Kandy —-> Dambulla – August 5
It is drizzling when a tuk tuk at 8.00 leave me at the Kandy bus station, where I jump on a bus directed to Dambulla (101 LKR)
The weather at the destination is definitely different, blue sky and blazing sun. I know that a bulk of guethouses is concentrated in the rock temples area, but in the city center I have no idea where to go, so I choose a not aggressive tuk tuk driver, and explain my request: central guesthouse, quiet location, low budget. For 50 LKR he brings me to Gamadegara Resort, a kind of family pension, not far from the clock tower roundabout, in a street full of trees, flowers, gardens and birds singing. The room costs 2000 LKR and I’m sure that if I had come on my own, the price would have been much lower. However, I recognize that, on my own, with all my luggage, I would have never been able to find such a place. The managers are very sweet and kind, really nice people
I discover by chance a very good restaurant, near the roundabout of the clock tower. It’s not mentioned anywhere, it should be called Kirula, there is a big “Juice Bar” sign, is open on sidewalks without walls or windows, and the interior walls are green pea painted. It’s very clean, cheap, good food, and even prepare a lot of smoothies. 100 LKR a mango milkshake,and then a delicious rice curry. I walk slowly towards the rock temples, on the main road, stopping to the post office to buy stamps.
Admission fee costs 1500 LKR. They built a golden stupa, and a gaudy temple in the forecort.
A staircase crowded with thirsty monkeys, cats, dogs, lead to the temples. Nice. Following the Rough Guide indications, I visit the temples in reverse direction
I take a bus (10 LKR) back to town. I buy some food at Cargill, 330 LKR, and then I have a fine dinner at Kirula, (300 LKR including water) for boiled tasty vegetables, with pepper, rice and curry. I spend the evening sitting on the porch of my guesthouse on a plastic chair, a few insects, somehow, manage to cross the trousers barrier and sting my bottom, procuring an unbearable itching. Looking in the mirror, it seems that I sit on a large electric stove, those ones with the spiral resistors, because the wheals are arranged in a series of concentric perfect circles