2013 in Review

Sapi Island, Malaysia

At the beginning of this year, as I embarked on my Oceania journey, I had high expectations of the Land Down Under. I was looking forward to visit the mystical Ayer’s rock and one of the natural wonders of the world, The Great Barrier Reef. My Australian visit turned out to be rather disappointing, mainly because of the intense heat and high cost of living everywhere in Oz. Then it rained pretty much the whole time for the week that I visited Fiji. As a result, cruising around off-shore islands appeared to be totally out of the question. By the time that I got to ‘Eua, an island 45 km from the main island of Tongatapu in Tonga, I rode on a rented bicycle with no hand brakes without assessing the possible risks and dangers beforehand.

In a way, the bicycle accident in ‘Eua was a blessing in disguise. The Tongans restored my faith in mankind. During the week that I was hospitalized in Vaiola Hospital, I witnessed genuine love and concern for sick family members. I laughed and cried with the Tongans who became my family at a time of need. When I arrived in Auckland, the Kiwi nurses treated me with a sweetness that I could never forget. Returning to Vancouver on St. Patrick Day was a brutal reminder why I had planned for the departure from Canada. Even though I stayed in Vancouver for six months to recuperate, and enjoyed the modern conveniences of living in a metropolitan city, I did not change my mind about leaving Canada. As a matter of fact, I was more resolved than ever to make a permanent move.

In June, I was able to book an inexpensive flight from Vancouver to Mumbai, India via London by chance. I thought I could tour South India, Sri Lanka and SE Asia on my way back to the South Pacific. My first visit to India was ten years ago and I have longed to go back because India has so much to offer in terms of architecture, history and culture. I hoped to spend about 2-3 weeks in each country except for India which would require at least 4 weeks to visit most of the UNESCO sites.

For three months, I was an international nomad who did not carry any travel guide books. I did, however, carry my trusty netbook and a smartphone with me. Every night I would just plan out the next day’s itinerary. My onward flights would only be booked on line a few days before departure. My travel style took an 180 degree turn from tightly scheduled to spur of the moment hopping on any transportation means that I could get hold of. Hiccups became more opportunities to mingle with the locals. Another change is the worldwide presence of Facebook. Even when we don’t know each other’s language well, on line translation of FB posts makes it possible for people to connect.

At midnight on Dec 6th, 2013, I finally arrived on the island of Rarotonga in the Cook Islands. Life is so laid back and simple here. I would like to go to one of the islands in the Northern Group. A couple days ago, I went down to the main harbour and was informed that no boat would be going up there until after New Years. And I shall wait patiently. It would be interesting to spend a tropical Christmas here on Rarotonga. I look forward to hearing the choirs from different churches with guitar and ukulele accompaniment. 

My Indonesian Journey - Temples, smoking, shopping and other things...

Indonesia Nov 12 - Dec 5, 2013

I have always thought Indonesia is just a group of islands that are constantly under the threat of natural disasters and civil unrests. When the tsunami hit Banda Aceh on Boxing Day 2004, I could not help but asked God why such catastrophe should fall upon these people. Well, my visit to Banda Aceh provided answers to questions in my mind.

Banda Aceh had a lot of social problems and power struggles before the disaster. This port city had been on an economical decline for the last couple hundred years. Because of all the fighting going on, the city was already crumbling except for the mosques in pre-Tsunami times. I was informed by the staff at the Tsunami Museum that most of the city was rebuilt after the disaster. The government and NGO's also built houses for the homeless people. Reconstruction of roads and houses are still evident everywhere in the city. Because there were few resources left behind to fuel the in-fights after the tsunami, talks of being an independent state ceased too.

