And the moment everything gets all wet and cold and gloomy, a certain hunger is stirred inside of me — the hunger for comfort food like steaming hot Indonesian bakso…

Excellent bakso that I had in Jakarta. Sorry if the colours are a bit off. Shot with a Nokia N82.

There’s a certain je-ne-sais-quoi in the genuine Indonesian version that just makes it so hard to replicate. Perhaps it’s something in the meatballs. Perhaps in the bumbu (spices). Perhaps it’s only the Sasa/Ajinomoto (popular brands of MSG in Indonesia). Or perhaps it’s all in the special brand of Vitamin D — Vitamin Debu (dust) — that unwittingly gets into the bakso as it is being prepared by the roadside hawker!

In much the same way that the Alps are associated with Switzerland, the Grand Canyon with the USA, and the Amazon River with Brazil, Table Mountain has got to be South Africa’s most defining natural landmark. So naturally, when I went to Cape Town in 2009 (has it really been a year already?!), Table Mountain was right up there in my list of must-visit places, just second to Cape Point.

Remember this photo that I took at Victoria & Alfred Waterfront?

That’s the iconic mountain right up there in the background, so named because of its flat, table-like top.

The fastest way to get to the top of Table Mountain is by cable car. I was told it’s also possible to hike up the mountain; just make sure go with a guide because people have been known to have disappeared without any trace when they ventured out on their own.

The cable car is pretty cool because it rotates as it traverses the 1,085-metre height, giving everyone a 360-degree view of the surrounding area. And exactly because of this rotating motion, it’s not possible for people to hold on to the windows or the walls, which can feel quite unnerving if you have issues with heights. (Which brings to mind: if you have issues with heights, why even go up at all?)

It was winter when we went there and the temperature at the top was 9° Celcius. The wind was an entirely different matter — its chill struck me all the way to my bone marrow. At least, that’s how it felt to me!

It was also quite windy that day so it was a challenge getting a clear view of the sea and valley. I had to be quick and take my shots in between the thick layers of clouds that floated by, one after another.

On one side, you get remarkable views of the cliffs in its stratified glory, with the ocean waves crashing at its feet…

And on another side, you get an unforgettable sweeping view of the city of Cape Town.

While at the top, I kept a modest distance from the edges of the mountain, just to be on the safe side. In contrast, my husband, the calculated risk-taker, had the guts to perch on top of an uneven rock and answer some text messages on his phone while waiting for me. (I kept taking photographs, you see, so there was always an interesting shot to delay me along the way.)

From the top of Table Mountain, I managed to zoom in on the World Cup stadium which was still under construction at that time. I used my el-cheapo-but-can-still-do Nikkor 18-135mm lens. The blur is partly because of the distance, partly because of the clouds.

Paths on top of Table Mountain — some two kilometres in total — are clearly marked. It is highly advised to stay on them while navigating the summit, for safety reasons.

There’s a cafe right on top if you fancy a cuppa but we were too cheap in a hurry, so we didn’t go. I did go to the loo, a decision which I regretted immensely due to the almost unbearable stench inside. My advice to you: empty your bladder before going up, if you can.

Souvenirs are a must in any tourist hotspot and Table Mountain is no exception. Why, they even sell pre-packed dassie droppings in there! The dassie stuffed toys are de rigeur… but why anyone would want to buy dassie droppings is simply beyond my comprehension. [NB: A dassie is a small squirrel-like animal that belongs to the rat family, which are frequently found roaming around Table Mountain.]

As though to compensate for the absence of dassies that day, these birds were plentiful all around. They reminded me of crows, except that they weren’t noisy and they had bright orange feathers at the tip of their wings.

We went down Table Mountain the same way we went up, i.e. by cable car. For one very brief moment though, I was very, very tempted to go down by abseiling down the mountain. But only for a fleeting moment, I tell you. I had the perfect excuse to not do it — it cost 595 Rands (≈USD78 or RM250) per person to go down that way ;)

Just before exiting into the cable car, there’s a brass model of the Table Mountain, which is an excellent way of recapping your walk on the top of the iconic peak.

One day, I hope to go back to Cape Town and go up Table Mountain on foot and muster up enough courage to go down by abseiling. Until then, I’ll have these photos to remind me of my brief encounter with South Africa’s most famous mountain.

