Peace.

World Peace Pagoda, Pokhara.

                             

It wasn't easy getting up the Pagoda, so unfit I was that afternoon. I had hired a driver for the day and this was our last spot to visit.

The view all around was breathtaking.

I stayed for a good hour - resting, soaking in the views, even managed a short nap because it was quite peaceful and breezy (there was a small group of noisy tourists, grrr! felt like smacking the back of their heads).

Next time maybe I'll try the route from the lake.

Conquer Your Fear

(Random post. Cooked dinner today but no one is hungry so I am protesting by way of doing my own thing in my room, LOL).

Today I had one of those extended conversations with a friend which started from me wanting to borrow some stuff instead of buying it (cheapskate mode on).

Eventually we got to talking about personal fears and all that shit.

In my case, it was definitely scuba diving.

I have been postponing it over and over again since my first trip to Mabul in 2009 .... or was it 2010?

I got reminded of so many excuses that I made up:

So hard to decide between PADI and SSI.
Didn't want to do it in KK (despite this being the most convenient!)
What about my contacts?
I heard the instructors can be harsh.
Expensive lah!
No time lah, got classes to attend then two days practical. Mehh.
Can't really swim (major excuse). Oh well.
I have nothing to wear! (seriously)

So you see, those are my excuses why.

Truthfully, I was just consumed with fear.

I finally kicked myself in the ass last December when we did Project 12.12.12. The underwater world in Mabul knocked me off my feet and pedestal and I cursed myself for NOT even trying!

So, I made sure that before 2013 ended, I will need to get that certification.

No more fc*king excuses.

Typical me this got dragged till very late (too much work, travelling, clashing dates etc etc etc).

The perfect opportunity (time, resources, my own guts) finally presented itself in November, and I found myself not having any more excuses.

This was it.

DO or DIE. (well, not really ... but you get the idea)

And I went ahead determined not to let myself down.

And hey I did it!

F*cking unbelievable I did it.

So happy!
Now I need to get more dives logged this year so that I can prepare myself for destinations that offer diving and I won't be the sore loser who only snorkels at the shallow waters. Pfffttt!

Actually the point of this post is that, to my friend particularly, if I can, you can too.

I may be the biggest chicken you'll ever meet so, thing is, you can do it just like I did, maybe better.

Face your fears. I still have many demons I need to exorcise.

One day at a time.

Twenty Thirteen : Some Reflections

Confession: I am no longer familiar with how to post pictures properly here. So here goes some random travel pictures that could be posted and not remain stubbornly stuck in the folder. My laptop revived itself (hurrah!) and I was pleasantly surprised everything is still intact (I think!). 

Hopefully I'll be in the mood to write more here. The only thing is ... my pictures are saved all over the place, here there and a little bit of everything everywhere else. Yupp - it's a holy mess. 

Highlights? Oh, there are so many!

El Nido.

Beautiful and peaceful.

Waters so clear they made me gasp at every turn.

Islands so gorgeous I wish I could buy one. I want to see you again.

Batanes for its heartbreaking natural beauty. 

Vivid, fresh, a burst of sunshine. Beautiful people.

Not forgetting super typhoon Usagi and C130.

Nepal, all its quirky unexpected charms.

Mountains and ranges that made me feel tiny, in awe of His creation.

Its people. Its villages. 

Oh Kathmandu, you hot, dusty, noisy, messy city! Do I love thee or hate thee? I am undecided but veering towards liking it, in some mad, strange way. I promised to return.

Myanmar, chaotic and romantic at the same time. There is orderliness that's hidden beneath the surface of seeming madness. It's fast becoming rather touristy, and there may no longer be too many less-travelled, unbeaten paths soon. I'd like to be wrong on this. 

Georgetown holds a special fort in my heart, for years I have fallen for its old town charm and heritage. My old soul settles into its vibes effortlessly. And the food! oh, I'd walk miles!

The like-minded people I've met along the way, who don't even blink hearing the funniest or weirdest travel experiences on the road. We laughed too much at seemingly unbelievable true stories. May your travels be safe with your guardian angels, and your journeys add to the beautiful memories.

