Magnificent Malaysia

Just returned from a week on the beautiful islands of Penang and Langkawi in Malaysia. Penang, similar to Singapore, is rich in diverse cultures: Muslim, Hindu, and Christian.
As beaches, hiking, site seeing, eating great food, and snorkeling kept the family very occupied, it was not until the last day that I got to rent a bike and explore some of the Langkawi coast line and villages. Pristine beaches, villagers eating their breakfast outside, roosters fighting for their turf, fancy hotels, a marina with long yachts, lazy water buffaloes, and finally a large group of monkeys. They appeared to be very friendly and came towards me (I had stepped off my bike); but it soon seemed that they were after food and I wasn't convinced they're going to ask politely! When several of the 30 or so started to approach me more aggressively, I decided to continue my journey...The day before I had already had enough when a one meter-plus shark (not interested in humans, they told me) swam next to me when snorkeling.

Super Singapore

A great 4-day weekend in Singapore washed away all my Shenzhen biking frustrations. A five+ hour flight from Shanghai, this visit to the city near the Equator was well worth it. Besides the great food and shopping (electronics!), I discovered a terrific biking place: Ubin Island. Unlike the rest of the city-state, which is fully developed, this island has remained largely untouched. About 7 by 3 km, most of the area is covered with a tropical forest & narrow windy bike paths, some paved, some gravel. The soil is red, reminding me of Prince Edward Island in Canada. I spent a whole day there biking, and met very few people on the way. At times I felt completely alone, except for melodiously singing birds and the odd lizzard.
The following Monday I biked along East Coast Park, which is about an 12 km long beach.


Stopped at this hut and had a delicious coconut

Hainan Island bike ride

Spent last weekend in Hainan Island, at Yalong Bay. Beautiful beaches, but I couldn't resist to rent a bike and keep going for 47 km through the mountains and countryside until it was time to return the bike to the hotel and I finally found a taxi in no-man's land that could take me and my bike back. (Click on the panorama pics for more detail)

My end station; a reservoir where I found that taxi nearby

Plenty of water buffalos on the way

Coming down the mountain
After the bike trip a well-deserved beach rest...