Mauritius

 Mauritius is a huge island compared to Rodriguez. The information I've read tells me that there are 1.1 million people who live here. The mountains on arrival reminded me of Oa Pau in the Marqueses. 

The day before we arrived I caught a Mahi Mahi, also called a Dorado or a Dolphin Fish depending on where you are. I caught it in the morning and cleaned it and we had it for lunch. Carol froze half of it so they will enjoy it in the future. Picture to come. 

I've spent the last day touring Mauritius. I've been to the south east side, over the top and down the west side to Black River and up the West side from Port Louis to Grand Baie. Maggie is safely docked in the marina in Port Louis. 

Almost in Mauritius

We have have an excellent sail from Rodriguez.  The winds have been 15 to 22 knots most of the time with some periods down to 12 knots and others up to 27 knots.  We have had lots of squalls with rain and high winds up to 32 knots.  A 3 night 2 day passage seems like old hat after our long passage from Cocos Keeling to Rodriguez.  There have been lots of ships on this passage.  I'm sure after ships go around Cape of Good Hope they go just south of La Reunion and Mauritius on there way to Singapore or other destinations.  One ship came as close as 0.9 nautical miles and at one point yesterday I changed course so as not to cross the bow of a cargo ship. He radioed to make sure he understood my intention's. The big excitement today was we caught a Mahi Mahi, also called a Dorado or a Dolphin Fish in some parts of the world. I cleaned it and we had fresh fish for lunch.  Carol did a fabulous jop of cooking it.  It was nice to finally catch a fish on this trip after dragging a hook for thousands of miles.  As I write this we are less than 24 hours from our final port on Mauritius.

Goodbye Rodriguez

Maggie is about to depart Rodriguez. I have enjoyed my stay here. I'm ready to move on. Follow the position report (link to the right) and follow us on our trip to Mauritius. It is about 350 nautical miles. We hope to arrive on Friday morning. 

More of Rodriguez

JM I've been told many times a picture is worth a thousand words. I've also been told that some of you who are following the blog are enjoying the pictures. I held back the other day but will post a bunch of pictures today. 

The beautiful beaches

The octopus drying

Incredible views from the mountain tops

Cactus in bloom with fruit you can eat

Wonderful flowers even though it is winter

Huge church surrounded by all kind of lush vegetation

 Another great view and a stone wall. Who knows how long it has been there

Piglets trying to get bigger

Soccer field that likely gets flooded at high tide. 

Grandpa building another sand castle for his grandkids 

A typical home with a fence made of sticks and branches

Palm trees, beaches and a beautiful sun set

Tom Tom

I may have spoken about sailing vessel Tom Tom before on the blog. Chris on Tom Tom started in England. Sailed single handed to Martinique. I met him there. He sailed single handed to San Blas. Unofficially part of the BPO. No single handlers allowed. He had crew from San Blas to Galápagos. He was single handed from there to Tahiti. He had crew on and off to Australia. He missed the Indonesian part of the BPO and sailed from MacKay, Australia to Rodriguez single handed. 5 days from Rodriguez his fore stay broke. He was able to use the Genoa halyard and the spinnaker halyard to stop the mast from coming down. He was in winds up to 30 knots. How did you spend Fathers Day you ask. I spent a good part of day helping Chris on Tom Tom. Yesterday we replaced his fore stay which is the wire at the front of the boat that holds the mast up. There is a tube that goes over the fore stay that has a track that the sail slides up through.  It is for furling the foresail. It comes in sections & he had the sections straitened. We put some of the sections in upside down yesterday not realizing the track was not symmetrical. The sail wouldn't go all the way up the track when he tried yesterday and again this morning. We had to take it all down and put the pieces on the right way up & put it back the whole works back up. Chris is not fond of going up the mast. He was up 3 times. Once to figure out why the sail wasn't going up. Once to take the pin out at the top of the mast to lower the fore stay and the furling mechanism. Once to put the pin in after we got it up again. Winding him up in the bosons chair 3 times was a great workout. 
He discovered that one of the stays going half way up to the spreader has a strand broken. I went up & put a line around the spreader so if it breaks from here to Mauritius he has a backup. 

Tom Tom is the boat between the 2 catamarans that is not under the end of the rainbow. It is the one to the right of that boat under the rainbow. It is against the concrete wall sporting its Genoa all nicely furled. Chris couldn't be happier. 

