It's a jungle out there!

View at 07:30 this morning from our hotel where we arrived at 04:30 this morning after 13.5 hours travelling courtesy of Etihad.
Both flights were OK but the scran was nothing to write home about.  Bloody vegetarians . . . . 

Just waiting for Lionel, our driver-cum-guide for the next 8 days, then we are off to Dambulla, towards the heart of Sri Lanka.

Breakfasted a few minutes ago:-  Papaya, watermelon & pineapple + fish curry, potato curry, coconut sambal, string thingys ( Rice noodle pancakes ) + coffee with milk and a wee fly.   Superb.
Sue, who doesn't really like eggs, had a green chilli & onion omelette, which she claims to have enjoyed.   So, only two more meals today, dammit ;-)

Will try to get some upcountry shots to add later today.
G

Later that same day:-
After a fitfull sleep for all of 3 hours, we were up and away by car with our intrepid-if-suicidal driver, Lionel. I jest. He is very cautious, much to the annoyance of surrounding “drivers” of vehicles both large and small. Here, Might is trully Right, or is it Left, or does it matter? They ar all looneys when it comes to overtaking in the face of oncoming traffic. One pickup driver who nearly sliced us in half was stopped by SL's finest and was getting a severe bollicking and no doubt a fine, when re passed. 5 minutes later he passed us, scraping through between us and a 15 tonne, overloaded Lanka Ashok Leyland truck. (Much better than the Tata versions, I'm told.)

Anyway, we checked into our accomodaton. I hesitate to call it an Hotel as it is a collection of stucco semi-detached rooms with loo etc, spread about in a jungle just off the Dambulla to Kandy road. Basic, but OK as long as we can keep the mozzies at bay.

We spent the late afternoom climbing some 300+++ stone stems up the side of a mountain to get to the Dambulla Rock Temple. Or that's what it was called until a few millenia ago until the last Singalese king, Wlagambahu, came along in the 1st century BCE and painted lots of it gold. Thence forth it was to be known as the Dambulla Golden Temple, but even now it is still known locally as the “Rock” temple.
It contains numerous images of The Buddha, in particular one, a sleeping Buddha @ 14 mtrs long, carved from the mother rock. See extra photos below.

Tomorrow brings an early start to go and climb Sigiriya, about which I will tell you on the morrow, assuming I make it both up to the top, and back down again.. 1200 heart attack inducing steps await me, and Sue, who will no doubt bound up like the rabit she is. (Don't read too much into that remark!)
Now we understand the reason for reclining Buddhas.   See first extra photo.
To be continued:-

PS: Lousy WiFi.  Will post extra photos in due course.
G