I have been here for some 10 days. Weather has mainly been very beautiful, except yesterday, when I had my maybe the sixth all-rainy-day during my whole trip, until now. Can you imagine it? The sun follows me principally everywhere I go. Over 330 days with 6 rainy ones!
Before leaving Penang I did walk to Fort Cornwallis in Georgetown, which was established by Captain Francis Light in 1786.
It was an interesting place with some historical documents in their gallery (former garrisons). It clearly explained how important a base here was for East-Indian Company that time and later.
It took almost three hours to get by bus and ferry from Georgetown to Kuoh, Langkawi. That day the low tide didn't allow direkt ferry connection. So I did have the change to cross the sreet to mainland trough the longest bridge in Asia ,over 13 km.
A couple of days later I was on a tour with six other people from Sweden, Germany and England. We went on a whole day speed boat trip
through exiting mangrowe rivers to a bat cove with its almost 1000 inhabitants, but peacefully sleeping, then to Langkawi-eagle feeding
having around us 30-40 beautifully majestic big birds, snapping from water with their nails peaces of chicken meat thrown to them.
Later before a bit late lunch we spent an hour bathing in crystal clear water on a lonely paradise island beach half an hour away from the coast, near the border of Thailand.
Later, at the Sunset Bar of the hotel Langasuka Resort, an English / Scottish couple, John and Carol in their 50's came to talk with me, and we had then and later many funny moments together before they left to Kuala Lumpur ,where they live since three years. However I shall meet them soon because they insisted me to visit them next week, before leaving to South Africa.
There was also several Finns here Pauli 54, engineer at Nokia company, with his wife Marianne, son, daughter with her boyfriend studying in KL too. And then a nice couple Antti and Anu both 28 and from Helsinki.
Well, I've been around here almost everywhere, visiting most impressive Pantai Kok Marina with luxury yachts from different parts of the world, and many international restaurants with absolutely moderate prices. Australian ribeye steak about
10 euros or good bottle of wine from anywhere some 15 to 30 euros.
Happy Hour beer 60 cents, or a drink one euro.
It is also clear now that shall return to Finland with a flight from Hamburg via Duesseldorf (How funny, but only 90 euros!) on April 1. after visiting some very dear old friends in Lueneburg, Luebeck and Bremen.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia
I spent last week at Holiday Inn resort on Batu Feringghi Beach before looking for more urban life in this old city. There was not too much to do except to enjoy sun or shade with good beer or tropical drinks at a nice pool bar, once again.
I found nice company already during the first day, fellow country citizens Toni 32 and Johanna 30, from Turku, Finland. I started to tell them all kind of experiences and jokes from their home town, but since happily laughing along with me, I started to like them. We had several evenings together and a lot of fun and good food. I also spent with or without them all the late hours until midnight at the Holiday Inn's lounge bar , where Rosa and Ron, from Pilippinas of course, played and sung very romantic music, and during the pauses she often sat with me telling her life story.
Now here except the night life, this is my really first active day. I have been walking on a hot day +33C for hours looking all around. This is still partly very colonial city with it's very strong influence from Chinese and Indian inhabitants.
Even plenty of new modern buildings, you still can find great areas here with the atmosphere of long bygone days. I then found an Indian restaurant after a long search, where two very cold Tiger beers tasted heavenly. Then this was the first internet place I've seen here, and decided to write my recent news.
Tomorrow I shall take a ferry to Langkawi, to stay there for three or four days.
I found nice company already during the first day, fellow country citizens Toni 32 and Johanna 30, from Turku, Finland. I started to tell them all kind of experiences and jokes from their home town, but since happily laughing along with me, I started to like them. We had several evenings together and a lot of fun and good food. I also spent with or without them all the late hours until midnight at the Holiday Inn's lounge bar , where Rosa and Ron, from Pilippinas of course, played and sung very romantic music, and during the pauses she often sat with me telling her life story.
Now here except the night life, this is my really first active day. I have been walking on a hot day +33C for hours looking all around. This is still partly very colonial city with it's very strong influence from Chinese and Indian inhabitants.
