Sri Lanka 2010

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Our Boeing 777 from Emirates, one of the best airlines in the world, Dubai.  A water buffalo near the side of the road, Induruwa.  A White-throated Kingfisher in a lake near Induruwa.  Great Egret near Induruwa.  A view over the lake near Induruwa where we did a boat trip. 
Little Cormorant in the lake near Induruwa.  The beach of Induruwa.  Inside the old trainstation is an elections poster for the president. He won the elections big time! On the board are the arival- and departuretimes of the trains.  The old station of Induruwa.  A chameleon, Siharaja rain forest National Park. 
A lizzard in the Siharaja rain forest National Park.  Sri Lanka Palm Viper (venomous), Siharaja rain forest National Park.  A Green Vine snake (mildly venomous), Siharaja rain forest National Park.  Giant Wood spider, this is a female. If you look really good you can see the male on her head, it's more then 10 times smaller! Siharaja rain forest National Park.  Common Pierrot butterfly, Siharaja rain forest National Park. 
Giant blue earthworm, the can grow up as long as 1 meter or more! Siharaja rain forest National Park.  Sri Lanka Keelbacked Water Snake, Siharaja rain forest National Park.  Two Sri Lanka Keelbacked Water Snakes trying to catch some fish, Siharaja rain forest National Park.  Nepenthes (carnivorous plant), Siharaja rain forest National Park.  An other cameleon in the Siharaja rain forest National Park. 
A road in the jungle of Siharaja rain forest National Park.  The dense jungle in Siharaja rain forest National Park.  Lot's of water and beautifull plants in the Siharaja rain forest National Park.  The Sri Lanka Blue Magpie (Endangered, endemic) a beautifull colourfull bird, seen in Siharaja rain forest National Park.  Close-up from the Sri Lanka Blue Magpie, Siharaja rain forest National Park. 
Little seaturtles in a turtle conservation project near Kosgoda.  A window from the old Dutch church in Galle.  The interior of the old Dutch church in Galle.  One of the main entrances to the old fort of Galle.  A shop in the old fort of Galle. 
Schoolchildren in front of the old Galle Libary.  Fishmarket in the new part of Galle.  On our way to World's End a few wild chicken (female Sri Lanka Junglefowl) crossed the road, near Wold's End.  That's why World's End is called World's End. You can see for miles on a sunny day.  And even when it's not that sunny, the view is still incredible, World's End. 
View from the Horton Plains, one of the highest places in Sri Lanka.  On our way to Horton Plains.  Colors and sceneries are so beautifull on our way to Horton Plains.  Horton Plains.  A milepost on Horton Plains. 
Bakers fall in Horton Plains. Most of the water in Sri Lanka comes out of the Horton Plains.  Monkeys near World's End.  More monkeys near World's End.  This is Ransi, my wifes adoption elephant in the Elephant Transit Home. Elephants here are trained to go back in nature, so no touching, unallowed feeding or other human interference. Only wildlife specialists are allowed to feed this elephants.  Sunset at the beach near Tangalla. 
A chameleon in front of a cave temple, Mulkirigala.  Inside the cave temple, Mulkirigala.  A resting Lord Buddha in a cave temple, Mulkirigala.  The view from the cave temple, Mulkirigala.  Inside the cave temple are some beautifull fresco's, Mulkirigala. 
The beach near Tangalla.  Monkeys in one of the temples of the ancient city of Kataragama.  The Buddistic temple entrance of the ancient city of Kataragama.  Near Kataragama there are some beautifull ponds with lots of flowers.  Spotted deers in Yala National Park. 
A wild buffalo in Yala National Park.  Green Bee-eater in Yala National Park.  Male Sri lanka Junglefowl in Yala National Park.  A jungle hare on the road in Yala National Park.  Yala National Park has some beautifull views. 
A wild male elephant in Yala National Park.  A wild pig drinking water in Yala National Park.  A big lizzard has a nest in a tree, Yala National Park.  Near the sea side of Yala National Park.  A wild peacock in the Yala National Park. 
