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November 2023
  • Tui Snider
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nov. 2023 – sep. 2025

November 2023

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    Tui SniderNovember 2023Reiziger

    Shark crocodile

    29 november 2023, Indonesië ⋅ ☁️ 91 °F

    Today we visited Surabaya. The city gets its name from Javanese words for “shark” (sura) and “crocodile (baya.)

    According to legend, the two were apex predator besties, but after quarreling over food, they decided to divide their domains: the shark got the ocean and the croc was supposed to stay on land.

    This is why visitors to Surabaya will notice shark and crocodile themed murals, signs, and manhole covers all over town.

    I didn’t realize Indonesia was home to crocodiles, but the country falls on the western side of the infamous Wallace Line, which is an imaginary border used to mark the difference in species between Australia and Papua New Guinea and Southeast Asia.

    Ever wondered why so many animals in Australia are venomous, for instance, while New Zealand has none? The Wallace Line runs between them.

    Indonesia’s saltwater crocodiles were driven close to extinction by the mid-20th century, but they are making a comeback.

    As part of our taxi tour today, we visited Surabaya’s monument to Indonesian independence, which they gained on November 10, 1945.    Meer informatie

    Zie vertaling
  • Tui SniderNovember 2023Reiziger

    Surabaya Cemeteries

    29 november 2023, Indonesië ⋅ ☁️ 90 °F

    Today’s sighting of a “Monteverde Angel” in Surabaya, Indonesia is the most far-flung example of this famous statue I have personally come across!

    The original “Angel of Resurrection”sculpted by Giulio Monteverde resides in Italy, but copies of it can be found all over the world.

    Not only have I seen the original in Genoa, but I’ve come across replicas of the Monteverde Angel in France, Portugal, England, and even Galveston, Texas.

    Unfortunately, I could only take photos of this Indonesian replica through our car window. According to our cab driver, the cemetery was too dangerous for us to walk around.

    “No stopping. Sorry, sorry,” he apologized. “Not safe. Criminals living here. Poor people living here. Not safe for you. Not safe for me,” he added with a laugh.

    As a compromise, he drove slowly through the cemetery. There wasn’t much choice, really. The dirt road was so uneven and pitted that a quick drive was not possible.

    I’ve read about impoverished people creating enclaves in cemeteries in Africa, the Philippines, and Chile.
    Even in the USA, I occasionally stumble onto evidence of solitary campers in burial grounds. But this was the first time I’d seen an obvious settlement in a cemetery.

    In some places, blue tarps were strewn between cement monuments to create makeshift tents. I caught a glimpse of cooking pots and an open flame. Perhaps someone was making lunch?

    The only reason our cabbie took us through the cemetery was because it led to the entrance of the Dutch military cemetery.

    For the most part, I just didn’t feel comfortable taking photos, although I did snap a pic as a woman approached our car.

    We’d just reached the gate of the Dutch military cemetery. Our cabbie rolled down his window and after a brief exchange, he slipped her some money and she opened the gate. (We reimbursed him, of course, and also gave him a nice tip. He was a good cabbie.)

    The photos here of white wooden markers are from the Dutch military cemetery. A sign by the entrance explained what the different shapes meant.

    Unlike the public cemetery, I seemed to be the only visitor. Even so, I felt uneasy, as if I were being watched. It was sweltering, too, so not exactly the nicest day to be out in the hot equatorial sun.

    Eventually, a groundskeeper approached and asked me to sign the guest book before I left.

    The other photos here are a few I snapped in the nearby public burial ground.    Meer informatie

    Zie vertaling
  • Tui SniderNovember 2023Reiziger

    Surubaya Welcome

    29 november 2023, Indonesië ⋅ ⛅ 86 °F

    We were welcomed to the port of Surabaya bay the Singo Mangku Joyo song and dance troupe. I’ve included a video so you can see them in action and hear a snippet of the gamelan music they played.

