Angkor Wat, Note the tree growing  from the top of the building.

Catch Up - 13 Nov.

Yes, we are still alive and except for bad colds, well.  We are now back home.

    The flight to Cambodia on Monday, 31 Oct. went well. Not everyone took this side excursion but it
was interesting that of the 15 that did, 4 of us were caucasians, the other 11 Negro.  As I said before, I was the only man on the tour.  We had a great, friendly group and we stayed at the lovely hotel,

Statues at Angkor Wat

Prince D’Angkor in Siem Rep.  The ruins at Angkor Wat  are just that, ruins.  It is a temple complex in Cambodia dating from the 12th century and is the largest religious monument in the world, (402 acres). It was begun as a Hindu temple and later transformed to a Buddhist temple.  I found it interesting but each of the buildings has a sameness and I’m not inclined to appreciate the differences. Of interest was the
way they ground one of the stones against another during construction to make them fit so closely you can’t side a piece of paper between them. It was while in Bangkok that I started to come down with a cold that had gotten worse so I (Dick) skipped a morning session.  The crowds were tremendous.

  On Thurs., Nov. 3 while the rest of the group returned to Bangkok then home in the afternoon, we flew to Ho Chi Min city in Vietnam.  Bruce was waiting for us in the arrivals area and we took a taxi

Motor Bike traffic in Ho Chi Min City

into the city to our hotel, the Duc Vuong.  We have travelled to several countries and I have never seen such a slow, confusing entry system. Almost everyone who had not been there before got in the wrong line and had to be redirected to the place where we paid our $25 each then waited.  It took us close to an hour.  Traffic in Ho Chi Min is amazing.  I am surprised there are not more accidents.  There are motorbikes everywhere, more so than in China.  Our hotel appears very small from the street but the restaurant next door where we had breakfast is part of it.  There is a lovely rooftop restaurant/bar on the 7th floor which we would have liked to use more but it rained each night.
    Friday we visited the ‘War Remnants Museum’ (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_Remnants_Museum) .  Outside exhibits consist of military equipment left behind by the Americans when they left in April, 1975.  There are tanks, aircraft, helicopters, and field artillery. Inside exhibits are mainly photographs with explanation, which were the exhibits are "blatantly one-sided".  We also visited the Ho Chi Min museum which again were mainly photographs telling the story of President Ho “Uncle Ho” to the Vietnmese).
   Saturday we went to see the ‘Water Puppet’ show.  It was interesting, performed with the puppets all in a large pool.  Unfortunately it was all in Vietnamese so we had difficulty following the story.  Afterward we walked by the central market.  They were setting up the night market but we didn’t stay.  It was then on to walking street where the road way is closed to traffic at night and hundreds were enjoying a stroll.

The interior of a 42 passenger 'sleeper bus'

   On Sunday, 6 Nov., we took a ‘sleeper bus’ north for the 4 ½ hour trip to Mui Ne on the coast.  Instead of regular seats, these busses have 2 levels of reclining seats in 3 rows so you can lie down semi reclined.  Except at the very back in the 4 seats at the end of the aisles, they are a little too short for anyone my height.  Going to Mui Ne I found it kind of cramped.  (You take off your shoes when you enter the bus and they give you a plastic bag to hold them.  Coming back both Bruce and I got one of the 2 longer ‘bunks’ on the upper level.

The flooded entrance to the guest house

  Mui Ne had been experiencing unusually heavy rains before we arrived and part of the entrance to the Hoang Nga Guesthouse was flooded, 6 inches at one spot.  They were working to pump it out when both we and the sun arrived. It is a family run basic accommodation place, but quite attractive but a long way from 5 star.  One day we rented a restored American Army jeep and driver and went to visit some of the tourist areas including the ‘fishing village’, white sand dunes.  While parked at the fishing village 2 police checked the rented jeeps papers and found them not complete.  A 200,000 dong payment, (about $12) settled that.  At the white dunes, Bruce

US army jeep left behind for tourists.

rented a quad runner and went exploring the dunes.  Eva and I considered it too hot out there in the sun for us so we stayed behind.  We then went to the red sand dunes which were less impressive.  Bruce rented a motor bike for 2 days to do some exploring and Eva and I took it easy as we were both under the weather with a cold.
   Monday evening we went to a seafood restaurant for a lovely meal.  Bruce ferried us the 6 km to the restaurant and back on the motor bike, (one at a time). 
   Back in Ho Chi Min city  we spent our last night back at the Duc Vuong Hotel .  The weather was clear so we got to spend some time on the 7th floor terrace.  Wednesday at 8:30 we shared a  taxi to the airport with another couple for our 11:30 am flight to Hong Kong then to Toronto.  Arriving at Pearson Airport we picked up our car at the Park-N-Fly then drove to the nearby Comfort Inn for the night before returning to Belleville Thursday morning, (10 Nov.).

