Diving in Cuba

 

This photo was taken as I emerged from a cave during a dive just outside Varadero. The next day we went diving on a sunken ship wreck in the Bay of Pigs.

Beach near Varadero, Cuba

 

This beach was actually remote from Varadero and was visited during a day trip on a catamaran.

Swimming with the Dolphins

 

It was everyone into the water to swim with the friendly dolphins in the ocean near Varadero.

Christmas Eve Show

 

An elaborate stage show was presented Christmas Eve at the Barcelo Solymar.

Singapore Flyer

 

View of Singapore from the 61st floor of the Swissotel. In the background on the shore of the South China Sea is the Singapore flyer, a ferris wheel under construction and built larger than the ferris wheel on Canary Wharf in London

Damai Beach Resort

This weekend I stayed in a hilltop chalet at the beach on the South China Sea. Damai Beach is a 45 minute drive from Kuching. This amazing view was from my balcony. It's the same view as sitting up in bed as the bed faced a circular wall of windows. It's nothing short of paridise there. The food and the staff were excellent. I could have easily stayed a week, and I'm not usually one for a lay on the beach type of vacation. Actually I spent most of the time at the pool next to the deluxe chalets where I was staying. Today I had the whole pool to myself for most of the day as a lot of people were checking out. I wangled a late check-out and didn't take the shuttle back until 5. Whereas it has been raining in torrents all last week, both Saturday and Sunday were beautifully hot and sunny, raining only in the evening. I've got to make a trip back here!

Native Dances

The highlight of my trip to the cultural village was the stage show. Natives danced in the costumes and to the music of the main tribes in Sarawak province. It was amazing! So professionally presented! I would have stayed to see it twice, but the beach was calling...

Sarawak Cultural Village

On Saturday morning, I left Kuching for a weekend at the beach. But first, I visted the cultural village down the road from the beach resort. It's a 17 1/2 acre living museum. There are 7 traditional dwellings built in the style of each of the main tribes in Borneo, inhabited by natives displaying their crafts and lifestyle. Really interesting! I could have spent the whole day there, but the beach was calling. I bought a blowpipe and darts. Better stay on my good side! ;-)

Semenggoh Wildlife Centre

This is Jason. He dropped out of the trees for lunch today. At another part of the reserve we saw 6 of his friends and relatives.

Berjaya Times Square

Right across from my hotel, I found the newest shopping mall in KL. It has 1000 individual retail outlets spread over 10 floors. Pictured is Asia's largest indoor theme park as seen from the 8th floor of Times Square. The mall also contains an IMAX theater.

Shopping in Kuala Lumpur

The main shopping in KL is in an area called the Golden Triangle. However, there are numerous other shopping hot spots. Pictured above is Petaling Street in Chinatown. Shopping goes on day and night in this covered market where knock-offs of popular shoes and clothing as well as gold jewelry and all types of food imaginable (and unimaginable!)are available.

Petronas Twin Towers

The towers are 88 stories tall. One tower is occupied by the oil company, Petronas, and the other tower is leased to numerous high profile corporations. 83,500 square meters of stainless steel cladding imported from Germany were used on the exterior as well as 77,000 square meters of vision glass. There are 29 double-decker high speed passenger lifts and 10 escalators in each tower.

Independence Square

Merdeka is the Malay word for Independence. Malaysia celebrates 50 years of independence this year. These government buildings are across the street from the square which also includes a famous cricket field.

Kuala Lumpur War Memorial

Also called the National Monument or Tugu Negara it is a sculpture that commemorates those who died in Malaysia's struggle for freedom, principally against the Japanese occupation during World War II and the Malayan Emergency , which lasted from 1948 until 1960.

The King's Palace

Malaysia has an elected King and each province has a Sultan or a Governor. The real power, however, is in the hands of parliament and the Prime Minister.

Urban Rain Forest

Surrounding the KL Tower is the Bukit Nanas Forest Reserve, a 9.37 hectare preserve in the heart of the city.

The Menara - Kuala Lumpur

I spent my weekend between Shenzhen, China and Kuching Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur. On Saturday morning I took the monorail from downtown to the Menara - also called the KL Tower. AT 276 meters, it is the 4th tallest tower in the world.

Rome from the Cupola

To get to the cupola or top of the Basilica, you have to climb 400 steps up some narrow spiral staircases - and that's even after taking the elevator part way up. The view of Rome and the Tiber River make it worthwhile, though.

The Pieta

I spent a lot of time inside the Basilica and took a lot of photos, but the most memorable of all that I saw was the Pieta. It is one of Michaelangelo's early works and it has been criticized for imbalanced proportions, lack of boldness, etc. But I think it is one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. Too bad it's behind glass and kind of far away.

St. Peter's Basilica

It was quite a thrill to be standing in St. Peter's Square looking at the most famous church in the world, given the hundreds of old churches I've photographed in my travels.

The Spanish Steps

I don't know why they felt compelled to erect a billboard blocking out the view of the old church in the background. There is a famous fountain at street level in front of the steps which I mistook for the Trevi fountain. However I thought the Trevi fountain was much bigger. Well I was right, and so now I have to go back to Rome to see the real Trevi fountain! Next time I'll buy a guide book!!

