November
4th
We
arrived in Bali after spending our last night
in Oz schmoozing with the stars at a joint
party for the wardrobe girls on Home and Away.
Bali has been like a second honeymoon - a
welcome respite from rushing around Australasia.
We were literally millionaires as we got approximately
16,500 Rupiahs to the pound which meant we
could splash out on a 2 star hotel room with
en suite for only R 250,000 per night (about
15 quid) including brekkie. Our hotel, the
Puri Dalem in Sanur, was brilliant, we booked
for 3 nights and ended up staying for 3 weeks,
but sadly like most of Bali, it was very quiet
due to the Bali bombings in Kuta.
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Us
with wardrobe birthday girl and some
guy from Home and Away
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Our
hotel...only 7 quid each a night |
It's
been a while since the Bali bombs
But the effects are still being felt
For every person who stays away
Another blow is dealt
It's hit the locals hard
Of this I have no doubt
But all the people who stay away
Are the one's missing out
It's as safe as any other place
Despite the evil deed
Don't be a person to stay away
Don't let the fear succeed
An island with so much to offer
Show the Balinese, who cares
All you people who stay away
Come and be millionaires!
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We
are here!
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Taking
a dip with our elephant |
We
pretty much had the hotel pool to ourselves,
a personal masseuse and a constant supply
of friendly staff on hand, ever ready to assist
us with our needs, including extra toilet
paper for our small bout of Bali belly. Graham
relaxed so much he developed a Bali blob (cold
sore) which decided to do a round-the-world
trip of his face.
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And
what do you want for Christmas?
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T'darrrrrrrrrrr! |
In
addition to the chilling out (listening to
aptly named radio English station - Paradise
FM), pampering and exercising in the pool,
we explored the island by taxi, avoiding the
100s of motorcyclists, with our own personal
drivers Wayan and Nengah, and guide, Ketut.
We had a fun day with the elephants at the
Elephant Safari Park where we had a ride on
one, sniffed a poisonous trumpet flower (didn't
realise it was poisonous at the time) and
purchased our Bali souvenir - an original
artwork by Yanti the elephant, which cost
us 1 million (we just hope it gets home in
one piece). That may sound expensive but the
money goes towards the Sumatran elephants
who have been ousted due to deforestation.On
the way to the park, craving news from the
UK, we treated ourselves to a British newspaper
for 2 pounds which turned out to be over a
month out of date! (note to self - don't buy
papers from traffic vendors)
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Us
with Yanti (The artist)
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Mladen
and friends |
We
took 2 extensive tours of Bali, enjoying the
company of and sharing the costs with our
friend from western Australia, Mladen. The
first took us to: a mountain village - a photo
opportunity of exploited exotic birds, giant
fruit bat and huge iguana; a local market
- where we tasted a number of exotic fruits
including snakeskin fruit and rose apple (like
sweet radish); a lake temple - lucky enough
to catch a glimpse of the locals dressed in
their best gear as it was the Hindu half-moon
ceremony that day; a waterfall at Gitgit (unfortunate
name); some scary monkeys that we fed; lunch
at Lovina (black sand) Beach (more muddy than
black!). The tour got better in the afternoon
as we were taken to a peaceful Buddhist Temple
with a family atmosphere where they were also
celebrating the half moon. Next were the hot
springs which reminded us of Roman baths with
a water massage - a stream of water approx.
6 metres above pummeling our shoulders. On
the way back we stopped to chat to the locals
and admire the beautiful rice terraces.
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Apples
and pears and much, much more
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Bali
Buddhist temple |
The
second "long" excursion (we know,
it's a hard life!) started with a traditional
Barong and Keris dance - a performance that
represents the fight between good and evil
spirits, with mythical creatures and stunningly
elaborate costumes. We then drove through
Ubud, Bali's artistic centre, stopping off
to have a peak at the silver jewelery makers
and wood-carvers in action, before arriving
at the Hot Springs Temple. With a caffeine
kick in need, we stopped at a small coffee
plantation, where we sampled some yummy lemongrass
tea and some gorgeous ginseng coffee. The
anti-climax of the trip was the Kintamani
Volcano and Lake which we were led to believe
was more active than it turned out to be,
compounded by the irritating viewpoint trinket
sellers who wouldn't leave us alone.