Sunday ,( Thailand), 30 Oct., 2016 (Tour day 10)

  Today was a relatively quiet day.  We left at 8am for the “Largest Jewellery Store in the World”, the Gems Gallery.  We saw a video promoting jewellery then were whisked through the workshop and into a large showroom.  Eva and I attracted a ‘sales representative’ who stuck with us as we browsed with no intention of buying.  Some of the group bought items.

Eva drawing silk thread.

   We then moved on to a silk producing facility.  Unlike the one we saw in China, they spun and wove the silk.  There was a tour of the “plant” area and the group, minus Eva and I, moved to the showroom. We stayed behind and Eva had a chance to try drawing the thread out of the cocoon (something like unravelling a sweater) and I filmed the hand weaving process they use. We then browsed the showroom, but didn’t buy.


   Third stop was at an umbrella manufacturing facility.  These are hand made using bamboo ‘frames’ and generally paper hand made from mulberry tree bark.  They are then hand painted with standard or custom designs.  The showroom had many interesting items, enough to tempt us but not beyond resistance.

Lunch at a small restaurant we like near the hotel.

   Some of the group went off to a ‘Thai Cooking Class’ but us 6 caucasians declined while all 13 African Americans took the class.  Eva and I had lunch then a nap then went to the pool.

   Tomorrow we fly to Bangkok and the next day to Siem Reap, Cambodia.  Probably no posts.

'Long Necked' woman, we bought this hand woven scarf.

Saturday ,( Thailand), 29Oct., 2016 (Tour day 9)
   Another early departure, 7 am, and it’s raining.  Thunder during the night and we were told a couple of days ago the dry season had started.  Buddhist monks depend on the people for everything, even their daily food. There is an area where they go in the morning to beg for food, and give a blessing.  We drove by there but it was raining and we didn’t stop.  We then drove to the area of the Maetaeng Elephant Park Clinic.

A view of the market of the Native People and Hill People

 Nearby several of the hill people and native peoples have set up shops and display their traditional dress. Our guide took us to various representatives and explained their costumes and some of their beliefs and customs.  We then had an opportunity to buy their wares.  The 'Long Necked' women eventually can no longer hold their head up without the rings for support.

   Next we were taken to the 21 year old  Elephant Nature Park.  This facility houses 71 elephants, some 500 rescued dogs, cats, water buffalo and 12 horses.  We learned 1 elephant eats between 200 to 300 kg of vegetable matter daily.  Their oldest elephant is 90 but the 

Dick and 2 others from tour washing elephant

average is about 70 years.  Thailand has about 3000 domestic elephants and about 300 wild ones.  Average height is 2.5 metres and weight is about 3000 kg.  They fed us a nice buffet lunch then took us to the river where we washed elephants by throwing buckets of water over them while they were fed treats of water melon, squash and less popular cucumber.

From the Elephant park we went to the Bai Orchid-Butterfly Farm.  They have a lovely orchid display and gardens and a large butterfly enclosure.  We enjoyed both the orchids and wandering the lush plantings in the butterfly enclosure.  Then it was back to the hotel about 4:30 to enjoy some quiet time.

Friday ,( Thailand), 28 Oct., 2016 (Tour day 8)
  Another early start to the day at 7:30 am., wake up call at 6am  with bags packed and in the hall by 6:30.  The first stop was at Wat Rong Khun, better known as the White Temple in Chiang Rai.  This temple was designed  by Chalermchai Kositpipat, a famous Thai visual artist.  Wat Rong Khun is a unique temple that stands out through the white colour and the use of pieces of glass in the plaster, sparkling in the sun. 

   Then it was on to “Cabbages and Condoms Restaurant” for a brief stop.  There is another one in Bangkok.  They were started by a man who recognized the need in the country for venereal disease and birth control. Intimacy between the sexes was a forbidden toic of conversation socially, so it was impossible to teach about disease and birth control in Thailand.  He sold condoms in his restaurant in packaging that taught about the importance of protection against disease.  He later became minister of health and promoted the program which has resulted in less venereal disease and fewer but better fed and educated children.

  Third stop was at a rice processing plant.  This is very similar to thrashing in Canada but the husk is harder and more difficult to remove.  We learned the whole grains are used domestically and shipped to other countries.  Broke grains are used in other products from congee to the basis for soaps and beauty products.  The husks, high in calcium, are sold for chicken feed.

   Next came a visit to another temple.  This one at the top of the mountain overlooking Chiang Rai. We drove up which took about 15 minutes then took a funicular car to the temple.  Some of the group entered the temple to take pictures and receive a blessing from a monk.  Eva and I did not enter nor did several others.  A short walk from the temple was Chananon Family Jade Company.  We received an excellent talk on jade, the types and some history.  Some of the jade carvers were introduced along with their current projects. We saw one recently finished project using one piece of jade that has 2 colours.  It took 6 months to complete.

