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Nancy and Doug Trips
Nancy and Doug Trips

Nancy and Doug Trips

“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.”
Our lifelong travel bug has given us our most prized ‘possessions’ - the many memories from business and especially family trips.
 “Take only memories, leave only footprints.” Read more🇨🇦British Columbia
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  • Nancy and Doug TripsSE Asia 2024Traveler
    11

    Cheong Fatt Tze House (Blue Mansion)

    April 19, 2024 in Malaysia ☁️ 31 °C

    Built by a "rags to riches" Hakka immigrant, Cheong Fatt Tze, at the end of the 19th century, the mansion has 38 rooms, 5 granite-paved courtyards, 7 staircases and 220 timber louvre windows (at a time the British taxed each window on the front of buildings). It served as Cheong's private residence as well as the seat of his business activities in Penang. Of interest, he had eight wives, 7 of 8 were arranged marriages based on business connections as was the custom of the day. A "wife in every port" to run the family business as who could trust others? The house had many Feng Shui principles incorporated into its construction. For example, there are plant pots at the central courtyard where the "Qi" energy field (that connects all things) is centred, the rain water collected by the roof gutters flow into the courtyard then out in a circular pattern under the courtyard and flooring of the house before going to the street. Feng shui dictated that arrangement would help ensure that Cheong's fortune would not be quickly drained away if the flow had been straight out (also had the advantage of cooling the floor and house!). Unfortunately, none of his family was as good a financial manager as Cheong was; due to this and other factors, the mansion fell into disrepair. In his will, he stipulated the house could not be sold until his last son (of favorite wife No. 7) died. The sale came up in 1990 and his daughter in law, who had managed to hang on to it, had the wisdom to sell to an architect who took six years to restore to meet a UNESCO world heritage site designation. Now it is operated as a hotel, restaurant with a capped capacity for tours. We decided to spring for the linen table cloth 3 course lunch in the Indigo Room, knowing it would help to support this good work, and it was yummy!Read more

  • Nancy and Doug TripsSE Asia 2024Traveler
    11

    Habitat

    April 18, 2024 in Malaysia ☁️ 28 °C

    The Habitat Penang Hill is a rainforest discovery centre located at the edge of the magnificent rainforest located within the top of the Hill. It is one of the main attractions that can be accessed from Ayer Itam using the historic funicular railway. With its nature trail, a treetop walkway, and the canopy bridge, it is an exceptional rainforest experience. It also includes a 360-degree VR movie about wildlife.Read more

  • Nancy and Doug TripsSE Asia 2024Traveler
    Lower Station
    Lower StationWondering when the deluge will end?

    Penang Hill

    April 18, 2024 in Malaysia ☁️ 28 °C

    We really enjoyed this day out of a city environment to the top of Penang Hill by funicular. During the ascent the temperature drops from an average of 31C to 27 C degrees and the flora adapts over four levels. This is the oldest colonial era hill top station in Asia established in 1786 by Penang's founder Captain Francis Light. Formerly called Flagstaff Hill, as a look out point, it stands at height of 833m. A significant community with more than 50 buildings developed during the colonial period and were used as retreats with walking paths, a place of recuperation away from the heat and disease of Penang and eventually a school. HABITAT is a walking path and bridge skirting along a UNESCO biosphere protected rainforest. It was special to walk along the rainforest tree tops with views of Penang below. We spent almost seven hours there; spending a bit of time waiting for a downpour to ease enough to use our umbrella (see "The Thinking Doug" holding the umbrella!).Read more

  • Nancy and Doug TripsSE Asia 2024Traveler
    Durian Ice Cream

    Chew Jetty

    April 17, 2024 in Malaysia ☁️ 31 °C

    We stopped at Chew Jetty on our way back to the hotel from the museum. This was one of 6 remaining wooden jetties on the quay side in George Town and used since the late 19th century for loading/unloading cargo before the bigger seaport opened. Over time Chinese groups sharing geographical origin and dialect, formed clans, took over control of each of these jetties and charged fees to use the jetty. As well as a Chew Jetty, which is controlled by the Chew Clan, there were also jetties controlled by Lim, Tan, Lee, Yeoh, and Koay clans. Each clan also had a temple in town. The late 19th Century was a period of often violent rivalry between different Chinese immigrant groups for control of economic resources in Penang and the jetties were at the forefront of these conflicts.

