Climbing Mount Santubong

Mount Santubong just 35km away from Kuching city......standing at 810metres(2,658feet). Best way to get to the peak is hike. (The main photo is at the top of my blog)

I have been aiming to climb Santubong for a long time ...so this was my chance!!

So me ,my boss and two of my experience friends decided to make an inpromptu excursion to Mount Santubong .......an unwise but adventurers decision eventhough the odds are against us!
The trail ascending to the mountain are not easy,tree roots ,rocks and tree branches are the added obstacles besides the 45-90 angle climb.

We started at F6 and this is somwhere at F7 ...this took about an hour and believe me we were panting to get here!!!!!!
This is a 70 degree ascend to F8 , one of the toughest of the journey so far !
I thougth i dropped my lungs somewhere down there.....man....its tough!!!!

My Boss, Ching On taking a break at F8 .....one tough dude!!
A magnificent view ...a clear view of a fish farm and Kuching at far end.

Me and Ching On taking a breather at F8 .
Behind is at least a 100 meters dropped ...makes you legs go wobbly!!!!

Another view of the southern estuaries and mountains .

F8 is a mid-way resting piont...it took us 2hrs to get here and would be another 2 hours or so to reach the peak at F16.............



We reached F9 .......a 90 degrees climb by ladder to reach F10!

This would be our final capped as evening is approaching and we are getting our feel on the ropes before our next trip here again ......The going gets tough the tough gets going!!!!!

Our descend down the foothills which is no less tougher than the climb..........

Ching On and the Evening skies on the final descend to F6....................

We looked beat but all smiles ...."Nothing contributes so much to tranqualize the mind as a steady purpose"(Mary Shelley)

Until my next trip .....vowed to reach the peak next time!!!!

Trip To Alor Setar ,Kedah and Danok,Thailand

Mid-December last year after my official duties in KL, me and my boss,Mike went for a short trip to Alor Setar with the intend to cross to Danok in Thailand just about 42km away. I woke up terribly early at around 4am,4.30am,4.50am,5.10am....which looking at that time statistic,I wasn't actually asleep,no trust in my phone alarm clock and have no intention to miss my flight.

We took the train from KL Sentral to KLIA ,reached there just about dawn's breaking in. The flight takes about an hour and just nice for me to catch a nap to replace for waking up too early.

At arrival we got pickup at the airport by one of our fellow colleague from Sg.Petani and proceeded to one of our branch office in Alor Setar.

It was my first time to visit the northern region of the country and Iiwas astonished when i got out of the car as i didn't figured out im here already.....frankly , i thought we were at a warehouse than an office building. No offence ....seriously it was how the building was designed!!
Talk about design......this is the Menara Alor Setar cum Telekom Towers rising at 165m ,the most prominent site in town.

Why i say prominent is that every where you go in town area you get to have a glimpse of the tower ....and not to say a twin peak of the Menara KL. My boss went for a meeting so I tried to venture further out into the streets hopingly to get a few shots of pictures but just can't find anything to snap for until we went for lunch.......................

Damn.......this bitch just got hit by a vehicle and still alive, i could tell as it was grasping for air , groaning in pain and legs still kicking trying get the fuck up!! Anyway, i wished it will go in peace and not for the ungratefull motherf@#^er who just leave it there to die! and rot!!!.....not forgetting there goes my lunch!!!



So we end up at the Old Town KopiTiam which is very famous in Alor Setar where patrons usually visits there in the morning for a classic cup of coffee,boiled eggs,toast bread,nasi lemak etc etc.........more like the Kaya and Toast outlet in Kuching!


My fellow colleagues from Alor Setar and Sg.Petani at the Old Town....the only one with the specs is my travel consultant cum boss,Mike.......


So don't forget to visit Old Town at the Central Market in Alor Setar ....and its time to head to Thailand after lunch !!!





Its a 42km journey which takes about 4o minutes drive to the border. Something about Kedah is that its a small state but its one of the largest rice growing state in the country. You can miss a padi(rice) field anywhere you go even right up to the airport!!


Approaching the immigration check point of Malaysia .....not much hassle to pass through so long your passport are in order. For the locals they don't really need a passport ,just a border pass will do.


Arriving at the Thailand check point ...this is the only entry point to Thailand . Of course there are some which you could just walk through on other parts of the country....so i heard!!


And comes to the dreadful part of queuing on the line and waiting for your turn to get your passport stamp. There is the provision of getting quick out of the process ....a little pocket money for the custom guy and everyone gets to move out of the line fast!! And thats what everybody did...no wonder its fast!!


There was an issue a few years back that many individuals are holding dual citizenships through illegal channels whereby both government wanted to crack down but it end up just tea-talks ............another pointer for the government!!!







The hotel we stayed in which costs about RM65/night ......a miracle hotel with nice clean rooms ,good cable tv and lots of health clubs and spa on the first 2 floors where you could get good massage and spa. Those who read chinese would be able to figure out the name of the hotel ...i just darned forgotten!!



Danok a cowboy town .......typical southern thais , lots of muslims ,streets strewn with rubbish, malay is widely spoken beside thai and women population are extremely high and most people will know why!!!.............

Besides the sourly impression i received , its main resources are the streams of massage houses,karaoke bars and exoctic bars all in the good name of Sex Trade !!!. We went to one massage house somewhere around the alley . You get a long line of girls to choose from and a full massage would cost you just about RM50 for 2 hours...amazingly cheap!!!


