To the Straits of Malacca

OK, perhaps a bus is a bit prosaic. However, it was transport and it did get me to Melaka (modern day Malacca in Malaysia). Going through passport and customs between Singapore and Malaysia was a bit more time consuming than cheerful neighbors might have tailored for. And our bus driver left someone behind, which can't look good in the annual evaluation.
Melaka in more than just nice. It was named a World Heritage Site by the UN in 2008, which is a pretty exclusive club.

The town has a nice combination of odd and beautiful and historical.

The odd being the most memorable.

I was drafted as straight man by a local medicine man (as in sells cures in a bottle) during some street theater last night. He asked the obvious visitors where they were from. I was the sole American, and we are just so popular!(?)
My role was to demonstrate that there were a significant number of things he could do that I could not. He, for example, could through a playing card 30 feet into the air in a straight line. I satisfied his needs.

He can also poke his finger through the husk of a coconut. I can hurt my finger.


This was not the oddest thing I've done in the last 48 hours.

These feet are not mine, let me say with all deliberate haste. But I have shared the experience. For about $3, one can dip ones feet into a tank with dozens of flesh chewing fish. For 15 minutes. Which seems long.

If you want this experience, you may need to come to Melaka. It may not catch on.

First Days

Made it Singapore without anything of interest occurring. There are few better travel reports than that.

I have relied on the kindness of some friends from work for a place to stay, which has made for a very pleasant first couple of days.

The weather is just fine, made the better for leaving snow behind at home.

Today I've wandered around Chinatown, which is gearing up for the Chinese New Year holiday in mid February.

Lots of delightfully garish stuff for sale, as well as the give me shivers food items.



Singapore gets full marks as a pleasant place. I am more than happy to ease into the Asian travel experience.

And it has terrific book stores! Perhaps not a point of rapture for all, but I was happy to have the fix.

Tomorrow I'm off to Melaka in Malaysia to find my boat to Sumatra.

The (not so) Dry Run - Portland Oregon

After leaving employment with Huntsman Corporation at the end of 2009 I went to Portland Oregon for three days. Mainly, I wanted to visit a well known bookstore, Powell's.

However, it wasn't all books.

I made it to a number of museums, saw the Japanese Tea Garden, the Zoo and wandered around Washington Park. All very nice, all but the museums a bit damp.
I even saw a real live Great North West lumber jack.

Sort of.


And, of course, the books. 13 boxes have arrived at my house. At an average weight of 28 pounds per box, or over 360 pounds in total, it was good practice for my not much lighter luggage for next week's trip.

The Trip

The Purpose:

I leave Monday for a four month trip though SE Asia and China. I am wrestling with new (to me) technology, like this blog, in an effort not to drop off of the face of the earth for friends and family.

This is my first go.