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Taiwan 2024

Mad Macau

Macau was settled by the Portuguese in the 17th century just a short ferry ride from the corresponding colony of Hong Kong developed by England. On lease from China until the close of last century they are still not completely integrated into China. Both colonies have their own currencies and border formalities even between each other. Both have their own legislatures but control is increasingly from Beijing. Hong Kong developed as a financial hub under the British as well as, of course a British port. In contrast Macao became a Portuguese port but developed as a gambling centre. Sometimes dubbed the Vegas of the East this little island state has 3 times the annual gambling revenue compared with Vegas.

Casinos are everywhere and here on Cotai Island the casino strip is a more impressive version of Vegas. Here you can see a massive replica of the Eiffel tower, Big Ben and the Venetian Bell Tower at street level.

Our magnificent Venetian Hotel
View from fort
The Parisian Hotel
The Londoner Hotel



I have selected the Venetian and am not disappointed. Apart from the luxurious accommodation there are 3 levels of shopping malls to rival the biggest shopping centres I have ever seen. There are 150 eateries, luxury labels abound and 5 massive casinos. What really impresses is the 3 huge long Venetian canals under a massive dome lit up as if it were the sky. We indulge in a gondola ride which is every bit as authentic in appearance as the Italian version.

Gondola ride



The capitol city is Coloane and the main tourist sites reflect the Portuguese heritage of Macau. The pretty main square (Senado Square) is flanked by Portuguese buildings.

Senado Square



It is a short but steep climb to the Portuguese fort built in the 17th century primarily as defence against the Dutch. It seems like the Dutch and Portuguese regularly fought over Asian outposts those days.


From there down to the ruins of St Paul’s Cathedral. Built in 1637 it was destroyed by fire during a typhoon in 1835. The remaining front wall is now UNESCO protected and a popular site for locals and tourists alike.

St Paul’s Cathedral

Lunch at Cathedral Square

Last few pictures are night time at the casinos

Categories
Taiwan 2024

Big Buddha

Chris and I came to Leshan in 2004 to see the world’s second largest Buddha. In those days it was a long bus ride from Chengdu. Fast forward 20 years and once again the changes are stark. A sleek bullet train takes us there in 50 minutes. We arrive to a massive new visitors centre with all the mod cons.

The biggest change is less about China. We are now visiting the world’s largest Buddha following the destruction of the Bamian Buddhas previously the world’s largest. Situated in Afghanistan the vicious Taliban committed cultural vandalism in 2001 by laying explosives around the feet of these centuries old statutes and blowing them up for the simple reason that it is a representation of a religion other than their own.

The statue was hand carved out of the sandstone mountain between 713 and 803 AD. Standing 71 metres at the confluence of the Min and Dadu Rivers the monks of the day believed that the Buddha would calm the turbulent waters plaguing shipping vessels down the river. As it turns out the carved out debris deposit in the river did actually have that effect. The detail of this massive seated sculpture is remarkable right down to the curls on his head and fingers and toenails.

Views from river cruise
Temples on the walk up
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Taiwan 2024

Pandamonium

I hand over my passport and ready money for payment. We are at the ticket office for the Panda Breeding Research Stationon the outskirts of Chengdu. My passport is handed back to me and my money waved away with some Chinese words. The woman behind us interprets and says “there is no charge because your age”. There is a mixture of happiness at being able to enter for free tinged with realisation that I am getting on in years now.

As with everything in mainland China there is a paucity of information combined with the language barrier that hampers independent travel. Signage is in Pinyin lettering, almost no people speak any English and the internet and electronic information sources such as QR codes are on their own electronic platforms that do not interact with ours. Even credit card transactions are mostly with their own financial institutions and informatics rendering our cards useless and suddenly cash is king again! How retro!

I have stressed all night about getting tickets and entry and here we are with a rugby scrum of locals heading into the panda sanctuary with a minimum of hassle. My son Chris and I were here in 2004. We stayed at the now defunct Panda Hotel and visited the, since destroyed by earthquake in 2008, Wolong Panda Sanctuary. We were rewarded by a panda sightings but it was more of a zoo experience with a handful of pandas eating supplied bamboo in sparse enclosures and concrete pits.