And if you want take out your sex urge ,the friendly masseur's would be happy to assists you for a price ranging from RM100-RM200.........


My chosen masseur ...i was just there for the adventure ,just massage and no SEX for me!! You could stuffed me with rat poison i will not go to be bed with her.....ain't my style!!!

Room at the top of the stairs...........







When dusks sets in , we went to the exoctic bar called Spider ......many men and women has earned to become spidermen and spider women here and im one of them!!!
This place ain't cheap...coz those little spider women can really sucked your money dry in a short time.

There are nude dancing models but you are not allowed to take pictures. So watch this dancing thais in action..............

Talk about sucking dry your wallet.....she is one of them!!! One thing about all this girls they powdered up their face ,they look pretty from far and when near .......you be looking at Resident Evil close-up!!!!!




I actually paid the girl in the top photo to sing on stage and found out that she and all of them were just only lipsync ....stupid bitch!!!

Inside Spidey backyard.............................

Next morning, it was back to the Malaysian borber in a motorcycle taxi for RM5.

Back in Alor Setar, i noticed a tree becomes a good concept to advertise your products and services.......free right?!!!

Another clear shot view of the Menara Alor Setar from the Hotel room.

At Alor Setar Airport.......there are only 2 flights a day from Alor Setar to KL .
Leaving on a jetplane ......was an adventurers trip and somewhat eventful. Although i may be sour about the places i been but we must accept we are bound by the many borders of cultures that is all around us. This are the beauty of all things no matter where we go and it will never cease to excite us !!! Our mind must keep a passage doorway of openness!

Once , i was beyond contention and in the brink of acceptance that the world is flat...........i realized i was the one who was!!!

Chinese Zodiac and The Year Of The Rat 2008

Here are some articles i picked up on the net...Happy New Year To All!

Chinese Zodiac

February 7, 2008 - January 25, 2009 (Earth)

According to the Chinese Zodiac, the Year of 2008 is a Year of the Rat (Earth), which begins on February 7, 2008 and ends on January 25, 2009. First in the cycle of 12 Animal signs, Rat Year begins the sequence and recurs every twelfth year. It is a time of renewal in so many ways. From New Year to Valentine's Day, to the arrival of spring, may all the blessings and delights of the New Year be yours.
A Rat Year is a time of hard work, activity, and renewal. This is a good year to begin a new job, get married, launch a product or make a fresh start. Ventures begun now may not yield fast returns, but opportunities will come for people who are well prepared and resourceful. The best way for you to succeed is to be patient, let things develop slowly, and make the most of every opening you can find. People born in an Earth Rat are said to be logical realists, shrewd, charming, ambitious, and inventive. Of course, the entire horoscope must be considered when making any personality assessment.
In Chinese, the Rat is respected and considered a courageous, enterprising person. People born in the Year of Rat are clever and bright, sociable and family-minded. They have broad interests and strong ability in adapting to the environment and able to react adequately to any changes.
They are gifted in many ways and have an easy going manner. They are active and pleasant, tactful and fantastic, and are able to grasp opportunities. They seem to have interests in everything and hope to participate in doing it and usually do it very well.

The Sign of the Rat

An opportunist with an eye for a bargain, Rats tend to collect and hoard, but are unwilling to pay too much for anything. They are devoted to their families, particularly their children. Quick-witted and passionate, they are capable of deep emotions despite their cool exteriors. Their nervous energy and ambition may lead them to attempt more tasks than they are able to complete successfully. Rats are blessed with one of the best intellects going.
The sign of the Rat is the first one in the cycle giving Rat people exude great leadership qualities and are good at taking the lead. They don't mind a lot of responsibility and they demonstrate a strong presence that other people respect. For those with the Rat nature, status and monetary satisfaction are the greatest motivation.
The affect of the sign of the Rat is energetic, and demonstrates enough endurance to fight most any sickness. Yet, all Rats tend to be tense, full of nervous energy, and prone to stress. Yoga and meditation would benefit Rats by calming their aggressive natures and helping them manage stress.
Rats make good homemakers who are always willing to do household chores. Because this is a sign of acquisition, the Rat person's house is presumably bursting with various knick-knacks collected over the years. Most Rats are cheerful, domesticated individuals who find happiness at home with their family.

The Chinese say others should always listen to the advice of the Rat. Because of their intellect and observatory powers, Rat people possess prudence and perception. They can anticipate problems, and are always able to see the big picture. Status, money, title and recognition are important to the Rat. They have keen sense of observation that allow them to foresee upcoming business opportunities as well as potential occupational problems. The Rat makes a better boss than an employee. Rats work better in flexible situations where they can be freely creative.
Cunning and thrifty, Rats have a knack with money and are apt to save for rainy days. When capable, the Rat is a great money saver, and in strapped times he knows how to make something out of nothing or how to make things advantageous for himself.
Generally friendly and sociable, the Rat is one of the extroverts of the 12 Animal signs. They have a special gift for easing the minds of others. It is not surprising that Rats have a lot of friends. To the people they love, Rats can be amazingly charitable, popular and supportive. Although Rats like to be in the driver's seat, they do need partners who can keep up with their active lifestyles. Rat people are romantic, and are always happier to have someone to share with.