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Bathing
in Bali Hot Spring
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Us
with locals Ketut (our guide) and Wayan
(our driver) at rice terraces |
On
one of our relaxing days we went to a local
restaurant, enjoying some scruly trumptious
food and a free dessert to due to the appearance
of a "little friend" (cockroach)
on the dessert tray, which gave us an idea
for future meals out...
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Barong
and Keris performance
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Kintamani
volcano |
And
this one time, at Bali camp, we took a taxi
to the Uluwatu Temple on the south-west tip
of Bali, a run down, monkey ridden temple
on a cliff overlooking the ocean. After successfully
dodging the kleptomaniac monkeys, we took
our seats in the open-air theatre, with the
temple and sea as a backdrop. As the sun set,
the show began: The Kecak and Fire Dance was
a traditional Balinese trance performance
with chanting, dancing, drama and ritual.
A truly mesmerising performance in a stunning
setting.
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Posing
monkey at Cliff Temple
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Kekak
and fire dance with temple in the background
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Spectacular,
Spectacular
The Balinese know how to dance
Enchanting performances
Put you in a trance
Good and evil battling
Drama, chants and song
Mesmerising rituals
Characters so strong
Mythological creatures
Kings and witches you will find
Elaborate costumes
Masks to hide behind
Intricate moves, bulging eyes
Music, fire and twists
Dancing Bali style
You wouldn't want to miss!
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Kekak
and FIRE dance
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Us
at the fire dance |
Having
tasted so many different worldly cuisines,
we decided to attend a cooking lesson which
we expected to be spent busily in a hot kitchen.
However, we were mere onlookers. Despite the
lack of hands-on experience, we were taught
how to make a few traditional Balinese dishes
which we hope to try out on some unsuspecting
victims on our return. As part of the half
day tour, we saw where the local produce was
grown, were shown round a typical Balinese
family home (complete with pigs), and tried
our hand at fishing, where G caught a whopper
(see pic). Before we left G also nearly got
a new job as a musician, plating the traditional
Balinese glockenspiel type instrument made
from bamboo.
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Our
cooking lesson kitchen
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Balinese
cooking day with guide Weda and Essex
couple Marion and Ron |
Getting
our money's worth from our snorkeling gear,
we took a boat out from Nusa Dua in search
of Nemo. We didn't see Nemo but we saw lots
of his friends swimming amongst the coral.
We were then taken to Turtle Island, which
sounds much better than it actually is. We
had imagined it got it's name for being the
local hang out for wild turtles, but in reality,
they only appear rarely, so the locals have
felt the need to keep a number of them in
captivity, exploiting them for the tourist
dollar, along with some other exotic creatures.
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Here's
looking at you Babe!
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Wow!
That's a whopper (and the fish G caught)! |
A ceremonial Balinese meal is a spit-roast
suckling pig. Of course we couldn't visit
Bali without trying some, although we're still
not sure if we did! We were the only ones
to attend a suckling pig buffet and Legong
dance. There was pork, but no spit-roast,
and a dance by a ladyboy, but not a Legong
dance. All was not lost however, as a very
talented musician called Kacir came on to
entertain us, performing an outstanding set
of modern classics in his own unique style.
If he'd had a CD we'd have bought ten! So
we went to see him again on our last night
with honeymooners, Dean (Graham's 2nd cousin
- we know, they get everywhere!) and his wife
Helen. Our last night in Bali was spent supping
cocktails, washed down with lots of beer and
wine getting to know the newlyweds. The night
ended with an international street football
match - England (well Yorkshire really) versus
Indonesia...we think England were victorious
but it was very dark!
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Play
it again G!
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Turtle
stepping stones |
Our final tour of the "holiday"
was to the largest complex of temples in Bali,
the Besakih Temple. On our way there, we stopped
in Kamasan village to see the local "puppet
paintings" which were more like ancient
cartoon strips. We also visited KlungKung,
the one-time political centre of Bali, to
see the 17th century Kertagosa with it's famous
painted ceiling telling the story of punishment
in hell. The Besakih Temple is a large collection
of temples, some public and some belonging
to "clans". It must be guarded by
the Gods as it has avoided being destroyed
by the eruptions of the volcano that towers
above it.
