Vientiane: Day 1 (Part 2)

17 November 2016

First we went to the morning market where the local people were selling all sorts of local products, mainly vegetables which were farmed by themselves, and many of the buyers were also locals. However as it was already late morning, the crowd had already begun to dwindle – the market starts at 4.30 am! The weather here is quite hot, and I of course forgot to bring my sunglasses.  

Then we went on a local bus (about USD0.60 for about 25 km away from the city) to the Beer Lao brewery. This is their local beer which comes in 3 flavours – regular, dark and gold (premium).

Next, to the Buddha Park. This park is home to more than 200 Buddha statues and an enormous reclining Buddha image which is 40 m in length. The best spot for photography here is on top of the giant dome structure standing about three stories high. The entrance is crafted to look like a demon’s mouth (about three metres high) with a stone ladder inside leading to a bird's eye view of the entire park. The dome is divided into 3 parts – earth when you enter, hell down a flight of really narrow stairs, and heaven up a flight of equally narrow stairs. But the view from the top is mesmerizing.

The park was built in 1958 by Luang Pu Bunleua Sulilat, a monk who studied both Buddhism and Hinduism. This explains why the park is full not only of Buddha images but also of Hindu gods as well as demons and animals from both beliefs. His statue is also in the park.

Some that I remember are Indra, the king of Hindu gods riding the three-headed elephant, a crocodile, a god or demon of the sun and moon, and my favourite was of a 4 faced god/buddha/demon with 8 hands stretching out to the ground. There was also Hanuman and Ganesha at the edge of the park, by the Mekong river where he is apparently covered up to the waist when the river floods. 

Vientiane : Day 1 (Part 1)

17 November 2016

Geri was in labour I think but I’d no time to await the arrival of her pups. Seems like I’m always away when pups are born; I was in Moscow when Molly’s pups arrived.

2 and ½ hour flight to Vientiane, the capital city of Laos. “Lao” means kingdom and “Prabang” means Buddha; so the kingdom of Buddha. Lao People’s Democratic Republic or Laos has a population of about 5.5 million people. There are about 500,000 people in Vientiane. Laos is 1 hour behind Malaysia, so we arrived at about 9 am Malaysia time, 8 am Laos time. Our guide Phet (pronounced Pat) met us at the airport, we left our bags at the hotel and had Lao coffee (it’s done with condense milk and comes with plain tea on the side) and a baguette (a remnant of the French colonists).

Present day Laos traces its historic and cultural identity to the kingdom of Lan Xang Hom Khao (Kingdom of a Million Elephants Under the White Parasol), existed for four centuries as one of the largest kingdoms in Southeast Asia. It was founded in the 14^th century by a Lao prince Fa Ngum, who with 10,000 Khmer troops, took over Vientiane. Fa Ngum was descended from a long line of Lao kings, tracing back to Khoun Boulom. He made Theravada Buddhism the state religion and Lan Xang prospered. His ministers, unable to tolerate his ruthlessness, forced him into exile to the present-day Thai province of Nan in 1373, where he died. 

It was not until 1637, when Sourigna Vongsa ascended the throne, that Lan Xang would further expand its frontiers. His reign is often regarded as Laos's golden age. When he died, leaving Lan Xang without an heir, the kingdom divided into three principalities — Luang Phrabang, Vientiane and Champasak. In 1893, it became a French protectorate, with the three territories uniting to form what is now known as Laos. It briefly gained independence in 1945 after Japanese occupation, but returned to French rule until it was granted autonomy in 1949. Laos became independent in 1953, with a constitutional monarchy under Sisavang Vong. Shortly after independence, a long civil war ended the monarchy, when the Communist Pathet Lao movement came to power in 1975.

Laos is a one-party republic. The government came into power in 1975 after overthrowing the royal government. According to Phet, it is 50% communist and 50% socialist, and 80% of the Lao people are happy with the present government. The official language is Lao. Apparently it is one of the most heavily bombed countries in the world, thanks to the Vietnam war. There are still bombs and land mines around, undiscovered.

