What can you found in the Gunung Gading National Park - The Rafflesia Trail

The Gunung Gading National Park (click here to read my previous visit), so when your here, what can you actually found in this beautiful reserved park? Now let me share with you on my encounter when I go for a photo shooting trip with my friends.



This is a cameleon, saw this little fella running around the Rafflesia trail entrance. This little guy can jump and run really fast. Manage to take this picture while its resting on the stone.

spider...

and more spider...

and moreeeeeee spiders...

little ant trying to carry a dead beetle back home

A giant centipede, and millipede which can glow on its tail, the differences between a millipede and a centipedes is that millipedes have paired legs, while centipedes don't.

Due to the raining season, there are also a lot of fungus with different shape and looks.

  

Manage to encounter this gorgeous bird called the Diard's Trogon, and its locally common in lowland and hill forest throughout Borneo. They have beautiful voice...



The Rafflesia flowers... well not the blossom one, but the one which already dead..languish. I hope that one day I will be able to see a real one.

oh wait!!! lookie what we have here ;) my dear reader, you have luck, its the Rafflesia flower!

...

...

...

...

nah.. its just a replica.. tisk tisk..

New Method of Augmented-Reality Traveling Through Tourism Start-Up

Guidestock is a new way of interacting with a city and its sights through a cell phone application based on augmented reality. A combination of GPS navigation, guides recorded by real travelers and photos of city sights give you the experience of having visited a place. There is also an opportunity to record your own travel experiences using either web or app toolkit to create your own guide, which you can share with your friends by embedding it in your blog. Also, tours published inside the app can earn their creators money through a variety of royalty schemes.

Today Guidestock.com is launching a beta version of its online toolset for crafting audio tour guides, and invites travelers to take part. Check what the Guidestock CEO has to say about it.

“We are proud to help tourists note and share their amazing travel experiences in this wonderful new way. Our toolset gives you an opportunity mark your tour on a map from start to finish, highlighting city sights or specific places you would like to emphasize in your personal travel story, and the tool will automatically create a GPS-navigated guide for your tour. It is as easy as marking a route through a city on a printed map! Next you can add prerecorded narratives, and link them to corresponding tour segments.”

“The tool offers the ability to cut and mute your recordings, so they’ll readily fit a walk along the corresponding distance. If you have something else to say about a building, monument, or any other object, you can use ‘stand’ mode – the user will be notified that he should stop and listen, and the place you are talking about will be identified by its photo.”

This isn’t rocket science; record your travel experience on any audio recording device, take pictures of city sights, get to your laptop and visit http://www.guidestock.com. There, pinpoint your path on a city map, indicate interesting places along the way, add photos and your audio recordings, and press “Submit” The tool will automatically compose all your data in to your personal audio tour guide. Just name it, add a catchy description, and wait for your royalties to come in.

Guest Post by: Robert Hennessy

Labuan Trip - The Labuan Backpacker Inn, and the hardworking mummy (post 12 of 12)

After riding for the whole day, I’m tired as a hell. Went back to the bed and breakfast inn to rest, I rented a bed for RM25 per night. Its a big room with 7 double deck bed. That B&B inn has one lady in her 40s, she and 4 of her children stay in a room. She’s the cleaning cum admin, so from 8am - 4pm, she works here at the Labuan backpacker Inn and after that, she work in the oil and gas office from 4pm - 12 midnight. So hardworking right...

After 12 midnight, she comes back to the inn, and start to work from 12 midnight to next day 4pm. That night she was cleaning the room where I stay, and we had a little chat. At first she apologizes to me, cause one of her daughter keep on staring at me, and also make a lot of noise.

I said its ok, cause I always attract attention from the opposite sex due to my charm, and good photography skills (alright i made that one up... tisk tisk) I reply her that its ok, and base on my observation, that little girl maybe have this hyperactive symptom.

The lady said yes, and she’s starts to story to me how her child behave from baby until now (14 years old). And the reason she wants to work so hard, is to hope one day there will be a place to teach/cure/look after this child when she’s not around, and she manage to pay the fees for her daughter to stay there.

She hopes that her daughter will be just like any other girls, go to school, learn to take care of herself, growup, get married, raise kids. But now due to the little girl sickness, the lady might need to take care of her for the rest of her life.

