Up in the Air

This morning we woke up early, even earlier compared to weekdays, for a 1/2 hour ride to Putrajaya, the Malaysia's administrative capital. So glad that we made it ontime for the rising of the balloons & their passage above the lake. I was waiting to capture them with the shadows in the water :)

The festival is annual & will finish tomorrow. Pls visit http://www.myballoonfiesta.com/ for more details.

Bukit Tabur (East)

(Photo originally uploaded by Munkeat Photography)

A place to go one of these weekends:
Bukit Tabur or the Klang Gates Quartz Ridge is located at Taman Melawati, north of KL. After 3 hours of hiking & rock-climbing, you will be able to see a sight just like above.
Helpful links
1. How to go there: http://www.backpackingmalaysia.com/stories/hiking-at-bukit-tabur (good links at the bottom)
2. Pics along the trail : http://www.jamiesoon.com/bukittabur.htm
3. How to go down the ropes/treacherous areas : Thetrekkers.blogspot.com
4. Facebook group TheTrekkers has updated images of the place & may just be able to get fellow hikers to go with the same timing.

Safety first though: good traction shoes, gloves, water, comfortable pants.

Cherating

What to do in a long weekend:
1. Recharge at a sunny Cherating beach, sipping fresh coconut: Done
2. Forest tracking along 7 layers of Waterfall, following tapir trail: Done
3. Quiet gliding along the dark Yak Yah river for countless fireflies watching: Done

PS: Would I do this all over again? 100% Yes :) (as Randy Jackson would say it)

I close my eyes.
I feel the soft wind breathing over my face.
I hear the waves breaking on the fine sands.
I hear the palm leaves battering against one another
I hear children playing over the pool,
and still with eyes closed under the cooling shades,
All I see is green of the grass, blue sky, and clear water.
My heart beats slower, my limbs feel relaxed. Just my idea of a perfect day.

Penang 30th August 2009, Afternoon at Batu Feringgi Beach, Holiday Inn Cafe.

ps: Who needs to go away a thousand miles for the most perfect place on earth, when perfect comfort is just nearby. I believe there's something beautiful everywhere you go & I'm glad I found my moment in Penang.