Then when I started capturing the lakes infested with cattle, malli (my cousin brother) started calling out every time he spotted anything the shape of a buffalo or bull.. and then.. to my horror and to their joy.. everyone *my aunts and uncs of mom's side* joined the fun.. making me take too many pics of nothing but cattle of all colors and sizes and types *you know the dairy ones with black and white spots to brown ones, black ones and white ones grazing beside a bunch of buffaloes!* I mercilessly removed the excess pics later on. -__-
Here's a one I kept as a souvenir though...
* Click to expand the pictures
Cattle galore
This was almost like an oasis as most of the lakes were already dried up or drying. There's a bunch of diya kawa (little cormorant.. I think) wading next to these four legged, in the water. There were lots of these birdies in other lakes too, though I couldn't get a clear capture of them.
...
The trees and the ruins
First Pic: I came across this site teeming with ruins en route to the sacred Bodhi tree. There were many of such ruins straddling the paved walkway that runs from the Sri Maha Bodhi to Ruwanweliseya. Notice the tree behind these ruins with shiny twisted branches? These trees are the natural resources for making the famous 'ruk kala' or tree art.
Second Pic: The parapet wall is a remnant of an ancient stone wall. And this one sits opposite the stairway to the sacred Bodhi tree. These stones doesn't seem to neatly fit in, so I wonder if they were restored recently (few decades back) after excavations. Conversely, the outermost fortification of the premises has neatly cut huge rectangular stones placed side by side with a remarkable precision. They reminded me of the pyramids of Giza.
...
Glimpse of Temples in the distant
This was a famous kovil (Hindu temple) which we passed on our way to Tantirimale in the wee hours of the morning, around Matale. The area nestles many such kovils featuring stunning relief and carvings on every nook and corner of their facades. I was only able to capture its top most portion when the van stopped to get a fill at the petrol shed (filling station).
Just as the sign reads, it's the Rangiri Dambulu Temple (The Golden Temple) which is famous for its splendid frescoes of hell and numerous golden Buddha statues in a cave. The 1st pic was taken on our way to Tantirimale, and the 2nd was taken during the return trip.
The paintings and sculptures of the hell housed in the premises is highly recommended by my mom for everyone! She's been iterating that ever since I was a kid, saying if we see it even once we'd be afraid to commit even the tiniest crime. I've yet to see this amazing hell! =D
This is the famous sitting Buddha statue at the Dambulu temple dazzling in golden hues. It's one of the biggest sitting Buddha statues in Lanka.
This is... I think the Stupa of Jetavanaramaya which we saw on our return trip. From a distance both Jetavanaramaya and Abhayagiriya looks very much alike.. especially after the restoration process.
