2014, Day 361 - Beached

The day's work is done and all the fishing boats line the mouth of the river at rest until sunrise when the banks will be empty and the men back at work.

Fuji X-T1, Fujinon 10-24/f4R OIS
10mm, f8, 10 sec @ 200 ISO

2014, Day 360 - Hatchlings

Just like El Salvador we found a number of small non-profits in Sri Lanka that gather sea turtle eggs to protect them from predation.  They are transferred to artificial nests in protected areas and the babies are kept in tiled tubs like the one below until they are three days old at which point they are released into the wild.  Here the babies are kept longer to allow their shells a little more time to harden before they brave the dangers of the world.  I love that places like this exist and while it was not quite as hands-on as the place we visited in El Salvador they do good work and deserve acknowledgment for their tireless efforts.

Fuji X-T1, Fujinon 35/f1.4R
35mm, f2, 1/125 sec @ 640 ISO

2014, Day 358 - Crowded shadow

Part of what I love about this photo is what it doesn't show.  There were lots of people on this beach.  Behind me there were four teams of men play volleyball and I used neutral density filters for a long exposure so that all the people who kept walking through my frame wouldn't show up.  So it looks like a boat on an abandoned stretch of beach when in fact I was surrounded by people.

Fuji X-T1, Fujinon 10-24/f4R OIS
10mm, f8, 25 sec @ 200 ISO

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 356 - Sentinel

The shining white structure below is the Cave Temple of Dambulla.  There are five caves with both statutes and paintings depicting the life of the Buddha though a holy site was not their first use, rather the caves were once used as dwellings as burial sites over 2,700 years old have been found in the complex.  The cave temples date back to the first century BC and are now a World Heritage Site.  It was here that we were blessed by the monk you can see just to the left of the nearest central arch.

Fuji X-T1, Fujinon 23/f1.4R
23mm, f2, 1/350 sec @ 200 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 353 - Jumble

This is the now disused meeting room in the Old Town Hall in Colombo.  The building is quite beautiful but in rather poor condition even though it is supposed to be a museum.  Still, we were free to wander and it is a rather impressive example of Dutch colonial architecture.

Fuji X-T1, Fujinon 10-24/f4R OIS
10mm, f4, 1/125 sec @ 640 ISO

2014, Day 339 - Closing time

I love a good sunset and sunrises are just as big a treat.  There is the moment of stillness, of beautiful perfection, that you get when the sun reaches a certain point on the horizon.  It always feels special because each one is unique.  I never tire of the sight and I hope I never will.

Fuji X-T1, Fujinon 10-24/f4R OIS
18.2mm, f4, 1/25 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 336 - Fight

I watched a woman fighting with this monkey a few minutes before I took this picture.  She was standing by this brick wall catching her breath and the monkey came up and started helping himself to the contents of her plastic bag.  When her friend pointed out she was being robbed she turned on the monkey with, one assumes, the intention of retrieving her lost belongings.  The monkey scampered away but that didn't stop her from taking a couple swings at him with her plastic bag.  She missed and in the end didn't get her things back either, he passed them on to the other members of his troupe and it took him a while to return to the wall from his perch in a tree.

Fuji X-T1, Fujinon 35/f1.4R
35mm, f1.4, 1/1200 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 334 - Chips

These fish are only a couple inches long and there were piles and piles of them.  I love how the light catches on their scales and illuminates their eyes, it is a feast of texture.

Fuji X-T1, Fujinon 56/f1.2R
56mm, f2.8, 1/680 sec @ 200 ISO

2014, Day 328 - Parting

It is a traveling day today so this is a scheduled post as I will be somewhere over the Pacific when you see this.  What I love about travel is the unexpected.  Most of the time the surprises are delightful, exciting, or heart-warming but on occasion they can be disappointing or unsettling.  In the end it all balances out and you learn something either about yourself of the place and culture that you're visiting and you're a better person for it.  It has been a great trip with some retracing of old steps and much that was new and exciting.  I'm grateful to have had such wonderful companions to share my adventures and as this one comes to a close I am ready to start thinking about the next.

I hope that wanderlust finds you all and that your journeys are as fun and fulfilling as my own.

