Port Klang Views #10 - The Rain Came Pouring Down.

We didn't even make it to the restaurant as the rain was really dumping their load on us. We took temporary shelter in a hut where we moored our boat to wait for the tears from heaven to ease. The captain of course has to be the last one off the boat so he absorbed a bit more moisture than us.

Looked at the water to see how heavy the rain was. We could afford to laugh now safely under the little hut. I loved the atmosphere surrounded by the rain, cooled by moisture laden sea breeze. Sitting on a table looking out at the sea, chatting with friends while the rain played their symphony for us – what more does one need? Except maybe a cup of hot coffee?

The Perlama restaurant - so near yet so far. But it was all right. It was comfy enough where we were. We may change our tune when our stomach got a bit hungrier but we can wait if the heaven don't cry too long.

The rain continued... and it was a pleasure just hanging back taking it all leisurely in. Kurau's boat is taking in water. We will have to scoop it all out later.

Big drops of water falling from our roof and the millions of tiny drops on the water.

Dusk is approaching. See the big droplets of water dripping down from the roof. The scene was hazy and took on a romantic air. Maybe I should have asked Kurau to compose a poem.

This fisherman took his boat out in the rain. I'm not sure why when the rains come, fisherman will take out their boat for a spin. To wash it? But it could do just as well where they sit. When one travels, one comes across many mysteries like this (for those who are uninitiated). We wish we know more but often there is no one to explain. But even if we don't know, there is nothing to stop us from enjoying and appreciating the simple beauty of life.

Maybe not all things should have an answer like what is this fisherman doing in the rain?

Soaked to the skin and I suspected he is enjoying it.

Next episode: A Man & His Boat In The Rain...

Port Klang Views #9 - South Port, Port Klang - III

We drove into the dark hole that appeared too narrow for the boat.

Beneath the wharf, a completely different atmosphere prevailed. The world seemed helmed in and the waves lapping against the pillars echoed eerily through the cavern. The boat bumped and scrapped against their sides.

The mad captain pulled against the upper beams to urge his boat forward.

With a groan, it propelled itself towards the light and sea.

And we slid out into the open sea again. This is the hole through which we exited. Even this wall facing the sea was not free from graffiti.

By now, it had started to drizzle so we headed for the railway bridge spanning Sungei Auf for shelter.

We turned our boat towards the bridge.

At this stage, the rain was still not heavy so we thought we could stay under the bridge temporarily to wait it out. Noticed that there were a number of guys fishing on the bridge.

But it suddenly rained in earnest and the bridge offered scant protection. The sky just opened up and dumped the rain down on us. We decided to make a rush for the Perlama restaurant to take shelter there. The fishing kakis cheered us on while they celebrated the rain's arrival. For them, the fun's just begun.

We were beginning to get wet. I covered my camera as best as I can but still continued to take shots under the cover of my hat.

Next: It rained cats and dogs...

A Walk Through The Town Of Lubeck - #2

Our first stop is the St. Mary’s Church. It is the third largest church building in Germany and the first Gothic style brick church and served as the inspiration for other such churches in the Baltic region. It is also home to the world’s largest mechanical organ.

Gothic style architecture are quite imposing and solemn. Looked at how tall it is considering that it is a single floor.

This old style residential building stood opposite the church. It too is imposing and a little drab from the exterior.

But look how much improvement a few pots of flowers can do for the place.

This is a beautiful aisle with columns lining on one side and Moorish (I think) arch spanning overhead.

It was already June and is early summer but the weather is cool. I liked the contrast this giant tree provided in healthy green against the light brown brick wall.

And on the globe over the other side of the fence was stuck a yellow cross. Somehow reminded me of King Arthur's sword - Excalibur.

Away from the bright sunlight, the room appeared momentarily dark but it actually is quite high given the very tall ceiling and windows. I loved the beauty of stained glass and there are many fine examples in this church.

There are finely detailed writings in the old language and exquisite drawings painted on the walls. Many works of arts can be found within.

These bandaged crosses at one corner of the church are memorials of the horror of War. The church itself had been bombed and destroyed during World War II. As we walked along and looked at these monuments, I could not help also noticed the number epitaphs and prayers dedicated to kings and statesmen who fought war in the name of religion. I mentioned this irony to Hendrik the ambiguity of religion. On one hand, we preached the sanctity of life and on the other hand we blessed those who killed in the name of our religion. I was a little surprised how strongly he agreed with me.

