Scenic Wonders in Ipoh!

I've been away, travelling within my own country, in the manner we locals like to call 'Cuti-cuti Malaysia' combining sight-seeing with a food trail! We travelled up north from Melaka to Perak, then to Penang Island and down south again to the Cameron Highlands in Pahang. So that's why this blog has been forsaken by its owner for weeks, who went in search of good food, lovely scenery and friendly people.

We'll start with the town of Ipoh in Perak. This year is the "Visit Ipoh" year for Malaysian tourism, so we had to test the vibes in Ipoh, of course.

These photographs were taken at Eco Park, where people go for their jog or walk, feed the catfish in the lake, catch the evening breeze. I can't believe how beautiful this time of the day is, here. I felt privileged to have captured these beautiful images of Ipoh.


The evening breeze...








A sunset made for lovers...

crafted precision
crimson burst of sunset charm
binds two hearts in love



Magical twilight time...






The next morning, from the balcony of the house of our Ipoh friends, I witnessed this beautiful sunrise. I thought this kind of scenery could only be found in far-off lands. But here it was, right in Malaysia, the layers of shades like a Chinese painting of the mountains in China...all here in beautiful Ipoh.

Reflections

What do you see

in the reflection in a lake

mirror images that beguile, or do you

reflect?

Do you ponder on the meaning

of reflections in your life

do you contemplate on the parallels

divine

Some people see the surface 

and miss entirely the depth

the beauty of mountains and skies

replicated

Who would have guessed

at the hidden treasures

that a little contemplation

reveals?

Like an artist's paintbrush
 on compliant canvas dabs

patterns of mountain and sky

expound!

The dramatic unfolding 

of a fiery sunset

or a sunrise dawn against misty mountains

reverberate...

The discovery of wonders

and the wonder of discovery

mysteries for the mind to

speculate!

Linking to:


W4W
Sensational Haiku Wednesday
Poets Rally
Watery Wednesday
Outdoor Wednesday
Share The Joy Thursday
Skywatch Friday
Haiku Heights
Haiku My Heart
Poetry Picnic

Valley of the Yellow Dragon "Fairyland on Earth''

Huanglong or Yellow Dragon Valley, in the Songpan County of Sichuan Province is a world Heritage Site which is so  beautiful that it is known as "Fairyland on Earth''. This valley resembles a yellow dragon winding its way out of the forest, when seen from an aerial view. 

When we were in Huanglong it was mid Autumn, but it might as well have been mid winter! From the plane, we could see the snow-capped mountains piercing through the clouds.That was a spectacular sight, and many of the passengers had their cameras out. There was excitement in the air!







The beauty of the mountains, the brilliant colours of the ponds and the splendour of the luxuriant forests are the inspiration for the songwriters in this region, we are told. Most of the songs they write are not love songs, but are tributes to the scenic beauty.

This is Flying Waterfall on Lotus Platform.

It was a winter wonderland that greeted us as we climbed higher up. Huanglong Valley is 3,000 metres above sea level, you see. The mountains are 5,000 metres!

 

The wooden walkways were covered with frozen ice...

Despite the snow on the ground, the sky was blue, the sun was shining.



It was all in all, a lovely place to visit. We were riding on the back of the Yellow Dragon...how much better could it get?

A Fairyland

from the forests dark
Yellow dragon surges forth
creates the River Min
to stop the disastrous floods
for this gracious deed
Emperor is beholden
the valley is blessed
a fairyland that dazzles  
 ponds' shimmering hues 
beckon and bewitch our minds
what sorcery is this 
that led my wanderings here 
what alchemy seeks 
to overwhelm my senses
I gazed, succumbed to its spell

(a choka form of the waka)




Travel-inspired-Tales

tales of legends, myths
from places where I travel
 I resolve to tell

the tales manifest
the secrets of ancient times
of beings mystic

smell the ambience
taste the local colour
sense the history

(haiku set)

Linking to:
Outdoor Wednesday
Watery Wednesday
Share The Joy Thursday
Skywatch Friday
Sensational Haiku Wednesday (Prompt : Resolve)
Poetry Picnic (Week 20)
Poets Rally (Week 59)
Weekend Reflections
Haiku Heights (Prompt: Travel)
Haiku My Heart
Scenic Sunday
Shadow Shot

Panda Sanctuary

The Panda Sanctuary in the city of Chengdu in Sichuan Province is worth a visit if only to view the antics of the cute pandas. However this place is more than just a sanctuary. It is a research base for the breeding of the Giant Panda. This world-renowned ecological conservation base received the "Global 500" Award from the United Nations Environment Programme in 1995.

