Articles from this Category
14 April 2023
Delayed flight to Cebu Fearing that I would have trouble sleeping last night due to the early flight, I took an antihistamine that’s now being use as a sleeping aid. It was the first time I’ve tried this medication and it works reasonably well. I did wake to hear torrential rain through the night and […]
13 April 2023
Going to the Philippines Eagle Centre I appear to be adjusting to local time well coming from Maldives. I woke around 0500 and then dozed till 0630. With the aim of going to the Philippine Eagle Centre on the edge of the city, I wasted not time in having my oats and coffee. I set […]
12 April 2023
Exploring the city centre After a great night’s sleep, I woke around 0700. Not bad for a 3h time difference compared to Maldives. I was slow to get going though. I had breakfast of an oat porridge and a coffee, bought from the shop nearby. Just add boiling water. Leaving the hotel around 0915, I […]
11 April 2023
Flying to Singapore Seated overwing on the A350, it was an extremely quiet flight. It was very cold as well and I was glad I had changed into my long pants. I was able to get more than 2h sleep during the 4h15 airborne (4h40 on the schedule). Transit in Singapore We landed at Singapore’s […]
29 March 2023
At the gate at Changi airport, I was a little apprehensive about having done a gate-to-gate self-connect, only possible because I didn’t have checked-in luggage. Information on Scoot’s website suggested that I should have cleared immigration, meaning that I would re-enter the airside. I was afraid the re-entry into airside might have been captured from […]
13 February 2023
Above: The paler D24 and the more yellowish Musang King. Miserable Auckland summer I left Auckland two days after the first of three storms, the third being only yesterday. The latest one was Cyclone Gabrielle which resulted in all flights in Auckland and the northern part of the North Island being cancelled. This appears to […]
6 February 2023
Above: Itinerant fresh food vendor on motorcycle on our drive near Pemangkat. Our driver Jie To messaged me yesterday asking if we could “prepone” our departure to Kuching from 0700 to 0400, as he expected long queues at the border. We consulted the others and the response ranged from “No problem” to “No”. Other people […]
5 February 2023
The big procession Today is Capgomeh (the fifteenth or last day, but literally night of Chinese New Year), the big day that we have specially come for. I’m two years late for this event, originally due to come here in 2021, but delayed due to the pandemic. We headed to town at 0645 where it […]
4 February 2023
Above: Vihara Tri Dharma Bumi Raya or Tai Pak Kung Temple with the minarets of Masjid Raya Singkawang in the background. Breakfast Today is the eve of Capgomeh. With nothing officially on the published programmed, I didn’t set the alarm and woke around 0700 to find a message from Tim and Elena next door. They […]
3 February 2023
Above: Sambas palace. Departing Kuching We checked out from the OYO Golden Lounge before 0600 for our ride to Singkawang in West Kalimantan, the venue for possibly the most colourful Capgomeh (last day of Chinese New Year) celebration in the world. Our ride would depart from Siang Siang Corner food court across the road. Boo […]