We decided to take a taxi for the 5 hour drive north from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap. Aside from the vehicles you would expect, we shared the road with oxcarts, wagons being pulled by horses, the weirdest tractors we have ever seen and motorcyles pulling trailers carrying more than you can imagine would be possible.
The main reason tourists go to Siem Reap is to go to Angkor Wat. The guide book explains: Angkor literally means 'Capital City' or 'Holy City'. 'Khmer' refers to the dominant ethnic group in modern and ancient Cambodia. 'Angkor has come to refer to the capital city of the Khmer Empire that existed in the area of Cambodia between the 9th and 12th centuries AD, as well as to the empire itself. The temple ruins in the area of Siem Reap are the remnants of the Angkorian capitals, and represent the pinnacle of the ancient Khmer architecture, art and civilization. We opted for the 1 day tour. There are actually dozens of temples in the Siem Reap area and we only had energy to visit the 3 most significant/popular. And, although we had a guide and he shared an encyclopedia of information with us, I am going back to the guide for a brief description. We started at Angkor Thom which was constructed in the late 12th century. It is a 3square km walled and moated royal city and was the last capital of the Angkorian empire. After Jayavarman VII recaptured the Ankorian capital from the Cham invaders in 1181, he began a massive building campaign across the empire, constructing Angkor Thom as his new capital city. He began with existing structures such as Bahuon and Phimeanakas and built a grand enclosed city around them adding the ouer wall/moat and some of Angkor's greatest temples including his state-temple, Bayon, set at the center of the city. There are 5 entrances (gates) to the city, one for each cardinal point, and the victory gate leading to the Royal Palace area. Each gate is crowned with 4 giant faces.
The second stop of our tour was Ta Prohm which dates back to the mid 12th century. Of similar design to the later Jayavarman VII temples of Preah Kahn and Banteay Kdei, this sprawling monasic complex is only partially cleared of jungle overgrowth. Intentionally left partially unrestored, massive fig and silk-cotton trees grow from the towers and corridors offering a 'jungle atmosphere'. This temple was one of Jayavarman VII's first major temple projects. Ta Prohm was dedicated to his mother. It was originally constructed as a Buddhist monastery and was enormously wealthy in its time, boasting of control over 3000 villages, thousands of support staff and vast stores of jewels and gold.Our final stop was Angkor Wat also constructed in the mid 12 century. Angkor wat is visually, architecturally and artistically breathtaking. It is a massive three tiered pyramid crowned by 5 lotus-like towers rising 65 meters from ground level. At the apex of Khmer political and military dominance in the region Suryavarman II constructed Angkor WAt in the form of a massive 'temple-mountain' dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu. It served as his stated temple, though the temple's uncommon westward orientation has led some to suggest that it was constructed as Sruyavarman II's funerary temple. Angkor Wat was surrounded by a moat and an exterior wall measuring 1300 x 1500 meters. The temple itself is 1km square and consists of 3 levels surmounted by the central tower. The walls of the temple are covered inside and out with bas-relief and carvings. Nearly 2000 distinctively rendered aspara carvings adorn the walls throughout the temple and represent some of the finest examples of aspara carvings in Angkoraina era art. Bit it is the exterior walls of the lower level that display the most extraordinary bas-reliefs, depicting stories and characters from Hindu mythology and the historical was of Suryavarman II.
Siem Reap is a relatively small city. Tuktuks are the primary mode of transportation. We had some days where didn't leave the pool. But on most days we ventured in to town - at least to eat. As with most of our stops, the markets are key attractions. We really enjoyed the night market in Siem Reap. They have a little movie house showing movies about the history of Cambodia. Of course there are lots of stands selling the usual tourist necessities, several massage places and a nice restaurant/bar. One night Chase was complaining about his very loose tooth. Our waiter asked if he could see. We thought he was pretending to pull it out - but he really did it! No one was more shocked than Chase to see his tooth in his hand.
We made a trip out to the war museum one afternoon. It is an outdoor field with all kinds of war machines, bombs , etc. At the end of our tour, we sat with a gentleman who had lost his entire family to a landmine incident. He gave us a very personal view into realities of living in Cambodia.
We had heard that the Tonle Sap Lake floating village was quite a sight so we took a ride out there one day and hired a boat for a tour. The village itself was pretty amazing. Schools, stores, houses, restaurants - everything necessary was right there on the lake. The residents went about their daily routines of cooking, washing, napping in their little homes. Apparently, they move according to the depth of the lake. The only frustrating thing was that it is quite a tourist trap and we felt like walking ATMs.
On Saturday night, we went to the Beatocello concert. It is a performance put on by a Swiss doctor from the local children's hospital. He plays his cello and describes his experiences in building the hospital - and tries to get donations of blood or cash to keep the hospitals going. Dr. Richner is an amazing, inspiring man who has been in Cambodia since the mid 90's. He has raised the funding to build several hospitals (I think they keep out growing the one in Phnom Penh and there is the one in Siem Reap). The government doesn't give any money so he raises millions of dollars every year to keep the hospitals running. He has given the concert every Saturday night for the past 18 years! Remember I mentioned that the average Cambodian makes 50 cents a day. These hospitals are staffed entirely by Cambodians (except 2 people) and they make at least $120 per month - even the non-medical staff.