    Zie vertaling
  • Tui SniderNovember 2023Reiziger

    Jakarta

    27 november 2023, Indonesië ⋅ 🌧 86 °F

    Many crew members are Indonesian, so our ship welcomed hundreds of visitors during our stop in Jakarta. Our captain took time to pose for photos with family members at the dock.

    Although Jakarta has a hop on hop off bus, we were warned not to bother taking it because traffic is so bad that passengers end up sitting in one place for much of the ride.

    Lar and I opted for the free shuttle into town where we found a little coffee shop. I ordered a “Kopi Limbat” which turned out to be an iced espresso topped with a fresh squeezed orange.

    Sounds awful, but it was refreshing! I look forward to adding this to my repertoire back home.

    Turns out “Kopi Limbat” simply means “sky coffee” and isn’t a particularly Indonesian thing.    Meer informatie

    Zie vertaling
  • Tui SniderNovember 2023Reiziger

    Bangkok Grand Palace

    22 november 2023, Thailand ⋅ ☁️ 91 °F

    Bangkok’s Grand Palace is a large complex of buildings. From 1782 through 1925, the king and his coterie lived on these grounds.

    Today, the Grand Palace hosts royal ceremonies, foreign dignitaries, and guests of the king.

    Even with our guide leading us through the grounds at a fair clip, it took us two and a half hours to wander through it all.

    There are at least two temples where we were required to remove our shoes. One of them had separate shoe racks for “Thai people” and “Foreigners.” Few guests read the signs, however, so there was much commingling of native and foreign shoes. Gasp!    Meer informatie

    Zie vertaling
  • Tui SniderNovember 2023Reiziger
    1

    Bangkok Flower Market

    22 november 2023, Thailand ⋅ ☀️ 90 °F

    Bangkok’s flower market was another colorful place to explore. Even when we’re back home in Texas, Larry and I enjoy our local open air market, which has a Hispanic vibe, to buy local produce.

    Here in Bangkok, it’s fun to see fruits and vegetables that we don’t get in the USA. So when I saw an umbrella touting Washington State apples, I burst out laughing!

    When an Australian couple asked what was so funny, I explained that I grew up in Washington State. I certainly didn’t expect to see fruit from my home state half a country away.    Meer informatie

    Zie vertaling
  • Tui SniderNovember 2023Reiziger

    Bangkok Chinatown

    22 november 2023, Thailand ⋅ ☀️ 88 °F

    I enjoyed our walk through Bangkok’s Chinatown. It was a cacophony of sights, sounds, and smells as we trotted behind our guide.

    Several restaurants sell bird’s nest soup, which is considered a delicacy around here. Although illegal in the USA, from what I’ve been told the collection of bird’s nests in Thailand is regulated and sustainable. I sure hope so.

    Shark’s fin soup is also for sale here, and that made me quite sad to see. Sharks may be scary, but they are an important part of the ecosystem. Killing them for their fins should be illegal worldwide, in my opinion.

    I also saw a little sidewalk vendor selling marijuana, which isn’t legal even in Thailand.

    I included a pic of a 7 Eleven, because this convenience store is a big deal everywhere in Asia, it seems.    Meer informatie

    Zie vertaling
  • Tui SniderNovember 2023Reiziger

    Bangkok first temple

    22 november 2023, Thailand ⋅ ☀️ 88 °F

    I don’t know much about this Buddhist temple in Bangkok, alas.

    Our guide seemed like a nice enough fellow, but his English needs polishing. I’m pretty good with accents, and I don’t mind grammatical errors, but he was nearly unintelligible. Because of this, most people gave up on listening to him and would just talk over him, which made it even more challenging to glean info.

    I liked the monkey and elephant bowing at the feet of Buddha, but will have to find out the story about it another time!    Meer informatie

    Zie vertaling
  • Tui SniderNovember 2023Reiziger

    Bangkok

    22 november 2023, Thailand ⋅ ⛅ 79 °F

    Here are some random signs and sightings from our time in Bangkok.

