Articles from this Category
27 July 2015
Breakfast in the hotel ground-floor courtyard was painfully slow. We walked to Thamel thereafter. The shops were a mix of hiking apparel/gear, souvenirs and cafes. During the walk, we saw a few of vacant lots with signs of destruction. All but one could have been interpreted as normal construction or demolition in a third world […]
26 July 2015
We woke early to pack and tidy up the apartment before heading to see Mum at 0915 to discuss some family matters before my brother took us to the airport at 0945. AirAsia’s bagdrop was quick and painless today and we managed to get some time and a laksa in the lounge. Our flight to […]
23 July 2015
Today we took the boat (tambang) across the river into old town Kuching for a walk. I do this often enough in order to get errands done but Kim doesn’t get here so much. So it was somewhat of an experience on the boat, and a walk down memory lane in old town.
22 July 2015
Last trip back in April, I had been to the government polyclinic for a dental check-up which cost me a MYR1 (USD0.26) registration fee. They were ultra-comprehensive in marking down the condition of all teeth and the work required. They booked me an apppointment three months later which timed well with this visit. Today I […]
20 July 2015
It’s only an hour from my apartment to the Semenggoh Wildlife Centre where they rehabilitate rescued orangutans. As Kim doesn’t get to Kuching often, I took him there. As the apes roam the forest, sightings are not guaranteed especially during the fruiting season when they do not turn up for supplementary feeding.
15 July 2015
We had a leisurely morning before checking out around 1130 and walking to the bus terminal. It was a breeze taking the bus to Batu Ferringhi for our one night at the Holiday Inn Resort. On the bus I chatted to this woman who had an El Nido bag. As it turns out, she (and […]
14 July 2015
We took the bus to Kek Lok Si temple today at Ayer Itam. The walk up was lined with stalls selling commercial and religious items. Strangely, for a Buddhist place, the traders were selling pictures of the Last Supper and Catholic icons too. Whatever makes money! Partway up was a pond full of tortoises. I […]
13 July 2015
We explored the old town by foot today. Starting from our hotel, we walked north passing many beautiful old Chinese buildings. We found our way to the main street which passed by the Kapitan Keling mosque. The surrounding areas were rather Indian with flower sellers and eateries. We continued to the Cheong Fatt Tze mansion […]
12 July 2015
One thing I didn’t do in Penang five years ago was visit the clan jetties. These are stilted homes built over the water with a jetty serving as the main access way. We took the CAT (free bus) from near our hotel to the ferry station, from which it was a short walk to the […]
11 July 2015
We woke before 0600. The hotel transport took us to Siem Reap airport but dropped us outside to avoid paying the USD1 entry fee. It is a good reminder that USD1 is a significant sum in this country. We didn’t mind the short walk to the terminal. The bag-drop and check-in queues weren’t exactly short. […]