    Chew Jetty remains in something of an historical time warp. Running water and electricity were introduced in 1957 but the people still live on the jetty in wooden houses on stilts, sell things in shops opening on to the main walk way, and largely live as they have done for over 100 years.

    The Chew Clan’s continued survival as a community on the Jetty is uncertain. The city government does not recognize their rights as land owners, indeed the residents are not taxed by the local government as technically speaking they do not reside on Penang Island but live on the water.

    There is a Taoist temple just inside the entrance to Chew Jetty, which is dedicated to the God of Heaven, the most important of all the deities worshipped in the Taoist religion. There is also a temple at the end of the main jetty dedicated to the Taoist Sea Deity, Haisen.    Read more

  • Nancy and Doug TripsSE Asia 2024Traveler
    Image food with no colour!1

    Wonderfood Museum

    April 17, 2024 in Malaysia ☁️ 31 °C

    We went to this museum to try to get more insight into what was in the many dishes on hawker and menus in Indonesia and Malaysia which is a fusion of Chinese, South Asian and Malay influences. The Food Wonderland Museum displays "food sculptures/replicas" of all the famous Malaysian dishes and dioramas of street scenes with a touch of historical information on Penang. One of the interesting things was that the typical Malay may eat up to six times a day, with the largest meal at noon. This explained what seemed to be the erratic opening and closing time of restaurants with more snack/smaller items being open early and late and more big meal items such as roast chicken/duck and the fixings being open 10-4 pm. We have struggled as Western tourists with the late breakfast culture (no coffee until 8 at the earliest!) which makes our usual routine of being up and out to make use of the cool part of the day for touring (by cool we mean low 30s!).Read more

  • Nancy and Doug TripsSE Asia 2024Traveler
    Kingfisher feathers

    Peranakan Mansion

    April 17, 2024 in Malaysia ☁️ 28 °C

    The Peranakans (mixture of Chinese and local Malay, also known as the Baba's (Mr) and Nyonya's (Mrs), was a prominent Chinese immigrant community in the "Straits Settlements" (Penang, Malacca and Singapore); hence its other name, the Straits Chinese. Adopting selected ways of the local Malays and later, the colonial British, the Peranakans had created a unique lifestyle and customs which had not only left behind a rich legacy of antiques but its cultural influences like cuisine and language are still evident in Penang today.

    At the Pinang Peranakan Mansion, the typical home of a successful Baba of more than a century ago is recreated to offer a glimpse of their opulent lifestyle and of their many customs and traditions. With over 1,000 pieces of antiques and collectibles of the era on display, this Baba-Nyonya museum is housed in one of Penang's heritage mansions of eclectic Chinese/European design and architecture. Built at the end of the 19th the "Hai Kee Chan" or Sea Remembrance Store had once served as the residence and office of Kapitan Chung Keng Kwee. Though not a Baba himself, his Chinese courtyard house was a typical large Baba home of eclectic style, incorporating Chinese carved-wood panels, an ancestors temple, English floor tiles and imported Scottish ironworks.    Read more

  • Nancy and Doug TripsSE Asia 2024Traveler
    The Ruby Lounge waiting room
    The Ruby Lounge waiting roomKL Sentral stationHotel in KL hates durianPopulation almost 9 million, lots of housing starts, huge complexes!An older complex in Brickfields, Little IndiaContrast old and newTrains hate durian tooPalms along the journeyOff train and on our way to the ferry to Georgetown which is on Penang IslandAt the dock Penang IslandFirst glance at old shophousesLeaving our first hotelOur Penang hotels. Hmmmm ... a theme here.