I have been quite successful in travelling light I deserve a pat in the back (here you go). Less is more. 

A toast:

Here's to more stories soon!

and...

to more travels in 2014!

It's a lighthouse! Basco. 

Padaung ("long necks") weavers at Inle Lake. Fascinating how they preserve this culture.

Trying out winter woolies in Thamel. 

Le Maison Bleu, Georgetown. Finally here after years and years!

With a Llama girl, Rina at Patan Square, Kathmandu. 

If I had 30 million dollars I'd buy this island off El Nido. It already has a chapel and some buildings.

A Gorgeous day in Batanes! Fell in love with the place.

Reclining Buddha at the temple in Yangon. Cannot recall the name.

'Holy man' at the World Peace Pagoda, Pokhara. I huffed and puffed all the way up. The day was beautiful. 

Horse cart day in Bagan.  Bumpy and almost got thrown off a few times. We laughed but it was scary too.The next day we got on electric bikes on a grand day out all around town.

Sunset at the other side of Bagan's famous temple. We decided to avoid the crowd and spent time here in peace.

Obligatory shot - Le Maison Bleu, Georgetown. I love old tiles!

GONE GIRL - A Bucket List Update

I've been away because .... my laptop is broken and I haven't got it fixed. *bad bad me*

Anyway, Sunday morning - happy days because Arsenal won last night yippee! So I was energised to go online (when I am supposed to be doing some work on this borrowed laptop actually, haha) and do some updating to this list.

Will have to get my laptop fixed soon!

ORIGINAL LIST

1. Mabul. Sipadan. 15 dives to go before Sipadan.

2. Tawau. Sandakan. 

3. Learn to cook the perfect nasi lemak. DROPPED. I cook freestyle, no fast rules so perfection is out.

4. Read all Bryson. Have read all his travel books and others.

5. Touch the stones of Borobudur

6. Touch the stones of Angkor Wat

7. Thaipusam at Batu Caves

8. Jason Mraz LIVE!

9. Run a (half) marathon. Have ran in two events (11K and 10K) so far.

10. Travel solo.

11. Backpack travelling.

12. Learn a foreign language.

13. Get rid of credit card debt. 

14. Healthy Eating. Ongoing, with the occasional relapse :P

15. Get Fit. Ongoing, albeit rather slow, I have 1000 excuses sometimes.

16. Write a column. or a Book. I wrote a short advertorial and it came out in a magazine.  

17. RWMF, Kuching

18. Read daily. 50 books in a year. Didn't really keep track last year, so I am re-starting a new count for 2010.

20. Learn to play the guitar - at least one song! My ukulele needs to be hugged.

21. London 2012. Didn't happen. Maybe next year. B/F to next list.

22. Sew something. I think this may be too ambitious? DROPPED. I tried. I have no talent.

23. Grow own vegetables. 

24. Step foot in all Malaysian states. 1 left - Perlis!

25. Borneo overland trip. Done KK to Brunei via Lawas. Wanna do KK Kuching !

26. Volunteer. When? 

27. Go green - recycle. reduce. reuse. Trying.

28. Take one photograph a day. Some days more than one to make up for what I missed. Even if it's just my own face. Haha. 

29. See Jason LIVE again. What I'd give for this! 

BUCKET LIST PART DEUX 

1. Up close and personal with endangered animals - Bornean elephant, orang utan and Sumatra rhinoceros. DONE, Christmas 2011.

