Sri Lanka Tag (5-8)

Day 5 (Bus) Travel Day

On the fifth day, we had to travel by bus for 4 hours. We were lucky with the first bus as it had air conditioning. The next bus, however, was like almost all the others here, without air conditioning, making it quite warm. During the ride, it wasn't too bad since all windows and doors were open. By the way, the buses don't always stop; sometimes, you have to board the bus while it's still moving slowly. When we arrived at our last stop in Dambulla, a tuk-tuk driver tried to overcharge us. He claimed that the buses to our next destination only run every 2 hours and suggested we eat something here and then ride with him. Fortunately, we didn't fall for it and simply went to the next bus station, where we immediately found our connecting bus.
We were warmly greeted upon our arrival at our accommodation (by the host and the many monkeys in the garden) and were first served tea and biscuits. For dinner, we enjoyed a delicious curry.

Day 6 Sigiriya
In the morning, we first had a traditional 'Sri Lankan breakfast'. It consisted of milk rice, which was not sweet and shaped like cubes. Along with it, we had coconut rotti, dal, fruit, white bread, jam, and of course, black tea. At first, it was unusual for us to have rice and dal for breakfast, and moreover, food that was quite spicy.
Afterward, we visited two temples in Dambulla. The first was the cave temple, followed by the golden temple. At the cave temple, we almost got overcharged again, as someone at the beginning of the stairs tried to sell us a cloth to wear. The man wanted 15 euros, which would have been quite a lot by Sri Lankan standards. Fortunately, I was approached by a woman who informed me that it was too expensive and that we could get cloths for a small donation in front of the temple. The cloths are necessary to cover one's shoulders or knees, as this is required in every temple. Additionally, shoes must be removed in every temple.
After the visit, we walked down the mountain and had a look at the golden temple from the outside. On the way, we saw many monkeys and, of course, street dogs.
Our next destination was a restaurant in Sigiriya. After eating, we climbed the Pidurangala Rock. The view from the rock was really fantastic, and we could perfectly see the famous Lion's Rock.
In the evening, we had dinner again at our accommodation.

Day 7 Safari
We spontaneously decided to stay an extra night in Sigiriya to go on a safari. I must say that it was a very good decision. We did a three-and-a-half-hour safari and saw over 30 elephants. Some of the elephants were even just a few meters away from us. It was truly impressive to see these huge and majestic animals so close. Additionally, we also saw several peacocks, a chameleon, water buffalo, parrots, and eagles.

Day 8 Kandy
After another traditional breakfast, we had to travel by bus for three hours to get to Kandy.
In Kandy, we had booked accommodation in a family's house. Upon our arrival, we were first served tea and discussed our further plans with our hosts.
After our driver's tuk-tuk broke down, our host offered to drive us.
Our first stop was the Herbal Garden. Here, we received a free tour of the garden and learned about the different plants and their effects. In Sri Lanka, plants are still often used for treatment according to Ayurvedic methods.
Next, we continued to a tea factory. Here, we had a free tour and were able to sample different types of tea.
We made our final stop at the huge white Buddha statue. Again, we had to cover our knees and shoulders there.
The view over the entire city was truly magnificent.
After our return, our hostess had cooked us a delicious dinner.