Friday, June 26, 2009

Waterfall below the Beragalle - Koslanda road, Sri Lanka.

I saw this waterfall close to Lemastota on the Beragalle - Koslanda road. It was just below a bridge on this road. I took this picture in the early 2000s.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Nauw-gala, Kegalle, Sri Lanka.

On the outskirts of Kegalle, on the road to Colombo, you see this huge rock. Since it resembled a ship it was called 'Nauw-gala' ('ship-rock') in Sinhalese. It is a popular pastime to climb to the summit of this rock by waling on steep footpaths.

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

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.

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

'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.

Monday, June 22, 2009

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.