On the road to Pungudutheevu, Sri Lanka.

Long stretches of roadway through the waters.

A fisherman in his wooden boat.

Cormorants resting on sticks used to anchor fishing nets.

An abandoned house.

Scenes on the road to Nainatheevu - Nagadeepa, Sri Lanka.

Old type of fencing using palmyra leaves.

A village scene.

Market town.

Roadway through a village.

The old style Jaffna is still very much in evidence in these Islands. The Islanders were famous for tasty cooking and involvement in trade throughout Sri Lanka. In the 1950s almost every town in Ceylon had a 'Suruttu-kadai' (cigar-shop), and plantain fruit shop owned and managed by an Islander. They did wholesale and retail trade in grains. The repeated racial riots put an end to these shops. They are now a distant memory of the older folk in the Island. A genetic study of the old Islanders might give a clue as to the DNA peculiarities of the original Naga inhabitants of these Islands going back 2500 years.

Scenes on the road to Velanai, Jaffna, Sri Lanka.

The numerous causeways on  the road to Nagadeepa passing the rural villages is a sight not to be missed. The bird life was fabulous.

Scenes from Jaffna town in December 2011, Sri Lanka.

Boat at Gurunagar.

Scenes around Manipay, Sri Lanka.

Street scene, Manipay.

A cow has the 'right of way'.

Street scene.

Street scene.

Fruit processing facility, Manipay, Sri Lanka.

Stainless steel container to steam heat fruit slices.

Boiler to produce steam under pressure.

Fruit mincer - steam heated.

I went to visit this fruit processing facility in Manipay. The plentiful supply of fruits in the Jaffna Peninsula had prompted the opening of a fruit-processing facility in 1956. Now it is equipped with uptodate stainless steel machinery. The factory owners were awaiting inspection for ISO certification on the day I visited this site in December 2012.

A vineyard and surroundings, Chunnakam.

'Padayappa' and son - guard dogs at the vineyard.

Children playing on builder's sand.

'Indian Roller' in the periphery of the vineyard.

Chunnakam.