Twenty years later and this is a totally different experience. The grounds are massive, green forested and with well maintained gardens. Obviously the pandas are not completely unrestricted but they have generous green, natural enclosures with space aplenty, vegetation including trees to climb. Breeding here seems to be successful and panda numbers are increasing which is fortunate as, in common with other species, deforestation is proving to be the biggest threat to the species’ viability in the wild.

Bamboo, Panda food



The day starts just after dawn and is hectic early with large numbers of locals around the early enclosures. Nonetheless they were surprisingly less touristically “aggressive” than my experience in previous years and much more orderly. Content with our early sightings we head off for a coffee expecting to then have little to see as the pandas sated sleep the rest of the day off. We settle down after an hour and a half at the cafeteria. It is 9 am and a lot of the “early birds” are leaving. We are at a counter with glass walls up against a panda enclosure. Suddenly a couple of cuddly pandas amble into view and settle down to chow down on bamboo. Here we are spending morning tea with the pandas! Amazingly the next couple of hours wandering around are the best of the day and the crowds have dissipated.



As we leave I reflect on our amazing wildlife experience with this endangered species. Interestingly Suzanne and I are the only “round eyes” (non Europeans) in evidence all day. I smile inwardly that if this is the popularity of pandas to the local population then their future here surely must be assured.

Equally as cute the diminutive red pandas

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Taiwan 2024

Chengdu

Up until recently Chengdu was the gateway to Tibet. Whilst now one can fly in from Kathmandu or come in via rail from the north, my previous 2 visits to this city was as a stepping stone to visit Tibet. My first visit in 1992 had me on an alien travel permit in a city with only 3 hotels open to foreigners. Us foreigners had to use a different currency to locals and of course there was a different price for us for the same service brazenly advertised everywhere. Approaching locals then was met with a firm “meiyou” which translates to no and was the government directive to Chinese who stumbled upon one of us evil foreigners.

Fast forward 30 years and wow, how things have changed. Cars have replaced bicycles on the roads, massive new high rise buildings everywhere. Designer label shops and marquee cars on the newly built freeways.

We arrive in our central hotel and set out for a couple of hours’ exploration after lunch on Sunday. Our first stop is Tianfu square with a classic very 1960s Mao statute. From there off to the Renmin (People’s) gardens which was a hive of activity on a Sunday afternoon. The pretty green gardens and artificial lake was abuzz with locals. Shopping at the craft market, sipping tea, paddling boats and enjoying open air concerts. What fun to immerse ourselves in this unexpected slice of local life.

Tianfu square
People’s Park



A subsequent afternoon sees us out to one of the many Buddhist temples. This city is in Sichuan province away from the western seaboard in the foothills of the Himalayas . For centuries a part of the Tibetan empire and hence the preponderance of Buddhist temples. Wenshu is the most popular. Built in 618 AD and reconstructed in 1706 it is Tibetan in style and it reprises my memories of my Tibetan Buddhist practises of the past.

Wenshu temple



Finally no visit to Chengdu would be complete for a foodie without paying homage to the unique signature dish that originated here. Mapo Tofu dates back to the Qing dynasty. The name translates to “pockmarked grandmother” a description of the elderly lady who first made this dish. The restaurant that made it started in 1874 and it is still here a bustling busy eatery where the signature dish is one of many Sichuan classics. Our trip to the restaurant sees us in a minor car accident, our taxi driver evicting us from the cab while he filed a report about the accident and us having to walk th final 25 minutes to the restaurant in a tropical deluge. Nonetheless the trip was worth it. Once again we are the only westerners here enjoying a culinary and historic classic.

The legendary mapo tofu
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Year of the dragon

Postscript

Our flight home is a late night departure affording me the opportunity to do some more sightseeing in the afternoon before we leave. We hire a driver and select an itinerary. We get lucky with Bright sunshine at the Ceking rice terraces.