Why am I here

Many of you out there I'm sure question. Why would you want to spend time on a boat and sail around the world. I will admit it's not for everyone. Some get sea sick. Some get bored with hours at sea. Here is a picture that will maybe help explain why many of us love this life

Rodriguez

'We arrived a week ago after 16 days at sea. We set anchor about 10 AM on Monday June 6. We slowed down for the last day and a half so we would arrive during daylight. We had lots of squalls which forced us south and we were unable to get to the anchorage without doing a jibe to get back north. We had several squalls and rain as we approached Rodriguez on the jibe. Before the last day we set our clocks back 2 hours to get to the local time. As we were arriving a supply ferry entered the harbour which in Rodriguez means all the boats anchored in the inner harbour have to leave the anchorage and head out to the outer harbour. We timed it perfectly and came in just after all the other boats had returned to the inner harbour.

Our first view of the harbour after a squall 

Upon arrival the quarantine officer came aboard and we filled in the forms. He had a quick look around below and headed on deck to flag the coast guard dingy down for a ride to shore.  While he waited for them to arrive he filled us in on the town and told us where we could get a Mauritius flag among other things we inquired about.  Next the coast guard came aboard and there were more forms. We figured we would wait till after lunch to deal with customs and immigration. We got a call indicating they were waiting for us so Chris from sailing vessel Tom Tom offered to take us to the dock in his dingy. After another stack of forms we were finally complete. We headed off to get SIM cards for our phones and find the shops, French bakery, market, banks and grocery store. We also visited the information centre and went to a kiosk to purchase a hiking map. 

The next day No Regrets had planned a tour by van to see the sights of the island. We left early and drove along the coast and saw the billionaire's house

(28 Mauritius Rupees to a Canadian dollar) and the governor's house. We drove on & saw a bridge they used for bungee jumping. It was closed. Next we went into a limestone cave and saw how stalagmites & stalactites start their formation. We saw some neat shapes where they had us imagine we saw a cat or Winston Churchill or some other animal or person. We had a great lunch and then toured to other parts of the island including a walk to a great beach

Grandpa Bob building a sand castle for his grand children. His oldest grand daughter thought "he looked funny with the fur on his face" but wished she was there building in the sand 

We also visited a honey farm.

An abandoned limestone quarry of special interest being a geologist 

We ended the tour by visiting 2 monuments. One was to do with the abolition of slavery on the island. 

Our guide Julian in front of the monument 

The other had to do with the person who first introduced agriculture to the island in the form of a orange grove. The site was strategically located so that they could see any ships coming that might be a threat. The view was tremendous. 

The next day we took a bus to Point Cotton and went on a long hike from Point Cotton a quarter of the way around the island mainly along the east coast. We passed the same beach we had seen the day before. It was a very scenic hike and we had a great tour guide. The next day we went on a 2nd hike. We took a bus up to an interpretive centre and then climbed to the top of Grande Montagne (a 15 minute climb) where we had a great viewpoint.

We then followed several paths to the coast at Baladirou. At Baladirou there are many gardens full of all kinds of vegetables and it is highly irrigated.

At one point along the hike to get there Alfredo had us scampering along a goat path on the edge of a cliff. His wife Alleshia slipped at one point and one leg was dangling over the edge. Soon we were headed down through the forest to the creek below where we hopped from rock to rock along the creek bed. Once making it to the shore we climbed a cow trail to the top of a headland and had a great view of the barrier reef and the Indian Ocean beyond. We walked along the coast for a long way. Fortunately it was low tide and we were able to hop from rock to rock to get past several headlands to get to the next beach. We finally came to a road and we followed it along the coast to our anchorage. The following day we had to lift anchor and get out of the inner harbour so the supply ferry could leave.

Boats at anchor waiting for the supply ferry to leave the harbour. Beautiful Rodriguez in the background 

The rest of the day was filled with boat chores which included washing the salt off the stainless, canvas and plastic windows. I also polished all the stainless on board getting rid of the rust that constantly seems to form. 

The next day we took a group of 18 hikers and a small dog on the hike we had done 2 days before.  We started by going up to the viewpoint as before. When we started down we began at a different location to insure we were able to followed the marked path. We were able to follow the path markers the whole way. Unfortunately the lady with the small dog misunderstood the hike part of the equation. She thought we were going on a walk and was very unprepared. I ended up carrying her dog over the rough rocky river section and the sections that were rocky along the coast and up the stairs to the bus stop at the end.