   Leaving the facility, with it’s showroom and shop where some of the group bought pieces, we drove down the mountain to our hotel, the Siripanna in Chaing Mai, a lovely hotel where we will stay 2 nights.  Unfortunately it was dark when we arrived so we could not see the gardens well, but the buffet was great.

   It’s been a long day and we don’t feel like working on photos tonight.  Tomorrow stars early again.  We are to be on the road by 7:00am.

Thursday ,( Thailand), 27 Oct., 2016 (Tour day 7)
   Last night was the first of 2 nights at the Dusit Island Resort and we really liked the large room.  The only drawback so far was the 6am wake up and 7:45 departure.  Actually we didn’t really get away until 8 when we walked down to the river and boarded speed boats for a 45 minute ride up river to meet the elephants we were to ride.  The ‘mahout’s’ are paired with their elephant in childhood (the elephant’s, that is,) . 15 of us went for a ride lasting about one hour, 2 passengers per elephant along a well-worn path through  the jungle.

 The rocking gait took some time to get accustomed to and I think it would take a lot of practice before it was no longer  work The elephant in front of the one we were riding definitely does not like pigs.  He became quiet jittery, acting like he wanted to make a hasty departure.  We were on the largest elephant,, at the tail end of the group.  The mahout drove our elephant, who was older and calmer, between the pig and the younger elephant. . Our route took us along a paved road then a dirt road and finally through lush jungle and beside crops of rice and pineapple.  At the end of the trip they took the unusual step of entering the water for a special experience.
 
   We left on the bus then transferred to pick-up trucks to visit a kindergarten where we distributed

cartons of milk and were entertained with song and a recitation of the English alphabet.  The Thai government has set up numerous schools in the outlying areas of the country, where there is a great deal of poverty and few job opportunities.  They are determined that all the children gains a basic education.  These schools are provided free of tuition charges.  The basics of school buildings, teachers, and basic teachings supplies.  The rest is paid for by fundraising by the teachers and parents.  Our group “passed a hat” to help the school.  I have no idea how much was given.

Carrying on in the trucks we went to the Choui Fong Tea plantation for tasting of the green and oolong tea they produce.
   Lunch was at Chiang Sang in a lovely garden setting. It was a buffet with local Thai dishes, (cost 250 baht which seems to be normal).  After lunch we drove to the “Golden Triangle” where Thailand, Burma, (now called Myanmar), and Laos meet on the Mekong River.

 We first visited the Museum of Opium, then boarded a boat to take us across to Laos for a short visit where we were able to purchase and mail post cards back to Canada.  We were also introduced to a unique whisky they produce which has a cobra in each bottle.  We tasted it and it wasn’t bad. They also have one with the penis of a tiger which we didn’t taste.  Then it was time to head back to the hotel arriving after dark, at about 6:45.

   Our tour guide, Kong, keeps on producing treats on the longer segments of the bus rides.  Except for small bananas they are always some special Thai treat such as a bar made of rice, honey and spices.  On the way back to the hotel tonight he had “peppered  eggs.  These eggs are prepared by removing the egg from the shell, putting black pepper and other spices or herbs you might like, shaking the eggs to spread the spices around.  The egg was then returned to the shell and cooked |(I think be roasting).  The eggs were very tasty.

Sunday, ( Malaysia),  23 Oct., 2016 (Tour day 3)
   A tour of Bangkok was the program for today.  We visited a couple of Buddhist temples but were unable to visit the grand palace as it was closed due to the death of the king. We then did a boat tour of one of the canals then transferred to a rice barge converted as a tourist ‘event’.  During the trip down the Chao Phraya we were served a local cocktail and an extensive sampling of various fruits grown in Thailand.

Monday,  ( Malaysia),  24 Oct., 2016  (Tour day 4)
   We boarded a boat with other tour members for a visit to the floating market. Eva bought a beautiful Kimona. We also journeyed to the River Kwai and the site of the famous bridge were some 6000 pow’s died in construction of the railway.  We also visited the cemetery where most are buried and toured the museum.

Tuesday,  ( Malaysia),  25 Oct., 2016 (Tour day 5)

   Another day of visiting ruins of temples, ancient and current.  Although interesting we do not have a great interest in Buddhist temples.  Some of the group went for rickshaw rides in the evening, but we declined.  About t $29 US each, been there, done that.

Wednesday ,( Malaysia), 26 Oct., 2016 (Tour day 6)
 Just an interesting tidbit: Dick is the only male member of this tour group, plus our tour guide.  Our guide has started to call us “Mom” and “Dad.”  Everyone else in the group is traveling with a friend or a group of friends.

