Tuesday, September 30, 2003
Day 8 in Malaysia, Day 1 in Mt Kinabalu National Park
It took about 1.5 hours to bus to Kinabalu National Park in a bus that showed really bad Malaysian karaoke videos and an even worse horror movie.
The national park houses Mt Kinabalu and several species of animals, flora and fauna endemic to (only found in) the area. The cloud closes in on the mountain around mid morning so we were lucky to get a great view of it whilst on the bus before the cloud set in.
If you had asked me a week ago if I wanted to climb a mountain I would have thought you were crazy but now we are kind of regretting we didn't take the opportunity. Unfortunately by the time we were warming to the idea it was too late as you need two days.
Mt Kinabalu is the tallest mountain in South-East Asia and one of the easiest to climb. The facilities are really good as well, i.e. restaurants and hostels halfway up the mountain.
Oh well, we may get an opportunity to do it another time. It is definitely a tough climb and we are not that fit at the moment. It's probably better that we don't kill ourselves climbing and spend the rest of the trip in agony (o:
We ended up doing a nice 3.5 hour walk around the park with David and Nina (an Aussie father and daughter). It was very misty in the park which gave it an eerie atmosphere. The Aussies were at our hostel in KK and we had a nice dinner in the evening with them.
Our first set back for the trip was Joseph leaving his wallet on the bus from KK. Luckily the staff at the Park called the bus company and within a couple of hours we got it back! They said we were very lucky as it is quite common for people to leave wallets on buses but not very common for them to be retrieved.
Day 9 in Malaysia, Day 2 in KK
We traveled back to KK this morning. Got a lift with a local as there were no buses going past. The trip was slightly hair raising (we were almost knocked off the road by a van just before passing a serious motorcycle crash scene just out of KK) but we arrived safe and sound and checked back into the hostel we stayed in previously.
The hostel in KK is good for meeting other travelers. Amongst those we've met are an Aussy chick who wants to live in Wellington and a British couple who are moving to Nelson to teach English to foreign adults! It was nice to hear that people think fondly of New Zealand. It made me feel a little homesick. Joseph also chatted to a Malaysian couple on the plane who had lived in Upper Hutt (we didn't hold that against them) for 18 months. The husband was a construction engineer and worked on the Police Headquarters in the 80's.
Off to Kuching tomorrow.
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It took about 1.5 hours to bus to Kinabalu National Park in a bus that showed really bad Malaysian karaoke videos and an even worse horror movie.
The national park houses Mt Kinabalu and several species of animals, flora and fauna endemic to (only found in) the area. The cloud closes in on the mountain around mid morning so we were lucky to get a great view of it whilst on the bus before the cloud set in.
If you had asked me a week ago if I wanted to climb a mountain I would have thought you were crazy but now we are kind of regretting we didn't take the opportunity. Unfortunately by the time we were warming to the idea it was too late as you need two days.
Mt Kinabalu is the tallest mountain in South-East Asia and one of the easiest to climb. The facilities are really good as well, i.e. restaurants and hostels halfway up the mountain.
Oh well, we may get an opportunity to do it another time. It is definitely a tough climb and we are not that fit at the moment. It's probably better that we don't kill ourselves climbing and spend the rest of the trip in agony (o:
We ended up doing a nice 3.5 hour walk around the park with David and Nina (an Aussie father and daughter). It was very misty in the park which gave it an eerie atmosphere. The Aussies were at our hostel in KK and we had a nice dinner in the evening with them.
Our first set back for the trip was Joseph leaving his wallet on the bus from KK. Luckily the staff at the Park called the bus company and within a couple of hours we got it back! They said we were very lucky as it is quite common for people to leave wallets on buses but not very common for them to be retrieved.
Day 9 in Malaysia, Day 2 in KK
We traveled back to KK this morning. Got a lift with a local as there were no buses going past. The trip was slightly hair raising (we were almost knocked off the road by a van just before passing a serious motorcycle crash scene just out of KK) but we arrived safe and sound and checked back into the hostel we stayed in previously.
The hostel in KK is good for meeting other travelers. Amongst those we've met are an Aussy chick who wants to live in Wellington and a British couple who are moving to Nelson to teach English to foreign adults! It was nice to hear that people think fondly of New Zealand. It made me feel a little homesick. Joseph also chatted to a Malaysian couple on the plane who had lived in Upper Hutt (we didn't hold that against them) for 18 months. The husband was a construction engineer and worked on the Police Headquarters in the 80's.
