Sunday, March 18, 2018 Afternoon excursion to the 2000 year old Buddhist statues and murals in the cave complex of Dambulla. Quite stunning but incredibly hot and humid inside each of the 5 caves.
Polonnaruwa
Saturday, March 17, 2018 Daytrip to Polonnaruwa to visit the ancient capital (11th to 13th century ). Famous for its elaborate carvings, sculpture and temples.
Train to Anuradhapura
Tuesday, March 13, 2018 Tasty breakfast, a rainy walk thru crazy traffic and sidewalks, a closed museum necessitating a long tea break and wait, then a lengthy but fun train ride northeast to Anuradhapura.
Mutu Village
Friday, March 16, 2018 Fabulous place to stay in Habanara. Great food, awesome decor, friendly helpful owners and a marvelous spa with Ayurvedic massages. Note tree growing in our bathroom!
Elephant Safari
Friday, March 16, 2018 Very enjoyable elephant safari in Kaudulla National Park northeast of Habanara. Saw hundreds of elephants and a few monkeys and sea eagles as well.
Our Elephant Watch Hut
Thursday, March 15, 2018 Slept in a treehouse just outside Habanara and waited for elephants to come visit. No such luck but did see one on our night safari and oodles more on our day safari the next day.
Mihintale
Thursday, March 15, 2018 Climbed a monumental stairway to the stupas and viewpoints where Buddhism first took root in Sri Lanka. Inspected a 9th century hospital trough used to immerse patients in healing oils. Headed onwards to Habanara and arrived
A really big tree
Thursday, March 15, 2018 A quick stop at an enormous tree outside of Anuradhapura . Creepy guardian!
more Anuradhapura
Photos missing from previous post
Anuradhapura
Wednesday, March 14, 2018Hot and humid day visiting the various temple sites around Anuradhapura. Humongous stupas, vast monestary complexes and palaces. Founded in the 4th century BC and the epicenter of Sri Lanka’s Buddhist civilization for 1300 years.
Colombo, capital of Sri Lanka
Monday, March 12, 2018 Spent the day exploring Colombo. Lovely hotel in the old Fort area walking distance to many sights. Dutch Hospital is a refurbished colonial-era complex which now houses trendy restaurants and shops. Also visited the Pettah area
A quick stop in Male
Sunday, March 11, 2018 Had a half day to walk around Male before heading to the airport for our mid-afternoon flight to Sri Lanka. Visited the National Museum and the old Friday Mosque – one of the few surviving mosques
Lots of fun in the hot, hot sun
Saturday, March 10, 2018 A half day of snorkeling. Took a speedboat out of Maafushi to visit 3 reefs. Plenty of turtles, gorgeous tropical fish and dolphins. Sadly, much of the coral was dead. Picnic lunch on a sandbar in
Scenes from Maafushi in The Maldives
Friday, March 9, 2019 Beautiful beaches and incredibly friendly people.
Speedboat Male to Maafushi
Thursday, March 8, 2018 After an entirely forgettable night at a hotel by the airport, we were ready to experience the Maldives that we came to see. Getting from the capital city of Malé to the island of Maafushi is