    Goodbye K-L, Hello Penang

    April 16, 2024 in Malaysia ☁️ 29 °C

    MUSINGS ON KL
    This is a BIG city! Highways dominate, traffic moves well, hardly any motorcycles compared to where we’ve been. The massive apartments and interchanges seem generally aesthetically integrated into the surroundings. It seems true that inhabitants here “don’t walk”. Sidewalks have sudden drop offs or end abruptly. Pedestrian walkways do exist but you won’t always find them on Google! With humidity, the weather was 43 degrees C yesterday; this limits activity for tourist and local alike. With more days, we would have liked to investigate a megacentre, a nearby food street, the highest McDonalds in the world atop KL Tower and take in the evening laser light show at the park. Locals have seemed a bit aloof, perhaps just a reflection of a big city. We note a late breakfast culture and food doesn’t vary much from breakfast to dinner. We've have not taken advantage of "street food" partly because of irregular hours, the challenge of food selection, needing a break from heat, and not wanting to sit on stools. Same stuff is in restaurants, albeit a little more expensive for the A/C.

    We departed on ETS business class train from KL Sentral station, arriving at the Butterworth Station, Penang four hours later. Most noticeable along that way were the many palm oil groves. Palm oil has been used since at least 3,000 BCE and became a commodity for British traders as an industrial lubricant during the Industrial Revolution and in soaps. It is made from the fruit of the palm and further developments in its refinement have made it the most commonly used fat for frying in the world, a major source of calories for many people and the most extensively used fat in processed food due to its stability. There are many controversies - significant ecosystem impacts, indigenous territorial right infringement, exploitation of workers, biofuel vs food conflicts and debate about whether it is a "healthy or unhealthy" fat. After a quick read about palm oil in Wikipedia, Nancy avoided checking to see what type of oil was in the chocolate muffin provided in the snack pack on the train!

    Our booked hotel is just south of the "Old Quarter", but the area is a bit desolate with scrap shops, mechanical shops, lots of old shop houses but no eateries etc. After the first night of no sleep due to a water pump whirring and clunking all night (among other reasons), we did something we have never done and walked away to go to a newer (but more expensive) hotel forfeiting our pre-paid room.    Read more

  • Nancy and Doug TripsSE Asia 2024Traveler

    Muzium Negara

    April 15, 2024 in Malaysia ⛅ 35 °C

    Just across from the Sentral train station, the National Museum (Muzium Negara) built in the style of a Malay palace is an excellent overview of the nation’s history and rich cultural diversity. The recently upgraded galleries present an exciting and innovative approach to exploring the history of Malaysia from prehistoric times to the present. Muzium Negara was officially opened on 31st August 1963. The museum houses four exhibition galleries. Gallery A was superb, covering the geological and biological features and the Stone Age and Prehistoric human development. Gallery B was about the many small Malay kingdoms prior to European colonization. C was about the period of Portuguese, Dutch, British, and Japanese occupation. Finally, Gallery D was a patriotic display of independence and the cultural and political context of modern Malaysia.Read more

  • Nancy and Doug TripsSE Asia 2024Traveler
    11One of The Famous HornbillsThe Parrot Show

    KL Bird Park

    April 15, 2024 in Malaysia ☁️ 30 °C

    We started the day with a Grab back to the “Lake Gardens” which is quite a beautifully landscaped area containing the Botanical Garden, the Islamic Art Museum, the National Mosque, and the KL Bird Park. We arrived just as the Café opened and ordered Nassi Lemak to try: fried anchovies giving a fishy “crunch”, a sambal for spice, a boiled egg, a curried meat side and peanuts. Along with this a fruit platter and an Malaysian omelet which was less than appetizing at it was wok prepared in what seemed like a lot of oil similar to the Vietnamese pancakes we had in the Mekong.

    The park has the largest free-flight walk-through aviary in the world and the 21 acres is covered with a large net. The park has various recreated natural habitats for the different birds. The free-flight aviary has lush rainforest vegetation, and there are other mini-aviaries like the Lovebird Aviary, Brahminy Land, the Waterfall Aviary, an Oriental Birds Aviary, the Flightless Birds section with ostriches, emus and cassowary birds, the world of parrots with 20 species of parrots, the Hornbill Park, and the Flamingo Pond. The bird show in the park amphitheater was quite amusing.