2. Helicopter ride. DONE, Christmas 2011. 

3. Float in the Dead Sea. DONE. July 2010.

4. Taj Mahal. DONE, July 2011.

5. Parasailing.

6. Paragliding. DONE. Pokhara, August 2013.

7. Rock Climbing. Technically DONE, April 2013. But I need to do this again outdoors.

8. Open Water Diving Certification - DONE DONE DONE, yeay! So proud of myself! November 2013.

9. Palawan - DONE. July 2013.

10. Nepal - DONE. August 2013. I will be back, I know :) I left my heart there.

11. Turkiye. Istanbul. - DONE. Nov 2012

12. Morocco.

13. Barcelona.

14. Kimchi country. Eat authentic bibimbap. (planning)

15. One foreign run. Singapore does not count, too near. Istanbul Marathon (category : 16km) Nov 2012.

16. A full marathon. A medal. A finisher tee - this almost killed me! :) DONE. PBIM 2012.

17. London. I'll throw in Dublin for Guinness.

18. Eat at a Michelin rated place - Tim Ho Wan, Hong Kong. July 2012.

19. Hot air balloon - Cappadocia, Turkey. Nov 2012.

NEW ADDITIONS 2013

1. Trail Run.

2. Sri Lanka; Ceylon; Serendip. Adam's Peak. Train ride. (planning)

3. Mount Fuji. (planning)

4. Train from BKK to CNX. (planning)

5. Amsterdam and happy herbs. Haha!

6. The North Face Run. At least one.

7. Batanes. DONE, September 2013. What an AWESOME place! Superstorm Usagi and a ride on c130 thrown in. 

8. The Holy Land. Jerusalem.

9. River Cottage.

10. Sabbatical - 2 months backpacking Europe. Or anywhere, really. I'm opting for a flexible plan.

11. Fruit picking vacation ! Just for the fun of it.

12. Egypt. (why did I not have this on the list before?)

13. Machu Picchu. Galapagos. Christ The Redeemer. oh, too many places in South and Central America.

14. Myanmar. DONE, unexpectedly October 2013.

DREAMS 2014 - TRAVEL

1. Makassar

2. Flores, Timor Leste.

3. Somewhere in China, not the cities.

4. Bhutan, Tibet.

5. Kolkata and onwards, India.

6. PEARL JAM CONCERT. Oh God, Eddie please come to Asia somewhere!

7. Trans-Siberian Railway. Mongolia. Beijing. Big dream this one.

8. Santiago de Compostela. yes.

Turkiye - an album. unsorted.

Finally.

Yes. I finally transferred some of my travel pictures from my camera. Another camera to go, maybe er, much later. I'm quite free for a while hence this post :)

Some of my favourite pictures, in no particular order. I don't know how to arrange the pictures anymore :p

Traditional Turkish Coffee at Ethem Tezcakar, Grand Bazaar. This was after spending hours happily getting lost in the market.

Fried mussels. So yummy! I love this stuff.

Beautiful mosaic in the AyaSofya. 

This is a super cat. Nuff said.

Pamukkale. Amidst the mist and steam. 

The medal was so big! I was so so tired after the run. 

The bestest Turkish delight - we tried quite a lot. Mhhhmmmmmm, I can imagine munching them now.. 

Up Up Up! Cappadocia was such an experience. 

I walked back to the Galata Bridge to eat this again - balik ekmek or fish sandwich. My last lunch in Istanbul.  

Tram on Istiklal Street - didn't manage to ride this. Too busy looking and watching. 

This sight greeted me every day as I return from the tram stop. Breathtaking.

New friends and fellow travellers, happy hour at Selcuk- Ben and Massimo from Milan, working in London. And Dave from New York. He escaped Sandy.

Selcuk morning - beautiful beautiful skies! 

Ilhara Valley - this place humbled me even more. 

A Weed You Have Become

One year from now.

I hope I've made up my mind properly and rationally, and have a grand plan in place for a sabbatical.

At least a month. Ideally two months. Three would be great, or maybe too much?

"A weed is a plant that has mastered every survival skill 

except for learning how to grow in rows." - Doug Larson 

My lappy is broken, just as I feel like blogging again.

This is how the Universe is testing me. 

Oh, really?

x

A weed.

Pamukkale Dreaming

It's Saturday, and I was having a short siesta after spending most of the morning reading.

I awoke to the thought of a sauna bath (!), probably because in the last chapter of the travel book that I was reading, the author was describing her experiences in Pamukkale.

November 2012 - I remember arriving Pamukkale on a cold, wet morning on the overnight bus from Cappadoccia. Arriving at the travel agency to get some information, there was an annoying and quite entertaining trio from Mumbai who  could not seem to decide what they want to do. The lady especially couldn't stop yakking. Pahh - woman!

