Protected from several hundred years of sun, rain, looters and vandals under an overhanging ledge half way up a several hundred foot cliff are the beautifully painted Sigiriya Maidens.
There are 12 remaining today - out of an estimated 500 that must have covered the entire cliff face in Sigiriya's heyday. The majority of these 12 images are topless - all are busty - shown picking flowers, serving food and posing. These maidens were painted during a thriving artistic period at Sigiriya when Europe was still in the Dark Ages. Impressive.
Picture #1 in a series of 5.
Location: Sigiriya, Sri Lanka
Lens used: 17-40mm f4.0
On an island roughly 400 meters wide x 900 meters long, devoted fully to a deluxe tourist resort, wild space can't exist. But even so, this island had quite a bit of thick growth, like this photo shows. There were even a couple of banyan trees!
Location: Royal Island Resort, Maldives
Lens used: 17-40mm f4.0![[My] Footprints in the evening sand.<br />
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Location: Royal Island Resort, Maldives<br />
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Lens used: 28-135mm f3.5-5.6 IS](https://photos.smugmug.com/Indian-Ocean/Maldives-and-Sri-Lanka/i-pJssjRR/0/4f64fc1c/XL/MALDIVES-Footprints%20on%20the%20beach-XL.jpg)
[My] Footprints in the evening sand.
Location: Royal Island Resort, Maldives
Lens used: 28-135mm f3.5-5.6 IS
Taken after dinner in the evening time, while I nursed my $14 bloody mary cocktail.
The island in the distance wasn't part of the resort. I believe it was where many of the staff lived and where the maintenance and disposal facilities for the resort were located.
Location: Royal Island Resort, Maldives
Lens used: 17-40mm f4.0