For me I can’t do much, so I just told her some of the stories I meet back in Kuching. Like the story of Ah Hua. I wanted her to have hope that everything will be ok, because there are people which are few time unfortunate than her. After she listen to my stories, she starts to cry, and told me that she felt she is fortunate than them, and felt better now.

She’s a Malay, so I told her to pray more to Allah, and then believe in Allah will bless her and all her children, and they will have a bright future. Now she needs to accept that she have, and think positive.

From the conversation, again I can felt the love of a mother to her children. That love is unconditional, she willing to sacrifice even her life to exchange her children to be healthy and a good future. 

My dear reader, if you haven’t spoke to your mum this lately, pick up that phone now, and call her, talk to her, and tell her that you miss her.

Till then, thank you for reading my post. My Labuan trip report ends here, hope that you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it. Apologies for the poor english, I will read more and improve :)

Full Trip Reports:

Labuan Trip - From Limbang to Labuan by Boat (Post 1 of 12)

Labuan Trip - Chinese Temple, Buddhist Temple in the Labuan Island (Post 2 of 12)

Labuan Trip - Fishing at Sungai Kinta Benua, Kampung Beluloh (Post 3 of 12)

Labuan Trip - Beach that I visited (Post 4 of 12)

Labuan Trip - The University Malaysia Sabah, Labuan Campus (Post 5 of 12)

Labuan Trip - The Labuan Peace Park (Post 6 of 12)

Labuan Trip - Creppy Abandoned Building (Post 7 of 12)

Labuan Trip - The Labuan Bird Park (Post 8 of 12)

Labuan Trip - The Chimney Labuan (Post 9 of 12)

Labuan Trip - The Labuan Botanical Garden (Post 10 of 12)

Labuan Trip - Dataran Labuan and Labuan Museum (Post 11 of 12)

Labuan Trip - The Labuan Backpacker Inn, and the hardworking mummy (Post 12 of 12)

Labuan Trip - Dataran Labuan and Labuan Museum (post 11 of 12)

The last place that I visited was the Dataran Labuan, is the Independence Square of the Labuan Town. It was a hot morning, Its central focus is a raised open-airstage with tall flag poles flying the flags of Malaysia. At the one end is the town's field. At the other end is a replica of the "Chimney" with beautiful landscaped gardens and fountains. It is a popular venue for some of Labuan's main events.

But that morning it was peace and quiet, only a few gardener there cleaning the place up, and tidy the place. I wanted to go visit the museum, and in the map it pointed right where I'm standing. But I just can't seems to find which is the museum building. So I asked them, they are very helpful, and starts to look at the map with me. And pointed a building just opposite the road.

(face palm), oh... I said "dekat saja" (very near). I walk forwards the museum, and just when I was about to enter, my phone alarm went on. Its a reminder that the boat will be leaving soon, I calculate my time to walk back the ferry terminal, it will take me around 15 mins. So if I go in the museum now, and walk back the museum, I might don't have enough time to buy stuff back home (labuan we can get tax free chocolate, fragrance,  liqueur, and cigarette) I pause for a few sec, and decided to walk back the terminal. I will come back next time to visit this place.  About the Labuan Museum, it displays the history and culture of Labuan. Its history covers pre-historic era of Labuan, Brunei Sultanate, British colonial days, World War II, Independence declaration of Labuan as federal Territory up to the establishment of Labuan Corporation. Sorry dear readers, no photos for the museum this time. Guess we have to wait next time then.... -- to be continue --

Full Trip Reports:

Labuan Trip - From Limbang to Labuan by Boat (Post 1 of 12)

Labuan Trip - Chinese Temple, Buddhist Temple in the Labuan Island (Post 2 of 12)

Labuan Trip - Fishing at Sungai Kinta Benua, Kampung Beluloh (Post 3 of 12)

Labuan Trip - Beach that I visited (Post 4 of 12)

Labuan Trip - The University Malaysia Sabah, Labuan Campus (Post 5 of 12)

Labuan Trip - The Labuan Peace Park (Post 6 of 12)

Labuan Trip - Creppy Abandoned Building (Post 7 of 12)

Labuan Trip - The Labuan Bird Park (Post 8 of 12)

Labuan Trip - The Chimney Labuan (Post 9 of 12)

Labuan Trip - The Labuan Botanical Garden (Post 10 of 12)

Labuan Trip - Dataran Labuan and Labuan Museum (Post 11 of 12)

Labuan Trip - The Labuan Backpacker Inn, and the hardworking mummy (Post 12 of 12)

Labuan Trip - The Labuan Botanical Garden (post 10 of 12)

I looked at my map, and I almost finish visited most of the tourist attraction. I reached the Labuan Botanical Garden at around 5pm, the park is already packed with people. Most of them went for evening jog.