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Is
that a snake round your neck or are
you just pleased to see me?
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Keira
with Turtle |
Bali has been a little slice of paradise -
a peaceful time before hitting the rest of
south east Asia. Next stop, one of the financial
capitals of the world to see more friends
in Singapore.
Most
of the Balinese are Hindu
But they don't put their Trinity on
show
Unlike the Hindu's in India
Who like to let you know
The religion is practised differently
But in temples they do pray
With vacant shrines and empty thrones
More subtle, is the Balinese way
Watch out for the small offerings
In coconut leaf, there stood
To placate the bad spirits
And pay homage to the good
They are impossible to avoid
Everywhere you turn your head
Filled with flowers, food and incense
Just be careful where you tread
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Kacir
- should be star!
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A
family gathering at the Besakih temple |
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Ceiling
paintings, Kertagosa, Klungkung
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Us
with Dean (G's 2nd Cousin) and Helen |
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Balinese
hand-weaving
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Us
and Putra - our Indonesian language/culture
teacher
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November 26th
We're
such jammy buggers! We were upgraded to business
class on our flight from Bali. We had a warm
welcome from Francis Chandler (G's mate from
footie) and were whisked off to Raffles for
a Singapore Sling. On the way there we found
out we had been upgraded again, from the spare
room at their apartment to our own apartment
(belonging to some absent friends). Like we
said, Jammy buggers aren't we? After a crunchy
walk through peanut shells on the floor of
Raffles Long Bar, we met Franny's wife Jo
and kids Isabella and Cassian along with Fran's
sister Rosie. The evening continued on at
Clarke Quay, a colourful trendy part of town
where even the streets are air-conditioned
(tut, tut, warming the planet to cool the
streets!).
Rich in colonial history
A throw-back to the past
A peak into the lives
Of the upper upper class
Old traditional fans
Wafting from the ceiling
A taste of the high life...
What a feeling
An Asian institution
Raffles is the place
An extravagant host
To many a famous face
Lounging in the luxury
Pink cocktails all round
Singapore Sling in hand
But what is that sound?
Crunching, crackling peanuts
Floor of shells like a sea
Give the Long Bar a miss
If you have nut allergies.
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Once
settled into the luxury of our own apartment,
we made full use of the on site facilities
with a dip in the pool and a tennis match
against F's (It's easy if we just use F for
Franny from now on) brother Paul.
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Singapore
Sling, Long Bar, Raffles
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River
trip in smoggy Singapore
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Singapore is famous for many things including
it's food courts, where you get a meal and
a drink for about 2 quid, the first of which
we visited was Holland Village (not Dutch
but delicious!). We enjoyed a Sunday breakfast
and stroll in the Botanical Gardens. On the
Monday we met F for lunch at the famous Maxwell's
food court in Chinatown, sampling some of
the local dishes and the popular Sugar cane
juice. We also sheltered from our first Singa-down-pour
which was a welcome relief from the 90% humidity.
We bought some brollies and soaked up the
atmosphere in the hustle and bustle of Chinatown,
before boarding a riverboat at Boat Quay and
experiencing the city from the water. The
contrast of old and new architecture was stark
and the wealth in the city evident. We also
had our first encounter with the Merlion,
Singapore's iconic mascot. As the day closed,
the Night Safari opened, and we slapped on
the mossie repellent ready for our nocturnal
animal encounters. The Night Zoo is one-of-a-kind,
minimising intrusion and encouraging natural
behaviour from animals, recreating a more
realistic habitat. The highlights were the
'Creatures of the Night Show' with it's recycling
otter, the flying squirrels and the message
from the dark side in the mangrove (bat) enclosure.
Graham
was excited about taking Keira to Sentosa
Island, which he had enjoyed so much on his
previous visit 10 years ago. But unfortunately
the two main attractions he had hoped to revisit
were not working (monorail) and not maintained
(Wondergolf). Having taken off the rose tinted
glasses, we enjoyed a jam-packed day which
included a photo stop at the southernmost
point of the Asian continent, a close encounter
of the butterfly kind, and a luge ride (a
cross between tobogganing without the ice
and go-carting without the engine). Keira
nearly ran away with the circus but failed
her audition on the trapeze (but did a really
good practise). We enjoyed the Magical Fountain
Show at the end of the day, despite being
25 years too old, but the highlight of the
outing was the herb and spice garden tour
which introduced us to the culinary and medicinal
qualities of some weird and wonderful plants.
