Very interesting Katie....thanks
Very interesting Katie....thanks
Yeah, sorry,just saying. But I'm not saying that all Filipino ladies are whores, just most of the ones having around in Wan Chai.Originally Posted by katie23
called bihun.Originally Posted by katie23
@BLD - I didn't know that the Lao need a visa for HK & Macau. I thought they're also visa-exempt, like I was.
Re: Macau, it's not just casinos, but it's what the place is known for. I went to the Parque de Seak Pai Van, a mini zoo, but the main attraction are the two pandas. I call it "Panda Park" in my memories. There was also a nice Chinese-style garden, with mini-lake. Panda park and Chinese garden are in Taipa island, which is part of the Macau SAR. I travelled with my sister and we stayed with her college friend who lives there. So we got local tips when we were going around. Taipa island is more provincial while Macau island is more citified. There's also the old part of the city in Macau island - Senado square, ruins of St. Paul's cathedral, the Fortress, etc, aside from the new part, which are the casinos. I found the old parts of Macau interesting, but usually people just see the casinos. But yeah, 4 days may not be enough for HK, and if the wife needs another visa for Macau, then it might not be worth the bother.
Re: big buddha and cable car, it's best to go there in the morning. Try to avoid it during weekends - lots of ppl, and long queues for the cable car (unless you want queues and ppl-watching!). At the Ladies Market, there were lots of sexy dress-up costumes (cheerleader, French maid, etc). Cheers!
@KW - no problem, no offense taken. We're cool. Since reading TD, I've learned that the hoes are in KL, SG, HK, etc. TD is a fount of info! Re: bihun, we call it "bihon" here. Must be the Chinese influence. Bihun = bihon, siu mai/shau mai = we call it siomai (dumplings). Siu pao (steamed buns with pork) is siopao here. Same-same...
@SiLeakHunt - must've been a memorable experience, that mushroom fruit shake
@ossierob - thanks, will try to post more pics if net cooperates!
Last edited by katie23; 04-03-2014 at 10:29 PM.
Day 3 was zoo day. We went to Lok Kawi Wildlife Park, which is ~45 min to 1 hour away from the KK city centre by car, depending on the traffic. We arranged a taxi via the hostel for drop-off and pick-up, since it was a bit far and difficult to commute (or so the receptionist said). On the way to Lok Kawi, there's a turn-off point which leads to Mt. Kinabalu (highest mountain in SEA). Many people go trekking there, but as we weren't mountaineers, we just went to the easy-walking places.
Anyway, here's Low Kawi Wildlife Park.
It was a Saturday, so there were lots of families around. Here's the queue for the tickets.
Entering the zoo, you'll see this.
Here are some rabbits.
I think that's all for now. My net is &^%. More pics next time...
Last edited by katie23; 04-03-2014 at 10:34 PM.
^Those rabbits are so cute. ..
Interesting pics and place.. I've read quite a bit about both those places...almost worked in Brunei at one point.
@MissT - in Labuan (halfway between KK & Brunei), there were some Aussies on holiday. Their ship was cancelled, so they were telling/complaining to the Malay terminal people that they had to reach Brunei that day (Sunday), as they had to still go to Temburong for work. I think they were TEFLers, based on their conversations. Would you still want to work in Brunei? Since it's Muslim, the vibe would be similar to some parts of the Middle East, though I think not as strict.
@KW - sorry, was busy with work this week. Other days, I was tired and not in the mood to put up pics...
Last edited by katie23; 07-03-2014 at 06:03 PM.
TGIF! Thank goodness the weekend is here and I'll get some R & R. On with the zoo pics.
Here's the chital, which is a deer species native to India and Sri Lanka. I took pics of the names & descriptions of the animals, but I won't show the descriptions anymore.
There was an aviary too. Some birds - don't know their names.
Lok Kawi Wildlife Park Cafe
Javan deer, Cervus timorensis. Distribution: Java, Sulawesi, Timor, New Guinea. Info from the "description pics" that I took.
This way to the Bornean Elephant
This little guy was sooo cute. He was swaying on his legs and putting on a show for the ppl
He later joined his friends. That's him on the right, still facing the ppl
We saw these, but they weren't for use of tourists. Only saw the park staff riding them from place to place.
Next stop, Malayan sun bears, Helarctos malayanus. There were three of them
I don't usually photograph animals. It was during this day that I realized that it's tough to be a wildlife photographer. There were so many failed shots with these zoo animals, as you can't order them to sit still...
Here are some lazy-ass tigers. It was morning so they weren't very active.
Then the orangutans - those 2 brown lumps.
There's a play-place for the orangutans.
This guy was playing hide and seek.
Since it was morning, we were able to watch the proboscis monkeys being fed. Was very nice to watch them.
Greedy little B........ I wonder if they were called Nasalis larvatus because of their large nasal area? hmm...