    Other than the domestic turkeys and a couple of ostriches who had both lost a lot of feathers (can be a sign of stress), the birds all seemed in good shape and had adequate room to “stretch their wings”. Overall an enjoyable visit and we had a chance to cool off and have lunch before our 10 minute walk to the National Museum of Malaysia.    Read more

  • Nancy and Doug TripsSE Asia 2024Traveler
    Page from 1330 Mamluk QuranSpecial Exhibit Gallery17th C. Silk & Wool Persian carpetMecca MosqueArchitecture Gallery8th C Quran pageQurans by Royal AteliersThe Damascus RoomEmbroideryWood window screenIznik tiles

    Islamic Arts Museum

    April 14, 2024 in Malaysia ☁️ 33 °C

    Then on to the Islamic Museum of Art. This is the largest museum
    of its kind in South East Asia with artifacts collected from across the Islamic world. The museum galleries include Architecture, Quran and Manuscripts, India, China, Malay, Textile, Jewellery, Arms and armor, Coins, Metal Work, Wood Work and Ceramics. Having seen Moorish architecture and design in the tile work of Portugal and Spain, the impressive Alhambra, it was very interesting to see this exceptional collection of artifacts with excellent English interpretation to go with it. The essentials of Islamic design: Arabic Calligraphy, geometrics, vegetal design and the lack of human figures in the art. We had a bit of a hike back to Sentral Station, then around the corner to Little India. Unfortunately, found one of the worst meals of our trip in our pursuit for some good Indian food; as we were looking at the menu outside a British woman advised it was a good place….so much for advice!
    .    Read more

  • Nancy and Doug TripsSE Asia 2024Traveler
    World's Largest Pewter Beer Mug...Cheers!
    World's Largest Pewter Beer Mug...Cheers!200 Craftspeople Hand make the piecesLove the classic melon tea pot although heavy and expensive $900USD!

    Royal Selangor Pewter

    April 14, 2024 in Malaysia ☁️ 31 °C

    We did a stop for a short English tour of the history, manufacturing Centre and show room of Royal Selangor, one of the world's largest manufacturers of pewter. KL was the site of a large tin mining operation in the 1800s; pewter is 91% tin, 7.5% antimony and 1.5% copper. It was worth the stop and we had a lunch break. This company was founded in 1885 by a Chinese immigrant, Yong Koon and went on to become an industrial giant. There is a guided tour of the factory about tin mining, the nature of pewter and the tools and methods used to turn pewter into products. There is a pewter museum on site with Yong Koon’s original tools and some of his personal items and pewter pieces he made himself. Outside is the world’s largest pewter tankard.Read more

  • Nancy and Doug TripsSE Asia 2024Traveler

    Batu Caves

    April 14, 2024 in Malaysia ☁️ 28 °C

    One of the big “must see” sites here is Batu Caves, a karst limestone mountain with caves developed into a Hindu temple complex, the largest outside of India. We caught a train from KL Sentral station which is a huge transportation hub travelling 13km north. These caves date back 400 million years and were originally used as primitive homes for the indigenous Temuan people. At the base of the hill is a huge 42.7 meter high golden statue of the Hindu god Lord Murugan, then a long climb up 272 stairs to the caves. One must be aware of the long tailed macaque monkeys as you get to the top and avoid stepping on a tail! There are three main caves used as temples and shrines, plus a labyrinth of smaller caves and tunnels. The main caves are 400 meters long and 100 meters high. The largest cave is called Temple Cave or Cathedral Cave and is lit by holes in the ceiling, letting in natural light. Once inside, you need to take off your shoes before going into the temple. There were many more Hindu followers than tourists there and aside from receiving a blessing, they were enjoying a meal (eating with the hands is customary) sitting in groups on the floor. After making our way back down, we had a drink inside one of the Indian restaurants. We debated whether to go in the Ramayana Cave with its 15 meter tall statue of the Hindu monkey god Hanuman outside. We decided to change themes for the afternoon.Read more

  • Nancy and Doug TripsSE Asia 2024Traveler

    Jamek Mosque

    April 13, 2024 in Malaysia ⛅ 32 °C

    After our sugar break, we went back to this Mosque where we were warmly encouraged to visit by a “greeter” who told us his brother studied in Ottawa. Nancy was escorted to wear a full covering sarong with an attached head covering. One wonders how the Muslim women we see tolerate the heat with the hijab plus often two layers of clothing on the upper body. A pleasant man oriented us with a chart of "Who’s Who" in Islamic thought. An interesting experience and between Yogyakarta and KL Nancy is getting acclimatized to seeing a lot of women who are Muslim, of course with the men aside from the hat, you really can’t tell, they are usually dressed Western style.