Off to Kuching tomorrow.
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Sunday, September 28, 2003
Day 7 in Malaysia, Day 2 in KK
We had a great day! It started with getting up late and having a simple breakfast of toast and fresh Papaya. Next we booked the tickets and accommodation in Mt Kinabalu National Park. We were tempted to try to climb it after hearing stories from other people staying at the hostel but have decided against it. Instead we will explore the foothills and surrounding area.
We rushed to the Ferry Terminal at around 12 hoping we could get a boat to the islands off the coast of KK. We had heard that there is really good snorkeling to be had, again from others at the hostel. We were greeted by a man who rushed us inside, told us what ticket to buy then rushed us to his boat. Usually we are put off by pushy people over here (of which there are many) but this turned out to be a good thing. We found the tickets were to visit 2 islands each for 2 hours. We had no idea which islands they were or which were the best.
The first was Manukan which had damaged coral, minimal fish and over priced food, 14.50 Ringit for chippies (usually about 5 Ringit) and a buffet lunch for 60 Ringit (a meal is also usually 5 ringit) naturally we passed on these. Most of the people on our boat stayed on this island. We went on to the next island with a very nice Malaysian couple on holiday from KL.
Sapi island was on another level. The beach was much nicer (not so much rubbish floating around) there was live coral and heaps of fish. There were all kinds, some black and white striped, some with blue and yellow and one type would change to all the colours of the rainbow depending on the light. It was kinda spooky when a school would surround you. A brown type of fish was more inquisitive than the rest and would swim right up to you, quite unsettling if you aren't ready for it. The water is so warm it is like walking into a tepid bath, you could stay in it all day.
On our way back to the hostel from the ferry terminal we came across people selling durian, we decided that it had to be done. The smell was not nearly as offensive as we had been lead to believe although we were outside. The durian has spikey green skin and inside is mostly white pith. Within the pith there are about 6 cavities each one contains one or more egg shaped things that look like embryos complete with a thin outer skin. The flesh is a mustard colour and the texture of custard. Inside this is a large stone so the edible part is quite small. How to describe the taste? I can't really, but we found it unpleasant but not as bad as we expected.
Got an early start tomorrow so we are off to bed now.
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We had a great day! It started with getting up late and having a simple breakfast of toast and fresh Papaya. Next we booked the tickets and accommodation in Mt Kinabalu National Park. We were tempted to try to climb it after hearing stories from other people staying at the hostel but have decided against it. Instead we will explore the foothills and surrounding area.
We rushed to the Ferry Terminal at around 12 hoping we could get a boat to the islands off the coast of KK. We had heard that there is really good snorkeling to be had, again from others at the hostel. We were greeted by a man who rushed us inside, told us what ticket to buy then rushed us to his boat. Usually we are put off by pushy people over here (of which there are many) but this turned out to be a good thing. We found the tickets were to visit 2 islands each for 2 hours. We had no idea which islands they were or which were the best.
The first was Manukan which had damaged coral, minimal fish and over priced food, 14.50 Ringit for chippies (usually about 5 Ringit) and a buffet lunch for 60 Ringit (a meal is also usually 5 ringit) naturally we passed on these. Most of the people on our boat stayed on this island. We went on to the next island with a very nice Malaysian couple on holiday from KL.
Sapi island was on another level. The beach was much nicer (not so much rubbish floating around) there was live coral and heaps of fish. There were all kinds, some black and white striped, some with blue and yellow and one type would change to all the colours of the rainbow depending on the light. It was kinda spooky when a school would surround you. A brown type of fish was more inquisitive than the rest and would swim right up to you, quite unsettling if you aren't ready for it. The water is so warm it is like walking into a tepid bath, you could stay in it all day.
On our way back to the hostel from the ferry terminal we came across people selling durian, we decided that it had to be done. The smell was not nearly as offensive as we had been lead to believe although we were outside. The durian has spikey green skin and inside is mostly white pith. Within the pith there are about 6 cavities each one contains one or more egg shaped things that look like embryos complete with a thin outer skin. The flesh is a mustard colour and the texture of custard. Inside this is a large stone so the edible part is quite small. How to describe the taste? I can't really, but we found it unpleasant but not as bad as we expected.
Got an early start tomorrow so we are off to bed now.
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Saturday, September 27, 2003
Day 6 in Malaysia, Day 1 in Kota Kinabalu (KK)
Arrived here around 3.30pm and got a taxi to the Trekkers Hostel. The atmosphere here is very friendly. People smile here a lot more than in Penang. The hostel has shared areas and the staff are very helpful.
