Dec 2019 – Mar 2020

Southeast Asia

A 101-day adventure by skip's retirement travel Read more

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skip's retirement travel Southeast Asia
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- Day 44
- Saturday, January 18, 2020 at 8:14 AM
- ⛅ 25 °C
- Altitude: 7 m
- Malaysia George Town 5.42167, 100.3355°25’18” N 100°20’6” E
George Town, Penang, Malaysia
January 18, 2020 in Malaysia ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C
The old part of Penang, now a UNESCO world heritage site, designating the whole community. The first 2 pictures are of colonial era buildings. The blue mansion is said to somehow regulate the building's temperature. The 3rd picture is an old street decorated for Chinese New Year. 4th is an alley set up for anyone to paint on the walls. Street art is a big deal here, and the city contracted with artist Ernest Zacharevic to paint a number of works. His best known one is in the 5th picture. The bicycle is not painted. It is built into the wall as an integral part of his work, something he is noted for. The last picture is Little India at night.Read more
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- Day 44
- Saturday, January 18, 2020 at 12:30 PM
- ☀️ 27 °C
- Altitude: 686 m
- Malaysia Penang Hill 5.42667, 100.275°25’36” N 100°16’12” E
Penang Hill and the Botanical Gardens
January 18, 2020 in Malaysia ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C
High point overlooking Penang. The 1st two pictures are of the view from the hill. Next is the Hindu temple on the hill. 4th is some of the plantings decorating the area. The last 2 are of the botanical gardens located at the base of the hill. One is a water feature. The other is in the fern conservatoryRead more
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- Day 45
- Sunday, January 19, 2020 at 2:39 PM
- 🌧 22 °C
- Altitude: 1,553 m
- Malaysia Bukit Palas 4.51667, 101.406674°31’0” N 101°24’24” E
Cameron Highlands, Malaysia
January 19, 2020 in Malaysia ⋅ 🌧 22 °C
Town in the hills named for the Cameron family who first brought and planted tea here. They still own the big plantation, some of which is in the 1st picture. Pictures 2&3 are views from the top of the Rose Center, a garden for entertainment and production of flowers and some produce. These hills are the main area in Malaysia for producing fruits and vegetables. The last 2 are of lettuce and strawberries, respectively. Because this is the tropics, they can plant and harvest year round. I'm getting spoiled by fresh local produce without regard to season.Read more
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- Day 46
- Monday, January 20, 2020 at 3:23 PM
- ⛅ 33 °C
- Altitude: 35 m
- Malaysia Sungai Gombak 3.145, 101.701673°8’42” N 101°42’6” E
Kuala Lumpur
January 20, 2020 in Malaysia ⋅ ⛅ 33 °C
KL, as Kuala Lumpur is often called, is the capital and largest city of Malaysia. These are a few pictures of the city. I will be back here next month for several days. So there will be a lot more to see.
The 1st picture is of Merdaka Square. This is the site for major celebrations here, and it was the center of admistration for the British colonial government. 2nd is the Sultan Abdul Samad building that makes up one side of the square. It was an administration building, both before and after independence. 3rd is a closer look at the famous clocktower on the Samad building. 4th is the Central Market, a major landmark in central KL for a long time. The picture looks through a gate at the end of an open air market alongside. 5th is Petaling Street, the heart of KL's Chinatown, now decorated for Chinese near New Year in a few days. Last is the view from my hotel room over the street and city.Read more
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- Day 46
- Monday, January 20, 2020 at 8:27 PM
- 🌧 27 °C
- Altitude: 52 m
- Malaysia Golden Triangle 3.155, 101.713333°9’18” N 101°42’48” E
Petronas Towers, Kuala Lumpur
January 20, 2020 in Malaysia ⋅ 🌧 27 °C
Headquarters of Petronas, the big oil company in Malaysia. The building is an architectural masterpiece, with the design based on traditional Muslim symbolism. It was, for a time, the tallest building in the world.
