After arriving in Sri Lanka we stayed the night at a hotel in Negombo.
The next day after a Sri Lankan breakfast, we departed for Kandalama and on the way stopped at the elephant sanctuary at Pinnawella that had been established for elephants that had been displaced by village encroachment or injured, etc.
JACQUELINE'S FIRST ENCOUNTER WITH A BABY ELEPHANT
MEET AND GREET THE BABY ELEPHANTS
ED'S FIRST ENCOUNTER WITH A BABY ELEPHANT
FEEDING TIME FOR BABY ELEPHANTS
Later the elephants were brought to the river near the sanctuary for their regular bath and romp. 
LUNCH AND A DRINK AT THE HOTEL OVERLOOKING THE RIVER
After lunch it was time for resuming the journey to the Kandalama Hotel.
KANDALAMA ECO HOTEL
LOTUS FLOWER GREETING
SWIMMING POOL
VIEW FROM THE ROOM
THE ROOM
THE RECEPTION AREAS IN THE HOTEL
A SRI LANKAN SOUVENIR
While at the hotel an elephant ride in the Mineriya Tank (Lake) was arranged for us by the staff.
We then took the opportunity to visit the ancient ruined city of Polonaruwa. It was interesting to be told that these ruined building were nearly 2,000 years old and had stood the ravages of time. The timber beams had obviously rotted way due to the tropical rains and heat.
A WELL EARNED DRINK AT THE POLONARUWA REST HOUSE
The next was a visit to Sigiriya to climb the Sigiriya Rock and view the country from the summit.
After our short stay at Kandalama, the destination was Kandy and on the way a stop at the Dambulla Temple.
After this our hotel in Kandy.
We had hardly enough time to settle down when the driver advised us that we would have to be at the Queens Hotel to take our places on the tiered seats that had been booked for us to view the Kandy Perahera.
DALADA MALIGAWA TEMPLE OF THE TOOTH
Before we viewed the Kandy Perahara the driver took us into the Temple of the Tooth. We had to remove our shoes and walked bare feet to view the various items sacred to the Buddhists.
PICTURES OF THE KANDY PERAHERA
OUR VIEWING SEATS FOR THE KANDY PERAHERA
The next day we visited the shopping centre of Kandy and took a drive around the Kandy Lake and surrounding areas.
The next event was viewing a cultural event and fire walking.
CULTURAL DANCES
FIRE WALKING OVER HOT COALS
Back to the hotel for a drink and the next day we were going to give Jacqueline the experience of a train journey up the mountains to Hatton, where the driver would then pick us up to travel on to Nuwara Eliya.
EMBARKING AT KANDY STATION
From Hatton Station it was a drive to drive to Nuwara Eliya with a stop at the Labookellie Tea Factory.
We were booked in at the Hill Club that was the Tea Planters Club and was now a hotel taking paying guests.
We settled down for the night, and had a very nice dinner and drinks and prepared for our few days in Nuwara Eliya that used to be the Rowlands Home Town. As the Hill CLub was situated in the town we decided to take a walk and visited various places and took pictures of some of the houses, the race course and other points of interest.
We then went had a last look at the Family home "Peach Cottage" in Chapel Street that had been sold to the neighbouring mosque. The gardens were currently being was being used for growing vegetables. The house was to be demolished to make way for a new development.
PEACH COTTAGE PRIOR TO IT"S DEMOLITION
On our way back to the Hill Club, Jacqueline decided that she wanted to have a try at hitting a few golf balls at the Nuwara Eliya Golf Club. I would have loved to have had a game, but it was too late in the afternoon to start and finish before it got dark.
AT THE GOLF CLUB AFTER A FEW SHOTS OF GOLF
PREVIOUS DAYS VISIT TO NUWARA ELIYA GOLF CLUB
As a final visit for the day, we visited the family who we supported by giving them sewing machines, etc. The father was now in charge of the church established by Pastor Wettasinghe.
Back to the Hill Club for a rest and dinner.
A SUIT AND TIE WAS THE REQUIRED ATTIRE FOR DINNER.
Next morning after breakfast, at the invitation of my former bunk mate Brigadier Bandu Munasinghe we made a special trip to visit St Thomas' College, Guruthalawa (my old alma mater) for their prize giving day and to meet my old school mates who I had not seen in over 40 years.
COLLEGE ASSEMBLY HALL
WELCOME BY COLLEGE PRINCIPAL
COLLEGE CHOIR SINGS COLLEGE SONG
LAMP LIGHTING CEREMONY
ENTERTAINMENT BY CHOIR
ENTERTAINMENT BY SENIOR SCHOOL
ENTERTAINMENT BY JUNIOR SCHOOL
DISTRIBUTION OF PRIZES TO BOYS
To fill in some time, we walked around the College grounds.
ED IN FRONT OF THE DE SARAM JUNIOR DORMITORY
JACQUELINE BESIDE THE COLLEGE POOL
INTERIOR OF COLLEGE CHAPEL
ED AT ENTRANCE TO JUNIOR DORMITORIES
After lunch we said goodbye to all and headed back to Nuwara Eliya and then to our next stop at the Factory Hotel in Kandapola.
MY GRANDFATHER'S HOUSE ON THE TOP THE MAHAGASTOTA HILL
THE ROAD TO THE TEA FACTORY HOTEL
THE BUNGALOW OF THE TEA ESTATE SUPERINTENDENT IN KANDAPOLA
KANDAPOLA TOWNSHIP BELOW
MEETING A LADY WHO WAS PLUCKING TEA AND CHILDREN OF THE TEA PLUCKERS
HOUSES OF THE TEA PLUCKERS
RELAXING BEFORE DINNER
DINNER AT TEA FACTORY HOTEL
The room at the Tea Factory Hotel.
Before we left for our next journey down to the coast, I walked around the grounds and took some photographs of the surrounds.
SUN RISE AT KANDAPOLA
TEA FACTORY HOTEL
EUCALYPTUS FOREST ABOVE TEA ESTATE
It was now for the longest journey to Yala on the southern coast of Sri Lanka. A stop at the Ella Gap for lunch was a welcome break.
LUNCH AT THE ELLA GAP
On the way the driver ahd to stop for petrol and I took a photograph of the petrol bowsers with the price of petrol in 2002 on them
We finally arrived at the Yala Hotel on the beach (little did we know that this hotel would be completely destroyed by the tsunami of Christmas 2004).
RELAXING AFTER A LONG JOURNEY
We had a good nights sleep and after breakfast next morning visited the Yala National Park to try and spot some wild life.
RELAXING BEFORE A BIG DAY
YALA PEACOCK
YALA BEAR
YALA SPOTTED DEAR
ENTRANCE TO YALA NATIONAL PARK
After this very sort stay we started the journey to Galle.
BLOW HOLE
A STOP FOR A FEED OF CURD AND KITHUL HONEY
STILT FISHERMAN
STAIRS AT LIGHTHOUSE HOTEL GALLE
As this was going to be another short stay, after breakfast the driver drove us to the Galle Fort. We walked around at took in the sites, especially the Dutch Reformed Church that was in the process of being renovated.
Then back to the hotel to relax for dinner before we took off next day for Colombo.
A REFRESHING SWIM
DINNER AT THE HOTEL
Next morning after breakfast it was off to Colombo and back to Australia.
THIS AREA WAS BADLY DAMAGED BY THE 2004 TSUNAMI
An exhausting but very satisfying time for Jacqueline's first visit to Sri Lanka.
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