I enjoyed walking through the markets, both food and goods. Wow, there are so many! I'd needed a panoramic camera to capture the quantity and density of stalls.
Had tuna and rice for dinner at a stall on the waterfront with a lime, soya and chilli sauce. Only 3 ringgits and delicious.
We are planning to go to Mt Kinabalu on Monday so need to sort out accommodation etc tomorrow. I'm really looking forward to going to the National Park.
KK was bombed in WWII by the British so the Japanese couldn't use it as a military base. So there are no old buildings left and the streets are wider than Penang.
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Arrived here around 3.30pm and got a taxi to the Trekkers Hostel. The atmosphere here is very friendly. People smile here a lot more than in Penang. The hostel has shared areas and the staff are very helpful.
I enjoyed walking through the markets, both food and goods. Wow, there are so many! I'd needed a panoramic camera to capture the quantity and density of stalls.
Had tuna and rice for dinner at a stall on the waterfront with a lime, soya and chilli sauce. Only 3 ringgits and delicious.
We are planning to go to Mt Kinabalu on Monday so need to sort out accommodation etc tomorrow. I'm really looking forward to going to the National Park.
KK was bombed in WWII by the British so the Japanese couldn't use it as a military base. So there are no old buildings left and the streets are wider than Penang.
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Friday, September 26, 2003
Day 5 in Malaysia, Day 5 in Penang
Today we had "Nasi Kandar" (in this case a combination of curry rice, sultanas, spices, meat, curry gravy and cabbage) for lunch. In the old days this was served on a banana leaf from a street seller but nowadays some have set up shop in permanent premises. Very delicious.
In the afternoon we made the pilgrimage by bus to Penang Hill. The bus is very cheap but not as convenient as taxis. We needed to catch a bus to "Air Itam" (a town outside of Georgetown) and then a number 8 mini bus to the foot of Penang Hill. Well we got as far as Air Itam and then waited ages for the number 8. This guy in an illegal taxi (one that doesn't have a permit) kept hassling us saying that the number 8 bus has broken down. We thought he was full of s*** and Joseph was staunch in his desire to use the cheap public transport so we said a polite but firm "No thank you" and stubbornly waited for the elusive number 8 bus. It turned out that it had broken down! We managed to get to Penang Hill on another bus but by the time we got to the foot of the hill I was tired, hot and grumpy!
Well, it was all worthwhile! The ride in the train up to the top of the hill took 30 minutes and took you in amongst the tropical rainforest. Once we got to the top we had a nice cool ice cream and proceeded to walk 2 kms to the Canopy walk, a series of swing bridges in amongst the rain forest. Before the days of the train people got up the hill by pony, foot or where carried up in a seat thingee by labourers. We then had Tom Yam soup and Mee goreng for dinner before going back down the hill. On our way down we saw some cute little monkeys...probably scavanging for food. Maybe we'll see more of these in the National Parks on the Borneo side of Malaysia. We successfully caught the bus back to the Komtar. I'm all for the convenience of taxis, especially when it is cheap for us in relative to NZ, but I must admit I did enjoy travelling on the buses. It's like a mini tour taking you to places you can't reach by foot and providing a better view than a taxi.
As promised in the guide religious buildings are plentiful in Penang. Within two blocks you can have Chinese, Burmese and Siamese Buddhist temples, a South Indian temple, and a Muslim Mosque! I enjoy walking down the street near a mosque at prayer time and hearing the singing. Sorry, but my knowledge of religious rituals is poor so I'm describing it very simply. Which reminds me....
Did you know that:
> Malaysians have to register their religion with the Government. If they decide to change religions they have to let the govt know.
> There is a nightclub in Georgetown called "Ouch, I wanna party" (we have photographic evidence!).
> Sir Frances Light encouraged quick clearing of the land in the early 1800s by firing silver dollars into the wilderness from his ships cannons.
> In Singapore you have to pay $30,000 just for a certificate that entitles you to buy and drive a car which has to be renewed every 5 years!
> Security guards outside jewellery stores in Campbell St have pump-action shotguns.
> Half of the vehicles here are motorbikes (100 CC Hondas) and the most of the cars are Protons, Malaysia's own brand of car. In the 1950's there were 3,000 trishaws around but now they are superceded by buses and taxis and are mostly a touristy thing to do.
> In Penang foreign companies don't have to pay tax for the first 5 years of operation, so after 5 years they change their name to keep avoiding paying tax!
