Photos here. Lots of Buddhas today: https://photos.app.goo.gl/1e97pXmEaHMxL1Tt8

Visiting Dambulla Cave Temple. 1st century BC. It was remarkable and unique, with 5 separate caves filled with religious statues. Currently still an active monastery.

A beautiful drive from here to the next stop, starting to see mountains as well as paddy fields. Surprisingly very little traffic. Chaminda said that was normal, as we were a bit remote. Staying at a swish place called Mapakada Village, on a lake. Due to planned activities being cancelled because of landslides and floods, they have offered as a replacement a safari trip tomorrow.

Lots of Russians here (conspicuously of conscription age) - is there anyone left in Moscow?

Hot and humid again. The sun sears when out. I’ve been jealous of ‘people of colour’ in respect of ability to manage sunlight. I look like Barnaby in 30 minutes, and a bit later I am cremated, or at best in a burns unit. Perhaps I have a few vampire genes and this is normal?

Anyway, being white, I have unthinkingly used the term ‘people’ for ‘us’, and ‘people of color’ for non-white ‘them’ (without any recognition of my mindless culturally insensitive imperialist assumptions). It occurred to me that ‘they’ outnumber ‘us’ considerably. Therefore, no longer a cultural imperialist, I will from now on refer to ‘them’ as ‘people’, and us white guys as ‘colourless people’, or ‘people without colour’. Seems right?

Went for an afternoon tea boat trip on the lake. One skinny guy paddling two people on a large boat, with a single paddle. All was ok, serene and tranquil until a headwind on the way back. I thought I would need to spend the night on the boat. He was paddling furiously, and we were going backwards.

To quote Shakespeare: ‘Full of sound and fury, signifying nothing’

This understaffing would contravene Occ Health and Safety (ie be illegal in Australia). Unions aren’t always a bad thing.

We had to land on the opposite shore and thumb a ride back. There was an elephant near our landing point, which caused the guide and boat guy some concern (they can get cranky). Locals steer clear of elephants - about 200 people were killed here last year.

Waded through some swamp to get to the road, avoiding the elephant, where the hotel sent a ute.

Utterly torrential rain hit at the moment we got in the car.

I gave boat guy a tip. He earned it. His evil boss left him at the boat, and he has to row it back when the wind dies down, in monsoonal rain. Poor bastard. His boss wasn’t remotely sympathetic. sympathetic.

I earned a beer, I think.