Have Pencil Will Travel

“Only small steps more,” my guide urged as I clutched his sinewy arm for dear life feeling as though I were on a guided ascent of Everest : eight , seven . . . rest . . . six, five, four, three . . . thighs are screaming but I push ahead . . . two, one.

As I turn around, what is left of my ragged breath is taken away by the panoramic view of the ancient gardens of Sigiriya spread at the feet of this centuries old rock fortress. My goal is to see the Maidens of the Clouds: a series of frescoes commissioned by King Kassapa (477 – 495). The 8th Wonder of the World according to my guide, this UNESCO World Heritage Site is magical from all angles but especially from the level of the mirror wall. The frescoes depict beautiful, sensual women engaged in domestic activities: arranging flowers, serving each other fruit, and playing music. The luminous figures in shades of ochre, umber and red are African, Chinese, Thai, Japanese, Tamil and Sinhalese and a range of ages. The mirror wall which prevented 5th century and modern admires from falling off the precipice was waxed and burnished to such a sheen that it reflected the frescoes and King Kassapa could see himself walking among the Maidens of the Clouds.

Tearing my eyes from the frescoes turning to view the landscape once again, I gaze imagining elephants by the hundreds clearing dense jungle, thousands of workers and craftsmen building complex gardens and palaces, and the artists scaling the 150 meter monolith with bamboo scaffolds to white wash the face of a mountain and to create the frescoes.

“Madam is ready to go up?” my guide urges. No, madam wants to live in this moment in the clouds with the maidens just a little while longer.