This is the Common Kingfisher, seen at the river in Yala National Park.  Rose Ringed Parakeet in the Yala National Park.  Changeable Hawk Eagle in Yala National Park.  Malabar Pied Hornbill near Yala National Park.  Drying fish, harbour of Kirinda. 
Common Stern above the sea, harbour of Kirinda.  Common Greenshank above the sea,harbour of Kirinda.  Ravana Ella waterfalls near Ella.  Ravana Ella waterfalls near Ella.  An oxcar on the road, near Ella. 
When we went North out of the mountains we came across this beautifull reservoir.  A Buddhistic ceremony on the road to Kandy, near Kandy.  A Buddhistic ceremony uses, most of the times, an elephant. On the road to Kandy, near Kandy.  The elephant driver in a traditional costume. On the road to Kandy, near Kandy.  The Pinnewala river near the Pinnewala Elephant orphanage. 
Elephant bading in the river of the Pinnewala Elephant orphanage.  Two elephants playing in Pinnewala Elephant orphanage.  Elephants in the river in Pinnewala Elephant orphanage.  There a lot of elephants in Pinnewala Elephant orphanage.  Playing with water is always fun, Pinnewala Elephant orphanage. 
Even the small baby elephants like to play with water, Pinnewala Elephant orphanage.  Flowers of the "Canonball tree" in the botanical garden, Kandy.  A group of monkeys playing in the trees of the botanical garden, Kandy.  A monkey in the tree in the botanical gardens, Kandy.  A monkey with her young in the botanical gardens, Kandy. 
Flying foxes in the botanical garden, Kandy.  A rooster sitting at the entrance of a temple, Kandy.  Outside the temple of the Tooth are many smaller temples, like this one. Kandy.  The interior of the temple of the Tooth, Kandy.  A pagoda in the temple of the Tooth. The light makes it look really nice, Kandy. 
The main hall of the temple of the Tooth with the Buddhistic flags, Kandy.  A statue of Lord Buddha in the temple of the Tooth, there is also a painting behind it of Lord buddha getting offerings, Kandy.  The music starts with a small trumpet, making a sound almost similair as the snake trainers do, Kandy.  Golden elephant heads in one of the halls of the temple of the Tooth, Kandy.  Musicians play ceremonial music to honer the Tooth of Lord Buddha. At this point of day, more ceremony's are held in the temple of the Tooth, Kandy. 
After ending the ceremony the musicians walk around the pagoda of the Tooth, Kandy.  A "tusker" (meaning elephant with tusks) near the temple of the Tooth. This is a temple elephant, used for ceremony's. Kandy.  Downtown Kandy, there is a big market everyday.  An elephant in downtown Kandy. You can compare his size with the minibus, the hight of this elephant is almost twice the hight of the minibus! Kandy.  Election posters for the 2010 elections, near Kandy. 
Walking beneath Sigiriya rock fortres, Sigiriya.  Sigiriya rock, one of the most beautifull places in Sri Lanka. Sigiriya.  A giant squirrel, this fellow is a meter long (including his tail), near Sigiriya.  Snake in a tree, could not indentify him, but locals told us is venomous, near Sigiriya  The both of us with an elephant, Habarana. 
During our elephant trip we passed a area with a lot of water, Habarana.  Stone steps lead from one temple to the other, Ritigala.  Dense jungle with big trees, Ritigala.  Ritigale forest temple monastry, an urinal. The design and effort to make this urinal seems to do with somekind of ritual, Ritigala.  Ritigale forest temple monastry, on the walkway there are strange circles. People still don't know their funtion, Ritigala. 
The road to the temple monastry, Ritigala.  The scenery near Anamaduwa.  Black-naped Monarch, near Anamaduwa.  Ricefield (paddyfields) in centre Sri Lanka, near Anamaduwa.  Different kinds of fish on the fishmarket, Negombo. 
Fisherman getting the catch of the day out of their nets, Negombo.  Sunset near a catamaran on the beach, Negombo.  Fisherman going home, Negombo.  Sunset at the beach, Negombo.  IMG 8940