Lead the way.

Cat leads the way.

Mussels

Mussels for dinner at Salut Seafood Restaurant.

Stir fried with dried chilies, fresh chilies, shallots, ginger and a tasty sauce.

Happy weekend!

View from Manis Manis Nature Resort.

View of Keningau town from Manis Manis Nature Resort, Kimanis-Keningau Highway.

A beautiful morning in Sandakan.

View of Sandakan harbour from Pu Ji Shi temple.

Sandakan is the 2nd largest town in Sabah after ota Kinabalu City. Located on the north-eastern coast of Borneo, it was previously the capital of British North Borneo. Sandakan is a city of dramatic contrasts in landscape, cultures, industries and livelihood.

Naga at temple chedi.

Naga at the entrance to temple chedi, Wat Mai Suwankiri.

Wat Mai Suwankiri album:-
https://www.flickr.com/photos/davidstella/sets/72157644946718876/

Dragon scales.

Dragon Boat temple. Fine craftsmanship. Wat Mai Suwankiri.

Wat Mai Suwankiri album:-
https://www.flickr.com/photos/davidstella/sets/72157644946718876/

Roadside tuckshop.

Roadside tuckshop. Simpang Mengayau, Kudat.

There are only a few places where you buy snacks, drinks and food items, and they are far in between. 

coconut plantation

A hut in a coconut plantation, Simpang Mengayau, Kudat.

Kudat album:-
https://www.flickr.com/photos/davidstella/sets/72157639667136484/

meditation

Inside the Dragon Boat temple. Wat Mai Suwankiri, Tumpat, Kelantan.

Wat Mai Suwankiri album:-
www.flickr.com/photos/davidstella/sets/72157644946718876/

Yeah!

Yeah! Yeah! Yeaaah!!!

It's a great release to shout 'Yeah!' It's even better to write Yeaaah! on the beach, lie on the sand and shout at the top of your voice.

Yeah Yeah 1.0 album:-
https://www.flickr.com/photos/davidstella/sets/72157639667027683/

hello chickie!

At the backdoor of a village house, a chicken searching for food.

More photos from Simpang Mengayau, Kudat:-
https://www.flickr.com/photos/davidstella/sets/72157639667136484/

Simpang Mengayau

Beach at Simpang Mengayau, Kudat. The northern-most tip of Borneo.

Villagers cooling off in the sea.

Gusty winds sweep the long stretch of beach.

A short video clip of the beach:-
https://flic.kr/p/nxwjiB

Simpang Mengayau album:-
https://www.flickr.com/photos/davidstella/sets/72157639667136484/

wood carving window

Detailed wood carving windows of the Dragon Boat temple.

The Dragon Boat temple at Wat Mai Suwankiri, one of the most picturesque and elaborate buddhist temples in Malaysia.

Wat Mai Suwankiri album:-
https://www.flickr.com/photos/davidstella/sets/72157644946718876/

Wat Mai Suwankiri

Wat Mai Suwankiri main temple building, Tumpat, Kelantan.

One of the most picturesque and elaborate buddhist temples in Kelantan and Malaysia. The site is in Kampung Bukit Tanah in the district of Tumpat, about 25 km from Kota Bharu. Wat Mai Suwankiri is famous for it's Dragon Boat temple.

Said to be built some 400 years ago by craftsmen from Thailand, the main temple and hall is a 3-storey building with twin roofs, and a standing buddha statue in between the roofs.

Side view of the main temple building.

Buddha statue on the roof of the 3-storey main building.

Dragon Boat Vihara (temple) at Wat Mai Suwankiri.

The Dragon Boat Vihara is an elaborate structure surrounded by water. Four nagas (dragons or serpents) protect the boat. The decoration and craftsmanship is intricate and detailed. Inside the vihara is a veneration of Pra Nak Prok buddha.

A veneration of Pra Nak Prok buddha inside the Dragon Boat vihara.

The mural on the sides of the ceiling inside the Dragon Boat depicts the life of buddha. The detailing is simply stunning.