Where the rosy fingertips of dawn lightly caress an inexplicably fluffy mass of grey and white and blue…

Where the clouds are not mere clouds, but an almost tangible blanket of carded sheep’s wool…

Where mounds of clouds rise up into frothy mountains of whipped cream…

Where wisps of clouds fly past like newly-spun cotton candy left floating in midair…

Where the overwhelming vastness reminds you of your insignificance vis-a-vis the might and power of the Creator…

All photos taken with the HTC Desire, straight out of the camera, no editing or resizing whatsoever.

Malaysia-Singapore border

Photo by Fong-Shek

These are just 10 ways (out of hundreds!) that can help you determine when you’ve already crossed the Malaysia-Singapore border:-

1. The speed limit in the freeway is only 90km/hr. It seems such a shame to see shiny expensive cars with powerful engines driving at snail’s pace in the highways. Speed cameras are everywhere and speeding fines are steep, so no one dares to overspeed…until these very same Singaporean cars cross the border into Johor and feel the exhilaration of driving at the 120km/hr allowable limit. As expected, many of these cars go beyond the speed limit. Even if they get caught, I suppose RM300 doesn’t cause quite a dent in the Singaporean’s pockets, considering that RM300 is only about S$130, hardly exorbitant by Singaporean standards. But I digress. Moving on…
2. Road signs start to get perplexing. PIE. ECP. AYE. (Pan Island Expressway. East Coast Parkway. Ayer Rajah Expressway. Respectively, of course.)
   

   Singapore road signs

3. High-rise condominiums sprout like skyscrapers everywhere. Singapore has very little land, so housing developers have little option for expansion other than building higher and higher.
4. Very few people speak Malay. With the Singaporean population comprising mainly of Chinese (75% to be exact), most of them hardly speak any Malay. It’s a huge contrast to most Chinese Malaysians who can carry on a pretty decent conversation in Malay. Even the 14% Malay population living in Singapore are more likely to speak English than Malay.
5. Escalators move at a much faster rate — proof that pace of life in Singapore is much faster than Malaysia! [NB: A good friend of mine told me that even hair seems to fall off at a more rapid rate in Singapore. She's not sure if it's because of the water, the weather, or the stress.]
6. Bus stations are equipped with signboards that indicate the times of arrival of various buses, e.g. 8:12, 8:15, 8:18. And more surprisingly, the buses arrive as per the stated times. As they say on that now defunct Ripley’s show, “Believe…or not!”
7. The Walk/Don’t Walk signs feature skinnier images. Perhaps a subliminal message from the Singaporean government to promote a healthier lifestyle?
8. In lieu of the Petronas Twin Towers, you’ll see this massive durian-like building instead.
   

   Singapore Esplanade

   Image from Cokeworld Citizen

9. Pork is sold openly everywhere. In Malaysia, most eating establishments are halal or, at the very least, pork-free. Pork is normally found in Chinese restaurants or stalls only. Not in Singapore — you’ll see it in food courts, restaurants, malls, everywhere!
10. You’ll see couples showing…uh…more physical contact openly in the MRT. With Malaysia being predominantly a Muslim country, such public display of affection is not something that you normally see in Malaysia’s LRTs or elsewhere.

Su-Tu-Kil — arguably the ultimate seafood experience in Cebu — is actually an acronym for three popular ways of enjoying seafood in the Philippines:

1) SUgba (grilled)

2) TUla (soup)

3) KILaw (raw fish soaked in vinegar mixed with tomatoes, ginger, onions and lemons, sometimes with radish; the vinegar’s acidity effectively ‘cooks’ the fish)

What makes the Su-Tu-Kil experience unique is the fact that you first need to buy the seafood from one of the stalls in the area…

…then you pick out one of the nearby restaurants to cook them for you. [NB: This restaurant sold its own seafood but you're under no obligation to buy from them.]

The choice of seafood is mind-boggling. Everything is so fresh, many of them are still alive. Everything smells like the sea; there’s no ‘fishy’ smell at all!

Take your pick from oysters and crabs…

…live lobsters…

…seaweed (the miniature grape-like things are a hoot to eat; the branchy stuff tends to be a bit more chewy)…

….as well as clams, prawns, scallops, and all sorts of exotic fish.