We spent one day at the Cambodia Cultural Village. Each area is displays the various types of villages that are located throughout Cambodia. There is also a wax museum, and a miniature display of the most notable places in the country. A troop of dancers moves through the park, stopping at each 'village' and performing a story of life in Cambodia.
We discovered Viva - a Mexican restaurant on our first day in Siem Reap. We ate there almost every day. They served 50 cent beers and $1 margaritas (alcohol free for the kids) and of course some authentic tasting Mexican food.
On our last day, we left the hotel at 8:00 am and drove to Phnom Penh. From there we flew to Kuala Lumpur and finally to Dubai, arriving at 3 am.
Enjoy the photos:
http://picasaweb.google.com/rdzcadventure/SiemReap?authkey=Gv1sRgCOqM3ubv_dz6sAE#
Thursday, 9 September 2010
Wednesday, 8 September 2010
Cambodia - Phnom Penh
Our last stop on our summer vacation was Cambodia. We spent 1 week in Phnom Penh and 2 weeks in Siem Reap. We chose Cambodia because we heard it was beautiful and inexpensive. I had heard about the Khmer Rouge, landmines and Angkor Wat but other than that didn't know a lot about Cambodia.
Cambodia turned out to be amazing. It was very inexpensive. In Siem Reap, we stayed in a beautiful 5 star hotel for $60 a night - including breakfast for all of us. Food and drink were also very inexpensive. The people are so friendly. They are truly interested in talking to you and helping you.
Sadly, the dark side of Cambodia is still very present. In Phnom Penh, some of the main attractions include the Killing Fields and the Genocide Museum - the school where the Khmer Rouge tortured so many people. Victims of landmines can often been seen begging on the streets and the Royal Palace and Angkor Wat show the scars of the bullets. Corruption is rampant in Cambodia. The average income for locals is 50 cents a day!
I'll give you a brief overview of the tragedy of Cambodia. In 1975, the Khmer Rouge led by Pol Pot began rounding up all the educated Cambodians and systematically tortured and killed them. In 1979, the Khmer Rouge were defeated with the assistance of Viet Nam and the country fell into civil war for almost the next 30 years - that brings them up to the late 90's. The communist party (Khmer Rouge) is still in power and the police and politicians are often the soldiers of the past. Many aid societies (NGOs) are present in Cambodia, but between the corruption and the administration of these charities, poverty is still a huge issue. Given the atrocities that are a part of their recent history, it is amazing how happy the Cambodians all seem to be.
We started our stay in Phnom Pehn. We boarded the plane to Langkawi at about 11:30 am. Chase had picked up something and was threatening to vomit at any second. Thankfully, the plane departed on schedule and we had an uneventful flight. We even had time to have lunch before our 3:00 flight to Phnom Penh. Another quick fight and we arrived at our destination. My time on the plane was spent filling in forms.
We walked through the airport – upstairs only to go down more steps, Chase with his paper bag gripped firmly in his hand. At the base of the staircase, we were handed 2 forms for tourist Visas and then we proceeded to the desk where the officials took our passports. In broken English, and our bewilderment, we went through the Visa process...
Although people all around us were busy filling in application forms, we never did. The official behind the counter said $20 each, so we handed over $80. A moment later, he gave Rick back $40 and $30 to me and told us to “go over there” to wait. Some more gesturing and he gave us back the kids’ passports. We finally deciphered that children’s visas are only$5 and we paid for ours when we received them from the other desk – and our photos were not used. It took only about 5 minutes and we moved on the Customs counter with Chase in tears and holding the bag to his face begging to sit down somewhere. Customs was another efficient process and the forms I filled out on the plane were processed. One more stop (and the last form). We quickly passed through the declaration area and were immediately outside.
We were faced with the usual crowd of people with placards looking for their assigned guests and the taxi and tuktuk drivers. We determined that it was 30 minutes to the city center and the set rate for taxis is $9. We received our slip and went to our waiting taxi, still in a daze from our arrival and still with Chase threatening to vomit.
The taxi drivers seemed confused when I told them the name of our hotel which we found on the internet – the Villa Paradisio. I pulled out the reservation and discovered it was actually the Villa Paradiso and they seemed much more confident. They discussed the address and off we went with our driver who understood and spoke absolutely no English. Rick had been toying with the idea of renting a car and quickly dismissed that thought after about 5 minutes of watching traffic. Cars and scooters appear and disappear in every direction. It appears completely chaotic – and somehow it seems to work. It seems that the flow of traffic never stops, so if the vehicle comes to an intersection, the driver slowly nudges his way across – making his way between the cars and scooters who calmly continue to drive around him. And, what can you carry on a scooter? 5 people; a coat rack; a chest of drawers; a head board; a queen size mattress; a 100 lb bag of cement… all while maneuvering through the constant flow of traffic which does not stick to any lane, or for that matter, to the proper side of the street. Definitely driving in Phnom Penh is best left to the locals.