The group of 18 at lunch break

Two of us walked along the road to the anchorage while the others waited for the bus. We got back at 4 PM and had to wait another 40 minutes for the rest to return. It was Sunday and the buses ran infrequently. 

Monday was spent on the boat. I spent a good part of the day cleaning the green slime off the boat at the water line. 

Yesterday was another hiking day. We did 2 different hikes. The first we started high and walked down past the suspension bridge

where they do bungee jumping to the shore and along the coastline. We took a bus and then climbed up a valley to the mountains above. It was a gruelling hike and I got a real workout. 

Day 13

 Day 13- 143 nautical miles  250 nautical miles to go.
All is well and the wind continues at 25 to 33 knots.  Squalls up to 43 knots. Tracker position report on June 4 has Maggie 194 nm from Rodriquez (Barb)

 

Literally rolling along

We have been dealing with huge seas up to 10 feet in size.  We have been having winds 25 to 35 knots traveling at 5 to 6.5 with a very small main sail and the stay sail.  Last night we had winds up to 42 knots with sustained winds over 35 knots for a few minutes which are gale force winds. We spent a good part of the night rolling back and forth in the waves going 3.5 to 5 knots.  At 8:15 this morning we had 393 nautical miles to go to get to Rodriguez.
Each morning at 8:15 we calculate how far we have gone in the last 24 hours.  We left Cocos Keeling at 8:15 so that is why we use that time.  Here are our mileages in nautical miles since we started on Sunday over a week ago:
Day 1 143
Day 2 134
Day 3 129
Day 4 109
Day 5 123
Day 6 118
Day 7 140
Day 8 157
Day 9 140
Day 10 150
Day 11 135
Day 12 123
The first few days we had very nice winds 9 to 15 knots and you can see from the positions(click on the link to the right) we were headed close to strait west as much as we could.  The winds then dropped a bit for a few days and then on Sunday when we expected the winds to die they picked up to 15 to 22.  Since Sunday the winds have continued to increase as we got further south and as I told you they were very strong last night.  Last night I took a 7 to midnight shift and was up at 6 AM so Rob and Carol could have shorter shifts.  Here's hoping I'm able to get some sleep during the day today.

Cocos Keeling

We arrived in Cocos Keeling  on Tuesday May 17.  It is a tricky anchorage with lots of reefs to avoid.  We dropped anchor about 4:30 pm which meant we had the light behind us which was wonderful. We could see the reefs as we battled the 22 knot winds on our nose to get to the anchorage.  Upon arrival we contacted the Australian Federal Police and we were told to stay aboard and they would be by in the morning.  Carol and I went for a swim and I checked the anchor to insure it was embedded nicely in the sand bottom.  I later had a wonderful but cold shower in the downpour we had after dark.  The next day after our check in we headed for Home Island and got totally soaked from the waves as we dodged the reefs on the half hour dingy ride.  Home Island is mainly Malay and there are about 400 people who live on the island.  They have several stores, a post office, wood working shop, and a restaurant that is rarely open.  After checking the island out and purchasing a few groceries we headed back to the boat getting soaked again.  We spent the remainder of the day working on the bilge pumps which we got installed.  The following morning we again headed for Home Island this time with rain gear on so as not to get soaked again.  We took the ferry from Home Island to West Island.  It was a 30 minute ferry ride.  Upon arrival we took a bus to the main town which is near the airport.  West Island has mainly Australians and there at 120 people there.  It has the visitors center and all the government offices.  There is a fairly large hotel there as well.  We had lunch ashore enjoying the breaking surf on the reef.  After seeing what there was to see we waited for the bus to return us to the ferry to head home.  The next morning the crew member Tim on No Regrets and I made 2 trips to Home Island to get diesel and I paid the mooring fee at the shire's office which turned out to be quite an ordeal as I didn't have he correct form and the lady who normally deals with the process was away.  That afternoon I spent on Direction Island.  There is a lot of history here.  The Island was used as a monitoring station for the communication cable that was laid from Australia to Africa by the British completed in 1901.  During World War I the Germans came and wanted to destroy the cable.  Fortunately they had a dummy cable which the Germans blew up.  It was a very gentlemanly process.  The Germans wanted to blow up the tower.  The people ashore requested they not topple it onto the tennis court and the German's agreed to grant their wish.  Unfortunately the German cruiser SMS Emden ran aground on the reef off North Keeling following a sea battle with the Australian warship HMAS Sydney. Survivors were picked up but some perished trying to evade rescuers.
Saturday everyone but myself headed back to Home island as fresh vegetables were available as a ship has arrived the night before.  I stayed and lounged on Direction Island.  You can see why.( if possible include the picture I sent of Direction island, get the kids to help you insert picture).  The next morning we started our trip to Rodriguez.