Fuji X-T1, Fujinon 10-24/f4R OIS
10mm, f8, 25 sec @ 200 ISO

2014, Day 322 - Whorl

Tonight, in the wee hours of the morning, we are leaving Sri Lanka.  On our last day we had a few things planned but mostly we are preoccupied as to how we are going to spend the evening while waiting for our flight.

We got an early start and after a light breakfast at the hotel we loaded up our bags and left Bentota.  Our first stop was at Brief, the home of Bevis Bawa who was the brother of Sri Lanka's famous architect Geoffrey Bawa.  It is located in the countryside past rice paddies and into the jungle.  As you drive down a narrow lane it opens up into a circular driveway.  From that driveway there are two doors, one leads into the house and the other into the grounds.

Bevis Bawa worked on his home for years and the beautiful garden is a testament to his dedication.  There are paths to secluded sitting areas under large fragrant trees.  Along a sloping stretch of lawn there are a series of ponds leading up to the house which sits at the top of the hill.  Songbirds flit in and out of trees and everywhere there is lush sweet-smelling vegetation.  Scattered throughout the property are sculptures and statuary in hidden natural and man-made niches.

The house is interesting because although it was built in the 1920s and contains much of the original furnishings it has a distinctly mid-century modern feel.  Here Bevis Bawa entertained heads of state, kings, queens, and all manner of celebrities.  He was a bit of a rockstar and yet the house is relatively modest in size but with large outdoor living and entertaining spaces.  It is a beautiful marriage of style and location.

When we finished at Brief we resumed out journey north and soon found ourselves back in Colombo.  Here we stopped at the bank so we could pay our driver for all his help, had a quick lunch, and picked up an additional bag to relieve pressure from the straining zippers of our luggage.  After that we asked Nanda to drop us off at a hotel we booked for the night near the airport.

It isn't as though we need a place to sleep, it is more that we wanted a place to relax, maybe take a shower before the flight, and catch up on a little down time.  For less than twenty dollars it is money well spent.  So here we wait until almost midnight before we jump a cab to the airport.

Tomorrow, a sleepy day in Bangkok!

Fuji X-T1, Fujinon 10-24/f4R OIS
10mm, f16, 1.1 sec @ 200 ISO

2014, Day 321 - Warning

It seems like we packed in a lot of things today.  Our morning started early and after catching up on the news of the world we decided to take a walk.  The hotel we're staying at is kind of in the jungle and past a bunch of modest homes.  Along the way we saw a mongoose and a number of birds including some pretty kingfishers.  When we arrived at the bridge we stopped to take a few pictures and turned back.

On the way back to the hotel Nanda, our driver, passed us and when we all made it to the hotel we decided to start out earlier than we had initially planned.  Our first stop was a quick breakfast at a local bakery and afterwards we headed to the river to go look for wildlife.  Nanda found a guy with a boat to take us down the canal and on the way we saw water monitors, crocodiles, more kingfishers, chipmunks, cormorants, fruit bats, and supposedly some bee eaters but we didn't actually see them ourselves.  It was okay but most of these animals we had already seen on our own previously.

But despite that mild disappointment we stopped off on the way to Galle at a sea turtle conservation place.  Much like the organization in La Libertad they enlist local fishermen to collect the eggs which they in turn purchase for twenty rupees each and create new nests in a protected area.  After forty-five days the baby turtles hatch and they then keep the babies for an additional three days before they are released.  The gentleman who was showing us around said they would like to keep them longer but they have so many babies that they often run out of room. Furthermore it would not really affect the survival rate which is less than one in ten to adulthood.

The center also houses some larger sea turtles.  These are either there for educational purposes or because they had some kind of handicap that keeps them from being fit for release.  One was born missing to flippers so he cannot swim well, another was born without eyes, and they even have one albino that is beautiful but whose lack of pigment would make an easy target.  It was fun to visit and I love sea turtles so I had a great time even though we didn't get to release them like we did in El Salvador.

Having had my turtle fix we headed south to Galle.  There we met up with Francene's friends Monica and Jean Ann.  They were a lot of fun so drinks turned into lunch which led to wandering around Galle Fort for most of the afternoon.

The fort was started in late 16th century by the Portuguese and further reinforced by the Dutch in the 17th century.  It is a world heritage site covering some 130 acres and is considered important because of the interplay of European and Asian architecture and design.  It is positioned so well that the tsunami that hit in 2004 did little damage to the fort even though it is right of the water.