Along with marveling at the traffic, we were bombarded with the sights of the city. In some ways Phnom Penh is very typical of the Asian cities that we have been to. The roads are narrow and clogged with traffic – mostly scooters and tuktuks. There are lots of stands set up on the roadside selling mostly food and beverages and taking up the sidewalks. The small shops with similar businesses all clustered together. One street, on both sides, was entirely dedicated to selling scooters – hundreds, maybe thousands of scooters. Tiny shops (maybe 10 feet wide), one after the other, all doing some type of mechanical work on car engines. Lots of people were sitting around and walking along the streets – everyone looking a little dirty and shabby. The streets themselves are relatively free of litter and it is very clear that this is a poor country. The buildings are low – no more than 3 or 4 stories, mostly run down, but with a few very nice buildings interspersed every couple of blocks. They are nestled tightly together. Any larger building with garden space is surrounded by a tall concrete fence, often topped with razor wire and always monitored by at least one security guard.
Our taxi driver was clearly lost and when he seemed to be near our destination, we were stopped by road construction that required a long detour. The driver made several phone calls and asked a few security guards for direction. We were becoming more and more concerned at what the Villa Paradiso really was. Street 222 definitely not look like the location of the beautiful hotel we saw on the internet. Closer and closer we came to 29-35 and still the streets were the same. As the driver slowed to find the numbers, I spotted the small Villa Paradiso sign on the fence. It was with mixed feelings of relief and trepidation that we stepped out of the taxi.
The security guard leaped up to assist me with the small suitcase we had in the backseat and seemingly out of nowhere 3 other gentlemen appeared to assist with the other luggage. We entered the gates and immediately our anxieties were set to rest. To the right we saw the small reception cabana, further to the right was the beautiful villa with large pillars on either side of the entryway. To the left was the intimate restaurant. The garden was filled with exotic trees and flowers and the most inviting fragrance. After settling in to our room, we went out to explore the rest of the resort. The stunning gardens continued. The children opted for a dip in the pool and hot tub while we sat in the open air restaurant and chatted with the other hotel guests in the relaxed and friendly atmosphere.
It was a little difficult to leave the beautiful hotel and explore the realities of Phnom Penh. We decided that the Genocide Museum was too much for the kids, so Rick went on his own. The museum is an old school that the Khmer Rouge used to house the prisoners. They kept meticulous records of the prisoners along with pictures and these are all displayed along with the instruments of torture.
The rest of Rick's day was much more pleasant. He went for a quad ride through the country side. He visited small villages and really enjoyed meeting the locals who welcomed him in.
We took the kids to the Killing Fields and they managed fine. The most chilling display they have is the tower of bones that had been buried in the mass graves. The signs described the process for the prisoners from the time they arrived until they were executed.
Highlights of Phnom Penh are the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda. There is also a wat on the the grounds. We also enjoyed walking along the riverfront and watching the locals who gather there at about 5:00.
When we left our hotel, we usually had our tuktuk driver wait for us. It is most amazing how they kept tabs on us. One day we went to the Russian Market and we got hopelessly lost in the row after row of clothing, souvenirs, food, household items... Because it is so crowded and not air conditioned, we had to get out for fresh air. No matter where or when we came out, our tuktuk driver was standing waiting for us! Another day, we asked the driver to drop us off at one end of the riverfront. He followed us for over an hour - he even parked so he could see where we were when we were seated on the second floor of the restaurant. The reason they were so keen to keep tabs on us is because we paid them after we got back to the hotel - all of that effort on their part for $4.00.
Check out the link for some of our photos:
http://picasaweb.google.com/rdzcadventure/PhnomPenh?authkey=Gv1sRgCLOqgsqE-cyabw#
Cambodia turned out to be amazing. It was very inexpensive. In Siem Reap, we stayed in a beautiful 5 star hotel for $60 a night - including breakfast for all of us. Food and drink were also very inexpensive. The people are so friendly. They are truly interested in talking to you and helping you.
Sadly, the dark side of Cambodia is still very present. In Phnom Penh, some of the main attractions include the Killing Fields and the Genocide Museum - the school where the Khmer Rouge tortured so many people. Victims of landmines can often been seen begging on the streets and the Royal Palace and Angkor Wat show the scars of the bullets. Corruption is rampant in Cambodia. The average income for locals is 50 cents a day!
I'll give you a brief overview of the tragedy of Cambodia. In 1975, the Khmer Rouge led by Pol Pot began rounding up all the educated Cambodians and systematically tortured and killed them. In 1979, the Khmer Rouge were defeated with the assistance of Viet Nam and the country fell into civil war for almost the next 30 years - that brings them up to the late 90's. The communist party (Khmer Rouge) is still in power and the police and politicians are often the soldiers of the past. Many aid societies (NGOs) are present in Cambodia, but between the corruption and the administration of these charities, poverty is still a huge issue. Given the atrocities that are a part of their recent history, it is amazing how happy the Cambodians all seem to be.