The three islands that I visited during my Indonesian journey are Sumatra, Java and Bali. Sumatra is the second largest island of the 1700 islands in the Indonesian territories. Sumatra is now the chief producer of Indonesian coffee. Java is the most populous island where 100,000 year old Java Man skeleton was discovered. I visited the Sangiran Museum and learned much about the Java Man in relation to Homo Erectus and Homo Sapiens. The other two important historic sites on Java island are the Borobudur (Buddhist) Temple which is some 40 km west of Yogyakarta. About 17 km east of Yogyakarta is the Prambanan (Hindu) Temples. Other than being a UNESCO site, Bali is a world class vacation spot, renowned for its unique Hindu temples and beautiful beaches. The other four UNESCO sites in Indonesia, that I did not visit, (from West to East) are Tropical Rainforest of Sumatra, Ujung Kulon National Park, Komodo National Park and Lorentz National Park respectively.

The foreign exchange rates are quite different from the international currency markets. When I received 10,950 IDR for every 1 CAD in the first licensed money changer office that I went into in Jakarta, I was already very happy because I could only get 10,800 IDR per 1 CAD in Canada. You could imagine how delighted I was when I changed more CAD's in a local bank in Banda Aceh, and the exchange rate was 1 CAD to 13,000 IDR minus a 3% commission. The Indonesian government could lose a lot of money when they buy the foreign currencies from the banks.

Just when I thought smoking is prevalent in Malaysia, smoking is an integral part of Indonesian life. A pack of cigarettes costs less than $1.00 USD in Indonesia. In all my travels, I have not seen as many chain smoker drivers as in Indonesia. I should know because I was always assigned the front seats right behind the driver. Even though Philip Morris bought the leading cigarette company, Sempoerna out a few years back, the national brand, Dji Sam Soe still has the majority market share. The unfiltered, hand rolled, cut and packaged kredit cigarettes remain the most popular choice of the older Indonesian smokers. Kredit cigarettes are tobacco blended with cloves and other secret spices.

Bali has always been in the TOP TEN list for having the most beautiful beaches in the world. In spite of the onslaught of tourists, most places on the island are kept pretty intact from the outside world. I was swarmed by aggressive taxi drivers when I arrived in the bus terminal in Mengwi around 10 p.m. I walked to the nearest police station and asked for assistance. A handsome policeman drove me to my guesthouse in Kuta. Prices in Kuta are still relatively low given that there are so many world class resorts and 5-star hotels. Transportation is a major issue in Bali. Unless you rent a car, your travels are limited by the sporadic bus schedules.

In many ways, Indonesia has exceeded my expectations. Even though I have sworn not to buy any souvenirs on this trip, I could not help but bought 4 tops, 1 batik jacket, 1 batik sarong and 1 pair of leather sandals in Indonesia because they are so beautiful and inexpensive. One of these days, I will return and travel to the eastern islands of Indonesia.

The Kingdom of Tonga

It would have been a typical South Pacific vacation in Tonga if a bicycle accident did not happen on the island of 'Eua on March 1st, 2013. My rented bike crashed to the side of a gravel road at the edge of a rainforest. The rest is history...

Tonga is made up of four groups of islands, with Tongatapu group in the South, Ha'apai in the middle, Vava'u in the north and Niuas in the far north. The capital is Nuku'alofa on the main island of Tongatapu. There are weekly ferries looping around Tongatapu, Ha'apai and Vava'u. The remote group of Niuas islands is only accessible from Nuku'alofa 3 times a year.

One of the reasons why I choose Tonga as one of my destinations is that it is a nation that was never colonised. However, it became a "protected state" of the British Empire. The reigning monarchy has absolute power over the parliament in the rule of the country. Even though majority of the young Tongans carry mobile phones these days, everyday life is still imbued in traditions.

I have jokingly coined the term "I-forgot-nation" for Tonga. Because religion is a great part of Tongan life, it is also an "I-for-God" nation. Unlike the rest of the world, there are no schedules and deadlines in their world. If things can happen, they will happen and there is no real push for anything to happen on time. If things don't happen, the typical response is "Sorry, I forgot."

Tongans might not be rich in monetary terms; however, they more than make up for it in "heart". Where would you see family members sleeping on the floor around the bed of a sick family member in a hospital overnight? Nurses encourage visits at all times and death is taken as seriously as birth. Tongans have shown me humanity at its best. May God protect and keep these wonderful people.