The garden located very near to the town, with just about five minutes of car drive and you're there already. Back in Kuching, my residen park is only 3 min walking distance away from my place ;)

The Botanical Gardens is a recreational park with old trees and beautiful landscaping. And legend has it that a guy name Hugh Low, the Colonial Secretary for many years did much of the early work on that garden, many of the older trees were planted by him. And his house was completely destroyed during the war... pity guy.

Just when I was about to take a jog in the park, it starts to drizzling. Oh man... So i quickly head back to my bike, and ride back to my hotel. Therefore I didn't manage to take lots of pictures here, and I'll share with you on some of the pictures I took.

-- to be continue --

Full Trip Reports:

Labuan Trip - From Limbang to Labuan by Boat (Post 1 of 12)

Labuan Trip - Chinese Temple, Buddhist Temple in the Labuan Island (Post 2 of 12)

Labuan Trip - Fishing at Sungai Kinta Benua, Kampung Beluloh (Post 3 of 12)

Labuan Trip - Beach that I visited (Post 4 of 12)

Labuan Trip - The University Malaysia Sabah, Labuan Campus (Post 5 of 12)

Labuan Trip - The Labuan Peace Park (Post 6 of 12)

Labuan Trip - Creppy Abandoned Building (Post 7 of 12)

Labuan Trip - The Labuan Bird Park (Post 8 of 12)

Labuan Trip - The Chimney Labuan (Post 9 of 12)

Labuan Trip - The Labuan Botanical Garden (Post 10 of 12)

Labuan Trip - Dataran Labuan and Labuan Museum (Post 11 of 12)

Labuan Trip - The Labuan Backpacker Inn, and the hardworking mummy (Post 12 of 12)

Labuan Trip - The Chimney Labuan (post 9 of 12)

Situated on a rise at Tanjung Kubong is the famous ‘Chimney’, a 106 feet high red brick stack believed to be linked to the coal mining days of Labuan. The Chimney, 106 feet tall, was made from more than 23,000 pieces of red bricks imported from England. The bricks layering and works are typical of British style, and it was build in the 1800’s.

I parked my scooter on a shady place next to the entrance, and I look at the bike side mirror. Oh my face are so red!!! The Sun really did its job well by burning me slowly. But since I’m already there, might as well just go with the flow, so I did not enter the chimney museum first, but go visited the big old chimney.

The ‘Chimney’ was long thought to be nothing more than a ventilation shaft. However, recent findings revealed that there were no traces of smokes or burning to suggest its use as a chimney as popularly believed. Careful digging has revealed at least 12 layers of bricks beneath the surface. The structure sits firmly on a large tract of limestone rock containing rich kaolin or porcelain clay, which provided the strong foundation.

So i’m really impress on the people back then, they don’t have the technology that we’re using now, yet still can build a building which can last for decade. If you see our country now, some of the project they even not yet finish building it, and we already can see shit happens.

Ok ok, back to my story. So the ‘Chimney’ is still very much a mystery until today. Various hypothesis has been put forward to its purpose. Some said it was an unfinished mansion. While others said it was a light house beaconing passing ships.

In its heyday, a thriving settlement was built at the sea front area below the Chimney. It was then used as a bell tower to announce the arrival of ships to the residents below. It has become an intriguing riddle that fascinates locals and visitors alike.

Now after the Chimney, I then visited the Chimney Museum. So this Chimney Information Center’s building is located just next to the Chimney itself, and according to my research, its known during the British occupational period as Cool Point. 

So now its functions as a site museum which will exhibit and inform of the history of Tanjung Kubong, especially the history of coal mining which began in 1847 through 1911. Inside the place they have a lot of pictures, mini models mining truck, workers, and equipments they used back then.

