Dambulla, Sri Lanka

A long winding bus down the mountain from Nuwara Eliya to Kandy with an interesting chat to a South Korean architect living in Colombo, then a quick bus change and north to Dambulla for a one night stop, just to see the rock temple.

outside

Inside

A giant gold Buddha greets you atop the Buddha museum, which contains various Buddha in various forms donated from different countries and other small exhibits. You then head up to the rock face, maybe 200m up stairs in the baking afternoon heat, passing fruit stalls, beggars and gift shops selling offerings and monkeys that point at their mouths asking for food and scratch you if you don't supply - little buggers!

give me food!

My shirt at the top looked like it'd been dipped in a bucket of water. At the top you take your shoes off (as always) and hop about on the hot rock towards the nearest part of shade. The caves in the rocks are FULL of Buddha's: statues and pictures everywhere, no surface untouched. There are pure white ornate entrances around the caves with pathways to each cave. The view from the top is amazing, back over Dambulla and the green valleys beyond.

I sat about with the monkeys for a while trying to cool down a little before the walk down. They're fascinating to watch. One was grooming the other, picking fleas off and eating them. The one that was being groomed was watching the groomer, intently, studying it's face. I wonder what it was thinking?

Headed back down and had a walk about the town and grabbed a haircut inspired by the monkeys. Not much to the town: a main road down the middle with some shops and a huge wholesale food market in the middle. Back at the guest house (Healy Inn) I had some chilli cashew nuts and water, got into my mosquito net base with the kindle and read for hours and hours.

Ella, Sri Lanka

A resident of Ella on the bus with stumps for legs and a weeping hand (he'd been to the hospital) wished me luck on my travels, a one-eyed man let me have a cup of tea for free and a Sri Lankan man called Roy supplied me with a gem of a room. Maybe my faith is now restored?

Getting off the bus into the cooler hill air of Ella I knew I'd like this place. The lush green hills surround this cute little town. Little cafe's and shops line the tiny street and people are super-smiley. Excited by the photo opportunities I sweated my way up (backpack and all) to the nearest vantage point, much to the amusement of tuk-tuk drivers (whom i'm boycotting). Up at the Ambience guest house the views are magnificent, down Ellas gap with Ellas rock on the right and little Ella on the left.

After gazing for ages I make the descent to try and find a guest house in my budget. Most places are overpriced because you have a view from your balcony or air conditioning. I just want a small room, good price. Fourth place i'd looked at: too expensive. Further down the street a Sri Lankan chap called Roy pops out "Room sir? Good price" The price is in budget (£14 for two nights) so I have a look. He leads me into some kind of palace thing with columns, then up stairs with big Japanese paintings at the top. As he opens the door he says "Room quite small sir". Expecting the worst the door opens into a GIANT room.

The mosquito net covers both beds

I ask Roy "Why so cheap?" and he just says "You're lucky". Once paid and Roy gone I sit in the little throne in the corner and wonder what on earth possessed someone to make such bad use of space?? There's a little table and two chairs, one double and one single bed. A throne, two sun loungers in the ceiling to floor windows and an en-suite. I'm still in wonder now, two days later! Was this the man on the buses doing?

Me on my throne, surveying my kingdom

Once I'd gathered my thoughts I came across the next bonus. Fast wi-fi, very close. This is how I've now managed to upload all my photo's to date (you may need to befriend me on Google+) and update this blog, pretty much to where I am now! (I'm sitting in this palace). 

Sampled the famous garlic curry at the Rawena palace hotel that evening, kinda wish I'd taken my camera but was charging the battery. And I didn't think that it would be such a spectacle of 15 dishes, with fresh lime soda and large bats flying around the open restaurant. 

Next morning up at 6am. Packed biscuits, water, bananas, oranges and chocolate for the walk up Ellas rock. This isn't a walk by English countryside standards. There's no signposts, you have to walk along railway tracks, across a rickety bridge, through head high reed fields, tea plantations, forests then a steep rocky top section. I was lost in the reed fields when a "farmer" popped out of nowhere to show me the way. I was glad, as I was on my own with no-one else about at that time. He lead me to the top to an incredible view, and super-fresh morning air. 

We stayed at the top for ages. He told me that his name is Javaheda (that's how it sounded anyway!) and he is actually a farmer, and produced tomato seeds - a sure fire sign of a farmer. I gave an approving nod and we had some food and drink. He didn't seem so sure when I pulled Monsta out of my bag though.

Quick jaunt down and I offered him 200 rupees for the help and walked off back down the tracks towards town. The rest of the day was spent doing the same, but in various other not quite so strenuous monkey infested walks then relaxing in the palace finishing the photo uploads and drinking tea.