They Call it "The God's Window"

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Fret not! Part of my South Africa posting in the year 2009 has not ended yet. As part of my final trip in South Africa, namely the Kruger National Park, I took the chance to drop by God’s Window which is part of the Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve.
God’s Window is a popular vantage point along the Drakensberg escarpment in Mpumalanga Province of South Africa. The name God’s Window is for the panoramic view of the Lowveld which is more than 900 m down into lush indigenous forest clad ravine. The cliffs plunge over 700 metres to the Lowveld which means it is as high as the Penang Hill. Remember the famous 1980 cult film The Gods Must Be Crazy? God’s Window features prominently in the plot whereby the indigenous Bushman character travels to God’s Window, and due to some low-lying cloud cover believes it to be the end of the Earth.
On a clear day it is possible to see the Kruger National Park towards the Lebombo Mountains on the border with Mozambique. Just one look down and you will begin to understand why it is called "God's Window". Such majestic observation of the hills and forests are as far as the eye can see!

Source: Wikipedia, 2012

One of the panoramic vantage point overlooking the whole forest area.

a mini 'rainforest' along the walkway towards the window

Lots of pine trees all over and can you see the background of this photo? majestic!

700 meters high view!

close-up view of the forests...actually deforestation is happening here but according to the locals these trees are farmed for paper and the cleared area are being planted with new trees again. Well is it sustainable? You can decide!

From the other side of the vantage point

That's me as a proof that I was there during the winter!

Pilgrim's Rest: An Old Gold Mining Town

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Fancy visiting an old gold mining town? There’s one in South Africa. South Africa is not just famous for diamond mines but also gold mines. Old is Gold. The place is called Pilgrim’s Rest (Afrikaans: Pelgrimsrus). Sounds like some pilgrimage’s hotel eh? It is a small town in the Mpumalanga province of South Africa which has been declared a national monument. Pilgrim’s Rest was the location of an emergency mint during the Second Boer War. This mint struck the famous and extremely rare Veld Pond
Historically, it was officially declared agold field in September 1873, As expected, the town suddenly grew to 1,500inhabitants searching for alluvial gold. Towards the end of the 19th centuryclaims were bought up and underground mining started by the company known asTGME. However in the year 1971, the mine was closed down in 1971 and thevillage sold to the government as a national museum without any apparentreason. But Transvaal Gold Minings Estates, currently part of the listedcompany of Simmers and Jack (please google it, I have no idea about thiscompany), started gold mining again in 1998.
Fortunately, the town’s originalarchitecture remains largely unchanged since then, because the town wasdeclared a National Monument in 1986.
Source: Wikipedia, 2012

An old general dealer shop, Bourke & Co. which was opened at that time for general trading

An old cafe

For you to enjoy the cool atmosphere

An old post office to cater the miner at that time

Do visit Scott's Cafe for Pancakes and Souvenirs

On the left: A backpackers' Hostel, On the right: A horse cart for the rich

Ever wondered the kind of tools used for gold mining?

An old assay furnace

If I am not mistaken, this is a water pump during their times to pump water into the mining tunnel

That's an ore bucket

Some photographic history of Pilgrim's Rest

Another mini furnace

An African kid demonstrating on how to deal/push the mining cart

an old gold cart with the rail together

They even have a mini game machine. That is the  The Big Six Gambling Machine, The Gaille Eclipse

A museum collection of vintage cars 

An African lady (momma) performing the balancing act. She was selling delicious macadamia nuts. Mind you, the mommas are really pro in this kind of balancing act. You can actually see many of them in the streets. Instead of using their hand to carry some huge stuff, they balance it on their head 

An old pub/bar for the miner to enjoy their drinks. Did you notice that on the right hand side of this photo, there is a collection of foreign bank notes? That was in year 2009. I guess by now there are even more notes 

Instead of me getting a souvenir, I gave the bar, RM5 as a souvenir with my signature 

with this mark i left, I really hope that I will be able to return to Pilgrim's Rest again sometime in the near future!

The Fort A Famosa: Malacca's Pride

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A Famosa, the famous name for one of the oldest surviving European fort in Asia situated in Melaka (Malacca). From what I have studied in the history class, the A Famosa was built by the famous Portuguese admiral Alfonso de Albuquerque after they defeated the Malacca Sultanate in the year 1511. Unknown to me until now, A Famosa actually means ‘The Famous’ in Portuguese. The fort changed hands in the year 1641 when the Dutch defeated the Portuguese. The gate was renovated in the year 1670 with a logo ANNO 1670 on the gate’s arch which represents the Dutch East India Company.
In the 19^th century, the fort changed hands againwhen the Dutch handed it over to the British to prevent it from falling intothe hands of Napoleon? Hmm interesting facts although I have never learnedabout it in the history class. Since the maintenance of the fort was quite costly, thedestruction of the fortress was carried out in the year 1806. Fortunately,during the demolition period, Sir Stamford Raffles, who is the founder of theSingapore intervened it because of his passion for history. Thanks to him, thecurrent gate, Portade Santiago is what part of the remaining A Famosa.

The pride of Malacca, The Porta de Santiago of Fort A Famosa

More close up shot of the Porta de Santiago

The back view of the gate of A Famosa from the rear

The logo of the Dutch East India Company

A close-up shot of the wall of A Famosa, consumed by time~

                    

The old inside view of the A Famosa, 

And that's me with the left cannon of the A Famosa

Erawan Museum: Thailand's Gargantuan Three Headed Elephant

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Since I am heading to Bangkok by tomorrow morning, I guess I should write a post on Thailand first. This time it's about the not so known place in Bangkok.
Erawan Museum, even when the name is mentioned..I guess not many have heard about this cool museum. Unknown to many Bangkok visitors, this gargantuan three headed Elephant museum is situated at Samut Prakan Province which is part of the Bangkok Metropolitan City. Weighing 250 tonnes, towering 29 meters high, and 39 meters long, this pure cast copper statue took ten years to be constructed. Inside the towering museum consists of three levels according to Buddhist cosmology. Let's take a look what's inside. Mind that the photos were all captured in the year 2008 by my old faithful Sony DSC H-1.

Beautiful lotus pond surrounding the Erawan Museum

Inside the museum, you will be greeted by lots of carvings and arts according to Buddhist Cosmology

That is the carvings depicting the Demon King Mara. In Buddhism, Mara is the demon that tempted Gautama Buddha by trying to seduce him with the vision of beautiful women who are Mara's daughters. In Buddhist cosmology, Mara personifies unwholesome impulses, unskillfulness, the "death" of the spiritual life. He is a tempter, distracting humans from practicing the spiritual life by making the mundane alluring or the negative seem positive.

 On the left: Carving of Thai influenced Buddhist DeityOn the right: Jade Buddha Statue

That's me 4 years ago!

If you look up, you can see one huge beautiful and colorful glass art

The glass art is a mix of western and eastern design accompanied by Buddhist Cosmology theme

Beautiful carvings of Naga on Silver plate

Another interesting carvings I have accidentally stumbled upon is the silver carvings of Jesus Christ giving sermons to the people and also during his death on the cross. 

This is my favourite...very beautiful carvings of a giant fish especially its scales

One of the beautiful antiques being exhibited there

At the top, inside the belly of the Elephant is a place depicting one of the heavens in Buddhist Cosmology, the TrÄ�yastriṃśa  (Tavatimsa) heaven.
In this floor, there is a Buddha statue located here. Of course, the Lord Buddha does not dwell in this realm.
That's all for now. ! Enjoy!