To hell and back
Fairytales teach us about the world. Every story tells about morals and teaches a lesson. We know Hansel and Gretel and Little red riding hood. In Singapore kids learn a very different lesson; don’t go to hell.
The Buddhist values are passed on to the younger generation via stories. To get an idea of these stories you can walk through Haw Par Villa, a park full of statues. Its design comes from the beginning of the 20th century and displays scenes of the Chinese mythology. It is very graphic and doesn’t leave much room for your own interpretation.
Learning to dive in Malaysia
My scuba adventure started on a sunny Thursday. The Dive DownBelow dive center had sent a van to pick me up from my hostel in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia. In the Sutera harbor I transferred to a speed boat and was taken to Gaya Island, where the dive center was located. I started out with a day of discover scuba diving.
Diving as part of your travels
A question many travelers encounter is whether or not to dive into the deep and earn your PADI qualification. Especially when backpacking in exotic locations where the water is warm and full of extraordinary fish. But how do you combine scuba diving with living on a budget?
Focus on culture: the Sabah museum
Maybe April isn’t the best time to be on Borneo. It is bloody hot in the city of Kota Kinabalu. It is so hot that every person I meet feels the urge to make a remark about it. It is the perfect day to go to a museum. Too bad I planned on walking to it. Walking to the Sabah museum turns out not to be a great idea. I walk along a busy road, cars chasing past me. There is not much to admire so keep your eyes on the ground, otherwise you might just drop into one of the holes in the pavement.
Shut up, Bob
Casual short-term jobs are a good way to make lots of money quick. Find out which festivals and events are coming up in the area. They might need someone to help out. This is how I ended up working at Sydney’s Royal Easter Show. It was full on for two weeks, but at the end I got rewarded with load of cash in my hands.
The advantages of living in a freezer
There are a lot of reasons not to visit certain countries in winter. Yes it is cold and there isn’t much sun. But during my time in Finland I discovered winter has many beautiful aspects as well. Even if you look beyond the obvious; snowboarding, skiing, white Christmas, hot chocolate.…
Picture perfect: Sandakan
The few sights in Sandakan are quite spread out. But a walk around the center gives you an idea of the town. It is more about letting the culture sink in. As a white girl you’ll notice that people are yelling at you at every corner. As if the stares…
Trouble in paradise
On my first day in Sandakan I took a quick look around and then started planning my trip around Sabah. There was turtle Island, uncle Tan’s jungle stay and a PADI diving course in Semporna. I was so excited. I skyped with my parents to tell them my great plans.…
Getting to Sandakan
I am in Kota Kinabalu in the Sabah province of Malaysia, on the island of Borneo. The easiest way to get to Sandakan is to simple take a plane, but the most adventurous and cheapest way is to find your way by bus. Taxis are cheap in Borneo. If you’ve…
Crossing borders
Flying with Airasia is cheap, but as a backpacker I wanted the very cheapest I could find. So I figured out that flying from the Johor Bahru airport in Malaysia is cheaper than flying from Singapore airport. Airasia even provided free bus travel from Singapore. Making my way to Johor…