    The Jamek Mosque or Masjid Jamek stands where the Sungei Klang and Sungei Gombak rivers meet; it is also where Kuala Lumpur history began. It was here that the original settlers built their huts before trekking into the jungle to mine for tin. The mosque was constructed in 1907 and opened in 1909 by Sultan of Selangor; it is one of the city’s oldest mosques. The mosque was designed by Arthur Benison Hubback and paid for by contributions from the Malaysian community and government funding. The mosque has three domes with the central dome reaching a height of 21.3 meters and the two flanking domes slightly lower. Two red and white minarets stand at the corners of the building, each reaching 27 meters high. The red brick and marble of the exterior was inspired by the architecture of northern India. Inside the mosque has Moorish features, including a colonnade supporting elegant pointed arches. It was the city’s primary mosque until 1965 when the National Mosque was built.    Read more

  • Nancy and Doug TripsSE Asia 2024Traveler

    Chinatown

    April 13, 2024 in Malaysia ⛅ 28 °C

    Petaling Street is the historical shopping area in Kuala Lumpur’s China Town and is now covered by a rooftop; not sure if these are heritage protected buildings but suspect so. We arrived and things were just opening up. During the day, the stores and stalls sell their wares and at night is one of the city’s night markets. The Chinese first arrived in Malaysia (then called Malaya or Tanah Melayu) as workers in the tin mines. Mining stopped during the Selangor Civil War, and the Chinese returned after the war only to find the mines flooded. An influential Chinese businessman, Yap Ah Loy, wanted to encourage the Chinese to stay on in Malaysia, so he set up a tapioca mill on Petaling Street and employed many Chinese to produce the starchy staple. The Chinese community settled in the surrounding areas and more Chinese stores and businesses opened, forming Kuala Lumpur’s China Town.Read more

  • Nancy and Doug TripsSE Asia 2024Traveler
    The Two Deities

    Sin Sze Si Ya Temple

    April 13, 2024 in Malaysia ⛅ 27 °C

    Next on Doug's list was the oldest Taoist temple in the city constructed in 1864, thanks to Kapitan Yap Ah Loy.
    Yap Ah Loy (1837-1885), was a prominent Chinese businessman and founding father of Kuala Lumpur. He dedicated the temple to Kapitan Shin Kap, whom he had served under in the Sungei Ujong conflict of 1859. Shin was killed in the battle and hailed as a saint as his body bled white blood rather than red. He became the deity and guardian of Chinese miners in Malaya. It is said that during the civil war, Shin appeared to Yap Ah Loy and gave him useful advice. The second temple deity is said to be Yap Ah Loy’s faithful chief general from the civil war, Chong Piang. The temple is unique in being dedicated to two deities who were actually people and also foreigners. Their deity status is based on merit. Today, the site is used as a place of worship, community, and cultural center for the city’s Chinese community. The temple has intricate carved decoration and bright colors.Read more

  • Nancy and Doug TripsSE Asia 2024Traveler

    Sri Mahamariamman Temple

    April 13, 2024 in Malaysia ⛅ 27 °C

    We got an early start, but found out that KL is a late start coffee and breakfast culture. Headed to the Chinatown area where this colorful Hindu temple is located and apparently is quite typical of such temples in Sri Lanka.
    Kuala Lumpur’s oldest Hindu temple was founded in 1873 and was rebuilt in 1968, but the Raja Gopuram from the original structure was preserved and is the main attraction of this temple. The Raja Gopuram is a tower of sculptures in bright colors positioned above the entrance of the temple. The Sri Mahamariamman Temple. Raja Gopuram is in the style of Hindu temples in Southern India. The temple was originally a private shrine for the founder K. Thamboosamy Pillai and his family, but in 1920, it was opened to the general public. The temple Raja Gopuram stands 22.9 meters high in a pyramid shape with five tiers of sculptures of Hindu deities. The sculptor, S.T. Muniappa created 228 individual figures for the tower, which is painted in bright colors. The main prayer hall has a beautifully decorated ceiling and the temples three main shrines. The temple complex holds other shrines, and at the back of the temple is the inner sanctuary or garbagraham where the chief deity is kept. Mariamman is a female goddess of travel to foreign lands, and she is an incarnation of Mother Earth. She is mostly worshiped by Tamils.    Read more

