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Tag: Holy Places

Thaipusam in Penang, 2016

Thaipusam in Penang, 2016 – Haven’t been to Thaipusam for many years, the last time was like 6 years ago that I went to join the rituals of throwing coconut to cleanse the road with coconut water for the devotees.

It was a great one, visiting the Thaipusam area at Waterfall Road on the 2nd day of Thaipusam holy festival and it was crowded as usual. Getting up to the top of Waterfall Hill Temple (long name ahead!!! – Arulmigu Balathandayuthapani Temple) was tiring yet exciting because the view from the top was so good, not to mentioned the air was cooler up there.

Not a Hindu, but still did a prayer at the temple for good health and good wealth. Getting back down ended my journey at the Thaipusam festival. Will do a more thorough Thaipusam experience next time!

March 7, 2016
Guan Yin Dan – The Goddess Birthday

Interestingly, the goddess of mercy or Guan Yin Ma has 3 birthday in a year and today is the last birthday of the year. I do not know why the goddess has three birthday, someone please share with me the story please? Haha.

October 12, 2014
Krakow: Kazimierz Jewish Quarter

Eastern Europe Trip // Krakow: Kazimierz Jewish Quarter – We were supposed to be on a public bus heading to Wieliczka Salt Mine, unfortunately we couldn’t make it, not because we missed the bus or short of time but it’s the receptionist had gave us a wrong bus info! We ended looking for the bus for an hour, asked the helpful local but no luck; sun set, night fell and times out. So the plan b was to tour around Kazimierz Jewish Quarter and only head to the the two main attractions of Krakow – Wieliczka Salt Mine and Auschwitz-Birkenau Death Camp the next day. This plan was quite challenging too because the salt mine and the concentration camp are both located very far away.

Back to Kazimierz, it’s a Jewish quarter in Krakow and this was like my first time coming in contact with Jews, Jewish, or Hebrew, or anything related as Jews are quite rare or none in Asia, and my passport is now allowed to go into Israel. So, it’s a very new thing to me!

With much excitement, I wandered around the Jewish quarter of Kazimierz and found, nothing much, except bunch of jewish restaurants, cool bars, Hebrews and a few Synagogue (Jewish temple). Pretty quiet at night and it took just less than an hour and a half to finish walking the whole Kazimierz. I’ve been to a Chinese temple, a church, a mosque, a Hindu temple, but not a synagogue. Too bad, it was late and it was closed for visit.

Night fell, nothing much to do, hungry, and we bought spaghetti and cooked at the hostel. That’s what a shoestring budget traveller does.

Lovely weather at Krakow, felt good.

Corpus Christi Basilica.

A synagogue.

Dinner at B Movie Hostel.

March 22, 2014
A Good Day To Durham

Durham // A Good Day To Durham – Durham is a small town located just 45km from Newcastle upon Tyne and it’s a lovely place to visit as there’s a very beautiful Roman-style cathedral. The Durham Cathedral was also part of the film location for the first two Harry Potter films, so it’s a place must not be missed if you are visiting Newcastle, moreover the entrance to the cathedral is free!

Last week, I’ve visited the Lumiere Festival at Durham, but this visit happened like 2 months ago when it was a very good day with beautiful clear blue sky and warm weather. We went to the bus station at Eldon Square to board the Angel 21 bus to Durham, it cost about £6.30 for a unlimited day trip ticket to Durham and back, so in between you can choose to stop by Angel Of The North for a little photoshoot, but we did after visiting Durham. Bus ride took about 45 minutes and it was pretty pleasant.

I was like sticking my head out at the window, curiously looking out along the way as that time I was still very fresh to England, UK. 😀 Durham is small, everything is in walking distance, the town is small too, with a few retails outlet, and some eatery restaurants. There’s nothing much to do except chill walking in the peaceful UNESCO World Heritage Site, looking around and just relax. 🙂 It was really a good day, and I was so grateful for the sunshine. Well, it seems like visiting Durham during the winter might be interesting too, when there’s snow and the river Wear freezes. I shall plan another trip again, when it snows.

On the bus Angel 21, heading to Durham..

Wayne.

Durham Cathedral and University of Durham on top.

A group photo with Jon, Eunice, Yee Hua, Ling, Wayne & Alvin.

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Market Place, Durham.

Sun bathing, embracing the sun.

Standing by the grave.

Harry Potter had his Quidditch practice here!

November 26, 2013
Bangkok: Golden Buddha Temple / Wat Traimit, Chinatown

Bangkok: Golden Buddha Temple / Wat Traimit, Chinatown – Few days ago, I shared about the 4 Faces Buddha, now I would like to bring you to the Golden Buddha at Chinatown. I have been to Bangkok for quite a several time, but this time was my first time checking out this temple.

Well, I don’t know, but the temple claims that the Golden Buddha is the world’s largest solid gold statue. WOW! Imagine how heavy and how much value it is. It’s really very magnificent for it’s solid gold material! As usual, did some prayers, got some blessings from the monk and off we go.

What face is this?

Queuing for blessing from the monk.

There’s a Kuan Yin Temple just right across Wat Traimit.

September 5, 2013
Bangkok: Erawan Four Faces Buddha Shrine

Bangkok: Erawan Four Faces Buddha Shrine – A must-visit for Buddhist in Bangkok as it’s a place I would visit for a little prayer every time I travel to Bangkok! It’s so famous that Buddhist from all over the world flock to this little corner at Erawan to do prayer! The Buddhist way of praying is actually wish for some good luck from the Buddha, and people claims that the wish comes true after praying here. I do not know a lot about prayers, I just seek for Buddha’s blessing and that’s it. Even if you are not a Buddhist, it’s nice to take a visit to this place, and see the devotees doing their prayer. Very culture-ful!