Wat Mai Suwankiri album:-
https://www.flickr.com/photos/davidstella/sets/72157644946718876/

unique shop at Lovers' Bridge.

A unique shop selling favourite edibles, novelty gifts and antiques.

There is much to browse at the shop. Dried foodstuff, dried sea products, biscuits, prawn and fish crackers, various types of bottled sauces, antiques and fun novelty items.

Candy pops in various flavours.

Got your attention, didn't they?

They are so cute. And those charcoal irons on the bench are begging to be inspected. For those hunting for edibles, there is a great assortment of biscuits and crackers.

There is something for everyone!

Favourite edibles, antiques or cute novelty decor, this shop has them all! Old weighing scale, oriental swords, gramaphone, telephone, radio, sewing machine, various types of crackers, urns, novelty eggs, and those dogs.

Retro-style bicycle with decoration.

A few of these bicycles were used as decoration outside the shop. Each bicycle is decorated with an lace umbrella, a straw hat and fan. A boat serves as the backdrop.

Yeah Yeah 1.0 album:-
www.flickr.com/photos/davidstella/sets/72157639667027683/

nasi ulam

Buffet lunch at the Istana Jahar Museum, Kota Bharu, Kelantan.

"Ulam" is a traditional Malay salad eaten with anchovies, cincalok or belacan (shrimp paste). This was a generous buffet meal at Nasi Ulam Restaurant beside the museum. I had fried chicken, fried catfish (ikan sembilan or keli), catfish in curry and steam vegetables (ketola, 4-angled beans, corn, brinjal and cucumber). All that for RM10 per person, including cordial syrup drink. (US$1 = MYR3.23)

Yeah Yeah 1.0 album:-
www.flickr.com/photos/davidstella/sets/72157639667027683/

dragon boat temple

The beautifully detailed and intricate entrance.

The entrance to Vihala Dragon Boat (Dragon Boat temple), Wat Mai Suwankiri, Tumpat, Kelantan. There are numerous wats (Siamese temples) in Kelantan. Many are sited on huge temple grounds. One can only admire in awe, the presence of so many of these beautifully built temples and grounds, in a muslim state.

Painted mural.

Painted mural in Vihala Dragon Boat, Wat Mai Suwankiri temple, Tumpat, Kelantan.

Yeah Yeah 1.0 album:-
www.flickr.com/photos/davidstella/sets/72157639667027683/

a favourite Malaysian dessert

Ais kacang, an irresistible dessert found everywhere in Malaysia. 

Irresistible dessert found everywhere in Malaysia. Ais kacang (or ice kacang) literally means "ice beans". It is basically a mix of grass jelly, agar agar, palm seeds, red beans and sweet corn, covered in ice shavings and topped with condensed milk. 

There are many variations of the ais kacang, called ABC, that include toppings of ice cream and cut fruits. Watching an ais kacang being made is delightful.

Yeah Yeah 1.0 album:-
https://www.flickr.com/photos/davidstella/sets/72157639667027683/

go get help!

Not going anywhere.

1 driver + 1 passenger + soft sand = not going anywhere.

Yeah Yeah 1.0 album:-

www.flickr.com/photos/davidstella/sets/72157639667027683/

Kuantan River esplanade

View from Kuantan River Esplanade.

Kuantan River Esplanade. Iconic place of interest. Fishing spot. Probably a popular selfie spot, too.

Yeah Yeah 1.0 album:

www.flickr.com/photos/davidstella/sets/72157639667027683/

dusk at Tanjong Karang paddy field.

Last light at the paddy field.

Tanjong Karang is the main fishing and paddy growing town of Selangor. It is popular for the seaside restaurants. Just inland are paddocks upon paddocks of paddy fields.

Last stop before heading back to Kuala Lumpur.

More photos in Yeah Yeah 1.0 album:-
www.flickr.com/photos/davidstella/sets/72157639667027683/

munchies

A shop in the duty-free zone in Tumpat town, Kelantan.