What a beautifully crafted work of art.

Crucified Jesus with a missing arm.

The last supper in marble.

Looked at the beautiful painted columns and how high they reached up to meet equally beautiful arched ceilings.

You cannot imagine the feeling of awe as you were dwarfed by this fantastic architecture.

These codes were placed at regular intervals on the wall of the church. I asked Hendrik what they meant and he had no idea too. I joked we should try to decipher these quotes before we leave Lubeck. We saw a different set of number in another church. It was there that we cracked the secret with the help of a local. Do you know what they mean? If you don’t read future posts to find out.

These are the original bells of the church that fell down and embedded on the floor during a raid in World War II. They are left where they dropped to remind everyone of the war. Though silent, the bell still rang out its warning to every visitors who witnessed how it landed from great heights.

We came out into the sunshine again and were greeted with these beautiful blooms.

To be continued...

A Walk Through The Town Of Lubeck - #1

Think I will have a change of pace and place in Ghost Walk and take you to Lubeck, Germany which I visited in Summer last year. Lubeck is the second largest city in Northern Germany and one of its major port.

This is the Holstentor or “HolstenGate” and formed part of the medieval fortification of the city. Most of the former outer fortifications had been destroyed and there are no longer any evident of their existence. Holstentor now housed a museum about the city’s history.

This plaque is on one of the wall of the arch (connecting the two round towers) that we walked under.

This is the miniature representation of the city in medieval time. Noticed the massive fortifications that extended beyond Holsten’s Gate. Many of the buildings in the mock-up are still standing.

On the top floor, several stories up, I took this series of pictures with my maximum zoom. They were tricky shots trying to capture the bright images through the tiny observations windows of the darkened room. So I positioned my camera on one of the ancient torture machine used to stretch the victims drawing amusement from other patrons of the museum. The consolation was I was happy with some of the shots I took.

This picture is one of a series I took of a weary traveler taking a rest not knowing she is being observed and shot. You can see the rest of the pictures by clicking on this - “View From A Tower Window”.

This is the back view of Holstein Gate. It is not optical illusion (though that exaggerated the effect) for the building is tilting and sinking slightly.

This is the view of the town which is actually an island surrounded by waterways. The road appeared wide because this is the main entrance into town but they gradually gave way to picturesque small roads and alleys. Lubeck was quite heavily bombed during the Second Second War and sustained heavy damages.

This is the side view of the Lubeck Cathedral. We will entering soon to have a look. It is a majestic building. Noted the unglazed brown bricks and compared the against the glazed black bricks below.

This is the Town Hall. The coats of arms and emblems really stood out against the glazed black bricks. Although a little grim, they gave the building a an imposing look.

Here the white painted building contrasted against the black and brown tiles and green protruding spires.

Here is another view. This is the beginning of my walk. Accompanying me was a good German friend Hendrik who luckily for me also liked to go for long walks and who is very tolerant of my photo taking as he also do the same in his travel. Tune in and go for a walk with me through the town of Lubeck and see what I saw.

To be continued...

The Atlanta Hotel, Bangkok - #7 (The Lobby).

This is the oldest Bangkok hotel lobby in its original state. It is also the most photographed hotel lobby in Thailand. It has a charm all its own. I’m not a great fan of retro look but have to admit that in Atlanta’s case, it did not appear cheap or glitzy but classy and unique.

This view is taken as I was descending from the stairs which is on the right of the first photo.

The switchboard is positively antique. I never expect to admire the beauty of a switchboard.

So is this simple chandelier hanging from the ceiling. At the bottom left of the picture is the rule and information book containing all sorts of interesting info that is both enlightening and amusing.

On ground level, this is the view from one end of the small lobby. Towards the end is the library and computers with internet connections. It has added some modern amenities.

This is the view of the other end showing the curving stairs and a reading corner.

This is the place you can sit to wait for your guest or to do some reading. The picture handing on the wall is that of the founder, Dr. Max Henn, a German adventurer, pharmacologist, boatbuilder and munitions-manufacturer.

That’s me taking a photo of the mirror showing the portrait of Mukda Buresbamrungkarn, a Thai aristocrat who married Dr. Max Henn.

The lobby is not a large empty space as most hotels are but many little corners having its own individual character.

This is our final look at this famous hotel lobby before we leaved. I’m sure I’ll be back one day. Would not mind staying here for an extended period of time while I took the opportunity to explore Bangkok and be one of the guests the hotel is famous for – “gentleman of leisure”.