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Fire
dance at Night Safari
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After about 4 months of marriage we felt we'd
reached that key point in the relationship.
It was time to take our union to the next
level and test ourselves on our first tandem
bicycle ride through East Coast Park. Surprisingly
we came through harmonious and unscathed.
Keira's confidence running high, and remembering
how much of a whiz she was on her roller skates
as a nipper, she decided to take a spin on
the roller blades. Her illusions were quickly
shattered as she struggled to even stand up
and only got a few hundred yards down the
path, with Graham enjoying the view from the
bar. We continued the fun with a couple of
rounds of ten pin bowling but we'd have been
more successful if it had been three pin bowling.
As
if stepping into a time machine, we met up
with friends that G had stayed with on his
last visit to Singapore. Dribbling baby Jamie
was now Gameboy mad ten year old chatterbox,
and the two little girls, Nina and Melissa,
bubbly teenagers. The afternoon was spent
with mum Christine and Jamie monkey-spotting
at the local MacRitchie Reservoir and in the
evening we met up with dad Kong and the girls
for a buffet with a "cook-your-own"
twist, in shoppers paradise, Orchard Road.
It was great to catch up on the last decade
whilst honing our chop stick skills.
On the Saturday we decided to stimulate the
senses on a walking tour of Little India with
Christine and Jamie. It was a feast of colours,
sounds and aromas, and a hub of activity from
the smelly durian fruit (banned on public
transport) in the Tekka market, to the tacky
gold jewelery in the arcade, to the fragrant
flower garlands and brightly coloured saris.
We smelt the freshly ground traditional spices,
observed the worshipers at the Sri Veeramakaliamman
temple and tantalized our taste buds with
some authentic Indian cuisine.
Our
last full day in Singapore was spent with
a dip in the pool and a Relton - Chandler
family barbecue. Singapore has been a home
away from home as it has been easy to forget
we're in far off lands. G has enjoyed playing,
watching and talking footie, and we both enjoyed
getting to know the Chandler crew better,
trying to persuade them to move to York when
they get back.
We left Singapore as we'd arrived, with another
upgrade, this time to first class on a coach
to Kuala Lumpur, with massage seats and personal
movies. Like we said, jammy buggers!
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Team
Singapore
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Hindu
temple in Little India, Singapore
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Relton
- Chandler family BBQ
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November
28th
K
was disappointed to find, on arrival in Kuala
Lumpur that there were no Umpa Lumpas there.
We asked at the information point and there
definitely aren't any. We also asked if we
could have it back. Malaysia that is. It was
given independence from British Rule in 1957.
We visited the place where the Union Jack
was lowered and the Malaysian Jalur Gemilang
hoisted, marked by the world's tallest flag
pole. KL as the locals call it, has been described
as a poor man's Singapore but we still enjoyed
it, apart from it being a it smelly.
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Merdaka
(Independence) square, KL
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One
of the highlights was was a trip up the 4th
tallest telecommunications tower in the world,
Sky Tower, with amazing views of the city
and of the largest twin towers in the world,
The Petronas Towers, another of our highlights.
Malaysia's
national landmark
Kuala Lumpur's face
A symbol of their growth
Industrialisation embraced
The Petronas Twin Towers
Finally had their birth
In 1996
The tallest twins on earth
A portal to the sky
Clad in stainless steel
Socio-economic giants
A reflection of their zeal
They are not just futuristic
Concrete, steel and glass
They encompass Islamic principles
Foundations in the past
Geometric, eight-pointed stars
Each structure's floor plan
Five tiers atop the towers
The "five pillars" of Islam
Unity within unity
Stability and rationality
Harmony of the form
Incorporated architecturally
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We
visited the country's national mosque where
we both donned the obligatory full length
gowns and K a head scarf to be allowed in.
It was very peaceful but we both felt a bit
silly dressed up like Quasimodo (see pic)!!
