Sri Lanka 5 - Polonna Uwe, Sigiriya and the monk with the i-Phone 5

Don't be looking for any nightlife in any of these towns around the cultural triangle - you'll be disappointed. The guest houses are outside town in the suburbs or the jungle with nowhere to go. There are upmarket eco- lodge type places too. You sit on the verandah drinking beer and a few more car loads of tourists turn up for the night. By 7 pm dinner is served and by 9 you are heading for bed. We ate omelettes for breakfast and the staple rice and curry for lunch and dinner every day. Rice is served with 3 or 4 vegetable side dishes and accompanied by a small portion of curried fish, chicken or beef. Veggies vary but some of our favourites include dhal, beans, okra, breadfruit and a sambal of shredded spinach, coconut and lime. Polonna Uwe is the third ancient city of the cultural triangle,with plenty of ruins, temples and history to explore. The next day we climbed Sigiriya Rock, a very sacred site in Sri lanka. It's thousands of steps up to the top, at times by way of rickety metal staircases attached to the side of a cliff, but with great views once you make it up to the top. More than 1000 years ago the monks managed to build temples and dwellings up on top. A group of visiting monks in saffron robes took photos of each other at the top using their i-phone 5s!