I spent one holiday week in Sri Lanka. As you probably already know, I ♥ whales. I did know that there is a possibility to go for a whale watching tour but because of the limited time I had I didn't think to go this time. The safaris were on the other side of the island - too far for me. I also thought they might have Sperm Whales - they are so seen...

Instead, I did a two-days tour to Kandy. There I heard that there is one whale safari place quite close and there are BLUE WHALES! I had only two days left and one of them was the independence day of Sri Lanka. Our tour guide managed to arrange the safari for me and two other Finns.



( photos and a video... )

Ok, some poor people can not see my amazing winter movie in the USA so I edited the movie and made a director's censored US cut... I do hope this works after removing naked chicks...

America try this!

P.S. I don't understand why the original version is not working, even people in Malaysia can see it :(

It was time to make the photo book number two about my adventures on the island cottage. I ordered two copies for the ladies who own the place and one for me as a memory. I made the first book in 2008 and I'm really happy to see one of those books still in daily use! Waiting for the next summer and new adventures... 


( 8/36 pages... )

I haven't posted anything for a while... been busy I think. Mostly, I have wasted my time walking around neighbourhood trying to lose some weight again. Well, I've lost 15 kg so far and I'm pretty close to the weight I was 3 years ago.

Today was my rest day, I walked only about 10 kilometres in the forest looking for the beaver. I had the video camera... this is what I saw - no beavers though.

The first really cold (and sunny) autumn day allowed using the camera. It has been unusually warm weather but at the same time it has been really dark, foggy and rainy. Today, it was -7 degrees of Celsius. Lakes started to freeze which can be seen on my short movie too.

A day trip to Montenegro by minibus - nice views, the sea and mountains, old cities...

( lisää, more... )

Butterflies from Balkan...
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SRD, the mountain peak (408 metres) right next to the city of Dubrovnik is easy to reach using Zicara Cable Car. Of course I would have climbed up there but my travel buddies were too lazy even think about climbing so I decided to follow the group.

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A one-week-holiday to Balkan started from Dubrovnik. The group (11 people) stayed at this old historic city for three nights. Later we would stay two nights in Korcula and one in Split. During the first day we visited the old town...

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Tässäpä aluksi muutamia henkilökuvia matkan varrelta...


Some pics of my travel buddies from Croatia-Montenegro-Bosnia-Herzegovina tour...

One of the places I wanted to visit in Paris, was the Catacombs. The place is amazing - at first you have to stay outside queuing before you can go down 130 steps. Two kilometres of gloomy tunnels full of bones and skulls! The real Empire of Death!

When you finally see the daylight again, bags and backpacks will be checked again... no souvenirs allowed!

"Arrête! C'est ici l'empire de la mort" ("Stop! Here lies the empire of death")

324 metres tall iron lady is not that scary unless you are afraid of hights - what I'm not. In fact, the old tower (built in 1889) feels quite steady.
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The dark side of me wandered around cemeteries again. I had heard that there is one especially beautiful place in France so I had to visit the place...



More...

A short movie about the whale watching cruise the 22nd of August 2011...



By the way, there are Sperm Whales, Harbour Seals, Kittywakes, White-tailed Eagles, Gannet, Shags, Fulmars... and one cookie monster :)

Today, I found my painting gears and did this after a long unproductive period!