Early at 9am, made the way down to Blue Deep Dive. Hikkaduwa boasts at least 12 dive sites, with a few easily accessible wrecks. The tourist season is not yet in full swing, so there was only an Austrian couple diving that morning. Diving season on the western coast runs from November to April, so the waters were just clearing and hopefully visibility would be good.
Two dives in the day (rather dear at 25 euro each), the second dive with just me going out for the dive. The first was Goda Gala, current was strong, highlight was probably the barracudas and the squid. I couldn’t really see because the mask took in water incessantly. Second dive at the Cave, an 8 to 15m depth dive, was much better, because it offered the opportunity to do some nudibranch spotting, a favourite of mine.
One personal highlight was the Rotti joint which I came across in between dives. Just across the dive shop, off the main street in a little nook, lies the tastiest vegetable rotti. Rotti, resembles the Singaporean roti prata, except the Sri Lankan version is way spicier and hence a real treat if one can take the spiciness. I ordered 2 at first, but finished by lunch with 4 after repeated orders. It was that good.
Galle, a 30 min bus ride from Hikkaduwa, is a UNESCO heritage site, a former dutch fort built in the 17th century. Walking along the circumference of the fort, overlooking the Indian Ocean, was pretty surreal. It was also a Sunday evening, so throngs of locals and their families were having picnics, evening strolls, with kids dreaming to be the next Sanath Jayasuriya playing the odd cricket game, a national obsession here.
CS Count = 2 (finding that rotti shop, and the chance introduction to the local rotti!)
The Serendib Chronicles – D2 30th Oct10, Hikkaduwa, Sri Lanka
Left for brunch at 10am, walking northwards along busy Galle Road, which cuts through Hikkaduwa, towards the administrative end of the town. Found ourselves in the local rice and curry joint, where we had our dish (130 Rp) of rice, dhal, black pepper fish, potato spicy curry and a spicy sweet grated coconut mix. First taste of Sri Lankan rice and curry. Each side dish leaves a different taste in the mouth, which blends together to create an irresistible mix.
Back down, finally caught up with W and a friend she met, Shane. These two came up from Mirissa after a few days of relaxation there. Visited a local barber, to add to my collection of haircuts from unlikely places. It was a pretty decent cut too.
Went back for a nap (Why Not?) before being woken up by W to view the local lad fishing out on the stilts just in front of our guesthouse. The sight of these men on stilts is unique to the southern coastline of Sri Lanka, and I was earlier bemoaning the fact that I didn’t have a chance to get to see these guys. And there right in front of me was one. Granted, he was bare-bodied and in three-quarter khakis. But he was the real deal, doing actual fishing. And not those who dress up and pose atop the stilts for tourist dollars from pictures. Serendipity =)
Also, tried out the ayurvedic full body massage (1500 Rp, A came a day later an had one for 100 Rp elsewhere, but ours told us he “was the real deal”) 1 hour, 3 types of body oil, 1 type of facial oil, and a sprinkling of sandalwood oil on the face later, I was done.
Dinner was buttered prawns (600 Rp) after which I told myself that for the rest of my stay in Lanka, I would only have local cuisine, which I find delicious!. CSC = 1 (stilt fisherman found outside my guesthouse)
The Serendib Chronicles – Day 1 29th Oct 10, Hikkaduwa, Sri Lanka
The Cathay Pacific flight arrived into Colombo airport at 10.40pm. After deliberating for a bit, I decided not to overnight in Colombo. Instead, we will take the public bus down to Hikkaduwa through the night, where W will meet us from Mirissa.
The free shuttle service goes 2km to the airport bus station, from which service 187 takes you to Bastian Mwatha station in Colombo. The only problem is at 12.30am, the bus (which normally waits till full before moving off) doesn’t look like its going anywhere anytime soon. So, not wanting to wait 2 hours at the deserted bus station, we decided to take a three-wheeler (henceforth called tuk-tuk for simplicity’s sake) after some bargaining(1200 Rp) to Colombo. The Sri Lankans are a nice lot. Not too pushy. Yes they will ask you for a tuktuk or propose some other offer for you, but if you decline firmly, they won’t persist. And they always have a smile for you no matter what the outcome.
Tuk tuk ride. Braving the nightime draft, along the coastal road. Of particular interest are the local policemen standing guard in the middle and at the roadside every 500 meters or so. At 1am in the night!
Bastian Mwatha by night. The only late night service in operation seems to be the Colombo – Matara line. We would need to drop off at Hikkaduwa along the way (160 Rp on the tix, we paid 350 Rp for two, don’t ask me why). The bus interchange itself must have been very busy in the day. In the night however, the sundry shops and eateries by the wayside are open, yes. But that’s about it. The other bus service queues were empty. Only at the Colombo – Matara service was there a queue. We waited in the queue for 2 buses to load up before our turn to board. The bus stopped whenever there were passengers, and even though we left Colombo all seated, by the time we exited Colombo City, it was a “sardines in a can” situation. How I managed to sleep under the circumstances, during the 2 to 3 hour bus ride, in a crowded bus with Sri Lankan music blaring through the speakers, is beyond me. Also, I realised much later that clergy, meaning the monks, get the front seats in the bus reserved for them.
