Flora of Gunung Kinabalu

 

Date: Mar 2006
Location: Gunung Kinabalu, Sabah
From: Mesilau trail->Timpohon trail, Kinabalu Park
Height: 4095m ASL
Hike duration: 2D1N
A.K.A.: G1 of Semenanjung Malaysia
A.K.A.: G1 of Malaysia
Camera: Canon EOS 350D
Lens: EF 50mm f/1.8 II
Filter: none
Post editing: PS CS1
Organizer: Sam
Members: Lucy, KL Tan, Doreen, Dan, CS Law, Ching Hoe and Lay Theng
Guide: NIL
Reason of my visit: I wanna see Mount Kinabalu for myself and to photograph it.
Some pictures of plants along Mesilau trail to the submit... taken during my trip to Sabah - Mar 2006

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Gunung Kinabalu 4,095m

Date: Mar 2006
Location: Gunung Kinabalu, Sabah
From: Mesilau trail->Timpohon trail, Kinabalu Park
Altitude: 4,095m ASL
Difficulty: 6.8/10 (http://danlow.multiply.com/journal/item/50)
Hike duration: 2D1N
A.K.A.: G1 of Semenanjung Malaysia
A.K.A.: G1 of Malaysia
Camera: Canon EOS 350D
Lens: Sigma 18-200mm F3.5-6.3 DC
Filter: Hoya CPL
Post editing: PS CS1
Organizer: Sam
Members: Lucy, KL Tan, Doreen, Dan, CS Law, Ching Hoe and Lay Theng
Guide: NIL
Reason of my visit: I wanna see Mount Kinabalu for myself and to photograph it.

Here are some pictures from Mount Kinabalu .... all of these are from the summit region, should be around 3800m - 4095m(approx.). The hike to the summit was managable. . .if you are new to hiking, just make sure you train with discpline for 1-2 months and you'll be just okay....

Nepal

Date: 22 Oct 05 - 6 Nov 05 [16D/15N]
Location: Annapurna trek - Pokhara - Kathmandu, Nepal
Altitude: 900m-3,888m ASL
Difficulty: 7.8/10
Camera: Canon EOS 350D
Lens: Sigma 18-200mm F3.5-6.3 DC
Filter: Hoya CPL
Post editing: PS CS2
Organizer: Dan
Members: Lilian, Sam, Soek Kiau, Lucy, Ming Wei, Irine, One, Jean, Choon Wai, Wai Hau, CS Law, Cheng Bee, Liang Kim, Teng Chuan, Bee Loon, Lay Theng, Ong Lee, Marina, Say Boon and Chin Chin
Guide: 2 local guides + 1 runner + 11 potters [for the Annapurna trek only]

My reason to go there: A friend name told me that she and some friends wanted to trek a very beautiful trail called the “Jomsom trek”, but there was no organizer for the trip. I googled it and was blown away by its beauty. So I told her I’ll organize a trip there.
ehemmm .. this is not a new holiday, just moving photo album from another website to here.
So this is about Nepal ... Land of the Gods....
If you are an avid hiker and love outdoor, don’t miss out Nepal …. It is a must go, you will never regret going there ….
I was there from 22 Oct 2005 to 6 Nov 2005 .... 9 of my 16 days there was spent trekking the Annapurna range, traversing thru breath taking valleys, serene villages, etc. It was magical.

It was a magnificent 2 weeks trip thanks to Nepal, it was a wonderful and memorable experience mingle in both the sacred and the profane in this once-forbidden kingdom nestled in the world's highest mountains the mighty Himalayas.
It is a land of enchantment with a unique blend of Hindu and Buddhist culture, breathtaking natural beauty, religious mystique, ancient temples, and timeless traditions that transport one back to another time.

Someday I'll wanna go back to this place .... it is a must.

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Java to Bali

Jan 2005 - I spent 10 days backpacking from Java to Bali of Indonesia, that was when I started to learn about photography and how to take pictures the better way...
Camera: Canon Powershot A80 (** that's when I realized the limitation of a compact cam)

eer Java, Indonesia ..... a predominately Muslim island and one of the most densely populated place on earth..... cities visited was Surabaya, Solo and Yogya, well more like stop over. They were not very interesting to me.
I have also visited:
1. Borobudur an 800 years old Buddhist complex, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Comprises six square platforms topped by three circular platforms, and is decorated with 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues (I copied that from Wikipedia)
2. Prambanan an 850 years old Hindu complex, , another UNESCO World Heritage Site.
3. Mount Bromo, located in the Tengger Caldera, is one of the most popular tourist attractions in East Java, Indonesia. It is an active volcano and part of the Tengger massif, and even though at 2329 meters it is not the highest peak of the massif, it is the most well known.

And then Bali, Indonesia ...... a predominately Hindu population island, well more accurately Bali Hindu or Agama Tirtha, the Religion of the Holy Water.
So I have been to several cities/towns like, Lovina, Ubud/Tegallalang, Kuta/Legian, Kintamani...
And I have also visited most of the usual tourist spots like:
1. Tanah lot
2. Ulu Watu
3. Pura Beji
4. Bedugul
5. Batu Bulan
6. Bersakih
7. Taman Ayun
8. Gitgit Falls
9. etc. ..

