Samila Beach-Thailand

Posted by Annette Johnson on June 3, 2024
Posted in: ASEAN, Thailand, Thailand South. Leave a comment

The busiest part of Samila Beach is the eastern end nearest Songkhla Town centre. In front of the famous mermaid statue is a long promenade ending in front of roundabout bearing the name ‘Samila Beach’. Lining the promenade are restaurants, shops and market stalls. At the beach end of the promenade is a large concrete pavilion.

Samila Beach is not a swimming or sunbathing beach. There are a lot of large ships in the bay. The beach is somewhere people walk along or sit around. People also come to exercise, ride bicycles, and even horses, up and down the beach side path. They also come at sunset to enjoy an ice cream, a sausage on a stick, draw pictures of the bay, or a drink.

Looking westwards along Samila Beach from the mermaid statue the bay curves gently northwards for just under 3 km. For the entire length of the bay there is wide border of pine trees all the way to far tip of the peninsular marking the end of the beach and opening of large river mouth linking the sea to the vast Songkhla Lake.

The famous statue on Samila Beach is the cat and mouse statue at the eastern end of the beach. This large statue was installed in 2000 to commemorate the local legend of the cat, the mouse, the dog and the magic crystal.

According to the legend a Chinese merchant ship carrying a magic crystal was passing by Simila Beach when the ships’ dog, cat and mouse, working together as a team, stole the magic crystal and made a bid for freedom by attempting to swim to the shore. Neither dog, cat, mouse or magic crystal ever made it to the beach. The dog turned into Tang Kuan hill, the cat and mouse turned into the two islands in the bay, named Cat Island (Koh Maeow) and Mouse Island (Koh Nu).

Ang Thong Waterfall

Posted by Annette Johnson on June 3, 2024
Posted in: ASEAN, Thailand, Thailand South, Uncategorized. Leave a comment

This is a little Waterfall by the side of a main road. Very easy to access. We visited it on our December 2023 Road trip around the southern end of Thailand.

The waterfall rock is dark greenish yellow color. The water in this waterfall looks like a pale gold color. This 10-meter-High waterfall are flowing all year around and the most significant to this fall is the color, the color of this waterfall is gold.

There are many picnic tables and Trees around the basin of the waterfall where people can relax and enjoy its surroundings. There is also a path for people to walk up to the top of the waterfall, but we did not as we were on our way to Pak Meng, which was still quite a drive onwards.

The Lebuh Pantai Fire and Rescue Station 2023

Posted by Annette Johnson on June 3, 2024
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Built in 1908, the Central Fire Station is Malaysia’s oldest surviving fire station. Up until the late 19th century, residents of George Town had to rely on the police to help put out flames, tackle wildlife problems and other emergencies.

In 1898, a fire brigade was finally set up, comprising 10 trained volunteers equipped with a steam power pump carted by four horses. It wasn’t until 10 years later, however, that the Central Fire Station was built. The largely Edwardian two-storey building was fitted with a Mughal-style watchtower – topped with a finialed dome – that was used for observation, training and to dry off water hoses.

The Central Fire Station remains in operation 115 years later, with some new additions. The original louvred wood shutters were replaced by colonial grid windows, and at the back of the building, a three-storey barracks was added to house firefighters and their families. But perhaps most striking is the new red and white paint job that accentuates the building’s symmetrical beauty and classic features. So striking, in fact, that the building got an honourable mention in Accidentally Wes Anderson, the bible of nostalgia aesthetics.

The fire station is one of 82 historic buildings listed as Category 1 in the George Town UNESCO World Heritage Site. More recently, it was known as the Beach Street Fire Station up until 2019, when it reverted to its original name.

To commemorate its storied past, the station’s squad – led by former station chief Mohamad Rafizi Arafpin – have set up a mini gallery on site. Items on display include old photographs, a vintage bicycle fitted with a water hose carriage, as well as different types of firefighter garb. Young visitors can even put on a kids’ uniform and sit in a fire truck – a front seat glimpse into the life of a hero.

Sanur Beach Bali

Posted by Annette Johnson on June 3, 2024
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Sanur Beach has a lengthy shoreline (about 7 kilometers) with a paved footpath that runs the length of it, making it ideal for an early morning walk, jog, or bike ride. Which is exactly what I did when i took these photos during my walk.