Aussie, Aussie, Aussie...Ya, ya, ya

My Aussie experience had not been an easy one.I visited all its states except for Tasmania which was on fire. When I flew over the continent from Perth to Sydney, most of the land appeared to be burnt orange in colour with some green on the two coasts. Majority of the continent is indeed uninhabitable.The term "outback" covers vast land that is not the coastal region.  

Like Canada, it is blessed with an abundance of natural resources. It is also diverse in cultures. If Canada can be described as an autumn country, Australia is mostly a summer country. It has a lot more youths than Canada, and yet it is aggressively trying to attract young labourers from all over the world to work on its farms and mines by granting working tourist visas.Like the Bible would say, "The harvest is great but the labourers are few."

If I were to pick a favourite Aussie city, it is a toss between Brisbane and Perth. Both cities have a river running through it, moderate climate, a deep harbour and beautiful sand beaches. Their transportation systems are well organized, much better than that of Vancouver. There are a lot more bikes on the road yet very few dedicated bike lanes and hence less traffic congestion. Their city planners have made provisions for population growth and urban expansion years ahead and it is evident in the infrastructure.

Most of the famous Aussie landmarks might have been overrated especially the natural ones such as the Great Barrier Reef and Ayers Rock. I do however have a particular fondness for the man-made landmarks such as Sydney Opera House and the planned city of Canberra. In terms of wildlife, I did not have any close encounter with the kangaroos, koalas, emus, wallabies, etc. One thing that is abundant everywhere in Oz is flies. I swear I must have swallowed hundreds while visiting various national parks.

 Even though Oz is an English-speaking country, the Australian language is hard to understand. As with other young countries in the world, Oz is in the process of carving out a national identity that its people would be proud to call their own. It seems to me that Aussies are more sports-oriented. Not many Aussies know all the verses to their national anthem; cheers on Australia Day (Jan 26th) "Aussie Aussie Aussie/Oie Oie Oie/Ya Ya Ya" were heard loud and clear everywhere.

Food unites Malaysia

Malaysia Oct 24 - Nov 12, 2013

At the mention of the name Malaysia, one would conjure up images of a modern country which is a melting pot of many races. At one end of the spectrum are the pork-eating Malaysian-Chinese. The other majority group is the Muslim Malay. Malaysians share one common passion - food. I dare say the national food is noodles. From gourmet seafood char kuah teow to instant chicken-flavoured soup noodle, Malaysians love to eat spicy noodles any time of the day.

Even though Malaysia has very good infrastructure generally, a large part of the country remains isolated and rural, especially the northern part of Malay Peninsular and East Malaysia on Borneo. Travelling in these parts of the country certainly poses definite challenges for the independent travelers. I found myself waiting at bus stations, railway stations, ferry terminals and bus stands for endless hours because the schedules were mostly outdated and unreliable.

Malaysia appears to emphasize the nature aspect in its tourism promotional program. With the exception of the Lenggong archaeological site, the country has almost no ancient artifacts. Most buildings in the two UNESCO cities(Malacca & Georgetown) are no more than 200 years old. Perhaps more effort could be put in preserving its history. Penang is the only city that I witnessed the most restoration projects in progress.

If I have to choose my favorite place in Malaysia, I would pick Kuching as #1 choice to be followed by Malacca and then Georgetown. Kuching has a beautiful waterfront, the most number of museums which are all free of charge, a wide range of shopping styles from modern malls to portable stalls, the most places of interest such as wildlife park and cultural villages, a large variety of food, a generally good public transportation system and affordable accommodation.

In comparison to its neighbouring countries in SE Asia, Malaysia is modern and its cities are just as world class as the major cities in the western world. For Australian and New Zealand tourists and water sport enthusiasts, Malaysia is such a bargain in comparison to their home countries as vacation spots, and most locals can speak English. For a history and architecture fan like me, my Malaysian journey provided answers to the many puzzles that I had about the enigmatic island of Borneo and a refresher geography lesson for the Malaya Peninsular.