If you ever visit Bali, Java or Lombok...... go into the villages or the local traditional markets and look for Mee Bakso, it is very very yummy..

Quote from the Bali bombing memorial: You hurt us bombing bali, but we can take the pain. But if you think you'll beat us you can think a-bloody-again. (Yes we will never loose to terroism, support Bali and go back to Bali, if Bali falls ..we loose)

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Sipadan 2004

Date: 16 Oct 2004 [6D/5N]
Location: Pulau Sipadan, Kapalai and Pulau Mabul, Sabah, Malaysia
No. of dives: 15

Mabul
Accessibility to dive sites: 7.0
Marine Animal Density: 8.4
Dive site terrain Quality: 7.5
Marine Animal Diversity: 9.0
Visibility: 7.0
Overall Score: 7.8
Entry: Boat
Difficulty: OW
Dive Sites: Muck

Kapalai
Accessibility to dive sites: 7.0
Marine Animal Density: 8.4
Dive site terrain Quality: 7.5
Marine Animal Diversity: 9.0
Visibility: 7.0
Overall Score: 7.8
Entry: Boat
Difficulty: OW
Dive Sites: Muck

Sipadan
Accessibility to dive sites: 7.0
Marine Animal Density: 9.5
Dive site terrain Quality: 9.0
Marine Animal Diversity: 9.0
Visibility: 9.0
Overall Score: 8.7
Entry: Boat
Difficulty: AOW
Dive Sites: Open water/Walls

Transport: Air Asia to Tawau
Dive operator: Borneo divers
Dive type: Muck, wall and drift dive
Depth: 5 - >40m
Visibility: > 30m[Sipadan], 5-8m[Mabul], 5-8m[Kapalai]
Currents: Can be strong
Surface Conditions: Calm
Water Temperature: 26 - 29°C
Experience Level: Advanced
Camera: Canon Powershot A80
Underwater casing: Canon Waterproof Case WP-DC900 for Powershot A80 by Canon
Strobe: NIL
Oraganizer: Wilson Treng
Members: Gang from KL
My reason to go there: My dream dive location, what else can I say…. :)
October 2004: Mention the word Sipadan Island(in 2004) and a few reactions would greet me. Mention going to Sipadan and even more reactions would greet me, the most famous to date was being "What if they(Abu Sayyaf Group) kidnapped you?' Some would also stare at me open-mouthed and say 'Are you crazy?' lol..
Sipadan is no doubt an Underwater Eden, this description is not far from reality: it might even actually downplay a little bit, as Sipadan is considered one of the five top diving destinations in the world.
Formed by corals atop an extinct volcanic peak rising 2000ft from the seabed and promises divers a fantastic diving experience.
If you are a scuba diver, please visit Sipadan. You will not regret!

Mabul Island first became popular due to its close proximity to Sipadan Island, however, in the last few years it has gained its own recognition as one of the best muck-diving sites in the world.
Mabul Island is a small oval shaped island surrounded by sandy beaches and perched on the northwest corner of a larger 200-hectare reef. The reef is on the edge of the continental shelf and the seabed surrounding the reef slopes out to 25m 30m deep.
Mabul is arguably one of the richest single destinations for exotic small marine life anywhere in the world. Flamboyant cuttlefish, blue-ringed octopus, mimic octopus and bobtail squids are just a few of the numerous types of cephalapods to be found on Mabuls reef. The sight of harlequin shrimp feeding on sea stars and boxer crabs waving their tiny anemone pom-poms are just a small example of the endless species of crustaceans.

Between Sipadan and Mabul Island lies a sand bar known many years ago as Kapalai Island. Unfortunately, erosion has taken its toll and now the sand bar sits on top of the reef known as the Ligitan Reefs, a very extensive stretch bordering the deep and vast Celebes Sea. Sipadan-Kapalai Resort is actually a water village style built above the water. All structure are erected on water and guests are able to observe the antics of squids and needlefish from their chalet balcony.
The underwater scene together with nearby Mabul offers some of the best muck-diving in the world. The jetty dive itself has plenty to offer including leaf scorpionfish, pink-eye gobies, ambonian shrimps and the comical antics of the mantis shrimp. Other frequently seen creatures such as the crocodilefish, lionfish and scorpionfish are almost ignored as being too common!
We did 1 dive near to the resort, some current, low visibility, silt, but plenty to see and abundant to explorer. It was a good muck dive..
All shots here were taken using a
Canon Powershot A80 compact camera with its' underwater casing.

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Cambodia

May 2004 ... I spent a week travelling from Thailand to Cambodia and back to Thailand, covered some nice places like Poipet, SeamReap, Angkor, TonleSap Lake+Mekong, Phnom Phen and Bangkok.

These pictures was taken with the compact Canon A80, at that time I was still a point and shot person, don't know a thing about composition, iso, f-stop bla bla... but ehhh ok lah, they still are good enough to serve as record pics.

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