  • Nancy and Doug TripsSE Asia 2024Traveler
    Yes, even Paul's from Paris had a spot at this mega food courtIce Fruit

    KL

    April 12, 2024 in Malaysia ☁️ 32 °C

    We took a relaxing 40 minute train trip to the airport, the city's crowded homes with their corrugated metal roofs and laundry hanging on fencing bordering the track giving way to more spacious country homes surrounded by lots of agricultural land. A tennis court, small onion topped mosques in villages flickered away. We had a smooth trip on AirAsia with lots of room and an early arrival. Pickup went well, and we had an easy ride in on a six lane, never crowded toll road with very few motorcycles. Nancy felt like she had landed back in the Western world. We checked into the Melia Hotel Kuala Lampur in the tourist area called Bukit Bintang. We decided to walk to the Vertigo Skybar on the 59th floor of the nearby Banyan Hotel to catch cocktails and views of the Petronas Towers at sunset. We then walked through an incredibly extensive food court at the Pavillion Shopping Centre. They have absolutely every food one can imagine (KFC, Tony Romas, Coldstone Creamery were there too as well as many local outlets!). We settled on sharing something called ice fruit: fresh fruit and lychee jello on ice with sweet condensed milk poured on top - very refreshing. It was very busy and a young couple from Kuantan, Pahang area who were in K-L on their honeymoon invited us to join them.Read more

  • Nancy and Doug TripsSE Asia 2024Traveler

    Ramayana Ballet

    April 11, 2024 in Indonesia ☁️ 26 °C

    We finished the day with a buffet dinner overlooking the temple, then the Ramayana Ballet, outdoors with the temples lit in the background.

    Our guide had given us a good synopsis of the Ramayana, the ancient epic containing 24,000 verses. Basically, a Romeo and Juliet love story with a happy ending. Rama, is one of the most widely worshipped Hindu deities, virtuous and the 7th incarnation of Vishnu, (the Hindu God of Protection). The Ballet was actually quite fast moving with the most spectacular part being the burning of huts on the stage with sparks and embers flying through the air….never to be seen in Kelowna!

    MUSINGS ON YOGYKARTA AND INDONESIA
    We would not suggest coming to a prominently Muslin area at the very end of Ramadan and expecting that tourist sites will be open. We did enjoy the fact that the Kesatriyan Jogya Guesthouse was in a local neighborhood but it ended up quite far from any eateries that were open. We both recognized we are getting weary of rice and are tiring of the sweet spicy flavors' of Indonesian cooking finding a preference for Vietnamese although also finding ourselves not too keen on noodles and Pho first thing in the morning. We seem to have reached a point where you do crave a bit of the West.....on to our next destination.    Read more

  • Nancy and Doug TripsSE Asia 2024Traveler
    Shiva Bull StupaBrahma Swan templeVishnu rides the Eagle

    Prambanan Temple

    April 11, 2024 in Indonesia ☁️ 28 °C

    The "Big Two" ancient attractions in Jogja are Borobudur (the largest Buddhist complex in the world and 40 km from center) and Prambanan (the 2nd largest Hindu temple in the world after Ankor and 17 km from center). We had pre-booked a package from Sunrise Tours for this Hindu temple with car, admission, guide, dinner, and the ballet.

    The sun was waning with threats of thunderstorms so the temperature was quite pleasant and Prambanan is surrounded by city parkland; a very different setting than Angkor. Our guide was very good, telling us it took 100 years to rebuilt the temples that once were a collection of over 200 built about 1000 CE and abandoned by the Javanese Hindus after only 150 years of occupation when an earthquake toppled the temples. They eventually moved to Bali after Islam gained a hold on Java. The temples were reconstructed by identifying the blocks “lock and key” over a period of 100 years with no more than a maximum of 25% of new building materials (according to UNESCO world heritage site rules). Just as in Rome, local people had carted off many of the original stones to reuse and our guide said he knows that some were used in the foundation of his house by his grandparents when they built; thus further reconstructions are not really feasible.    Read more

  • Nancy and Doug TripsSE Asia 2024Traveler

    Wahanarata Museum (Royal Carriages)