Unfortunately the planned stop at Kintimani to see Bali’s volcano Mt Batur is foiled by heavy rain and low cloud resulting in a white out. Our driver suggests we substitute it with the Holy Water temple. While I was not particularly keen there was nothing else to do to fill in time. I am glad we did as it far exceeded expectations. Water bubbles up from an underground source and is channelled to an open bathing area where pilgrims bathe under a series of pipes. Fascinatingly the pilgrims are all westerners and the temple has life and movement. Definitely worth a visit.


We finish at Tegenung waterfall. Perhaps I have been a bit harsh with my judgement on Bali.

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Uncategorized

Monkey business

Don’t take anything out that you don’t need and secure anything that you are carrying. These are the instructions for the Monkey Temple at Ubud, a 700 year old Balinese Hindu temple in a forest filled with sacred macaque monkeys. Monkeys with attitude and reknown for their nimble fingers. Our minibus pulls up in the heart of the complex and I am off camera in hand taking pictures. A scream suddenly pierces the silence. I turn around and see it is Suzanne, a large monkey is trying to tear off her skirt. An umbrella wielding tourist comes to the rescue and fendes off the would be simian sex offender.

Fast forward 40 years and I am reminded again of my dereliction of duty in failing to guard my spouse. Over lunch I gently suggest we revisit the monkey temple, promising to stay by her side and guard her. I can see the apprehension in her eyes but she says yes. Unsurprisingly 40 years changes a lot. We are greeted by a modern ticket office and complex with shops cafes etc. There are boardwalks in and out of the complex. This time there is evidence of food for the monkeys who are much more amiable. It is not long before Suzanne overcomes her “PTSD” and is enjoying the experience.



As we are leaving the complex there is a small booth for taking selfies with the monkeys for a fee. The sign said closed but, comically there is a monkey lying there relaxed. Presumably this is his gig. Soon a crowd gathers and we are all taking selfies.


While there are some picturesque spots with Hindu statues and architecture, most of the town here is cafes and tourist shops. There is little here that would entice me to come back to Bali. And our 2 days here is just the right amount of time. 

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Year of the dragon

Dragons

Dinner alfresco and my phone pings. I curse out loud, its an email to say that our trip to Komodo Island for tomorrow has been cancelled! As this our only window of opportunity, it is 8pm now and all the Komodo tours start a 5am we seem to be well and truly screwed over. My mind goes into overdrive. Walking through town I noticed half day tours to Rinca Island promoted, that could work. Google is fairly unhelpful but I resolve to push through and make it happen early tomorrow morning.

Reception is incredibly helpful the next morning and before we know it we have chartered our own speedboat leaving at 11am for a cost not much more than the original tour would have cost. Game on! Half an hour cruising takes us to our lunch spot at a pretty white sand beach on Kellar Island. A brief steep walk up the hill here affords grandstand views of the surrounding islands

Rinca is the second largest of the only five islands in the world that are home to the Komodo Dragon. There are 1400 of these uniquely ugly but fascinating remnants of the dinosaur age. They are the largest lizards in the world growing to 3 metres in length. They are apex predators, carnivorous and able to take down large animals such as goats a and deer and swallow and digest them whole. They are aggressive and can run at speeds up to 18kmph.

Deer sporting a dragon bite. Although it escaped the smell of blood lures the dragon and condemns it to imminent predation.

The infrastructure on Rinca is impressive with raised boardwalks and barriers the initial impression is a bit disappointing as it is a bit zoo like but we are treated to multiple sightings of these magnificent creatures. Out of the blue our guide asks if we want to see a dragon nest and before we know it we are off the boardwalk at ground level with 4 adult dragons lying around us and a juvenile scurrying in the distance. I am gripped from behind by my life partner who insistently tugs at my shirt wanting to go back. I am deaf to her entreaties and the guide reassures her she will be safe. We have a magic time wandering within a few metres of these massive reptiles and even Suzanne settles down and at the end of it acknowledges this is one of the more exhilarating life experiences.

How close are we? Look at the clenched teeth smile on Suzanne

Our day finishes with some snorkeling.