A shop in the duty-free zone in Tumpat town, Kelantan. This one is a supermarket selling foodstuff, kitchen wares and utensils, home wares and clothing. Lots of things to browse and buy. Cheap prices.

Rantau Panjang town, Kelantan.

Bustling township. Rantau Panjang, Kelantan.

A bustling town with a duty-free zone on the Malaysian side of Sungai Golok (Golok River). 

This is Rantau Panjang!

Yeah Yeah 1.0 album:

www.flickr.com/photos/davidstella/sets/72157639667027683/

pristine estuary

Pristine estuary of Sungai Keluang, Terengganu.

The estuary where Sungai Keluang Kecil and Sungai Keluang Besar (rivers) meets South China Sea.

Keluang is Malay meaning "bat". This area is adjacent to Bukit Keluang (Bat Hill) and Pantai Bukit Keluang (Bat Hill beach). There's a village on the edge of the estuary.

Yeah Yeah 1.0 album:

www.flickr.com/photos/davidstella/sets/72157639667027683/

nothern most tip of Peninsular Malaysia

This is as far north as you can get on Peninsular Malaysia.

Fisheries jetty / Customs checkpoint (Pengkalan Kubor) in Tumpat, Kelantan. This is the Malaysian side of Sungai Golok (Golok River) estuary. Across the estuary is Thailand.

Fisheries checkpoint (Pengkalan Kubor) at Tumpat town, Kelantan.

Yeah Yeah 1.0 album:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/davidstella/sets/72157639667027683/

where are the shoppers

Shopping arcade in the duty-free zone, Tumpat, Kelantan.

I don't recall seeing any shopping complex in Rantau Panjang. There are, however, many small arcade stalls. Many clothing stalls. This one is in the duty-free zone. Thailand is just across the river. That explains why many products from Thailand are found here.

roti paratha snack

Roti paratha with vegetables snack.

Roti paratha with stir fried eggplant, diced tomatoes and grated carrots with lime juice, egg in pasta sauce. #foodexperiments

waiting for the women

Clothing shop in Rantau Panjang, Kelantan.

Clothing shop in the duty-free zone of Rantau Panjang town, Kelantan. It is obvious that women hold the spending power here.

old school mamak mee goreng

Old school charcoal stove fried noodles. 

Old school charcoal stove fried noodles. This one has been in business for more than 37 years in Tanjung Bungah, Penang. 

The "mamak mee goreng" is a favourite hawker dish found all over Malaysia. In its basic form, it is yellow noodles fried with bean sprouts, bean curd, egg, choice of meat, vegetable (and, or potatoes), seasoning of spices and served with lime. 

Chuan Foong (Yok Fong Cafe) on the junction of Jalan Tanjung Bungah and Jalan Chan Siew Teong

i am not a worm

i am not a worm.

A chicken forages for food among hundreds of turtles. I think these are American Slider turtles warming up in the morning sun. Thean Hou Temple grounds.

pra nakprok

Pra Nakprok inside Vihara Dragon Boat. Wat Mai Suwankiri, Tumpat, Kelantan.

Pra Nakprok, Buddha protected by Naga (Serpent) King. This statue is inside the Vihara Dragon Boat.  Wat Mai Suwankiri (Dragon Boat Temple), Tumpat, Kelantan. This is one of numerous and huge Thai temples in Kelantan, a muslim state.

Ingredients for chicken chops dinner.

Ingredients for chicken chops dinner. 

Cloves, sesame oil, cooking wine, five spices powder, garlic and onions. Bake in oven. #foodexperiments

next... here, here and here!

3D street art in Penang.

3D street art.. This one is in Penang, famous for many of these attractions on the streets.

"Locally known as beca.. Most of the paddlers also doubled as tourist guides. 

Chulia Lane. Core Zone. George Town World Heritage site."

The best time to explore these street art is on Car Free Sunday when the streets in the heritage zone are closed to cars.