I bought the day trip package as well as the bus ticket onward to Selcuk, as did most of us who were travelling that day. The Mumbai trio was indecisive, in the end we all chipped in and suggested they go stay in Ephesus instead. We smiled knowingly like conspirators, we could do without them - too noisy :-)

Anyway, we headed on to Karahayit (the hot spring water tasted like blood. Metallic. Heavy on the tongue), then to Necropolis and Hierapolis, then we braved the rain and cold breeze to walk down the grey-white cotton castles to our lunch venue. Oh, had I mentioned it was drizzling the whole time?

The grey-white cliffs were amazing. I could not describe it. It seems to be this huge white hillside cauldron out of nowhere. Coupled with the mist and the steam from the hot spring water gushing from the earth, it was magical. Truly surreal.

If I had fallen asleep and woken up to the sight of the hill I'd say it's a dream.

At the restaurant, lunch was devoured first in silence - as all of us were starving after being exposed to the cold. Then we picked up pace and ate and ate; the food was lovely and comforting, and a few dishes were already familiar. I really liked some of the stews and soups.

Returning to the hotel later, I was half soaked, and requested to use the washroom to change. Although I was not a guest, they were so kind to direct me to the hot sauna room, which I happily used all on my own. After a relaxing hot bath later, I was nice and warm in dry clothes, ready for our onward bus. I slept most of the journey.

I was woken up as it got dark and we were almost in Selcuk. I did not have any reservations or a solid plan.

I was going to wing it again. Hey, far more fun than having everything in place :)

Hello ! The Bucket List Rises Again

The cobwebs must be thick and all over the place on this little blog of mine :-) 

I was reading some stuff over the past weekends and felt inspired enough to update The Bucket List. Perhaps, I might even bring myself to blog again soon.

ORIGINAL LIST

1. Mabul. Sipadan. 

2. Tawau. Sandakan. 

3. Learn to cook the perfect nasi lemak.

4. Read all Bryson. Have read all his travel books and others.

5. Touch the stones of Borobudur

6. Touch the stones of Angkor Wat

7. Thaipusam at Batu Caves

8. Jason Mraz LIVE!

9. Run a (half) marathon. Have ran in two events (11K and 10K) so far.

10. Travel solo.

11. Backpack travelling.

12. Learn a foreign language.

13. Get rid of credit card debt. 

14. Healthy Eating. Ongoing, with the occasional relapse :P

15. Get Fit. Ongoing, albeit rather slow, I have 1000 excuses sometimes.

16. Write a column. or a Book. I wrote a short advertorial and it came out in a magazine.  

17. RWMF, Kuching

18. Read daily. 50 books in a year. Didn't really keep track last year, so I am re-starting a new count for 2010.

20. Learn to play the guitar - at least one song! My ukulele needs to be hugged.

21. London 2012. Didn't happen. Maybe next year.

22. Sew something. I think this may be too ambitious?

23. Grow own vegetables. 

24. Step foot in all Malaysian states. 1 left - Perlis!

25. Borneo overland trip. Done KK to Brunei via Lawas. 

26. Volunteer. When? 

27. Go green - recycle. reduce. reuse. Trying.

28. Take one photograph a day. Some days more than one to make up for what I missed. Even if it's just my own face. Haha. 

29. See Jason LIVE again. What I'd give for this! 

BUCKET LIST PART DEUX 

1. Up close and personal with endangered animals - Bornean elephant, orang utan and Sumatra rhinoceros. DONE, Christmas of 2011.

