Cha Am to Bangkok, Thailand - Journal no. 17
1st to 30th July 2011
Return trip to Bangkok
Why Bangkok I here you ask? Well I’ve been in Thailand since the 3rd May and I needed
to cross a border to activate the 2nd visa and flying out of Suvarnabhumi seemed the logical option. In addition I’d left luggage at the Golden
Sands Resort, Cha Am, 175 km south of the city of Bangkok, and I determined to
send some of those and other items home, lightening my load.
It also seemed that I might as well take full advantage and fly from BKK
airport to another country, in this case Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
What started out as a simple trip to one country has now evolved into four
and I’m looking at a teaching opportunity, along the way, in Borneo, Malaysia?
As
a side issue, the transportation system in Surat Thani, central southern
Thailand has to be one of the most frustrating that I have yet come across
anywhere in Thailand. My advice, make sure your journey takes you through the
city!!
After a short stay over in the
Thai beach town of Cha Am, it’s a short trip to Bangkok and an opportunity to
have a proper look round this fascinating city.
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| View from Golden Sands Resort |
‘Tuk-Tuk’ and local driver round Bangkok
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| Tuk-Tuk and local Bangkok driver |
Three-wheeler motorbike the local means of transportation and typical means of getting round Bangkok.
Today I decided to tour round some of the sites of old Bangkok, namely the Golden Mount (a stupa or Chedi on a hill), the Grand Palace, Wat Ratchanatdaram, various minor temples and China Town.
‘Thailand’s Smiling People’
Bangkok
isn’t a beautiful city and the culture of the ‘Smiling People’, as the tourist
board would have you believe, are not present in Bangkok, unlike elsewhere.
Once you’ve spent a little time here you can understand why.
It’s
so intense; the streets are crammed with people, a seething mass moving with a
purpose, cars, motor bikes, great concrete monstrosity’s overhead carrying the
BTS trains, characterless buildings, street vendors and shops that sprawl out
onto the pavement forcing you into the path of oncoming traffic, it’s
absolutely crazy!!
Waterways bisect the city
One of the best ways of getting
round the city is the network of rivers and canals. It’s a cheap, fast and
reliable and avoids the severely congested roads, often gridlocked.
It’s an opportunity to see
another side of life. The houses tightly packed lining the bank with a narrow
footpath strewn with shops and stalls, unable to see the river with space
enough for one person to walk single file.
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| One of the best ways of getting round Bangkok |
You struggle to see how these
people survive, more over stand the stench from the waterways, mainly narrow
canals, so often a depository for all waste matter!!!
The city ‘Parapet
Mahakan Fort’
Mahakan Fort, one of many that
surrounds the central or old part of Bangkok, situated at the junction of
Damrong Rak and Maha Chai Road. The fort is very much a colonial style
defensive structure typical of those seen across Europe and the world for that
matter.
There are tightly packed houses and narrow alleys inside
the perimeter of the fort; most are of a wooden construction.
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| Parapet Mahakan Fort, Bangkok |
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| Tightly packed wooden houses inside the fort |
The flags displayed are of the
Royal Thai Emblem; clearly they are well liked and respected in this part of
the city.
Queen of Thailand’s birthday
It’s the Queens birthday on the
13th August so there are already decorations in place; the Royal
Thai family is a much-revered figurehead.
Bangkok is a great city
You
might think that from my earlier comment that I’m not a great fan of Thailand’s
major commercial and political heart, you’d be wrong.
Yes
it’s frustrating, at times infuriating, however, show me any city in the world
that isn’t, at times.
It’s
just a question of coming to terms with how the game is played here. There is a
massive amount of confusion, or so it would appear. The main arteries are
undergoing major changes, there’s a huge amount of uncoordinated construction,
a tendency to leave things unfinished and with little understanding of what the
ultimate intention is. Or that’s how it would appear to me, but I guess I can’t
apply my preconceptions to a country that I hardly know.
Clearly,
there’s is a tremendous amount of investment in Thailand and I know that there
is a desire to be a major player in the world’s economy, certainly apparent
when reading the tabloids here.
Loha Prasat at Wat
Ratchanatdaram
The term ‘Loha Prasa’ was first
used in the Buddha’s time to call the metal-roofed abode of the Buddhist monks.
Only three were erected, the first in India and the second in Sri Lanka: both
were built over 2,000 years ago and have long since disappeared. The third and
only remaining example was built during the reign of King Rama III, during the
Chakri Dynasty, in the old part of Bangkok.
Loha Prasat has been
continuously renovated and extended during the six past reigns and it is a
unique testimony to the Buddhist architectural art of the Rattanakosin Era.
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| Loha Prasat at Wat Ratchanatdaram |
All of the intricate detailing
to the eaves and 37 spires are of weathered brass. The spires represent the 37
qualities contributing to enlightenment of Phra Bodhipakkiyadhamma.
