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An Amusing Travel Tale About Why One Should Keep Expectations Low

The decision was made. Instead of roasting under the scorching sun while biking around the ancient Buddhist city of Polonnaruwa, I opted to educate myself in the cool confines of the museum. I figured I’d emerge smarter and ready to explore the city with a well-informed perspective.

My overheated, sweaty body rejoiced at this decision and was more than happy to cooperate.

But first, I needed to freshen up. After a quick washroom break, I returned to the entrance where a lady stamped my ticket, tore off the first of the three sub-tickets, and ushered me into the exhibition space.

The lady at the entrance stamping my ticket

A small photo memory from the museum. I took permission from the staff and they allowed me to click this thing (and a few others info boards)

The first thing that caught my eye upon entering the room, with windows on both sides, was a massive white 3D model of the Polonnaruwa city, perched on green artificial grass in the middle of the room. Navigating around it was a must, either from the left or the right.

A charming French family of four was gathered around the model, admiring its details. At least, the parents were. Their two adolescent daughters, however, were more entertained by each other, circling the model, whispering secrets, and giggling at some insider joke they only found funny.

It was delightful to watch, but as a dutiful tourist, my mission was to study the museum’s exhibits, not its visitors.

Plus, I was eager to engage in some touristy activities! I quickly grabbed my iPhone, aimed at the 3D model, carefully avoiding the French family, and started snapping photos.

Busted!

Around the 10th (or maybe the 15th) click from the “same-same but different” angles, I sensed someone standing behind me. Reluctantly breaking my concentration, I turned around and found myself face-to-face with a male staff member.

His posture, energy, and expression made it clear he wasn’t there to flirt.

“No photos, ma’am, no photos,” he said, raising his right index finger towards a board on my left.

Sure enough, there it was, in black and white: no photography allowed. Disappointed but unwilling to cause any trouble, I obediently put my phone away and resumed my admiration of the 3D model without further touristy activities. I even went the extra mile and deleted all 15 photos I had taken.

The Crowd Mystery and The Investigation

While walking through the space filled with info-boards, stunning photos, ancient artifacts, stone-carved statues, modern 3-D models, and other museum exhibits, I noticed certain spots where visitor density noticeably increased.

There was one particular spot, slightly hidden from a distance, where more people gathered, seemingly disregarding personal space. Intrigued, I decided to investigate. After all, I didn’t want to miss any bestseller or famous piece of the museum, a mistake I occasionally made when visiting museums or galleries uninformed. Sometimes, I’d spend hours on the first and second floors, only to find out later that the most interesting pieces were on the third floor.

No, really? Why put the best stuff so high up?

Determined not to let this happen again (although it couldn’t, as the exhibition was entirely on the ground floor), I slowly strolled towards the hotspot. As I got closer and the scene unfolded, I couldn’t help but giggle. What a funny discovery! I had set my expectations way too high.

As it turned out, the crowd was there for one reason and one reason only: cool air! When I saw the situation, it all became clear. A huge black fan with a swiveling head, blowing out cool air, was the sole attraction. Visitors lingered near it, admiring nearby exhibits more thoroughly than they would have otherwise, simply because of the refreshing breeze.

protecting myself form the burning sun

different ways of cooling off

They were using this precious opportunity to cool off before braving the outside’s soaring temperatures. And while doing so, they absorbed every detail about the nearby exhibits.

Who could blame them? Certainly not me! Truth be told, I was guilty of doing the same a few minutes later. As soon as I spotted an unoccupied fan, I quickly claimed the spot and didn’t move until I knew everything about Gal Vihara, the vihara complex famed for its colossal Buddha statues carved out of live rock, part of the Polonnaruwa ancient city…

With Ancient Love

T.

P.S. Do you have any interesting or amusing travel tales to share? How do you cool of in the pAny comical moments that can lighten up some of the readers here? Do share!