CALLISTO

Thursday, April 17, 2014

Puteri Harbour Marina, Johor Bahru, Malaysia

View Langkawi to Puteri in a larger map This interactive google map shows our track over the past 2 weeks on the trip down from Langkawi to Puteri. The blue marks are anchorages or marinas where we stopped. The detail is amazing.
I'll do the whole season including Thailand over the next week. It's quite labour intensive.

We arrived at Puteri Harbor Marina last Monday after a long days motoring from Pulau Pisang up the Johor Straits. We had a thunder storm that night which was exciting but fortunately lasted only for about an hour. The weather continues to be very hot and humid and it is difficult to get any work done outside. We are busy making Callisto ready for an inactive 3 months while we go back to California on Thursday. The boat is washed and the stainless steel polished and the sunbrella canopy is now in place. Putting it up is a major chore but worth it as it keeps the sun and rain off the boat. We went shopping to the local mall yesterday and we now have all the dry goods for the cruise to South Africa on board. We continue cleaning both inside and out. The Kilkea's leave tomorrow for Canada and the Tahina's are off to South Africa on Thursday.

Approaching the bridge over the Johor Straits. Even though it's height is 25 metres and our mast is 22 metres with 1 metre antennas on top it always looks like we will hit the bridge.

The busy port of Singapore. Ships everywhere.

The last sunrise of the season at Pulau Pisang

The Singapore government takes a dim view of illegal immigrants

The Admiral doing a jungle trek at Fraser's Hill

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Puteri Harbour Marina. Johor Bahru, Malaysia

View port dickson to puteri in a larger map My friend Frank from Tahina showed me how to upload interactive maps using the magic of Google. This my first attempt at playing with with Google maps engines and shows the last leg of our run from Port Dickson to Puteri, where we are now located. Full post to follow with photos. We are busy putting Callisto to bed.

Friday, April 11, 2014

Admiral Marina, Port Dickson, Malaysia

The "French Village" very silly

We are back at Port Dickson after a three day walkabout in the highlands to the north east of Kuala Lumpur.The day started with an altercation with the rental car dude when it was suggested that he was overcharging us. He went a little berserk and wanted to refuse to rent us the car. Fortunately, reason prevailed and off we went after losing about an hour trying to calm him down. We drove for about three hours on the east of KL and up into the highlands. We stopped at a place that was billed as a French village but it turned out to be a very kitschy tourist trap with many ubiquitous Chinese persons. A few photos and a quick look and off we went to our destination of Fraser's Hill. Very winding roads up to an elevation of 5000 feet but the journey was worth it for the cool weather and the spectacular rainforest views.
The area was founded by a Scottish miner who came there from Australia to mine tin and he stayed. He allegedly built a house there in the 1930's and this became the Olde Smokehouse Inn where we spend two nights. We found the place easily enough with the aid of Google and iPads. The place was a bit dilapidated and despite its excellent location was not really up to scratch. The Lakehouse at the Cameron Highlands was far better in terms of service and accommodation.

wild orchids

Fraser's Hill rainforest

Fraser's Hill flora and fauna

evening drinks at Ye Olde Smokehouse

The veranda at Ye Olde Smokehouse, a delightful spot but not such good service

This place was also done in mock Tudor style but had not been looked after at 
all. The hotel restaurant was recommended in the tourist guides and we thought 
we would give them a try. This turned out to be an error as the evening began to 
look like a Fawlty Towers experience. To say they didn't have a clue was a major 
understatement. A combination of terrible food and even worse service made for a 
difficult evening, especially when compared to the hotel in the Cameron 
Highlands. We would have left the following morning but we had paid in advance 
and they weren't giving any money back. 
On the following day after an indifferent breakfast, we went off to explore the 
village at Fraser's Hill. This area is famous for both local and migratory birds 
and they had an interpretative center that was really excellent. 
We avoided the hotel that evening and had a reasonable dinner at Scott's pub 
washed down with a few beers.
Next day, we left the highlands and went to look at the historic city of  
Melacca. After about three and a half hours and a few heavy rain showers later 
we drove into the city and wandered around the old town. It is an interesting 
place with a history dating back to the 14 Th. century. The Chinese, Dutch and the 
British were there and they all left their mark. We visited the extraordinary 
Cheng Ho museum which was amazing. Cheng was a 14 Th. century Chinese who built 
a massive fleet of 208 ships for the Ming emperor and made a series of voyages 
as far as Somalia in the west and New Zealand in the east. Some of the ships 
were huge by the days standards. At least 5 times bigger than those of Columbus. 
Some say Cheng went as far as the Americas but there is no definite evidence for 
this.
We got back to Port Dickson last night and have had a lazy day today. Tomorrow, 
it's off on our final leg of this cruise. 130 miles to Puteri Harbour, we should 
be there on Monday and will start to put Callisto to bed for the next three months.

rainforest on the way to Melacca

Old town, Melacca

outside the Cheng Ho Museum. fascinating place

remains of 16 Th. century Dutch fort and Chinese tourists

Replica of Portuguese ship

unusual architecture, Melacca

sitting in front of a reconstruction of Cheng Ho's fleet

Rickshaws, Melacca

The riverfront, Melacca

Admiral Marina, Port Dickson, Malaysia.

Angksa Island at the entrance to Port Klang (Kilkea II on the right)

Sunrise at Pangkor

sliding under the bridge at Penang

Port Klang

Admiral Marina, Port Dickson.

Monday, April 7, 2014

Admiral Marina, Port Dickson, Malaysia.

We left Straits Quay Marina a few days ago and spent our first night anchored off a small island off the south of Penang. It was very quier but very hot. Next morning we set off at dawn and the weather was grey and squally. We had quite a bit of wind and we made good progress to the south end of Pangkor Island. On the next day, the weather was clear but very calm and the tide was initially against us and we made slow progress until the tide turned and we made over seventy miles to Anksa Island and the entrance to Port Klang, the largest port in Malaysia. Up at dawn again the next day, and on to Port Dickson about 65 miles south. We motored through the busy port and it was interesting to see ships from all over the world.
We arrived at Port Dickson at about 1700H.. and are enjoying air conditioned comfort after a sweaty few days.
Photos of the trip down to follow.
Tomorrow, we are off on another road trip to the highlands east of Kuala Lumpur.

Monday, March 31, 2014

Straits Quay Marina, Penang, Malaysia

We are still at Straits Quay Marina in Penang but we will probably leave today and slowly meander down the Malaysian coast over the next four days down to Port Dixon. We have just returned from a short road trip to the Cameron Highlands about 250 kms. from here. The highlands are at an elevation of 4000 feet and were delightfully cool. We stayed at a wonderful little hotel called The Lakehouse in the company of the Kilkea's. The hotel was built in Tudor style by an ex-British army colonel in the sixties. The weather has definitely changed and we have had quite a bit of rain but the upside is that it is much cooler