   Wake up at 6 am and in the bus at 7:30 am. and headed for Chaing Rai.  We stopped at the Sukhothai Historical park, a UNESCO heritage site.  This is a large temple site and only the brickwork is left, the teak roofs have disappeared in the several hundred years.  It must have been a truly impressive temple. 
   We then carried on to a lovely restaurant for an early and delicious lunch.  Following a long drive we stopped at a large fresh water lake for coffee, then continued on to Dusit Island Resort which will be our base for the next couple of days.

Friday ,( Malaysia), 21 Oct., 2016  -  Bangkok
   When we came downstairs to leave the hotel the lobby was crowded.  Along one wall were seated a row of Buddhist monks.  The staff were setting up a small shrine and they all seemed to be gathered for the ceremony.  We later learned the hotel had requested a service and prayers.
   This morning we walked to a park, about 11 acres, that had a large pond in the middle.  We spoke with a Russian Bangkok resident who told us that you could buy corn and throw it in the lake to attract a lot of turtles and fish.  After enjoying the park for a while we bought a pass on the overhead rail line Buddhist rode to both ends.  This is a really big city with sky scrapers as far as we could see at both ends of the route.  We grabbed some lunch about 2 pm then returned to the hotel.
   In the evening we went shopping for a 32 gb usb stick. The first couple of places wanted 990 baht, (about $39 cdn), although one came down to 600.  I suspected I could get it lower so kept on looking.  Finally we found a camera store that sold us one for 550 baht, ($21 cdn).  We then returned to the local restaurant where we had had lunch and had a light supper.

Saturday ,( Malaysia), 22 Oct., 2016  -  Bangkok
   Big move today from the small hotel ‘On 8' to the large, 4 star, Majestic Grande.  The Majestic is only about 10 minutes walk away but we decided to take a cab, 48 baht, due to the luggage and the poor condition of the sidewalks.  Arriving shortly after 10 am they had a room ready and we are on the 11th floor with a view of the small but lovely salt water pool.  After unpacking we decided to walk to the Lumphini Park, 25 to 30 minutes.  This lovely 144 acre park has a small lake in it where you can rent swan shaped paddle boats. On the shore of the lake we spotted a large lizard, about 5 ft long, enjoying a fish lunch, and 2 or 3 others swimming in the lake and canal.

There are lots of trees, benches, and quiet places to relax.  Heading back we bought lunch at a sidewalk vendor, (cooked while we waited).
   We were both tired and soaked with perspiration when we got back and enjoyed cooling off and relaxing in our air conditioned room.  Then it was time for a refreshing swim in the small but beautiful salt water pool on the 7th floor.  One great feature of this pool is 4 places about 1 ft deep with several bubble jets on the bottom.  You lie in them and it’s like a body  massage.

5;00 PM   Just seeing our first rainfall in Bangkok worth noticing .

Wednesday ,( Malaysia), 19 Oct., 2016  -  Kuala Lumpur to Bangkok
   A day of travel, not particularly exciting.  A taxi picked us up at 8:50 am for a drive of almost an hour to the airport.  Our flight was at 12:20 on a Boeing 737 and was uneventful.  (The fish for lunch on board was tasty.)  Again it was a long drive into the city and our hotel, the ‘On 8' which is located at the end of a little short street, I’ve yet to get my bearings as to where it is in the city.  For dinner we went up the street to what appeared to be a genuine Thai restaurant for a typical meal.

Thursday ,( Malaysia), 20 Oct., 2016  -  Bangkok
   Our first day got off to a late start with a need to do a little laundry.  We then walked to the Subway station, about 15 minutes slow walk, and took the subway to the ‘Thailand Cultural Centre’ station. 

On our way back to the subway we stopped at an ‘open air restaurant’ for lunch.  It was busy with well dressed Thais and we assumed the food was quality and typical, although Eva had some reservations as it was so different. The soups we chose were tasty, but a wee bit on the spicy side despite our attempts to pick something milder.  (Mine was spicier and I picked out several pieces of hot chili peppers.)  By the time we got back to our hotel we were hot, tired, and ready for a shower and a rest.

After a few false starts we found the centre and spent a couple of hours touring their display of the history and culture of Thailand.  This centre was not designed for tourists but for the Thai people themselves.  Every sign was in the Thai language with the Thai alphabet.  The odd little bit was translated.    At the entrance to the centre we watched a video describing the 6 rooms of the exhibit, in Thai with English subtitles. The exhibits were well done, and we enjoyed the freedom the children had to handle some of the exhibits without the usual admonitions to “be quiet,” and “be careful.”




Thought you’d enjoy this sign we saw this morning!

      **** NOTICE **** Send any emails to ebreadner342@ yahoo.ca    Dick has been unable to access his Cogeco account during this trip.