September 3, 2013
Pulau Ketam – A Weekend Getaway Island

Pulau Ketam – A Weekend Getaway Island – Last Saturday was a pretty interesting one and a bit of tiring because lots of walking. Luckily the weather was just nice to allow us to walk! It was a visit to Pulau Ketam (Crab Island), an island 45 minutes off Port Klang. Thinking of beautiful ivory sandy beach and 5-star resorts with parasailing and banana boats, as well as bikini chicks? You are on the wrong page, it’s nothing close to that, it’s a Chinese fishing village!

It’s quite a fun exploration because we took the KTM train to from Subang to Port Klang, then changed to a ferry that cost RM7/one way to Pulau Ketam. Whole journey to the island took about 2 hours, that, yeah, quite long.

For a while I was in the city, and another while, I came to somewhere really far away from the bustling city, it’s serene, calm and relax. It’s a village after all, with no motor vehicles, except boats. Walking is one way to travel around, another way is cycle. No car, or motorcycle, that’s why I would say it’s totally different from the city.

Well, people said it’s famous for seafood, but I still prefer going to Kuala Selangor for seafood, it’s more likely touristy business for the seafood. There’s not much business on the island, people there relax, and I believe they know every one on the island. Tourist like us go there to spend part of the day to getaway from the city, relax, and see something different.

We walked around the island, we prayed at the Buddhist temple, we ate the seafood, we shoot a lot of photos and we laughed.

If someone were to maintain the island well, clean up the rubbish, beautify the village, I am sure that this will be one good tourist destination, but… there’s still big space of improvement. See Penang’s Chew Jetty, it’s so touristy and beautiful now.

Nevertheless, it was still a nice getaway.

A photo with the ex prime minister before he go home and retires. Jason, Wei Shi, Siyi and Henry.

Me, Hooi Pheng, Connie, Zhi Inn, Quenna.

Car wash, good! I’ve forget to tell you, the KTM train is so slow!

The RM7/way ferry that bring us to the island.

The ferry interior, somehow mysterious, and old school, and old.

Reached!

Sign of election is coming where the parties are competiing on who has the most or biggest flags. Lame shit.

Rent a bicycle for RM5 per day and we decided to just walk!

The road.

Police station.

The girls doing prayers, praying for good man to appear in their life? Haha.

Nice table to sleep!

Well look, I am camouflage!

Noah’s Ark in work.

White shoes, reminded me of high school.

Hello little girls!

April 10, 2013
Broga: Sak Dato (Sak Nato) Temple (石拿督庙)

Broga: Sak Dato (Sak Nato) Temple (石拿督庙) – It’s not just hiking and eating breakfast at Broga that morning, there’s one attraction that should not be missed and that’s the Sak Dato Temple, the local at there call it the Sek Nato Miao. I do not know much about Taoist deity, God, Goddess but from what I see here, the temple worships the famous mighty Monkey God – Sun Wu Kong. No matter what God or Goddess it is, they are still the guardian of all, bringing the best of lucks to everyone.

It’s pretty surprised to see such beautiful and nice temple at a very rural and small town. It’d been some times I see good temple. Penang has the Kek Lok Si, the Broga Hill has the Sak Dato Temple. Although it’s not very big, but the compound itself is huge where you can do a little bit of hike up to the top to see the huge Sun Wu Kong (Monkey God) statue standing at the topmost of the place.

Actually the initial plan was to just passed by the place, maybe get town to do a little prayer. But then there’s this curiosity urge to explore the place and lead us to another hike to the top for the Sun Ku Kong. Tiring max but how can me being a Monkey horoscope guy not meet the mighty Sun Ku Kong? HA!

There’s a suspension bridge connected to the other side of the hill, and the short trail up to the Sun Ku Kong starts at the other side of the bridge. No worry that I have tested the bridge, it won’t break because I jumped and it doesn’t shake at all, probably because of the strong steel structure. Not chi kek at all. HAHA.

Ling Jia & Connie.

Wow, GARY!

Tai lou Wei Kean!

Quenna… wearing shoes.

Found the other side which is pretty interesting! Very not Malaysia.

Anyway, good place to pray after a tiring hike. If you are not Buddhist, nevermind, not bad to explore other culture too.

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February 27, 2013
CNY 2013: 年初二 – 吧王庙 Ba Wong Temple @ Klian Intan

CNY 2013: 年初二 – 吧王庙 Ba Wong Temple @ Klian Intan – A visit to an old temple at Klian Intan for prayers during my reunion at Pengkalan Hulu. This small little village of Klian Intan used to has thousand of tenth population during my grandma’s era but it has not become a tiny village of 1000+ populations. What’s still standing is this Ba Wong Temple at the entrance of the Klian Intan village. It’d been some times that we visited this place and it’s the time again to do some prayers.

The small and peaceful village of Klian Intan.

February 12, 2013
Malacca: Masjid Selat Melaka / Malacca Strait’s Mosque (Night)

Malacca: Masjid Selat Melaka / Malacca Strait’s Mosque (Night) – Revisited this cool floating mosque at Malacca for the second time, but this time is during night time. It has become photographer’s favourite place to shoot in Malacca and I being an avid photographer, how can I not check out this place at night and take a few shots? =D

December 22, 2012

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