The 1st picture is of the twin towers taken from the SkyBar across the square after dark. You can see the 2-level sky bridge connecting the towers at floors 41&42. Pictures 2&3 are taken on the sky bridge: one with me holding on for dear life with a look out through the floor to ceiling glass and the other looks along the length of the bridge. The last 3 pictures were taken from the observation deck on floor 83. They are of the top of the tower and views over KL.Read more
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- Day 47
- Tuesday, January 21, 2020 at 11:10 AM
- ☁️ 29 °C
- Altitude: 62 m
- Malaysia Batu Caves 3.23667, 101.683333°14’12” N 101°40’60” E
Batu Caves
January 21, 2020 in Malaysia ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C
Hindu religious shrines and temples built into caves up on a hillside near KL. The 1st picture is of the staircase up to the cave entrance. The gold statue is the Tamil God of War. The next 3 pictures look at the interior of the cave itself. The 4th picture looks at the main temple on the left and back to the 2nd stairway up to the inner shrine. The last 2 pictures look at 2 of the statues placed here.Read more
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- Day 48
- Wednesday, January 22, 2020 at 5:31 PM
- ⛅ 32 °C
- Altitude: 13 m
- Malaysia Kampung Dua 2.195, 102.248332°11’42” N 102°14’54” E
Malacca
January 22, 2020 in Malaysia ⋅ ⛅ 32 °C
Former trading town found by the Portuguese, taken over by the Dutch and finally the British until independence, and the name of the strait that is a major sea route from East Asia to the Indian Ocean.
The 1st picture looks at the Dutch city hall and clock tower dating to the 17th century. The 2nd picture looks down the main Dutch street near the city hall. The 3rd picture shows one of the main gates to the old Portuguese fortress date Ng to the 16th century. The 4th picture is from the hilltop looking out over the Straits of Malacca. 5th looks along the Malacca River, and last is a look along Jonker Street, the main street dating back to the Dutch.Read more
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- Day 49
- Thursday, January 23, 2020 at 3:00 PM
- ☀️ 30 °C
- Altitude: 13 m
- Malaysia Bukit Sebukor 2.23139, 102.270632°13’53” N 102°16’14” E
Malacca religious
January 23, 2020 in Malaysia ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C
As a port, many religions are present and coexist without problems. The 1st picture is the 18th century Dutch Church, still an active congregation. 2nd is the remains of the 16th century Portuguese church. The next 3 are all on the same street. These are a Taoist temple (Chinese), a mosque and a Hindu temple (Indian). The population here is a mix of Malay, Chinese and Indian.Read more
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- Day 50
- Friday, January 24, 2020 at 6:57 PM
- ☀️ 29 °C
- Altitude: 9 m
- Singapore Merlion 1.28667, 103.8551°17’12” N 103°51’18” E
Singapore First Impressions
January 24, 2020 in Singapore ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C
What an incredible city! There is so much here. Lots of interesting architecture. Beautiful gardens. I could go, but the upcoming posts will come cover a lot of ground.
The 1st picture is a bit of the nighttime skyline at the marina. Next is the merlion, symbol of Singapore. This city began as a fishing village, and singa mean lion in the local dialect. 3rd is the artscience museum (that's not a typo). 4th is another look at the skyline across the harbor. 5th is the facade if the famous Raffles Hotel. Last is the Helix Bridge, built using a double helix as the structural support.Read more
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- Day 50
- Friday, January 24, 2020 at 7:34 PM
- 🌙 28 °C
- Altitude: 9 m
- Singapore Merlion 1.28667, 103.8551°17’12” N 103°51’18” E
Singapore Marina
January 24, 2020 in Singapore ⋅ 🌙 28 °C
Center of much entertainment and activity in Singapore. About as close as you can get to the old harbor, much of which has been landfilled. This is a most interesting skyline. Perhaps the most interesting is the triple building with what looks like a long boat on top. That is the Sands hotel and casino. The top is called Skypark and is long open area with a series of bars and restaurants.