It's now time to split this joint and head for the Borneo side of Malaysia. Mt Kinabalu here we come!
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Today we had "Nasi Kandar" (in this case a combination of curry rice, sultanas, spices, meat, curry gravy and cabbage) for lunch. In the old days this was served on a banana leaf from a street seller but nowadays some have set up shop in permanent premises. Very delicious.
In the afternoon we made the pilgrimage by bus to Penang Hill. The bus is very cheap but not as convenient as taxis. We needed to catch a bus to "Air Itam" (a town outside of Georgetown) and then a number 8 mini bus to the foot of Penang Hill. Well we got as far as Air Itam and then waited ages for the number 8. This guy in an illegal taxi (one that doesn't have a permit) kept hassling us saying that the number 8 bus has broken down. We thought he was full of s*** and Joseph was staunch in his desire to use the cheap public transport so we said a polite but firm "No thank you" and stubbornly waited for the elusive number 8 bus. It turned out that it had broken down! We managed to get to Penang Hill on another bus but by the time we got to the foot of the hill I was tired, hot and grumpy!
Well, it was all worthwhile! The ride in the train up to the top of the hill took 30 minutes and took you in amongst the tropical rainforest. Once we got to the top we had a nice cool ice cream and proceeded to walk 2 kms to the Canopy walk, a series of swing bridges in amongst the rain forest. Before the days of the train people got up the hill by pony, foot or where carried up in a seat thingee by labourers. We then had Tom Yam soup and Mee goreng for dinner before going back down the hill. On our way down we saw some cute little monkeys...probably scavanging for food. Maybe we'll see more of these in the National Parks on the Borneo side of Malaysia. We successfully caught the bus back to the Komtar. I'm all for the convenience of taxis, especially when it is cheap for us in relative to NZ, but I must admit I did enjoy travelling on the buses. It's like a mini tour taking you to places you can't reach by foot and providing a better view than a taxi.
As promised in the guide religious buildings are plentiful in Penang. Within two blocks you can have Chinese, Burmese and Siamese Buddhist temples, a South Indian temple, and a Muslim Mosque! I enjoy walking down the street near a mosque at prayer time and hearing the singing. Sorry, but my knowledge of religious rituals is poor so I'm describing it very simply. Which reminds me....
Did you know that:
> Malaysians have to register their religion with the Government. If they decide to change religions they have to let the govt know.
> There is a nightclub in Georgetown called "Ouch, I wanna party" (we have photographic evidence!).
> Sir Frances Light encouraged quick clearing of the land in the early 1800s by firing silver dollars into the wilderness from his ships cannons.
> In Singapore you have to pay $30,000 just for a certificate that entitles you to buy and drive a car which has to be renewed every 5 years!
> Security guards outside jewellery stores in Campbell St have pump-action shotguns.
> Half of the vehicles here are motorbikes (100 CC Hondas) and the most of the cars are Protons, Malaysia's own brand of car. In the 1950's there were 3,000 trishaws around but now they are superceded by buses and taxis and are mostly a touristy thing to do.
> In Penang foreign companies don't have to pay tax for the first 5 years of operation, so after 5 years they change their name to keep avoiding paying tax!
It's now time to split this joint and head for the Borneo side of Malaysia. Mt Kinabalu here we come!
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Thursday, September 25, 2003
Day 3 in Malaysia, Day 3 in Penang
We planned to have a relaxing day. Easier said than done. Lou wanted to call her father as it was his birthday. She has a calling card she bought from the Tourism office but when she tried to use it all the phones did was eat her money. We spent hours wandering around Komtar (see earlier posts) looking for the correct phones to use. She was about to take it back for a refund when she tried it one last time, and it worked. On our way back to the Hotel we looked through the markets. Lots of dried fish, vegetables both fresh and dried, spices, and snacks that looked strange. We bought a mango (very sweet and nice) and a star fruit (shaped like a star, tastes like sweet peas and not so nice).
In the evening we walked along the Esplanade by the sea, very nice. When we came to a food court we tried and Indian dish that consisted of whole prawns, fishballs and crab fried fried in batter and served with a sweet sauce, not very nice but you have to try these things.
Day 4 in Malaysia, Day 4 in Penang
After looking through the Lonely planet we realised that our next stop, Kota Kinabalu in Sabah, isn't as interesting as I first thought so we are going to halve our time there and spend the rest ( 3 days) in Kuching, Sarawak, there are lots of National Parks around there and the Lonely Planet gives it a glowing review.