It’s a beautiful course flanked by fishing boats, hotel gardens, and beach eateries, with views of Mount Agung volcano in the background on occasion.

Although it was shrouded in heavy mist during my visit, so I really didn’t get to see it at all. But as you will see from my photos the weather at the beach was stunning with a beautiful cool breeze, and lots of lovely small cafes and restaurants to stop and refresh at along the way.

Padang Galak Beach-Bali

Posted by Annette Johnson on June 3, 2024
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Padang Galak Beach is Sanur’s northernmost beach, where experienced surfers can enjoy strong waves most of the year.

It has a narrow shoreline with concrete wave breakers adjoining a beach footpath. The area enjoys strong winds (10–20 knots) from June to August, making it a popular spot for Bali’s traditional flying hobbyists.

Also known as the black beach, on account of it’s black volcanic sand. A truly bracing but wonderfully free-ing place to be. Padang Galak Beach hosts the annual Bali International Kite Festival, usually in July or August, depending on weather conditions. Hundreds of competing kite troupes gather from all over the island to pilot their traditional kites at a spacious grassy beachfront field. The troupes often compete against international teams flying modern kites of various shapes and sizes.

We were too early in August for this event, but saw lots of kites all around The beaches on the Sanur coastline

Pantai Duyung -Bali

Posted by Annette Johnson on June 3, 2024
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Duyung Beach is located not far from Sanur Beach and is actually part of the same coastline. You can even find a pedestrian path that connects the two beaches, with just a 5-minute walk between them.

Duyung Beach is quieter and less crowded, making it suitable for those who want to enjoy a relaxing time at the beach. The peaceful atmosphere makes it an ideal spot for families with children to play in the sand and swim in the calm waters.

Moreover, Duyung Beach is a great location for photography enthusiasts as many fishing boats often dock along the shore, providing a unique charm. Plus, water sport of Paragliding. I got some beautiful Photos of the seascape and hope you enjoy them too!

Garuda Wisnu Kencana Statue or GWK in Bali

Posted by Annette Johnson on June 3, 2024
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It took 28 years to build this massive statue of the Hindu god Vishnu riding a mythical bird.

It is the tallest statue in Indonesia, the world’s tallest statue of a Hindu deity, and if you include its massive base. If you include the huge base on which the statue stands, its total height of 397 feet (121 meters) ranks it as the fourth tallest statue in the world. The entire structure was built from 754 modules, pieced together to form a gargantuan statue weighing more than 3,000 tons, with a steel frame covered in a copper and brass skin.

On top of Vishnu’s head sits a 3.5-ton crown covered with gold-plated mosaics. This is set in an area of ​​ 60 hectares, and houses some other very large statues, such as the Garuda’s head, and Vishnu and the dancing Garuda.

I Hope you enjoy this journey round the park with me!

Yeh Pulu Temple- Nr. Ubud – Bali

Posted by Annette Johnson on June 3, 2024
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One of the less visited places, it does not make it less at all. The walk there through the Indonesian countryside made it not just beautiful, but insightful into rural Indonesia. We were the only people there and loved it. Especially catching the boys flying their kites in the fields.

Yeh Pulu Temple located at the Bedulu Village nearby Ubud. Inside the temple, you will find a wall that stretched along 25 meters with beautiful reliefs telling about the ancient Balinese’ life. There is also a cave in the area, believed as the meditation place of King Bedahulu at 1343. Therefore, it’s not strictly a temple, more like an archeological site, which does not make it a less interesting site to visit.

The Balinese still come to worship the Ganesha Statue, that’s why probably people call it a temple these days or in Indonesian: Pura Yeh Pulu. The name of this temple was derived from two words Yeh means water and Pulu means as a container used as a place to keep the rice for locals.

That is why we can find an actual container in a shaped like a barrel at the spring of holy water. During full moon or the anniversary of the temple, many worshippers from near villages come for praying.

The Goa Gajah Temple is also nearby, therefore it’s very convenient to visit also Goa Gaja. Both are impressive and give you a deeper insight into the culture and traditions of Bali.