    On our way through customs, I noticed a sign banning sex. First time I’ve seen such a ban, but I understand the reason behind it.

    I wasn’t surprised to see signs banning skimpy clothes at the temples, but this was the first time I’d ever seen signage chiding people for using Buddha for decorations and tattoos.

    And see that billboard? Not only were there a lot of them in Bangkok, but they were super sized, maybe four times the size I’m used to seeing in the USA. (Once again, Terry Gilliam’s movie “Brazil” comes to mind.)

    As we hurtled down the road, Larry goes, “Thailand must be more prosperous than Vietnam. I didn’t see a single billboard there.”

    I’d never thought of billboards as a sign of prosperity, but there you go.

    The “Bruce is loose” movie poster was part of a wall collage we passed by in Bangkok’s cramped and hectic Chinatown, and the sign banning durian was seen in the subway. Durian is a notoriously stinky fruit. I tried to eat it once…    Meer informatie

    Zie vertaling
  • Tui SniderNovember 2023Reiziger

    Hammock Cafes

    20 november 2023, Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 86 °F

    One thing that surprised me on our drive to Ho Chi Minh City was all the hammock cafes.

    Travelers can stop at hammock cafes for a rest during long journeys, or even spend the night for much less than a traditional hotel.

    I’d never heard of hammock cafes before, had you?    Meer informatie

    Zie vertaling
  • Tui SniderNovember 2023Reiziger

    Phu My to Saigon

    20 november 2023, Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 88 °F

    Phu My once, shame on you, Phu My twice, shame on me… (Couldn’t resist the pun.)

    The bus ride from the port of Phu My to Ho Chi Minch City (formerly Saigon) was nearly 3 hours long, but there was lots to see along the way.

    For starters, I noticed that the license plate on our bus had a little holder for burning incense.

    I was expecting a drive along a highway flanked by agriculture. Instead, the road passed by little towns for much of the way.

    In case you’re wondering, “be thui” is Vietnamese for “veal,” and “bo sua” means “dairy.” I wondered what all those cow statues were about. They are simply letting you know you can buy milk there.    Meer informatie

    Zie vertaling
  • Tui SniderNovember 2023Reiziger

    Saigon Street Vendors

    20 november 2023, Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 90 °F

    From a distance skyscrapers dominate the skyline, and Ho Chi Minh City looks like any other metropolis.

    Once there, skyscrapers fade into the background as street-life takes center stage.

    Not only do brick and mortar eateries offer sidewalk seating, but vendors of all sort set up shop there, too.

    So rather than looking up, you must keep your eyes down while weaving through a maze of people. Everywhere you go, there are vendors, customers seated on tiny stools, and clusters of empty stools. Every sidewalk is an obstacle course.

    I was amazed by the amount of items vendors heft around. They must be in amazing shape.

    And when it’s time to do dishes, they wash them right on the sidewalk. If you look closely, you can even see a sponge sitting right on the cement.

    Big cities tend to overwhelm me, but I really enjoyed Ho Chi Minh City. (The shady book vendor’s street and the tasty Vietnamese coffee probably helped.)    Meer informatie

    Zie vertaling
  • Tui SniderNovember 2023Reiziger

    Saigon Market

    20 november 2023, Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 90 °F

    We strolled through a hectic market in Ho Chi Minch City which catered to tourists and locals alike.

    “Pho” is pronounced “fuh” so there were some punny t shirts on display.

    I got a kick out of the kitty hanging out by the fish display. I saw another one getting handouts from a storekeeper who was eating her lunch.

    I also saw some animal goods: butterflies, bats, centipedes, and so forth mounted in displays, as well as a variety of alcoholic drinks that featured scorpions, geckoes, snakes, and even seahorses preserved inside.

    Yikes! I know seahorses are endangered in some areas, but I’m not sure about the other animals I saw.    Meer informatie

    Zie vertaling
  • Tui SniderNovember 2023Reiziger

    Ho Chi Minh City Post Office

    20 november 2023, Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 88 °F

    That Gustav Eiffel and his ironwork sure gets around. Not only did he design the Eiffel Tower, but we saw a cathedral he designed in Arica, Chile and today in Vietnam we saw a cool post office he designed.