Laos is a multi-ethnic country with the politically and culturally dominant Lao people making up approximately 60% of the population, mostly in the lowlands. 75% of the population are Buddhists; 25% are animistic. The minority tribes are Khmu, Hmong and Tibetans, who are usually animistic. The main exports of Laos are gold, copper, silver and timber, electricity generated from the Mekong river, and tourism. The currency is known as “kip”. US$1 is equivalent to about 8,300 kip. “Sabaidee” means hello and “Kop Chai” means thank you.

The moral of the story is...

I travelled half way around the world and spent 3 months in 7 countries travelling on buses, taxis and planes, living out of a suitcase and always moving around from one place to another. My iPad was with me the entire time.

Then I came home, and someone stole my iPad.

I was traveling on a budget so I stayed in budget hotels / hostels, and sometimes had to spend the night on buses going from one place to another. Not the most hygienic or sanitary of conditions, sometimes I didn’t / couldn’t shower or brush my teeth in days and sometimes I had to pee behind some bushes / rocks in the open because there were no toilets for miles around. Germs everywhere!

Then I came home, got an infection and had to go for surgery!

I went to the Amazon jungle, the biggest rainforest in the world. So many creatures, insects as big the palm of my hand, yuck! But not a snake in sight.

Then I came home, and saw a python up close in my own bathroom while taking a shower.

What’s the moral of the story here?

Schadenfreude

I know of 2 people whose lives are so miserable and empty that they have to resort to making up stories about other people, just to make themselves look important. They have to put others down, or portray others in a bad light, in order to make themselves look good. Because otherwise, they will be exposed for the nobodies that they truly are.

Rumours do upset. I won’t pretend that they don’t. My first reaction was to confront, then to revenge. But then I thought, the more I react, the more importance I give to them and their lies. So I decided to be patient and do nothing. This is nothing like me. But the truth is, these days I don’t have the time or the energy to plot and carry out a plan of attack (defence, really).

And then it hit me. I do have a plan – doing nothing. The best way to get back at nobodies is to give them nothing. For people who take pleasure in causing misery to others, the best revenge is to be happy. Because conversely, my happiness will cause them misery.

These people do not love themselves because if they do, they will not need to put others down or spread lies about others. I should pity them and their pathetic lives but I’m not going to waste another minute thinking about them.

Evil people have no place in my life. Right now and probably forever, I’m busy chasing happiness. It's the best revenge for them, and the best therapy for me.

Fraser's Hill

Sunday, 2 October 2016

Because Philip refuses to pay the government any more money than absolutely necessary, and because Philip has an in-built GPS system (his nose), we took the trunk road to Fraser’s Hill. From Petaling Jaya – Kuala Lumpur – Selayang – Rawang – Sungai Choh – Serendah -  Antara Gapi – Batang Kali – Kuala Kubu Baru – Gap – Fraser’s Hill.

I read on the internet that from the Gap, there was only one way up and down Fraser’s Hill and to ease the traffic, odd hours are for going up and even hours are for coming down. However, this has changed. Now there is one way up, and another altogether different way down, going behind Fraser’s Hill.

From the Gap to Fraser’s Hill is about 8 km distance. The base of the Gap road is about 800 m high. The roads are really narrow and really windy, with almost zero visibility of oncoming cars. Thank God I wasn’t driving as I would probably need 5 hours to go up and 4 hours to come back down, much to the annoyance of the people unfortunate enough to be stuck behind my car.

At the Gap there was a dilapidated looking building which Appa said used to be a colonial residence converted into a famous guest house operated by the government. It was closed for refurbishment but it was never completed and remains close till today. This is quite sad.

Being a creature of the sun, I brought a jacket with me. I didn’t need it. It wasn’t cold at all. I remember it being extremely cold when I was there more than 30 years ago. I’ve no idea what happened.

