Curves and Levels

Three Countries

Georgetown street food.

SOUTHEAST ASIA, 2003 Chapter 3
Previous chapters: Bangkok & Krabi; still to come: Sumatra, Java & Bali.

Google Map

Satun, Thailand

Amazing pad thai in the Krabi bus depot, but I barely remember the bus ride to the southern end of the Andaman coast road where the border outpost Satun sits. This sea-blown commercial city in Thailand's Muslim south was our waystation for the evening.

A non-descript hotel sold us a room; morning meant getting to Penang Island on the Malaysia side by water taxi, bus and ferry. Supper at a sidewalk table, a fitful sleep in our bleak room and a sunrise stroll of the market got us through the night.

Photographers are drawn to outdoor markets; colorful food proudly displayed, sellers as if performers at their stalls. Satun's was large and busy, the morning light slanting in, giving glow to the dark place. While we witnessed open-air butchering, locals perused tubs full of sea creatures and infinite varieties of curry paste.

No sampling, no time; we needed to find a ride to the waterfront customs dock, then pass through an exit check and catch a powerboat out of Thailand.

Under a flat white sky, the launch took us past featureless shoreline to the Malaysia side of a wide bay. From there, it was by bus down the coast to get the Penang Island ferry.

Georgetown, Malaysia

Georgetown, on Pulau Penang, is an old British colonial trading city with architecture from the high empire days. A ferry brought us over from the mainland.

Chinese Buddhism.

The hotel was a grand ramshackle affair close to the town's center. I used my first internet cafe here in Georgetown to send some of these photos back to Canada.

The downtown is lively and charming, easy-going and not too touristy. Dinner the first night was samples from the many kiosks and push carts selling sizzling concoctions. Then cold Tiger beer at a sidewalk table.

Another cheap scooter rental the next day, as we doubled our way around the island on the perimeter highway. There was a stop at a fruit farm and we watched fishermen setting nets along the shore.

The following morning had us early at the dock. Here we boarded a fast boat heading south across the Strait of Malacca to Medan on the Sumatra coast.

Medan, Indonesia

Clearing customs on the Indonesian side was a breeze, despite a military attitude and weapons on display. Guides with minivans were waiting to take us from the coast up into the jungle. Medan was a vision of urban chaos but we were quickly through it.

Next installment: Bukit Lawang and the orangutang sanctuary.

All photos taken with an Olympus c5050z.

Blog Notes

Spring is coming.

Just a few announcements and explanations between stories. I'd like to welcome all the visitors from around the world who've been showing up here lately (from Lonely Planet, DPReview & a couple of other sites). It gives me great pleasure to know that someone in Madagascar or Estonia is reading this. Whatever country you're from, thanks for looking.

Contributors: My wanderings have been fairly extensive, but only across a small fraction of this planet. Can we expand the scope and breadth of this weblog? I'm asking people to send me their own photo-centric travel essays. Do you have a sharp eye? Travel can mean many things. Your own street could be deeply fascinating to a reader on the other side of the world.

I like to keep the wording brief, about 300-500 words. The pictures are the thing. We all have great stories about the gorilla who chased us down the mountain or the disturbed guy on the airplane who got naked and started singing opera at 37,000 feet but I'm not looking for that here. Witty is good, but try to keep the text informational and explanatory. I can handle the editing - making sure it all fits and flows with maps and spacing. Drop me an e-mail if you are interested. And, of course, you'll get credit, a link, and you'll retain all rights to your images.

Advertising: You'll notice the ads in the right hand column. Not too offensive, I hope. They've been pushed down the page so that when you open the site they're not immediately visible. I put them there not too make money (believe me, it's just pennies a day), but to learn a little bit about how internet commerce works. The program allows me a glimpse at who's looking at my blog. I get an area code breakdown for North America and a country by country listing for the rest of the world. I find this rivetting.

Comments: I get very few comments; I'd love to see more. Whether it's just to say hello or correct something I've written, please click the Comments tab. Perhaps you have a different perspective on a place I've profiled or just something funny to say. Go ahead. Let's see some conversation.

Thanks again, readers. New travelogue coming very soon.

Your humble content-provider,
Mike

Flowers shot with Olympus c5050Z, 2004.

The Shores Of Valhalla

Where Wee Sandy Creek meets Slocan Lake.

CAMPING IN WESTERN CANADA - Paddling Slocan Lake

Slocan is the most pristine of southern British Columbia's large warm-water lakes, warm-water being a relative term in this land below the glaciers. Because it forms the boundary of Valhalla Provincial Park, the west shore of the lake remains largely undeveloped. Driving to Slocan is a challenge, especially for urban weekenders; the closest major city, Calgary, is six to seven hours away and whichever route is chosen, a ferry ride is involved. To truly enjoy both the lake and the park, give yourself at least a week to stay and plenty of time to get there.

Eco-note: Please have a look at the good work The Valhalla Wilderness Society is doing to protect the area habitat.

Google Map

The remote setting and difficult approach act as a benefit, of course. This is a peaceful place. The vacation cabins are relegated to the eastern shore and, for industry, only one sawmill operates at the Slocan Townsite where the lake drains into a river at its southern tip.

We launched our loaded canoe at the town dock in New Denver on a bright July morning, seeking one of Valhalla Park's "marine" campsites. (PDF park map) It was a calm morning; the trip across took us about 40 minutes.