We started our stay in Phnom Pehn. We boarded the plane to Langkawi at about 11:30 am. Chase had picked up something and was threatening to vomit at any second. Thankfully, the plane departed on schedule and we had an uneventful flight. We even had time to have lunch before our 3:00 flight to Phnom Penh. Another quick fight and we arrived at our destination. My time on the plane was spent filling in forms.
We walked through the airport – upstairs only to go down more steps, Chase with his paper bag gripped firmly in his hand. At the base of the staircase, we were handed 2 forms for tourist Visas and then we proceeded to the desk where the officials took our passports. In broken English, and our bewilderment, we went through the Visa process...
Although people all around us were busy filling in application forms, we never did. The official behind the counter said $20 each, so we handed over $80. A moment later, he gave Rick back $40 and $30 to me and told us to “go over there” to wait. Some more gesturing and he gave us back the kids’ passports. We finally deciphered that children’s visas are only$5 and we paid for ours when we received them from the other desk – and our photos were not used. It took only about 5 minutes and we moved on the Customs counter with Chase in tears and holding the bag to his face begging to sit down somewhere. Customs was another efficient process and the forms I filled out on the plane were processed. One more stop (and the last form). We quickly passed through the declaration area and were immediately outside.
We were faced with the usual crowd of people with placards looking for their assigned guests and the taxi and tuktuk drivers. We determined that it was 30 minutes to the city center and the set rate for taxis is $9. We received our slip and went to our waiting taxi, still in a daze from our arrival and still with Chase threatening to vomit.
The taxi drivers seemed confused when I told them the name of our hotel which we found on the internet – the Villa Paradisio. I pulled out the reservation and discovered it was actually the Villa Paradiso and they seemed much more confident. They discussed the address and off we went with our driver who understood and spoke absolutely no English. Rick had been toying with the idea of renting a car and quickly dismissed that thought after about 5 minutes of watching traffic. Cars and scooters appear and disappear in every direction. It appears completely chaotic – and somehow it seems to work. It seems that the flow of traffic never stops, so if the vehicle comes to an intersection, the driver slowly nudges his way across – making his way between the cars and scooters who calmly continue to drive around him. And, what can you carry on a scooter? 5 people; a coat rack; a chest of drawers; a head board; a queen size mattress; a 100 lb bag of cement… all while maneuvering through the constant flow of traffic which does not stick to any lane, or for that matter, to the proper side of the street. Definitely driving in Phnom Penh is best left to the locals.
Along with marveling at the traffic, we were bombarded with the sights of the city. In some ways Phnom Penh is very typical of the Asian cities that we have been to. The roads are narrow and clogged with traffic – mostly scooters and tuktuks. There are lots of stands set up on the roadside selling mostly food and beverages and taking up the sidewalks. The small shops with similar businesses all clustered together. One street, on both sides, was entirely dedicated to selling scooters – hundreds, maybe thousands of scooters. Tiny shops (maybe 10 feet wide), one after the other, all doing some type of mechanical work on car engines. Lots of people were sitting around and walking along the streets – everyone looking a little dirty and shabby. The streets themselves are relatively free of litter and it is very clear that this is a poor country. The buildings are low – no more than 3 or 4 stories, mostly run down, but with a few very nice buildings interspersed every couple of blocks. They are nestled tightly together. Any larger building with garden space is surrounded by a tall concrete fence, often topped with razor wire and always monitored by at least one security guard.
Our taxi driver was clearly lost and when he seemed to be near our destination, we were stopped by road construction that required a long detour. The driver made several phone calls and asked a few security guards for direction. We were becoming more and more concerned at what the Villa Paradiso really was. Street 222 definitely not look like the location of the beautiful hotel we saw on the internet. Closer and closer we came to 29-35 and still the streets were the same. As the driver slowed to find the numbers, I spotted the small Villa Paradiso sign on the fence. It was with mixed feelings of relief and trepidation that we stepped out of the taxi.
The security guard leaped up to assist me with the small suitcase we had in the backseat and seemingly out of nowhere 3 other gentlemen appeared to assist with the other luggage. We entered the gates and immediately our anxieties were set to rest. To the right we saw the small reception cabana, further to the right was the beautiful villa with large pillars on either side of the entryway. To the left was the intimate restaurant. The garden was filled with exotic trees and flowers and the most inviting fragrance. After settling in to our room, we went out to explore the rest of the resort. The stunning gardens continued. The children opted for a dip in the pool and hot tub while we sat in the open air restaurant and chatted with the other hotel guests in the relaxed and friendly atmosphere.
It was a little difficult to leave the beautiful hotel and explore the realities of Phnom Penh. We decided that the Genocide Museum was too much for the kids, so Rick went on his own. The museum is an old school that the Khmer Rouge used to house the prisoners. They kept meticulous records of the prisoners along with pictures and these are all displayed along with the instruments of torture.
The rest of Rick's day was much more pleasant. He went for a quad ride through the country side. He visited small villages and really enjoyed meeting the locals who welcomed him in.
We took the kids to the Killing Fields and they managed fine. The most chilling display they have is the tower of bones that had been buried in the mass graves. The signs described the process for the prisoners from the time they arrived until they were executed.
