Dambulla Market

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Another bus journey today to Dambulla so stocked up at one of the local bakeries for breakfast/brunch/lunch. One of the best discoveries I've made so far in Sri Lanka is how good the bakeries are. You can live quite cheaply and quite happily on roti and samosas and the little pies. I have gone completely vegetarian - the meat and fish I've tried so far haven't really impressed me and the vegetables are so good. Every breakfast I've had dahl - I can't get too much of that! And I love the coconut sambal you add on top of your food - like a chilli garnish. It's all good. To drink the best thing are the king coconuts or thambili which are sold everywhere - they hack off the top, stick in a straw and charge you pretty much nothing for the most refreshing thing you can drink anywhere.

Dambulla is famous for its cave buddhas and I walk up the hill to see them. It's a beautiful spot - you feel like you're much higher up than you are with a mountain mist clinging around the buildings and the great bell that reminds me of Black Narcissus. The caves are much smaller than I imagined and spoilt by hoardes of western tourists cramming to take photos - I am guilty of it myself.

The highlight of the day however was heading down to Dambulla wholesale market. What an amazing show of colour and packaging. I took lots of photos here - nobody seemed to mind. It probably seems very strange to the locals but when you come from a country where the veg is quite bland, and things in supermarkets are homogenised and over packaged, this place was an inspiration!

Heard today that Nelson Mandela has died 😞

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Photos

Dambulla Market
Stacks of betel leaves - the Sri Lankas chew and spit!