"YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE RICH TO TRAVEL WELL".
EUGENE FODOR
OUR 2023 TRIP TO SOUTHEAST ASIA
INCLUDED SINGAPORE, SUMATRA, AND MANILA PHILIPPINES. HERE ARE SOME HIGHLIGHTS OF THE TRIP. I HOPE THIS WILL HELP OTHERS TRAVELING TO ANY OF THESE COUNTRIES IN MAKING THEIR PLANS.
OH, AND THE THIRD CITY PASSENGERS WERE
TRANSFERING TO WAS HONG KONG. SO WE WERE SEVERAL HUNDRED PASSENGERS TRANSFERING TO PLANES DESTINED FOR SINGAPORE, BEIJING, AND HONG KONG; ALL QUEUED UP TO PASS THROUGH JUST ONE, SMALL SECURITY SCANNER. AS WE WERE WAITING AND EDGING FORWARD AT ONE INCH EVERY MINUTE, THE BEIJING TRAVELERS WERE CALLED UP TO THE HEAD OF THE LINE. I FOUND OUT THAT THEIR CONNECTING FLIGHT WAS ONLY ONE AND HALF HOURS FROM THAT TIME WHEREAS OUR FLIGHT WAS NOT FOR ANOTHER THREE HOURS.
AYASOFIA WOULD BE A TRANSLITERATION OF AYAT (ARABIC FOR SIGN) AND SOFIA (GREEK FOR WISDOM) THAT SEEMS TO ME TO BE A STRANGE COMBINATION OF CULTURES COMBINING THE ARABIC AND GREEK. THE NAME REFERS TO BOTH THE RESTAURANT HERE AT KAMPONG GLAM AND TO THE GREAT ORTHODOX CHURCH TURNED MOSQUE CALLED HAGIA SOFIA. GLAM IS ALSO SPELLED GELAM. THE TOURS OF SULTAN MOSQUE CAN BE CONDUCTED IN SEVERAL LANGUAGES. STREETS IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD INCLUDE ALIWAL STREET, JALAN SULTAN, SULTAN GATE WHICH LEADS TO THE MALAY HERITAGE CENTER, KANDAHAR STREET, ARAB STREET, HAJI LANE, BAGDHAD STREET AND BUSSORAH STREET.
THE MUSLIM POPULATION OF SINGAPORE IS ABOUT 15 PERCENT. THEY ARE MOSTLY SUNNI. THERE ARE ABOUT 70 MOSQUES IN SINGAPORE AND THE SULTAN MOSQUE IS A NATIONAL MONUMENT. IT WAS NAMED IN REFERENCE TO SULTAN HUSSAIN SHAH.
MEDAN HAS THE TJONG A FIE MANSION, MESJID RAYA AL MASHUN, ISTANA MAIMUN, MUSEUM OF NORTH SUMATRA, KAMPUNG KELING( WHERE GREAT BATIK SHOPS EXIST AS WELL AS THE SRI MARIAMMAN TEMPLE), MAHA VIHARA MAITREYA BUDDHIST TEMPLE, AND SEVERAL VERY GOOD EATING PLACES LIKE CAFE RAYA, CAHAYA BARU, GARUDA RESTAURANT, MERDEKA WALK HAWKER CENTER, AND SOTO KESAWAN. TIP TOP RESTAURANT IS AN ICONIC PLACE TO GO AS IT IS ONE OF THE OLDEST RESTAUANTS IN MEDAN BUT I FIND THE FOOD TO BE ONLY AT C+ OR B- LEVEL. ON THIS TRIP, WE DID GO TO TIP TOP BECAUSE I REALLY LIKE THEIR PEACH MELBA. THE MAIN COMPLAINT I HAVE WITH THE RESTAURANT IS THAT IT IS CASH ONLY AND THE FOOD PORTIONS ARE NOT LARGE ENOUGH FOR ME. I DID SPEND A LOT OF TIME AT SOME OF THE OTHER PLACES ON THIS LIST BUT THAT WAS DURING PREVIOUS TRIPS.
DOLOK SANGGUL IS THE LAST LARGE TOWN WE PASS THROUGH ON THE WAY TO PARLILITAN AND PAKKAT. WE USUALLY STOP HERE TO PICK UP A FEW SUPPLIES AND GOODIES FOR THE ROAD AND FOR THE HOMES WE WOULD BE VISITING. THE TOWN HAS A NEW AIRPORT IN THE AREA (AT SIBORONG-BORONG) CALLED SILANGIT AIRPORT. WE HAVE NEVER STAYED HERE LONG ENOUGH TO SEE ATTRACTIONS WHICH IS A SHAME BECAUSE THERE ARE AT LEAST TWO ATRACTIONS HERE WORTH VISITING. THESE ATTRACTIONS INCLUDE VIEWPOINTS OF BAKARA VALLEY AND THE LOVELY BINANGA JANJI WATERFALL.
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