044 - The Citadel of Sigiriya and King Kassapa

Rising from the Sri Lankan jungle stands the citadel of Sigiriya.  An immense rock of volcanic origin, Sigiriya was transformed into the magnificent palace of Kassapa, a king whose story will blow your mind.  Think Macbeth meets Othello with a dash of a Poe short story. You're going to enjoy this one.   By a tremendous bit of serendipity (which is useful, given that the word "serendipity" comes from the Arabic word for Sri Lanka), my daughter's two best friends are of Sri Lankan descent, and one of their mothers joined me for an in-person interview about visiting the magnificent citadel, other sites in Sri Lanka and of course, all the great things to eat, including kiribath, a coconut milk rice dish that serves as the official first meal of every new year.   Sources:  Bullis, Douglas and Wendy Hutton. The Food of Sri Lanka: Authentic Recipe from the Isle of Gems.   Culavamsa, translated by Wilhelm Geiger   Lonely Planet Sri Lanka   Rough Guide to Sri Lanka   Wanasundera, Nanda Pethiyagoda and Jo-Ann Spelling. Sri Lanka.   Music by Niranjala Sarojini  

Om Podcasten

In this podcast, we'll visit 200 Wonders of the World, from the Pyramids to the Great Barrier Reef, to tell the story of our people, our civilization, and our planet. My name is Caroline Vahrenkamp, and I'm a travel junkie. The world is filled with amazing places that reflect the greatest achievements of human accomplishment. In these uncertain times, understanding our great shared history may help to bridge the divides between us. And if not, it will be a fun ride anyway! We'll discuss the history of each place and the story of the men and women who lived there. We'll cover travel notes, examine what else to see while you're in the area, and dig into the local cuisine. Expect a new episode every two weeks. And thanks for listening!