The Land of Smiles...

-Many, many Buddhas at the night market in Chiang Mai.-

We had no intention of spending a lot of time in Thailand. We only wanted to use it as a staging point for our entrance into Laos. What we had planned as a four day stop-over turned into a long nine days of haggling with crooked travel agents, reluctant sight-seeing and endless waiting.

-Fleeing monk. Notice the money that he dropped. Chiang Mai.-

-Reclining Buddha. Bangkok, Thailand.-

We were so excited to get a move on to Laos that we had a hard time sitting still in one place long enough to appreciate it for what it was. Bangkok, was at least a great place to meet interesting people, get some shots of national icons and a jumping off point for our overnight train to Chiang Mai. Chiang Mai, on the other hand, was a bit more of a disappointment. We were expecting more of a mountain town, rugged, cultural and beautiful and less of a major tourist-city. So, when we arrived in town we immediately tried to get tickets out, on the slow boat to Luang Prabang, Laos. We repeatedly had run-ins with shifty agents and were eventually grudgingly forced into waiting in Chiang Mai for availability on the boat. We tried to make the best of our time there. Among our favorite activities were sitting and reading in Starbucks.

Needless to say, we were ecstatic to be on the road to the border crossing at Chiang Khong, Thailand and Huay Xai, Laos.

-Wat Po. Bangkok.-

-Fierce tiger. Bangkok.-

-Intricate glass and mirror temple roofs. Bangkok.-

-Reclining Buddha or seductive Buddha, according to Trev. Bangkok, Thailand.-

-Wat Po. Bangkok.-

-Monks on a water-taxi ride up the Chao Phraya River. Bangkok.-

-An ancient Thai painting. Bangkok.-

-Waiting for our overnight train to Chiang Mai. Bangkok National Railway Station.-

-Bangkok National Railway Station.-

-A beautiful scene near Chiang Rai.-

Kuala Lumpur

-The National Mosque . We quickly found out non-Muslim tourists were not allowed.-

We thought that we'd post a few more pictures of Kuala Lumpur to help round out our version of the city. We found the Malaysian capital to be one of the more unique places that we've visited. I'm not sure if this was because of the Arab, Islamic and Muslim influence or if it was just simply the non-western architecture and distinct culture. Either way, the city was inspiring... but whatever you do, don't be trusting the taxi drivers.

-Somehow we were invited to a KTM (Kuala Lumpur's Metro) company party. We joined this little guy and his family for a delicious Halal feast.-

-An Islamic clock at the National Mosque.-

-An example of the unique architecture in Malaysia. The Dayabumi tower was built with the pattern of eight-pointed stars, also known as Arabic Star and with the use of the stunning Islamic arch at both the top and the bottom of each column.-

-KL was covered in picture-worthy graffiti.-

-The KTM headquarters, where we attended their company party.-

Petronas Twin Towers

-A misty night at the world famous Petronas Twin Towers of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia .-

Visiting the towers was the highlight of our short trip up to the captivating city of Kuala Lumpur. We've never been terribly interested in cities, or modern buildings for that matter, yet despite this, we felt an attraction to these Islamic giants; once the world's tallest buildings. Despite being surpassed in height by the Taipei 101 of Taiwan and the Sears Tower of the US, these towers still hold claim to the world's tallest twin towers.

-For our dear friends, Jess Christensen and Sharon, who love to jump.-

-Our first view of the towers.-

-Trev, practicing his people shots.

The sky at sunset was so beautiful.-

-Truly worth a visit. The towers were spectacular and the botanical gardens below were just as captivating.-

The Eastern and Oriental Express

-Silhouettes of Hindu gods.-

Originally, we had booked our flights to Singapore in hope that we would be able to get some passport work done at the Canadian embassy. Upon visiting the embassy and discovering that they could do nothing to help us (as usual), we decided to hop on an overnight train to Kuala Lumpur. We'd always heard of travelling by train in Asia but living land-locked in Korea we'd never really had the chance. And so, we bought tickets for The Eastern and Oriental Express.

