Blogger, Writer, Traveller
On Friday I'm catching a plane out of Penang. I don't enjoy flying - who does, really? A few hours in a small seat with insufficient leg room, sitting next to some random strangers.
Once upon a time people used to talk to each other on planes. Flying was an adventure. Now it's an upscale version of a bus trip, and no-one talks on buses either. ...continue reading "What the hell am I doing here anyway?"
A couple of weeks ago I went on the little funicular train up to the top of Penang Hill. I'll admit I felt distinctly uncomfortable. The down side of having an active imagination is being able to picture cables snapping, the train plummeting back down to the bottom station, crashing through the barrier and the stone wall at the end of the line and obliterating all concerned.
I looked around the compartment, packed with happy day trippers, parents and children, tourists and locals, and wondered how they could all chat away without a care in the world. So I worried for all of them. ...continue reading "What doesn’t kill us…"
Last week I went to the temple of Kek Lok Si in the hills behind George Town. The main part of the temple is seven storeys high, and the pavilion behind it is taller than that. It can be seen from many miles away. The pavilion holds a statue of the Goddess of Mercy which is around three storeys high. At the moment it is decorated with red and gold lanterns for Chinese New Year, making the experience even more lush and colourful.
The complex itself is huge, meandering up the hillside. The visitor walks past huge temples and tiny shrines, along arcades, through cool gardens and past pools of flickering fish. ...continue reading "The St. Paul’s of SE Asia"
I've changed the format of my posts a little. Because I seem to end up with so many photos - this place is incredibly photogenic - I've now included galleries in some posts. If you click on the gallery image, it should convert to full screen.
This week has gone from one extreme to another.
A few days ago I walked through the Botanical Gardens with Sapur, my host. While I wouldn't describe myself as a keen gardener, I found it strange to be in an environment where I didn't recognise any of the plants. It does the gardens a grave disservice to describe them as merely "tropical". Meandering paths connected various regions of plants, ranging from jungle to dry areas to formal gardens laid out by a gardener from Kew Gardens in the UK. People were doing exercises and t'ai chi classes on some of the lawns. Although peaceful, it was busy, as many of the local people come here for their morning walks. ...continue reading "The Journey of the Silver Chariot"