Even plenty of new modern buildings, you still can find great areas here with the atmosphere of long bygone days. I then found an Indian restaurant after a long search, where two very cold Tiger beers tasted heavenly. Then this was the first internet place I've seen here, and decided to write my recent news.
Tomorrow I shall take a ferry to Langkawi, to stay there for three or four days.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei, Borneo
It was a short flight to get there early yesterday morning. I was the only member of the group, and had a nice guide and car for myself alone all the day. I visited this world famous only less than 20 years old mosque, built by His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanai Bolkiah Mu'izzaddin Waddaulah, and the Royal Regalia. After prepaid very good lunch in one of the best hotels in town, The Orchid, we visited the interesting water village built on poles in the river hosting more than 35000 inhabitants.
The last but not the least impressive place was The Empire Hotel, some 18 km away from the town. Visitors from King of Sweden to many Hollywood celebrities have been the guests of that luxury hotel, a former palace.
Late in the evening I was back in Rumba my favorite place since Mexico. I got all necessary details of the band Fuego with Kolumbians Willman,Norella and Juan, Dana from Australia and Grace from Philippines.
Tonight I do not sleep, I soon hurry to the airport, and take an Air Asia flight to Penang leaving at 7am.
The last but not the least impressive place was The Empire Hotel, some 18 km away from the town. Visitors from King of Sweden to many Hollywood celebrities have been the guests of that luxury hotel, a former palace.
Late in the evening I was back in Rumba my favorite place since Mexico. I got all necessary details of the band Fuego with Kolumbians Willman,Norella and Juan, Dana from Australia and Grace from Philippines.
Tonight I do not sleep, I soon hurry to the airport, and take an Air Asia flight to Penang leaving at 7am.
Exploring Borneo's wildlife
Last Thursday I had booked a boat trip for Garama river to see those very strange Proboscis Monkeys in the deep jungle of the rainforest. This bignosed male person can only be found in Sabah. Well, we saw some but not near enough. The jungle river cruise with long-tailed quite aggressive macaques, one baby lizard plus beautiful birds was in a nice company worth of every penny. We were 2 Australians,2 Estonians, 2 Russians and me.
Early next morning I flew to Sandakan on the East coast of Sabah. After our flight our group of maybe 12 persons continued the voyage to Turtle Island by bus and by speed boat, arriving there early afternoon. Before that we had great fun watching ,when many macaques enjoyed jumpimg from high trees into the river and diving and swimming like Olympic Champions.We had a surprising good lunch, and then a marvellous time until sunset at the most beautiful beach, except some of us, who not much later decided to enjoy some good very cool Tiger beer in a shadowy place.
So I met German Thomas 43, his Russian/Peruvian wife Christina 40, their friend Rainer 28, from Germany too, and little later Jan 29, from Poland and his very pretty girl friend Alison 26, from San Diego, California. All of them working at time being in China in different companies. And we had a good time and dozens of Tigers! I enjoyed the company of Jan and Thomas very much, and there was no limit of issues to discuss.
We had to wait until midnight before the first turtle (95 x86) came to lay her eggs, 74 all together. The local rangers collected immediately those eggs to let them develope in safe place. I do not remember what that place was called. This turtle was a newcomer, it had not been marked before. Then we saw how rangers let 60 tiny turtles, not more than ten cm each , run into the ocean to grow up. Only three turtles came that night to lay their eggs, but almost 400 pieces of them.
Next morning we returned to mainland to see the Orang Utans, our second cousins 96,4%
human being, after the chimps 98%. Deep in the rainforest they have Sepilok Orang Utang Rehabilitation Centre, where young found ,maybe wounded creatures are healed and trained to the condition that they can return on their own to the jungle. In some cases it might take really long time. Those second cousins of us were so funny, if not just like anybody's neighbors, arguing and loving, so human. Orang Utan means "Man of the Forest".
Back in Kota Kinabalu and in "Rumba" of Le Meridien late in the evening with El Fuego.