As I left, I reminded of the little things in this hotel that made my stay there worthwhile. This seemed to be exemplified by the modern doll with hands clasped in a traditional Thai welcome next to this antique summoning bell on the reception table.

The End.

The Atlanta Hotel, Bangkok - #6 (The Stairs).

The stairs of the three floors of the Atlanta make for very interesting photography. The earth brown brick wall, the curving black solid wood banister, the light blue ceiling with the yellow border, the circular patterned metal bars, the winding steps all contrasted beautifully to give an intricately appealing look.

From the first floor, I looked up and saw the stairs leading up, inviting. As if there are a world to be discovered up there.

View of the first and second floor together.

This shot captured all three floors, each entirely different from the other. The light at the highest floor that shone on the brick wall was an invitation to discovery. The figure standing at the lighted corridor of the first floor struck a lonely figure. While the brightly lighted ground floor and lobby promised gaiety and warmth.

Contrast the two different worlds – the dimly lighted corridor and brightly lighted lobby, both empty.

Another angle from the corridor of the first floor to the lobby.

The simple yet beautiful pattern of the ornamental ironwork contrasted against the painted wall.

The steps leading down into the lobby.

From the stairs looking down at the lobby.

From the stairs looking down at the lobby from the other side.

The stairs opening out to the lobby.

The same view reversed on the mirror hanging on the wall.

The Atlanta Hotel, Bangkok - #5 (The Swimming Pool).

The Atlanta was the first hotel in Bangkok to have a swimming pool as this sign proudly declared. This was the original pool built in 1954. It said that everything you see is original except the water.

The pool itself is not in perfect condition but pretty good considering its age. As can be seen, there are many broken tiles. However the poolside had hold up pretty well.

The decoration of this place is quite interesting and is a throwback to the 1950s. It is quaint and yet has its own appeal.

If you need any service, just ring this bell.

And if you looked at the old pictures of guests in the pool area, you can imagine what this pool has witnessed the last 50 odd years

There were many old newspaper cuttings related to this swimming pool.

And many interesting pieces of history.

Lazy deck chairs by the poolside are expected but it is unusual to find hammocks.

I could not help climbing into one and put up my feet. If I do not have to rush for a meeting, I would have taken a nap here.

Or called for a drink and read a book by the pool.

And it is even lovelier if you have a friend to have a friendly chat over a beer at night.

The first hotel swimming pool in Thailand is now a grand old dame and she is still going strong after 50 odd years.

Port Klang Views #8 - South Port, Port Klang - II

I asked Kurau to make a map of our journey that day when we took the boatride round South Port, to Bagan Hailam, the Yacth Club, back to South Port, Restaurant Perlama and then on to West Port, back from West Port we cut through Pulau Indah to come out of Laguna Park and then round Pulau Indah from the other end back to South Port again. Pretty ineffective explaining all these without a map isn't it?


But that Kurau just won't make me a map. One day after coming back Digital mall in PJ, he took me to his house and gave me a 5 minutes lesson on how to make a map myself. That man!! Anyway, below is the result. Please excuse the very crude effort as this is my FIRST map and I'm still proud of it despite its defect. This is the journey I've traveled with you so far - that is back to South Port. You can now visualize our journey better.


The journey will continue from this point later -

This is the map Kurau later did which showed the whole journey we took to supplement the one I made.

This is another view of FFM Berhad that produce all your wheat flour. Notice the bottom of the wharf. Crazy Ikan wanted to take us under them.

We passed by this crane lifting what appeared to be a pipe. Socoil factory is just behind this scene and they and other companies probably used this pipe to pump palm oil to bulk ship.

Passed by this brightly colored vessel. Its construction is different from the other ships. Not sure what type of vessel it was.

This ship was still loading or unloading cargoes. Was surprised that they are still doing it when rain threatened to pour any minute now. Usually, when rain is so eminent, the captain will stop any activities because he is responsible for the cargoes.

We had by now sailed to the end of the wharf. You can see the railway bridge ahead. It was already raining in some areas by now. The dark streaks coming down from the sky were rains.

We went under this bridge first.

Then we turned the boat around and aimed for the narrow hole that looked too narrow to accommodate the boat. We asked Kurau if he was sure. He laughed which did not put us at ease at all.

We drove straight for the hole accompanied by the hideous laughter of our insane captain...

Tune in for the next episode of the mad captain of high sea...

Port Klang Views #7 - South Port, Port Klang.

