An Iguana - 'Thala goya - Sinhalese, 'Udumbu - Tamil, Sri Lanka.

The head of an iguana seen in close-up. The Iguana is hunted and its flesh relished by some. The majority of Buddhists and Hindus would not eat it. It roams in the home gardens of Sri Lanka and is quite often run over by fast traffic on main roads, while it attempts its slow crossing of these roads. I took this picture in my home garden in Avissawella, Sri Lanka.

'Gotukola - Sinhalese, 'Vallaarai' - Tamil, Sri Lanka

'Gotukola in Sinhalese or 'Vallaarai' in Tamil, is a creeper found all over Sri Lanka. It has a tangy taste and is used extensively in cooking. A tasty 'Sambol' can me made with it. A type of gruel called 'Kola kandha' - 'Kanji' - can be made from it. It is said to improve vision, memory and is a general tonic. You see a picture of it growing wild in Avissawella, Sri Lanka.

Red anthuriams from a home garden, Avissawella, Sri Lanka.

Red anthuriums grown in home gardens, with minimal attention fetch a reasonable price in Sri Lanka. They are bought by florists for weddings and other functions. I took this picture of a crop, from a small garden plot in Avissawella, Sri Lanka.

The washer-woman's ('reddy nanda's) visit to a house, Sri Lanka.

The soiled linen in a household in Sri Lanka, was collected by a washer woman, was cleaned and ironed and was delivered back the next week. The washer-woman in Sinhalese and Tamil society held a very responsible position. In Sinhalese society she was called 'reddy nanda' literally 'cloth aunt'. Here you see a 'reddy nanda' paying her once a week visit, to a house in Sri Lanka. This occupation is dying out with washing machines now replacing her duties.

Elephant rehabilitation centre, Uda-Walawe, Sri Lanka

Orphaned young elephants, found abandoned by the herd, in Sri Lanka, are brought to this sanctuary at Uda-walawe. They are fed and looked after. They are then gradually integrated into a herd of wild elephants at the Uda Walawe sanctuary close by and are again sent into the wild. You see in the picture a young elephant being fed milk through a plastic hose.