Scenes at Maligawila, off Buththala, Sri Lanka.

A pleasant grove to walk in.

The 'Standing Buddha' statue carved out of sand-stone, created in the 7th Century AD.

A troop of monkeys in the grove.

Created as a monastery complex in the 7th Century AD, the statue of the standing Buddha had fallen down and its neck broken when I saw it for the first time in 1966. It was lifted up and placed in the erect posture during the regime of the Late Mr. Premadasa. A crane used to lift the massive statue broke down during this exercise. The statue predates the famous 'Aukana' statue near Kalawewa.

Sights on the Ella - Wellawaya highway, Sri Lanka.

At the Ravanella waterfalls.

A farmer sowing paddy.

The swinging action of the farmer in sowing.

Paddy field Pipit on a power line bordering the paddy field.

Driving downhill from the 'Ella Gap' in the mountains of Uva to the Wellawaya plain is an exhilarating experience. In 1966 when I was serving as the DMO at Koslanda this highway was non existent. Goods and patients were carried on the back of water buffalos ('Thavalam') along steep foot paths to and from the plains of Wellawaya at that time. An Engineer named Mr. Wijedoru was doing the preliminary 'route tracing' for this highway. He told me that he was instructed to trace the route to go close to the 'Ravanella waterfalls'. Constant landslides were a feature for a long time later. Now it is a well paved highway.

Ella and Ravanella water-falls, Sri Lanka.

The distant mountains seen from the Ella Rest-house.

The early morning smile from the balcony of the rest house.

Ravanella water-falls on the road to Wellawaya.

Dawn at the Ella Rest House, Sri Lanka.

If you look closely you can see a black structure which is the railway bridge close to Demodera, on the Colombo Badulla railway line.

Flowers at dawn, Rest House, Ella, Sri Lanka.

A 'Black-rumped Sun Bird' seeking honey from a flower.

The photos were the result of a walk at dawn in the premises of the Rest House at Ella.

Sights at the Ella Rest House, Sri Lanka.

Dolphin & Whale-watching cruise, off Galle, Sri Lanka.

Photos and videos of a Dolphin & Whale-watching cruise off Galle, Sri Lanka. Please click on the web-link below with the speakers on:-

http://youtu.be/1iqB70FxR7U