Also, the 1st picture highlights some of the decorations for Chinese near New Year.
Also there are 3 repeated laser, sound and water shows in the marina each night plus a fireworks display.Read more
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- Day 53
- Monday, January 27, 2020 at 10:12 AM
- ☁️ 28 °C
- Altitude: 22 m
- Singapore Singapore River 1.285, 103.851671°17’6” N 103°51’6” E
Singapore downtown art
January 27, 2020 in Singapore ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C
Singapore encourages businesses to provide art in the central city area to add some interest that what might otherwise be a sterile cityscape. The 1st depicts river merchants from the old days at work. The 2nd recalls when kids would jump into the water to cool down. Can't do it today as the Singapore River has been dammed and is now a water supply reservoir. The 3rd is a sculpture by the Colombian artist Botero. Next is a Dali sculpture as an homage to Isaac Newton. Next is a random piece. Last is in the new space connecting the former supreme Court and city hall buildings making them a large museum.Read more
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- Day 53
- Monday, January 27, 2020 at 11:00 AM
- ☁️ 29 °C
- Altitude: 20 m
- Singapore Victoria Clock Tower 1.28847, 103.850911°17’18” N 103°51’3” E
Older Singapore
January 27, 2020 in Singapore ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C
Modern Singapore was founded in 1819 when Sir Thomas Raffles (yes, that Raffles) arrived on behalf of the East India Company and decided this was a good place for a harbor and trading center. Most of the 19th century buildings are located across the Singapore River from the commercial center. Today, most have been converted to museums.
The first picture is one of those museums. Look closely in front, and you will see a statue of Sir Thomas himself. 2nd is the old Parliament house. 3rd is the old Parliament chamber. The batik on the seats is part of the arts bienale running now. 4th is St. Andrews Cathedral, the oldest Anglican Church in Singapore.
The last 2 pictures are taken on the roof of the national museum. One is the view out over the marina. The street at the bottom is part of the course for the grand Prix race run here each year. The other is both a shallow water reflecting basin and a skylight. I think is a creative way to provide some interior light and filter out some of the heat.Read more
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- Day 54
- Tuesday, January 28, 2020 at 10:31 AM
- ⛅ 29 °C
- Altitude: 18 m
- Singapore Kreta Ayer 1.28167, 103.8451°16’54” N 103°50’42” E
Buddha Tooth Relic Temple
January 28, 2020 in Singapore ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C
One of only 2 places in the world said to have a tooth of the Buddha. The other is in Kandy, Sri Lanka (see a post from September). These are images for m various places and n the temple. No photos were allow where the tooth is kept.
This is in Singapore ChinatownRead more
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- Day 54
- Tuesday, January 28, 2020 at 12:22 PM
- ⛅ 30 °C
- Altitude: 23 m
- Singapore Kreta Ayer 1.28, 103.846671°16’48” N 103°50’48” E
Chinatown, Singapore
January 28, 2020 in Singapore ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C
One of the important neighborhoods here. The Chinese are the largest ethnic group of Singapore. These are a few pictures to give a flavor of an interesting area. First is Pagoda Street. It has this name because of the Hindu temple on the corner, shown in the 2nd picture. The original Indian neighborhood was across the street. The Chinese and the Indian locals built this temple toghther, they say. The building is still called a pagoda by the Chinese. 3rd is a Chinatown food street with stall designed to be reminiscent of the pushcarts used in the past by food vendors. 4th is part of a wall length street mural depicting the arrival and development of the Chinese community here. 5th is another street mural, this one depicting a Chinese opera. Last is a look at the back of the financial district, showing just how close this is to downtown.Read more
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- Day 54
- Tuesday, January 28, 2020 at 12:36 PM
- ⛅ 30 °C
- Altitude: 26 m
- Singapore Inner Roads 1.28167, 103.848331°16’54” N 103°50’54” E
Tianfu Temple
January 28, 2020 in Singapore ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C
Temple located across the street from the old sea wall from before the harbor was reclaimed by landfilling. The temple was dedicated to Mazu, a Chinese sea goddess. New arrivals could disembark and cross the street to give thanks for a safe trip.