Reached Hikkaduwa around 4am, walked south along the coastal Galle Road to the budget place “Why Not? Guesthouse” which stood out, because the name just screams out “Pick me!”. 1200 Rp for the cheaper rooms on the ground level.
Serendipity – a propensity for making fortunate discoveries while looking for something unrelated.
Call it Ceylon, Serendib, Taprobane or The Pearl of the Indian Ocean, Sri Lanka is a teardrop-shaped gem of an island. Compact with good transport links, it offers something for each and every intrepid traveler out there. Ancient cities? Check. White sandy beaches? Check. Safaris, tea plantations, bustling cities, highlands, waterfalls, white water rafting? Check.
Too bad I only have slightly more than a week there. Let’s see how much we can cover =)
And since I’ve decided that the theme is Serendib (an old name for Sri Lanka, from which the word serendipity originated), let’s just see how many serendipitious discoveries I’ll accidentally come across. Current Serendipity Count (CSC) = 0
Penang, Malaysia – 01-03 Oct 2010 The Straits Settlements series – Part 2 (Penang)
So here are brief snippets of the highlights of Penang
– The journey there was on the overnight snoozer Konsortium bus (55 SGD), which picks up at Golden Mile tower. It was a 10 hour night ride, ending at the Sungei Nibong long distance bus station on Penang island. By snoozer, it means that the seats recline to about 30 degrees, with plenty of leg space, and your own entertainment unit. I had How to Train Your Dragon on mine. The air conditioning was way too cold.
– Lodging for the day was on the New Banana Guesthouse, clean and at the back of the New Banana travel agency (70 RM for d/room), located at the junction of Lebuh Chulia and Penang Rd. The backpacker places around Chulia charge anything around 30 to 50 RM for a room. New Banana has aircon, tv and free Wifi. =)
– The Penang Hill fiasco. Penang Hill is closed till 2011. The train transport to the top of the hill is under renovation. We took the bus up to Penang hill, and ended up taking the next bus back.
– The public bus service (Rapid) is excellent, with destinations clearly displayed and easy to use. Traveling by bus is cheap and convenient.
– Gurney drive hawker centre has a great vibe, with its open air by the beach concept. Gurney Plaza next door is exactly like an Sg mall, down to its layout (cinema on top floor, supermarket on basement) and its tenants. No surprise, seeing as its under Capitaland’s retail arm.
– Food. Had everything from Nonya chicken curry, Mee goreng sotong, assam laksa, parsembur and retro egg toast in the many quaint coffeeshops littered throughout Georgetown. KW in addition had Char Kway Teow and Hokkien Mee. The initial reason for going to Penang is to have authentic Nasi Kandar, but that was never going to happen. I was waiting to have enough of an empty stomach before ordering Nasi Kandar, but the way I was snacking and eating everything else, that was never going to happen.
– The highlight would have to be the parsembur hawker, who stands beside his stall and to the beat of techno (I’m a Barbie girl, anyone?) sings an infectious “rojak, rojak, rojak…” ad nauseum, with his chopper on the chopping board. He drums up business that way, im sure. =)
– Penang Times Square is still halfway under construction, with the main shopping complex completed and only half-filled by tenants. It’s the next big thing though; shiny, located in the central town area, just beside current big time shopping draws, Prangin Mall and Komtar. Watch for it.
– Georgetown itself is a mixture of Chinese temples, Indian temples, mosques, and colonial buildings, depending on which part you go to. Fort Cornwallis isn’t much to look at, but it does give an insight to Penang’s history. I can understand why Penang and its smorgarsbord of sights, smells and sounds would fascinate the western traveler.
– Flight back home. Penang to Senai airport in JB. Senai airport’s been renovated since I was last here, and it’s pretty convenient to get to the Kotaraya terminal and then to Singapore from the airport.
To summarise, went there, ate, walked, ate, sat down, ate, slept, ate, ate, walked, ate, went home. Did not get to savour my Nasi Kandar. Meaning I’ll just have to return here another time! =)
21-22Aug, Malacca, Malaysia The Straits Settlements Series – Part I
Despite not wanting to go anywhere over the weekend, I ended up joining KW, WQ, YQ and Al in driving up to Malacca. On a Sat night, while fasting. For less than 24hrs.
Driving with a GPS is a no-brainer. Just follow instructions blindly. And Malacca looks the same. A World Heritage site, plenty of peranakan-ness. Basically, i wilted in the heat, and watched everyone eat lovely chendol ice kachang in gula melaka. The company’s great though, and the 500km drive was worth it. 🙂
Booya! This is the 2nd time in two years I am up in Pulau Weh. And this post shall attempt to provide the reader, you with a detailed description of how to get to Weh. =)
First. Its a double flight from SG to Banda Aceh. Book the early flight from SG to KL (745am) to be safe, just in time for the 1155am AirAsia flight to B.Aceh. Return flights from SG to KL and then KL to B.Aceh should set you back no more than 250 SGD. with the KL to B.Aceh price fixed. The B.Aceh airport (bandara sultan iskandar muda) has been completed, compared to this time last year, and as far as Indonesian airports go, is one of the better ones, with a covered linkbridge from plane to the arrival area.
