I returned briefly to Malaysia for a week to entertain myself while waiting for a friend to fly into Jakarta on the 9th of April. While there I went to the largest Buddhist temple in Malaysia, Kek Lok Si. After that I headed up into the Cameron Highlands to visit some tea plantations (and get out of the heat). This was followed by a trek through Taman Negara national park. Malaysia has some wonderful outdoors activities for those interested in more than just the shopping available in Kuala Lumpur.
After leaving Malaysia I arrived in Indonesia on the 7th of April and spent a couple days with a local friend and his family in Pandeglang. It was interesting going to a smaller town not frequented by tourists and I found myself taking photos with many people I didn't know and was even asked on stage in front of an audience of locals to answer how I liked Indonesia, etc. Borobudur was the next stop and unfortunately I did not see a beautiful sunrise, but still enjoyed the temple with its' complex relief sculpture bricks that fit together so well. Volcanoes were next on the itinerary and I hiked Mt. Bromo, which was actively erupting at the time and also Ijen, famous for the sulfuric gas that catches on fire and burns blue. Workers at Ijen have to carry two back breaking 90kg loads of sulfur per day to earn a measly 15 USD. Lastly I spent about 10 days in Bali enjoying the many stone sculptures, temples, and culture that exists here. The island is mostly Hindu instead of Muslim (as Indonesia is the largest Muslim country in the world) and is very well traveled by Aussies and other westerners.
Photos (in order):
1-Tiles at Kek Lok Si, Malaysia.
2-small portion of Kek Lok Si, Malaysia.
3-Chew Jetty Penang, Malaysia (ethnic Chinese village over the water).
4&5-Boh Tea plantation, Cameron Highlands, Malaysia.
6- Green Pit Viper, Taman Negara, Malaysia.
7- Rope bridge, Taman Negara, Malaysia.
8- Indonesian Family (3 generations) Pandeglang, Indonesia.
9- Goldfish in bathroom watershed, Indonesia.
10- Prized rooster, Indonesia.
11- Train to Yogyakarta, Indonesia.
12- Yogyakarta river in the city, Indonesia.
13/14/15- Relief sculptures at Borobudur, Indonesia.
16- Prambanan (interior shot), Yogyakarta, Indonesia.
17- Sunrise near Mt. Bromo, Indonesia.
18/19/20/21/22- Workers, gas, fire, and the acidic lake at Mt. Ijen, Indonesia.
23- Flower, Bali, Indonesia.
24- Goa Gajah, Ubud, Bali, Indonesia.
25- Buddha in Ubud, Indonesia.
26- Statue, Ubud, Indonesia.
27- Puppet and Mask Museum, Bali, Indonesia.
28- Balangan surf spot, Bali, Indonesia.