mountain (5 out of 5)

Langkawi 4: high places

J and I met Ira in Cenang, then we drove to the base of the Cable Car. J had been up before and the cheapest ticket is 55rm, so he went off to do his own thing while Ira and I touristed.

We were there before ten and it was bustling. Though we were able to buy our tickets after queuing for about ten minutes and get into a cable car straight away. This is the steepest cable car in the world, and leads to not the highest point in Langkawi. At the top, you can walk to the SkyBridge down (and up again) steep winding steps for 5rm, or take a small tram for 15. Ira and I walked. The bridge felt pretty full but not packed; I'm glad I didn't go at peak times. We spent about 2 hours up there, ambling around and taking in the views. Looking out across 150 million year old mountain formations lent a moment of perspective.

The tram is called the SkyGlider, the cable car is the SkyCab, and everything else in the vicinity is prefixed with Sky as well. I was disappointed they didn't have a wifi network called SkyFi. Really missing a trick there.

We took the cable cars down again, and stopped for a snack in one of the terrible overpriced cafes in the complex. We didn't realise there's better, slightly cheaper, food as you get further from the ticket counters. When we got back down, the lines for tickets stretched to the carpark and they were giving out times rather than sending people straight to the cable cars. Glad we went early. The ticket (we got the basic package) included a subset of random shit in the complex at the bottom, so we went to check that out as well. The 3D art museum was silly, and I entertained myself as usual by taking pictures of other people posing with the displays from the wrong perspectives. There were many examples of irresponsible parenting.

We saw the SkyDome, which is a screen covering one half of the inside of a sphere which you sit beneath; they played a series of short films, including an underwater scene and a space rollarcoaster. We skipped the SkyRex (I think it's some kind of animatronic dinosaur ride?) and sat with bunnies until J was back to pick us up.

Photos of the SkyBridge and associated nonesense.

We went to Tomato Nasi Kandar in Pantai Cenang for lunch. Lots of veggie options on the buffet, as well as the usual a la carte menu. I just dived into the buffet because I'm more convinced by food immediately in front of me than words on a page. I can understand why lots of people prefer to order from the menu in nasi kandar places. This buffet food had been sitting around in what is basically open air all day. But whatever. I loaded the plate up with tomato rice, cabbage, dahl and tempeh, and drank watermelon juice. I also tried a yam jelly. I don't know exactly how much this cost but Ira and I split the bill for three people between the two of us and it was 26rm in total.

Our next stop was Gunung Raya, the highest point in Langkawi. We drove up, parked, and paid 10rm to climb the tower. Views were good, and at the top of the tower was seating and free cardamom tea. We spent longer than expected at the top as it was very peaceful. We heard and then saw a hornbill.

Next J took us to a craft center. This was a huge complex with everything from batik teextiles to glass blowing. It was an enormous shop with different sections, plus workshop areas where if you go at the right times (we didn't) you can see things being made. I bought a postcard from Gram and a shell turtle for my hair.

Next stop was Tanjung Rhu beach to watch the sunset. This is widely agreed to be the best beach on Langkawi. Nearby are only expensive resorts. It was pretty much deserted while we were there. Its shape is such that you can see both sunrise and sunset from the same place. It's kind of a large spit.

Photos of Gunang Raya, Tanjung Rhu and Air Terjung Temerun waterfall.

We at dinner at a Thai place (I had vegetable fried rice) and went home to crash.

The following morning J took me to the jeti and even bought my roti canai and coffee for breakfast. I'm grateful for generous people in the world with the sharing, caring, couchsurfing spirit. I try to pay it forward wherever I can.

🏷 beach couchsurfing Langkawi Malaysia mountain travel

Tue 31st of January 2017 at 11:59pm (+08:00)

Post created with https://rhiaro.co.uk/sloph

Where fishes go

Arrived in Split just after 7am; it was a beautiful day and I couldn't check in to the hostel until 9, so I wandered into town. The world was just waking up, the sun was warm even though it was early, the sea was sloshing, there were mountains in the distance. Even though there were a lot of people about, and market stalls being set up, everything felt so calm.

Naturally, I got sidetracked by a hill and ended up climbing pretty far up Marjan, the forest-park-hill. The views were beautiful, and passing runners made me excited to run there. Even with two rucksacks the climb was pleasant. I looped back in time to get to the hostel just after 9.

The hostel (Tchaikovsky) is tiny and tucked away down a side street; the owner was really friendly and welcoming, and when I arrived he was running around helping out other guests, picking up laundry, fixing travel plans, and booking other hostels for people he couldn't find rooms for here. Tea and coffee are on tap, and the place is relaxed and super well maintained.

Whilst waiting for my key I made friends with R from near Manchester and L from Singapore. We all headed out together for today's adventure. First stop was a vegetarian cafe 5 minutes down the road from the hostel, where I picked up a seitan sandwich. Then we started by climbing Marjan again, and continuing all the way to the very end of the park, where we spotted this beach:



I, erm, needed to go there. So we did.



