Detour

ROYAL RETREAT Two hours' drive south from Trincomalee is Polonnaruwa, one of the three corners of Sri Lanka's "Cultural Triangle" of ancient capitals. The ruins there can be explored by car or cycle, but every visitor would be well advised to stop at the new archaeological museum located near the entrance to the Royal Palace group before starting a tour. The museum's scale models offer a fair idea of how the site once looked. Armed with a mental picture of the medieval capital complete with wooden roofs and waterways, it's much easier to reimagine the city from the ruined structures that exist today.

Polonnaruwa was the island's second capital and lasted for more than two centuries. It flourished during the reign of King Parakramabahu I (1153-86) who created a fabulous garden city surrounded by vast palaces. The King was clearly obsessed with irrigation, designing a lake so immense it came to be known as a sea. Parakramabahu's main palace retains only three of its original seven stories, but judging by its three-meter-thick walls and vast floor plan, it was once a noble edifice. Superb stone lions at the top of the entrance steps were symbols of royal power, as was a frieze of elephants around the outer wall. A short hop away is the royal bathing pool, a stepped tank with evil-looking crocodile waterspouts.

Be sure to save a roll of film for Polonnaruwa's star attraction at Gal Vihara. Four colossal Buddhas carved out of a single granite cliff exude a serenity notably absent in the packs of young men patrolling the enclosure. (Single women beware.) Those staying the night should try the Polonnaruwa Rest House, tel: (94-27) 22299, a spacious colonial establishment with fine views of the lake. Rooms cost $27-$35, but strivers with $55 can afford the Queen's Room: Queen Elizabeth II stayed there in 1950, and her suite has been preserved with almost as much care as the rest of Polonnaruwa's relics.

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