Landscapes

At Dundra Head, southernmost point of Sri Lanka

Roadside waterfall near Badulla.

Roadside waterfall and tea stall near Badulla. That is my driver\guide having a smoke.

Large lotus pond near Anaradhapura. There are natural lotus ponds that cover many, many acres.

Mara trees at Tissamaharama

Just cooling off in the river. Near Kirivehera, Kataragama

Buffalo cooling in a wooded lake. Near Kirivehera, Kataragama

Toprobane Island, near Welligama

Welligama Bay from temple above Mirissa.

Yala National Park

Rice paddies near Buttala

Neat tree in forest at Maligawila.

More buffalo. Because I like the way such big beasts hunker down in the water and then just sort of stare at you with an incredibly bland expression.

Tea plantation in the hill country. The little white dots are workers picking tea.

Strange effect from this night shot. This large elephant is actually about 15-20 yards away drinking from some kind of well. The two Sri Lankan men with me were a bit nervous; of course, not knowing any better, I was having a grand time.

It turns out elephants tend to stay hidden in the woods during the day and come near or into populated areas at dusk and return to the forest at dawn. Around Sigiriya, where this was taken, tourists are advised to not go walking at night, even around the village, because wild elephants can be dangerous. The only menacing elephants I saw were bothered that a some people in a jeep got too close to their baby and they charged to drive them away. While elephants are certainly huge and I don't feel like running up and petting one, it seems to me they are like most wild animals: not horribly dangerous unless you threaten them, scare them, or just plain piss them off.

View from the top of Sigiriya.

View from the top of Sithalpahuwa

Convenience store with internet cafe. No, really.

Hill country between Kandy and Mahiyangana.

Lake near Ampara