Temple on Rock and Beautytime, visiting Dambulla and Sigiryia

On Thursday morning we board the half-occupied, air-conditioned minibus to Dambulla. When we got there it was raining a little, but that didn't stop us from walking to our accommodation, which was a little outside (Hotel Hideaway Garage). On the way there we pass a beautiful and clean reservoir, which is a dime a dozen here. They are used as water reservoirs for irrigating rice fields.

At the accommodation we are warmly welcomed by two still nameless puppies. Antonio the owner explains to us that two weeks ago they were picked up on the side of the road by guests without their mother, and he has now taken them in with him.

As a small lunchtime snack we treat ourselves to filled dumplings in a "motorway rest stop". Dambulla is the traffic hub as 4 major highways intersect here. The open kitchen looks so fresh and delicious that we decide to come back for dinner (we are assured with all our might that it is also open in the evenings).

The path takes us further to the rock temples of Dambulla. A ruler once retreated into the caves here. When he finally managed to regain control, he founded 5 beautifully decorated temples in the rock caves.

On the sweaty way up we meet the largest family of monkeys to date, which consists of at least 20 animals. We see many mothers with the babies clinging to them.

Climbing back down from the rock, we go to the wholesale vegetable market, which is located here due to its convenient location.

Here the truck is the shopping cart. The (sometimes impressively beautifully decorated) trucks and dealers' shops wind their way through three huge exhibition halls, stocking up on everything the area has to offer: cucumbers, eggplants, bananas, onions, pumpkins, garlic, cassava, beans, herbs, ginger, turmeric , coconuts, cabbage, the list isn't even close to being exhaustive...

On the way through Dambulla, like in Germany, we do pedicures together every two weeks (of course not). A bit embarrassing when you laugh out loud because it tickles your feet, well the tears roll down. When we finally arrive at the restaurant, there are a lot of guests there, but the kitchen is empty and a lady tells us that there is nothing to eat.

We think it's a shame, we must have misunderstood them, but we quickly find another snack bar where we eat kottu (chopped coconut flatbreads fried with vegetables and onions). Very tasty and very filling! On the way home we walk past the previous restaurant, where it's suddenly busy again. We probably caught the lunch break from 6-7 p.m.

The next morning we take the bus to Pidurangala to climb the King's Rock.

The footpath is lined with flowering trees. Of course there is also a (smaller) cave monastery here.

However, the rock is much better known for the view it offers of the rock fortress of Sigiryia, where another ruler previously retreated. After a bit of climbing, the volcano-formed hills rise impressively in the otherwise flat landscape.

After the descent we are drawn to an Ayurvedic herb garden. The guide introduces us to aloe vera, cloves, cinnamon, lemongrass, ginger, and many other plants that are less well-known to us. The tour is free but from the well-stocked medicine wall We like to take a bottle of oil with us for back pain and osteoarthritis.

We take the rest of the afternoon for an Ayurvedic healing treatment. We are massaged, kneaded, dripped with oil and powdered with herbs for two hours and afterwards we feel like we have been reborn. The bus takes you back to Dambulla.

In the evening, Leonie sneaks into the kitchen of the accommodation, because you never stop learning when cooking curry.

For example, the vegetables are boiled with water after seasoning and frying; the (homemade) coconut milk is only added at the very end.

Antonio and his crew conjure up a pumpkin curry, an okra curry, a chili carrot curry and a cabbage curry for us, while also frying a few prawns and an omelet and frying fresh papadums. Sugar-ripe pineapple for dessert.

Good luck!

Tomorrow morning we set off for Nilaveli, a beach town in northeast Sri Lanka. Antonio is jealous and raves to us about the snorkeling trips there. We'll see =)