    April 11, 2024 in Indonesia ☁️ 30 °C

    On our last day, we did find a laundry, enjoyed a nice coffee and a warm bun filled with a cheese filling at a local café which had opened. A crowd had gathered at the palace gates to watch the procession from the palace to the mosque; vendors were selling meatball soup for breakfast and drinks iced down in coolers. We took a ojek (motorcycle taxi) to the center hoping that the museums would now be open. Once again, all the attractions in the Royal Palace were closed, so we watched the parade into and then out of the palace, then went to the Royal Carriage Museum. We have often been to cities with similar museums (or royal barges in Bangkok) but have never made a carriage museum a priority. 😀Read more

  • Nancy and Doug TripsSE Asia 2024Traveler
    Fine dining during the holiday closings

    Yogyakarta Walks

    April 10, 2024 in Indonesia ☁️ 28 °C

    We ended up walking around the local neighborhood alleys as well as the festive Malioboro street. Our hotel is located off the main drag and a maze of small roads of local one story homes adjoin each other with variable but small spaces for front yards where cars and motorcycles were kept. People do not have much privacy from their neighbor but there seemed a lot of interaction between the locals. We woke up at 0430 hrs to prayer chants would hear them again at 1200, about 1600 hrs and then again after sundown. Wherever there was toilet there was a nearby "Mushola" or praying room, even in a franchised restaurant and at the airport. We ordered breakfast once through the hotel and were given a box containing the signature dish of Yogyakarta "Grudeg" - white rice, a boiled egg which was brown due to soaking in spices, stewed jackfruit and a bit of meat. We noted that due to the climate most foods are either boiled and served into a bowl (Bakso), stir fried or deep fried, typically on a wok over a charcoal containing clay pot. As cafes were closed we picked up snacks for lunch. We have been surprised here that there have been no fruit/vegetable vendors and snacks in general are fried or (to our taste and label reading) contain excessive sugar/palm oils/ and additives such as MSG even in nuts. Quite a change from the Westin!Read more

  • Nancy and Doug TripsSE Asia 2024Traveler
    Demonstrating the batik process
    Demonstrating the batik processOur friendly salesman with a different print.

    Batik (?) Art Store

    April 9, 2024 in Indonesia ☁️ 30 °C

    The next day, the small coffee shops near our accommodation were closed as it was the Hari Rya Idul Fitri public holiday; it marks the last day of month long Ramadan (Eid) and merges into Leberan, a holiday time where people return to visit family and stores/venues are closed. In retrospect we should not have been surprised that the the shut down would be as complete as we were in the process of finding out (90% of the population is Muslin). Our local coffee shops were closed, we headed down to the Malioboro Road and finally found a coffee shop and had a coffee and a packaged “roti” expiry date the end of April! Basically a white bun filled with a sweet paste. The Fort Vederberg Museum where we to meet our Withlocals.com guide was closed for renovation until May and he did not show up despite our pre payment and confirmation. So, we headed over the the Kraton and again, it was closed. We were referred to a batik art centre. We did buy a piece but subsequently whenever we met almost any friendly local who wanted to chat that conversation would begin with “where are you from” and end with directions to the batik centre! Doug doubts it is hand-made batik as it is hard to tell from modern ink jet prints. Christie's has been fooled by fake Rembrandts, so what chance do we have? Anyway, it is pretty and we supported the local economy a bit and as far as batik, "been there done that".Read more

  • Nancy and Doug TripsSE Asia 2024Traveler
    Kesatriyan Jogya Guest House
    Kesatriyan Jogya Guest HouseOpen air lobby at the guesthouseThe entrance to "our" streetOne of the short cuts home

    Arrived in Yogyakarta (aka Jogja)

    April 8, 2024 in Indonesia ☁️ 31 °C

    An on-time flight via cheap & cheerful no service LionAir to YIA. As we flew into the airport we could see both the ocean and the mountains of Java. Another lovely new airport. All these airports built in the last two years (Siem Reap, Hue, Bali, and Yogyakarta) have a lot of capacity for tourism that is still at 70% of pre pandemic numbers.