-The 42 meter statue of the Hindu god, Murugan accompanied by 272 steps which take you up to the mouth of the caves. -

The train left the station at exactly 10pm and we were in for a long, noisy night aboard this Eastern and Oriental Express. Despite the fact that we'd booked sleepers, we slept very little. The little beds provided seems cozy enough. Yet, the night was long and the train was no where near as smooth as our boat to Komodo had been. Even the choppy seas seemed to somehow rock you to sleep amidst their shattering swells. The jerks of the connecting tracks and the shrill squeeling of the iron wheels on the time-worn track were far from soothing.

-With its 100 meter ceiling, this cavern was spectacular.-

We chugged out of the jungles and into the city at the sleepy hour of 6am. We jumped in a taxi and arrived at our hotel just in time for breakfast and then to head back out on the road again, battling the public transit system to reach the amazing Batu Caves, one of the most popular Hindu shrines outside of India.

-A kind hearted man lighting candles for his faith.-

We spent a few hours enjoying the caves, the monkeys and the sprawling views of the valley and Kuala Lumpur far below. Many around us had made a pilgrimage from India to worship at this shrine. Apparently, no less than 1.5 million people make the journey up these stairs every year to worship, making it one of the largest religious gatherings in history.

-Looking up, past a temple roof, to the top of the caves.-

Deepvali - The Festival of Lights

-A bustling market just outside our hostel.-

While in Singapore, we were lucky enough to be staying in Little India. Stepping out the door of our hostel and into the bustling crowds, we couldn't help but take part in Deepavali (or Diwali), a major Indian festival in celebration of light (some of you may remember this celebration from the episode of The Office where Michael mistakes Diwali for an Indian Halloween).

-The market was chalked full of brightly coloured silks, spicy foods and exotic spices and incenses. -

-Everyone seemed to be getting in some last minute shopping before the culminating festival on October 27th.-

Dating back to 400BC, Diwali means many different things to the varying religions which partake in it's festivities. Many legends are associated with Diwali and today it is celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs and some Buddhists across the globe as the "Festival of Light,". In Diwali, the lights or lamps signify victory of good over the evil within every human being.

-Even I got in on some of the action with a little henna.-

To learn more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deepavali
Information from Wikipedia

The National Museum of Singapore

-Significant photos from Singapore's history.-

The National Museum of Singapore holds, by far, the most intriguing exhibits that we've ever had the pleasure of viewing. Reconstructed in 2006, the museum houses the complete history of this tiny island country. It presents its information in the most interactive methods possible. Walking around with an overgrown i-pod the visitor can choose which approach they want to take to learning: listening, watching or reading. We both greatly enjoyed our time exploring all that the museum had to offer.

-The museum stimulated all of one's senses in the pursuit of a memorable lesson on how Singapore became the nation that it is today.-

-This shot was taken in an exhibit showing how, as the nation changed, the fashion followed suit.-

Covered in the museum were exhibits on pre and post war. Exhibits on the changes that had occurred from the time that Singapore was founded as a colony by the Dutch, later to be taken by the famous British nobleman, Sir Stamford Raffels. Trev and I were able to relive the last moments before the Japanese had subdued and conquered the allied troops. We felt like we were there, during the Japanese occupation when the citizens were bound between loyalty to the British, loyalty to the Sing. nation itself and loyalties to their oppressors. And, after all of this, we were able to walk through the changes of the struggling nation as it fought to find its identity as an independent port-nation in an ever modernizing world.

-A lesson on the origin of mankind on the beautiful island of Singapore.-

-Music and motion picture's influence on a developing nation.-

-Trev's favorite 'Sing' song from the 60's.-

--Significant photos from Singapore's history.-

And, Back to Singapore

-Two Merlions and The Singapore Flyer (a replica of The London's Eye).-

Without a doubt one of our favorite cities. Singapore, has been a much appreciated break from the lesser organized and unpredictable countries we've been in previously on our trip. Here are a few shots that we managed to take while walking the streets.

-What's left of the gate on the crest of Fort Canning. The enclosure was built by the British during their colonial period in order to ensure the safety of their troops and the expat Brits.-

-Colourful shutters.-

-Under the bridge.-

-The Fullerton Hotel on Boat Quay.-

-The famous Merlion.-