I prefer a book to online searches when it comes to travel advice. I have several guide books, and I will visit the travel section of a library when I can. On my last trip I took along the Lonely Planet guide to Sri Lanka. It is a wealth of information and everyone I met in the country seemed to be toting the same book. It was only on Christmas Eve, while visiting my second archaeological ruins in two days, that I started to question some of the descriptions of the place in the guide book. "Stupendous structures"; "enough to send shivers down your spine"; "a thrilling experience"; and the one that really stood out: "it is one of the greatest structures in the ancient world, only matched by the pyramids of Giza... visually it is stunning, and your first glimpse of this brick monument through a gap in the forest is breathtaking."
The guide book was describing the 2000-year-old monastery at Anuradhapura and in particular one of its many dagobas, or stupas. Unfortunately the stupendous structures did not send shivers down my spine, but I certainly did feel something when being forced to walk barefoot over hot paving stones and gravel made of rose quartz shards. The hot sun did more to take my breath away than the old monuments. I had seen enough long before the tour was over, and there were still pages of "sites" still unseen of this enormous and sprawling complex of ruins. Even with the guide book in hand, I was still unsure why we were walking around dome after dome structure without any entrance. I enjoyed watching the monkeys scamper around, talked to a few other tourists, and looked for a shady spot to stop for lunch. (Toilets were out of the question.)
As I said, this was our second visit in two days, and we were not alone. Hundreds of pilgrims were flocking to these religious sites to pay their respects. Dressed all in white and donning the appropriate head gear, they seemed unaffected by heat or lack of conveniences. It was when we had again left our shoes at the entrance and joined the crowds at the site of the sacred bodhi tree, that it occurred to me that it was these pilgrims that should be writing the guide books, not a travel writer. Not only did they know exactly why they were there, and the story behind what they were seeing, but they took pride in the hardships they faced as a result of their quest.
A guide book written by pilgrims would not down-play the fact that you must get sore feet, stand in the hot sun waiting your turn to place your offering, or be willing to give your money to one of the many vendors selling flowers, hats or snacks near the entrance. Pilgrims would see this as a badge of piety, making the whole trip worthwhile. The descriptions would be a lot more accurate.
I wished I could have read their description of a visit to Adam's Peak or Sri Pada before going myself. This lofty temple draws pilgrims from three different religions, and is usually climbed to at night in order to get a glimpse of sunrise from the top. While my guide book describes the route up as "a trail of stars leading into the heavens", I'm sure a pilgrim's guide would be more practical. Firstly, they might point out that it is not at all necessary to set out at 2 am in order to see the sunrise from the top. They would surely avoid this time, as it causes congestion at the top and you will not even get to the temple doors. Buying one of the silly looking santa-hats from a vendor at the start of the trail is a good idea, because of the cold, and take money to spend at the tea-houses on the way up. There are 5200 steps, and you will be climbing straight up for nearly 4 hours. And if you don't pass out on the way up, after the climb down your knees will never be the same. Be ready to pull up those who are less fit, and carry sleeping children down. Don't expect the hotel you reserved at the start of the trail to have any modern comforts like sheets and toilet paper. Watch out for pickpockets who will take advantage of your weakened state to rob you.
Of course there is no cable car that takes tourists to the top, and that is part of the charm of the place. When you do finally make it to the top you are rewarded with a sense of accomplishment and a beautiful view. Although you cannot say that it is a view shared by only a few, because you will be humbled by the little old ladies and small children who do the whole climb barefoot and without complaining, ... year after year. And the men who work up there, feeding the pilgrims, do the same climb daily carrying sacks of flour and crates of water. Oh, yes, there would be so much more shared in a guide book written by pilgrims than where to take the beautiful pictures shared on social
media.
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