First day of Our 2000 Mile Crossing

We got away at 8 am on Sunday May 22 and followed our ingoing track past all the reefs with the morning sun at our backs.  Once underway we had 12 to 17 knot winds from the east.  No Regrets wanted to head straight west to miss a zone of no wind they could see on the GRIB files.  We were unable to sail directly east so settled on the rheum line to Rodriguez.  We had a great day of sailing covering 143 nautical miles in the first 24 hours.  This morning we were able to put up our spinnaker and sail directly west.  The wind has decreased to 10 to 12 knots and we currently have a very comfortable ride compared to the rolly ride we had yesterday.  The waves have decreased significantly and the spinnaker smooths out the ride as well as it pulls us along.  It seems very strange finding shade on the south side of trees etc.  Being from the northern hemisphere I am used to seeking shade on the north side of trees and buildings, etc.

Dolphins Dolphins and more Dolphins

As many of you know I absolutely love dolphins. Well I was not disappointed on my trip from Panang to Cocos Keeling. On the first day of the trip the Dolphins came to play on our bow. It was wonderful to watch them almost effortlessly zip past the bow of the boat. They are such playful creatures. To my delight the Dolphins returned later in the trip to once again dazzle me with there underwater display. We also had a hitchhiker along for the ride for a short while

The bird was pruning it's feathers the whole time it was on the boat. 

To my delight the Dolphins returned a third time on our passage. We were moving a lot quicker at that point and they seem to love playing on your bow even more when you are moving fast. Sorry no pictures of the Dolphins. I've tried before to get pictures and they normally don't turn out all that well. I just went to the bow and enjoyed every minute. 

On the water again

I'm sure you all know the song "On the Road Again". You can add your own tune to "On the Water Again". 

It was wonderful to be underway leaving Padang on Wednesday headed for Pagai Selitan island. We started off motoring but soon found an onshore breeze and we were able to sail for a short while. We departed just before noon & hoped to overnight and anchor the next day before dark. I did the 11:30 to 3:30 shift and was able to sail for part of it which was wonderful. The next morning we finally got hold of No Regrets and they had checked the forecast winds and it appeared there would be winds from the northeast to blow us to Cocos Keeling. We checked the GRIB files and saw the same thing so agreed to change our plans & skip the anchorage and head directly to Cocos Keeling. We agreed to meet at the south end of  Pagai Selitan island which we did & I jokingly asked No Regrets where the official BPO start line was for this leg of the BPO. We had been motoring to meet No Regrets as the wind angle was on the nose. Once past the island we were able to sail more west which was the direction to reach the predicted northeast winds. The wind soon died and we were motoring again. On we went in search of the winds only to find that on the next forecast the northeast winds disappeared from the GRIB files. We had wind on & off for the next few days including a 30 knot squall which lasted 30 to 40 minutes. It came up suddenly and we were unable to reduce the main sail which resulted in Maggie healing over significantly. At 8 degrees 20 minutes south we finally got the start of the trade winds at about 3 AM on Monday morning. From then on the trade winds picked up to 24 knots at times. Averaging around 15 to 20 knots. We were sailing at 6 to 8.5 knots with a few squalls bringing the wind up to 25 knots. We arrived in Cocos Keeling on Tuesday with the anchor down at 4:20 pm. 