We strolled the streets taking in the architecture and the humid Sri Lankan air.  A couple shops captured our interest briefly but that was fleeting and eventually we ended up at a waterfront restaurant where we had drinks and continued chatting, mostly about travel in and around Asia.  In no time it was almost five o'clock so we decided that it was time to head back north to catch a waterfront sunset and find dinner.

Initially we had a plan for sunset but because we lost track of time we went to the fish harbor.  Fishermen lined the road selling their catch but we didn't have much time to look and with no means to cook little motivation to linger.  Instead we headed for the water and caught the end of the sunset.

That complete we asked Nanda to help us find a place to eat.  He is not really familiar with the area so we tried one place that looked to serve locals and found the menu had a number of reasonable options.  Once we finished eating we returned to our hotel to consider packing and worry about the next phase of our travels.

Tomorrow is our last day in Sri Lanka as we're catching the red eye back to Bangkok where further adventure awaits.

Fuji X-T1, Fujinon 10-24/f4R OIS
17.4mm, f5.6, 1/280 sec @ 200 ISO

2014, Day 320 - Anticipation

I was dreading today but it turn out better than I had anticipated, for the most part.  We got up early to pack away all of our stuff as it had exploded all over our rooms, had a quick breakfast, and leapt into the car to head back to Colombo.

It took about eight hours to get from Colombo to Kandy and this time there was a timeline to stick to as Araceli and Melissa were hopping a plane to the Maldives.  With that being the case they needed to be at the airport to check in early so we couldn't afford another eight hour day in the car.  Nanda took the back road which was a bit longer in terms of distance but so much shorter in terms of time.

Along the way we stopped to see how palm trees are planed and turned into timbers ready for home construction.  Having built his own home Nanda explained that the darker wood is denser and therefore stronger so it is used for heavy loads.  It was quite interesting and the men waved us over to take a closer look.  After we made additional stops at workshops making architectural items out of concrete and again to see how bricks are made and fired.  All these stops make what could have been a tedious morning much more interesting.

We made it to the airport ten minutes before they wanted to be there so kudos to Nanda and his kamikaze Sri Lankan driving skills!

And back into the car driving for what we thought was Galle.  Turns out Nanda put us in a hotel in Bentota which is about forty-five minutes from Galle.  It is a beach town, a little bit sleepy, but that's the allure.  We had lunch in town, did a little shopping and then checked in to our hotel.

This is where is gets a bit disappointing.  The room is big but it is poorly lit with small windows, stained linens (although they appear to be clean), and an A/C unit with a remote that doesn't display the setting so you're pretty much just guessing.  Even the staff was underwhelming, not especially interested and asking a question is usually met my a blank stare and passing you off to someone else even though the person to whom you posed the question answered previous queries.  Weird.

But the room is fine for a couple nights and we caught up on life in the real world before asking Nanda to take us to the beach for sunset.  The sky was cloudy and a storm was coming in which meant we got a nice sunset.  We walked up and down the beach, Francene made friends with a fisherman whose boat is pictured below.  He has a big red smile, his teeth stained red from chewing betel nuts; he explained that they will go out despite the storm and their hope is to catch about five kilos of lobster before returning in the morning.

Sandy and sweaty we decided it was time to find some dinner.  We asked Nanda to take us to a local place, somewhere tourists probably wouldn't go.  He found us a little restaurant with good cheap food and we ate until we were stuff and the whole thing cost less than it would to feed one person at an establishment aimed at tourists.

Tomorrow we head to Galle to meet up with from of Francene's friends who are, coincidentally, in Sri Lanka too.  More on our adventures tomorrow!

Fuji X-T1, Fujinon 10-24/f4R OIS
10mm, f8, 26 sec @ 200 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 318 - Roly poly

After the crazy exhausting day we had yesterday it was nice to be able to wake up whenever we wanted.  Unfortunately we're all so programed to get up early we caught another sunrise.  But that's okay as today we had a mellow day planned.