Checked out the Museum today. Penang has a very interesting past. It was colonised by the British in 1786, the first colony in Malaysia, by Francis Light. It became a major trading centre and attracted people from all across Asia including Indians, Chinese, Burmese (Myanmar) and English. It was a stop on the spice trail producing pepper, nutmeg, chilly, cinnamon and other spices. All these cultures co-existed and mixed peacefully and have created a very interesting diverse culture.
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We planned to have a relaxing day. Easier said than done. Lou wanted to call her father as it was his birthday. She has a calling card she bought from the Tourism office but when she tried to use it all the phones did was eat her money. We spent hours wandering around Komtar (see earlier posts) looking for the correct phones to use. She was about to take it back for a refund when she tried it one last time, and it worked. On our way back to the Hotel we looked through the markets. Lots of dried fish, vegetables both fresh and dried, spices, and snacks that looked strange. We bought a mango (very sweet and nice) and a star fruit (shaped like a star, tastes like sweet peas and not so nice).
In the evening we walked along the Esplanade by the sea, very nice. When we came to a food court we tried and Indian dish that consisted of whole prawns, fishballs and crab fried fried in batter and served with a sweet sauce, not very nice but you have to try these things.
Day 4 in Malaysia, Day 4 in Penang
After looking through the Lonely planet we realised that our next stop, Kota Kinabalu in Sabah, isn't as interesting as I first thought so we are going to halve our time there and spend the rest ( 3 days) in Kuching, Sarawak, there are lots of National Parks around there and the Lonely Planet gives it a glowing review.
Checked out the Museum today. Penang has a very interesting past. It was colonised by the British in 1786, the first colony in Malaysia, by Francis Light. It became a major trading centre and attracted people from all across Asia including Indians, Chinese, Burmese (Myanmar) and English. It was a stop on the spice trail producing pepper, nutmeg, chilly, cinnamon and other spices. All these cultures co-existed and mixed peacefully and have created a very interesting diverse culture.
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Tuesday, September 23, 2003
Day 2 in Malaysia, Day 2 in Penang
Selamat malam to all, that's Good Evening in Bahasa Malaysia. That and Terima kasih (Thank you) are the only words we've memorised so far. Actually English is the second language in Malaysia, the kids learn it at school. Plus English seems to be better to use when speaking to the Chinese and Indian Malaysians.
We are now starting to get our bearings in Georgetown (named after the Prince of Wales when the British gained the island in exchange for military help). The area we are staying in, Chinatown, is very close to the centre of town. We realise now that it is the poorer area of town. However I enjoy the atmosphere there, i.e. the hawkers, ramshakle buildings left over from the British occupation and the trishaws, better than in the flasher areas of town (you can go to shopping malls anywhere in the world!).
Today we went on a tour in a taxi to many of the temples in Penang. Our friendly driver, Mr Zam, took us to the Reclining Buddha (the longest in Malaysia), the Snake temple and some other spectacularly decorated temples. After a while your attitude changes from awe and admiration to "Once you've seen one temple you've seen them all". A bit like the feeling when you visit all those beautiful churches in Europe.
After the tour we retreated to the air conditioned atmosphere of the "Komtar"a huge shopping complex. This place is so big and such a rabbit warren that we spent about two hours yesterday searching for the tourist information office. Just as we were about to give up in frustration we finally found it tucked away with 10 mins to spare before it closed.
The food here is very cheap but not as good quality as NZ. We realised we were spoilt for choice for good food in Wellington. Of course the restaurants/stalls here do not have access to the good quality and fresh ingredients you can get back home.
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Selamat malam to all, that's Good Evening in Bahasa Malaysia. That and Terima kasih (Thank you) are the only words we've memorised so far. Actually English is the second language in Malaysia, the kids learn it at school. Plus English seems to be better to use when speaking to the Chinese and Indian Malaysians.
We are now starting to get our bearings in Georgetown (named after the Prince of Wales when the British gained the island in exchange for military help). The area we are staying in, Chinatown, is very close to the centre of town. We realise now that it is the poorer area of town. However I enjoy the atmosphere there, i.e. the hawkers, ramshakle buildings left over from the British occupation and the trishaws, better than in the flasher areas of town (you can go to shopping malls anywhere in the world!).
Today we went on a tour in a taxi to many of the temples in Penang. Our friendly driver, Mr Zam, took us to the Reclining Buddha (the longest in Malaysia), the Snake temple and some other spectacularly decorated temples. After a while your attitude changes from awe and admiration to "Once you've seen one temple you've seen them all". A bit like the feeling when you visit all those beautiful churches in Europe.
