Five day technical tour ended last evening. Slept the whole day today.
It was fun, I mean we made it fun. Every evening after dinner we had a secret party, about 10 of us. Another group had their own secret party. Lol. We sang and danced and drank and teased each other…
Every evening we swam until dark. Then dinner and then our parties. Last day we had a get together, ate, drank, and sang. Everyone including two the lecturers.
We showed the lecturers how to have fun, and how to enjoy life. 
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That does sound fun 
And well-deserved!
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A rice trough at the Abhayagiri monastery site. Abhayagiri monastery was founded in the 2nd century BC and was at its peak in 6th century AD.
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I find these pixs fascinating (as a resident of a country where history is deemed to have begun in the 17th century).
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Considering how long you have gone past my country in terms of everything including technology and economy, you can be happy and I should be ashamed.
Oue written history began in 4th century BC while the oldest man found here has lived 38000 years ago. And a 83000 year old man is still awaiting approval from the international authorities. We have found a civilization 900 years before BC.
And we are bankrupt today.
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Give us time.
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How was this used?
It was for the cooked rice. Novice monks were chosen to serve them first to the sick and elderly monks, and then other monks would partake. There were also curry troughs too. All carved out of rock.
Abhayagiri monastery had 4 faculties. 500 acres. One was for the foreign students. Therefore there had been a huge student population there. A recent study found that the trough holds 5000 bowls of rice.
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Amazing 
Thanks!
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What went on there? Do I want to know?
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Looks like they were defending their gardens against deer, groundhogs, rabbits, squirrels or some other thieving varmints!
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It’s much taller than it looks. If you zoom the far end you can see. 
The Portuguese built it in 1588. When the Dutch occupied it they expanded it. That was from 1648. It’s a UNESCO heritage site. It has 16 bastions.
Today it’s a tourist attraction, with many restaurants, a museum, the second Dutch reformed church in Sri Lanka, and many other old buildings.
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Thank you!
I was sort of wondering how the original came to be built, who they were defending against, how did it happen to passed from one to another, and were prisoners or enslaved people kept there? Since visiting, I have come to think this way when I hear Dutch and think of Portugal.
I suppose I could look it all up, but I was wondering about the story. I’m not “testing” you! You’ve already passed, at least in my eyes. 
I found this;
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Portuguese arrived in Sri Lanka by accident. And then they established their trading post there. Dutch, however, defeated the Portuguese and got hold of the country (low country). They too wanted to own the monopoly of trading. The East India Trading Company known today as VOC controlled the seas and trading. Therefore it was the company that handled the colony. However both these nations could not capture the Kandyan kingdom. They tried, but in their efforts they lost their commanders such as Constantine De Za, Pedro Lopes De Souza, and Diogo De Melo.
The British realized that Kandy cannot be taken by war, and therefore they used the disharmony among the Sri Lankans to get the Kingdom signed for them with the promise of appointing a Kandyan as king. Because the king was of Indian origin. But the British appointed a governor and imprisoned the Kandyan noblemen.
Now you can understand why fortifications were needed. It wasn’t a smooth ruling that was there. There were always the threat of an attack by another nation or the locals.
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Wow! A better story than I expected!
I’m shocked 
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