Southern Tour!

The group walking around Galle Fort.



At Galle Fort.



A Buddhist temple by the sea.


A cow by the ocean, branded in Sinhala.



The South Coast!



Another really old, giant Buddha.



Tea Country


An elephant at the Pinnewela Elephant Orphanage.

Family Trip to Trincomalee

The beautiful beach in Trinco!



The diversity in Trinocomalee is amazing (from the left, images of: the Buddha, Lakshmi, a Hindu goddess, the Holy Family, and Ganesha, another Hindu diety).



My Sri Lankan family! I'm standing between my amma and tatti; my akka (older sister) is 5th from the left (behind my youngest cousin in the yellow shirt). Everybody else is part of my amma's extended family.





The famous Hindu Kovil (temple) overlooking the city.



The beautiful blue waters off the coast of Trincomalee.

Photos, Northern Tour, Part 2

The blue lotus (nil manel), the national flower of Sri Lanka.


Some of the famous Buddha statues and wall painting at Dambulla.


The Bodhi Tree and the Dambulla Temple--the oldest continually running Buddhist temple and monastery in Sri Lanka.


A man sweeping at the foot of the Buddha in the early morning.


This Buddha's mudra, or position, symbolizes his awareness of and compassion for the suffering of the world.


Gal Vihara-- the most famous 3 Buddhas at Polunnaruwa, the medieval capital of Sri Lanka.


The entrance at the last set of stairs up to the top--and King Kassapa's palace.


The world-famous Sigiriya paintings.


Sigiriya! (a fabulous hike at the start of a great birthday)


The Aukuna Buddha.


The Jetavana Stupa at Anuradhapura.


Katy and I on the top of Minhintale.


Chantal and Sasha at the top of Minhintale.


Minhintale--the spot where the great monk, Minhinda, met King Tissa, bringing Buddhism to Sri Lanka (3rd cen. BC).

Photos, Northern Tour, Part 1

The top of the Great Stupa at Anuradhapura at dark.


Young Sinhalese monks at the Tree.


A monkey and her baby (podi baba!) near the Tree--there were dozens of them!


Chinese monks, nuns, and pilgrims chant and sing at the Tree.


The Great Bodhi Tree.


Katy with lotus flowers for offering to the Great Bodhi Tree.


Bathing ponds at Anuradhapura, the first, classic city in Sri Lanka.




Henry, Jess, and Justin watch the sunset at Anuradhapura Tank.


A herd of cows--they're everywhere!--branded in Sinhala.


The first of many, many Buddhas.


A beautiful Kingfisher at the first temple.




A farmer working the paddy fields.
(Goyivek kumburu waedakarenewa.)


Biking along a village path.


The group at the first site: a megolithic burial, c. 5th cen BC.

Photos, Session I

Another view of the hills of Kandy. The jungle is so beautiful--and everywhere!


Flowers offered to the Buddha at the Temple of the Tooth.


The Temple of the Tooth.


More downtown Kandy.


Sasha with a king coconut! (Sinhala, taembili)


Street vendors in downtown Kandy.


The trees at the University are huge!
(Caitlin and Rachael with their language partners)


The group, at sunset.


The view from the hotel.


Waiting to board the plane in London!