From B.Aceh airport to the Ulee Lheu harbour, its around 90,000 Rupiah per car (share 4 ways with whichever traveler you meet at the airport, no one else goes anywhere other than Weh) and the trip takes about 45 min. At the harbour, the fast ferry (single trip non-a/c at 55000 Rp, and a/c at 65000 Rp, about 1 hr travel time). There’s now a return tix option for 110 000 a/c usable for up to one month. Slow ferry is available too, but i think it takes an extra hour. Soz, i can’t be fcuked to find out prices.
Next from Balohan harbour on Weh, take the minivan or any other transport up to Gapang or Iboih beach. Lowest I’ve got was 40000 Rp per person on a minivan for a 45 min ride. Similarly, the return trip is done by taking the 7am van out of Gapang beach, reached Balohan harbout in time for the 8am fast ferry (slow sets off same time too). From the mainland Ulee Lheu harbour, its a taxi / minivan / kijang / becak ride to the airport. We arranged for a visit by becak to the Pasar Aceh market to look around for an hour before heading off to the airport for the 1245pm flight from Aceh to KL. Then you’re on way to home base, no problem with the KL to SG flight. Just factor in some buffer time when booking, since the KLCC budget terminal gets crowded sometimes.
Other variations to the itinerary is to fly from SG to Penang on AirAsia, then Penang to B.Aceh on Malaysia’s Fireflyz. Then on Weh itself, it makes sense to rent a motorbike so you can visit Sabang and landmarks like Kilometer 0, the easternmost point of Indonesia’s extensive trans-island road network.
Weh. Still a little haven unbeknownst to the multitude of 1st time divers from our fair island. Or more likely it is just the inconvenience of traveling there that keeps it pristine and undisturbed. Whatever the reason, this little secret gem of a place is the retreat of ang moh backpackers and dive enthusiasts.
I stayed at Gapang beach, where the day’s activities revolve around Lumba Lumba Diving Centre. Experienced crowd, with DMs and the peak period crowd going out for dives twice daily, Ton and Marjan’s place is well run, professional, from the BWRAF refresher, and the nice well maintained gear. And no, they didn’t pay me to promote the place. LOLOLOL. Other lovely quirks in the place are the great next door eatery (order BBQ fish/chicken dinner in the afternoon, for a sumptious dinner meal), the local fare up the hill at the local warung just at the junction of Gapang beach entrance, guaranteed to make your mouth water. And the mainstay that is Mama Donut, a local lady selling various sweet treats like jam doughnuts, coconut doughnuts, banana fritters amongst other goodies.
On Sunday, Gapang becomes a weekend family beach, with kids and youths filling up the place. Watch out for the ice cream man on his motorbike, announcing his arrival with “ice cream music”. LOL
Dives. The dives themselves bring up some fascinating animals. It is moray central, and ribbon eels, lionfishes, scorpionfishes are a common sight. Plenty of other critters like nudibranches, shrimps, octopii. I made a mental note to know my fish identification better. =) Here’s a sampling. More can be found at http://www.flickr.com/photos/morphred/sets/72157624563893307/
Well, well… what do we have here? Visiting up north for a short jaunt. Staying in a nice business hotel for a change? And not traveling budget? What else if not for work. =( Still, it’s a case of not looking a gift horse in the mouth. Nice dinner, nice buffet breakfast, nice lunch. And any brief jaunt out of Sg, even those that are rushed, is welcomed. (actually this post is just cos i love the shoes on carpet shot…)
The briefest of brief getaways, but the first of many more this year hopefully. I was off to Pulau Dayang for a spot of diving. After gallavanting off for months, and then sitting put, finally getting out of town is a welcomed excursion.
The dives themselves were good yet not fantastic (and this is relative, considering my last dive was in the Red Sea!) but I had a good time nevertheless. It must have been the company. =) The dive outfit was professional and the dive group was a fun bunch. Normally these dive trips out of Sg will come with one or two weirdos in tow. This time round however everyone somehow clicked nicely. That’s about it. Hahahahah.
Now, if you are reading this and you have any ideas for places to travel to (or need a travel buddy!) drop me a holler! I’m always keen =)
So here we are, day 100 of traveling. I am in KLCC Starbucks, with 2 hours to burn before the AirAsia flight from KL to SG takes off. I landed earlier at 625am in KL International Airport. From there, take a 2.50 RM transfer bus that takes 20 minutes to KLCC.
Nope, I did not intentionally plan it to be 100 days. Remember my AirAsiaX flight was cancelled, meaning i stayed another day out here. But in the end, it is a nice round number that makes sense.
To those of you who have been following my journal, thanks! I hope you enjoyed me going on and on, as i have enjoyed reading all your comments out here. (they keep me close to home!) I’ll probably compile some sort of summary of the trip eventually. Anyway, it’s been a blast. And until the next big trip, cheerios all. God bless!
P/S And Oi! SMS me because i want to catch up with you. Yes you, the one reading this. Wait a couple days though, let me replace my lost SIM card and phone.