Highlights of Phnom Penh are the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda. There is also a wat on the the grounds. We also enjoyed walking along the riverfront and watching the locals who gather there at about 5:00.
When we left our hotel, we usually had our tuktuk driver wait for us. It is most amazing how they kept tabs on us. One day we went to the Russian Market and we got hopelessly lost in the row after row of clothing, souvenirs, food, household items... Because it is so crowded and not air conditioned, we had to get out for fresh air. No matter where or when we came out, our tuktuk driver was standing waiting for us! Another day, we asked the driver to drop us off at one end of the riverfront. He followed us for over an hour - he even parked so he could see where we were when we were seated on the second floor of the restaurant. The reason they were so keen to keep tabs on us is because we paid them after we got back to the hotel - all of that effort on their part for $4.00.
Check out the link for some of our photos:
http://picasaweb.google.com/rdzcadventure/PhnomPenh?authkey=Gv1sRgCLOqgsqE-cyabw#
Saturday, 4 September 2010
Next stop: Langkawi Malaysia
Langkawi is an island chain on the north east side of Malaysia, very near to Thailand. There are actually 99 islands (101 at low tide) but only a couple are inhabited.
We rented a car so we could see the island at our leisure. The island is quite small and can be driven around in less than a day. Rick had the joys of driving on the opposite side of the road. I had the joys of trying to navigate using the tourist maps which are not a substitute for a road map. Somehow, we found our way to a lot of very interesting destinations.
The biggest town is Kuah, where we stayed for a couple days. We moved over to the beach for the last few days of our stay. Kuah is the location of the night market which is much smaller than the markets we visited on our previous stops. We enjoyed some more satay and "potato springs" and did a little bargaining on our visit. On our first night, we happened upon a great Chinese restaurant. It is located on the corner of 2 very quiet streets. The restaurant is very busy and when all the seats are taken, they set up tables and chairs in the little park across the street.
We stayed in 2 beach front hotels. In one, we had a room looking out onto the sea. It was great to have a dip in the pool or in the ocean at the end of the day. Rick and the kids rented a jet ski one day and went exploring to the neighbouring islands.
One of the highlights of Langkawi is the Cable Car. It was too cloudy and threatening to rain on our first trip, so the ride was closed and we spent the day at Oriental Village at the base of the mountain. There is tons to do at Oriental Village and we enjoyed our day. We all took advantage of the fish spa. It is a creepy, ticklish feeling to have the fish nibbling on your feet. The kids enjoyed the pedal boat around the lake in the center of the village. We also fed the deer and the rabbits. On our next visit to Oriental Village, we managed to get to the top to enjoy the beautiful view of almost the entire island.
Myths and legends abound in Langkawi. According to one legend, the fairies became quite enamoured with Telaga Tujah and made the 7 wells their bathing location. We climbed the steps up the mountain to the top of the Seven Wells. Water cascades down from one well to the next and the rocks have been smoothed out over time. On the internet, the location is described as a natural waterslide. The kids were eagerly anticipating their chance to slide down. Zoe came away with a monster bruise on her leg and she grabbed Chase just in time to save him from a worse fate. After that, we contented ourselves with basking in the wells and watching the monkeys. We never saw any fairies but the view was spectacular just the same.
Another island legend involves Mahsuri, a beautiful princess who was wrongly accused of adultery for which the punishment was death. According to legend, the villagers made many attempts to kill her with their knives, but she would not die. Finally, they used her knife and when she died, she bled white blood. Before dying she put a curse on the island dooming it to be barren for 7 generations. The seven generations have now passed, and as the islanders are quick to point out, Langkawi has now become a popular tourist destination. They have erected a mausoleum at the site of her tomb. It is fun little tourist trap where they have built replicas of traditional houses of various eras. Of course there is also a little museum featuring supposed artifacts from Mahsuri - even the knife that might have killed her and a suitcase belonging to someone who might have known her!
One day we drove to the highest point on the island - Gunyang Raya. The long and winding road was in pretty good condition, but since it was a rainy day and July is low season in Langkawi, we didn't encounter another car. At the peak is a 5 star hotel. We got out of the car to take a couple pictures and the hotel manager came running out to us. He invited to come to the observation tower and offered us a tour of the hotel when we were finished enjoying the view. He toured us around to the rooms with the best views, obviously very proud. The waitress in the restaurant shared her photos with us while we had a small snack. While there were no other cars on the road, there were cows and monkeys. We encountered a small troop of dusky leaf monkeys. They are black with white around the eyes and are quite beautiful. We stopped to try and get some photos without much luck. One was on the power pole at the side of the road and leaped off to a tree several meters away. He looked like he was flying through the air - and then he was gone.
Actually, monkeys were everywhere in Langkawi. The most common were macaques and we saw them almost everywhere we went.
