Yala National Park

Day 12: This morning, we made our fourth drive over the lake next to our hotel in Yala. A baby water buffalo was following its mother. We were on our way to Weligama Bay.

Rice Farm

We made a stop to take photos of this farmer’s hut on a rice farm.

A Small Town

We drove through a number of small towns.

Umbrellas

Two women were walking in the town carrying an umbrella to keep the hot sun off them. Umbrellas were also being used to keep the hot sun off the vendor’s fruit.

Weligama Bay Marriott Resort & Spa

We arrived at the Weligama Bay Marriott Resort & Spa after lunch. We were being treated to a five–star resort for two nights.

Weligama Bay Marriott Resort & Spa

The resort was located on a surfing beach with warm water. Shyam, our tour director, thought there was a package that one could buy that included transportation to the resort from the Colombo airport, but I didn’t see one on the Marriott site. However, there is transportation to the resort from the airport offered on viator.com. The resort had a rooftop restaurant/bar with a good band. Some of us had dinner at it.

Galle Coast

Day 13: We drove along the coast on our way to the Galle Fort. Many fishing boats were along the sand and also in the water.

Stilt Fishermen

The Sri Lanka stilt fishermen. Stilt fishing started during World War II when there was a shortage of food and also overcrowded fishing spots. Fishermen looked for places they could fish on the water, such as on capized boats, then started fishing on the ocean’s edge where they can catch spotted herring and small mackerel.

I have combined Day 12’s drive from Yala to Weligama Bay with Day 13’s drive from Weligama Bay to the Galle Fort on a slideshow. Go to http://www.peggysphotos.com/yala–to–weligama–bay–to–galle/    (Slide Shows, Asia–2, Sri Lanka, “Yala to Weligama Bay to Galle”).

Galle Fort

We entered the Galle Fort through this entrance. Galle Fort is also called the Dutch Fort. It was first built by the Portuguese in 1588 and later extended by the Dutch from 1649 and then by the British from 1796. It resembles a walled city with a very much Dutch flavor.

Tuk Tuk Tour

You could walk around Galle Fort on your own or do as I did––take a tuk tuk tour.

Galle Fort

When the Portuguese owned the fort, it was small and it was made of mud and palm trees. The Dutch expanded it and built strong fortifications. The Dutch also built public adminstrative buildings, warehouses, business buildings, and residental quarters, all in the Dutch style. When the British took over the fort in 1796, it constructed houses and a lighthouse and made other changes.  Today, there are many shops, galleries, restaurants, hotels, religious buildings, and residences along with historic buildings and museums.

Galle Fort

Colorful elephant in front of one of the many art galleries.

Dutch Reformed Church

The Dutch Reformed Church was built in 1640 under Dutch rule.

All Saints’ Church

The All Saints’ Church was built in 1871 under British rule.

Meeran Mosque

The Meeran Mosque was built in the Dutch architecture style over 300 years ago during Dutch rule. More than half of the Galle Fort population are Moors, the rest being Sinhalese, Dutch, English, Portuguese, and German.

Buddhist Temple

The Sri Sudharmalaya Buddhist temple is also in the Galle Fort. I don’t know when it was built.

Main Gate

The Main Gate was built by the Dutch in 1669. It has the Dutch coat of arms on its top.

Old Dutch Hospital

Galle Fort Street

A very pretty street in the Galle Fort.

Dutch Clock Tower

The Dutch Clock Tower on the side of the ramparts.

Galle Fort Guard

One of the guards guarding the fort.

I have put my photos of Galle Fort on two slideshows. Go to http://www.peggysphotos.com/galle–fort–1/  and http://www.peggysphotos.com/galle–fort–2/     (Slide Shows, Asia–2, Sri Lanka, “Galle Fort–1 and  –2”).

Buddhist Monastery

This evening some of my tour group visited a Buddhist monastery in Galle. In the photo, we are walking up a hill to the monastery. One of my tour mates is covering his bare knees with a sarong as neither bare knees or bare shoulders are allowed in a Buddhist monastery or in a Buddhist temple.

Buddhist Monastery

A Buddhist shrine at the monastery.

Buddhist Monastery

Photo: the Room where we would sit to ask questions of the monks. The monk on the right took our questions in English, translated them to the monk on the left, and then translated to us in English what the other monk had answered. We were told the Buddhist philosophy of the monk Tittagalle Anandasiri Thero which is “The secret to happiness is the way you think.”

The Buddhist Monks

Group photo. After seeing hundreds of monks on my trips to Asia, these are the very first monks I have ever seen smile. There were also female monks at the monastery but we didn’t see any of them.

Buddhist Monastery

We were given this book, “How sad Pintu became happy Pintu,” telling how changing your thinking will lead to your happiness, the story related by Titagalla Anandasiri Thero.

I have put my photos of the Buddhist monastery on a slide show. Go to http://www.peggysphotos.com/galle–buddhist–monastery/   (Slide Shows, Asia–2, Sri Lanka, “Galle: Buddhist Monastery”).