    It was hectic in there, but I was glad to see that not only did they sell posts cards, but they provided seating where you could write your missives.

    Coolie hats are everywhere in Vietnam. Sure, they are a tourist item, but not only do locals where them, but they quite often use them as baskets, and in this case, as lampshades.

    As much as I adore hats, I did not buy one. Not sure how that happened. I’m just as surprised as you!    Meer informatie

    Zie vertaling
  • Tui SniderNovember 2023Reiziger
    1

    Walking in Ho Chi Minh City

    20 november 2023, Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 88 °F

    It was hot and humid in Ho Cho Minh City, so we chose the shady side of the street when possible while traipsing to the local cathedral, which it turns out, was completely enshrouded by scaffolding and closed to the public.

    Win some, lose some!

    Besides, the city itself is an attraction and we enjoyed the sights along our stroll.

    One thing that surprised me was how bundled up most locals were. Despite the heat, many wore zippered hoodies. Long sleeves and pants were the norm.

    The woman squatting beside her dressed up dog is par for the norm around here.

    We passed an apartment building that had balconies covered in signage. Can you imagine living there? At night your porch is likely bathed in neon light.    Meer informatie

    Zie vertaling
  • Tui SniderNovember 2023Reiziger

    So Many Scooters

    20 november 2023, Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 86 °F

    Even though Thailand holds the record for most motorbikes per capita, the family car in South Vietnam certainly appears to be a scooter.

    The variety of items people manage to carry on these scooters is impressive.

    I’m was also fascinated by the equivalent of UPS packages being delivered via scooter, and I wonder what happens when you have to leave work early, but your bike is buried deep in its parking slot?    Meer informatie

    Zie vertaling
  • Tui SniderNovember 2023Reiziger

    Vietnamese Coffee

    20 november 2023, Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 86 °F

    My first job as an adult was as a receptionist in Seattle’s Chinatown. It was there I first tried (and fell in love with) Vietnamese coffee.

    Needless to say, I was excited to try a bona fide cup on my first ever trip to Vietnam.

    After a lengthy bus ride from the port to Ho Chi Minh City, we needed a bathroom, so we popped into a McDonald’s and had our first cup of Ca Phe Sua Da.

    McDonald’s food isn’t winning any Michelin stars, but one thing I’ve learned in my world travels is that they make excellent coffee drinks.

    If you’ve never had traditional Vietnamese coffee, it’s a densely brewed robusta mixed with sweetened condensed milk. From there you can add your choice of ice or hot water.

    In my Chinatown days, the restaurant would bring the coffee to your table in a set up like you see in the first photo: a nice layer of sweetened condense milk on the bottom with a “phin” on the cup slowly dripping black coffee on top. (And for some reason, all the phins in Seattle’s Chinatown had Woody Woodpecker etched on top.)

    I used to order a Vietnamese coffee on my way to take the deposit to the bank. On my return to the office, I’d pop into the restaurant and enjoy my tasty treat. Ah, such fond memories!

    In Vietnam, they bring the coffee out to you already mixed. As you can see, people sit on tiny stools. Everywhere we walked, we’d thread our way through clusters of people enjoying coffee and chatting.

    Later in the day, we stopped at a cafe called Say Coffee. I wanted to sit on the little stools, but by then we really needed to bask in some air conditioning.

    Larry had another tasty Ca Phe Sua Da, but I opted for a new to me beverage,
    Ca Phe Trung, which is coffee with an egg yolk in it.

    Milk shortages in the 1940s inspired bartender named Nguyen Van Giang to whisk an egg yolk onto milk as a way to stretch supplies. This created a taste sensation that is still enjoyed today.