Golden Mount Wat
Saket
Phranga
Sriphatralanarajakosa was commanded by King Rama III to construct a great Prang
(Pagoda) 50 fathoms in dimension.
The
sacred Wat, constructed on a hill, has a large roof terrace overlooking the
city with a gold spire atop, visible for miles.
The Grand Palace
The Grand Palace complex
established by King Rama I after he ascend the throne in 1782, consists of the
Royal residence, throne halls, government offices and the renowned Temple of
the Emerald Buddha.
It covers an area of 218,000
square meters and is surround by four walls, 1,900 meters in length.
North of the royal residence,
linked by a connecting gateway, lies the Royal Monastery of the Emerald Buddha,
enshrined on a traditional Thai-style throne made of gilded-carved wood known
as a Busabok. The sacred image is clad in one of the seasonal costumes,
(summer, rainy season or winter) and changed accordingly.
The Emerald Buddha is in fact
carved from solid green jade and first discovered in 1434 in a stupa in Chang
Rai. It was thought at first to be an ordinary image covered in plaster until
an abbot noticed that a piece had flaked off revealing the green stone
underneath, he thought it to be emerald, hence the name which has stuck to this
day.
The sacred image remained in
Lampang, subsequently moved to the then capital Chang Mai, where a Laotian King
ascended the throne in 1552. After a short time he returned to Laos to succeed
his father’s throne taking the image with him where it remained until 1778,
when an invading Thai army captured Vientiane (capital of Laos) and the image
returning it back to Thailand.
The commander, Chao Phraya
Chakri, later King Rama I commissioned the construction of the Grand Palace and
thereby establishing the city of Bangkok.
Surrounding the Inner sanctum or
Royal Monastery on all four sides are covered terraces with paintings and
murals depicting the Lord Buddha’s life from his birth, through his childhood,
youth and the Great Renunciation.
In the Upper Terrace, there are
four main monuments, a reliquary in the shape of a golden Chedi (the City
Pillar Shrine); the Mondop, a repository for Buddhist sacred scriptures
inscribed on palm leaves and contained within a beautiful mother-of-pearl
inlaid cabinet; a miniature Angkor Wat crafted by order of King Mongkut (Rama
IV); and the Royal Pantheon containing past sovereigns of the Chakri
dynasty.
Scattered around the terrace are
statues of elephants and mythical beings. The elephants are a record of the
famous white elephants acquired during the reign of the various kings.
The gardens in front of the Chakri
Maha Prasat Chulalongkorn were commissioned by King Rama V and completed in
1882, the same year as the centenary celebration of Bangkok. The buildings
comprise the Central Throne Room, two wings and the Throne Hall. With the walls
lined with canvasses depicting various receptions held; one in honor of Sir
James Bowring the British envoy at the time, the French envoy, Queen Victoria’s
reception of King Rama IV at Buckingham Palace and Louis XIV’s meeting with
King Harai of Ayuthaya at the Gallerie des Graces at Versailles.
To the right are the Dusit Maha
Prasat Throne Hall and Amphorn Phimok Pavilion.
Trip along the Mae
Nam Chao Phraya River
It would very easy to spend a
full and exhausting day wandering round this magnificent site. There are a
superb collection of buildings, to see an admire, each group arranged in a
separate walled compound and representing different stages of development
within the Buddhist belief or for the performance of different functions for
the reigning monarch, now and in the past.
In addition, the Palace is set in
immaculately kept gardens worthy of note, not to mention the huge array of
artifacts, paintings, sculptures and many murals that adorn the walls both
inside and out.
The day began in the suburb of
Sukhumvit, where I’m staying at the moment, west of the city center. The MRT,
modern underground railway, is the best way of getting across the city, in this
case to Hua Lamphong station, it’s then a question of taking a tuk-tuk to the
suburb of Bo Bae and a speed boat or ferry along the canal to the Golden Mount,
the intended start point.
After spending several hours
looking round the Mahakan colonial fort, Wat Ratchanatdaram, the Golden Mount
and the Grand Palace I decided to take a ferry along the Mae Nam Chao Phraya
river to China Town for some lunch.
China Town in Old Bangkok
Bangkok’s China Town isn’t so
obvious as say San Francisco’s, there you walk through an archway guarded
either side by two Mythical Golden Lions announcing the start of the Chinese
quarter.
Getting off the ferry at Pier
Point, situated along the Mae Nam Chao Phraya River you feel as if you’re
stumbling into any other part of the city. Your senses are immediately
assaulted by a loud cacophony of noise, bright colours, strong smells, some
pleasant, some not so, and a frenetic activity. No difference so far. The
streets are tightly packed; this is the old part of Bangkok after all, full to
over flowing with people, shops, stalls, street vendors, cycles, tut-tuk’s,
cars and motorbikes.