We booked a boat for a fishing trip one afternoon. It was the first time that Zoe and Chase have been fishing and they would not let the impending thunderstorm spoil their enthusiasm. The sinister looking clouds rolled in just as we got on the boat and headed out. The thunderstorm did not take long to roll in and the thunder echoed through the islands all around us as the lightning crackled. Our boat captain took us out to his favourite fishing spots and very patiently baited our lines, unsnagged us and took our fish off the line. I don't think he spoke a single word of English. Chase excitedly caught the first fish. Just when Zoe was becoming discouraged at her lack of luck, she managed to pull in several right in a row. Rick caught the biggest. I caught one so small that I didn't even know it was on my line until I reeled it in when we were changing locations. In all, we caught about 28 fish which we gave to the captain.
On one of our island drives, we ended up across the island from our hotel at the sea. We were greeted by a friendly gentleman who attempted to sell us a boat trip. It was a 2 hour boat ride with several hokey sounding highlights. Since he agreed to lower the price, we decided to give it a try. In the end it was a lot of fun. We started in the mangrove forest and watched the eagles feeding. We went crocodile cave - named for the shape of the cave, not because there are any crocodiles. Bat cave however is named for all the bats. We stopped off at a fish farm where the kids patted a stingray and held a horseshoe crab. The highlight here was the archer fish. They leap out of the water to catch their dinner and we all had the chance to put bread on our fingers which they pulled off. If the food is too high, they spit at it to knock it down. I have never been spit at by a fish before! Back on the boat, along the shore we saw lots and lots of monkeys.
On our last day in Langkawi, we got up early and went to Island Horses for a horseback ride through the jungle and along the beach. Again, it was a private tour with a guide in front and following behind. Chase felt a little unsure, so he had someone walking along leading his horse. Zoe felt confident enough to go for a trot along the beach.
Here's the link to our Langkawi album:
http://picasaweb.google.com/rdzcadventure/Langkawi?authkey=Gv1sRgCNmG4omX0ZHnJg#
We spent the last 3 weeks of our holiday in Cambodia - Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. More stories to follow...
We rented a car so we could see the island at our leisure. The island is quite small and can be driven around in less than a day. Rick had the joys of driving on the opposite side of the road. I had the joys of trying to navigate using the tourist maps which are not a substitute for a road map. Somehow, we found our way to a lot of very interesting destinations.
The biggest town is Kuah, where we stayed for a couple days. We moved over to the beach for the last few days of our stay. Kuah is the location of the night market which is much smaller than the markets we visited on our previous stops. We enjoyed some more satay and "potato springs" and did a little bargaining on our visit. On our first night, we happened upon a great Chinese restaurant. It is located on the corner of 2 very quiet streets. The restaurant is very busy and when all the seats are taken, they set up tables and chairs in the little park across the street.
We stayed in 2 beach front hotels. In one, we had a room looking out onto the sea. It was great to have a dip in the pool or in the ocean at the end of the day. Rick and the kids rented a jet ski one day and went exploring to the neighbouring islands.
One of the highlights of Langkawi is the Cable Car. It was too cloudy and threatening to rain on our first trip, so the ride was closed and we spent the day at Oriental Village at the base of the mountain. There is tons to do at Oriental Village and we enjoyed our day. We all took advantage of the fish spa. It is a creepy, ticklish feeling to have the fish nibbling on your feet. The kids enjoyed the pedal boat around the lake in the center of the village. We also fed the deer and the rabbits. On our next visit to Oriental Village, we managed to get to the top to enjoy the beautiful view of almost the entire island.
Myths and legends abound in Langkawi. According to one legend, the fairies became quite enamoured with Telaga Tujah and made the 7 wells their bathing location. We climbed the steps up the mountain to the top of the Seven Wells. Water cascades down from one well to the next and the rocks have been smoothed out over time. On the internet, the location is described as a natural waterslide. The kids were eagerly anticipating their chance to slide down. Zoe came away with a monster bruise on her leg and she grabbed Chase just in time to save him from a worse fate. After that, we contented ourselves with basking in the wells and watching the monkeys. We never saw any fairies but the view was spectacular just the same.
Another island legend involves Mahsuri, a beautiful princess who was wrongly accused of adultery for which the punishment was death. According to legend, the villagers made many attempts to kill her with their knives, but she would not die. Finally, they used her knife and when she died, she bled white blood. Before dying she put a curse on the island dooming it to be barren for 7 generations. The seven generations have now passed, and as the islanders are quick to point out, Langkawi has now become a popular tourist destination. They have erected a mausoleum at the site of her tomb. It is fun little tourist trap where they have built replicas of traditional houses of various eras. Of course there is also a little museum featuring supposed artifacts from Mahsuri - even the knife that might have killed her and a suitcase belonging to someone who might have known her!
One day we drove to the highest point on the island - Gunyang Raya. The long and winding road was in pretty good condition, but since it was a rainy day and July is low season in Langkawi, we didn't encounter another car. At the peak is a 5 star hotel. We got out of the car to take a couple pictures and the hotel manager came running out to us. He invited to come to the observation tower and offered us a tour of the hotel when we were finished enjoying the view. He toured us around to the rooms with the best views, obviously very proud. The waitress in the restaurant shared her photos with us while we had a small snack. While there were no other cars on the road, there were cows and monkeys. We encountered a small troop of dusky leaf monkeys. They are black with white around the eyes and are quite beautiful. We stopped to try and get some photos without much luck. One was on the power pole at the side of the road and leaped off to a tree several meters away. He looked like he was flying through the air - and then he was gone.