Early next morning I flew to Sandakan on the East coast of Sabah. After our flight our group of maybe 12 persons continued the voyage to Turtle Island by bus and by speed boat, arriving there early afternoon. Before that we had great fun watching ,when many macaques enjoyed jumpimg from high trees into the river and diving and swimming like Olympic Champions.We had a surprising good lunch, and then a marvellous time until sunset at the most beautiful beach, except some of us, who not much later decided to enjoy some good very cool Tiger beer in a shadowy place.
So I met German Thomas 43, his Russian/Peruvian wife Christina 40, their friend Rainer 28, from Germany too, and little later Jan 29, from Poland and his very pretty girl friend Alison 26, from San Diego, California. All of them working at time being in China in different companies. And we had a good time and dozens of Tigers! I enjoyed the company of Jan and Thomas very much, and there was no limit of issues to discuss.
We had to wait until midnight before the first turtle (95 x86) came to lay her eggs, 74 all together. The local rangers collected immediately those eggs to let them develope in safe place. I do not remember what that place was called. This turtle was a newcomer, it had not been marked before. Then we saw how rangers let 60 tiny turtles, not more than ten cm each , run into the ocean to grow up. Only three turtles came that night to lay their eggs, but almost 400 pieces of them.
Next morning we returned to mainland to see the Orang Utans, our second cousins 96,4%
human being, after the chimps 98%. Deep in the rainforest they have Sepilok Orang Utang Rehabilitation Centre, where young found ,maybe wounded creatures are healed and trained to the condition that they can return on their own to the jungle. In some cases it might take really long time. Those second cousins of us were so funny, if not just like anybody's neighbors, arguing and loving, so human. Orang Utan means "Man of the Forest".
Back in Kota Kinabalu and in "Rumba" of Le Meridien late in the evening with El Fuego.
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Borneo
Some days ago still in Siem Reap in Cambodia, I had a very nice last evening. In my favorit French restaurant Le Tigre de Papier I met a young Finnish couple Ville-Veikko and Liisa Pitkanen both 28 with their son Luukas 2, living in Phnon Penh for time being. They invited me to join them next morning to some excursion,but unfortunately I by then was on my fligth to the South.Later that evening I routineously went to Angkor What? bar, and met Jeff 38,from Alaska. I just now forgot from where he originally was in U.S., but he anyhow has an interesting style of life. He is working in hard conditions for four months a year, and then travelling for 8 months especially in Southeast Asia and South America, where he can get a good value for his earned dollars. We had several drinks and a good chat together.
The following very early morning I was on my way via Kuala Lumpur to Kota Kinabalu in Sabah, Borneo. I did not have a slightest idea in which kind of jungle village I am going to arrive. My surprise could not have been bigger, when I found myself in a modern and very pleasant city of maybe 100,000 inhabitants. I got a very good hotel Radius International in the heart of the city, next to Le Meridien.
I soon also found my favorit places to visit at the water front. And of course with my good luck I yesterday ( by the way the first day of the Chinese New Year, the Rat's year ) was invited as a first guest to arrive to an opening of new Pirate's Bar with some benefits. This is a quite large seafood restaurant with a long bar table and very elegantly decorated, owned by an Englishman Nick 51.
In the evening I went to Le Meridien to have a dinner there, and to listen in Rumba night club beautiful Latin American music performed by Fuego (Fire), an international band of five,three ladies and 2 gentlemen. I got the best table, and enjoyed their music 100%, and talked later with most of the members a lot in English but Spanish too.
Now today I start to explore the jungle of Borneo, and shall report of that later.
The following very early morning I was on my way via Kuala Lumpur to Kota Kinabalu in Sabah, Borneo. I did not have a slightest idea in which kind of jungle village I am going to arrive. My surprise could not have been bigger, when I found myself in a modern and very pleasant city of maybe 100,000 inhabitants. I got a very good hotel Radius International in the heart of the city, next to Le Meridien.
I soon also found my favorit places to visit at the water front. And of course with my good luck I yesterday ( by the way the first day of the Chinese New Year, the Rat's year ) was invited as a first guest to arrive to an opening of new Pirate's Bar with some benefits. This is a quite large seafood restaurant with a long bar table and very elegantly decorated, owned by an Englishman Nick 51.