Nearby was a squirrel monkey, Saimiri sciureus. They are native to Central & South America.
Such a nice thread, I worked in Labuan back in the 80's and stayed some great days in KK, there was a pub called Green 'I forget' if it was Lobster or Dragon but it had great live music.
Beautiful scenery around KK.
^ Thanks for the input. I only passed by Labuan in transit to Brunei. When we were planning the trip, we could've spent 1D/1N in Labuan, but we finally decided not to, and went directly to Brunei. We didn't go to bars in KK, so I don't know what that Green __ is.
My net is slow, and I'm doing other stuff on the comp while waiting for pics to load.
Here's a white horse for y'all.
There's a botanical garden, but we didn't go there...
Ankole cattle, Bos taurus ankole.
Ankole are an ancient species of cattle from Africa, renowned for their magnificent horns that can span as much as 1.8m (6 ft).
Banteng, Bos javanicus.
Another kind of cattle, the banteng. They are the 2nd largest land mammal in Sabah. Distribution: Malaysia, Burma, Thailand, Indochina, Java.
Passed by the sun bear again
The sun bear is the smallest bear in the world (accdg to the info). They can grow up to 5 feet tall and weigh ~60 kg. The hair is short and entirely black, except for a white spot or V-shape mark on the upper chest. This one just had his morning shower.
Passed by this ostrich on the way to the reptiles
One good shot among many failed ones...
Last edited by katie23; 07-03-2014 at 08:24 PM.
Reptiles - we start off with the python
Then the water monitor lizard, Varanus salvator. Looks like he's having a jolly lazy day.
Bankao Dreamer, if you're still viewing this, this one's for you.
That's it for tonight. I will get to show Brunei eventually, but having slow net is frustrating. Until next time.
Great pics of the animals. I went to Labuan for a day, but only to use the pool at the hotel with some friends. I'm really looking forward to your Brunei pics.
Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan are "Muslim" too.Originally Posted by katie23
Article 3 of the Federal Constitution states that Islam is the religion of the Federation. However, this recognition provides space for followers of other beliefs or religions to practice their faith in peace and harmony anywhere in the Federation, as stated in Article 11. Although legal provisions uphold the position of Islam, they are not intended to recognise Malaysia as an Islamic state because, as the first Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tunku Abdul Rahman, argued, the provision of Article 3 is closely linked to the historical status of Islam in Malaya before independence. After the arrival of Islamic influence in Malaya, the Islamic religion gained an honourable position due to a number of factors, including the impact of the Malay Rulers embracing Islam, followed by the Malay nobles and then by the masses (Haron, 1989: 26–27). However, according to Malay history (Sulalatus Salatin), Islam first gained a foothold in the Malay world in the early 15th century when Malacca was upheld as an Islamic state by Raja Kecik Besar, whose title was Sultan Muhammad Syah (A. Samad, 1979: 68). The local population's undivided allegiance to the Sultan led them to embrace Islam en masse. Thus, the issue of freedom of worship did not arise because subjects in the feudal age, who believed in the sovereign power of their kings, obeyed all commands and actions of the rulers to avoid their wrath. Further, to preserve the sanctity and dignity of the Islamic religion, a person was forbidden to change or abandon his religion at will. This was a direct consequence of legal provisions for the crime of apostasy, as stated in Clause 36 of the Undang-undang Melaka (Liaw, 1976: 148–149).
http://www.google.com.bn/url?sa=t&rc...,d.aGc&cad=rja
It's fantastic driving country. Big-dipper roads through the mountains for hundreds of klicks.Originally Posted by dobella
Also have the dairy farm at the foot of Mount Kinabalu. That's a trip worth making if you have a dairy background.
^ Absolutely and a big thanks to Katie for bringing North Borneo to peoples notice.
If I had not worked in that area I would not have known how lovely that area is.
@ Jofrey - To me, Brunei felt more Muslim than KK, Labuan or KL. There were no bars or clubs in Brunei, and alcohol is prohibited too. In the eateries, most sell only "halal" food, the pic of the Sultan is everywhere, there was a building/monument to remember the death of some royals who committed adultery, more women were covered up (head scarf only), etc. In KK, there was more of a mix of Chinese and Muslim Malays and it had a relaxed beach-town vibe.
@dobella - yes, KK and surrounds were beautiful. I wouldn't mind going back there - maybe next time attempt to climb Mt. Kinabalu. (wishful thinking, lol)
@natalie - I'll post most of my Brunei pics, since as you said, it's not a popular destination. Fortunately, I took many street scenes. I think I'll skip the "katie & friends" photos. lol
Ok, after doing my laundry and while having a leisurely breakfast, here are more pics. Net is cooperating.
More reptiles
Pit viper for you.. wouldn't want to run into that in the jungle
The serval. It was hiding among its trees, so here's the description instead.
Passed by the deer again on the way to the ampitheatre
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)