After my adventures in mango buying went so well, I returned to the stand for more. Today the mango lady wasn't there so her sister helped me. Her sister doesn't really speak English and I don't speak Malay so we compromised on Chinese. Except that I kept answering her in Thai. One day at a time... Today I arrived at my school a little early, ready to work with 5 teachers over the course of the day. I saw people blowing up balloons, assembling prize bags for students, obviously preparing for a big event. I was then informed that classes were canceled for the whole morning so we could prepare for a big, one hour event. We sat and listened to speeches, music, guest speakers from the local government, and had a ribbon cutting ceremony. All ... read more

The Batu caves have been on my list of places to visit for a while. I think it's the name more than anything. I made a stop here on my road trip before heading for home. It's sad to think my grand adventure around the Malaysian peninsula is coming to an end. (Except, of course, that my adventure wasn't over yet, thanks to the floods.) I found it easily and parked (for free!) and made my way in. It's one of the few temples I've been to that actually enforces the dress code, some come prepared. No knees, no shoulders, and no, a wrap isn't good enough. At least, it wasn't good enough for the lady telling off a few tourists that I happened to pass. I made my way up the stairs. All the stairs. ... read more

Long, long ago, in a land far, far away, there was a man from Scotland. He moved to Malaysia. He decided to build his family a house... and never quite finished it. His family then moved back to Scotland and what's left is known as the Kelley Castle. It's not really a castle, but it is a pretty big house. It has all the trappings of a castle, with secret passageways, spiral stairs, detailed moldings, and dramatic views. Not to mention, it's one architectural marvel after another. These days, all one can do is walk around and imagine how grand it would have been had it been finished. In my case, this happened in the rain, so the whole place sort of had a romantic, turn of the century movie set feel to it. One gentleman ... read more

George Town is a historic city and UNESCO World Heritage Site. It's easy to wander the streets for hours on end, discovering all sorts of little things along the way. The first trick is to slow down and take your time. The second is to look without your camera in front of your face, while also keeping it ready to take a shot at a moment's notice--you never know what you'll see around the next corner! I spent a full day wandering around the city and found many hidden treasures. If I'd had more time, I could have easily spent more, stopping along the way for coffee and cake at any of the numerous cafes around town. It's full of winding streets, small shops, and old architecture. It felt like I was stepping back in time--a ... read more

George Town has an art walk. Not a little one, either, mind you. It's big. Bigger than I had anticipated. And it's also a great way to spend an afternoon. My friend got a map of it at her hostel, but you can also get a map at the tourist office. The art walk is all over the city, featuring both painted works of art and also sculpture. Many are interactive and people pose with them for photos. (Which makes it difficult if you want to take a photo of JUST the art--it confused a lot of other tourists! "You're not running to stand next to it... so you must not want a photo?") It was as much fun to see people pose with the art as it was to see the art. Finding the pictures ... read more