Jaffna's Islands

Before returning to Colombo to renew my visa, I wanted to visit Jaffna's archipelago.  

There are multiple islands, each with it's own appeal.  I really wanted to visit "Delft" (a Dutch name) where there are apparently magic trees and wild ponies, maybe even unicorns, but apparently the only ferries that go to this mythic Island depart at 6:30 and 7:30 am.  (This was NOT what my Lonely Planet guide said, and is actually just one piece in a list of false information it's been giving me.)  

So I got there at 9:00, and the Naval Officer started laughing at me for saying I wanted to go to Delft.

So instead I went to the "other" island that has a temple on it.  Wouldn't have been my first choice, but here are the pictures anyway.

First, you get herded onto a ferry (and I do mean herded).  You're supposed to wear a life jacket, too, and conditions are every bit as grim as on buses at rush hour.

The ride takes 20 minutes, and it looks more or less like this:

They leave you at a dock, and there are a couple of religious sites.  You're supposed to leave from a different Jetty than you arrive from.

The "leaving" jetty

Then you can go inside the temple and look at stuff:

Like an amusement park!

Detail work.

There's some sort of irony to this picture.

Lol, the phallic symbol.

And anyway, you get the idea.  Sri Lanka is filled with temples like this, particularly in the North.

There's also another temple in front of the "arriving" jetty, which is much smaller but has a silver Cheddy:

Also puppies.  There are puppy dogs there.

And that's how I spent my last morning if Jaffna.