In the evening I went to Le Meridien to have a dinner there, and to listen in Rumba night club beautiful Latin American music performed by Fuego (Fire), an international band of five,three ladies and 2 gentlemen. I got the best table, and enjoyed their music 100%, and talked later with most of the members a lot in English but Spanish too.
Now today I start to explore the jungle of Borneo, and shall report of that later.
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Angkor Wat, Siem Reap, Cambodia
I stayed in Pakse, Laos for a couple of days doing practically nothing. Just walking, stopping sometimes for drinks, and that was all.
Early in Friday morning I flew to Siem Reap to see the famous Angkor Wat temples.
I got here a very good Angkor Holiday Hotel, and spent my first day strolling around in the city. In a cozy bar I saw two very nice Aussie girls, chicks from Sydney,who I already had met on the way by Tuk Tuk to the Pakse airport, when our vehicle just run out of gasolin five meters from a gasolin station. What a convenient luck!
I joined Georgie and Alanna, both 21. Later I invited them to join me next day to Angkor Wat and other temples and palacies, having already agreed in a whole day tour with a private car. Yesterday they arrived in good time to my hotel lobby, and at exactly 10 o'clock a nice Camry picked us up. We had a marvellous but hot day.
Our first destination was Angkor Wat. Angkor means capital or holy city. This huge area is only seven kilometers from Siem Reap, and we spent there two hours walking trough and around those magnificent temples. This breathtaking massive pyramid with five lotuslike towers was constractated around mid 12th century a.d.
We then had a nice lunch in a little but good local restaurant, to where our driver brought us. After one hour we continued to Ta Prohm, where huge fig and silk-cotton trees are like massive snakes in and on and around those temples giving a misterious
jungle atmosphere. Later we passed Ta Keo and some other temples before stopping for our final destination , the last capital of Angkorian empire, the Angkor Thom.
We all, espcially me, were exhausted but happy, having had an awesome day in incredible surroundings.
In the evening I took a one-dollar-ride with a Tuk Tuk to so called Pub street, where
all the life is at the night time. There I met Laura and Graig both 23 from Birmingham, England, and had a nice chat. They were travelling for five months in Far East. I finished my evening having excellent Mediterranean snack Corsica charcuterie with some good red wine in Le Tigre de Papier, French restaurant. Before
I made a must visit to the first after war bar Angkor What?, for a couple of drinks.
Early in Friday morning I flew to Siem Reap to see the famous Angkor Wat temples.
I got here a very good Angkor Holiday Hotel, and spent my first day strolling around in the city. In a cozy bar I saw two very nice Aussie girls, chicks from Sydney,who I already had met on the way by Tuk Tuk to the Pakse airport, when our vehicle just run out of gasolin five meters from a gasolin station. What a convenient luck!
I joined Georgie and Alanna, both 21. Later I invited them to join me next day to Angkor Wat and other temples and palacies, having already agreed in a whole day tour with a private car. Yesterday they arrived in good time to my hotel lobby, and at exactly 10 o'clock a nice Camry picked us up. We had a marvellous but hot day.
Our first destination was Angkor Wat. Angkor means capital or holy city. This huge area is only seven kilometers from Siem Reap, and we spent there two hours walking trough and around those magnificent temples. This breathtaking massive pyramid with five lotuslike towers was constractated around mid 12th century a.d.
We then had a nice lunch in a little but good local restaurant, to where our driver brought us. After one hour we continued to Ta Prohm, where huge fig and silk-cotton trees are like massive snakes in and on and around those temples giving a misterious
jungle atmosphere. Later we passed Ta Keo and some other temples before stopping for our final destination , the last capital of Angkorian empire, the Angkor Thom.
We all, espcially me, were exhausted but happy, having had an awesome day in incredible surroundings.
In the evening I took a one-dollar-ride with a Tuk Tuk to so called Pub street, where
all the life is at the night time. There I met Laura and Graig both 23 from Birmingham, England, and had a nice chat. They were travelling for five months in Far East. I finished my evening having excellent Mediterranean snack Corsica charcuterie with some good red wine in Le Tigre de Papier, French restaurant. Before
I made a must visit to the first after war bar Angkor What?, for a couple of drinks.
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