These boats sat like a pair of Mandarin Ducks in the open sea affectionately close disregarding the rest of the traffic, floating and bopping on the water.

We took a loop and headed back to South Port wharf. You can see the storm clouds being blown towards the direction we were heading. "Hope it doesn't rain". Out in the water, we can only hope can we? There is no shelter in the open sea or is there?

The tall building in the background is the old building of Federal Flour Mills. It has now been shifted to Pulau Indah. The tall round concrete structures are silos used to store grains. It was sad to see the sorry state of the building after it has been vacated. Some of the side paneling has been torn down (probably stolen) leaving ugly gaps. That end visible to us is the Feed Mill and the Flour Mill is blocked by it and the silo. This is one of the most successful and largest food company in Malaysia and their products goes into most of the food you eat everyday be it roti chanai, noodles, bread, cakes, cookies, biscuits, steam buns, etc. Their two most famous brands are "Blue Key" and "Anchor".

This ship is an ugly rusty bucket.

Contrast it against this grand old dame. There is a beauty in wooden ship that iron ship just cannot match. Though it is unpainted and undecorated, it possessed a natural beauty that is a delight to behold.

The front end of the ship. Not sure if it the cargo was waiting to be loaded on or had just finished been unloaded.

Just a simple ship - so simple that it looked almost like an enlarged toy.

Up on the wharf was this worker in his bicycle tapping away short messages on his handphone. Notice the pillars holding up the wharf. We will go hunting for things beneath it soon.

Further down was a security officer recording some information in his notebook. Maybe he is noting down Kurau's particular as "suspicious sightings".

We looked under the wharf as directed by Kurau, not knowing what to find. And there we have them. Two men on the bank fishing - this would not be permitted area for fishing. Kurau knows all the spots because he had fished in all of them before.

To be continued...

The Atlanta Hotel, Bangkok - #4 (The Garden).

The Atlanta has a small garden that is also a mini-jungle with fully grown trees and a slightly unkempt look that gave it a more authentic atmosphere than a perfectly manicured one.

You can comes across beautiful blooms or…

tall slender palms tree that provided a complete shade from the tropical sun.

This is the path that leads directly from the hotel lobby to the swimming pool. The garden is in-between and to both sides.

To the left, you came to a gated section that is partially hidden from the rest of the hotel. There is a lazy reclining chair inside. You can push the creaking iron gate to step into a little secluded world of its own. Considering that the hotel is so small, it is amazing that this little spot can give one so much solitude.

Like the rest of the hotel, there are surprising little finds littered all over the place.

Like this little Thai shrine hanging with fresh garden that all at once gave it an exotic atmosphere that is uniquely distinct.

Almost hidden by the plants is the coy figurine of a naked lady trying to shield herself. A rather erotic figure that gave you pause for it arose the same feeling as you would, had you stumble on a real bathing lady by accident.

On the other hand, you had a different sort of strange feeling when you came across this statue holding up the light like the statue of liberty. It would have been totally out of place in the company of the shrine and naked lady had this place been anything but The Atlanta. For here, a mish-mash of objects seemed perfectly acceptable even given its incongruity.

If you chose the path on the right, you came across this sign informing you of the oldest inhabitants of the hotel – Archibald and Doris who lived in this pond with their children. The hotel placed more importance to them and the cats than you, their guests especially if you misbehaved.

This must be one of the little one.

Across the pond, I saw the workers’ quarters. Through the screen, I saw this hotel worker ironing the bed-sheet. Thought it made an interesting picture.

Every section of the hotel has its distinct character unlike any you have made. This is a hotel with personality and as you acquaint yourself more with it, you tends to think it is one with multiple personalities.

The Atlanta Hotel, Bangkok - #3 (The Guests).

Some of you may wonder why I am writing so much about – “just a hotel”. That is because it is NOT just a hotel. I am quite sure it is the most written about hotel in South East Asia. All you have to do is to just google “The Atlanta Hotel, Bangkok” and you will easily find hundreds of write-ups on this small hotel with only 59 rooms. Go ahead and read some of the reviews. I am not writing a review of this hotel of which there are already so many and better written than what I could manage. I’m giving a personal account of my stay there and things that caught my eyes so in case you want to give the hotel a try, you’ll know more or less what to expect. It is more to document my stay. Unfortunately, due to the very limited time I spent there; the photography was done in a bit of a rush usually in-between waiting for my guests to arrive and left much to be desired. I wished it could be better especially those taken at night.