Narrow alleyways bisect the
roads and as you walk into these cooler, darker spaces you’re immediately confronted
by a mass of humanity where stalls and shops line the path. There’s even the
odd motorbike trying desperately to force their way through.
Unlike my experience in the USA
you’re not crossing into a different ethnic zone, this is Asia after all.
Perhaps there isn’t quite the same need to re-connect with their heritage as in
the USA. China Town here is much more subtle, or so it would seem, you have to
look for the differences, some are obvious like the brightly coloured neon
signs in Chinese script denoting there trade, or the shops selling fungi, dried
mushrooms, edible moulds, tree barks, swallow spittle (birds nest) and many
other obscure things for ones health or to cook with. The rest is the spoken
language and mannerisms: even that is not completely apparent, as, over the
years, Chinese and Thai have merged.
Well after a whistle stop tour
of parts of Bangkok, it’s time to hit the road and make the return journey back
to Asoke and my hotel.
Travel advice
Getting round Bangkok city, I
guess like most cities across the world, is a bit of an adventure that can
easily become an irritation.
Essentially there are three very
good overland rail services that link Suvarnabhumi BKK airport directly to the
city. Two that go to Phaya Thai and one that goes to Makkasan, all aptly
called, ‘Airport Rail Link’.
There is a BTS station close to
Phaya Thai providing an elevated rail link from North of the City to the West
and that crosses, at various points, the BTS South to East line.
At Makkasan, it’s a 300-meter
walk to the MRT, or underground service, at Phetchaburi, which can take you to
the North or South of the city. Be warned access from one service provider to
another is not always straight forward or clearly signed posted. There are many
other options to test your wits and powers of negotiation bus, taxi, tuk-tuk or
motorbike.
Flying into trouble in Kuala Lumpur!!
Our flight landed in Kuala
Lumpur airport as scheduled, which was good news, the bad news it took all of
the one and a half hours predicted to pass through customs that I’d read about.
The luggage had been off-loaded from the conveyor belt and placed on the floor
to make way for another flight in the meantime. All signs of our flight details
had long since disappeared. Thank heavens for a good book
and an I-Pod!!
Once through customs, however,
it became clear that something out of the ordinary was occurring. There were
far to many people milling around aimlessly, with restaurants full to bursting
and any covered space crowded to overflowing. Talking to a shop assistant, taxi
driver and a policeman I managed to ascertain that the center of Kuala Lumpur
Central was closed for the time being with the area around Chow Kit, close to
where I was staying, off limits.
The opposing political party had
organized a protest claiming the recent election in March had been rigged.
Several thousand supporters
turned up in what was intended as a peaceful rally as did a large number of
police as a mater of course. Unfortunately the whole thing erupted into a
violent confrontation.
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| Petronas Towers Kuala Lumpur |
The trouble centered specifically
round Meredeka Square and KL Sentral, the bus and train terminal, although with
splintered outbreaks across the city. The advice given wait until such time
that order had been restored.
People’s of Malaysia
It’s incredible to think, the
short distance from Thailand to Malaysia can make such a difference in the
ethnic make up of the people.
Malaysia is more akin to India
certainly from what I have seen thus far. They would appear to make up the
majority of the population in Kuala Lumpur closely followed by Chinese, Arabs
and North Africans.
It highlights Malaysia’s trading
past and British colonialism with a desire, at the time, to create a trading
nation.
The population still remains at
a modest level though, 27,000,000, and for such a large country.
Spoken English seems to be the
norm and the main religion Muslim; there are a large number of Hindu’s however.
It’s a real melting pot of people’s and cultures.
272 steps to enlightenment
Thirteen kilometers outside Kuala
Lumpur, a short train ride from KL Sentral, is the magnificent and much revered
Hindi shrine the Batu Caves.
Travelling on the train you can
see from a distance an isolated limestone outcrop on the horizon, the only real
elevation of any note for miles around.
In front of the limestone cliffs
are various shrines clad in gold, water gardens stocked with huge Coy Carp and
the entrance to the main shrine guard by a 43-meter high statue of a Hindu god
called Merga.
At about 60 to 70 meters above
the base, or to be precise 272 steps from bottom to top, is the entrance to a
cathedral sized cave.
An Australian guy that I met on
the train noted at the top that there were 16 groups of 17 steps; presumably
there is significance in the Hindu religion for the number and grouping.
From the cave entrance you
descend a flight of stairs into a capacious area about a 100m long by 50m high
at its apex. There’s a small Hindu shrine off to the left.
Three further sets of 17 steps
lead to what can only be described as a vertical cave or a tube. Sheer sided
rising 50m into the air and open to the elements at the top, presumably the
cave roof collapsed at some point. In
the center is the Sri Valli Murugan Temple.
