Random scribblings from a man in Asia
Posted in Journal Entries, Places on May 10th, 2010
Hi Everyone, we’ve just arrived in Darjeeling after a day driving through a mixture of lovely hill views of tea plantations and thick cloud permitting the sight of nothing. I have settled for a cup of tea and to catch up on the blog. We spent the past week in Bhutan which was really spectacular [...]
Posted in Places on May 10th, 2010
Until you’ve seen the desolation of the terrain it’s hard to understand the prayer flags that dot the Tibetan landscape. Our tour bus drives past huge areas of yellow-dry scrub and grass which morph to and from incredible desert-like dunes of sand. Everywhere there are mountains on the horizon and we drive along a seemingly [...]
Posted in Places on Apr 17th, 2010
Here are the photos from my recent visit to the Borneo jungle with Uncle Tan.
For the post about the trip, click here.
Posted in Places on Apr 16th, 2010
I’m sat in Sim’s Cozy Guesthouse cafe with my journal in front of me, waiting for some food to brought, listening to some guy playing the guitar on the other side of the room. The hostel here is a big hub for backpackers and I’ve met another couple of Chinese students… both with a couple more [...]
Posted in Places on Apr 15th, 2010
KL is a remarkable city. I remember my first impressions of New York when I travelled there in July 2001 for the first time. Even having grown up in London, I was surprised by the huge variety of people on the street and on the subway. It felt exciting and different, perhaps even more diverse [...]
Posted in Places on Apr 14th, 2010
It was only meant to be a flying visit, and so it was.
I arrived on Wednesday evening and today (Friday) am flying again at lunchtime so had only one full day here to play with. I had already decided to use it to do a bit of snorkelling and relax on the beach and after [...]
Posted in Places on Apr 9th, 2010
Mount Kinabalu is a freakish rock formation rising to over four thousand metres. It stands alone – its neighbours dwarfed by its size, the highest point between the Himalayas and Papua New Guinea. The mountain was such an important symbol in the area that in 1968 the people renamed the nearby state capital Jesselton, Kota [...]
Posted in Places on Apr 7th, 2010
Sabah rocks.
I’ve just arrived at tonight’s lodgings and am waiting for the water to warm-up enough for a very good shower. We came out of the jungle this morning and still haven’t had a proper wash for 3 days! There was no running water in the jungle camp (although river water was available) and from [...]
Posted in Places on Mar 5th, 2010
So I found out that my flight from Kaohsiung to Kuala Lumpur actually stops in Kota Kinabalu on the way. Phoned the airline and turns out I can stay a few days if I pay an extra $7 – no brainer! Hope I’ll be able to visit the orangutan sanctuary in Sepilok and spend a [...]
Posted in Places on Feb 13th, 2010
This is the mountain next to the university here in Kaohsiung where I’m studying Chinese. When I get back from my trip to the Himalayas in June, I’m moving into a small place on the side of the hill here, looking out to the ocean. Can’t wait!
The photos below are from a day hiking in [...]