I had stayed in many hotels before; from no stars to five stars, from resort to luxury hotels. But in none of them had there been ever a stranger and fellow guest who walked up to me and said “this is just great, isn’t it?” This man (I didn’t even get his name) from Belgium walked up to me and said exactly that. In the picture, he is surfing the internet which is available for free at the end of the corridor opposite the library. The guests in this hotel are not your usual mix of tourists and businessmen.

Yes, there is a library in this hotel and you can borrow them to read. Have you ever seen a hotel in Asia with such a collection?

There are books everywhere and there is even a place for book exchange. You can take any book from this section if you will drop one in exchange.

These are just examples of the many articles written by well-known newspaper, travel magazines and even books on this hotel.

Many books have been written about this hotel. In fact, it was in one of this that I learned about it and resolved to make a trip there to experience it myself. I read about it in the book with the yellow cover in the picture above - “Best Travel Writing 2006”.

This hotel is very popular with writers especially and many wanted to leave their mark behind. They either wrote about the hotel, or autographed books they have written or just scribbled something to be left behind. Some of these are displayed in the showcase

You wonder how many writers have sat here and wrote something. If I had the time, I would have done the same to see if just by sitting there where past writers sat, whether I will get the inspiration to write something good.

There was even a movie made in this hotel. It was “Black Magic” and the theme was quite similar to many B grade Asian horror stories about a beautiful Thai girl who got raped and used black magic to get her revenge. Thailand is famous for its powerful black magic. You can find all sort of strange things about this hotel.

So who are the people who frequented this hotel? There are people on a budget who took advantage of the low rates that the hotel charged as it was not run on a profit motive. While, there are cheaper hotels; there is not one that can offer the same value for money in its location, reputation, safety, and overall quality.

But the more interesting guests are those who could easily afford to stay elsewhere including 5 stars hotel but choose to stay here because of its character. These are the guests that appreciated The Atlanta for what it is. A uniqueness and slice of history that is priceless. As mentioned, they may be writers, models, movie stars, directors, artists, anyone who appreciates timeless beauty (with its imperfection). Some of the guests stayed there for months on end.

I and my friend are anomalies. We were in Thailand for business. Most of the guests were not. I chose to forgo a night stay in Conrad Hilton for a night here. My Thai friends who knew all the best hotels in Bangkok were shocked. They have never heard of the Atlanta or understand why I wanted to stay there. It is sad that this heritage was largely forgotten by the locals. It is the foreigners who valued it as a discovery. Except for a pretty Japanese woman who seemed to be traveling alone, we were the only Asian in the hotel.

I wished I was on a holiday so I could make friends with some of my fellow guests like this pretty lady pouring over the interesting menu that includes a meal called “weeping tiger”.

I liked the thought of staying there one day where I had all the time in the world. So I know I will be back.

Cast Your Vote For Malaysia!

Dear Fellow Malaysians!

I take this opportunity to remind ALL -

...to do your duty this Saturday...

...and VOTE...

...WISELY....

...FOR THE FUTURE OF OUR NATION!

The Atlanta Hotel, Bangkok - #2 (The AH! Restaurant).

The night I arrived I peeped into Atlanta’s restaurant which is simply named “AH!” So I exclaimed ah! as I looked into this famous restaurant that in its heyday, someone no less than the Queen of Thailand would dropped in for afternoon tea. It boasted of the largest selection of vegetarian dishes in the whole of Thailand though it also served meat dishes. I knew my tight program in Thailand would not allow much time to savor its food but I resolve that I must at least have a couple of meals here.

This is how the restaurant looked like from the outside of the hotel.

I told my Thai friend not to pick me up for breakfast the next morning so I could try the food here myself. This is how the restaurant looked (viewed from the inside to the entrance) in daylight.

My friend had this omelette. They served both local as well as Western breakfast. Their menu list is indeed very long with some interesting names such as “Weeping Tiger” which I saved for lunch.

I went for something much more substantial. It was a large bowl of plain porridge with three side dishes to go along. There was a fried egg, dried prawns and seasoned pork, both cooked with various herbs and spices. They were salty, savory, slightly spicy, sourish with the specific taste of the individual spices giving a myriad of tastes which add wonderful flavor to the plain but fragrant porridge. An excellent breakfast and very filling.

And I had it with this thick aromatic cup of coffee in the hotel specially minted cup.

