Photos here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/VzrqaM266ZEXWAEj9

I must remember to bring Stingose on future trips to such places. Insect life here is impressive. Spiders in toilets, lizards in beds, and plenty of mozzies, although they aren’t as bad as I imagined - the other fauna eat them, and plentiful fish in the waterways do their job.

Peacocks, monkeys, squirrels, incredible birdlife everywhere. This place is alive. Everyone is friendly and helpful, and everywhere is clean. The sky is clear, with no evident pollution, unlike India.

I check the loo meticulously before taking a seat. Perhaps the ferocious bidet attachments are for the bugs?

I’m using the local Dialog mobile sim for data - it has worked really well everywhere, and is very cheap - $7 for 30G for 30 days.

Big morning at Polonnaruwa complex. An ancient capital, UNESCO WH site. Dated around 1200 AD. The Gal Vihara Buddha carvings were spectacular. One was covered for some renovation. A sad observation is that many ancient buildings in Sri Lanka have crumbled far more than their Indian equivalents. The jungle and climate here take no prisoners.

Lunch buffet of local village style food. Delicious as usual.

Russian tour groups everywhere I’ve been. Clearly escaping the winter, and probably conscription.

Finally convinced the hotel I want food spiced to local standards. As a result, had a chicken curry and dhal that were incredible.

A thing that has happened more than once, at numerous different places here, is that after waiters serve the food, the head dude comes along and stands in front of me, silently, for quite a while, with perhaps a hint of a Mona Lisa smile. Not menacing - just present. I wait, awkwardly, then eventually dig in. He’s still there. Does he expect something from me?Then the question: ‘Not too spicy? Do you like it?’.

I effusively praise it.

He continues to stand there for a while longer, as I aspire to not drip curry on my shirt, trying to avoid eye contact, wanting to eat in peace, without an audience. Eventually Mona Lisa departs, ‘I will leave you to your dinner, sir. Please ask if you need anything’.

I feel like I’m in a Marina Abramovic performance piece - I now understand her MOMA chair installation. She was inspired by Sri Lankan dining experiences.