Monday ,( Malaysia), 17 Oct., 2015  -  Kuala Lumpur
   Today we explored the region around the Central Market / Geo Hotel and took a walk to Taman Eko Rimba Eco Park. This wild area in the centre of the city is at the base of the KL Communication Tower where we had dinner on Friday.  We were told they discovered a 2 metre python in the park a couple of years ago.  There are paths throughout the park and an elevated suspension walk.

 Lunch was a familiar sub from a Subway Restaurant.  We also discovered an interesting Museum of Communication which chronicled communication in Malaysia from drums and runners to computers.

  One interesting note about our hotel. Upon entering the elevator we tap our key card to a sensor and our floor is automatically selected.  We cannot get to any other floor.  Also, as in all the hotels so far, when you enter the room you insert your key card in a slot which allows the lights to be turned off.  Removing the card when you leave turns off all the lights after a minute.

Tuesday ,( Malaysia), 18 Oct., 2015  -  Kuala Lumpur
   At 9 am we were picked up in a small van to go on an excursion to view an aboriginal village and visit the Elephant Sanctuary.  After about a 10 minute drive we were transferred to a larger, almost full bus, then taken to an apparently central tour area where people were transferred to the vehicle headed for their tour. Our tour,  with only had 4 of us, wound up in a 15 passenger van.  After about 2 hours of driving, much on a 4 lane divided highway we headed down a 2 lane winding road and drove by ‘the village’, a collection of homes built with bark siding. (There were also simple modern concrete homes beside many of the original ones that are provided free of cost to the poor natives upon application.

   Then it was onto the Elephant Sanctuary.  First stop was a video presentation on the sanctuary and on the capture of wild elephants that due to shrinking jungle begin to invade plantations.  We then went to an area where the juvenile elephants are kept. The opportunity to feed them was offered.  Next stop was a display of some of the training of some adults.  Each elephant has 2 trainers responsible for its training.   These trainers, both men and women, do all of the work of caring for their specific elephants so that the elephants begin to relate to them as family. \in the wild, elephants live in family groupings and find separation very stressful.  There was then an opportunity to hand feed them atermelon chunks.  The elephants were then taken to the river for a bath and photo opportunity.

  A highlight of the trip was to get in the river with a baby elephant (up to about 5 years old)  and wash and splash.  Eva came out all wet and I got some great photos and video.  Back in the van we got back to the hotel about 5:30 pm.

Wednesday ,( Malaysia), 19 Oct., 2015  -  Kuala Lumpur to Bangkok
   A day of travel, not particularly exciting.  A taxi picked us up at 8:50 am for a drive of almost an hour to the airport.  Our flight was at 12:20 on a Boeing 737 and was uneventful.  (The fish for lunch on board was tasty.)  Again it was a long drive into the city and our hotel, the ‘On 8' which is located at the end of a little short street, I’ve yet to get my bearings as to where it is in the city.  For dinner we went up the street to what appeared to be a genuine Thai restaurant for a typical meal.

The 272 steps to enter the cave

These are the steps inside the cave leading to the higher level.

xSunday ,( Malaysia), 16 Oct., 2015  -  Kuala Lumpur
   Three of us on the main tour decided to take the Batu Cave excursion extra. Some of the others were heading home too early today to do this. Lance, Eva and I were picked up at 9 am in a Toyota Innova, comfortable for 5 people with 2 jump seats in back.  The cave were already busy when we arrived and the 272 steps leading up to it looked daunting.  However, up we went.  Also climbing were several men and women carrying buckets of gravel.  I believe this was some sort of penitence, and the gravel was of a size that would be useful in the construction at the top.  The fee for a bucket was 5 ringgits and many had 2 buckets. There was also one man climbing on his knees.  The large cave at the top had several statues around the edges, and several steps down to a large main floor with a shrine and worshippers.  Then another set of steps up to a higher level, which Eva declined to climb, 350 steps up all told. There was a shrine with several worshippers on this higher level.

   Leaving the Batu Cave we went to the Royal Selangor pewter factory, the largest pewter factory in the world.  A company guide took us through their display of their history and several stations where different operations in the manufacture of pewter items were demonstrated. I even got to try one, hammering in a design. I’m not very good.  Next was the sales area with hundreds of items on display ranging from150 ringgits, ($50 cdn) to over 5000 ringgits.  All very beautiful but nothing really caught our eye.  (Eva: Not so, a lot of things caught my eye.  I just resisted temptation)

Dick in front of the pewter factory

  Our third stop of the morning was at a batik painting workshop.  We were able to watch the artisans painting the free- hand designs on the fabric.  Each piece is unique and they are very beautiful.  Again we had an opportunity to buy which we declined.

Laying out the design.  Each piece is unique.

Painting the batique.