And L and I swam in the sea and it was lovely.

We headed back to town, the guys got some food. I discovered through extensive market research that here everyone makes sorbet with cream. How frustrating.

R left and L and I followed a trail of monuments and ruins in the town that he had a map for. There are 14 points with big signs that tell you all about them, which was cool. We never did find number 5 though (Jupiter's Temple). Below is not what the trail looks like on the map...



Then we wandered further east and discovered some more beaches. I paddled and pegged some more good swimming spots for tomorrow.

The threat of torrential rain was looming all day, according to the ominous clouds and the weather forecast. We obviously got seriously lucky. But even it it rains for the next few days I've now seen most of Split (L is leaving tomorrow, hence urgently covering the main attractions). Though I do plan to take a trip to Krka national park, this week is supposed to be a relaxed working environment rather than an actual holiday, so being trapped in the hostel by storms would probably be pretty good.

On that note, the hostel is great. Rooms are really nice, and the beds have privacy curtains, power sockets, big free lockers, and it's like a tenner a night.

Runkeeper trace of >12 miles of today's adventures.

🏷 beach climb croatia hike hostel mountain sea split travel

Sat 23rd of May 2015 at 5:40pm (+01:00)

Amy's mini alpine adventure ctd

I have in-dispersed this report with messages I sent either on Twitter or to anyone who might pay attention over the course of the journey..

Rosa (the elderly Vietnamese lady) and I walked to Hungerburg. It was raining heavily, but warm. I messed up the route a bit and we did a lot of scrambling through mud and up steep slopes, but Rosa seemed thrilled to have found someone to have this adventure with.

She told me about when she had left Vietnam for Belgium as a political refugee, and all of the horrible things her family and friends had endured because of "crazy communists". Her brother and sister live in California now, and none of them ever want to go back to Vietnam even though it's safe now.

She also told me about her 27 year old son who she considers a huge disappointment as all he does is browse the web and talk to his girlfriend, and doesn't have a job. He has a masters in Informatics, but there is no work in Belgium, and he refuses to move somewhere he can find work.

She told me about a friend's son, whom everyone thought was stupid until at around 22 years old he went to university, completed some degrees in record time, and now works as an accountant in London and is married to an African woman, apparently to spite his racist family, which she finds hilarious, and wishes her son was like this instead.

She calls all of her cats 'Baby'.

This was super fun, and I'm glad she encouraged me to go out in the rain.

She didn't have time (or suitable shoes) to climb to Seegrube, so we parted ways at Hungerburg. I hope she made it back okay!

I continued to Seegrube. It was pretty thick fog the whole way, though sometimes I could see a few hundred meters ahead instead of a few meters. I took lots of pictures of where I expected there would be spectacular views if there wasn't cloud in the way.

[14:09] Just checking in. Literally in a cloud. Can't see fuck.

[14:12] It's pretty creepy. I think I hit a pub in about an hour.

[14:13] I'm soaking. GPS is good though.

I mostly followed the main road, which zigzagged and was a much less direct route, but the through-forest trails were wet and muddy and the fog didn't instil me with confidence. At one point a sign expressly pointed into the forest, so I clambered for a bit, but then found a hut and lots of scary looking forestry equipment and decided it was a horror movie waiting to happen, so back-tracked to the road...

[14:18] Ooh a sign! Pub 40 minutes. Assuming alm means pub. Then just another hour to next cable car stop..

[14:21] Mystery crashing sounds

I saw two humans and one dog for the whole three hours I was walking. Occasionally I'd see a completely empty cable car glide by overhead. The air was heavy and still, and the mist was creepy. I started to worry about flash flooding, wolves, bears, and crazy humans.

[14:24] Can you look up what to do in event of flash flood, bear, or mad axeman?

[14:25] Also if there are bears or wolves on hafelekar

[14:26] Omg if this cloud wasn't here views would be incredible. I hope it isn't all the way to the top. I at least want views over expanse of cloud.

About an hour before Seegrube was Bodensteinalm, a pub-type-thing a few minutes off the main trail. I was entertaining the idea of a cup of coffee and human contact, but the place - a cute little Alpine hut - was completely deserted. The temperature was starting to drop, so I pressed on.

[14:44] Omg snow

[15:11] Human being!!!

[15:12] And he's gone. Swallowed by fog.

[15:23] Omg mist clearing and can see end of cable car!

The last stretch to Seegrube, 6,250ft, was pretty cold, and there was snow. After 8km uphill, I was ready for a cup of coffee, and splashed out 3 Euros at Seegrube Restaurant; the coffee was horrible. I did a circuit of the top, but alas the clouds did not part in divine glory and reveal the spectacular views I had been missing. There was nobody around but weary-looking restaurant staff.