After the tour we retreated to the air conditioned atmosphere of the "Komtar"a huge shopping complex. This place is so big and such a rabbit warren that we spent about two hours yesterday searching for the tourist information office. Just as we were about to give up in frustration we finally found it tucked away with 10 mins to spare before it closed.
The food here is very cheap but not as good quality as NZ. We realised we were spoilt for choice for good food in Wellington. Of course the restaurants/stalls here do not have access to the good quality and fresh ingredients you can get back home.
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Monday, September 22, 2003
Day 2.5 in Singapore
In the afternoon we went to Sentosa, a resort island on the south side of Singapore. Lou says it is like the resorts in Europe. It has many attractions including beaches, a 37 m Merlion, yes a Mermaid but with a lion instead of a maid on top, we read it protects Singapore and brings good fortune. Other attractions were an Aquarium, historical tours etc. We skipped all these and went to the beach but we had forgotten our togs doh! The highlight was the "Musical Fountains" This involved a synchronised fountain, light, laser and sound show. It was very cheesy but still impresive, the finale was when the eyes of the Merlion shone with lasers into the middle of the fountain pond.
Day 1 in Malyasia, Day 1 in Penang
Today we traveled to Johor Bahru by bus to fly to Penang. What a contrast, from the Wealth of Singapore to the poverty of Malaysia. It is a real eye opener how the countries can be so close geographically and so far apart economically.
We are now in Georgetown in Penang staying in a hotel in Chinatown. This was the first British colony in South East Asia. It was colonised in 1786, a lot of the buildings around here were built over 100 years ago and it looks like they haven't been painted since! There are foot paths on the streets but most stores have taken them over and others have put up locked gates so everyone walks on the streets. There are some large malls here with many shops consisting of three main groups in equal quantities. These are cellphone and cellphone accessories, Overstuffed chairs with foot massagers and others. I don't know what it is with the foot massager things, I saw a sign saying feet are your health because you can't walk without them, which is fair enough.
In the taxi from the airport we passed the Intel facory. This is where they make the CPUs (Central Processing Units) for Pentium computers, apparently it employs a lot of people. They build the chips here because labour is so cheap. Everything is so cheap here, internet is RM 1 per 1/2 hr which is 50 cents. That is why I am writing so much :)
I have added a link to the Sentosa site on the right of the page if want to take a look.
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In the afternoon we went to Sentosa, a resort island on the south side of Singapore. Lou says it is like the resorts in Europe. It has many attractions including beaches, a 37 m Merlion, yes a Mermaid but with a lion instead of a maid on top, we read it protects Singapore and brings good fortune. Other attractions were an Aquarium, historical tours etc. We skipped all these and went to the beach but we had forgotten our togs doh! The highlight was the "Musical Fountains" This involved a synchronised fountain, light, laser and sound show. It was very cheesy but still impresive, the finale was when the eyes of the Merlion shone with lasers into the middle of the fountain pond.
Day 1 in Malyasia, Day 1 in Penang
Today we traveled to Johor Bahru by bus to fly to Penang. What a contrast, from the Wealth of Singapore to the poverty of Malaysia. It is a real eye opener how the countries can be so close geographically and so far apart economically.
We are now in Georgetown in Penang staying in a hotel in Chinatown. This was the first British colony in South East Asia. It was colonised in 1786, a lot of the buildings around here were built over 100 years ago and it looks like they haven't been painted since! There are foot paths on the streets but most stores have taken them over and others have put up locked gates so everyone walks on the streets. There are some large malls here with many shops consisting of three main groups in equal quantities. These are cellphone and cellphone accessories, Overstuffed chairs with foot massagers and others. I don't know what it is with the foot massager things, I saw a sign saying feet are your health because you can't walk without them, which is fair enough.
In the taxi from the airport we passed the Intel facory. This is where they make the CPUs (Central Processing Units) for Pentium computers, apparently it employs a lot of people. They build the chips here because labour is so cheap. Everything is so cheap here, internet is RM 1 per 1/2 hr which is 50 cents. That is why I am writing so much :)
I have added a link to the Sentosa site on the right of the page if want to take a look.
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Sunday, September 21, 2003
Day 2 in Singapore.
It's hotter today but I don't mind it so far. It's wierd to look out the window, see a gloomy day and expect it to be cold outside (Wellington conditioning!) when actually it's nice and warm and pleasant.