   Our driver then dropped Lance at the Renaissance Hotel were we had stayed with the tour, then he brought us to the Geo Hotel where we will stay until we head for Bangkok on Wed. The Renaissance is a 4 ½ star Marriott hotel, the Geo, is possibly 3 star.  (The room is clean, but crowded, the king size bed is comfortable, and the bathroom is about as small as they could make it. The shower is part of the whole, the water floods the floor in front of the sink & toilet.   But for $38 night with breakfast, what can you expect?)  The Geo Hotel is on the edge of Chinatown, across the street from the central market and within walking distance of the KL Tower and the Petronas twin towers.  A good location.

Saturday ,( Malaysia), 15 Oct., 2015  -  Kuala Lumpur
   We toured Kuala Lumpur today.  The twin Petronas Towers are very impressive, the tallest twin towers in the world. |(In the evening Dick walked over to them to purchase a snack.  The mall between them is multi level and boasts all kinds of shops from designer brands to 2 supermarkets.)  We stopped at the Royal Palace but were not able to enter as the king was in residence, (indicated by a yellow flag flying). 

A very interesting stop was at the national mosque.   The roof line and minaret are unusual.   The roof is a an open umbrella , and the top of the minaret is intended to represent an up-side-down close umbrella.

Eva had to don a long robe and traditional head covering.  There was a wedding in progress in one area of the prayer area  we were not allowed to enter as non-Muslims. {Eva: I learned here that, as with ladies hats, etc. for women, so is the dress of Muslim women.  Our tour guide is a |Muslim.  In Malaysia, it is entirely up to the womenn whether or not they wear the traditional head wear on the street.  However, in the Mosque, most do wear a the head covering.}. 

We stopped at the Central Market, (very close to the GEO Hotel where we will be moving on Sunday).  This large market has hundreds of small stalls, somewhat similar to ones we have seen in other countries or the ‘Pacific Mall’ in Markham, Ont.  We will probably write more on this market in a day or two.
   Heading back to the hotel we stopped at a restaurant across the street for a delicious Asian lunch at a restaurant

Friday ,( Malaysia), 14 Oct., 2015  -  Penang to Kuala Lumpur
   We left the mainly island state of Penang at 8:30 this morning. A lot of travelling. On the way out of George Town we stopped at Chew Jetty, a UNESCO site, referred to as a floating village it is actually built on stilts over the water and was often the second place were immigrating Chinese lived after spending their first two weeks in a clan house.
   Lunch was at a rest stop beside the highway.  Eva and I each had a ‘hamburger’, a disgrace to the name.  We followed this up sharing’ which was like a 3 inch diameter dumpling with a savoury filling, and an iced tea.  Very tasty.
   We arrived at the Renissance Hotel about  4 pm and I, (Dick), spent the next hour trying to figure out how to turn the lights on and off and to get a ‘key card’ that would work in the door. I finally got help from hotel staff who showed me their central control box on the bed side table.  I’ve never seen anything like it in or out of a hotel.
   For supper we went to the KL tower and it’s revolving restaurant, the ‘Atmosphere 360', at approximately 1000 ft. high.  It was a truly fabulous buffet. On the way back from the tower we stopped briefly for photos of the twin towers at night.

Tuesday,( Malaysia), 11 Oct., 2015
We had a long bus ride today starting at 8:55 am for a drive to Cameron Highlands.  This area is much higher, some 3000 feet, and much cooler. The first part of the drive was on a modern 4 lane tole highway.  Minor rest stops were available every 15 to 20 minutes and major ones with food available every hour.  We had lunch at one of the biggest that boasted a |KFC, Baskin Robins, and Dunkin Donuts as well as several Malaysian food vendors.  Lunch cost 17 ringgits,  about $6 Canadian and included deep fried chicken, rice, lettuce and a large beverage.
   Leaving the main highway we started uphill on a 2 lane highway and as we neared our destination we stopped at the Lakehouse Hotel for ‘high tea’ which included an assortment of sandwiches, cakes, and fruit.  This was late enough in the afternoon that neither Eva nor I found we wanted supper later.  We stopped for a bit of shopping at a small town in the highlands then on to the Strawberry Park Resort for a 2 night stay.  Our room at Strawberry Park is in building D and is huge, about 24 x 35 ft, including a monster bathroom.  We have a balcony overlooking dense jungle.  Despite not doing a lot we were very tired and went to bed about 9:30 pm.

Wednesday ,( Malaysia), 12 Oct., 2015  - Cameron Heights to Penang
   Leaving our hotel was a bit of a challenge for our bus driver.  A short distance from the hotel was a 180 degree switchback turn that took 2 reverses to get the bus around the corner.

