Thursday, July 30, 2015

Tuesday, July 28, 2015

Sunday, July 26, 2015

Dutch Fort, Galle, Sri Lanka.


A helping hand to come down


Saturday, July 25, 2015

The Dutch Fort, Galle, Sri Lanka.








Galle Fort

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Galle Fort
Dutch Fort
Part of Galle
GalleSri Lanka
Galle Fort
Galle  FortDutch Fort
Galle Fort
Dutch Fort
Coordinates6.025833°N 80.2175°E
TypeDefence fort
Site information
Controlled byGovernment of Sri Lanka
Open to
the public
Yes
ConditionGood
Site history
Built1584 and 1684
Built byPortuguese and Dutch
MaterialsGranite Stones and coral
Battles/warsSiege of Galle (1640)
Several other battles
Official nameOld Town of Galle and its Fortifications
TypeCultural
Criteriaiv
Designated1988 (10th session)
Reference no.451
State PartySri Lanka
RegionAsia-Pacific
Galle Fort, in the Bay of Galle on the southwest coast of Sri Lanka, was built first in 1588 by the Portuguese, then extensively fortified by the Dutch during the 17th century from 1649 onwards. It is a historical, archaeological and architectural heritage monument, which even after more than 423 years maintains a polished appearance, due to extensive reconstruction work done by Archaeological Department of Sri Lanka.[1]
The fort has a colourful history, and today has a multi-ethnic and multi-religious population.[2][3][4] The Sri Lankan government and many Dutch people who still own some of the properties inside the fort are looking at making this one of the modern wonders of the world.[4][5] The heritage value of the fort has been recognized by theUNESCO and the site has been inscribed as a cultural heritage UNESCO World Heritage Site under criteria iv, for its unique exposition of "an urban ensemble which illustrates the interaction of European architecture and South Asian traditions from the 16th to the 19th centuries."[3]
The Galle Fort, also known as the Dutch Fort or the "Ramparts of Galle", withstood the Boxing Day tsunamiwhich damaged part of coastal area Galle town. It has been since restored.[2]

Friday, July 24, 2015

Thursday, July 23, 2015

Sights at Unawatunna, Sri Lanka.


Fresh sea-food



The Main Street

Tents on the beach

The surf.

Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Tuesday, July 21, 2015

Buttala to Sella Katharagama, Sri Lanka.

A wild elephant on the Buttala - Sella Katharagama road. The CTB bus  which overtook us had some plantains to offer to the elephant.

Temple to Goddess Lakshmi at Sella Katharagama.

Monday, July 20, 2015

Scenes by the lagoon, Batticaloa, Sr Lanka.

Fisherman's hut.

Outrigger canoes

At work

Brand new hotel