Sigiriya, looking for elephants and climbing a rock…

Today was a short ride with a TDA lunch at the hotel. The reason was to give us time in the afternoon to explore Sigiriya.

In the morning we crossed areas close to a national park. We were cautioned to ride in small groups in case of elephants. While rare, elephants are known to charge as this account https://tdaglobalcycling.com/2021/03/my-elephant-attack-ten-years-later/ from the founder of TDA from 15 years ago recalled.

I normally ride at my own pace with frequent stops for photos, but decided to follow the rules today and rode with another rider, Kathy, through the elephant zones.

Start of the day at bicycle parking to fill water and retrieve my bike.

We started along the lake.

Stupa

Another canal. It was close to the wildlife crossing so I waited for other riders

Road intersection

Fancy coke stop with a bakery

Watch for elephants

Bob at a coconut stop

Stupa, close to Sigiriya. As we got close we could see tourists on the road walking.

Closest we got to an elephant was this (sad) practice of tourists riding.

Sigiriya was a tourist center with lodging, cafes, signs, etc. In contrast to the east coast where we saw fewer tourists. Also on a Sunday, some local tourists.

Be careful

Lion Rock rises nearly 200m from the surrounding countryside. On top there was a temple which is now ruins. So my goal for the afternoon was to explore Lion Rock.