2018_01_05 GALLE AND ON TO COLOMBO

Huge tree inside the Fort Wall.

Yesterday there was a cricket match in here.  Today, one cow.

You can see the thickness of the Fort walls.

Wedding photographs in a large courtyard.

Bridesmaids.

Inside this courtyard.

2nd wedding party. Bride and her bridesmaids.

I got up early and decided to walk around the Galle Fort this morning.  Got some amazing images and was able to communicate with people.  There were 2 weddings having photographs being shot.  The costumes were very intricate and it was cool to see this.

Fresh catch being prepared for sale. He's using a large curved knife.

Fishermen coming in from night fishing just past dawn.

Another incredible fish market.

I then walked outside the fort walls to where the fishermen were coming in with their night catch.  Many booths were set up and they were preparing their catch with big knives and cleavers.  

British emblem over gate.

Emblem of the Dutch East Indies Trading Company over gate.

Old Library and Post Office.

Post Office.  Cool tile roof.

Old Dutch Reformed Church.

Entrance to Fort Bazaar Hotel.

Pretty fresh cut flowers in hallway.

Old tile roof.

Banyan tree roots at the end of the courtyard.

Connie with morning coffee just up from our room.

Ours was room #5.

Went back to the hotel and met the others for breakfast.  Great, as usual.

Breakfast in the Fort Bazaar hotel.

Connie bought a blue sapphire stone for her Mom's old ring.

We had it set back her after we returned.

There was some last minute shopping and we met Maddu and Karu for our trip to Colombo.

This Buddha image is the height of the tsunami wave. 

Stopped on the west coast and saw a new Buddha image that was the exact hight of the tsunami wave that struck there in 2004.  Sobering to look at what 14 meters high is.  A train that was passing by was knocked off the tracks and 1,700 people on it perished.  The village that was right there was completely demolished and a total of 5,000 people died.

Japanese Buddhists paid for the Buddha image and helped to build a rock barrier to make it slightly safer in the future.

Passing thru a mangrove tree tunnel on the lake.

Cutting the cinnamon tree bark and stuffing into a larger tube.

Cinnamon drying overhead.

Connie bought cinnamon powder and cinnamon oil from this lady.

Her Dad started the cinnamon plantation on an island in the lake.

Fish nibbling on my feet. Tickled a bit a first but just fine. Another Bobi Steingart image.

There were a bunch of them!

Went a bit further and went on a boat ride in a mangrove lake area. We saw how cinnamon is harvested and then I sruck my feet in a pool with a lot of fish that nibbled at my feet to remove dead skin, etc.  We had seen this before in Mexico and never tried it. 

Had snacks at a rest area on the one highway in Sri Lanka.  Pretty modern and once again a unique experience trying to order stuff we are not used to.

Large lotus flower shaped antenna and the pool at Cinnamon Lakeside, Colombo.

Closeup of lotus tower.

View from our room of the pool and river.

Practicing crew in river.

Finally arrived in Colombo and checked into Cinnamon Lakeside hotel.  Large modern hotel situated on a river just about in the center of Colombo.

Walked to dinner at The Ministry of Crab - a highly recommended restaurant.  Food was excellent - we walked around for a bit and got back for some rest.

Tomorrow we will be heading home - the other 3 couples are leaving for the airport at 11:00 and a flight to Singapore and Connie and I will have a late checkout at 2:00 and we will be taken to the airport by Maddu at 5:00.  
Sri Lanka has been better than I had hoped for.  Now back to cold, cold Chicago.  Sigh.......