Smith Adventures

As I prepare this last blog on the trip we are seated in the AC lounge in Hong Kong. This morning we left our hotel to make our breakfast purchases. It was about 8:00 am, early by HK standards and the hawkers and fruit peddlers were just opening. The freshness of the morning air, the sounds of Hong Kong reverberating in our ears, we made our way up the alley, then down the next street until we found the bakery. Fresh baking just laid out in the display cases was quickly being purchased, and we made our selections and left. What an amazing experience this has been! We have enjoyed so much in such a short one mth period, from seeing our grand-children after 1 yr. grow up so much, to the new home Shannon and Jim have, to Jet boating, snorkeling, sailing, elephant riding, bike riding in Cambodia, New Years in Singapore, touring virtually the whole west coast of Malaysia by car and finally Hong Kong, experiencing life on the streets as it is every day. All we ...

Mosque on re-claimed sea in Melaka from our hotel window Quote for World Heritage Org. Outstanding Universal Value Melaka and George Town, Malaysia, are remarkable examples of historic  colonial towns on the Straits of Malacca that demonstrate a succession of historical and cultural influences arising from their former function as trading ports linking East and West. These are the most complete surviving historic city centres on the Straits of Malacca with a multi-cultural living heritage originating from the trade routes from Great Britain and Europe through the Middle East, the Indian subcontinent and the Malay Archipelago to China. Both towns bear testimony to a living multi-cultural heritage and tradition of Asia, where the many religions and cultures met and coexisted. They reflect the coming together of cultural elements from the Malay Archipelago, India and China with those of Europe, to create a unique architecture, culture and townscape. Porto de Santiago Po...

Batu Caves and Lord Murugan Cathedral Cave One of the major Hindu Shrines outside India is just on the northern outskirts of KL. And Shannon wanted to take us there. There are 272 steps to reach the ‘Cathedral Cave’. In addition there is a statue of  Lord Murugan, the Hindu god of war and victory adjacent to the steps. It is quite an imposing sight to see, but is also a major tourist attraction which does detract from its pilgrimage purpose. Every year in late January there is a pilgrimage here and up to 300,000 Hindu’s will descend on this place. Fortunately for us, it was a quiet day when we attended. Sandra and Shannon  at the Caves Independence Day No, not the first or fourth of July, it’s just we have got wheels now to tour Malaysia without calling on Shannon, or a Tuk Tuk or Teksi, to take us somewhere. We head out Sunday to Cameron highlands, an area NE of KL ( approx.. 250 kms) at an elevation of 5000 ft. where Jim Thompson, a Bri...

Singapore at Night The contrast between Siem Reap and Singapore is incredible. In just 3 hrs we flew from a 3 rd  world nation to a sophisticated 1 st  world nation that is so well developed we in Canada could learn a lot from it. Fireworks Happy New Year 2014 Happy New Year from Lafiandra Singapore And in typical fashion  (i.e. planning for no delays) we flew in New Years Eve for a dinner reservation I had made at Lafiandra Trattoria while planning the trip. And guess what, it all worked and we arrived just in time, then went to Marina Bay for the 2014 Fireworks to bring in the New Year. 300,000 revellers came down to take part. Amazingly orderly, the Fireworks celebrations were fantastic. To feel the energy of this many people celebrating, sitting on the grass at midnight in 31C temperatures, in shorts is something we will never forget. Celebrants And Singapore is known as one of the main New Year’s celebration cities in the world along with...