[16:02] 6,250 feet, still can't see shit. Cable car to very top is less terrifying for being engulfed in cloud.

I got a return cable car ticket to Hafelekar, the summit. I was charged for an under-18 ticket \\\\o/ (EUR 4,90). The ride was less than 10 minutes.

I stepped out briefly, but there was nothing to see. I'd really hoped the summit would be above the clouds. Took some more photos of white. Met some Australians. Cable car back to Seegrube. Was freezing and tired, so decided to cable car it all the way back to Innsbruck but I didn't have enough cash, and they didn't take card. I must have looked suitably pathetic, because the staff took pity on me and let me ride free back to Hungerburg. Also the driver liked my hat. I'm pretty sure that helped.

Back in Hungerburg, it was so much warmer! I had a snack and recovered a bit, then walked the 5km back to the hostel. I managed to go off-route again (this being the fourth time I'd walked between Innsbruck and Hungerburg); didn't have to scramble through mud but did accidentally walk through a wedding reception in the grounds of a hotel, and ended up going via the centre of Innsbruck, which was a bit out of the way.

Really I'm fine with having missed out on seeing for miles, as climbing a mountain in thick fog is an interesting experience by itself. I will post all of my photos of white in due course, but my favourite is this convenient sign showing what I could have been seeing...



🏷 alps austria cable car fog innsbruck mountain travel

Sat 16th of May 2015 at 11:15am (+01:00)

Amy's mini Alpine Adventure

I picked Innsbruck pretty randomly as a mid-point between Dusseldorf (where I was for IWC) and Florence (where I need to be for WWW). I haven't been to Austria before, or even the Alps bar a day-trip during a school trip to France like ten years ago. The first day I was here was clear, sunny and crazy hot, so I started loving Innsbruck pretty immediately. I wandered around town, got a feel for the place, and found the only place I could get vegan pizza and eiskaffee.

The Inn river is fast-flowing and a cartoonish blue-green. The houses are bright colours, and everywhere is walkable. The town is surrounded by a ring of snow-capped mountains.

I booked a hostel so I wouldn't have to socialise too much, as I need a break from people between all of these conferences. The hostel is super quiet, and mostly pretty good. The first night I shared my dorm with two Canadian girls. They told me the funicular up one of the mountains is reasonably priced, and that it was silly to think of walking to the base as it's really far, and I should get the bus. Also that I should pay the EUR 2.60 for a bus ticket, as one of them didn't and got caught and fined ;)

Yesterday I hacked a bunch on Slog'd in the morning, then at 2pm set off with vague intentions of either climbing a mountain or swimming in a lake, ideally both. I ignored the advice of the Canadian girls, and walked to Hungerburg where the cable car starts. It was less than an hour from the hostel, and the mountain parts were easy. Turns out the cable car to the top is over 25 EUR, and it's about a 3 hour climb to Seegrube. And climbing is WAY more interesting. However, from Seegrube to the summit at Halekefar I was advised there is too much snow for climbing, so the cable car for that stretch is mandatory (and Seegrube-Halekefar is EUR 6.10 return, which I can handle). So I figured I'd climb to Seegrube, take the cable car to the summit and back, and climb all the way back on foot. But by that point, the odds of me making it to Seegrube before the cablecar stopped running at 1730 were pretty slim. I toyed with trying to find an ATM and taking the cablecar all the way, but decided I'd prefer to climb anyway and can come back the next day, earlier.

Then I walked to Lake Rossau, which the internet claims cost EUR 3.50 to swim in but I mean, it's a lake, so nobody seemed to be enforcing this. So I swam in the lake surrounded by mountains and it was beautiful.

Then I came back to the hostel and added a first pass at ActivityStreams2.0 JSON to my site. Woo! Productive day.

Today it is raining heavily and the mountains are shrouded in clouds. Naturally. Turns out I'm going to give getting to Halekefar a shot anyway, even if I can't see anything from the top, thanks to encouragement from my new hostel roomie, a fairly old Vietnamese lady who lives in Belgium.

Also, I'll post some photos just as soon as I implement display of albums and attaching Collections to posts on Slog'd.... Aaaaany day now.

🏷 http://vocab.amy.so/blog#Done http://vocab.amy.so/blog#Done activitystreams2 as2 austria hacking innsbruck json lake mountain slogd travel

Fri 15th of May 2015 at 9:42am (+01:00)

Amy wrote about travel, hostel, austria, mountain, & innsbruck



I thought today was going to be one of those staying-in-the-hostel sorta days.

But the old Vietnamese women sharing my dorm said she was inspired yesterday by my desire to climb the mountain on foot (instead of cable car) today, and wants to come with me, despite the torrential rain. So, I guess that's happening.

First she has to sleep off overeating at breakfast though.

🏷 austria hostel innsbruck mountain travel

Fri 15th of May 2015 at 9:15am (+01:00)