Actually, monkeys were everywhere in Langkawi. The most common were macaques and we saw them almost everywhere we went.
We booked a boat for a fishing trip one afternoon. It was the first time that Zoe and Chase have been fishing and they would not let the impending thunderstorm spoil their enthusiasm. The sinister looking clouds rolled in just as we got on the boat and headed out. The thunderstorm did not take long to roll in and the thunder echoed through the islands all around us as the lightning crackled. Our boat captain took us out to his favourite fishing spots and very patiently baited our lines, unsnagged us and took our fish off the line. I don't think he spoke a single word of English. Chase excitedly caught the first fish. Just when Zoe was becoming discouraged at her lack of luck, she managed to pull in several right in a row. Rick caught the biggest. I caught one so small that I didn't even know it was on my line until I reeled it in when we were changing locations. In all, we caught about 28 fish which we gave to the captain.
On one of our island drives, we ended up across the island from our hotel at the sea. We were greeted by a friendly gentleman who attempted to sell us a boat trip. It was a 2 hour boat ride with several hokey sounding highlights. Since he agreed to lower the price, we decided to give it a try. In the end it was a lot of fun. We started in the mangrove forest and watched the eagles feeding. We went crocodile cave - named for the shape of the cave, not because there are any crocodiles. Bat cave however is named for all the bats. We stopped off at a fish farm where the kids patted a stingray and held a horseshoe crab. The highlight here was the archer fish. They leap out of the water to catch their dinner and we all had the chance to put bread on our fingers which they pulled off. If the food is too high, they spit at it to knock it down. I have never been spit at by a fish before! Back on the boat, along the shore we saw lots and lots of monkeys.
On our last day in Langkawi, we got up early and went to Island Horses for a horseback ride through the jungle and along the beach. Again, it was a private tour with a guide in front and following behind. Chase felt a little unsure, so he had someone walking along leading his horse. Zoe felt confident enough to go for a trot along the beach.
Here's the link to our Langkawi album:
http://picasaweb.google.com/rdzcadventure/Langkawi?authkey=Gv1sRgCNmG4omX0ZHnJg#
We spent the last 3 weeks of our holiday in Cambodia - Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. More stories to follow...
Friday, 3 September 2010
Borneo
The next stop on our journey was Borneo. The island of Borneo is about half Indonesia and half Malaysia.Also on the island is the entire (tiny) country of Brunei. Oil was discovered in Brunei, and it is one of the wealthiest countries in the world. We went to Malaysian Borneo, which is the northern half of the island. We went to the state of Sabah, on the east side. We spent our time in and around the city of Kota Kinabalu.
Borneo is known for all the unique creatures and flowers, for headhunters and because of the rainforest. It is also the location of the first Survivor series. We were surprised at how developed it is - and how big and spread out.
Being rainforest, of course we got lots of rain, including thunderstorms. It seemed to rain everyday, either late morning or late afternoon. Once we figured that out, we managed to mostly stay dry.
Kota Kinabalu is the biggest major city in Sabah. It is located on the sea but it is not beach. There are several markets. One is dedicated to handicrafts and other tourist items. Another is mostly grocery items and seems to be for the locals. There is also Sunday Market and Night market. At night, there is also a food market where dinner (prepared or raw ingredients) can be found.
We actually had quite a challenge finding food. Being that it is an island, fish is a staple dietary item. We are not big fish eaters at the best of times, and these were served complete with heads and teeth. Added to that we did not recognize any of the menu items (especially if they were written in Malay). If the restaurant did not have a picture menu, or display their foods we had to move on. Thankfully, there was McDonalds for the more difficult days.
One day we took a boat trip over to Sapi Island to spend the day snorkeling. It was fabulous! You can walk out from the beach and see fish without even putting your head under water. Slightly further out (but still no need to swim) is coral. We decided to test our camera's underwater claim so we got a few pictures - but they are nothing like the real experience. The water is comfortably warm and clear and we spent hours underwater. When we needed to dry out, we walked over to the restaurant for lunch and the most delicious watermelon juice we have ever tasted. About 20 feet away we noticed monitor lizardss in the shade of the trees. One was about 6 feet long. They were quite shy and moved away if we got too close while taking pictures.
Another day we went to the Lok Kawi Wildlife Reserve where we were able to see some of Borneo's unique animals and plants. The most memorable are the orangutan, the proboscis monkey and the hornbill.
