Saturday 21st February 2026

I got up fairly late today and had breakfast at 09:00. I was supposed to climb the Lion Rock this morning, but it was very cloudy and due to rain, so my plan got scuppered, but the alternative was still delightful. I went to Dambulla with Bawan by tuk-tuk and visited the Dambulla Cave Temple, which is a World Heritage Site, and well worth the huge number of steps that you have to climb to get to the entrance to the caves, as they really are rather spectacular.

It was a wise decision not to try to climb Lion Rock this morning, as the heavens did open and we would have been drenched! It remains something on my Sri Lankan bucket list for the future - maybe even next year if the weather is better! After our visit to the caves, the tuk-tuk driver took us to a lovely place to eat, where we enjoyed a buffet lunch. We then tried to visit a few shops but quickly abandoned that idea and just went back to Nilanga and Radha's place.

I rested for a very short while before walking into Sigiriya town with Bawan. We popped into a few shops but there was nothing that really caught my eye, so we looked for a tuk-tuk driver to take us back. We found one who suggested that we might like to visit the Silk Shop, which was in the other direction, but proved to be well worth the tuk-tuk ride to get there. I bought a few gifts for family and friends, and the prices seemed very reasonable for a touristy place.

I got Bawan a couple of things to thank him for his help today, and it was clear that he was desperately in need of a haircut, so we stopped at a local salon on the way back, and I paid for him to get his hair cut. When it came to payment, the barber thought for a bit and seemed hesitant to give me a price, then asked for 350 LKR (about 85p), which I could hardly believe! I gave him a 500LKR note (about £1:20), and even then, I felt bad giving him so little!

Today's photographs are all from my amazing visit this morning to Dambulla Cave Temple, which I recommend you google to find out a bit more about the place. The last three photographs are of Bawan, me, and a gorgeous little money one if scores of monkeys that are all around there.














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