After breakfast we ventured to Nuwara Eliya to see the famous tea plantations of Ceylon.  Along the steep hillsides are row after row of tea plants.  Women move among them picking only the new growth and never more than the top three leaves which they deposit in the baskets on their backs.  They move so methodically through the plants, some of which are over sixty years old, picking the tender green leaves which are then dried in one of three processes and sorted by size.

The very fine powdered teas are so strong that they must be diluted with milk otherwise it will be far to bitter to drink whereas the larger leave make a much more mellow brew.  Sadly I am not much of a tea drinker so I cannot attest to the quality of the tea we tasted but judging by the price they must be very proud of what they're producing.

Other than visiting the plantation we stopped to see a few waterfalls along the way which we pretty but not nearly so novel to those of us who hail from the Pacific Northwest.  We also stopped for a nice lunch which consisted of rice, a variety of vegetable curries, and a health dose of meat curry as well.  I, of course, skipped the meat but for a little over two dollar per person it was a great value and quite delicious.

When we finished eating we took a walk through the market in Nuwara Eliya.  It was relatively small but still lively and interesting.  Here we found more fresh meats than I had seen anywhere else in Sri Lanka thus far and there was plenty of fresh produce and dried fish products.  We also stopped off at a couple bakeries to try the local types of breads and sweet which were all good if sometimes a bit unexpected.

As it was getting into mid-afternoon we decided to head back to our guesthouse and have an early evening.  Our hosts prepared another exceptional dinner, the highlight of which was a spicy coconut sambal which made everything extra delicious.

Tomorrow we're planning another easy day as Monday will be another travel day with much of it spent in the car.

Fuji X-T1, Fujinon 56/f1.2R
56mm, f2, 1/125 sec @ 250 ISO

2014, Day 317 - Monklets

Today was the day of a million steps.  That is a bit of an exaggeration but it certainly didn't feel like it at the time.  Our day started before sunrise and we lingered just long enough to brush our teeth, put on sunblock, and have a quick cup of coffee before running out the door and hopping in to our waiting vehicle.

Nanda, our intrepid driver, whisked us a couple hours away to Sigiriya.  The name literally means Lion Rock and 660 feet up at the top of the giant rock formation King Kasyapa built his palace.  More than halfway up the final ascent is a stairway carved into the rock between two massive lion's paws.  There was once a lion's head to accompany the paws but it collapsed centuries ago which is unfortunate because it would have completed the effect nicely.

Legend has it that Kasyapa was engaged in battle with his half brother who was the rightful king.  During this battle Kasyapa moved his war elephant and his army misinterpreted the maneuver as a signal of retreat when he was merely trying to take the strategic advantage.  Thus, abandoned by his army, King Kasyapa took his own life rather than accept defeat at the hands of his half brother.  It is hard to feel bad for Kasyapa because, if the story is true, he seized the throne by murdering his father so it seems like a case of karmic justice.

Once we completed our descent we decided it was time to stop for lunch.  Predictably it was another buffet.  We seem to have little luck finding anything small and local near these sites.  It was okay and, like yesterday, during the course of our lunch thunder boomed and it started to dump rain.

In the downpour we returned to the car to make for our next stop in Dambulla.  Here we went to see the Golden Temple of Dambulla.  Fortunately by the time we arrive the rain had let up and we were left with a light misting as we climbed yet more steps in the boiling humidity of a fresh rainfall.  At the top there were about five chambers each with numerous statues of the Buddha and several stupas.

Frustratingly you have to climb down to climb yet more stairs to go to the massive golden Buddha statue that looks out over Dambulla.  It was a bit like Buddhist Disneyland as there were lots of statues of monks made out of fiberglass lining the walkway.  But it was impressive nonetheless.

Feeling spiritual, we left the temple and started on our way back to Kandy.  We stopped briefly at a spice plantation and again at a Hindu temple called Sri Muthumariamman Thevastanam.  When we arrived they had started lighting the lanterns at the various altars and the ceremony was accompanied by percussion and wind instruments.  It was rather beautiful.

All templed out we set out again to return to our guesthouse where we had dinner waiting for us.  It was an excellent meal of fish and rice cooked to perfection and followed by a big plate of papaya.  Everything was delicious and I am now fighting off a food coma.  More to come tomorrow!

Fuji X-T1, Fujinon 10-24/f4R OIS
24mm, f4, 1/950 sec @ 200 ISO