The first stop was at the Sam Poh Tong temple which is inside a natural limestone cave.  Accessed from the back of the temple is an open shaft perhaps 100 ft. deep with an enclosure holding over 100 tortoises up to almost 2 ft. long.

 

 Continuing on to the Ubudiyah Mosque, the largest Mosque in Malaysia, we could not enter as it was a prayer time.  However, the many golden domes and the architecture were very beautiful.


 This town, called Kalua is what the Malay call a “Royal Town”.  In other words, the town in which the Sultan of the state has his palace.  This particular sate actually has 3 royal families, each ruling in turn, for 5 years at a time. 
Malaysia is a kingdom, not a republic.  When is was unified into a nation, the Sultan’s of the various staates realized that armed conflict for power was threatened, and agreed to take turns ruling the entire country for 5 year terms, with the title of “King of Malaysia” but also maintaining their title of “Sultan” of the smaller individual states.  The system has worked very well.  Malaysia is democratic in that they elect a Prime Minister, a senate and a House of Representatives, copying the British system.  The elected politicians serve for 5-year terms.

   The bridge to Penang is 13.5 km and has 2 lanes each way with a lane each way for motorcycles. This is the only area with a toll for motorcycles, 0.5 ringgits for riding in the lanes for larger vehicles.

   After getting settled, at 7 pm we headed out to the Golden Thai Seafood village for dinner. This was a set menu with several large platters on the table from which we helped ourselves.  After dinner we strolled through the ‘Night Market’, but didn’t see anything that caught our eye.

Thursday ,( Malaysia), 13 Oct., 2015  -  Penang
   Penang is mainly an island of 2855 sq. Km with 1200 sq. km. on the mainland.  The capital is George Town.

    Our morning started with a visit to the Kek Lok Si Buddhist temple which was originally scheduled yesterday.  The temple dates from1893 and was supported by the consular representative of China in Penang.
   Next stop was a visit to the Khoo family clan house and temple.  These clan houses were set up to assist immigrants of the particular family when they first arrived and as needs arose. They are supported by successful members of the family clan and are made up of people with the same family name, in this case, Khoo. 
   A visit and tour of Pinang Peranakan Mansion, formerly a private home and now a museum, followed.  A guide showed us through the mansion and pointed out many ancient and historically interesting items and customs. 
   Lunch was obtained at an Asian version of a food court.  Eva and I shared a bowl of  ‘Fish Ball Soup’ and a fruit drink for lunch, 11 ringgits, (about $4 cdn).  Some of the group took a walking tour of ‘Little India’, but we were getting tired and headed to the bus to wait for them.

   Before we returned to the hotel we had a quick visit to St. George Anglican Church.

   After arriving back at the hotel for a short rest we changed into bathing suits and headed to the beach behind the hotel. Unfortunately there were so many shells in the sand as we entered the water, we decided to forgo an ocean swim and went up to the hotel’s outdoor pool.
   We went out of the hotel for dinner and found a restaurant where we chose the items to go into our soup and they then cooked it for us. It was very good.

Sunday, (Malaysia), 9 Oct., 2016 - Malacca, Malaysia\
 Wake up was 5 am to be ready for 6 am breakfast and 7 am departure for Malaysia. The island/city State of Singapore is only ‘1 marathon by ½ marathon’, (42 miles by 21 miles), so it didn’t take long to reach the boarder.  We had get off the buss to go through ‘exit immigration’ which happily went very fast but our guide told us it has on occasion  taken several hours.  We then reboarded to drive across a long bridge to Malaysia, get off the bus and go through immigration then board a different buss with a different guide, Mr. King.  The trip to Melacca, (or Melaka, both are correct), took about 3hours.
   We were early due to the fast trip through immigration so on the way we stopped at a rubber plantation and saw how the trees are tapped for latex.  Across the road was an oil palm plantation and our guide explained the collection to the fruit from which palm oil is extracted. Malaysia produces about 51% of the world’s palm oil.

Our guide, Mr. King,shows us rubber tree seeds. Cup for collecting sap is on the tree beside him.

Ripe seeds on an 'Oil Palm'.  These are pressed to extract the oil.  This is one of the newly developed trees that are not as tall and therefore easier to harvest the seeds.

    Next stop was our hotel, Casa del Rio on the Malacca River Sr.  Due to late check outs our rooms were not ready so we had lunch then went on a walking tour. First stop was the Baba & Nyonya Heritage Museum.  This is a combination of 3 homes owned by the same Chinese family who moved out during the Japanese occupation and later turned the homes into a museum, We then visited the oldest Chinese temple in Malaysian, the Cheng Hoon Temple, which houses the 3 major doctrines, Taoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism.

Years ago Chinese women with the smallest feet were considered the most beautiful so children's feet were bound and forced not to grow.  This is an actual shoe made for one of these women.

