What’s Happened to the Tambun Hot Springs

The Banjaran Hotsprings Retreat, Tambun, Ipoh


This is an example of what else to do with caves, ...yeah, it ain’t all need to be temples.

The Tambun Hot Springs, used to be a popular outing for the kids of Ipoh, and cost next to nothing to enter. Some big company gave it a grand makeover and it’s now a spanking 5-star resort that’ll burn a hole in your wallet, ...err make that 5 holes, at least, just to enter! But of course, it looks a world of a difference now, compared to the ramshackle tin shack of a changing room, ...I don’t actually remember, it was ages ago! Too bad, we didn’t bother taking photos then, heck I was a kid then, what do we know about taking photos!


Hot springs proper, getting ready for a boil


Car park, Banjaran Hotsprings Retreat


Blue’s the theme of the day


A view from the Steam Cave


Justin, on an exploration of the premises




More views of the retreat

Malaysia’s Hindu Cavern

Batu Caves, near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Back to travel blog mode (...what the heck, it’s the easiest way out!)

Continuing on cave temples, Malaysia has its very own Hindu Cave Temple, Batu Caves, just outside Kuala Lumpur. These are natural limestone caves unlike the man-made wonders of Ajanta and Ellora. These are taken ages ago in 2007, way before our little terror came into being.


Anu, at the steps of the Batu Caves temple


The external shrine, Batu Caves


The Batu Caves temple, dedicated to Lord Murugan, is the focal point of the Tamil festival Thaipusam, where people pierce different parts of their body with spears and you name it to prove their devotion or to repay a debt to their god or for whatever reasons. Not for the fainthearted




Views of the cave interior, Batu Caves

Of Travel Blogs, and Other Things

It’s midnight now and I’m bloody sleepy, still at the office. Anu has some urgent matters to attend to in Pune, on the way now to pick me up. Pune’s 2 bloody hours away by car. We have only one measly key to the apartment, because she’s there all the time (except this one time), so there’s no need to keep a spare key... or so we thought.

My brains are fried, can’t properly work anymore. So here’s a go at blogging. Will regret what I blog tonight, I think, ...but what the heck! It’s been a long time since I’ve blogged about anything, but our holidays. It’s turning into a bloody travel blog. Not that I have anything against travel blogs, but this is supposed to be a blog about my life. It’s supposed to be for me (or anyone for that matter, ...I’m thinking son, wife at least) to reminisce when I’m old and half-senile, and when I can’t recall half of what happened the hour before (hope it’ll never come to that).

One consolation I can give myself is that this blog is just about the only family blog left that’s still consistently updated. Don’t believe me? Check out the family links beside. I doubt anyone reads blogs now, but as I’ve said before, this is for the future’s sake.

Anyway, I’m shutting down now. Will try to partially sleep for a while (on the office desk) coz I don’t fancy behaving like a zombie in the office tomorrow. I’m not in my primes now, the bones ache when I sleep on one side too much, a tooth has cracked for no apparent reason, am getting crankier by the day, am shrinking ...I think (gotta really start working out again). Till another chance like this comes along, ta...