Steemit Engagement Challenge S11/W2 - What you did on your last trip

Good day, my dear friends. This time, @hindwhale suggested a very interesting topic to us via Hind Whale Community. This week, I started my SEC S11/W2 contest from the Hind Whale community contest, which is one of my favorite communities. I'll get right to the point without wasting your time.

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Traveling is one of my hobbies, which includes not only myself but also all of my family members. We travel to many natural places in our spare time to enjoy life. We travel to see natural areas because we are nature lovers. Traveling allows us to take a mental break from our hectic schedules and is a great way to get away from our pressing problems. It also aids in the expansion of our knowledge, our minds, and, above all, learning from the world. I would like to advise my dear steemian friends to travel as much as possible to enjoy your life.

What was your last travel destination?

On the last Esala Poyaday, my most recent travel destination was Pilikuthtuwa Rajamaha Viharaya. This is an ancient cave temple in Pilikuththuwa village, Yakkala, Gampaha District, Sri Lanka's Western Province.

The temple is built on a rocky hill and is surrounded by lush green forests, paddy fields, and coconut plantations. Therefore, it’s a paradise for mammals, bird species, butterflies, and a variety of reptiles and amphibians.

Who did you travel with?

We usually travel as a family, and I did so this time as well. My sister's family also joined us. My husband, son, daughter-in-law, and I were in the group. My sister's family consists of her husband, son, daughter-in-law, grandson, and her.

What fun activities did you engage in?

It is correct to describe it as a pilgrimage rather than a picnic. However, it is a journey full of horror, fun, and adventure. It's an exciting adventure to climb the mountain through a dense thorny jungle. It's strangely beautiful when we reach the mountain's peak after climbing it.

The mood is indescribable when viewing the surroundings from the mountain's summit. It's breathtaking, and the healing of the wind blowing in all directions is indescribable. It was a lovely location for a photograph. That beauty provided us with a lot of entertainment.

Did you mix with the local culture? If yes, please explain your experience.

The temple represents our entirely indigenous culture. We worshiped the Buddha with flowers, lamps, and incense; it was an important part of our culture.

How was the food?

We climbed the mountain in the evening. After going down the mountain, we enjoy ice cream from the ice cream van. Later, we went to 250 Ceylon restaurant which was closer to the temple and eat, hoppers and cheese kottu.

Did you do any shopping?

No, not at all, There were numerous food and puja stalls. But we didn't need to buy them because we brought everything we needed from home.

The lessons you learned while traveling in that area.

We gained valuable knowledge about trees, leafy and animals. Not only that, but we were able to learn a great deal about the temple's history.

There are several legends and stories surrounding the cave temple. For your information, I'd like to share one of the stories I learned from this trip.

This cave is said to date back to the reign of King Valagamba in the first century BC. According to legend, the king took safety in one of the caves while fleeing the Indian Chola Army, which had invaded his kingdom. It is believed that the king used these caves as a hideout while gathering his army.

My dear friends, here is my entry to this competition. I would like to invite @josepha, @ripon0630, and @dove11 to take part in this contest. Contest announcement here.

25% @null.

Thank you all for reading my post.