Ranga de Silva

Made another visit to Kukuleganga a couple weeks ago and this time it wasn’t raining. So the water level was safe enough to go swimming. According to my friends Sankha and Chullaka this is the best spot to swim. The edges are only ankle deep while the center is about six to seven feet deep. The water is crystal clear and quite calm, so we or rather I made good use of the snorkeling gear we brought along.

Oh on another note, today is apparently world photography day. So happy photography day to all.

Please note that all images in this blog are the property of the photographer. No one may use these images without written permission from the photographer. The fact that it’s on the internet is not an excuse for you to steal it. Legal action will be taken against anyone using these images without permission from the photographer.

If you are interested in using these photographs, please email (rangad.silva[at]gmail.com) me for permission.

My friends’ mother is building a small lodge in Kukuleganga called “Natures Hideout”. It’s really a nice place if you want to just get away from it all. It’s got all the modern comforts, electricity, running water, clean toilets. But the best feature of them all is that cell phones don’t work.

A recently constructed cabin with a kitchen and bedroom. This is a bit away from the main compound.

Getting there is a bit of a challenge though. You’ll need a four wheel drive vehicle to negotiate the muddy roads and the river that needs to be crossed to get to the lodge.

It’s actually a small river that needs to be crossed but when it rains it tends to swell and getting across is a bit difficult or at times impossible, so when it rained that night we were not exactly sure if we’ll have to spend an extra day in Kukulegagnga.

Sanka and Chullaka check out the best place to take a swim in the river. There’s a short trek trough a leach infested footpath then a climb down to get to it. But the river had risen because of the rains so we had to go back to the place where we initially crossed for our swim.

The place usually comes with a cook but since it’s closed down these days because of the rains we had to do the cooking ourselves. Sanka decided to whip up some sausages for tea.

I’ve been feeling rather burnt out, uninspired and down with life. Work seems to have gotten quite monotonous. Guess that happens when your stuck in an office the whole day. Haven’t had much time to work on my photography either. Got tons of pics to edit but just haven’t had the time nor the motivation. Coming down with a severe case of the flue last week didn’t help either.

Anyways I’m off to Kukulegama tomorrow to just get away from it all and forget about these shitty couple of months. Hopefully to find some inspiration as well.

The above picture of what seems to be two legs belonging to big foot was taken a month back in Udawalawe.  I had a chance to just relax and put my feet up so to speak during the afternoons, when we weren’t running around in our four by fours photographing elephants. Yes hopefully I’ll finish editing them soon.

The Jetavanaramaya stupa is said to have been the third tallest structure next to the Great Pyramids of Giza when it was built by King Mahasena (273-301 AD). You can find more detail on this Wiki.

Basically it’s huge. You can’t help but have a sense of awe when you see it up close. The two specks standing at the base are my friends Charlot and Gayan. Kind of gives you an idea as to how large the stupa is.

Please note that all images in this blog are the property of the photographer. No one may use these images without written permission from the photographer. The fact that it’s on the internet is not an excuse for you to steal it. Legal action will be taken against anyone using these images without permission from the photographer.

If you are interested in using these photographs, please email (rangad.silva[at]gmail.com) me for permission.

I spent this years Vesak at BMICH, where the Light of Asia foundation together with the National Film Corporation and BMICH organized a Buddhist Film Festival for the second consecutive year. The aim of the festival was to showcase local and foreign films with a Buddhist theme. Anyone could walk in off the street and watch these films being shown on projectors at the BMICH grounds.

BMICH grounds at Twilight.

Decorations at the entrance

The crows move in.

Chief guest Chamal Rajapaksa inspects an exhibition by the Pakistani embassy on Buddhist stupas in Pakistan.

The Digital Pandal, set-up at the entrance.

People watching films on one of two projectors set up on Baugdhaloka mawatha.

Visitors to the festival watch films on the giant screens under a canopy.

People seated around the BMICH pond watching a movie.

The Bhakthigee stage.

The Bhakthigee troop from Dharmashoka Vidyalaya preparing for their performance.

Performance by the Peoples Bank Bhakthigee troop.

What’s Vesak without rain.

Photographs of Murals at the Kelaniya, Bellanwila and Gothamee Vihara on display.

An artists rendition of the ancient city of Kapilavastu.

The Maggie noodles van besieged by hungry visitors to the festival.

The Bombaimutai or Candyfloss seller.

Please note that all images in this blog are the property of the photographer. No one may use these images without written permission from the photographer. The fact that it’s on the internet is not an excuse for you to steal it. Legal action will be taken against anyone using these images without permission from the photographer.

If you are interested in using these photographs, please email (rangad.silva[at]gmail.com) me for permission.

I leave for Riverston tonight. I’n going to be camping out in the jungle with a couple of friends for two nights so travelling light is essential. This is basically all the kit I’ll be taking with me.  The place is apparently crawling with snakes so went to Pettah last week and bought those army boots. Hopefully the’ll keep me safe. And those poly thin bags are a must. In case it pours they’ll help keep my gear all dry.

So I’m off to catch a quick nap and I’m off. Don’t expect to get much sleep for the next four days.

I’ve been giving the future allot of thought these couple of months. Make some cash, find a nice girl, settle down in a place of my own. I guess the times they are a changing. This little house is situated in a coconut plantation just outside the mangrove swamp I visited a couple of months ago. As I got out of the van I thought, man this would be an awesome place to live. Small, hence easy to maintain, pretty secluded for peace and quiet (I need my quiet time) yet not that far away from civilization and the beach is only a five to ten minute walk away. So as soon as I make enough money and find a nice girl, I’m getting my little cottage in the coconut plantation. Or may be I’ll get one as soon as I make enough cash.

Spent the day trudging across a mangrove swamp in Hikkaduwa with some architects, while being eaten alive by ants. Yes folks some architects don’t just sit at home and draw your dream houses. Some of em actually go out to all these god forsaken places and get turned in to gourmet dishes for the local critters to feast on. While some idiot with a camera volunteers to tag along.

One of the architects, Roshan working on his sketch.

Flip flops and shorts, not the best attire for trekking through a swamp.

Five guys sharing two pairs of boots was never going to be very practical. So they were left in the van.

We decided to try the local cuisine.

Our driver decides to cool off in the shade.

Though I did spend the other half of my day photographing Kosgoda Beach. One of those cushy hotels where they have the best prawns, cuttlefish and fruit salad ice cream that money can buy. Sorry no pics of the food. I was too busy stuffing myself.

All in all an awesome Saturday.

Couple of weeks ago I had a chance to go to Beruwela with some architects from 1:2:4 Designs. There an architecture firm specializing in resorts. This three story building is The Palms hotel in Beruwela, formally known as Warners Reef. The ceiling of the building appears blue because of the reflection of the water in the pool. I thought that that was kind of a cool effect. I’ve got another photograph from another angle showing how the building actually overhangs the pool. I’ll upload that and the rest of the photographs once I’m done editing, for now this is it.

This photograph was taken outside the Nuwara Eliya race course as I passed through on my way to Horton Planes. I took this back in January when I went on a road trip with my friends. The plan was to go from Colombo to Kandy, and from there to Segiriya and Horton Planes, and back to Colombo via Diyathalawa in five days.

I’ve posted some of the photographs from Horton Planes and Segiriya on some of my earlier posts. May be I’ll write a full account of the trip time permitting.

Please note that all images in this blog are the property of the photographer. No one may use these images without written permission from the photographer. The fact that it’s on the internet is not an excuse for you to steal it. Legal action will be taken against anyone using these images without permission from the photographer.

If you are interested in using these photographs, please email (rangad.silva[at]gmail.com) me for permission.