The best part is, of course, deciding how you want to have your seafood. Do you want your prawns grilled or cooked with butter and garlic? Perhaps the fish head can be made into soup, most of its flesh going into kilaw, then its tail grilled (just as we did!)? Name it, they’d do it for you! For a price, of course, which often translates to about half of what the seafood would cost you.

The place is not posh and can be crowded at night, but it’s breezy and offers a view of the clear waters of a mangrove swamp.

You might even find yourself serenaded with a harp…

…as you sink your teeth into all that scrumptious, deeeelicious, mouth-watering seafood.

We had our fill of dishes like scallops baked with cheese…

…fresh oysters with flesh so sweet, all I needed as condiment was the slightest squeeze of calamansi to go with it…

…and squid cooked in its ink. [Trivia: Filipinos eat squid with its ink. Malaysians don't!]

The Su-Tu-Kil experience — it’s like dying and finding yourself in seafood heaven!

Getting There:

As I said at the beginning of this post, find your way to this area called ‘Mactan Shrine’ in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu.  The place doesn’t look like much from the outside. The police station (on the left) is the main landmark to look out for.

Walk past the police station and you’ll find yourself in a small alley with shops selling souvenirs, selling everything from keychains made from mother-of-pearl to wooden carvings to t-shirts to decorative items made of capiz shells.

The stalls selling seafood are just a few steps away from the souvenir stalls. The restaurants are on both sides of the alley. You won’t miss the place because the moment you step out of your vehicle, people will be scrambling to take you to the restaurants (that hired them as informal ‘promoters’). If you go there for lunch like we did, you might even find yourself escorted with an umbrella!

My last trip to Jakarta caught me by surprise though. It was the usual business trip with countless meetings and the occasional bouts with the infamous Jakarta traffic. But it was filled with small unexpected surprises.

First off, there was our flight to Jakarta on Malaysia Airlines (MAS), with a flight crew who were the perfect embodiment of the mesra (warm) service that won MAS accolades and awards many years in a row. I could actually feel the warmth and genuineness of their smiles. There was never the slightest hint of annoyance or boredom from them, despite passengers’ countless requests for drinks and mundane questions about the most trivial matters. They even ‘forced’ upon us a couple of satay in-flight meals ‘to go’…plus several bags of peanuts.

There was the lunch in a desa (country)-style Sundanese restaurant where I bonded with two Indonesian ladies with whom conversation used to be limited to purely business only. We ended up talking about everything else under the sun, stretching what was initially a ’short’ lunch discussion to a 3-hour friendly chat over gurame goreng, grilled prawns, red rice, the most delicious tempeh that my taste buds have ever encountered, grilled fish, sayur goreng, four types of sambal that ranged from ‘pedas dan manis’ (spicy and sweet) to ‘pedas sekali’ (VERY hot), too reluctant to say our goodbyes.

Then there was the unexpected trip to the Malaysian Embassy in Jakarta. After getting past Indonesian frontline staff who didn’t quite understand what we needed, the consular officer in charge ushered us into his office, listened to our predicament, immediately got his staff to prepare the document that we needed, all the while chatting with us as though we’re old friends who haven’t seen each other in a long time. And yeah, he mistook me for a Malaysian. Why am I not in the least bit surprised? ;)

Our return flight to KL on AirAsia was the icing on the cake. During in-flight sales, the staff kindly obliged in showing us the contents of the item that we had our eyes on. They didn’t seem to mind a bit when we decided not to buy the item in the end. So to reciprocate their patience, I bid them thanks as I was about to step off the plane upon our arrival in KL. Then I don’t know what came over me. Suddenly I just found myself blurting out  “Boleh tengok tak?” (’May I take a look?’) as I gestured towards the still-closed cockpit door.

“Boleh (’Yes, you can’),” the steward said. “Nak ambik gambar pun boleh (You can even take pics)!”

And that’s how I ended up sitting on the pilot’s chair in the claustrophobic-inducing cockpit, grinning from ear to ear as my colleague took my pic.

I’m grateful. I’m in awe. I’ve rediscovered the magic in routine travel. It’s not the magic that most people get from discovering places previously never seen before. Rather, it was the kind of magic that comes from the most unexpected encounters with the most extraordinary ‘ordinary’ people, the inexplicable connections with perfect strangers, the littlest gestures that leave the deepest impressions on our souls — the best travel magic of them all.