Fraser's Hill is situated in the Titiwangsa mountain range in the beautiful state of Pahang. I say that because I’m from Pahang, of course. It has an average altitude of 1,200 m high but its highest point rises to about 1,524 m at the Telekoms bungalow.

It is named after Louis James Fraser, a Scotsman who prospected for gold in Australia but eventually struck tin here instead in the 1890s. Employing Chinese miners to do the hard work for him and earning his keep by operating mule trains down the steep mountain track (Gap road today) to Raub town for trade. Eventually, Fraser himself moved up the hill and set up opium and gambling dens to increase his profits. Sometime around 1915, he vanished just as the tin deposits dried up and people started moving away. His mysterious disappearance remains unsolved till to date. We tried to solve this mystery but unfortunately were unable to uncover any clues.

In 1917 the place was rediscovered and there were plans to develop it into a hill station. A local man said that the first building was a house built in 1919, and is now the police station / post office. This was in town but we left the town for last.

First we went to Allan’s water, which used to be a dam built by F.H. Allan an architect, and then made into a reservoir, and is now finally a recreational lake with lots of fishes to feed and paddle boats. Just beside this was a vegetable farm that looked newly opened. Here you get to literally pick your vegetables from the ground or pluck it from the plant and buy it – tomatoes, sweet potatoes, cauliflower, radish, and various leafy greens. I bought cherry tomatoes, sweet potatoes and a pretty flower plant for Amma but not sure if she will like it, my parents don’t seem to like anything I give them. But I digress.

Then we drove past various bungalows, there were bungalows belonging to Telekom, TNB, Bank Negara, Bank Pertanian etc I think these were holiday destinations that could be booked by the staff of these respective establishments and inhabited for free. This is just a guess. Other bungalows were Rompin, Cicely, Abu Suradi, The Cottage. And various resorts as well.

We stopped to see this one resort called Ye Olde Smokehouse because the name sounded exquisite to me. I read that this was a building built in 1924 with the help of the Red Cross Society for the British soldiers who fought in World War 1 (1914-1918), and their dependents. It was quite a nice place and I would consider staying here if this was an overnight trip. But it wasn’t.

Next was the Jeriau waterfall. It was about a 15 minute trek from the main entrance to the waterfall, and it turned out to be a disappointment. Philip said his shower was more impressive than the Jeriau waterfall. This hurt the waterfall’s feelings. I bought soap bubbles and blew bubbles and felt like a kid again or like Spongebob Squarepants. When no one was looking, of course.

Then to town for lunch. Normal Malaysian food. Then to the Paddock for horse riding (which we didn’t do) and archery (which Philip did but his arrows kept hitting the target of the man next to him). Robin Hood he is certainly not. Hilarious. Right opposite the Paddock was the Fraser’s Hill Golf Course. These were the only 2 things that I remember in Fraser’s Hill when I was last there more than 30 years ago. Then with my parents. Now with Philip.

Finally a walk around the town. The police station, formerly a colonial house, the post office, Puncak Inn Hotel, some kind of bird centre, sports complex and of course the famous clock tower. We had the ugliest coffee and milo in what looks like a former colonial house converted into an “Eating House” (literally that is what was written on it).

And then we were done with Fraser’s Hill! 

Jogjakarta - Day 2

4 September 2016

The alarm went off at 3.15 a.m.!!! I was so confident in waking up early and taking a shower before heading out to Borobudur, but I was so sleepy that I slept for another 15 minutes, drank coffee made by the lovely Silvia, and then just washed up and rushed downstairs to meet our driver who had arranged to pick us up at 4.00 a.m. to go to Borobudur to watch the sunrise.

Needless to say, I fell asleep in the car. I can sleep anywhere. We arrived at the temple grounds at about 4.45 a.m. Tickets, torchlight and we were off! Couldn’t really see very clearly as it was dark and I’m a blind bat, but we reached the top alright and found a suitable enough spot to watch the sunrise.  