Danger Note: On this lake there is a phenomenon known as the 'black line', when the weather suddenly changes and strong winds and cold glacier-fed creek water entering the lake combine can produce enough violent choppiness to capsize a canoe. Slocan locals tell stories of canoeists who were never found after heading out into inclement weather. The forboding signal is a black line becoming visible across the distant surface of the water. If you see this, paddle for shore immediately. Better yet, check with area residents on conditions before embarking.

BC's provincial parks are notoriously crowded in the summer, to the point of no availability anywhere on sunny weekends. The park service even has a reservation system in place for the large popular campgrounds. Thus, we were hugely surprised to find this little cove unclaimed. Because it had only one picnic table and one tent pad, situated on a small bluff between the beach and the creek, the space was effectively ours for the next four days. Them's the rules and a sweet deal at that. We were required to pay $5.00 a night to a friendly dude who arrived in a power boat early each evening.

Opposite view of top picture.

Our paddles along the Valhalla-side shore brought us two bear sightings and we stopped many times for swims in the lake's crystal waters. The small waterfall below was about 50 meters upstream from our campsite.

If you are new here, please read my recent Blog Notes post. Thanks.

Mystery Band

No tournament is complete without a "beverage" tent. Last weekend's outdoor hockey gathering offered up this duo as afternoon entertaiment. Think gritty folksinger with amplified acoustic guitar and a righteous backing drumbeat.

Foolishly, I took their pictures and didn't get their names. If anyone reading this knows who they are, leave me a comment and I'll get them properly identified.

Yet Another Winter Lake Activity

This is kiteskiing. In the far distance behind yesterday's hockey heroes, skiers with kite rigs were traversing the length of Lac Memphremagog at impressive speed. I walked out to get some shots before realizing they were kilometers away over drifted snow. A long telephoto lens helped bring the noiseless grandeur of this sport close enough for a decent photograph.

A couple more shots under the link.

Outdoor Hockey Championships

On the frozen surface of Lac Memphremagog, shinny enthusiasts gather for the Liquid Nutrition World Outdoor Hockey Championships. This is a yearly event, held to raise funds for local charities. The organizers' website is here.

A nasty wind blowing across the lake made this -5C day feel bitterly cold, but the players were dressed against the chill. It was otherwise a perfect day for this low-contact, no-hit version of Canada's national game.

Good sports.

Hit the link for more photos.

If you are new here, please read my recent Blog Notes post. Thanks.

Costa Rica, Part One

Fruit vendor, Manuel Antonio National Park.

First in a series of Costa Rica reports. Please see update below.

Google Map

April, 2006. Before we could explore the wondrous natural beauty of this unique Central American country, we spent a night in the built-up urban zone north of Costa Rica's main airport.

After a hotel stay in Alajuela, we caught a mini-bus out of the capital, San Jose, and headed west through mountains to Puerto Quepos on the Pacific Coast. Situated just down the highway from Quepos, Manuel Antonio National Park is both a nature reserve and a major attraction for travellers.

Between the park and Quepos is the tourist zone, an area feeling considerable development pressure. The many hotels, restaurants, rental shops and vendors notwithstanding, one can find jungle serenity by following the beach (Playa Espadilla) into the park and getting on to one of the many hiking trails. You can spot wildlife such as monkeys, frogs, sloths, lizards and an amazing variety of birds or, instead, go find a deserted cove for some secluded swimming in the warm choppy waters.

Playa Espadilla, where it meets the park.

UPDATE, February 25: The Costa Rican government is threatening an imminent closure of the park due to sanitation problems. The story is here. We witnessed nothing "appalling" during our visit, although we were troubled by the blurred distinction between park and resort area. Let's hope a crackdown brings some ecological sanity to this lovely place.

Hit the link for more Manuel Antonio pictures. Next Costa Rica report: Ojochal, Playa Ballenas & Golfito.

If you are new here, please read my recent Blog Notes post. Thanks.

Again!*

*Nov.25

The little @%#&! stayed out all night. This time he waited until I printed up fifteen posters, which were then stapled all around the neighborhood, before he returned this morning. When I got back to the house he was on the front porch, acting like a cat who's missed a couple of meals.

At least it was a relatively warm night.

South Of The Border

The Canadian border, that is.

Google Map. A Sunday drive from Magog brings these pastoral vistas within easy reach. People seem scarce in northern New England; Burlington, Vermont, with a population of about 40,000, is the largest city in the region. The lakes formed by the upper Connecticut River to the northeast of Pittsburg in the far tip of New Hampshire feel as wild and pristine as any found in the mountain valleys of British Columbia. (See top picture.) A camping trip is planned.

The Old Red Mill, Jericho, Vermont.

Update, Feb. 19: Decided to resize some photos here and was beset with a few technical glitches. My apologies if you saw that.

Update, Feb. 27: map added.

If you are new here, please read my recent Blog Notes post. Thanks.

La Fetes Des Neiges

At Point Merry, on the shore of Lac Memphremagog, Magog's annual winter festival. Despite a brisk wind off the lake and a -10C temperature, the sky was a brilliant blue and festival goers jostled together happily at the numerous venues. The fun included tube and pony rides, skating, a zip line, a polar bear swim, ice fishing, a weenie roast and more.

Holes were chainsawed from the ice, allowing ice-fishing for the kids and a refreshing dip for adults.

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Copyright: Michael Farrell 2009