Indonesian Check Out Process

 Up bright and early.  We chat with sailing vessel Gaia and they have agreed we will pick up Helen at 8 and take her to shore. Jim will row to Maggie.  Rob will bring the dingy  back to Maggie and Jim will row Gaia's dingy to shore with Rob aboard,  Luc will have a taxi waiting at 8:30 and Gaia will have arranged for their own taxi to be there at the same time.  We are off to immigration and arrive before 9.  The place is packed but we go to a room at the front and Rob and Carol deal with their Indonesian visa renewal. We wait awhile and then are asked to head outside the office to wait with all the others.  Around 10:30 we are called in again and told that the person with the stamp is on a large ship and won't be there till possibly 3:00.  Luc is upset... you made us wait an hour and a half to tell us we can't be dealt with until 3.  He asks to speak to someone in charge and off we go.  He explains through an interpreter that he has a meeting with the governor at 3 and the governor will not be happy if Luc misses the meeting and tells him it was immigration that caused the missed appointment. Luc suggests that we meet the person with the stamp in the harbour which is where we are anchored.  A phone call is made.  Another phone call.  The interpreter explains that Luc's plan will not work as the stamped passport needs to be scanned by the computer in the office.  Please come back at 1:30 and we will attempt to get your immigration departure papers approved.  The captains of Gaia and Maggie will now go to customs and try to deal with quarantine and possibly start the process with the harbour master before 1:30.  I join the ladies and we head off to the market in search of vegetables and fruits.  Finally our bags are full and we have almost everything on the list.  We will get some lunch and then visit Saudara, our final store to get cheese and possibly meat.  I will wait in the taxi.  They were going in for a few minutes - a quick stop and 20 minutes have gone by.  At 1:20 I figure it is time to go roust them out or we will be late for immigration. Back to immigration.  The captains have been delayed so the wait continues.  The captains arrive. We are cleared through immigration by 2:30 and they are off to get more papers stamped at customs, quarantine and finally the harbour master.  Later in the day we discover that customs are told it is pouring rain on the boat and they will need to be rowed out in the dingy.  Luc and Jim on Gaia persuades them to accept pictures of the boat and of the motor. Helen on Gaia takes the required pictures and sends them off for Gaia.  Rob fortunately has all the photos he needs to satisfy them.  They are off to the harbour master for the final clearance to depart.  After 6 the captains call requesting I come and get them at the dingy dock.  We are clear to go.  We will put the bilge pumps in the bilge in the morning and be on our way.  And the Indonesian government wonders why cruisers avoid Indonesia when possible.  Maybe if they read my blog and others of horror stories trying to leave the country they might understand.  8 AM to after 6 PM to get the necessary papers and that was with Luc pushing them.  We could easily have spent 2 or more days trying to check out.

Padang and beyond

Here is some of the beautiful architecture in Padang. This looks just like a taxi I spent a good part of the day in

The next voyage is about to begin

I have had a hiatus from sailing for a while and I'm in Padang, Sumatra in Indonesia. Lets start with the trials and tribulations to get here. As is normally the case Maggie had a list of parts that they wanted me to bring. Also No Regrets knowing I was coming had an equally long list. Step one is to get the parts ordered and delivered prior to your departure. Maggie as was normal purchased the parts & had them shipped. No Regrets seemed to think I had nothing to do & I had find, order and get the parts while moving my mother from Winnipeg to Calgary. I was also xeriscaping the back yard getting the garden deer and bird fences up. There was not a dull moment. Finally the trip began. Upon arriving in Vancouver from Penticton I discovered that the flight to Guangzhou is delayed 4 hours. I later discovered it was weather in Guangzhou that delayed the flight from leaving there to come to Vancouver. After the 13 hour flight to Guangzhou and being late China Southern offered me a complimentary room for the night. I took it arriving at the hotel about midnight. We were given a complimentary breakfast in the morning & had to be on the bus at 6:10 AM.  I had great fun going through security in Guangzhou.  I had to take all the parts out of my bag & scan them separately. This meant repackaging both packsacks. As they wanted to open box with bilge pump I just left the bulky box behind. I requested to be moved to the front of the plane on the start our decent into Kuala Lumpur (KL) so I can get off guicker. I knew I had an hour from when we got to the gate until my next flight took off.   We landed at KLIA1 terminal.  I first had to find my way to the train. I took the train to the KLIA terminal where I had to go through immigration and be fingerprinted. Then I needed to get Metro to KLIA2 terminal. You had to pay for that & I had no Malaysian money. She told me they would take a credit card. She told me the train would leave at 1:10. I told her my plane left at 1:25 & I would miss it. Was there a quicker way. Oh yes there was an express at 12:50. It cost 12 Malaysian Ringgits rather than 2. So there was hope yet. Off to KLIA2 5 minutes later. After asking several people the way along the route I get to the customs or immigration. I let people in line know I have a plane boarding in 20 minutes can I go ahead & they graciously allowed me to go ahead except the fellow at the front of the line who didn't understand English.   Then through security & heading for my gate. No problem with scanning my bag. Hmm. After my problems with the 2 electric motors in Guangzhou what a treat. Maybe I'll make the plane yet. The board says my flight is delayed 10 minutes. It seems miles through the airport and I've already gone through security scanning. Heading down now that's a good sign. Oh no. Another security scanning station to go through. And a line up. They just opened a new one. I head for it. Put my bags through. They want me to open both bags. Out come the 2 motors. Then the 2 steel rods. Then the dip stick. They scan the bag again. Ok you can go. I now had to fit everything back into the 2 pack sacks. Finally finish. Make sure I haven't left anything behind and then head off to my gate. Fortunately it is the 1st gate I come to. They are all lined up to board the plane. Whew. I made it. 

