Yala national park safari

Luka — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 14:51:12 +0000

Yala NP is the most popular national park in Sri Lanka. No wonder why, we were there for about three hours and yet we saw amazing number of wildlife. I have been to several African countries for Safaris so I did not expect much from Yala. But I was pleasantly surprised by both the landscapes and wildlife we encountered. Here are just some photos of the animals I took during this wonderful safari.

Mugger Crocodile sunbathing on the shore.

Chital or Spotted Deer.

Wild buffalo cows and Cattle Egrets – two loyal companions.

Tranquil scene.

Darter drying its feathers.

The entrance to the Yala National Park.

A road between the sea and lakes.

Asian Openbill Stork.

Wild Buffalo.

Asian Elephant.

Green Bee-eater.

Here is the list of (almost) all the animals we’ve seen: Chital Deer, Leopard, Wild Buffalo, Darter, Black-naped Hare, Wild Boar, Green Bee Eaters, Painted Stork, Asian Elephant, Spot-billed Pelican, Yellow-wattled Lapwing, Sri Lanka Junglefowl, Malabar Pied Hornbill, Parakeets, Sambar deers, Grey langurs, Indian Peafowls, Leopard, Monitor Lizzards, Grey Herons, Jackals and several species of birds.

Yala National Park was a pleasant surprise and I can say it was one of the highlights of the tour. I would recommend it to everyone who visits Sri Lanka at least for a day. Three days would be hardly enough for a keen wildlife lover or birder.

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Dickwella – a hidden Buddhist haven

Luka — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 22:16:19 +0000

Dickwella is just a small town to the South of Sri Lanka. It is not on a tourist map although there is quite interesting temple to visit. My local guide told me it is nothing special and that we should skip it to save time, but I insisted to stop there. A friend of mine told me it is a must to see it.
It is not the biggest, the oldest or the most beautiful temple I’ve seen. But it has a certain charm. It is situated in a peaceful village, undisturbed from all the tourist fuss. I don’t know who created it, but the artist sure had imagination. the temple is packed with statues and paintings depicting Buddhist mythology and belief.

When I entered the image house I was surprised by this huge Buddha statue which was standing in almost complete darkness.

Frangipani flowers in front of Reclining Buddha. The smaller statues depict Buddha’s disciples.

Even nobles are paying respect to Buddha.

Meditating Buddhas. There must be over hundred statues surrounding the temple.

A bird’s eye view on the temple. It is possible to climb up inside the huge Buddha statue. Several steps lead up to the head where important Buddhist scripts are kept. For a small donation you will be allowed to take a peek inside.

Maybe these guys look funny, but you should be scared! This is the ruler of Buddhist Hell! He will have you tortured, burned and cut to pieces if you do not live up to Buddha’s teachings.

There are hundreds of pictures representing the bad acts and behaviour and the punishment for the sinners as well. The pictures do not have any significant artistic value, but they are well worth to take a look. If not for educational reason, for amusement. It is good to have somebody that will translate you the captions.

This is a heavy punishment! Luckily for this poor guy, the Buddhist hell is not eternal. He will be reborn again – as a less worthy creature (as a bird or a dog maybe).

But there is always a bright side! If you follow the Buddha’s Middle way you will be spared from all those atrocities and maybe you will earn a better life after this one!

If you are interested in Buddhism you should check this article as well.

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Luka Esenko's blog » Sri Lanka

Yala national park safari

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Dickwella – a hidden Buddhist haven

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