Thousands of Hindu pilgrims make
the journey to the site daily along with the odd curious tourist or two!
The city of Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur for me was a disappointment
and for several days afterwards I felt quite deflated.
Whilst travelling by bus from
Melaka to Mersing, sometime later, I sat next to a Chinese guy called James
Lieu. A young practicing doctor living in Malaysia. It materialized that he had
backed packed round Europe some years previous and ended up in London.
He’d had a similar reaction to
mine on arriving in London and felt that the spoken language, ethnic diversity,
architecture and a familiar transportation system reminded him too much of his home
town of Kuala Lumpur.
That was it!! It was as simple
as that, KL reminded me too much of home. Being in Kuala Lumpur, apart from the
difference in temperature reminded me of London, crazy but true!!
Melaka, Mersing and then Tioman Island
The Dutch square and all of the
many colonial buildings, which encompass Melaka’s rich history dating back to
the 2nd century, are part of a UNESCO world heritage site.
For many centuries the region
was ruled by the Funam Empire centered in what is now Cambodia, but more
significant was the domination of the Sumatra-based Srivijayan Empire between
the 7th and 13th centuries.
In 1405 Melaka came under the
protection of the Chinese, specifically an admiral called Cheng Ho, and with
their support the city gained control over most of the Malaya peninsular.
The cities wealth, gold, tin and
jungle woods, and prosperity eventually attracted the Europeans and was taken
over by the Portuguese in 1511, the Dutch 1641 and finally the British in 1795
who remained in control until 1957 when Malaysia was granted independence.
Melaka’s China Town
Melaka has evolved into modern
city dominated by shopping centers, inner and outer city, modern hotels, lavish
apartment blocks and very little else. The one saving grace, the UNESCO world
heritage site known as China Town comprising an interesting collection of
beautifully restored Dutch, Portuguese, Chinese and English houses arranged
around a series of canals, a bit like a small Venice.
There are lots of waterside
cafes, restaurants, shops and some great architecture to see, although nothing
Malaysian apart from the cuisine.
Given Melaka’s rich and diverse
history it seems a shame that this is all there is to show for several hundred
years of occupation.
After a couple of days wandering
round Melaka, I decided to move on by bus to Mersing a small town situated
along the East coast.
After an overnight stop in what
is a nothing town with little in the way of accommodation or things to do, I
caught the 11.30am ferry for the 2-hour trip to Tioman Island.
An idyllic paradise and a lost opportunity
Tioman islands, one of several
in Crystal waters, comprises a limestone and granite outcrop dripping in jungle
vegetation, with beautiful coves, beaches along with a small airfield.
Malaysia
continues to be a real disappointment. I‘ve struggled to find the real Malaysia
since landing at KL airport on the 9th July. The people on the whole
aren’t as friendly as the Thai.
I’ve
been confronted with cynicism, people being obstructive and argumentative,
disinterest at times, accommodation well below standard and considerably over
priced with the idyllic paradise of Tioman island a real let down, so far.
It’s
the first time since leaving the UK in March that I’ve really felt like calling
it a day and returning home!!
The blue-green waters of the
South China Sea wash the beaches around Tioman Island. With its turtle-shape
Pulau Tioman is the largest and most impressive of the 64 east coast islands,
or so the tourist books would have you believe.
It’s sheer size (20km long and
11km wide) make it the more developed. Snorkeling and diving in the clear
waters introduce visitors to the wonderful aquatic world, while landlubbers can
simply laze around on sandy beaches, develop a taste for duty-free beer while
slung out on hammocks between palms, tune into the slapping surf or explore the
rugged interior.
In the late 1950s Hollywood got wind of Tioman and made it
the setting for the mythical ‘Bali Hai’
in the film ‘South Pacific.’
Don’t get me wrong the setting is beautiful, the beaches
are excellent and the waters around the island are everything that the
guidebooks say they are. It’s just that for me there is a prevailing sense of
cynicism towards the tourist, Malaysian or otherwise.
Tioman Island is considered one of the top 10 most
beautiful islands in the world, a world-class destination. However, what it
provides is sub-standard accommodation, high prices, no effective means to get
round the island apart from over priced taxis at six to seven times the normal
rate and disinterest from the local population, not everyone.
The best way to enjoy a relaxing time on Tioman Island is
to book with the 5 stars Berjaya Hotel; fly in directly to Tekek either from
Singapore or Kuala Lumpur where the hotel bus will whisk you to your
accommodation.
Berjaya aircraft, fly from Tekek
The 5 Star hotel Berjaya works
with the airways of the same name to transport you in double quick time to your
holiday destination from either Singapore or Kuala Lumpur international
airports. The 48 seater four prop plans has to descend and ascend sharply to
access the short runway, which is situated in the center of what can only be
described as a small village.
