Our plans, decisions, and adventures
One way to get a different perspective on Penang is to get up to the top of Penang Hill. In past years, getting to the top of the hill, a distance of almost 2 km from the lower station, took about 40 minutes. Since 2012 the trip takes only 4 1/2 minutes aboard a fast,... Continue Reading →
We have the great fortune of being in Penang, Malaysia, for some of the most important celebrations of the year. Malaysian people are a colorful ethnic mix of indigenous Malays, Chinese, and Indian, primarily, and these roots are on display in the many religious and cultural festivals, and Penang is home to some of the... Continue Reading →
We took a ferry from the Kuah port in Langkawi. The port is watched over by an enormous eagle, and the terminal is very modern and large. We wandered through a few huge and empty halls (except for unused security equipment) before arriving at our waiting area. Boarding our ferry About 3 hours after leaving... Continue Reading →
We made the decision to spend a week in Langkawi, an island north of Penang in Malaysia, when we were deprived of ocean beaches. After a week in beautiful seaside Koh Lanta, and several weeks in Chiang Mai where food is wonderful and cheap, Langkawi had a lot to live up to. We stayed at... Continue Reading →
When our visit to the Thai island of Koh Lanta was over, we headed to Langkawi, Malaysia, by ferry. It was an interesting trip and process, and I hope that documenting it might prove useful for others who might be interested in making the same journey. The first part of the trip is the same... Continue Reading →
When it was time to leave Chiang Mai, all 5 of us (our son, daughter-in-law and grandson) flew to Bangkok and then onto Krabi on the west coast of Thailand. We had pre-arranged a van to pick us up at the airport and take us to our hotel--a journey which included a short ferry ride.... Continue Reading →
For our last 6 days in Chiang Mai, we were joined by our son (Kyle), daughter-in-law (Candice), and grandson (Alex). They had spent the previous 2 weeks in Indonesia on their own, and then joined us for Christmas. We had such fun introducing them to street food and some of our favourite eateries, and then... Continue Reading →
We have spent two weeks on our own in Chiang Mai, which has given us the luxury of taking things slowly--no need to cram everything into just a few days, as is often the case for visitors here. We have walked much of the old city, tried the food at the night markets and in... Continue Reading →
Preface This post is different because it talks about something that we didn't enjoy very much, which is unusual for us. We signed up for a tour to Chiang Rai because it was on our ideas list for our time in Chiang Mai (likely because I had seen it recommended somewhere). We signed up for... Continue Reading →
Having been in Chiang Mai only a few days, we have just scratched the culinary surface. The food here has an amazing reputation. Unlike when we were in Vietnam, where everyone warned us against eating the enticing street food, here visitors are encouraged to eat what is on offer. Since we can speak no Thai,... Continue Reading →
We arrived in Chiang Mai, Thailand, at about 10:00 at night after leaving Vancouver at noon the day before. We had a short layover in Beijing, China. Our luggage, unfortunately, had a longer layover there and didn't join us for another 24 hours. We have had our luggage disappear before, so were prepared for a... Continue Reading →
Just left: West Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Now: Qualicum Bay, British Columbia, Canada
Up next: Gabriola Island, British Columbia, Canada
Life: Phase Next 