2. Helicopter ride. DONE, Christmas of 2011. 

3. Float in the Dead Sea. DONE. July 2010.

4. Taj Mahal. DONE, July 2011.

5. Parasailing.

6. Paragliding.

7. Rock Climbing.

8. OW diving - Did Discover Scuba Dive in Semporna Dec, 2012. No OWC yet!

9. Palawan - soon.

10. Nepal - soon.

11. Turkiye. Istanbul. - DONE, Nov 2012

12. Morocco.

13. Barcelona.

14. Kimchi country. Eat authentic bibimbap.

15. One foreign run. Singapore does not count, too near. Istanbul Marathon (category : 16km) Nov 2012.

16. A full marathon. A medal. A finisher tee - this almost killed me! :) DONE. PBIM 2012.

17. London again. maybe.

18. Eat at a Michelin rated place - Tim Ho Wan, Hong Kong. July 2012.

19. Hot air balloon - Cappadocia, Turkey. Nov 2012.

NEW ADDITIONS 2013

1. Trail Run.

2. Sri Lanka; Ceylon; Serendip. Adam's Peak. Train ride.

3. Mount Fuji.

4. Train from BKK to CNX.

5. Amsterdam and happy herbs. Haha!

6. The North Face Run. At least one.

7. Batanes.

8. The Holy Land. Jerusalem.

9. River Cottage.

10. Sabbatical - 2 months backpacking Europe.

11. Fruit picking vacation ! :-)

12. Egypt. (why did I not have this on the list before?)

13. Machu Picchu. Galapagos. Christ The Redeemer. oh, too many places in South and Latin America.

Updated : Bucket List

I am revisiting my Life List today :) It's been left too long.

From today on I'll call it My Bucket List because that's essentially what it is. I have drawn up another list Bucket List Part Deux:-

1. Mabul. Sipadan. When? Need to get my OW. Maybe not necessarily Sipadan.

2. Tawau. Sandakan. 

3. Learn to cook the perfect nasi lemak. When? Not perfected yet.

4. Read all Bryson. Have read all his travel books except for African Diary, which I have yet to find in any bookstores.

5. Touch the stones of Borobudur

6. Touch the stones of Angkor Wat

7. Thaipusam at Batu Caves

8. Jason Mraz LIVE!

9. Run a (half) marathon. Have ran in two events (11K and 10K) so far. Have committed to take part in at least four in 2010.

10. Travel solo.

11. Backpack travelling.

12. Learn a foreign language. I know some Spanish words :) Hmmm.

13. Get rid of credit card debt. Using the Snowball method. Cut down to two.

14. Healthy Eating. Ongoing, with the occasional relapse :P

15. Get Fit. Ongoing, albeit rather slow, I have 1000 excuses sometimes.

16. Write a column. or a Book. I wrote a short advertorial and it came out in a magazine. Hmm, does that count? I got paid for 2 articles so, yes!

17. RWMF, Kuching

18. Read daily. 50 books in a year. Didn't really keep track last year, so I am re-starting a new count for 2010. To date, am on my 12th book.

20. Learn to play the guitar - at least one song! Need to find a guru. Bought an Uke, still learning!

21. London 2012. Hope floats. Postponed.

22. Sew something. When? I think this may be too ambitious? :p

23. Grow own vegetables. When? Cili padi can?

24. Step foot in all Malaysian states. 4 left. 1 left - Perlis!

25. Borneo overland trip. Done KK to Brunei via Lawas. One day, KK to Kuching and maybe onwards to Pontianak. Maybe.

26. Volunteer. When? 

27. Go green - recycle. reduce. reuse. Trying.

28. Take one photograph a day. Some days more than one to make up for what I missed. Even if it's just my own face. Haha. Done. After a while, no can do, I realised I am not that vain :) 

29. See Jason LIVE again. What I'd give for this! Went to his concert Oct 2011 and June 2012. YEAY!

BUCKET LIST PART DEUX (this was recorded in my notebook, where various other lists reside and grow and get struck off every now and then).

1. Up close and personal with endangered animals - Bornean elephant, orang utan and Sumatra rhinoceros. DONE, Christmas of 2011. Best Ever.

2. Helicopter ride. DONE, Christmas of 2011. Best Ever.

3. Float in the Dead Sea. DONE. July 2010.

4. Taj Mahal. DONE, July 2011.

5. Parasailing.

6. Paragliding.

7. Rock Climbing.

8. OW diving.

9. Palawan.

10. Nepal.

11. Turkiye. Istanbul.

12. Morocco.

13. Barcelona.

14. Kimchi country. Eat authentic bibimbap.

15. One foreign run/race. Singapore does not count, too near :p

16. A full marathon. A medal. A finisher tee.

17. London again. maybe.

18. Eat at a Michelin rated place.

19. Hot air balloon.

..... and maybe a few more additions. When I get some inspiration.

