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The Year That Was 2011

The Year That Was 2011
Another year. Another set of to-dos. And a time to look back and take stock …
Yes, I know I am late to do this post but by only a few days and since I am travelling, I can be excused. 😛

Sometimes we travel to too many places and at times we don’t have enough.
The year 2011 started in the Philippines. We celebrated our Christmas & new year in that country. Besides the capital Manila, we could explore some part of it but Batad was a place which left mark on my life. However, as I always say, any place on this earth can never be counted as ‘done’.

The year 2011 was not very good in terms of travel. There were always some issues cropping up and I had to cut short or cancel many trips either midway or before the start irrespective of the locale, foreign or Indian.
This time when I was about to leave India, my doctor, instead of telling, asked me “Are you fit to travel?”. So, that’s about it.

Anyway, I’ll let the pictures speak of the places I visited in the year 2011. I think I did more than this. If anyone of you recall, please let me know. I always think I have more memories than photos of a place.

Batad.

hiking in Batad @lemonicks.com
Looks easy? It is world’s one of the most difficult places for hiking and any other

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Off to some VolunTourism

Starting tomorrow morning I am off to South east Asia for over 3 months. Cambodia, Malaysia and probably Thailand or Singapore. Not yet decided, not yet planned.

Mumbai from above @lemonicks.com

That’s aerial view of Mumbai

We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.. — Winston Churchill

As a responsible traveller, I strongly believe in giving back something to the society.
I have done this before and will do so in future also. This time I will be engaged in volunteer work with an NGO in Cambodia for about 3 months.

If you are raising your eyebrows with a “What’s in it for you?” … then no, I won’t get any monetary benefits. I will have to pay for my accommodation, food, insurances and transport, visa etc. And I am not sure what kind of accommodation is in store for me… whether it is a dorm or a hotel room, I do not know. I have requested them to look for a place with wi-fi and cooking facility; yet to hear from them.

This work will give me a chance to experience and learn about the people and culture of Cambodia. More than anything, this will give

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Apam Balik – Penang Street Food

Apam Balik – Penang Street Food
After seeing Kek Lok Si Temple in Penang islands, we were walking down towards Penang hills. On our way we saw a man preparing something which caught my fancy. The aroma was so good and tickled my olfactory senses that I immediately wanted to have it without even knowing how it would taste!

Appam Balik @lemonicks.com

I watched the man make it step by step.

I have

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Ladies coach in Malaysian trains

KTM KOMUTER PINK COACH FOR WOMAN PASSENGER ONLY
In India, for years we are so used to a concept called ‘Ladies coach’ in a train whether it is a local train or intercity but do you know Malaysia’s first coach service for women was launched very recently?

Ladies coach KTM Komuter @lemonicks.com

A Ladies coach.

On my last visit to Malaysia, to my joy, I noticed that a ladies coach has been introduced. And since its launch in May 2010, it has been receiving rave reviews from women of all races.

Malaysia’s first coach service for women is marked by a large pink sticker with the message ‘Ladies only at all times‘. The message is written in five languages, to go with

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Year 2010 in travel

Warning: This is a colorful post. 🙂
Before I start writing about my recent trip of Philippines and Malaysia, I thought it better to recollect how was the year 2010 for me in terms of travel.
I think I will skip some of domestic travels since a few of them happened in a jiffy and I do not remember the details now. Also, I am not counting the local exploration of lesser known places of my town such as watching Flamingos at Sewri fort.

@lemonicks.com

Flamingos enjoying their meals.

The year started with a trip to

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Don’t cross border by bus to Alor Setar

Never take a bus to Alor Setar to cross border from Thailand… unless you are pretty confident of things.

You do not get a satisfactory or complete answer however hard you try to find on net, in forums, twitter and everywhere else about taking a bus from Hat Yai to Alor Setar, a comparatively less popular place in northern Malaysia. Try in Hat Yai. Go to bus station (also known as Bor Kor So)….

Result?
No direct bus for Alor Setar. Even though the place is big enough to have an airport, a railway station and is quite a developed town of Malaysia. Bigger than Ipoh for all practical purposes.

Do not get carried away if in Thailand they promise to drop you at Alor Setar. Because in reality no one knows anything about it. It’s in a different country, you see.

From southern Thailand,

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The year that was.. 2009

The year 2009 is gone. It was satisfying as far as travel is concerned. Except for one or two, all places were new to me. Not many to count but observed and learnt a lot during the course.
And all these trips were personal trips, not work related.

It was Ratnagiri and Ganapatipule to begin with. Temples, forts and beaches greeted us with stories of their own.

@lemonicks.com

Then it was Bangaluru. solo trip. Somehow I felt more uncomfortable in going

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Baba Nyonya Heritage Museum

Baba Nyonya Heritage Museum

This famous private museum is one of the main attractions of Malacca.

This museum illustrates how rich and affluent Chinese merchants came here and settled down. The first merchant married a local Malay girl and thus they became the first couple of this dynasty and so the name of this museum.

Baba = boy
Nyonya = girl

Malacca@lemonicks.com/Travel

At the entrance

Housed in

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