Tekek faces the open sea with
steep hills rising in an 1800 arc, behind and on two
sides.
It reminds me of the time when
Richard, Sandra and I flew out of, I think, Arusha airport in Tanzania. We
could see into the open cockpit, as I recollect, no dividing door and all very
basic.
Diving off Tioman Island
Have you heard the one about and
Englishman, two guys from Sweden, a couple of Ukrainians, a Japanese, two
Belgium’s and two Germans!! They all went diving together one-day off Tioman
Island, along with three Malaysians and a Dutch lady, the instructors and boat
driver. The intention head to Gadak Island, twenty minutes or more from Tioman
and dive in the crystal clear waters of the South China Sea.
There was a certain reservation
about diving with any of the companies on the island. They appeared to lack, on
the face of it, the qualities required for a safe dive.
Rule one, equip a diver with the
appropriate equipment and insure user has a familiarity with said apparatus.
Rule two make sure that divers
pair off with a buddy.
Rule three, dive within the
limits governed by an individual’s experience (18m in my case).
Rule four establish a common
goal.
None of the above was either
provide, managed or proffered.
Japanese dive buddy
Nori, with 60 dives under his
belt, and I appeared to be the only solo divers so I suggested that we dive
together and help each other out, it worked well despite the language
difficulty.
Gadak Island is a granite
outcrop, made up of what appear to be 1,000 tonne weathered boulders, more or
less, and dumped in the sea effectively creating a land mass.
The first dive at Gadak Bay was
a drift dive, in simple terms you go with the tidal movement, at a depth of 20
meters. The visibility about 10 meters, so you could see quite a lot, fish,
rock formations and each other which is helpful.
The second dive to 15 meters,
always a lesser depth with each subsequent dive, was off of Chebeh Island, with
visibility down to 5 meters due to greater bottom disturbance.
Anyway, two good dives despite
varied problems with the equipment, leaking BCD, goggles flooding constantly
and a complete change of equipment on the second dive. Hey-ho!!
Tioman island
jungle walk
It was time to explore the other
side of the Island, and I’m glad that I did. I’d tried several days earlier,
following the incredibly steep road built circa 1930’s the only means of
getting to the village of Juara other than by boat, and failed.
There was supposed to be a jungle
trek, a shorter 7-kilometer route that provided an alternate far more
interesting means. The only problem finding the start of the trail!
The island is made up of granite
with limestone pinnacles rising to 1000 meters. Settlements are isolated and
only Tekek and Juara are linked by a single-width concrete road. A boat is the
only other means of access to the other half a dozen isolated villages. Thickly
vegetated with the interior covered in Dipterocarp forests, many dating back
hundreds of years old, there is a rich diversity of game.
The jungle trek comprises about
four kilometers of the walk, ascending all the time; the last remaining section
a 3-kilometer down hill hike is through the forest on a concrete road.
The lowlands, strewn with palm
trees with every now and then a glimpse of the sea ahead, is sparsely populated
with all the houses traditional in design.
Juara beach is an idyllic
setting, a palm fringed sandy beach with crystal clear Turquoise waters of the
South China Sea lapping the shoreline set against a back-drop of lush green
tropical forest covered mountains. I can’t think of a better place to chill
out!! This really is paradise.
The accommodation, mainly
shacks, huts or traditional bungalows are far better priced than those in
Tekek, of a better quality, the setting is serene, the beach larger; the
restaurants are good and well priced, the only regret I should have stayed
here!!!
Short flight to
Singapore
So close to the city of
Singapore it seemed a shame not to take advantage of the location and with a
reasonable priced Berjaya flight it was an easy decision.
The Tekek airport is such a
civilized International port of exit, friendly, professional, quaint and
relaxed.
Arriving at the principle city
airport of Singapore, the underground train takes you into the heart of the
vibrant metropolis.
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| Simple town of Tekek |
Singapore, the beautiful city
Two
nights in Singapore, only because I can’t afford any more, it’s to bloody
expensive!!! I had reservations about visiting Singapore due to the cost as
I’ve already said, just another city, etc., etc., I’m glad I decided otherwise.
Singapore has to be one of the most beautiful cities on earth. It has some
stunning, modern, very imaginative architecture mixed with beautiful buildings
from the colonial past, linked by brilliant open spaces and gardens.
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Singapore's strategic location
at the southern tip of the Malaysian peninsula has ensured its importance,
greater than its size might seem to justify. Singapore consists of the island
of Singapore and some 63 islets.
It’s about 26 miles
from west to east and 14 miles from north to south. It's a mostly undulating
country with low hills with the highest 166m, Bukit Timah Hill, to the
northwest of the city.
The Central Business
District actually spreads across both the central and southern parts of the island.
