Ancient Ruins to Desert Dunes: Contrasting Adventures in Sri Lanka and Morocco

Polonnaruwa doesn't announce itself with grand entrances or tourist fanfare. Instead, it reveals itself gradually, like a test match slowly building tension across five days. The UNESCO World Heritage site, once the medieval capital of Sri Lanka, sits in what ecologists call the 'dry zone' – though during my fall visit, the landscape pulsed with life following the monsoon season.

The ancient city's sprawling quadrangle contains what might be the most concentrated collection of religious monuments in Sri Lanka. The Vatadage (circular relic house) with its perfectly preserved moonstone entrance slabs became my daily meditation spot. Each morning, I'd arrive as the first light gilded its stone Buddhas, notebook in hand, recording not just what I saw but the feeling of being there – something I learned covering test matches in Galle and Kandy years ago.

What struck me most was discovering the ancient sport courts near the royal palace complex. These rectangular stone platforms once hosted contests of skill that historians believe resembled modern kabaddi. As someone who's documented cricket's cultural significance across the subcontinent, finding these 12th-century sporting grounds created an unexpected connection across time.

For capturing these monuments in changing light, my trusty camera backpack proved invaluable, allowing me to carry multiple lenses while navigating the extensive ruins on rented bicycles – still the best way to explore the site's far-flung corners.

While most visitors come to Polonnaruwa for its architectural splendors, the region offers wildlife experiences that rival South Africa's game reserves – just on a more intimate scale. The ancient city shares its boundaries with corridors frequented by Sri Lanka's wild elephants, creating a conservation challenge that reminded me of discussions with my wife about human-wildlife conflict zones in Wellington's expanding suburbs.

Minneriya National Park, just 30 minutes from the archaeological zone, hosts what locals call 'The Gathering' – one of Asia's most spectacular wildlife events where hundreds of elephants congregate around the ancient reservoir during the dry season. As someone who's witnessed wildebeest migrations in Kenya and penguin colonies in New Zealand, I can attest that watching these family herds interact against the backdrop of ancient hydraulic engineering is equally moving.

During my third morning exploring the ruins, a troop of toque macaques descended from the trees near Gal Vihara's reclining Buddha. These monkeys, endemic to Sri Lanka, have adapted to life among the ruins in ways that parallel how traditional practices evolve to survive in modern contexts – a theme I've explored in my writing about indigenous sports traditions.

For wildlife viewing, especially if you're planning dawn or dusk safaris in Minneriya, a reliable pair of binoculars makes all the difference. The image stability and low-light performance proved essential for spotting elephants in the distant grasslands and birds along the reservoir edges.

The transition from Polonnaruwa's ancient serenity to Casablanca's metropolitan energy creates the kind of cultural whiplash that makes travel transformative. Morocco's economic capital doesn't trade in the exotic fantasies of Marrakech or Fez, but offers something equally valuable – an authentic glimpse into contemporary North African urban life.

While Rick's Café (yes, inspired by the film) draws Bogart enthusiasts, the true heart of Casablanca beats in places like the sprawling Central Market, where I spent hours documenting the intricate dance of commerce that hasn't changed fundamentally since medieval times. The sensory immersion – spice mounds in impossible colors, the persistent calls of vendors, the scent of fresh mint and grilled meats – provides context for understanding how traditional practices survive in modernizing economies.

The Hassan II Mosque stands as Casablanca's undisputed architectural masterpiece. Built partly extending over the Atlantic Ocean, its 210-meter minaret serves as both spiritual beacon and engineering marvel. Having documented sacred spaces from Canterbury Cathedral to Kyoto's Fushimi Inari, I found the mosque's blend of traditional craftsmanship and modern construction methods particularly fascinating. The guided tours (available to non-Muslims outside prayer times) reveal hand-carved cedar ceilings and titanium doors that weigh tons yet swing with the touch of a finger.

For navigating Casablanca's sprawling neighborhoods, I relied on my travel daypack which proved perfect for carrying essentials while keeping valuables secure in crowded medinas. Its comfortable design meant I could explore for hours without the back strain I've experienced with less thoughtfully designed bags.

The true counterpoint to Sri Lanka's lush ruins comes not in Casablanca itself but in the desert landscapes accessible from it. A three-hour drive brings you to the Atlantic coast near Essaouira, where windswept dunes meet crashing waves in a landscape that couldn't be more different from Polonnaruwa's verdant setting.

For couples seeking adventure, the overnight desert experiences departing from Casablanca offer the perfect balance of challenge and comfort. During my expedition with a small Berber-owned tour company, we traveled to coastal dunes where traditional camel herders maintain practices largely unchanged for centuries. The physical demands – riding camels across shifting sands, hiking dune ridges at dawn – create the kind of shared experience that strengthens relationships.

The evening spent at a desert camp provided one of the journey's most profound moments. As the guides prepared traditional tagine over open flames, I found myself in conversation with Mohammed, a former nomad who had transitioned to tourism while maintaining his family's traditional knowledge of desert navigation. His explanation of reading dune formations – a skill passed through generations – reminded me of indigenous weather-reading practices I'd documented in New Zealand's Māori communities.

The night sky above the dunes revealed stars with a clarity I've rarely experienced outside remote conservation areas in Tasmania and the Azores. For couples, there's something uniquely bonding about witnessing such natural splendor together. My headlamp proved essential for navigating the camp after dark while keeping hands free for photography – its red-light mode preserved night vision for stargazing.

What connects these seemingly disparate destinations – a Buddhist archaeological complex and a modern North African metropolis with desert outposts – is how both reveal the ingenious ways humans adapt to their environments. In Polonnaruwa, ancient engineers created sophisticated irrigation systems that transformed arid plains into agricultural abundance. In Morocco's coastal deserts, Berber traditions evolved to harness sparse resources with minimal waste.

For couples traveling together, these contrasting destinations offer a perfect balance of shared discovery. The physical immersion in history at Polonnaruwa, where you can literally touch stones carved a millennium ago, provides a tangible connection to the past. Morocco's living traditions – from bread baking in communal ovens to the five-times-daily call to prayer – demonstrate cultural continuity in action.

During my career covering international cricket and rugby, I've observed how sport serves as cultural shorthand – a way to understand community values through play. Similarly, these destinations reveal their essence through everyday practices. In Sri Lanka, the careful preservation of ancient monuments reflects reverence for spiritual heritage. In Morocco, the perpetuation of traditional crafts alongside embracing modernity shows pragmatic adaptability.

For documenting these cultural connections, I relied on my pocket-sized travel journal to capture observations and conversations that digital notes simply can't replicate. There's something about the physical act of writing that helps process the sensory overload these destinations deliver.