2014, Day 357 - Fish monger

I met this charming fellow at the market in Kandy.  He is a purveyor of all things dried but mostly salty pungent fish.  I liked the quality of light the bare bulbs cast, some shadows deeper than others and the texture of his wares.  Sometimes it is best that you can't smell a photograph.

Fuji X-T1, Fujinon 56/f1.2R
56mm, f2, 1/125 sec @ 1000 ISO

2014, Day 355 - Dapple

There is nothing quite like looking out your bedroom window to rolling hills and a colorful sunrise.  It is like starting the day with rose-colored glasses on.

Fuji X-T1, Fujinon 23/f1.4R
23mm, f2, 1/280 sec @ 200 ISO

2014, Day 338 - Early bird

Almost every morning we were in Kandy we were treated to a beautiful sunrise.  Unfortunately I was the only one awake to witness it but I suspect the others might have had a glimpse or two from the comfort of their beds while I dashed out onto the balcony for a better view.

Fuji X-T1, Fujinon 35/f1.4R
35mm, f1.4, 1/950 sec @ 200 ISO

2014, Day 337 - Napping

Sometimes I think the best way to cope when things get tough is to take a nap.

Fuji X-T1, Fujinon 56/f1.2R
56mm, f2, 1/450 sec @ 200 ISO

2014, Day 335 - Hunt

We saw a rainbow one evening in Sri Lanka after a long day of running around.  I don't know if there is such a think as Sri Lankan leprechauns but I looked and walked away empty handed.  I'm usually better at catching in which makes me think there was no pot of gold to he had...

Fuji X-T1, Fujinon 14/f2.8R
14mm, f4, 1/125 sec @ 1250 ISO

2014, Day 319 - Loading

We kept it low key again today.  Another morning where we allowed ourselves to sleep in though it didn't happen so I caught up on some work from a distance and had a lazy couple of hours before we ate breakfast.

Today's agenda was pretty simple, see a bit of the Kandy's old city and run through the market as we are losing Araceli and Melissa to the Maldives tomorrow.  So we visited a batik workshop, wandered through the market for a few last-minute purchases, had a late lunch, and did a lot of people watching.

As we were leaving the market area we found a really interesting Ayurvedic pharmacy so we had to take a look.  They had all manner of herb remedies for things as simple as dry skin to boosting the circulation of people with diabetes.  I don't really know why but I always feel compelled to try different kinds of toothpaste when I travel.  Perhaps it is because the mint that we typically get does not mix well with food and I am seeking an effective alternative.

The other thing I spied was men loading and unloading trucks completed packed with boxes.  Not just in the trucks but on top of them too.  It looked like such sweaty work because, although it was rather overcast, it was really humid so it was a bit like being in a sauna.

By the time we finished it was mid-afternoon so we returned to our guesthouse to relax for a while.  One of the things our host suggested was a traditional dance performance but that isn't really my kind of thing so I let the others go while I had a nice afternoon to unwind.

Because it is our last night in Kandy the proprietors of our guesthouse cooked us a special meal.  It is probably the best food we've had in Sri Lanka and I think we have had some great culinary experiences.

Tomorrow we have to get up early to get Araceli and Melissa to the airport in time for their flight and then Francene and I are off to Galle for a couple days.  I think it is going to be a long day in the car...

Fuji X-T1, Fujinon 35/f1.4R
35mm, f4, 1/2000 sec @ 200 ISO

2014, Day 316 - A short walk

This morning I was restless and ended up getting up a little before five o’clock.  The sun was just rising and I was treated to some really nice color out of the balcony (and a very small cat as well but she didn’t really want to be friends).  As I was loitering outside I ran into the owner of the establishment and he invited us on an early morning walk.

What he described as a “short walk” was actually almost five miles uphill.  Granted, we got to see some of the famous Ceylon tea anxious for the picking and some pretty countryside but it wasn’t quite what we expected.  By the time we got back sweat was steaming down our faces and backs.  Oh well, it was an adventure.

So we cleaned ourselves up and went downstairs to breakfast.  The owner’s wife prepared crepes with a sweetened coconut filling as well as eggs and toast plus a fruit plate.  It was a lot of food but we were hungry from our “walk” so we didn’t leave much behind.

Breakfast completed we headed out into Kandy and our first stop was at the botanic gardens.  The grounds are pretty but I didn’t see anything I hadn’t seen before and there was a distressing amount of non-native plants proudly labeled with their regions of origin.  Even the orchid house was disappointing after the plant market in Chiang Mai.  Nevertheless it made for a nice addition to our morning exercise.

Afterward our driver took us shopping with the first stop at a woodcarving co-op.  They had lots of statuary and it was all very pretty but equally expensive and impractical.  With that out of the way he then took us to a jeweler.  There they showed us a video about mining for gems after which we were invited into their showroom.  Sri Lanka is well known for their high quality sapphires as well as rubies and a number of semi-precious stones like garnets, aquamarine, and moonstones.  I’ve given up giving jewelry as gifts because everyone has such different tastes and I don’t roll like a pimp so there wasn’t much for me to do other than waste the time of the pushy woman who insisted that she must show me something.  I picked expensive things, haggled, and walked away.  In the end she got the manager to offer me a good deal but what do I want with gems?

Everyone else was exhausted haggling for things they actually wanted so we went to lunch.  It was a buffet of mostly lukewarm food but it was quick and filling so it was okay.  During the course of lunch it started to rain, and then it started to pour.  When we left it was still raining pretty hard but not nearly as bad as it had been moments before.

Then it was off to Sri Dalada Maligawa, known also as the Temple of the Tooth.  Here they claim to have a tooth from the lord Buddha which makes a a significant site for Buddhists from around the world.  The temple was founded over four hundred years ago but it has been damaged and rebuilt many time, most recently in 1998 by the Tamil Tigers.  We had a guide who showed us around but there weren’t any major revelations.

By this time it was getting into the late afternoon so we decided to head back to our accommodations for some relaxation.  Tomorrow is going to be another early morning so we wanted to get to bed early to catch up on some much needed sleep.

Fuji X-T1, Fujinon 14/f2.8R

14mm, f4, 1/420 sec @ 200 ISO

2014, Day 315 - Numbing

Today was rather a waste of a day.  Our drive was meant to pick us up at 10:30 and while he arrived on time his car was too small for the four of us and our luggage.  So we waited for two hours while he arranged for a van and a new driver, Nanda.

Once Nanda arrived we hopped in the van and headed out for Kandy.  It is a little over seventy miles away and usually takes three hours.  Today there was, inexplicably, a massive amount of traffic and we ended up on the road for about eight hours less a quick stop to have a really late lunch.  Otherwise we were trapped in an admittedly comfortable van that was getting increasingly uncomfortable with time.

Finally, hours after the sun set, we made it to our guesthouse.  The proprietors greeted us warmly and showed us around.  They live in the house with their guests and we were immediately treated like family.  In anticipation of our arrival they prepared a wonderful lentil soup and from fresh fruit.  It was a perfect light meal before settling in for the night.

Since my butt is falling asleep and there is no internet connection at the moment I will sign off.

Pictured below is the Old Town Hall in Colombo.

Fuji X-T1, Fujinon 10-24/f4R OIS

10mm, f4, 1/125 sec @ 2500 ISO