This day I found a happy workaround in a misadventure – 11.19.15
Previous day’s visit to Penang’s beaches ended on a rather gloomy note as on my way back to Georgetown, I got a text message from the airline informing me that my flight back to Manila has been cancelled due to APEC .
As I needed to be back on that day in time for an event at work, I had to think of an alternative – one that gave me a window to briefly explore another country.
The day I went somewhere a little bit off-town (and off-character) -11.17.15
I am into walking but not trekking but for this day trip knew that I had to survive one for about two hours on my way to a place in Penang called MONKEY BEACH. As the name suggests, I was expecting more monkeys on the beach but to my surprise was ‘ambushed’ by two on my way there. Nothing special water- and sand-wise but seclusion was perfect that it got me teary-eyed (I am sad to say though that upon reading more recent reviews, the place is not as secluded always and when crowded, can get dirty.)
When it started to drizzle on my way back from the LIGHTHOUSE (called MUKA HEAD) nearby, I took a boat ride back and stopped over BATU FERRINGHI for beer, bite and people- and yes, horse-watching.
A destinationless afternoon and some random discoveries – 11.16.15
After Camera Museum, rest of my afternoon was free that I just walked, stopping in shops that seemed to sell interesting stuff, grabbing some beer, discovering more street art and discreetly and briefly immersing oneself in a quiet afternoon of locals from the jetty villages.
All those cameras captured by its ‘great grandbaby’ the smartphone – 11.16.15
After morning was spent walking around to discover steel rod installations and murals around town, I had some more relaxed early afternoon at a museum on the same street as my hostel – one I learned about on that same day.
PENANG’S CAMERA MUSEUM is a recently opened two-storey venue for exhibition of vintage cameras. Compared to most museums, its specificity in its collection makes one’s visit more intimate and not as intimidating. This worked as an advantage on my end as unlike previous visits to museums so overwhelming that I almost always end up hungry or with some headache (and I rarely get one!), this was palatable.
What greets you
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My experience with cameras is limited to digital one when I was in college followed by an attempt to play more with an DSLR a few years back until there were smartphones and action cameras. My visit to the museum is then more of the visual pleasure and an awe at the basics.
Continue reading [Penang, Malaysia] ~ Photos from a Camera Museum
For it was a fine morning discovering expressions on the everyday – 11.15.16
While presence of steel rod sculptures within George Town came as a surprise, I knew about its most popular street murals prior to the trip. However, I didn’t expect such to be as many that discoveries happen of known (and unknown) ones happen randomly. Reliving that morning walk from more than a year later, I still could feel the amusement yet know with some tinge of sadness at the thought that in more years, these pieces could fade (or even disappear). Well, there’s sadness and that itch to go back.
What follows is a series of photos as my attempt at a virtual ‘walk-through’ with details on location and some personal notes (despite – of course – how one beauty of works like these is that ‘they’ are meant to speak to different people differently).
Continue reading [Penang, Malaysia] ~ Where Dirty Walls are Neat
My interest in the island of Penang was mainly due to convenience given its relative accessibility from Kuala Lumpur. It turned out to be one of my favorite places as such a charming town of contradictions – its center both sleepy and vibrant, its streets reminiscent of both old and modern. While recognized as one of UNESCO World Heritage sites, to me it was simply a place friendly for walking – with each turn filled with surprises from iron sculptures retelling the place’ story to hand paints that make use of the raw structures in place. Combine walking and glimpses of the ordinary equal my dose of happy.
Continue reading [Penang, Malaysia] ~ History in Iron Caricatures around George Town
A morning of quiet and after noon, one of chaos – 11.15.15
After spending a night dining in the dark and diner-seeing in KL, following day was spent visiting TITIWANGSA PARK where a scene from a favorite local film was shot. Unfortunately unable to find such but after minutes of sweat was able to find a decent spot with a view of the Petronas, KL/Menara Tower and Istana Budaya (which to me is version of Sydney’s Opera House). Prior to 4PM trip to Penang were failed visits to some city landmarks that were either under construction or closed due to some event before that who-cares-about-this-heavy-backpack windowshopping at PETALING STREET.
Continue reading [Malaysia]~ A Day in KL (Quiet and Otherwise)
A night of dining in complete darkness and of watching people dine in vibrant market chaos. – 11.14.15
A trip I made timed with APEC weekend, first day spent primarily on travel, arriving in the city at night with just the right amount of time to drop off my luggage at my hostel, have this love-at-first-sight ride at what I call the ‘rollercoaster monorail’ before making it exactly on time for my reservation to one of things I was most excited for in this trip – a first to dine in the dark. What followed was some walking around the feast in food street JALAN ALOR in Bukit Bintang.
A despedida that includes going up, down and around entire town. – 08.25.14
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In my lens, town literally got smaller as I took that early morning walk up the hill to see the city from what is supposedly its one highest point that gave view to an interesting mix of trees, buildings, sea and those many streets I have walked. This view came with realization that I am never going to like hiking as a few steps was all it took for me to make me feel really tired and than when going down the hill, an elderly lady proved an even more brisk walker.
Continue reading [Kota Kinabalu] : Town just got smaller on last day
For misadventures on what could be an easy Sunday are not necessarily a bad thing. – 08.24.14
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My second to last day in Kota Kinabalu far from chill and easy but quite an adventure. It started early from being at the Gaya Sunday Market while the booths were being set-up until some waiting time at the bus stop which turned out longer than the actual Ruhma Terbalik upside down house tour. An unanticipation of the ease in transportation from the house back to the center made me go local, riding a van destination of which unknown to me. Such traumatic bus rides then led to me finally giving up on possibility of a commute to see monkeys somewhere not too faraway (Lok Kawi Wildlife Park) in the afternoon. Highlight would have to be when I crossed the street across my hostel (Borneo Backpackers) barefoot as it was raining hard.
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![[Malaysia] ~ Off to Penang’s Beaches](https://iamnotravelplanner.files.wordpress.com/2017/01/30833238315_326cafef90_o.jpg?w=672&h=372&crop=1)
![[Penang, Malaysia] ~ Some things to do when there’s nothing planned](https://iamnotravelplanner.files.wordpress.com/2017/01/30716007932_2a0d55ee16_o.jpg?w=672&h=372&crop=1)
![[Penang, Malaysia] ~ Photos from a Camera Museum](https://iamnotravelplanner.files.wordpress.com/2017/01/30796013386_a2be45a622_o.jpg?w=672&h=372&crop=1)
![[Penang, Malaysia] ~ Where Dirty Walls are Neat](https://iamnotravelplanner.files.wordpress.com/2017/01/30528748880_d21814237e_o.jpg?w=672&h=372&crop=1)
![[Penang, Malaysia] ~ History in Iron Caricatures around George Town](https://iamnotravelplanner.files.wordpress.com/2017/01/30741900661_28d8cbeeed_o.jpg?w=672&h=372&crop=1)
![[Malaysia]~ A Day in KL (Quiet and Otherwise)](https://iamnotravelplanner.files.wordpress.com/2016/12/30741696001_157c442613_o.jpg?w=672&h=372&crop=1)
![[Malaysia] ~ Spending the Night in KL](https://iamnotravelplanner.files.wordpress.com/2016/12/30712652882_a4a68e1d9b_o.jpg?w=672&h=372&crop=1)
![[Kota Kinabalu] : Town just got smaller on last day](https://iamnotravelplanner.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/img_0647.jpg?w=672&h=372&crop=1)
I am no travel planner. 