   One of the things I found very interesting was the decorations of the many trishaws.  You can see in the photos how elaborate they are.  Cost to rent one is about 40 ringitts per hour, ($10 US).

  We then took the bus to a still occupied Malay home for tea.  Actually, tea, coffee, and typical sweet snacks. 
   It was then back on the bus to travel to the rivers docks for a cruise on the Melaka River to our hotel where we disembarked and finally checked in at about 7:00 pm.
      Have a good day........................  Eva and Dick

Friday, 7 Oct. 2016 - Singapore
   We woke early, about 4:30 am.  Still not time adjusted. It was raining and continued past noon.  The included buffet breakfast was great with both local and western cuisine.  We both ate a large breakfast, figuring on a light lunch. 
   At 9 am we boarded the bus and headed for the National Orchid Garden.  By this time the rain was quite light and it was only later we needed an umbrella.  The garden hosts over 1000 species with 2000 hybrids and their program began in1928.  This garden hosts the largest display of orchids in the world and is 1 of 3gardens in the world that ate UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

   Next was a short cruise on a bumboat on the Singapore River.  This is a fresh water river and the source of drinking water for the city. Therefore only electrically powered boats are allowed.  The boats, former garbage scows, have all been converted and put to use servicing tourists.

   We then went by bus to the Thian Hock Keng Temple in Chinatown which features both Buddhist and a Taoist Temple.  I found it interesting that it was originally built on the shoreline but due to land fill, it now faces a busy street with shops on the other side.
   We met again at 5pm and after a beverage in the lobby we went for a ride in a trishaw for about 30 minutes.  These vehicles are propelled by a bicycle beside the passengers.

 From there it was on to the famous Raffles Hotel and the ‘Long Bar’ for a Singapore Sling in the place where they were first invented so ladies could enjoy an alcoholic beverage in public that didn’t look naughty.  Then it was off to the dining room at the Raffles Hotel for a delicious buffet dinner of Indian cuisine.  After dinner we explored the public areas of the hotel until it was time to return to our “Hotel Jen”.

Have a good day.     Eva and Dick

|It’s 6 pm on Oct. 6 in Singapore, 6 am in Belleville.  We made all our connections with no trouble and even got to sleep on the 15 hour flight to Hong Kong.  1'st thing we did when we checked in was crash for 3hours.  We meet with our tour director tomorrow morning.  We are in the lovely Hotel Jen and just got back from a short walk about to get an idea of the area.  During the flight to Hong Kong, which left at 1:45 am, the cabin lights were turned off almost the whole flight.  The 300+ passenger plane from Hong Kong to Singapore was less than ½ full.
      |Have a great day.    ...........................  Dick and Eva

QUICK CORRECTION/UPDATE
In the post on 30 Sept. I gave the web site to see our 'Singapore/Malaysia tour'.  The one that comes up shows the revised itinerary for 2017.  Make sure you go to the 2016 tour. 

We’re off again. This time it’s a 5 week trip beginning in Singapore, then Malaysia, Taiwan, Cambodia, ending in Vietnam.  Tuesday, 4 Oct., we are going to Toronto and will have dinner with Cathy Brian and Deborah.  We catch a Cathay Pacific flight at 1:45 am on 5 Oct. for Hong Kong, (15 hours), a 3 hour layover, then 3 hours to Singapore arriving at 11:45 am on 6 Oct.

    Most of our travel is with ‘Go Ahead Torus’. The first part of our schedule begins in Singapore, (see goaheadtours.ca/sam), and ends in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.  We are not taking the tour extension to Bali, Indonesia. 
    We are then on our own for 3 days in Kuala Lumpur then we fly to Bangkok, Thailand were we spend 3 days before joining another Go Ahead Tour of Thailand and Cambodia, (see goaheadtours.ca/tai).  This time we take the extension to Siem Reap, Cambodia. 
    Instead of returning to Bangkok to fly home, we leave the group at Siem Reap and fly to Ho Chi Min City, Vietnam, (formerly Saigon).  Our son Bruce is vacationing in Vietnam and well meet us at the airport in Ho Chi Min City as he arrives from Hanoi 20 minutes after we do.  We spend 3 nights in Ho Chi Min then go up the coast to the beach area at Mui Ne for 3 nights.  We then return to Ho Chi Min for one night then fly back to Canada via Hong Kong, again about 21 hours traveling arriving about 8pm.  In Toronto we will go to a hotel for the night before driving home.

I will try to keep this up to date but much will depend on internet access.  So long for now and check back again in a few days.   .....................   Dick

I've been a bad boy and not posted for too long.  To quickly bring things up to date, in the spring of 2015 Eva and I took a 15 day trip to China.  There were 10 days on a bus tour then 5 cay cruise on the Yantze River.  The hotels were first class and the cruise ship comfortable.  Meals were great.