. Waking?

Dambulla bowled a googly at us. The name of this sleepy and quiet hamlet in Sinhalese, means 'the place of waking'. Waking? Well yes, but at night.

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No one sleeps here at night, it seems, as we found out on Sunday after the late finish to the Sri Lanka-India game. All the shops in the town square were open, with music blaring and lights glaring.

This hub of activity lies on the main highway leading to Colombo on one side and Trincomalee on the other, so business is brisk, thanks to the night buses. This was an almost unbelievable sight, considering that hardly anyone seems around during the day. The answer is, if you stay awake at night, you've got to sleep sometime. The day is for that.

Fooled us, Dambulla did.

Pay and climb

While the place is full of hills of various heights, the dominant feature of the region is the Lion Rock Fortress. The huge formation, soaring hundreds of metres above the adjoining landscape, was turned into a fort by King Kashyapa in the 5th century BC. From here, the despot ruled for 12 years.

The closer you get to the feature, the more formidable it looks.

Only when you get to the foot of the rock you realise what's in store. From the base, the climb up to the top is about 90 minutes! And if you have tobacco lungs and beer guts like most hacks, it can stretch to two hours. Think that's something?

Then check this out. You have to pay Rs 1533, each, to inflict this torture on yourself. Needless to say, we opted to admire the rock from a distance, and then beat a hasty retreat.

Shining in gold

Also in Dambulla is the Rock Temple, a Buddhist structure that hosts several statues of intricate style and impressive dimensions. The entrance to the temple has a golden pagoda and a huge statue of the Buddha in prayer, also washed in gold.

Both face east, and when the sun rises, the shine has to be seen to be believed.

This temple has been created inside a cave in the rock formation, carved out of granite, an amazing example of human creativity and persistence.

The cultural side

Then, there is the Culture Club, where the Indians and Lankans stayed. The approach however, is poor — a bumpy ride down a narrow, winding road with thick bushes on either side.