    While I found it tasty, Ca Phe Sua Da remains my favorite. In fact, I could go for a cup right now…    Meer informatie

    Zie vertaling
  • Tui SniderNovember 2023Reiziger
    1

    Borneo Sunset

    18 november 2023, Maleisië ⋅ ☁️ 82 °F

    Sunrise and sunset at sea is always a beautiful sight, but sometimes Mother Nature outdoes herself. Such was the case as we bade farewell to the isle of Borneo.

    Zie vertaling
  • Tui SniderNovember 2023Reiziger

    Monuments to the Childless

    18 november 2023, Maleisië ⋅ 🌧 84 °F

    When a Kadazan couple died without having children, a wooden monument like this was placed on their land. With no children to pass the land to, their nearest kin could see this monument (aka sininggazonak) and use it to claim the property as their own.

    It was also forbidden for Kadazan women to claim property and belongings of their husband after his death.

    The Sininggazonak monuments are long lasting because they are made from a jungle hardwood. The one shown here dates to 1965. It seems to be a symbol of the Sabah Muzium.    Meer informatie

    Zie vertaling
  • Tui SniderNovember 2023Reiziger

    Borneo Headhunters

    18 november 2023, Maleisië ⋅ 🌧 84 °F

    One of the bamboo houses at the Heritage Village is nicknamed “the Skull Hut,” and with good reason!

    The Kadazandusun tribe of Borneo used to be headhunters. They would hang a collection of skulls (often embellished with seashells and animal bones) from the rafters of their houses.

    These skull collections, aka bangkavans, would be handed down through generations. So even though headhunting stopped over 100 years ago, many bangkavans still exist.

    The Kadazandusun people believe these skulls bring good fortune to those who own them. When owned by a family, bangkavan bring good fortune to the household. When kept in a communal building these skulls protect villagers from illness and bad luck.

    The Sabah Muzium, therefore, invited tribal people to perform a special ceremony called a “Mensilad” when they installed the skull exhibit here.

    And as Gwenda told us, “Every few years, they must have another ceremony. Otherwise, skulls create mischief. We don’t need their mischief.”    Meer informatie

    Zie vertaling
  • Tui SniderNovember 2023Reiziger

    Muzium Sabah

    18 november 2023, Maleisië ⋅ 🌧 84 °F

    The Heritage Village is connected to a traditional indoor museum which features a large collection of tribal wedding outfits. They even dress the horse from head to tail.

    I was intrigued by an exhibit of tribal musical instruments, although seeing a, “Please try me!” sign on a nose flute, gave me a chuckle.Meer informatie

    Zie vertaling
  • Tui SniderNovember 2023Reiziger

    Borneo’s Bamboo Huts

    18 november 2023, Maleisië ⋅ 🌧 84 °F

    Kota Kinabalu’s Heritage Village gives visitors the chance to wander through bamboo huts which are replicas of actual tribal housing.

    Gwenda told us Borneo is home to 47 different ethnic groups, so there were similarities and differences.

    The first house pictured here is an example from the Rungus people. They are a farming tribe who live together in longhouses. There’s a long hallway off and share area with separate rooms for each family. They build these longhouses near water, and they farm tapioca, maize, and “hill paddy,” (although I’m not sure what that is.)

    To get in and out, there are stairs made by carving notches into a single tree trunk. They were easier to use than I expected, even in the slippery rain.

    Do you see the house with the tree house? That’s where unmarried daughters of the Bonggi tribe sleep. Like the Rungus, they do some farming, but they also fish.

    The Kadazandusun also have a separate sleeping area for unmarried daughters. Rather than a treehouse, however, they have a loft inside. After going to bed, the ladder is taken away. If the girls need to get up at night, they call out for their parents to bring the ladder back.

    The last replica house we visited was for the Murut tribe, who used to be headhunters. Our guide had a thick accent, so when I heard Gwenda say, “Now we go see the headhunter’s trampoline,” I was sure I’d misheard her.

    But no! It’s true. To celebrate their conquests, headhunters would jump on trampolines like the one you see here.