Our next day was spent journeying to Mt. Kinabalu Park. Mt. Kinabalu is one of the highest peaks in Asia and is a destination for trekkers. Many people choose to climb to the peak. It is a 2 day hike and a highlight is being at the peak for sunrise. We were not that energetic and instead went to the Park for the Canopy Walk, Rainforest walk and viewing of the rafflesia. On the rainforest walk we discovered several varieties of orchids and some pitcher plants. The rafflesia is the biggest flower in the world and is only found in Borneo. The biggest one is about 1 meter across. The one we saw was about 18 inches. Rafflesias flower once a year for about 1 week. Getting to see the flower is most of the adventure. When one is in bloom, signs are put out on the roadside directing you to the location. Our bus drove as close as possible and then we got out and paid our viewing admission. We were led down into the forest for about 500 meters. The guide unlocked the fence and took us the remaining 30 meters to the flower. A barricade is set up to keep us from touching and damaging the flower while we looked. There is no foliage, only the giant waxy bloom sitting on the ground. They have the smell of rotten meat, but are quite extraordinary to look at.
Next stop for the day was Poring Hot Springs and Canopy Walk. This was one of the times when we were not able to avoid the rain - and rain is the rainforest is like nothing I have ever experienced before. We ended up running along the canopy walk and not really taking in the amazing scenery.
Our tour guide explained to us that he is from a tribe in the southern part of Malaysian Borneo. He said the the tribe are historically headhunters, but headhunting has been illegal since 1964 so they no longer practice the tradition.
Do you know what a pineapple tree looks like? I always imagined they are tall palm trees, like coconuts. It turns out they are about the size of a houseplant and the pineapple grows on the top - only about 2 feet from the ground.
http://picasaweb.google.com/rdzcadventure/Borneo?authkey=Gv1sRgCJDOs9H5mNz8DA#
Borneo is known for all the unique creatures and flowers, for headhunters and because of the rainforest. It is also the location of the first Survivor series. We were surprised at how developed it is - and how big and spread out.
Being rainforest, of course we got lots of rain, including thunderstorms. It seemed to rain everyday, either late morning or late afternoon. Once we figured that out, we managed to mostly stay dry.
Kota Kinabalu is the biggest major city in Sabah. It is located on the sea but it is not beach. There are several markets. One is dedicated to handicrafts and other tourist items. Another is mostly grocery items and seems to be for the locals. There is also Sunday Market and Night market. At night, there is also a food market where dinner (prepared or raw ingredients) can be found.
We actually had quite a challenge finding food. Being that it is an island, fish is a staple dietary item. We are not big fish eaters at the best of times, and these were served complete with heads and teeth. Added to that we did not recognize any of the menu items (especially if they were written in Malay). If the restaurant did not have a picture menu, or display their foods we had to move on. Thankfully, there was McDonalds for the more difficult days.
One day we took a boat trip over to Sapi Island to spend the day snorkeling. It was fabulous! You can walk out from the beach and see fish without even putting your head under water. Slightly further out (but still no need to swim) is coral. We decided to test our camera's underwater claim so we got a few pictures - but they are nothing like the real experience. The water is comfortably warm and clear and we spent hours underwater. When we needed to dry out, we walked over to the restaurant for lunch and the most delicious watermelon juice we have ever tasted. About 20 feet away we noticed monitor lizardss in the shade of the trees. One was about 6 feet long. They were quite shy and moved away if we got too close while taking pictures.
Another day we went to the Lok Kawi Wildlife Reserve where we were able to see some of Borneo's unique animals and plants. The most memorable are the orangutan, the proboscis monkey and the hornbill.
Our next day was spent journeying to Mt. Kinabalu Park. Mt. Kinabalu is one of the highest peaks in Asia and is a destination for trekkers. Many people choose to climb to the peak. It is a 2 day hike and a highlight is being at the peak for sunrise. We were not that energetic and instead went to the Park for the Canopy Walk, Rainforest walk and viewing of the rafflesia. On the rainforest walk we discovered several varieties of orchids and some pitcher plants. The rafflesia is the biggest flower in the world and is only found in Borneo. The biggest one is about 1 meter across. The one we saw was about 18 inches. Rafflesias flower once a year for about 1 week. Getting to see the flower is most of the adventure. When one is in bloom, signs are put out on the roadside directing you to the location. Our bus drove as close as possible and then we got out and paid our viewing admission. We were led down into the forest for about 500 meters. The guide unlocked the fence and took us the remaining 30 meters to the flower. A barricade is set up to keep us from touching and damaging the flower while we looked. There is no foliage, only the giant waxy bloom sitting on the ground. They have the smell of rotten meat, but are quite extraordinary to look at.
Next stop for the day was Poring Hot Springs and Canopy Walk. This was one of the times when we were not able to avoid the rain - and rain is the rainforest is like nothing I have ever experienced before. We ended up running along the canopy walk and not really taking in the amazing scenery.
Our tour guide explained to us that he is from a tribe in the southern part of Malaysian Borneo. He said the the tribe are historically headhunters, but headhunting has been illegal since 1964 so they no longer practice the tradition.
Do you know what a pineapple tree looks like? I always imagined they are tall palm trees, like coconuts. It turns out they are about the size of a houseplant and the pineapple grows on the top - only about 2 feet from the ground.
http://picasaweb.google.com/rdzcadventure/Borneo?authkey=Gv1sRgCJDOs9H5mNz8DA#
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