An unavoidable prelude to any journey is convincing my mother that the destination is safe and that I won't suffer an agonizing death in a foreign land, far from those who love me. In this respect, Sri Lanka presented more of a challenge than usual.
Nature's awesome beauty and the ingenuity of mankind come together majestically at Sigiriya Rock. A massive 320-meter granite stone set incomprehensibly in the jungle, the "Lion Rock" was attracting admiration long before King Kassapa built his castle on top of it, and continues dropping jaws today.