Rome

On my way home from Kuching I stopped over in Rome for a day. I bought a ticket on a hop on - hop off open air double decker tour bus and saw most of the famous sights. Stopped here to see the lions eat a few Christians before moving on.

Back in Kuching

I spent the week of August 13 in Kuching, Malaysia. This shot of the Sarawak River was taken from my hotel room window. I had a corner suite with two spectacular views this time.

Inside the Temple

The altar shown here is in a huge room, whose walls are lined with row upon row of tiny Buddha statues in various poses, each with it's own light. You can see some of them along the walls in the background. I didn't count them all but there could easily be 10,000. I wonder which monk has to keep changing all the light bulbs that burn out!!

The Temple of 10,000 Buddhas

While in Hong Kong, I took the train to Sha Tin and the monastery of the Temple of 10,000 Buddhas. The monastery is high up on a hill with over 400 steps to climb. Along both sides of the stairway are life size Buddha statues painted gold with colourful accents. There were a few hundred and more on the other path which I took down the mountain, but I couldn't figure out where the 10,000 came from. Here we see the entrance to the temple.

Hong Kong

A force 3 typhoon dumped a lot of rain on Hong Kong the weekend I was there. I still managed to see almost everything I wanted to see. I took the inclined tram up to the famous peak, but saw nothing of the city below as we were literally in the clouds.
This view of Hong Kong from Kowloon was taken a few hundred feet from my hotel just before I took the ferry boat on the left over to Hong Kong.

Sentosa Island Merlion

Sentosa has its own Merlion statue only this one is enormous. You ride an elevator to the level of it's mouth where you get a breathtaking view of the island, and then climb stairs to the top for a panoramic view.

Dolphin Show

Another Sentosa attraction is the dolphin show. We were entertained by two amazing dolphins and their handlers on a cloudless and perfect day.

Shark Sighting

Another of the more scary residents in the Sentosa aquarium.

Underwater Aquarium

The first stop on our tour of Sentosa Island was the underwater aquarium. In this aquarium, you are carried through a glass tunnel on a moving belt - very similar to the aquarium at Pier 39 in San Francisco.

Cable Car to Sentosa Island

Sentosa Island, a short cable car or car ride on the connecting causeway from Singapore is being developed as a luxury resort and amusement area. A second large casino is being constructed, and there are resort hotels, golf courses and many other things to see and do.

The National Orchid Garden

We finished our tour of mainland Singapore with a visit to the National Orchid Garden. The Singapore climate is ideal for growing orchids and many, many different varieties are grown here.

The Merlion Statue In the Harbour Area

Legend says that the discoverer of Singapore came face to face with a lion, and the word Singapore contains a reference to the lion. The lion became the official symbol of Singapore, but in the 1970's the government thought the country's image could be boosted by a change in symbol and so the Merlion was created. Half lion and half mermaid. In the harbour area which is being rapidly developed with the construction of a huge ferris wheel like at Canary Wharf in London and a new casino, this Merlion statue sends a stream of water into the sea.

Inside the Temple

This ornate temple is located in a part of Singapore called Little India. The congested streets are packed with shops selling just about anything under the sun, and at good prices if you know how to bargain.

Sri Mariamman Temple

This temple was visited on a guided tour of Singapore. Built in 1862, it is the oldest Hindu national monument in Singapore. The shot was taken looking up from the heavy wooden doors at the main entrance.

The Old and the New - Singapore

Spent the weekend in Singapore. On Saturday I joined a coach tour of the city, and took this photo in the Chinatown section. The Chinese form the biggest percentage of Singapore's population.

The Sarawak River

Kuching is in Sarawak province - what we know more commonly as Borneo. This view of the Sarawak River was taken outside my hotel room window.

Cat City

I arrived in Malaysia on June 10 and flew from Kuala Lumpur, the capital, to Kuching. Kuching means Cat City in Malay, hence the statues of cats all over town.

The Summer Palace

 

Constructed in the Jin Dynasty (1115-1234), during the succeeding reign of feudal emperors; it was extended continuously. By the time of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), it had become a luxurious royal garden providing royal families with rest and entertainment. Situated in the western outskirts of Haidian District, the Summer Palace is 15 kilometers from central Beijing.

Palace of Earthly Tranquility

 

Located in the Forbidden City, this palace was used for sacrifices of animals and other food to the gods. It was also used as sleeping quarters for the Empress at certain periods in its history.

The Forbidden City

 

View of the Forbidden City from the Temple of heaven.

The Hall of Supreme Harmony

 

The Forbidden City is so called because it was the residence of the Emperor and thus access was forbidden to commoners. The Hall of Supreme Harmony is the largest structure, and rises some 30 metres above the level of the surrounding square. It is the ceremonial centre of imperial power, and the largest surviving wooden structure in China. It is nine bays wide and five bays deep, the numbers nine and five being symbolically connected to the majesty of the Emperor. The six pillars nearest the imperial throne are covered with gold, and the entire area is decorated with a dragon motif. The imperial throne, in particular, has five dragons coiled around the back and handrests. The screen behind it features sets of nine dragons, again reflecting the "nine-five" symbolism.