This temple today, is unusual in that there are 4 distinct worship areas. They are, in the order shown, Taoist, ancestor worship (the small tablets are like our tombstones in a cemetery), a sort of Hindu/Buddhist depiction of the thousand handed goddess who is understood to have the means to overcome all 1,000 problems people have, and Confucian.Read more
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- Day 55
- Wednesday, January 29, 2020 at 5:25 PM
- 🌧 28 °C
- Altitude: 18 m
- Malaysia Blacksmith Rocks 1.55667, 110.3551°33’24” N 110°21’18” E
Kuching, Sarawak, Borneo
January 29, 2020 in Malaysia ⋅ 🌧 28 °C
The island of Borneo is part Malaysia, part Indonesia. Sarawak and Sabah are the Malaysia part.
Kuching is the capital of Sarawak. (Sabah comes later.) Kuching means cat, and there are many cat statues around town, like the small traffic rotary in the 1st picture, and the street art that was done for Independence. 3rd is a series of traditional shop houses of merchants across the street from the waterfront. 4th looks along the Sarawak River. The golden spire is the top of the state legislature building. 5th is a look along India Street, a pedestrian shopping street named for the many Indian traders who built up the area. Last is the officer's club built by the Japanese Army during WW II.Read more
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- Day 57
- Friday, January 31, 2020 at 2:14 PM
- ☁️ 29 °C
- Altitude: 35 m
- Malaysia Telok Asam 1.715, 110.443331°42’54” N 110°26’36” E
Bako National Park
January 31, 2020 in Malaysia ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C
The 1st national Park in Sarawak, reachable only by boat. The 1st picture is a glance at the rainforest in the park. The rest are of critters I saw there. First is a juvenile male proboscis monkey. 3rd is the Bornean bearded Pig. 4th is the long tailed macaque. 5th is the Bornean keeled pit viper. And last is the Silver Leaf Monkey.Read more
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- Day 58
- Saturday, February 1, 2020 at 6:00 PM
- ☁️ 22 °C
- Altitude: 770 m
- Malaysia Limbang 4.05971, 115.019584°3’35” N 115°1’10” E
Bats!
February 1, 2020 in Malaysia ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C
Most nights, millions of bats stream out of Deer Cave at about sunset. They seem to swarm in twirling patterns that still photography can't really capture. This is a bit of a sampling. I had hoped that they would fly lower to be more visible.Read more
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- Day 59
- Sunday, February 2, 2020 at 2:55 PM
- ☁️ 30 °C
- Altitude: 107 m
- Malaysia Marudi 4.03, 114.818334°1’48” N 114°49’6” E
Rainforest Canopy
February 2, 2020 in Malaysia ⋅ ☁️ 30 °C
The world longest elevated walkway through a forest canopy is at Mulu. It is 480 meters long and up to 40 meters high. Most is 25-30 meters above ground. The whole point of the walk is to demonstrate the layers of the forest, from the ground dwellers through the understory to the canopy and the emergents that stand above the canopy.
The 1st picture is of the cable suspended walkway. It's an amazing structure. The rest of the photos look at the forest from the level of the walkway, some out into the trees, some down through the layers to the ground.Read more
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- Day 60
- Monday, February 3, 2020 at 3:28 PM
- ☁️ 28 °C
- Altitude: 235 m
- Malaysia Marudi 4.025, 114.8254°1’30” N 114°49’30” E
Mulu caves
February 3, 2020 in Malaysia ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C
We visited 4 caves here. This post looks at 2 of them: Lang Cave and Deer Cave.
The 1st 3 pictures are of Lang Cave. This is best known for its stalactites and stalagmites.