Borobudur is a 9th-century Mahayana Buddhist temple built probably during the period between 760 and 830 CE, during the peak of the Sailendra dynasty rule of the Mataram kingdom in central Java, when it was under the influence of the Srivijayan Empire. The construction has been estimated to have taken 75 years and was completed during the reign of Samaratungga in 825.

The design of the Borobudur temple is a mix of Javanese Buddhist architecture and Gupta art. The monument is both a shrine to the Lord Buddha and a place for Buddhist pilgrimage. The temple is in the shape of a traditional Buddhist mandala (basically a square with 4 entry points, and a circular centre point). Borobudur consists of nine stacked platforms, 6 square and 3 circular, topped by a central dome. The temple is decorated with 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues. The central dome is surrounded by 72 Buddha statues, each seated within a bell shaped structure called a stupa. It is the world's largest Buddhist temple.

From the exterior to the interior, 3 zones of consciousness are represented. According to Buddhist cosmology, the universe is divided into 3 major zones, and the Borobudur temple represents these zones in its rising layers. The first layer which is the foundation section is called “Kamadhatu” (the world of desire), followed by “Rupadhatu” (the world of forms) and finally “Arupadhatu” (the world of formlessness, nirvana, sunyata – described by 3 terraces in the form of circles).

Borobudur is still used for pilgrimage; once a year, Buddhists in Indonesia celebrate Wesak at the monument.

There is confusion between Hindu and Buddhist rulers in Java around that time. The Sailendras were thought to be ardent followers of Buddhism, but some stone inscriptions found nearby suggest they may have been Hindus. This has led some archaeologists to believe that there was never serious conflict concerning religion in Java at that time. However, it is likely that there were two rival royal dynasties in Java at the time - the Buddhist Sailendra and the Saivite Sanjaya—in which the latter triumphed over their rival, leading to the construction of the Prambanan complex, which some people say was erected as the Sanjaya dynasty's reply to Borobudur. Not sure which is which, war or peace. I’m inclined towards peace.

We finished at about 8.30 a.m. and had complimentary coffee at the complex area, at a restaurant that over looked the Borobudur temple.

Then the driver took us to another temple, much smaller and just a single structure. This temple is known as Pawon, and is also a Buddhist temple. This temple, together with Borobudur and Mendut, are all built in a straight line, suggesting there was a symbolic meaning that binds these temples. Most probably, this temple served to purify the mind prior to ascending Borobudur. The Pawon and Mendut temples were also built during the Sailendra dynasty.

Nearby the Pawon temple was a place to taste and buy luwak coffee. Apparently it is the most expensive coffee in the world. The coffee seeds are obtained from the excrement of civet cats that have digested coffee beans. There were 6 civet cats kept on the premises for show, and one was extra friendly so I patted it. Matted and unbathed fur, yucks. But fat and cute. Silvia tasted a cup and bought 100g of coffee powder.

Then off to the last temple for the day, Mendut. There was a monastery beside the temple, with remnants of artefacts found around the Bobobudur complex area. One statue that entranced me was (I guess) of the Buddha looking emaciated, with pronounced bones protruding, depicting that he was almost at the point of starvation when seeking enlightenment. It just spoke to me. This should be the extent of one’s sacrifice in search of the truth.

Then the Mendut temple. This temple is the oldest of the three temples. Although the oldest, there were a lot of beautiful inscriptions around the outer walls of the temple. Reminded me a bit of Angkor Wat. The main room has three carved large stone statues of the Buddha. The 3 metres tall statue in the middle was meant to liberate the devotees from bodily karma, the statue on the left is to liberate from the karma of speech, and the statue on the right is to liberate from karma of thought. We lit incense here because the atmosphere was a bit magnetic.

