Sri Lanka Holiday

I've just returned from a short holiday to Sri Lanka 

so for this blog post I thought I would share some of the places we visited there. 

It is a jewel of an island, its bitter 30 year civil war has finally ended and they have picked up the pieces after the 2004 tsunami and now welcome tourists. We found the people so friendly, the food wonderful, and the landscapes of sea, mountains and jungles captivating.

  The view from top of Sigiriya - the apex of Sri Lankan royalty who ruled in the 5th cent AD - yes I actually climbed up - its a long way down...There is a royal swimming pool at the very top of this 200 metre high rock.

 Sunset from the highlands

 Ladies rushing home after a major Hindu celebration - their best saris on....

 Monkeys everywhere

Never before have I been this close to wild elephants - at sunset they are intent on eating! Our jeep is only a few meters away...

 Masks of painted wood used to ward off evil spirits. 

                        The fishing fleet off the east coat at dawn will soon head into the beach and each fisherman will sell his catch at the local market

My favourite - chocolate........

This lady is walking home to her village in the background in the early evening after spending the day working in the tea plantations which line the hillsides around the village. She climbs up and down the steep hills all day filling her yellow bag, getting it weighed and then returning to fill again. Every leaf is hand picked and it is very likely that your cup of tea comes from Sri Lanka via this labor intensive process.