Thursday 28 March
Today we went to see the Temple of the Tooth, which is the most well-known temple in Sri Lanka. It is the only temple that holds one of Lord Buddha's teeth. I got dressed in half a sari called a 'lama sari', as this is what girls should wear for special occasions.

When we arrived, there were small stalls outside, selling flowers and incense, because today was a special occasion – full moon day, or 'poya day'. They were selling lilies and other beautifully-scented flowers, and I bought some.

Outside the temple we burned some incense and put it in holders so the fragrance could waft around. Inside, it was really crowded. Everyone was pushing and rushing around just to see the golden casket, which the tooth was in, and to offer their flowers. The casket was very beautiful. It was in a round golden box, with gold chains and jewels on it.

Friday 29 March
I spent today with a family in a village. First I went to school. The day began with prayers and then the whole school had a PE lesson. After that, the children cleared up fallen leaves from the ground, to keep the school clean and tidy. The lessons were ok, but the classes were small, and the desks were cramped. The toilet wasn't quite what I had expected either. It was a smelly hole in the ground inside a cramped little hut, and there was no toilet paper.

Check out the jobs the children did.


Later, I went for a walk with some children. Seeing as most of them had bare feet, I took my shoes off, but it was really painful walking on the gravel. We played outside in the rice stacks, and when it got dark we played inside. Most people thought I wouldn't cope without electricity, TV, etc. But I really enjoyed my day, because the families were so kind and I got on with the children really well. I was sad to say goodbye.

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Me in my lama sari

I'd never been this close to an elephant before