From the model that they build, I can see its really hard to be a coal miner. The environment you work is dark, hot, humid, dirty and danger. And I think even until today, the condition will be more or less the same. So pity these people, to survive... to have food on the table, this is the way of life.

But I got so tired, and almost every picture I took it turns out blur. So sorry guys, no good pictures here to share with you.

Up until now, I’ve been riding, visiting, walking non stop since that morning when I reach Labuan. I’m hot, I’m sweating, I’m thirsty, hungry, got sunburn... I need a place to cool down and rest. So far I’ve covered ⅗ of Labuan. I’ll just move on while its still bright.

-- to be continue --

Full Trip Reports:

Labuan Trip - From Limbang to Labuan by Boat (Post 1 of 12)

Labuan Trip - Chinese Temple, Buddhist Temple in the Labuan Island (Post 2 of 12)

Labuan Trip - Fishing at Sungai Kinta Benua, Kampung Beluloh (Post 3 of 12)

Labuan Trip - Beach that I visited (Post 4 of 12)

Labuan Trip - The University Malaysia Sabah, Labuan Campus (Post 5 of 12)

Labuan Trip - The Labuan Peace Park (Post 6 of 12)

Labuan Trip - Creppy Abandoned Building (Post 7 of 12)

Labuan Trip - The Labuan Bird Park (Post 8 of 12)

Labuan Trip - The Chimney Labuan (Post 9 of 12)

Labuan Trip - The Labuan Botanical Garden (Post 10 of 12)

Labuan Trip - Dataran Labuan and Labuan Museum (Post 11 of 12)

Labuan Trip - The Labuan Backpacker Inn, and the hardworking mummy (Post 12 of 12)

Labuan Trip - The Labuan Bird Park (post 8 of 12)

View Larger Map

My next stop is the Labuan Bird Park. The entrance fees is 3 bucks for adults and 1 buck for kid per entrance, and the ticket lady told me if this month is my birth month, I can go into the park for free “nice”!!!

Labuan Bird Park located on a 6.9 hectares of land with a futuristic looking dome structure complemented by a traditionally shaped timber building.

Strategically situated at Tanjung Kubong, 16km, North of Labuan Town, the park lies next to a century old, but historical and significant coal mining chimney which itself is tourist landmark. I will post about that in my next post.

I visited the Penang Bird Park before (click here to read), and don’t like it there. The Penang Bird park is expensive, boring, and the owner is rude and impolite.

Silver Pheasant

Long Tail Parakeet

Inland Collared Dove

Huey, Dewey, and Louie... wait a min, where's Louie?

Louie is that you?

Its time for some haircut..

Labuan Bird Park is home to many species of Borneo birds only likely to be encountered deep in the forests of Borneo. There are plans to collect a good percentage of the 580 species of birds found in Borneos diverse habitats.

In the park, it also have a playground which is for kids to play. And I start my visit by entering the Bird Sanctuary Area, it has 3 geodesic domes. And inside the dome, they planted a lots of trees, flowers, build cage to keep some of the birds separated.

My dear reader, when you are inside the dome, there will be birds flying above you, and be careful cause they will drop ‘bomb’ from above. For me, the ‘bomb’ nearly hit me -_-” luckily I know kungfu, and can avoid.

Just next to the dome, they have a aviary houses which avian birds of all species, it also serve as an information center. But sadly its not well maintain, as the stuff are old, dusty, and no one was there to look after the stuff when I visited. I wanted to visit the toilet to pay my water bill, but the door was locked too, so how am I going to pay my water bill?!?! directly on the plant nearby?

They have 3 ostrich there, and they are really huge!!! Taller than me, I tried to trow some food for them (the leave I pick from nearby) but they don’t want to eat it.. sigh..

What I like the most if the Myna Birds, as they can imitate human voice. Some of them knows how to say Hello, how are you, I love you, and a few simple Chinese word. One of my visit to Bintagor (click here to read) my friend raise it too at the back of his house. So if you have a Myna Bird, what will you teach the bird to say?

The peacocks just run freely inside the park, but when I tried to get closer to them they will run away. I was hoping that they will show off their beautiful tail feathers, but the don’t.

Hey, what'da ya looking at!!!

