We had some miles to cover today so it was an early 6:30 am breakfast this morning.  Onto the bus at 7:30 am and off to visit the morning Fish Market.  Several of the girls in the group were a bit skittish about going but it was a quick, chaotic, interesting experience. One side of the road sold fresh fish caught that morning, such as cuttlefish, baby shark, shrimp; and the other, mostly yellowfin tuna that comes off the larger seagoing boats.  We had to step smartly to keep up with Udi and to not lose him in the melee, and I had to  make sure to keep my skirt lifted and watch where I stepped!

It’s a 3-4 hour drive to the Temple at Dambulla, depending on traffic. From Negombo north we entered a more tropical climate so the views became quite lush with coconut plantations and rice paddy fields lining the road.  

Dambulla is the largest and best-preserved cave temple complex in Sri Lanka. Built on top of a steep hill, it’s been in use for over 2100 years as a religious and worship site. There are 5 caves with painted murals covering every inch of the walls and ceilings, wooden or stone statues of Buddha and other gods, and a couple of huge reclining Buddhas carved directly out of the rock. 

After our rather strenuous visit to Dambulla we had a nice lunch at a 2-storey restaurant that seems to cater only to tour groups and continued on to our hotel.  Originally Udi had planned for us to do an optional safari this afternoon but it was already well after 3pm when we finally got here, and pouring with rain, so we’ll postpone that adventure till tomorrow. Instead we have what’s left of the afternoon free, and dinner at our leisure in the hotel.