Thursday, October 21, 2010

Paddy fields of Tissa, Sri Lanka.

I took this picture while returning from Katharagama, from the bund of the Tissa Wewa. The paddy fields were a lovely green in the sunlight. The white painted Dagoba partially hidden by the branches of the tree formed a nice composition.

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

The Alupola falls - all three stages.

The first and second cascades are obvious. The third stage starts just below the second and only the top of it is visible on the picture. The people on the bottom right hand corner give a perspective re the size of the falls.

Alupola water falls, second and third, Rathnapura, Sri Lanka.

I took this picture of the second and third parts of the cascade of the Alupola waterfalls. These are the two places for bathing and to have a chat over beer and lunch on rainless day. You have to climb over rocks to go to these places.

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

The Alupola falls, Alupola Estate, Rathnapura, Sri Lanka.

The first of the three waterfalls in Alupola, is shown in this picture. This picture was taken during the dry season. On rainy days the volume of water is about ten times this and is muddy carrying the soil erded from the Walaboda region close to the Adam's peak area.

The Bambarabotuwa valley, Wewalwaththe, Rathnapura, Sri Lanka.

The bambarabotuwa valley in the Alupola Estate, Rathnapura is a beautiful sight on a clear day. The Pandi Oya flowing down from the Alupola falls is seen in the bottom of the valley. Far away on the hills, the Wewalwaththe tea factory is seen. The air is clear and cold. No wonder the Scottish Planters who pioneered this area built a bungalow overlooking the valley and the Alupola water falls.

Sunset scene at Wellawaththe, Sri Lanka.

Wellawaththe beach was a regular haunt for us as Medical Students, in the early 1960s. The colorful sunsets and the people on the beach, have not changed much. There are now high rise apartment blocks close to the beach across the railway line and across the new four lane marine drive. The stiff breeze getting colder after sunset are a permanent feature here.

Birds on a paddy field, Dompe, Sri Lanka.

Paddy fields in the rural areas of Sri Lanka are one of the most peaceful sights. A variety of birds rest on the bunds of these paddy fields catching insects and worms and occasionally fish from the flowing water channels. I took this picture in Dompe, Sri Lanka.

Monday, October 18, 2010

Adam's Peak, Seen from Kaluaggala, Sri Lanka.

Driving from Avissawella to Colombo in the morning around 5.30am, at the bifurcation of the roads to High Level and Low Level roads, I saw this sight of Adam's Peak through the early morning mist. I took this picture on a Nikon, in the late 1990s.

Church on a hill, Castlereagh, Sri Lanka.

The Portuguese and the Dutch followed by the British brought various architectural styles in building churches in Ceylon. I saw this Anglican church on a hill in a tea estate at Castlereagh. You can see the steeply sloping roof designed for the British climes so that snow would slip off the roof and relieve it of stress. The roof  is of galvanized corrugated iron sheets. You can see the bell on the roof. You can also see the cross on a gravestone in the courtyard of the church.

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Evening, beach at Wellawaththe, Sri Lanka.

There is a rocky promontory at the beach at Wellawaththe, Sri Lanka. Rod and line fishing was a favorite past-time for some. It was also a haven for lovers. To sit and watch the sunset from here was an exquisitely pleasurable experience. I took this picture in 2009.