Sri Lanka Travels (Dec 2023): Sigriya

Greetings Subscribers & Viewers:
Back in 1982, around my 18th birthday, Duran Duran were on the crest of becoming global superstars. Beyond their fresh new wave/new romantic sound, it was their videos that propelled them to stardom. With MTV and video channels becoming the rage, Duran Duran were at the forefront of the video revolution and their videos looked like no other. Their videos were filmed in exotic locales with high production values stood out from the clumsy set design or basic concerts that constituted other artists videos. Two videos struck a chord in my imagination: “Hungry like the Wolf” and “Save a Prayer.” Both videos were filmed in Sri Lanka, and the latter used the setting of Sigiriya in a memorable sequence filmed with the aid of a helicopter. Those images remained burned in my mind, and I knew one day I wanted to see these sites in real life.
It took me 41 years after, but I finally did make it to Sri Lanka, and a mini Duran Duran theme was on my mind when my friends Lilla, Ash & I designed our itinerary, with Sigiriya at the top of our list. While it was a trite reason to want to visit the site, I knew it was also a UNESCO World Heritage Site and we were guaranteed to experience something spectacular. And truth be told, Sigiriya far exceeded my expectations.
The main rock - its shape, our ascent, and its development - was astounding. In the Fifth Century AD, they literally built a palace atop this 180-metre-high rock. But it was so much more than that! This was a marvel of urban planning and sophisticated water management. The more we explored the site, the more amazed we were with the ingenuity of those who built this fully formed city in a mere 18 years in the 5th Century AD.
This video documents our ascent to the top of the rock, our return down and the museum on site. This is journey that most people who come to Sigiriya pursue. So, tag along and get a taste of what can be in store for you should you visit what is often labelled the 8th Wonder of the World.
For most of the text that appears in the video, I’d like to thank Wikipedia as my main reference for this content.
Have you been to Sri Lanka? What was your best memory? Let us know in the comments below. #tastetheworld. ✌🏽🥂
Thanks again for watching! We appreciate the views and feedback. It is motivating to keep putting out these vids. I hope you enjoy, please give it a like, occasionally participate in a discussion or leave a comment. And I do hope you subscribe and join me on this fun little journey.
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Helpful references:
Sri Lanka Official Sigiriya Website: www.sigiriya.info/
UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Ancient City of Sigiriya: whc.unesco.org/en/list/202/
GeologyScience.com, Geological Wonders, “Sigiriya, or Lion Rock, Sri Lanka:” geologyscience.com/gallery/ge...
Duran Duran, Official KZbin Channel, “Save a Prayer:” • Duran Duran - Save A P...
#SriLanka #SriLankaTravel #SriLankaTourism #Sigiriya #SigiriyaRock #worldheritagesite #SaveAPrayer #DuranDuran #Dambulla #srilankahistory

[@nalakam]

Your voice, background music and the majestic Sigiriya rock!!! 👌👍✌🙏

[@brianscommunitytable]

Thanks. I was impressed to no end with this site. They were so ingenious!

[@nalakam]

@@brianscommunitytable True Brian. Imagine spending a night in that rock citadel!!! Ingenious work by Kashyapa.👌 Btw he is still helping ceylon's economy by bringing in $$$...😅🙏

[@yyzkevinogrady]

What an amazing place. I really enjoyed relaxing and chilling out while you climbed all of those stairs.

[@brianscommunitytable]

It wasn’t too bad. But a reminder to stay in shape. 🙂

[@CamGuerilla]

nice relaxing video full of interesting info. Thanks Brian!

[@brianscommunitytable]

Thanks! It's been fun playing around with new formats. And of course documenting these unique experiences.

[@ashwalker]

Great video Brian

[@brianscommunitytable]

Thank you very much, sir. It was fun documenting our morning there. Such a great memory.

[@JP19455]

A video with educational value. I really appreciate your dedication.👍❤️

[@brianscommunitytable]

Thank you very much!

[@brianscommunitytable]

Thank you. Greatly appreciated. 🙂

[@spdrimssheng196]

😊

[@sujithweerakkody8879]

💟💟🌷🇱🇰👍

[@brianscommunitytable]

Thanks! Very much appreciated,

[@vipulawattegedara9200]

I can see your appreciation what's sri lanka has to offer. You have seen ancient irrigation Engineering

[@brianscommunitytable]

Thanks. It’s amazing. At historic sites I am always looking at planning, water & sewage and resource access. Everyone talks about the people and site, but (to me) way more interesting things are going on when you look at infrastructure, water access, trade and social/economic factors.