We went to the Botanic Gardens this morning to the Orchid Festival. Beautiful! The gardens, and all the greenery in Singapore, are very tropical with lots of colourful flowers. This afternoon we are going to Sentosa Island.
Singapore is very flash, very clean and very easy to get around. I recommend it for those who like shopping holidays (o: Having said that we've only bought our cellphones and shoes for Joseph. Our budget doesn't extend to the merchandise in the many designer/label stores here.
Tomorrow we are catching an early bus to Johor Bahru in Malaysia and will then fly to Penang via KL.
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It's hotter today but I don't mind it so far. It's wierd to look out the window, see a gloomy day and expect it to be cold outside (Wellington conditioning!) when actually it's nice and warm and pleasant.
We went to the Botanic Gardens this morning to the Orchid Festival. Beautiful! The gardens, and all the greenery in Singapore, are very tropical with lots of colourful flowers. This afternoon we are going to Sentosa Island.
Singapore is very flash, very clean and very easy to get around. I recommend it for those who like shopping holidays (o: Having said that we've only bought our cellphones and shoes for Joseph. Our budget doesn't extend to the merchandise in the many designer/label stores here.
Tomorrow we are catching an early bus to Johor Bahru in Malaysia and will then fly to Penang via KL.
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Saturday, September 20, 2003
Hi from muggy Singapore. We arrived 2:30 this morning, Changi airport is massive and it was deserted, kinda scary. We stayed at the transit hotel and checked out at 11 am and the place was still deserted, doesn't anyone fly around here! The famous "free internet" in the airport is a farce, we found an internet cafe that is free between 11 pm and 6 am but that was it!
We are staying in a hotel in central Singapore (it only takes 45 mins to drive from one side of the island to the other). Today it is raining which unusual for Singapore (according to our taxi driver who planned our itinerary for Singapore and Malaysia in the cab on the way to the hotel).
The best way to describe the climate is it is like being in the Begonia house at the botanical gardens, and this is cooler than normal. The rain is strange too, it comes down in infrequent large drops.
The main shopping street is called Orchard Road and is lined with large tropical trees and very large buildings. Each building has a shopping mall inside, there are no individual shops. They are enormous in their proportions with large windows and pillars all around. Many of the shops are quite small and try to entice you with blearing music. In the lower market malls the proprietors stand outside and ask you to view their wears, I was wooed with promises of "real imitation Rolexes".
I now have a cell phone! I know this will be a shock to many of you but I held out as long as I could, I will need one in London. I was disappointed with the price we paid but Lou wanted to get them fast, we are spending the rest of the day looking for shoes for me :)
PS I have not used the squat toilets yet, I am preparing myself.
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We are staying in a hotel in central Singapore (it only takes 45 mins to drive from one side of the island to the other). Today it is raining which unusual for Singapore (according to our taxi driver who planned our itinerary for Singapore and Malaysia in the cab on the way to the hotel).
The best way to describe the climate is it is like being in the Begonia house at the botanical gardens, and this is cooler than normal. The rain is strange too, it comes down in infrequent large drops.
The main shopping street is called Orchard Road and is lined with large tropical trees and very large buildings. Each building has a shopping mall inside, there are no individual shops. They are enormous in their proportions with large windows and pillars all around. Many of the shops are quite small and try to entice you with blearing music. In the lower market malls the proprietors stand outside and ask you to view their wears, I was wooed with promises of "real imitation Rolexes".
I now have a cell phone! I know this will be a shock to many of you but I held out as long as I could, I will need one in London. I was disappointed with the price we paid but Lou wanted to get them fast, we are spending the rest of the day looking for shoes for me :)
PS I have not used the squat toilets yet, I am preparing myself.
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Friday, September 19, 2003
Due to unforseen circumstances (broken internet connection) we have not been able to update this blog in the last couple of days. I'm now in Sydney Airport taking advantage of the free internet access.
The last couple of days we've spent with Ted. Had an interesting Korean meal last night, with Paddy, Merrily as well, and great fish and chips at Watson's Bay today. Joseph said I should savour the fish and chips as the British ones are crap!!
We weren't really in Sydney to sightsee. Now the real adventure begins. We are bracing ourselves for the Asian heat and culture. It will be great to get into a completely different environment.
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The last couple of days we've spent with Ted. Had an interesting Korean meal last night, with Paddy, Merrily as well, and great fish and chips at Watson's Bay today. Joseph said I should savour the fish and chips as the British ones are crap!!