Street Art Penang 2023

Posted by Annette Johnson on June 3, 2024
Posted in: Malaysia, Malaysia, Malaysia ASEAN. Leave a comment

Penang, Malaysia is renowned for its vibrant street art scene. The island’s capital, George Town, is home to numerous captivating murals and installations that have become a major tourist attraction1. The street art history in Penang began in 2012 when Lithuanian artist Ernest Zacharevic created a series of interactive murals for the George Town Festival2. Since then, other artists have contributed to the city’s street art landscape. To explore Penang’s street art, you can embark on a self-guided walking tour in George Town.

https://youtu.be/kvsxhcZF_90?si=heagjzRNekMXgit7

Wang Thep Tharo, Dragon Garden

Posted by Annette Johnson on June 3, 2024
Posted in: Southern Thailand, Thailand, Thailand South, Uncategorized. Leave a comment

The Old Man and the Dragons Part of my road trip in December 2023, in the districts of Trang and Songkhla, took me to this beautiful and quite spectacular “Dragon Garden” in some 48hectres of land there is a minimum of some 88 Dragons. In this slideshow you will see a good selection of what I saw on the day.

The sign in the center of the sculpture park reads “Pay respect to the Earth” in Thai. Others scattered along walking paths offer words of wisdom in two languages, including “Be powerful like a dragon.” I’m didn’t feel so powerful in this tropical heat, just five minutes in the sun turning my shirt into a sweaty mess.

Holding court in a shaded pavilion was the man behind all this, Mr. Jaroon Keawla-eiad. (“That’s probably not a perfect spelling,” my guide explained. “Some Thai words don’t translate very well into English letters.”) He is a retired local schoolteacher that took over this land of theptaro trees many decades ago and made a dragon from the curvy tree’s roots. Then he made another, and one after that, then kept going. There are now 88 of them on the property.

Seti Darma Houses of Masks #4-Ubud -Bali 2023

Posted by Annette Johnson on September 9, 2023
Posted in: indonesia. Leave a comment

Whilst in Ubud, I had planned beforehand to visit the Masks and Puppets Museum, always being fascinated by puppets as a child and into my adulthood, you can image the thrill and pleasure I got from this visit!

EXHIBITIONS SPACES
The collections of the House of Masks and Puppets are housed in four different traditional Javanese antique houses or commonly known as Joglo. These unique Joglos are mostly originated from East and Middle Java. They are made out of good quality teak wood and have been put up to help keep their preservation.
All the exhibits are displayed and curated in English as well as Balinese.

The collection of the House of Masks and Puppets currently consists of approximately 7000 items, of which 1300 are masks from Indonesia, Africa, and Japan; whilst the other 5700 are puppets from Indonesia, China, Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar, and Cambodia. Although the House of Masks and Puppets has several objects from other countries, the collection mostly consists of items from various regions in Indonesia. The acquisition of various masks and puppets from other countries is intended for additional learning, appreciation, and understanding of other cultures.

I have split the collection as in their displays in four houses. From full human sized costumes and masks, to face only masks, to shadow and screen puppets and finally wooden puppets!

I hope you enjoy the collection.

Seti Darma House of Masks #3- Ubud-Bali 2023

Posted by Annette Johnson on September 9, 2023
Posted in: indonesia. Leave a comment

Whilst in Ubud, I had planned beforehand to visit the Masks and Puppets Museum, always being fascinated by puppets as a child and into my adulthood, you can image the thrill and pleasure I got from this visit!

EXHIBITIONS SPACES
The collections of the House of Masks and Puppets are housed in four different traditional Javanese antique houses or commonly known as Joglo. These unique Joglos are mostly originated from East and Middle Java. They are made out of good quality teak wood and have been put up to help keep their preservation.
All the exhibits are displayed and curated in English as well as Balinese.

The collection of the House of Masks and Puppets currently consists of approximately 7000 items, of which 1300 are masks from Indonesia, Africa, and Japan; whilst the other 5700 are puppets from Indonesia, China, Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar, and Cambodia. Although the House of Masks and Puppets has several objects from other countries, the collection mostly consists of items from various regions in Indonesia. The acquisition of various masks and puppets from other countries is intended for additional learning, appreciation, and understanding of other cultures.

I have split the collection as in their displays in four houses. From full human sized costumes and masks, to face only masks, to shadow and screen puppets and finally wooden puppets!

I hope you enjoy the collection.