It occupies an area of 100 hectares. Apart from their main objective of conservation of wildlife, at the base, the focus is also on the conservation of natural habitats. The whole area is landscaped with 400 kinds of trees including many species of bamboo which also serve as food for the panda bears. Besides bamboo, they are also served bread baked in the Panda Kitchen! Baby pandas are bottle-fed until they are old enough to be weaned.

The babies...having their nap in the shade.

These teenagers below are enjoying their panda bread.

They are surprisingly sure-footed up in the tree.

This is the shot I want to show off to Rachel of 'And Then, She Snapped'!

(A cinquain for poetry picnic, week 18 and for Poets Rally Week 58)

the december of their days

panda's
december days
your wildness forgotten
cradled in bamboo sanctuary
confined

 

Linking to:
Thursday Poets Rally (Week 58)
Poetry Picnic (Prompt - December, Wildness)
Camera Critters
Show Off Your Shot
Macro Monday

Jiuzhaigou Paradise

I had long heard of Jiuzhaigou, and many have extolled the scenic beauty of this famous World Heritage Site in China. The best time to visit, they say, is in autumn, so we chose to go in autumn, of course. I personally had a hankering for taking photographs of autumn scenery, after seeing all the fabulous photographs of autumn in the photoblogs. I found that I couldn't have chosen a better time, or place...


The series of mountains here at Jiuzhaigou reach a height of  4,800 metres and they form a scenic backdrop for the one hundred or so lakes there. This lake reflects the mountains beautifully.



This is part of the Five Flower Lake which is remarkable not only for its beautiful turqouise-blue colour, but also for its mystery. When all the other lakes freeze in winter, this lake remains as it is, all year round! No wonder the locals there refer to this lake as the "soul of Jiuzhaigou". It has a mystical allure that adds to its physical charm.















The virgin forests here are truly impressive in autumn!




The Pearl Shoal Station is a series of shallow rapids that glisten in the sunlight like beads of pearls.







The Pearl Shoal Waterfall, also known as Pearl Beach Waterfall, is one of the more spectacular of the waterfalls found here. I find the upper reaches of this waterfall a delight to photograph. Many people forget to look out for the beauty to be discovered here and they make a beeline for the lower part of the falls to hear the thunderous sound and see the voluminous outpouring of the falls.This view is what they miss.

Surrounded by the delicate beauty of the lakes and the magnificence of the mountains and forests, how could we not be thankful for Nature's gift to us in this paradise called Jiuzhaigou?

For Donna's Words for Wednesday:

Pattern and Texture

there's pattern in paradise 

i declare

the mighty mountains align

in a v-shape design

there are ink-blot patterns so enchanting

i see

the mirror lakes reflect

the mighty mountains that project

patchwork patterns of interest

i observe

in the foliage of green and gold repetitious

on the canopies of lush virgin forests

there's contrast in texture too

i note

when the soft water falls 

down the hard cliff walls

the soft blend with the hard 

i discover

when the soft cottony clouds that float in the sky

blanket the tough rugged peaks as they sail by

yes, there's pattern in paradise

and the wind and the water

harmonize well together

humankind just can't compete with Nature's design

For Poetry Picnic, Haiku Heights and Sensational Haiku Wednesday:

quiet meditation

in Nature's loving embrace

dreamy obsession

Linking to:
W4W
Sensational Haiku Wednesday
Poets Rally
Watery Wednesday
Outdoor Wednesday
Share The Joy Thursday
Skywatch Friday
Haiku Heights
Haiku My Heart
Poetry Picnic

Nov 20, 2011
My thanks to Poetry Picnic for this award for my submission entitled "Pattern and Texture"

appreciation

award humbly acknowledged 

happy heart flaps wings 

I nominate Leo for his poem, Against All Odds