You can get a good visual orientation of the city as you cross the Benjamin
Sheares Bridge on the East Coast Parkway, which links the airport to the city
centre.
Grand Prix racing circuit
The next F1 event is on the 23rd
September starting at 8.00pm. The circuit itself runs through the Marina Bay
area, works its way towards the Colonially district, passes the City Hall on
the way, heads across the Esplanade Bridge, sharply turns in front of the
Fullerton Hotel before looping back through the city to Marina Bay.
The noise reverberating around the city must be awesome!
The noise reverberating around the city must be awesome!
Out and about in Singapore
The ‘Singapore Flyer’ modeled on
the ‘London Eye’ is the taller of the two and excellent way to orientate
oneself with the layout of the city. Situated in Marina bay, near the waters
edge, there is nothing in the way to obstruct the 3600 view. Across
Singapore Bay, where hundreds of ships are moored waiting to unload, Indonesia
beyond, the container docks and the city itself.
A Millennium Bridge comprising a stainless steel ‘corkscrew’ pedestrian
structure links Marina Bay with Marina Sands museum, Casino and shopping Mall.
Singapore is preparing itself
for a huge party at the moment to be held the 3rd August
commemorating the founding of the country of Singapore. Along the waters edge and
next to the corkscrew bridge is one of the largest amphitheaters in the world,
the centerpiece for the event.
Singapore through careful,
sympathetic and clever city planning, initiated by Sir Stamford Raffles as it
his design that is pretty much followed even today, an ability to regenerate
itself constantly through stern measures and wealth, that’s what makes the city
work so well.
Raffles had very clear ideas
about the kind of town he wanted to establish: shipping on the river, Chinatown
on the right bank, he called it the "Chinese campong," using the
Malay word for village, a government area on the left bank and, beyond it, what
he called the "European town." Still farther out, there would be an
"Arab campong." All were to lie on neatly gridded streets. The
streets survive, as streets around the world tend to.
The Chinese, however, were so
numerous that they soon pushed the Europeans out of European Town to the more
northerly area of Tanglin, today a wealthy residential area. Indians soon
arrived, mostly from South India, what was then Madras.
Within the last 20 years, and
after a period of fairly merciless "urban renewal," Singapore has
begun rehabilitating the remnants of its colonial past, European, Chinese, Arab
and Indian. "Heritage preservation" has become a very big and
profitable business; I guess a sign of the country's general prosperity.
Victoria Theater & Concert Hall is one of the many distinctly British building’s that plays such and important role in helping Singaporean’s connect with their diverse heritage.
It seems to have found a solution in creating a multi-cultural society that seems to work effectively together.
It can be a little snobby at times, however, I guess there proud of what they have achieved. It’s a place rich in culture, wealth, diverse in its ethnicity, with most things accessible to all. It’s a beautiful place to spend even a short time in.
The Singapore cityscape looks
magnificent, particularly at night when buildings are brilliantly lit.
Offshore, there appears to be another city all lit up because of the many ships
anchored there - Singapore is one of the busiest seaports in the world.
A point of interest the flag
represents red for brotherhood and equality; white for purity and virtue, the
crescent moon represents a young nation on the rise and the five stars stand
for Singapore's ideals of democracy, peace, progress, justice and equality.
Symbol of Singapore
The British, who were extending
their dominion in India, and whose trade with China in the second half of the
18th century was expanding, saw the need for a port in the region to refit,
revitalize and protect their merchant fleet, as well as to forestall any
advance by the Dutch in the East Indies. As a result, they established trading posts
in Penang (1786) and Singapore (1819), and captured Malacca from the Dutch
(1795).
In l818 Lord Hastings,
Governor-General of India, gave tacit approval to Sir Stamford Raffles,
Lieutenant-Governor of Bencoolen, to establish a trading station at the
southern tip of the Malay Peninsula. On 29 January 1819, Raffles landed on the
island of Singapore after having surveyed other nearby islands. The next day,
he concluded a treaty with Temenggong Abdu'r Rahman to set up a trading post.
Singapore proved to be a prized
settlement. By 1820, it was earning revenue, and three years later, its trade
surpassed that of Penang. In 1824, two new treaties formalized Singapore’s
status as a British possession. The first was the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of March
1824; the second treaty was made with Sultan Hussein and Temenggong Abdu'r
Rahman in August, by which the two owners ceded the island out right to the
British.
Singapore, together with Malacca
and Penang, the two British settlements in the Malay Peninsula, became the
Straits Settlements in 1826, under the control of British India. By 1832,
Singapore had become the center of government for the three areas. On 1 April
1867, the Straits Settlements became a Crown Colony under the jurisdiction of
the Colonial Office in London.
Across the causeway bridge to Malaysia
Singapore is clearly an island
separated by a narrow causeway about 1,000 meters wide, with a multilane
highway linking it with the country of Malaysia. You pass through two separate
hi-tech immigration and passport centers in quick succession to make the
crossing.
