Anura, dhapura, anura, dhapura...it means no worries, for the rest of your dayssssss. It's our problem free, philosophy…. Anura dhapura. This was the only way we could learn how to pronounce this city, the oldest tip of the triangle. A line of strategic and appropriately lavish kings ruled for over a thousand years from this central stronghold. The charming thing about this place is that it is still vibrant and very much alive, not merely a relic of grandiose times past.

In the early morning, we set off on a racy red scooter into the sunshine. It was a stretch on the daily budget, but so worth it, as the sites at Anuradhapura are spread over a larger area, and the heat was already starting to rise. We purchased our ticket from the Jetavanarama museum and immediately headed out into the dewy lawn, covered with ancient stone pillars and the eroding walls of monk cells lost to time. Poking through the trees, the Jetavanarama Dagoba’s massive dome was hard to miss. Built in the third century, it originally stood 120 metres tall, rivalled only by the pyramids of Giza as the world tallest structure. It is still an impressive sight, bulbous and imperfect, it's definitely got a handmade feel about it. Apparently it is constructed from 90 million bricks by the hands of passionate devotees no doubt. We watched as modern day Buddhists dressed in white unfurled orange cloth around its base, walking it around the entire circumference chanting ancient scripts.

We wandered around the surrounding area, once the home of over 300 monks. It must have been a bustling neighbourhood, full of cells, refectories, image houses, halls and latrines.

Next we explored what is known as the spiritual centre, the Sri Maha Bodhi marking the centre of the town. Masses of people dressed in their Sunday best flocked towards the gates so we joined the flow. There was, however, a calmness in this flow, which was quite unexpected - I think I am used to the manic and feverish devotion of India. Within the gates stands a Bodhi tree that has apparently been tended to by assigned guardians for over 2000 years. The legend states that it was grown from a cutting brought from Bodhgaya in India - the tree under which Buddha obtained enlightenment. Golden arms support the heavy limbs of this ancient tree, decorated with prayer flags and white cloth. After paying our respects, we jumped back onto the bike and drove around to another of the large stupas dominating Anuradhapura’s skyline - the Ruvanvelisaya Dagoba. This one is large and white, blindingly white in fact and the stone floor boiled underfoot, making the no shoe rule a little challenging. Nonetheless, a wave of people poured through the entrance, a frieze of shoulder to shoulder elephants standing guard. After a clockwise lap, we walked back to the bike wandering past the remains of ponds and pools, piles of columns and pillars and patches of ruins buried under grass.

The Thuparama Dagoba was one of my favourites. It is shaped like a giant white bell surrounded by slender capital-topped pillars leaning at precarious angles - the perfect combination of old and new. It is said the be the oldest visible dagoba in the world, constructed in the 3rd century BC. Apparently, deep inside, Buddhas right collarbone lays at rest (by the end of this trip we may very well have been in the presence of all of Buddha's body parts).

Driving by his nose, Daniel took us a little off course, ignoring our map and its pesky directions. We ended up on the edge of what looked like an old flood plain, but turned out to be one of the ancient ‘tanks’ - reservoirs designed to capture the monsoon rain and slowly distribute it throughout the kingdom in dry months, ensuring a constant supply of rice and water. It was peaceful and shady and we sat on the edge for a little while, counting all the dagobas visible on the horizon.

Lastly, we explored the Abhayagiri monastery complex, an area still enveloped in tropical forest, over 2000 years old. From magnificent moonstones to grand guard stones, this place was a trove of precious finds. We sat in front of the Samindhi Buddha for a while, before checking out the twin ponds and elephant carvings. This place was so wild in fact, we saw what I would say to be a 2 metre snake slither across the road, missing our front tyre by about 30cm. Add this to the numerous scorpions we encountered and it's more wildlife than we have seen in a few months (Kaudulla aside).

We grabbed a late lunch at a cheap and cheerful bakery on the main road. They had an array of pre-made rolls, cakes and a production line of rice and curry take away packs. I made a mental note that next time we will picnic in the ruins. A quick visit to the museum (it was hot and not air conditioned) and we were off on the road home. We finished the day with Sri Lanka's very own brew, Lion lager, whilst a 28th birthday party in the back corner of the guesthouse garden raged on.

The next morning, it was back to the bus station, setting out on our longest Sri Lankan road journey - from Anuradhapura to the eastern shores of Batticaloa.