Deer Cave is known for its colonies of millions of bats of many species. (See another post.) It is also called the Lincoln Cave due to the natural formation in the last picture.Read more
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- Day 61
- Tuesday, February 4, 2020 at 9:01 AM
- ☁️ 24 °C
- Altitude: 32 m
- Malaysia Mulu Airport 4.05333, 114.818334°3’12” N 114°49’6” E
Penang tribal village
February 4, 2020 in Malaysia ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C
Village of the Penang tribe within the bounds of Mulu. Most of the people work with tourism. The houses are provided by the government, but the crafts are their own. The 1st picture looks across the main square and shows a bit of the mountain scenery as the mist was lifting. 2nd is the drill used to bore out blow pipes. 3rd is a series of blow pipes. In the next picture, I'm trying out a traditional blow pipe. Did OK too. Next is a photo of their craft market.Read more
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- Day 61
- Tuesday, February 4, 2020 at 9:44 AM
- ☁️ 25 °C
- Altitude: 44 m
- Malaysia Limbang 4.05667, 114.826674°3’24” N 114°49’36” E
2 more caves in Mulu
February 4, 2020 in Malaysia ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C
This time it's the Wind and Clearwater Caves in another part of the park, reachable by boat. The Clearwater cave system (of which Wind Cave is a part--they are interconnected) is said to to be the 7th longest in the world and the largest by volume.
The 1st 3 pictures are in Wind Cave, looking at some of the formations. The latter 3 are in Clearwater Cave. This cave has a major underground river flowing through, as a couple pictures show. When I took the last one, I was expecting to see orcs cone out and do Sauron's bidding.Read more
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- Day 61
- Tuesday, February 4, 2020 at 12:25 PM
- ⛅ 28 °C
- Altitude: 41 m
- Malaysia Mulu Airport 4.05333, 114.821674°3’12” N 114°49’18” E
Mulu National Park
February 4, 2020 in Malaysia ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C
Mulu is a world heritage natural area, to nee of the few that meets every criterion for selection.
Yes, that's a commercial airport right by the park office.
The first 2 pictures look at one means of travel in the park, by water, by longboat. Very traditional. The rest look at the Borneo jungle and some of the paths and boardwalks. The last picture is my best look at the rainforest itself.
This place is well worth a visit.
There are several more posts from Mulu.
We walked the so called headhunters trail, 11 km of jungle. Met a couple of leaches up close. A spectacular hike.Read more
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- Day 63
- Thursday, February 6, 2020 at 1:23 PM
- ⛅ 29 °C
- Altitude: 8 m
- Malaysia Pelabuhan Labuan 5.27667, 115.2455°16’36” N 115°14’42” E
Labuan
February 6, 2020 in Malaysia ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C
Labuan is a duty free port on its own island located across the bay from Brunei. It had been a British colony before and after WW II.
The 1st picture is of the harbor. 2nd is the memorial Park, with several monuments to local history. The large trees were planted for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. 3rd is the main government building across from the park.
4th is the Labuan military cemetery from WW II. About 3,900 graves, nearly half unknowns from the Borneo death march.
Last is Surrender Point, where the Japanese surrendered to the Australian Army at the end of WW II. This is one of those places that surrendered after the surrender in Tokyo Bay.Read more
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- Day 65
- Saturday, February 8, 2020 at 12:07 PM
- ☁️ 29 °C
- Altitude: 53 m
- Malaysia Istana 5.985, 116.085°59’6” N 116°4’48” E
Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Borneo
February 8, 2020 in Malaysia ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C
KK is a mostly modern city, having been rebuilt after being mostly destroyed by numerous bombings during the Japanese occupation during WW II.
The 1st picture looks over the harbor from Signal Hill where lookouts watched for incoming ships. 2nd is a closer look at the harbor. 3rd is the Atknison Clock Tower, one of the few structure spared by the bombing. 4th is a night market. 5th is Gaia Street that is a hawker market in the eveninyg and becomes a street market on Sunday. Last is sunset over the harbor.Read more
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