One of the items in my list when I went to the Philippines early this month was the humble bibingka. The bibingka that I had in mind is the type of rice cake that’s made from — you guessed it! — rice flour, coconut milk, sugar and a leavening agent. The mixture is scooped into moulds that have been lined with banana leaves, then baked in a charcoal contraption that allows the bibingka to have the red-hot embers both below it and above it. It’s simple food really but I’ve always liked it. It brings back memories of going to the public market with my mother when I was just a little girl.

So there we were in a small city called Ozamiz. The MPV was maneuvering its way through the narrow street when I suddenly spotted a man walking at the side of the road, balancing a tray on his head. I craned my neck as we passed him then gave a little shriek when I caught a glimpse of what lay hidden under the coconut leaves that covered the tray — bibingka! We actually turned the MPV around just to track Bibingka Guy and buy a few pieces from him. Because yes, I was that desperate to have some bibingka and I didn’t want to risk missing my chance to tick it off my must-eat list.

It turns out that he was delivering his goods to a small sari-sari store (sundry shop) on the other side of the street.

See what I mean about the bibingka peeking from the banana leaves that covered them?

I took the above shot from behind the heavily tinted window of the MPV. Not quite happy with the quality of the photograph, I rolled down the window to get a clearer shot, making  Bibingka Guy break out into a huge grin. He was absolutely tickled that I wanted to take a photo of him with his wares. He must have thought me nuts, but obliged all the same, seeing how I had a huge, “professional” camera.

Even the shopkeeper was very much amused. Too bad she looked away right at the moment when I pressed the shutter. And yes, those are bags of bread — sold by piece — hanging on top of her and pots of viands on the counter in front of her available for retail sale (read: based on the amount that one can afford to buy).

My verdict on the bibingka? Although it was nice, it wasn’t quite the taste that I was looking for. I wanted something less sweet and just a tad bit more spongey (i.e. having risen just a bit more). It was only a few days later in Davao City that I managed to sink my teeth into the bibingka that I specifically had in mind. But our roadside encounter with Bibingka Guy is something that I won’t be forgetting for a long time to come.

Sometimes I get lucky and I get a few hours free in between my last meeting and my return flight. I use up these precious hours to wander around the city or, at least, the immediate neighbourhood where I’m in.

Once in a while I hit the jackpot and get to spend an extra day when it so happens that my airline of choice only flies certain days in a week. [Note: 'Airline of choice' translates to: 'the airline that offers the cheapest fare for the schedule that I need'.]

Sometimes, my itinerary gets so hectic that I don’t get to do any incidental sightseeing at all. But I always, always, always try to sneak in a few minutes to visit the local market or, at the very least, the local corner shop or supermarket. These places always have a lot of fascinating things to see. Many of the items sold are  reflective of the local culture and the prices of goods give a good indication of what items are produced in that country.

In Indonesia, for instance, I was shocked to find a box of tea bags (30 bags per box) retailing at a mere USD0.30 (Rp 3,460). In Geneva, I was delighted to find a bottle of dried oregano that only cost €1, which is only about a fifth of what I pay for in Malaysia. In New Zealand, sheep’s skin rugs are a great bargain (but a pain to maintain, I found out many, many months later). In Thailand, I found that footwear and plasticware are incredibly cheap but of good quality and design.

In a night market in Phuket in 2007, DH and I stumbled upon this unexpected treat whose name escapes me already:-

This is belimbing asam (or kamias, as we say in the Philippines), toasted coconut and peanuts, pickled ginger, fresh onions, and tamarind paste all rolled up in a piece of daun kaduk (wild pepper leaf) and eaten as is. I’m not exactly a fan of raw leafy stuff but this combination just totally blew me away. You should try this if you happen to find this in Thailand. (P.S. Sorry about the awful photo quality. This was back in the days when I used a point-and-shoot with the flash on! *Wince*)

In Geneva in 2008, Lola and I chanced upon a fresh produce market very early one morning in a square within walking distance from our hotel, where we saw the biggest artichokes (the green things in the far right) that I’ve ever seen in my entire life.