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Year of the dragon

Flores

Checking in, the receptionist goes through the formalities, “no smoking in rooms as that attracts a penalty”. I pipe up and add “and no durian fruit”. His eyes open incredulously “yes, how did you know that” he asks? I have seen it as standard hotel policy throughout South East Asia. For those not in the know durian resembles an oversized green pineapple. It is described as tastes like heaven, smells like hell! When the fruit is cut into the smell is like advanced decomposing meat and the smell permeates everything.

Flores is a cheap 1 hour flight east of Bali. Larger than Bali it is green and sparsely populated and still relatively undiscovered by tourists. That, though is likely to change as they are about to start direct international flights from Australia. The vibe here is as much South Pacific as Indonesian and, of course this is the departure point for day trips to Komodo Island to see the unique Komodo Dragon, one of my bucket list items and an inspiration for this trip.

I leave the accommodation bookings to “she who must be obeyed”. She outdoes herself this time booking a villa with private pool at the Sudamala resort. At less than a quarter of the cost of anywhere else in the world this is luxury. Wow, this beautiful villa has a pool much larger than a plunge pool all privately enclosed and it is not long before we shed our sweaty clothes and take full advantage of the privacy and refreshing water.

Open air bath
Our pool
Resort beach

We take in the capitol “city” here, Labuan Bajo which is a pleasant small green town around the harbour. A gentle stroll, lunch and a few photos before heading back to where our private pool beckons.

Main street
Harbour
Mosque
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Back at the resort
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Year of the dragon

Ijen

Darkness engulfs me an hour into the climb. My headtorch light scatters as a mist envelops me near the top. I develop a dry cough as do others around me. The mist is not fog it is sulphur gas emitted from the volcano. On with the gas mask and take a few deep breaths to get used to it. Back to walking and the confined breathing feels all wrong, I back off on my pace for a while and develop a routine and all is right with the world again.



Mt Ijen is our last stop at the far east of Java just a short ferry ride from Bali Island. We stay the night at a beautiful little cottage in idyllic surrounds. Beautiful gardens, pavilions, lily ponds, koi fish and a gushing stream which is apparently home to an otter which sadly we do not see. The room sports a four poster bed with romantic mosquito netting and an outdoor shower. In the afternoon the daily rain assumes monsoonal proportions so we laze on the bed and watch an old classic movie “Krakatoa East of Java” to get us further into the volcano mood.



It is up early for a 3 am start to reach Ijen crater rim for sunrise. The 2800 metre volcano is still active but quiet for now. The steep 3.4km hike takes me 75 minutes. Pleasingly, at the rim the sulphur fog has dissipated. It is a short wait for daylight and I am treated to a grandstand view of the volcano with its bright blue thermal acid lake. In the western part of the crater is another vantage point named Blue Flame. It is from fumaroles there that the sulphur cloud is produced.

Blue Flame viewpoint
Surprisingly vegetation at the rim
For $150 the locals will pull you up to the top and back down in these “taxis”

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Year of the dragon

Spice Islands

The Dutch colonised this place for the spice trade. This climate and the fertile volcanic soil was perfect for growing cinnamon, cloves and pepper. Over the years successful imports from all around the world are thriving here. Ginger turmeric and galangal from India, vanilla from Madagascar, Saffron from Iran, cocoa, coffee and so the list goes on. This morning we spend a couple of hours on a local plantation which is a foodies and gardener’s paradise.

Beautiful gardens
Coconut flower
Harvesting coconut syrup from flower to make palm sugar
Cooking up palm syrup to make palm sugar
Pepper plants
Dragon fruit
Cocoa flower
Cocoa pods
Rice paddies
Roasting and grinding coffee



Two afternoons ago we arrived at Madakaripura Falls, only to be turned away as it is closed due to flooding. Yesterday we were given a reprieve and it was off to see them. The trip involves a 10 minute motorbike ride, not a favourite form of transport for me (especially without helmets!). Then a 2 km walk in involving multiple river crossings and walking under numerous falls. From a distance it looked rather underwhelming. How wrong could I be. At the end of of the canyon a series of spectacular falls generating a massive mist.