And then we were done! Back to the hotel for breakfast, but no rest because Silvia had thought about what fabrics she wanted to buy, so we went out to all the fabric stores again and Silvia bought lots of fabric for dresses and stuff. I have to admit, the fabrics were beautiful and pretty cheap; unfortunately I buy clothes that are ready made.

At about 12.30 p.m. we were back to the hotel, shower and check out. Then snacks, beer and wine. The best part of a holiday. Then off to the airport. End of holiday. How sad.

Jogjakarta - Day 1

3 September 2016

I am a sucker for all things old, ancient and historical. Things, not people. I’ve been wanting to visit Jogjakarta forever but somehow never got round to it, and now finally it is happening!

We arrived in Jogjakarta at about 11.15 a.m. local time (12.15 p.m. Malaysian time) and negotiated for a driver to drive us around for 2 days. The weather in Jogjakarta was really hot; I thought hotter than Malaysia but it may just be that in Malaysia I’m unfortunately indoors most of the time working!

First stop – the Sultan’s palace because the descendants of the Sultan and his palace officials still stay in the palace, so it’s only open to the public until 2.00 p.m. The palace is formally known as “Keraton Ngayogyakarta Hadiningrat” or “Kraton” for short. The palace is the main seat of the Sultan of Jogjakarta, his family and other palace officials. It serves as a cultural centre for the Javanese people and contains a museum that displays the sultanate's artifacts.

Since Indonesia became a republic, the Sultan is no longer in power although according to our driver, he serves as a governor of the state. The palace was built by Prince Mangkubumi in 1755-1756, and has since been habited by a family known as Hamengkubuwono, the current being the 10^th. From the family portraits, the sultans wore a peculiar ornament on their ears which made them look a bit like elves or pixies.

Lunch! Was already starving. The next destination was Prambanan and we stopped mid way at a local restaurant for lunch. Satay, chicken cabbage soup and rice. And cili padi for me, of course! The satay is different from Malaysian satay, but tastes delicious all the same. No peanut sauce but their soy based sauce was lovely.

Then to Prambanan! Prambanan Temple or Rara Jonggrang Temple is the largest Hindu temple complex in Indonesia. It was built in the 9^th century. It has 240 temples consisting of 3 main temples for the 3 main Gods in Hinduism: Brahman on the left (under restoration when I was there), Siva in the middle (and right opposite and face to face with it, the Nandi temple) and Vishnu on the right. The Siva temple measures 47 metres tall and is the highest temple in Indonesia.

In the vicinity of the Prambanan Temple were 2 smaller temples – Bubrah Temple and Sewu Temple which were both Buddhist temples.

The Sewu Temple is the second largest Buddhist temple complex in Java after Borobudur. It has 249 buildings consisting of 1 main temple in the centre, 8 temples (candi penjuru) on each cardinal direction and 240 temples (candi perwara) surrounding the complex. The main temple comprises one main room with 4 small adjacent doorway. On top of the rooms are 9 stupa shaped roofs. At the entrance of the complex, the temple is guarded by 2 Dwarapala statues (a fierce warrior like statue with a moustache and a weapon).

I found it quite enlightening that Hindu and Buddhist structures could be built within the same vicinity. But then again, I’ve always thought that Buddhism is Hinduism without God. So there’s no reason why both these religions cannot harmonize. But that’s just me.

And then we were done for the day. We headed to our hotel to check in, and then walked around the hotel where Silvia went crazy over fabric. There were at least a dozen fabric stores around the hotel and we went into almost every one of them. She’s a girl this way but I don’t mind because I got to do my things, so it’s only fair that she gets to do her things. It’s her holiday too.

Dinner was at a road side stall; Silvia had fried rice and I had fried Indomie. Just like home. Spicy chilli. I like Indonesia.

By the time we got back to the hotel it was about 10.00 p.m.; we had a beer and wine and then shower and sleep at almost 11.30 p.m.