Bitter Tea

Have you ever tried Wong Lo Kat herbal tea?

It's a bitter-tasting tea, which helps to reduce heatiness in the body.

I like the taste. Acquired, for sure.

This bowl costs RM1.30 I think, at the outlet in Petaling Street.

Daytripping : Kedah Darul Aman

Remember my bucket list item - to go to all states in Malaysia?

After a long break from domestic travels, I finally got the time and opportunity to visit Kedah recently, it was only a 'day-trip' though.

Initially I had planned to go to two places - Alor Setar and Sg Petani - but in the end I decided to only visit the former as I had not much faith in the bus schedule and also worried I might not make it back to KL on time.

I boarded the north bound overnight express coach from Pudu Sentral (the new name for Puduraya) and braced myself for the 6-7 hours journey. Finding out that there were no reading lights on the bus (what was I thinking?) I settled to catch some sleep and I must say I did sleep quite well. We reached the bus terminal - Shahab Perdana? - at around 6:30 am and I waited for the local bus service to start at 7:00 am for the trip to the city centre. A taxi costs RM12.00, the bus RM1.00 so it's clear why I'd rather wait for the bus.

The slow and steady journey took about 20-25 minutes and I went off at the bus stop right in front of Pekan Rabu Complex. It was still very early, shops were still closed so I decided to take a walk around the city and have some look-see and get some bearings.

I was surprised to find out that Alor Setar has many old Chinese shoplots, like the ones we'd find in Melaka or Georgetown. There was a Pekan Cina and Pekan Melayu section as well. After trudging around I found the shop that sells the infamous Nasi Lemak Royale (something I was introduced to on Twitter!) so that was breakfast.

I did not have any map in hand so I just followed the road signages - which led me to the Tourism Malaysia office and information counter. I got maps and guides there which were a help, especially the Heritage Trail. I also was given a Food Trail Guide, alas, while some were within the city, most were open at night and one would need transportation. I decided to go to Mee Abu for lunch later.

Tun M's family house. Well maintained within a small complex of its own. I enjoyed spending time here - maybe because I had lower expectations :-\ 

An old building which still has its Hotel signage - didn't look like it was still in operations. 

Old Balai Polis.

Old Post Office. 

Tourism Malaysia Complex. 

Masjid Zahir. What a beautiful building! I think, the most beautiful mosque in the country. Quiet, understated elegance. Chic colours. Very Chanel, I thought.

Wat .. something. This was on the way to Mee Abu place under the hot hot sun! 

Okay. I forgot the name of this Pintu Gerbang, it is a replica though. I think the original was burnt down. 

Muzium Diraja? I did not go in.  

Inside Pekan Rabu, offering all sorts of Malay attire and food items and snacks - didn't buy anything.  

Gerbang - Pekan Cina on the left and Pekan Melayu on the right. 

Clock Tower.

Nasi Lemak Royale, which is actually more of a nasi kandar. RM5.50. 

The crowd was non-stop the whole morning, dine-ins as well as take-aways.

Mee Abu. plus teh-o-ais, RM5.20 . More like a mee rebus.

Apparently also favoured by the royalty here.

Cendol at Pekan Rabu food court. RM2.00.

After the cendol I decided to take the afternoon bus back to KL. It was a looong journey, I feel asleep a few times but I remember we passed through Taiping and at an R&R for a 30 minute rest. Reached KL at 9:30 pm, and felt really tired so I showered and rested before calling it a day.

To get to Alor Setar:

• buy tickets from the counters at Pudu Sentral. 
• tickets are from RM39.00 one-way.
• get a single seater, more comfortable.
• buses are freezing cold, bring a jacket.

With that I have one more state to do - Perlis! The Kayangan state! (though when I mentioned this, someone remarked 'but there's nothing to see in Perlis'. Oh, great :-\ 

But I'll keep it on my list anyway. Who knows? :)