Who is Online

We have 98 guests and no members online

 

 

In February 2011 we travelled to Malaysia.  I was surprised to see modern housing estates in substantial numbers during our first cab ride from the Airport to Kuala Lumpur.  It seemed more reminiscent of the United Arab Emirates than of the poorer Middle East or of other developing countries in SE Asia.  Our hotel was similarly well appointed.

 

 

 

Getting About

 

After a few days in Kuala Lumpur we flew north to Penang and then drove down the peninsula to Malacca, with a side trip to the Cameron Highlands overnight, then back to Kuala Lumpur.  

Click here to see the slide show...

 

Because they drive on the same side travelling on Malaysia's roads is very similar to driving in Australia.  And the road engineering is very similar in terms of the road surface and hardware like guard rails and signage.  It is easy sitting in a car on the expressway to think that you are driving in some tropical part of Australia. 

You immediately realise you are not in Australia when you stop to refuel, rest or eat.  There are no giant air conditioned cafeterias.  Instead there are several, or many, small food stalls and a large roofed over area with seating; as well as basins for hand washing.  At some there may be an alternative small air conditioned café, typically a food franchise such as McDonald's or Dunk'n Doughnuts.  Notably absent are the many very large trucks we have on Australian roads.  But there are many familiar names on billboards and on the few English speaking stations on the car radio, including Harvey Norman and the usual American franchises.

For most of the road trip we travelled on a six lane highway with a nominal speed limit of 110 kilometres per hour.  But at this speed almost all the traffic overtakes the law abiding.  I quickly applied my rule that I should not be overtaken by more than one or two cars a minute.  I found that the speed of between 120 and 140 kilometres an hour was about right.  Nevertheless we were still frequently pulling over to allow faster traffic past.  On one occasion a BMW travelling at at least 180 kilometres an hour overtook the bunch of traffic that we were travelling in by driving along the near-side shoulder; this is sealed but not a traffic lane and obviously intended for breakdowns or roadside maintenance; not for swerving onto at over 100 miles an hour.

On two or three occasions we saw police radar traps but they seem to have little effect on the speed of traffic.  The Malaysians may subscribe to the theory that allowing traffic to travel faster than the nominal limit in fine weather increases vehicle volume per hour and optimises the road infrastructure.  But they haven't taken this to the extent of the police in Germany who pursue slow cars with megaphones and tell them to get over; out of the way of those who want to travel faster.

Even on secondary or tertiary roads in the Highlands I was amazed to see the level of sophisticated engineering with elaborate terracing and hillside stabilisation and substantial drainage works.  These roads were extremely winding often with linked s-bends but correctly cambered.  Once off the expressway, Malaysian driving skill seems to vary dramatically, between appalling, hesitant at 20 kilometres per hour; to amazing.

On several occasions I was overtaken between hairpin bends that would challenge The Stig from Top Gear, by expensive German cars that generally disappeared into the distance as quickly as they had appeared. 

Although statistically the chances of being killed in a car accident in Malaysia are about three times higher than they are in Australia we didn't see any car accidents over the four days that we had the car; or at any other time.  Malaysia's road accident record has improved dramatically over the past few years as road conditions have improved and drivers have become more skilled.

No comments

Travel

India and Nepal

 

 

Introduction

 

In October 2012 we travelled to Nepal and South India. We had been to North India a couple of years ago and wanted to see more of this fascinating country; that will be the most populous country in the World within the next two decades. 

In many ways India is like a federation of several countries; so different is one region from another. For my commentary on our trip to Northern India in 2009 Read here...

For that matter Nepal could well be part of India as it differs less from some regions of India than do some actual regions of India. 

These regional differences range from climate and ethnicity to economic wellbeing and religious practice. Although poverty, resulting from inadequate education and over-population is commonplace throughout the sub-continent, it is much worse in some regions than in others.

Read more: India and Nepal

Fiction, Recollections & News

Dune: Part Two

Back in 2021 I went to see the first installment of ‘DUNE’ and was slightly 'put out' to discover that it ended half way through the (first) book.

It was the second big-screen attempt to make a movie of the book, if you don’t count the first ‘Star Wars’, that borrows shamelessly from Frank Herbert’s Si-Fi classic, and I thought it a lot better.

Now the long-awaited second part has been released.

 

Directed by Denis Villeneuve
Screenplay by Denis Villeneuve, Jon Spaihts
Based on Dune by Frank Herbert
Starring Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Austin Butler' Florence Pugh, Dave Bautista
Christopher Walken, Léa Seydoux, Souheila Yacoub, Stellan Skarsgård, Charlotte Rampling, Javier Bardem
Cinematography Greig Fraser, Edited by Joe Walker
Music by Hans Zimmer
Running time 165 minutes

 

 

Read more: Dune: Part Two

Opinions and Philosophy

Climate Change - a Myth?

 

 

 

Back in 2015 a number of friends and acquaintances told me that Climate Change is a myth.

Half a decade on and some still hold that view.  So here I've republished a slightly longer version of the same article.

Obviously the doubters are talking about 'Anthropogenic Global Warming', not disclaiming actual changes to the climate.  For those of us of a 'certain age' our own experience is sufficient to be quite sure of that the climate is continuously changing. During our lifetimes the climate has been anything but constant.  Else what is drought and flood relief about?  And the ski seasons have definitely been variable. 

Read more: Climate Change - a Myth?

Terms of Use

Terms of Use                                                                    Copyright