We weren't really in Sydney to sightsee. Now the real adventure begins. We are bracing ourselves for the Asian heat and culture. It will be great to get into a completely different environment.
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Wednesday, September 17, 2003
Day 2 in Sydney
As Lou said we checked out the Aquarium. They have a Finding Nemo promotion thing going with posters around the place and an area where you can spot the fish the characters of the movie are based on. One cool thing is some of the tanks with small fish in them have video cameras in front. You can control the cameras using joysticks so you can get a real close up look at them. Even though I have been to Kelly Tarlton’s in Auckland before it was still cool to have seals, sharks and rays swimming overhead in the underwater tunnels.
After the Aquarium Lou wanted to relax so we went to Pirates of the Caribbean. It was a bit of fun. We returned to a lovely pasta dish for dinner.
Today we will cruise around the harbour on the ferry.
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As Lou said we checked out the Aquarium. They have a Finding Nemo promotion thing going with posters around the place and an area where you can spot the fish the characters of the movie are based on. One cool thing is some of the tanks with small fish in them have video cameras in front. You can control the cameras using joysticks so you can get a real close up look at them. Even though I have been to Kelly Tarlton’s in Auckland before it was still cool to have seals, sharks and rays swimming overhead in the underwater tunnels.
After the Aquarium Lou wanted to relax so we went to Pirates of the Caribbean. It was a bit of fun. We returned to a lovely pasta dish for dinner.
Today we will cruise around the harbour on the ferry.
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Monday, September 15, 2003
Gidday from Sydney! Joseph and I arrived safely after a pleasant Emirates Airlines flight. By the time we'd eaten our vegetarian meals and watched "The Matrix Reloaded" on our personal monitors the plane was descending into Sydney! I didn't even have time to start my book! The flight was about two thirds full. We shared our section of the plane with a troupe of Russian ice skaters. It reminded me of my ballet days touring with the Birmingham Royal Ballet.
When we arrived we were greeted by Ted and Merrily and quickly whisked away to a yummy indian restaurant for our second dinner of the night (just call us Lulu and Jojo Baggins!).
For you techies out there: Paddy and Merrily have this awesome wireless internet connection (256 kb). It's a joy to use.
Today we are going to spend the day with Ted. Might check out the aquarium at Darling Harbour.
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When we arrived we were greeted by Ted and Merrily and quickly whisked away to a yummy indian restaurant for our second dinner of the night (just call us Lulu and Jojo Baggins!).
For you techies out there: Paddy and Merrily have this awesome wireless internet connection (256 kb). It's a joy to use.
Today we are going to spend the day with Ted. Might check out the aquarium at Darling Harbour.
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Wednesday, September 10, 2003
Our itinerary:
Mon 15 Sept: Auckland - Sydney
Fri 19 Sept: Sydney - Singapore
Mon 22 Sept: Johor Bahru - Penang
Sat 27 Sept: Penang - Kota Kinabalu
Wed 1 Oct: Kota Kinabalu - Kuching
Sat 4 Oct: Kuching - Johor Bahru
Mon 6 Oct: Singapore - Colombo
Sat 18 Oct: Colombo - Dubai, Dubai - London
Whew!!
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Mon 15 Sept: Auckland - Sydney
Fri 19 Sept: Sydney - Singapore
Mon 22 Sept: Johor Bahru - Penang
Sat 27 Sept: Penang - Kota Kinabalu
Wed 1 Oct: Kota Kinabalu - Kuching
Sat 4 Oct: Kuching - Johor Bahru
Mon 6 Oct: Singapore - Colombo
Sat 18 Oct: Colombo - Dubai, Dubai - London
Whew!!
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Sunday, September 07, 2003
Thanks to everyone who came to our going away party. It was great having a "korero" with everyone and I even got to be DJ for 10 seconds!
For those of you who didn't make it we hope you'll stay in touch and that we'll see you again soon.
The roller disco rocked! (thanks for the invite Odessa and Zane (o: )
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For those of you who didn't make it we hope you'll stay in touch and that we'll see you again soon.
The roller disco rocked! (thanks for the invite Odessa and Zane (o: )
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Saturday, September 06, 2003
Had our going away party last night. Good to see our friends before we go. It hit me that this may be the last time I see some of these people. Which is not a bad thing (just kidding). I am now feeling the effects, maybe I should not have had those tequila and vodka shots before going to bed? Fraser!.
Going to a roller disco tonight, should be fun!
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Going to a roller disco tonight, should be fun!
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