Okay, okay, they were the only artichokes I’ve ever seen in my entire life heh ;) And those large things that Lola is holding? They’re leeks. (I mistook them for large spring onions a.k.a. scallions.)

Last year, I was amused to find this supermarket in Amsterdam which was actually selling a Dutch line of kroepoek (keropok, i.e. fish crackers) and instant mixes for bahmi goreng (bakmi goreng, i.e. fried noodles) and nasi goreng (fried rice):-

In a supermarket in Capetown also last year, I found something that delighted my children — speckled eggs!

They’re an ingenious confectionery made up of a jelly centre, a chocolate middle, and a candy shell. Scrumptious! (I miss them so! *sniff*)

In a small supermarket in the outskirts of Jakarta, I caught sight of Indonesian-style mortars and pestles.

Note that the mortars are flat, almost plate-like, very different from the bowl-shaped mortars that I’m more familiar with in Malaysia and the Philippines. [NB: These implements are used for grinding herbs and spices instead of whizzing them in a blender or food processor. The taste's just not the same, folks in Asia would swear.]

And to my delight, I discovered that I need not go all the way to the Netherlands to indulge in some hagelslag — they’re available in Indonesian supermarkets afterall!

I’ve seen bread sold by weight in Switzerland, antiperspirant/deodorant sold in single-use sachets in the Philippines, eggs sold by weight in Indonesia. I’ve chanced upon homemade pickled onions in a small roadside shop along the Great Ocean Road in Melbourne, fresh almonds heaped on bins in a supermarket in Oman, chestnuts peddled after sundown from human-pulled carts in the streets of Shanghai. Given very limited time in a foreign country, I’d gladly pick the local market over a huge, ultramodern shopping mall anytime!

I’ll let the photographs speak for themselves. (Click on each photo to see a larger version in a new window.)

That speck you see on the clouds up there is a seagull; it’s not some piece of dirt on my lens ;)

I love the quaint little buildings and colourful boats and ships that dot the harbour. I think they give an added element of interest to the photographs.

And in case you haven’t noticed, Table Mountain in all three photos is, more or less, in the same spot, i.e. Victoria & Alfred Waterfront. All I did was walk a few paces between each photo. Those few steps allowed me to capture a postcard-perfect photo each and every time.

If these photos don’t succeed in making you want, crave, desire, long for, and get hell-bent on going to Cape Town, I don’t know what else will.  Except perhaps some photos from the top of Table Mountain next time ;)

All photos straight out of the camera, totally untouched save for re-sizing and the addition of my site’s URL.

To redeem myself, the next time I went to KLIA, I made it a point to drop by the left luggage lockers at the Departure Hall (Level 5) and ask for some information.

The left luggage lockers are located behind check-in counter B. As you walk past the check-in counter, you should see a pharmacy on your left. Continue walking and you’ll see a coffee shop on your right. The left luggage lockers are right next to it, just before the surau (Muslim prayer rooms). You can’t miss the maroon-coloured lockers.

Left Luggage Lockers At KLIA

The staff who were on duty at that time were very friendly and helpful — they even showed me the different locker sizes that are available for rent.

This is the small locker that costs RM10 per day. It measures 40cm x 32cm x 75cm.

The brochure that you see at the bottom is about the width of a sheet of A4 size paper. I intentionally shot it together with the locker to you give you a sense of scale.

This is the medium locker at RM20 per day. It measures 55cm x 43cm x 75cm. Carry-on luggage can easily fit into them.

Those papers taped at the sides are A4 size, as well.

And this is the big locker at RM30 per day. It’s big enough to hold a golf bag and then some at 135cm x 32cm x 43cm.

In their brochure, they also have extra large lockers (up to 2 cubic meters) for RM40 per day but I didn’t get to see it that day.

You can rent a locker for as long as you want. And you can stuff as much luggage as you can into each locker. The management reserves the right, however, to check your luggage and/or x-ray them, if deemed necessary.

They’re currently having a promotion that entitles you to one day free if you rent the lockers for ten days or more.

There are also left luggage lockers at the Arrival Hall (Level 3). After exiting the baggage claim area, it’s located on the left-hand side, right after Burger King. I’ll check on it next time and post more photos. Both luggage storage facilities are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

For more information, call +603-8787-4211 or +603-8776-5035. You can also email them at tdsb3@tm.net.my.