    What a surprise!    Meer informatie

    Zie vertaling
  • Tui SniderNovember 2023Reiziger

    Kota Kinabalu City

    18 november 2023, Maleisië ⋅ ☁️ 86 °F

    I didn’t realize that Borneo is the 3rd largest island in the world. Not only that, but it’s host to 3 different countries: Brunei, Indonesia, and Malaysia.

    Today we visited Kota Kinabalu, which is a city in the Sabah state of Malaysia. Our guide, Gwenda, spoke in broken English, but it didn’t take long to get used to her cadence.

    The tour started with a drive through the city, stopping at two mosques and a market along the way.

    We’ve visited open air markets all over the world. This one wins for having the narrowest aisles. They were just wide enough for person to walk through. I had to pu my purse in front of me to keep from knocking things over.

    We spoke to two sweet ladies in the market. They were happy to pose for pictures with me. Wonder if they posted them to their social media, and if so, how their captions read? (“Met this silly American lady today…”)

    We got stuck in traffic on the way back, so Gwenda regaled us with tales of daily life on Borneo. She told us that, “Even you have office job, still go to jungle when mushrooms grow, still find food. Even you live apartment, still pick fruit by road.”

    She told us that her mother was Christian, her father Muslim, and her grandparents, “still worship old gods.” Her grandmother taught her about medicinal plants, for instance.    Meer informatie

    Zie vertaling
  • Tui SniderNovember 2023Reiziger

    Outrigger Ride to the Cave

    16 november 2023, Filippijnen ⋅ ☀️ 86 °F

    Getting from the beach to the cave was another adventure. I’ve included a couple short videos to show how from a distance the outriggers look like crabs walking on water.

    My favorite part was when the captain cut the noisy engine. He did this just as we turned the corner. With just the rudder to steer us, we surfed into the beach cove. It was fun!

    Since we were the last passengers of the day, our outrigger served as a water taxi for other boat pilots who had moored their boats. To hitch a ride, they bobbed in the water, then climbed onto our boat as we drove by.

    I’ve included a photo of a sweet pooch I saw as we waited our turn. There were a lot of stray dogs on Palawan and they all seemed to be this same breed. On the ride home we saw so many dogs sleeping in the road that we began calling the right lane “the dog lane.”    Meer informatie

    Zie vertaling
  • Tui SniderNovember 2023Reiziger

    Underground River Tour

    16 november 2023, Filippijnen ⋅ ☀️ 86 °F

    Not only is the St Paul Underground River a UNESCO World Heritage site, but it is also the longest navigable underground river in the world.

    Our canoe ride through the river is a major highlight of this trip. After a half hour outrigger ride from a nearby beach, it’s a short walk through a lush forest to reach the mouth of the cave.

    We were warned not to make eye contact with any monkeys along the way, since they like to snatch purses and cell phones. I would have enjoyed more time hiking through the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park. I can easily envision spending a week or two here.

    At the river’s edge, we donned hard hats and climbed into outrigger canoes. Each boat carried six to eight people, with a professional guide at the helm.

    We were fitted with audio guides that had one ear piece. Our guide timed our journey through the cave to sync with the narrative, which was informative and well-produced.

    Not only are visitors asked not to speak in the cave, but several times we were reminded to keep our mouths closed when looking up to avoid ingesting guano.

    As we entered the cave the main sounds were dripping stalactites, the rhythmic splash of our guide’s paddle, and the erratic chatter of bats.

    The cave is full of bats, and they flew quite near at times, especially near the cave entrance.

    The only illumination came from our guide’s headlamp. At times during the two mile trip, we were in completely darkness.

    As you can imagine, this made it hard to take photos, but I managed to get a few shots. (If you watch the video, be sure to turn up the volume!)

    It was an enchanting experience. The lack of human chatter really lets you soak in the unique atmosphere.

    If you ever get a chance to visit Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park, don’t hesitate! They only let 14 canoes visit the cave each day, and we were the last boat that day.    Meer informatie

    Zie vertaling
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