Apparently, an average of 60,000
people make the same journey daily. A large number of Malaysians have jobs in
the city of Singapore and choose to commute.
I stayed one night at the five
Star Mutiara Hotel in Johor Bharu, a little luxury now and then. Why, because
it was to good a price to miss, the offer of free transfer to the airport for
my flight to Kota Kinabalu, good Internet access (a bit of an issue thus far in
Malaysia), a chance to have a bath and to catch up on a back log of laundry.
Also a refreshing change after
the seedy accommodation that I endured in Singapore, price of a last minute
booking and it’s popularity, I guess.
Travel Advice
For
accommodation the best sites are Asia
Rooms, Agoda
and Booking.com,
with Agoda offering the better deals. For flights around Asia use Air Asia, Bangkok to KL £80
one-way, £110 for a return, Johor Bharu to Kota Kinabalu about £40. There are
extras to add on though, taxes, meals on the plane, 20 kg luggage, etc., the
planes are modern and there is good amount of space between the seats. The prices
are not fixed and they have special deals.
Kota Kinabalu, Borneo, Malaysia
Arrived in Kota Kinabalu on the
23rd July, slighter later than expected and settled into the Beverly
Hotel, about 7km from the airport, around 9.00pm. I‘d arranged to meet up with
Melanie Chu from Camps International the following afternoon to see if I could
assist the Bongkud camp in some way.
Wandering round Kota Kinabalu
there appears to be a much sharper contrast in standards of living than I had
seen thus far in Malaysia.
Bongkud Camp, Borneo
It had been agreed that I would
travel with Cheryl, one of the Camps International personnel, the following
morning to the campsite to meet with Eve the manager. Situated in the shadow of
Mt Kinabalu, the camp comprises 30 tents, sleeping four; central covered dining
area, offices and showers, etc. The camp employs most of the principles in the
village including the chief. It’s involved in rebuilding the community center
and nursery, amongst other things.
The companies aim is to bring
young UK adults, 16-18 year olds, to the village in Bongkud, Borneo, introduce
them to the Malaysian culture, dance, music, language, its people, experience
walking in the jungle, communing with nature, learning to dive, assisting the
community in various projects, as well as supplementary English education. All
of this with full support from the village and its people.
As part of the Camps
International community project, 12 or so UK students are asked to teach
English to about 30 pupils, more or less, from the nearby local school. Each
lesson lasts 2 hours starting at 2.00pm, with the volunteers preparing the
lesson themselves with little or no guidance, more about interaction than
learning. CI’s intention is to try and make the lessons more productive and aid
improvement, hopeful where I come in.
After sitting in on what were
several good attempts at teaching, and these are 16-18 year olds after all, I
felt the only way that I could help would be to put in place some guidance on
lesson preparation.
One of the problems, a different
group teaches each day, of each week for the period July to August, so
continuity and structure is a problem.
The intention put together a
framework on how to teach, a series of 30 or so lesson plans and a system to
monitor the pupil’s and students progress.
Friends at Camp Bongkud
It’s been great travelling to
Bongkud, an opportunity to really fit in with a project and community that are
good to be around.
Eve the local manager, Kat a
volunteer from the UK that still hasn’t found her way home, Derek one of the
helpers, Mike the jungle guide, Tom, Sharon, Stacey, Melanie, Cheryl, that I
know from the David Lloyd club, Eve’s family that put me up for several nights
and got me drunk on the first, the guys from Lymington secondary school, the
list is endless.
I was set to leave Tuesday for
KK to write up the ‘Teachers Aid Booklet’ (to many distractions in the camp and
limited resources) when circumstances determined otherwise.
One of the jungle treks had to
be abandoned due to high winds. A trek lasts 4 days moving deeper into the
jungle each day. By all accounts, after setting up camp on the 1st
night, the wind picked causing debris to fall into the camp. The trip had to be
abandoned, surplus weight ejected and a night walkout organized to a safe area.
Hillside water tank
Several staff at Bongkud had to
leave to prepare accommodation for the returning trekkers, leaving Bongkud very
short of personnel to supervise the various projects over the next few days, so
I decided to stick around for a little longer.
The projects are many and varied
and so far the UK students have done all of the work. There is a new community
center and water tank under construction, designed by a Scottish intern
architect called Martin.
 |
 |
| Working on the hillside water tank |
He’s here for several months
gaining experience; the design only requires the chief of the village’s
approval to go ahead, no planning permission is required, so a great
opportunity for a budding young architect to express himself.