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Petronas
Towers, Kuala Lumpur
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We
ventured out of the city to a unique Hindu
temple, Batu Caves, where we scaled the 272
steps, passing the giant golden statue of
one of the deities to enter the place of worship.
Once a year in Jan or Feb, during Thaipusam,
millions of pilgrims congregate there, with
many devotees partaking in masochistic feats
involving multiple body piercings. We were
(sort of) sorry we missed it!
Another
scary bus ride later, we arrived in Tanah
Rata, Cameron Highlands. We bunked up in a
WWII style shelter made from corrugated iron.
We spent 5 nights there, needed 4 blankets,
watched 3 DVDs, went on 2 tours and saw 1
hell of a giant flying insect, the size of
a small bird! The only way was up when Keira
conquered her newly acquired fear of jungles,
as she and Graham took a short trek through
a mossy forest en route to the tallest peak
(6666ft above sea level) in the Highlands.
The squelchy walk took us through fascinating
fauna, most interesting being the carnivorous
condomesque flower which drugs it's victims
into a sleepy stupor. We thought the flowers
reminiscence to johnnies apt, since Malaysia
is apparently the world's largest producer
of rubbers - over 5 billion of them per year!
Cameron Highlands is famous for it's tea plantations
blanketing the rolling hills. We were stirred
by the stunning views...just our cup of tea!
We couldn't resist having a brew (they don't
come much fresher than this) after we took
a tour of the BOH tea factory.
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Our
Hostel (Bunkers) - Cameron Highlands
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On
the 2nd tour we were accompanied by Nick and
Tanya, a lovely couple from the UK, as we
rattled around in a 4x4 on our way to a native
village. We stopped off to admire many colourful
wild butterflies and whilst our knowledgeable
guide reeled off their Latin and common names,
we developed numb tongues from tasting some
raw cammomile flower heads. We eventually
reached the bottom of the valley and navigated
the precarious bamboo bridge to reach the
village on stilts and some of the Orang Asli
tribe members. We impressed them with our
blowpipe dart shooting and amused them with
our lack of coin throwing skills as we took
part in one of their inventive games. We dodged
the wild chickens as we entered the chief's
"house" and were welcomed with sweet
hibiscus tea and boiled tapioca dipped in
sugar. We were flummoxed by their clever bamboo
puzzles and learnt more about their culture.
Sadly due to the younger people in pursuit
of a Western lifestyle, traditions are in
decline and the future of the tribe is uncertain,
although tours like ours provide a reason
for it to besustained.
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Carnivorous
condom flower
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After
the driver finally got the rickety old bus
into gear and hacked up a lung or two we set
off for the island of Penang. 5 hours later
as soon as soon as we were able to disembark
the current death bus, we did, hopping onto
a ferry from Butterworth to Georgetown. With
only two full days there, we spent one day
trying to sort out our lives for the next
4 months and one doing a whistle stop tour
of the island. Our "How you say",
"Wha' you call" guide, drove us
in a big loop around the island, stopping
at amongst other things at a batik factory,
a snake temple (with real green vipers inside)
and a jewelery factory, before returning to
Georgetown. There we had our fortune told
by a
slot machine at the temple of the reclining
Buddha, and took a stroll down a mid 19th
Century Chinese wooden Jetty. Which was the
highlight of our stay in Penang, with it's
giant (5 foot long) lizards and still inhabited
quaint rickety shacks.
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Butterfly
spotting - Cameron Highlands
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Orang
Asli village access
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The
following day we embarked on a 20 hour train
journey to a new city in a new country. We
decided to take the opportunity to find out
who was the ultimate backgammon 'Champion
of Champions'. G took an early lead, progressing
well until we arrived at the border. We jumped
off the train, and once through the strict
immigration, K began a resurgence in Thailand,
but in the end G came through victorious.
At this point, the steward came through the
carriage quickly transforming the seats into
beds and we had our first night in a bed on
board a train. Not quite refreshed, we arrived
to the hustle and bustle and smog and smells
of Bangkok...we should have packed our face
masks!
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Snake
Temple Penang
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The
snakes are real...read the sign!
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Chew
Jetty, Georgetown, Penang
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Reclining
Buddha, Georgetown, Penang
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