Malaysia Day Trip

City Center, old fort

The professor asked if anyone would be interested in a day trip to nearby Malaysia.

I said I was interested in going, whether the class was going together or not.

He got the hint.

And my roommates bullied the others to come, also, so UST would kick in some money toward this educational experience.

Mill wheel

We went to Melaka and enjoyed walking around the town, which even had a central plaza and the atmosphere reminded me of my Central American travels.

   ...I enjoyed being away from a westernized place like Singapore and chillaxing in a slightly third world kind of way.

A river tour

Malaysian countryside

Family style meal

Botanical Garden

Singapore is tropical, so it is full of spectacular greenery.





The luscious botanical garden is a near jaunt from our hotel, and has a well manicured appearance.





Of course, with the humidity you sweat as soon as you walk outdoors, so this was a warming January experience for us snowbirds.







This garden is the best place for peace in the busy Orchard Road area Singapore.  People are still everywhere, but it works out.





Sometimes I jog here (before the sun is up so I do not perspire too much) and and see people practicing fung shwei (I do not know how to spell that).  I'm debating if it is rude to join them.  

 

 

Zoo

As a class we went to the Singapore zoo!

My favorite were the pandas.

Diversity

Shrine on a street

The course is Diversity in Counseling.

Singapore is diverse.

The population is composed of:
Chinese (majority, Bhuddist)
Malaysians (Muslim)
Indians (Hindu)
Pernaken or Eurasian

All of which may be Christian, too.

Here are some pictures.

Bhuddist temple decor

Happy Bhudda

Christian church

Shoes off in temples and mosques!

Sultan mosque in Arab Quarter

Hanuman at Hindu temple (I think)

Bhuddist temple

Inside Bhudda tooth temple

Bhudda tooth temple

Hindu temple

Traditional Chinese Medicine (Very common in Singapore)

Kali, Hindu goddess of destruction

Mosque in Little India

Pastor Joseph Prince

Speaking of Pastor Prince, I found this church per request of Mom's friend Susan.  It was a mega church (if you didn't guess from the photo).  He does pod casts, but he also has four churches within Singapore (I lucked out and found the one he was speaking at).  It was held at a ginormous event center (The Rock), and I escalatored up stories and stories, packed with the predominantly Chinese crowd, and when I finally saw the doors of the hall the service was being held in I was stopped by a person asking for my ticket.  A ticket.  For church.  Not that you need to pay for it, as the helpful person quickly explained, but you're supposed to register for your seat.  So, I waited in a queue (as they call lines here) and when they figured out who had not come to church that day those of us without tickets received their seats.  I lucked out and was extremely close to the front in a hall that likely held a thousand plus people.  Full.  Pastor Prince was engaging and funny, the service went at least 2.5 hours, and I kind of doubt I'll make it back.

Singapore

Treetops Hotel with mammoth coy spitting in the pool

We started classes January 4th.

We're staying in a ritzy hotel meant for executives and their families, it's more for residential/transitional living, so we have two bedrooms, a shared kitchen and two bathrooms in each apartment.

Unfortunately, this fancy pants hotel does not have free general computers (there is a business room, but a whopping $5 Singapore (80 cents to one U.S. $) for 15 minutes).  When I consider how third world hostels can offer a shared computer for guests, this irks me.  This also prevents me from posting much, so I will be sure to post once I'm home (February 2nd).

Orchard Road with New Years lights

So I will post initial pictures to give you an idea of the city-nation and its architectural wonders and diversity.

Singapore's Marina Bay (the picture on my guidebook)

Orchard Road

The mighty Merlion of Singapore spitting into the bay

Government housing clothes lines

Getting ready for Chinese New Year

Bhudda Tooth temple toward the heart of the picture

Colonial buildings

The Beach.

I also love the beach.

Sunsets are spectacular.

Pink floaties are available to buy.

The hostel was a ten minute walk to the sea.

No sharks or jellyfish (to my knowledge).

Just a few naked babies (oh, you Europeans.  Please use sunblock).

I'll let the pictures say the rest.

Big Bhudda

One Lonely Planet attraction we just couldn’t avoid falling into is Big Bhudda.

Think the giant Jesus in Rio de Janeiro.  Except Thai people prefer ginormous marble statues of Bhudda, instead.

We started our day in a thuk-thuk cab to Phuket Town,  which allowed us to appreciate our smaller beach town by and far.

We did some touristy shopping then grabbed a normal taxi to Big Bhudda, way up on  a hill. 


(We bargained our taxi to 1000 bhat for a trip from Phuket Town to Big Bhudda back to Kamala, he insisted we help him out by stopping at a shopping center to “look only” for some reason about petrol… After doing a quick look at expensive jewelry surrounded by tourists dressed in actual clothes I figured he was getting a pretty good coupon for gas to bring any tourists there)

The shrine was impressive.  The view was spectacular.

We were lended shawls to put over our bare shoulders and skirts to put over bare legs. 

Then we walked up and enjoyed.

Kayaking

My favorite activity: kayaking.

What better way to enjoy my favorite activity than taking to the Phang Nya bay islands in the Gulf of Thailand.

We used the extremely legitimate company PaddleAsia to be picked up from our hostel and drove to the east coast side of Phuket through villages and different scenary than our touristy hostel town), brought to a pier where we caught a boat taxi which brought us to the islands where our sit-in sea kayaks were waiting for us. 

(Thankfully all drivers/captains/guides wore a PaddleAsia t-shirt...  There were several moments of confusion during the transfers where we were not certain exactly what was next or if we had been dumped far from our hostel as a joke.)

  

We spent the day under cloudy skies and partially rainy conditions, yet it still fits into the “Best Day Ever” category. 

The islands of Thailand are high and rocky, the sea is green and gorgeous even under overcast skies.

My favorite part was the choppy waves the guide led us through as we went around a large island (only on half of the island).  It was like white water kayaking, we even used skirts (which is a fabric that goes around your waist as you sit in the kayak then stretches over the opening to prevent water from going inside and pouring over your legs).  They were needed.

 Best day ever.