Other projects
are, redecorating three kindergartens, refurbishing a building and creating a
septic tank for a new washroom and WC for single mothers and their children
along with minor repairs to the road leading up to the water tank.
 |
| Work on the community center |
The rural village of Bongkud is
made up of traditional wooden houses, a few shops, church, village hall, large
school, three kindergartens and Camps International. There are approximately
1,000 people living in the village with a large proportion of children.
The
principle reasons for coming to Borneo to ascend one of the mountains in the
region, Mt. Kinabalu. At 4,050m its one of the highest in Asia, the views early
morning on a clear day are supposedly spectacular. The problem the Malaysia
government, in its infinite wisdom, has given the sole rights of access to a
Singaporean based company.
The
system is both corrupt and expensive, £250 to summit, an invariable the limited
places are sold long before releasing them to the open market.
Students from Sandy Upper School
Photo, some of the fantastic
guys and girls that I have worked with along the way, they were particularly
keen to appear in this journal.
They are off trekking for 4 days
so I guess that we may bump into each other again. It’s great to see how these
UK students throw themselves into a given task with such incredible enthusiasm,
commitment and a sense of fun. You can almost see them changing, growing each
day as an individual and a member of the team. Fantastic!
Tinggi-tinggi Gunung Kinabalu
Pupils from John Warner singing
their rendition of the local song ‘Sayang
Kinabalu’, before departing early morning for Pulau Mantanani Island.
Worthy of note, Danny is a
serving highly decorated Royal Marine about to be pensioned off after serving 8
years, including two very tough and dangerous tours in Afghanistan resulting in
the death of many of his colleagues; on both occasions whilst travelling
together in an armored personnel carrier.
Each group’s presentation
invariable improves on the previous schools and includes dancing as well as
singing the local song, culminating in the presentation of a hand painted
school plaque to Eve the camps manager.
Since arriving at the CI camp, I
think my time has been well spent. Either monitoring lessons or supervising,
more often than not actively involved in, one of two ongoing projects, the
construction of a large community center and excavation of the water tank area.
The center will have a hall, kitchen and storage room, guest bedroom with
en-suite, five offices and toilet block, we’re currently at foundation level
and casting the floors. All the cement mixing is carried out without the aid of
any machinery
The ‘water line’, the name given
to the water project is set half way up a very steep hill.
Effectively a large whole,
measuring 30m by 10m cut into the side of the hill. There is a large concrete
base cast to house the water tank and canopy.
The task presently, push back
the 4m high bank of earth by 2.5 meters to allow gabions to be set in place to
hold back the earth in future. The main problem the area is prone to flooding
so the drainage channels have to be kept clear. The soil is mainly clay so it’s
very hard, muddy work!!
I’ve made a decision today I’ve
decided to move on, initially for a four-day trek with Camps acting as a
guide/porter and then to Sandakan to write the educational program. I will
return on the 12th August to see if I can assist in erecting the
metal framework for the community center, something the students won’t be able
to do for health and safety reasons.
Four days in the jungle
First stop on the second day,
the elevated hill at 2,272ft, Sabah Tea Gardens. Tea wasn’t provided, however,
and the jungle hardly qualifies as a formal garden. The jungle trek basically
comprises a 26km arduous loop walk through 1st and 2nd grade
forest round the plantation culminating at the Sabah Tea longhouse. We slept,
along the way, at three semi-prepared, set by a stream with a canopy and
cooking area provided, campsites two of which are in deepest jungle.
Each person carries what he or
she will need for the four-day trek, food, hammock, ground sheet, clothes and
water. The water is replaced each day from the stream, purification tablets are
used, and cooking’s over an open fire. From Camp Borneo it’s a 2km walk along a
track, chance to check that equipment is probably adjusted, to the start of the
jungle trail.
Mt. Kinabalu in the distance
A ropey old suspension footbridge,
the sort that you see ‘Indiana Jones’ scrambling across in ‘Temple of Doom’,
set 10m above the river marked the start of the jungle track.
The steep climbs both up and
down proved demanding due to heavy rainfall the night before so very slippery
underfoot.
At the end of each day we’d set
up our hammock, bathe in the river, stock up on water, eat and retire for the
night.
Each subsequent day we would
move deeper into the jungle. Conditions worsened underfoot, with some of the
steeper ascents and descents involving the use of rope.
We did see some game, however, Civet
and mouse deer but they were on the guide’s game fire!! All great fun!!!
We emerged some days later to
the old colonial tea plantation of Sabah Tea and another Camps crisis!!! That’s
for another time!!
Another month over
This
month has been another epic journey travelling back across Southern Thailand,
exploring Old Bangkok, flying to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, diving off Tioman
Island in the South China Seas, seeing the sights and bright lights of the
beautiful city of Singapore and discovering the evocative and mysterious
country of Borneo.
Some
mixed emotions along the way, I have seen some fantastic places and had the
privilege of meeting some very special as well; overall it’s been a great month!!!