    Doug had tried to buy advance train tickets into the city as reports were it often sold out, but only local credit cards were accepted on the website. Sure enough, the next two trains were full, so we took a taxi (300 Rupiah $25 instead of 40 Rupiah and 90 minutes instead of 40). Picturesque agricultural areas quickly gave way to this city of 4 million which and the first time we saw a lot of graffiti. Our accommodation is located in a local “neighborhood” looking onto the walls of the “Kraton Palace”, home of the Sultan (King) as Java still has an active monarchy who lives there. Touristy Malioboro Road connects the train station to the Kraton and we were to find that it was 30 minutes to walk from one to the other. We noted people lining up buffet style at local open air food stalls. We picked one with better air circulation and picnic tables rather than eating on mats; this local dining style unique to Yogyakarta is called lesehan. You line up and select from the array of dishes and pay at he end by the number of spoonfuls on your plate. Under $5 CAD for two.    Read more

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    Leaving Bali

    April 8, 2024 in Indonesia ☁️ 30 °C

    MUSINGS ON UBUD

    Ubud is a great tourist destination, but Bali's infrastructure is straining under the tourist load, most obviously seen in the narrow roads, which are busy and backed up, The island is large and varied and we did not have enough time to explore it beyond our immediate vicinity, and of course we prefer cultural experiences more than the beach, so can't comment on that aspect. We were happy though, that the time we had was spent enjoying the 5* resort with its spectacular breakfast buffet and pool. Doing the Bird Walk and Spa with local Balinese folks gave us a taste of both resort life and local life just off the roads. Everyone we met was welcoming and gracious and the lady that took Doug's laundry assignment even refused a "tip" rounding up the change which was well deserved as she was doing .5 kg for free (laundry service is paid by the kg everywhere; there are no do it yourself laundries and the Westin is the first with a drying rack if you have space in your bathroom to do washing which often is not the case.

    On to our next destination.....    Read more

  • Nancy and Doug TripsSE Asia 2024Traveler
    Gamelan orchestra
    Gamelan orchestraPuspa Wresti "offering Dance"Topeng Keras "Red Mask" danceLegong KratonKebyar DudukKupu-Kupu Tarum "Buterfly" DanceOleg Tambulilingan "Love" danceJauk "demon" dancePuspa Wresti "Offering" Dance

    Ubud Palace Legong Dance

    April 6, 2024 in Indonesia ☁️ 27 °C

    Legong Dance probably originated in the 19th century as royal entertainment. Legend has it that a prince of Sukawati fell ill and had a vivid dream in which two maidens danced to gamelan music. When he recovered, he arranged for such dances to be performed. Girls from the age of five are selected to represent the community as Legong dancers and Su had told us that they are reasonably paid as performers. Locals refer to the Legong Dance by its complete designation - ‘Legong Kraton’ - which loosely translates as the ‘dance of the royal palace’. We attended this show near the Royal Palace, a landmark in Ubud Central, which is open to the public. The gamelan orchestra consisted of at 20 men and the music was "shimmery" as was the dance; very professional in both costuming and choreography and the ticket was only cost 100,000 IDR per person (less than $10 CDN). If you are in Bali, don't miss this!Read more

  • Nancy and Doug TripsSE Asia 2024Traveler
    1Waiting area1

    Tamarind Spa

    April 6, 2024 in Indonesia ☁️ 33 °C

    In the afternoon we took the hotel's shuttle back into Ubud to go to the Tamarind Spa for our mid-trip "tune up". What is interesting is that the Murni's Houses for tourists and Tamarind Spa was formerly the family's compound. It is typical of walled compounds we saw from the road during our travels. Traditionally, an extended family lives here with some houses, row houses and shared kitchen, living and temple area. Today it is a lovely tranquil setting for a spa.

    Doug had a pedicure and loved it; Nancy had a Balinese spice scrub, hair cream treatment (suffering after no conditioner at any hotel for a month!) and a manicure/pedicure. Cost was about $75 CDN for everything and care and sanitation was as good if not better than at home.

    While Nancy's treatment continued, Doug went back into the town centre for a haircut at a local barber shop and after that we met in the restaurant located above the shop and we had a very good Greek charcoal grilled dish called Kontosouvli before heading to a dance show

    We arrived in plenty of time for the Legong Dance show which we had purchased that afternoon. The seating area was almost sold out for the performance.    Read more

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