Just FYI  the 4 hour late flight in Guangzhou messed up lots of people's connections. One fellow from Lethbridge had a direct flight from Guangzhou to Kathmandu & is now on his way to KL & who knows where else to get there. He is on his way home to visit family.   I'm now safe & sound on Maggie. Wait for the next blog for my fun and games here in Padang. 

Kuala Lumpur

We spoke to the locals and checked the internet to determine what the places were not to miss in Kuala Lumpur and the best way to get there. We decided to take a taxi to the Seremban bus station rather than taking the local bus and spend a good part of the day getting to Kuala Lumpur. We took an express bus to Kuala Lumpur from Seremban. It was an experience in itself with the driver of a big greyhound like bus driving down the shoulder and cutting people off. Upon arrival we asked a passenger how to get to the Twin Towers (AKA Petronas Towers) and he pointed us to the LRT. We had seen the towers from the bus but when we stepped out of the LRT station we were in awe of the 2 monstrous towers joined by a skywalk. After taking a few pictures we headed inside to sign up for a tour. 45 minutes later we were in an fast express elevator to the 42nd floor were we spent 10 minutes walking across the sky bridge and taking lots of photos. This is the bridge & twin towers in the James Bond movie.  We then took another elevator to the 83 floor where we switched elevators and went on to the 86th floor of the 88 floor twin towers. What a view!  

After the tour & some lunch we visited the grounds which included a kids park, lots of fountains & pools. We got a great picture of the towers with the Chinese New Years decorations at the bottom.

Our next visit was the Aquarium with tons of different species of fish. They have a tunnel you walk through with manta rays,

huge fish, sharks

and monstrous turtles

all swimming beside you and above you.  We enjoyed it so much we went through twice. We took the MRT to our hotel

The next day we visited the Batu caves taking the KLM train to get there. The caves were formed 400 million years ago and were discovered in 1860 by the Chinese who mined the guano for their vegetable gardens. There are 272 steps up to the caves. 

They are made of limestone and there are holes in top to allow light in. We took a tour of the Dark Caves and learned about the delicately balanced eco system with the beetles, snails, spiders, centipedes and millipedes. They all live on the guano from the bats. We actually only saw dead bats as they won't let you shine your lights up at the bats as they are currently raising their young. There was one cave we weren't allowed in that had snakes and other creatures. Our guide, Zarris was excellent and sent us a picture taken in July when the sun streams in at one end of the cave. 

We spent the rest of the day visiting the Sultan Abdule Samad building and Independence Square where they have a flag raising ceremony each year on Independence Day to celebrate Malaysia's independence in 1957. We visit the Masjid Jamek Mosque and took a ride on the MRT. 

The next day we visited the Bird Park, 29 acres of park that has part of it covered by netting so you have the birds flying at you and sharing the pathways with you. The peacocks were displaying their tail feathers everywhere. I caught 2 doing it at the same time.

We saw owls, emu, ostriches and flamingos and other birds fighting over the fish left for them.

A salamander even got in the act. Macaws, reas and parrots of many different colours entertained us with their shrill cries and antics. 

Our next visit was to the orchid garden which was disappointing because very few were in bloom as it is winter here. We then visited the Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia which has exhibits from The Malay, Chinese, Indian and Islamic cultures. There were textiles, pottery,

armaments, clothing, money, calligraphy and models of many mosques from around the world. 

To experience the bus & the train from Kuala Lumpur to Seremban we took the train back. 

Hua Hin

A lot has happened in the last month and a half. I'll fill you in on the current location and then do posts backwards from there. We are currently in Hua Hin enjoying the beach. Looking out from where we are staying over at the water I can see many navy vessels anchored and lots of fishing boats moving about. Here was the view earlier this morning as the sun was rising. 

Just a bit later I had a visitor. 

It was neat to watch him eat a banana and drink out of a water bottle that had been left behind