Full Trip Reports:

Labuan Trip - From Limbang to Labuan by Boat (Post 1 of 12)

Labuan Trip - Chinese Temple, Buddhist Temple in the Labuan Island (Post 2 of 12)

Labuan Trip - Fishing at Sungai Kinta Benua, Kampung Beluloh (Post 3 of 12)

Labuan Trip - Beach that I visited (Post 4 of 12)

Labuan Trip - The University Malaysia Sabah, Labuan Campus (Post 5 of 12)

Labuan Trip - The Labuan Peace Park (Post 6 of 12)

Labuan Trip - Creppy Abandoned Building (Post 7 of 12)

Labuan Trip - The Labuan Bird Park (Post 8 of 12)

Labuan Trip - The Chimney Labuan (Post 9 of 12)

Labuan Trip - The Labuan Botanical Garden (Post 10 of 12)

Labuan Trip - Dataran Labuan and Labuan Museum (Post 11 of 12)

Labuan Trip - The Labuan Backpacker Inn, and the hardworking mummy (Post 12 of 12)

Labuan Trip - Creepy Abandoned Building (post 7 of 12)

While I was happily riding my scooter along the coat line, I passed by a small town. Not much people here, and the wired thing is there are a few building, but some of them looks like been abandoned.

When I drove by the Wisma Kosan Labuan, its a huge commercial building. But why do they abandon it?

The buildings belongs to the Datuk Haris Salleh, he was the sixth Chief Minister of the state of Sabah, in Malaysia. He was also the president for Parti Berjaya. He held the Chief Minister's post from 1976 to 1985. During his tenure, he was known to have controversially ceded the island of Labuan, which used to be part of Sabah, to the Federal Government, making it the second Federal Territory in the country.

But during his tenure, a few incident happens, and I guess the building which he owns had also suffer form the same fate like him.

Another abandon building was just across the Wisma Kosan Labuan, so out of curiosity I parked my scooter under this creepy old tree. Oh man~~ its really huge, and imaging if your here during night time, you will be freak out by this fella. It looks like its opening the arms, and want to grab you...

Before enter into the creepy building, I was attracted by the paint art on the wall. These people are quite talented tho : /

I mange to find the entrance into the building, and upon entering I heard some noise. I got shocked for a while, I turn left nothing there, look at my right side, nothing there either. Then "bam bam bam" again, oh shit!!! 

I suddenly think of  the Chernobyl Diaries movie that I watched. Can this be a place like that? No wonder these place don't have much people, it must had some catastrophic nuclear accident before, and the authorities covered it....

As my tough run wild, I then saw two cats chasing around $!@#$$%(*&%$ what the hell !!! So it was them all along.

I then start to roam around the place, it looks like a theater. There is a stage in front, and steps formation of path way for people to sit on.

The place are full of dirt, and rubbish. Usually this place will be utilize by the people who is on drugs. I then keep on exploring the place, hope to be able to find something related to drugs. But didn't manage to fine any... however, when I went to the back stage, I saw this...



Its a wash room, where on the basin I saw there are women panties. It really gives me the goosebumps when I saw it, it might be black magic? or some rape case happen here before? or people just make out here? I didn't stay long, I guess I better head to my next destination...the place until now is still a mystery for me.....

Full Trip Reports:

Labuan Trip - From Limbang to Labuan by Boat (Post 1 of 12)

Labuan Trip - Chinese Temple, Buddhist Temple in the Labuan Island (Post 2 of 12)

Labuan Trip - Fishing at Sungai Kinta Benua, Kampung Beluloh (Post 3 of 12)

Labuan Trip - Beach that I visited (Post 4 of 12)

Labuan Trip - The University Malaysia Sabah, Labuan Campus (Post 5 of 12)

Labuan Trip - The Labuan Peace Park (Post 6 of 12)

Labuan Trip - Creppy Abandoned Building (Post 7 of 12)

Labuan Trip - The Labuan Bird Park (Post 8 of 12)

Labuan Trip - The Chimney Labuan (Post 9 of 12)

Labuan Trip - The Labuan Botanical Garden (Post 10 of 12)

Labuan Trip - Dataran Labuan and Labuan Museum (Post 11 of 12)

Labuan Trip - The Labuan Backpacker Inn, and the hardworking mummy (Post 12 of 12)