"Archeological Quest on a bicycle, sort of!" ecuriocity's Profile

First ever solo cycle -well, not entirely cycling as I always get sidetracked- tour and it took me all of 6 weeks (only time I could afford unfortunately). Starting with a flight out from Kuala Lumpur on Feb 26th to Siem Reap, Cambodia, I made my way southeast to Phnom Penh then up north through to Southern Laos by way of the Dong Crorlor/Wernkham border posts. This stretch took 3 weeks. A week in Southern Laos brought me to Pakse, subsequently crossing into North East Thailand at the border posts of Vangtao/Chong Mek, about 40km west of this town. Here I continued my way west to Central Thailand before cutting south to the Southern regions. I spent about 1 and a half weeks doing this. Crossing the border at Sungai Kolok/Rantau Panjang, I made my way through North Eastern and Eastern Peninsular Malaysia before ending back in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on April 10th. Home sweet home... but hardly a month later I was itching to get on the road again. Drats! It's never enough.

The Cambodian leg here.

Cambodia-Laos-Thailand-Malaysia, 26th Feb - 10th April 2006

Biking: Hsipaw - Lashio Road, Shan State

I've been biking for years now, both off & on road but have only recently picked up this thing called bikepacking. I haven't found a better way of travelling that gives so much freedom to one to get up close to people & experience their culture yet lets you cover the miles in a faster time! I will be slowly adding stuff to this page, which I hope will be of some help, on my recently concluded trip to Burma, my first bikepack actually. Do pop by once in a while, while I share with you this land of many beauties.

It's just a bun, darn it, just a bun!

It has solicited comments that it looks pornographic as well as like my a**!!! Been labelled a randy fruit and a, a, a ermm.... oh nevermind! Hahahaha. I hope it doesn't offend besides it's sole intention to stir up curiosity to an age old Chinese or maybe just Malaysian Chinese tradition!!! My apologies to those who find the pix offending....

It's a "sau-pau"(in Cantonese, a chinese dialect) / longevity bun. A symbol of longevity and a dessert normally had to commemorate one having reached a grand old auspicious age of 80. Since it's an age old tradition passed through generations across the numerous dynasties, I think, please don't ask me why it looks like a toosh and coloured pink at that strategic spot! I haven't been around that long! Neither would I know if it was actually modelled after the toosh of someone who lived once upon a time! Hahahaha.

Thesis T:
Since the toosh is what supports us/life while we're sitting, and it's an upright position most of us are in most of the time, might the "Seat of Life" then be the inspiration for the shape? Hmmm... really... would you believe that....

Before you get more kinky ideas, the "toosh-hole" is not supposed to be there either. They oversteamed the bun and it cracked right there!!! How convenient... Or did my cousin's hubby cheekily emphasise it by pinching it a tad while I wasn't looking??!!? Hahahaha.

Brandon just commented that it looks like a peach... Geez! What was I thinking? Of course it could just as well have been inspired by that... a PEACH! A symbol of longevity and dear Cliffie's randy fruit... Ahahahaha

A passage through time: Dhamma-yan-gyi, Old Bagan

A walk through time, about a 1000 year span. It almost always made me long for a moment to be there & then when all these great monuments to the Lords of the Sky rose from the dust to the great heavens above.

Burma, 14th - 25th April 2K3

Guest house: Naung Cho, Shan State

A room with a view, of the outdoor toilets & bathrooms! The most spartan of rooms we came across yet because there were no other licensed options, but what do you really expect for K500/head a nite?

The only guest house licensed to take foreigners in Naung Cho, a small but interesting 3-5 street trading hub along the trade route from Kyaukme to Pyin-Oo-Lwin.

Burma, 26th Nov - 13th Dec 2K2

Pulau Banding, Northeast Perak, M'sia

Just after sundown from the island itself. Pulau Banding is the only island with a span to the 'mainland' and is within Temenggor Dam, north-east Perak.

A hotspot for fishing, camping & trekking, Temenggor Dam is within a forest reserve & Pulau Banding is within the outer limits of the dam & the only spot with a resort. For the more adventurous out there, take a trek or go by boat to the deeper regions. Last I heard, you can even experience living in a 2 tier boat house which also brings you on a short cruise.

Was there on my annual biking tour through the states of Malaysia in commemoration of Independence Day, 31st August 2K2, from Kuala Lumpur - Teluk Intan - Kuala Lipis - Pulau Banding over 4 exhilirating days of gluttony, merriment & kranking.