Simon's Blog: A Holiday in South East Asia

Malaysia & Laos

February, 2013

Simon and Margaret on Anne-Marie and Quentin's balcony in Penang, with the rainforest behind.

Emergent Dipterocarp trees in "The Indo-Malayan rainforest is the oldest in the world...laying undisturbed for an estimated 130 million years" Insight Guide. The result is that the area of jungle above, some 20 acres, has a greater diversity than the entire continent of North America!

Kerachut Beach, Penang National Park

The paradisical deserted tropical beach, reached after a two hour hour, and very hot, walk through the jungle. I tried to fix the place in my mind by sitting and drawing the view rather than just photographing it and moving rapidly on. The drawing below took nearly two hours and "fixed it" in my mind.

I also made a dedicatory box to the beach, below, with sample of sand, drift wood and crab shell.

Titled with a quote from Vita Sackville West "Clap the net over the butterfly of the moment".

Ants in the National Park. It is estimated that there are 40 times by weight of ants on earth than humans. Now that is a fact to conjure with.

The "push me pull me" butterfly in the Sungai Sedim rainforest in Malaysia.

A "then and now" of Campbell Street, Georgetown, capital of the island of Penang, with view of the same street in early 19 th. century.

A lightening flash on the beach at Lone Pine Hotel, Penang.

Laos

Margaret & Simon in front of the Patuxay, Victory Gate, in Vientaine, capital of Laos. Based on the Arc de Triomphe with Lao detailing, it was built in the 1960's using American Aid cement meant for the new airport. Echoes of Nasser's Cairo Tower in Zamalek, Egypt

Margaret the Mahout at the Elephant Village at Xieng Lom. A sanctuary founded by Markus Peschke to look after ex logging elephants.

Street food in Luang Prabang.

The ancient capital of Laos, now a Unesco Heritage site, this charming gentle town attracts two distinct groups; the "backpackers" and the "trolleys". The "backpackers" are gap year pre-children, the "trolleys" senior post-children, often on a gap winter.

The quite incredible waterfalls at Tad Kuang Si, some 28 kms. outside Luang Prabang, one can swim in them, absolutely enchanting, a "hold the moment" experience; cool water, dense flowering tress above, bamboo around with exotic butterflies, all backed by blue sky.

Monks on the Mekong, with Luang Prabang on the opposite bank.

A fisherman on the Mekong.

Wat Xieng Thong, Luang Prabang

Comparing my photograph on a grey day to the postcard. It is easier just to photo the card and e-mail it out. Below is my sketch of the Wat done on a camera free day, encouraging me to look rather than just see. The sketch took one hour.

For further details please see; www.luangprabang-laos.com/la-maison-du-patrimoine

Buddhas. The central Buddha is in the meditation position, the Dhyana mudra, the standing buddhas on either side are in the reassurance position, the Abhaya mudra, and the seated figures in front are in the touching the earth position, the Bhumisparsa mudra.

Vegetable seller in Luang Prabang's day market

with white and black chickens

This bamboo bridge is rebuilt every year across the Nam Khan River in Luang Prabang, the summer floods demolish it. The black and white photo is early 20 th. century.