malaysia JOHOR BUS TOUR sat29102011

Into Johor Bahru.first stop=BANJUNAN SULTAN IBRAHIM builkt as admin centre by sultan 1942,unfortuneately just in time for japanese invasion-they used it as a fortress before taking singapore.

Next stop=SULTAN ABU BAKAR MOSQUE 1900.time for a group photo.

then drive via huge new freeway ,with lots of major construction-malls,suburbs,tall buildings=malaysia booming.stop at PUTERI MARINA-nice marina and complex with huge surrouding highrises still being built.probably stop here 2012.

then to  BANGUNAN SULYAN ISMAIL 2009=massive new government biuldings complex including magnificient parliament hall

Not yet luchtime and we visited the oineapple museum.actually quite interesting and we got to taste latest variety-JOSEPINE,-a cross with local and Sarawak pineapple=sweet and delicious.

after seafood lunch overlooking river near pulau kukup,we went to TANJUNG PIAI NATIONAL PARK,the most southern part of mainland asia.interesting mangroves boardwalk with treeclimbing shellfish and crabeatingmonkeys.
For a complete change we cooked a meal and ate on our boat after sundowners ,just us ,on Haven=very relaxing

DANGA BAY MARINA YACHTS

JOHOR BAHRU fri 28oct2011

Watched sunrise lighting up marina boats and anchored boats on the brownn water of danga bay.
some boats with character in marina look like longterm travellers having a longterm rest .
Bus (easy & cheao) into main city of Johor Bahru.we found a lovely city withold & new busy and lots of greenery.
We got a card for computer internet./& and a simcard for mobile phone.
wandered towards old area,past a sikh,then a hindu temle,into a little,little india.ate at a banana leaf eatery.42 ringitt for 4 of us-aboutA$3.50 each=cheap-& very good.looks as tho we will enjoy the food here,as we did in s,pore & indonesia.

Said goodbye to tom and barb ,who are going back t USA ,then to NZ  for naturalisation.hope  they then catch up to us near langkawi
RALLY DINNER
We had drinks from 6-8pm on promenade overlooking the marina.then over to adjacent convention centre for delicious 8 course dinner with traditional dance performances and 3 singers taking turns to sing classic pop songs.


ron,marina manager & kerry





geogio & sherie(argonata),barbara & jim (contrails)



SINGAPORE TO MALAYSIA 26oct2011

DIESEL DIVER 23-10-2011

There was a diesel fuel leak overnight in marina and this little diving bird who lives in the marina got drenched.he fkew into our boat,went to aft end of quarter berth and hid.we got him out with a woolworths shopping bag,washed him carefully in galley sink with dishwashing detergent and released him outside marina.

CBD PHOTOS 23-10-2011

TO WATCH RUGBY

RUGBY WORLD CUP FINAL 23-10-2011 sunday



blurred but not beaten



party avenue

vive la france

waterfront bars and restaurants area  along river in CBD is  very pretty.huge modern skyscrapers and beautiful colonial buildings.lots of people in great mood for rugby world cup final between NZ & France.we got great seats at a bar in front of big TV,with some cold Tiger & Heinekin beers.we thought france played the best but were relieved NZ won,especially tom & barb who gey their NZ citizenship next month

CYCLE SINGAPORE 23-10-2011 sunday

 bus & MRT from our west singapore marina to the southeast.hired bikes & had a lovely ride along coastal park.lots of locals camping in 2 man tents-excellent amenitiesblocks (but no nude bathing in outdoor showers)-not  our idea of outdoors camping -with a huge flotilla of ships anchored just offshore and Changi airport jet aereoplanes flying low overhead.huge sailing club and also a huge windsurfing centre.lovely lunch by the beach.do not cycle over Changi road overpass as $ 1,000 fine!then catch lovely cool aircon MRT to CBD for RWC

P C HOSPITAL

 After the SWF we went to Sim Lim centre=6 story building packed with little shops packed with electrical goods.on top floor are repair shops where we collected kerrys resuscitated dell

SINGAPORE WRITERS FESTIVAL 22-10-2011



swannie & kerry

  We read an article in the straits times,the newspaper we get delivered to the boat daily for free,about a writer from the ukraine,who was attending Singapore Writers Festival=Andrey Kurkov=looked interesting.we had never been to a writers festival.Kerry googled and off we went.it was based at singapore management university,a very attractive modern building in CBD.We bought ticket pass at white pavilion tent,which had a lovely bookcover collage wall.A K wasnt on till 1130 so went to heat Alice Pung-what a surprise to such an australian accent.she was great and we will have to get her 3 books-esp the latest=my fathers daughter.-she was born in oz but her father was a cambodian refugee who survived  polpots killing fields.
nice to get some culture-and another worl revealed.
andrey kkukov was very clever,funny and entertaining.his theme is black humour and he said living in the ukraine provides lots to write about.we bought the 3 books of his for sale and had a chat while he signed them
also bought neil humphreys book about expat life in singapore

SIGNS OF SINGAPORE 23-10-2011



JUST WHAT A YACHTIE NEEDS!