Before the food came, I explored the restaurant for there are many interesting memorabilia like this testimony written by the Heavy Photographic Squadron Sixty-one of the US Pacific Fleet in 1957. This hotel has gone through several transformations, from one of the earliest hotel in Bangkok enjoying good reputation and patronage from the well-to-do to being a hotel favored by US Army. Then they went through a bad patch as it fell on hard time and frequented by sex tourists and drug addicts. Then, it was rescued and much of its history and glory restored by the son of the owner as his heritage. That explained the hotel’s aversion to sex tourists and its strict departure from its most recent past.

I was concentrating on taking the photo of this framed mirror on which was written part of the history of the hotel when I heard a voice asking me to stop in Thai. I sensed what it meant but ignore it. Then the protest came in English. I ignored that too until a stern thin old lady that was taller came and stood besides me. “No Photo” she reproached. I humbly said “sorry” and gave her my best smile which did not melt any ice.

She was obviously the supervisor in this restaurant. The workers in this establishment are all rather “strange” by which I meant they all exhibited individual characteristics and not like the standard all smiles fawning expression of large hotel staff. They appeared very much at home and treated you very casually but not impolitely. You have to win them over and your status as a guest does not guarantee automatic friendliness. In short, they behave as a normal human being and treat you as one. If you want them to treat you like a friend, you have to be a friend first.

My friend did not like the curt unsmiling way she served us and complained that she was all smiles to the next table. “Maybe she likes Westerners better”. I did not think so and said that I get through to her before our trip is up.

This is what we called the “Love Seat”. It is elevated and higher than the rest of the seats and is right in the middle of the wall at the end of the restaurant. Only soft music is played in the restaurant depending on the time of the day, classical, jazz and even the King’s favorite.

I had the pork porridge for the next morning’s breakfast. It was good. I always liked the porridge I have in Thailand and preferred them to most other Asian countries whether it is Taiwan, Japan, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia or Singapore. Maybe it is because they are usually more savory and stronger tasting which suits my palate better.


During breakfast I worked up my charms without too much success. It was during dinner that the supervisor came and rearranged the way the dishes are placed. I smiled at her fastidious manner. I tried engaging her in small talk. She walked away and came back when our “Weeping Tiger” (thin slices of seasoned pork) was served. She was not happy with the way the meat was cooked and asked us. We told her it was alright. She was still not satisfied and advised us to have it re-cooked as pork should not be eaten too raw. We followed her advice. Then she gave us more explanations about the food we ate. Finally, we were able to bring a smile to her face. It was the “Weeping Tiger’ that did it. So every staff in Atlanta is a character, not the smiling faces you will forget the minute you leave a hotel.

To be continued...

The Atlanta Hotel, Bangkok - #1 (Hotel & Rooms).

I promised in November 2007 to write about The Atlanta Hotel after my return. Please refer to “Going to The Atlanta”. However, I was caught up with living and writing about other adventures. Here is the first part and sorry for the delay. Why am I writing about this historic hotel? You have to read the first part to understand why.


The first thing whether The Atlanta appeals to you is whether history appeals to you. If it does, you will find it very interesting and that will more than overcome all the other shortcomings. I’m trying to write a balanced view so that you know what to expect should you want to stay there and not blame me for over-selling it. Before I wax lyrics about its timeless beauty, let me first give you a cold factual account of its facilities.

The next other good thing about The Atlanta is its cost. As mentioned in my earlier post, I took a family suite with 2 bedrooms and a small sitting room for only RM170. A single bedroom suite cost only RM75. Where else can you find another hotel in Bangkok that is clean, safe, and within 10 minutes walk from the center of the city for that sum, never mind the history?

The Atlanta celebrated its 50th Anniversary in 2002.

The building on the right is the hotel. It is located at the dead end of a long street. The last building is appropriately a church.

This is the street from which we came. It is lighted at night but not that bright.

If you have not noticed the large sign at the main door “sex tourist not welcome”, there are more signs and rules all over the hotel reminding you of its policies. While some may find this off-putting, others may welcome them as the hotel stated clearly it is only interested in certain types of customers.

The view from the hotel is not great. This is the view from my room, you will just be staring out into other buildings. Mine at least have a gap between the buildings to look further. There is bird proof nettings which further obstruct the view. Furthermore, the room is so basic that you would not want to stay in the room except to sleep.

This is the small sitting room with sofa before you enter the two bedrooms. The picture actually looks better than its actual appearance.

Same goes for the bedroom too. But it is neat and clean – just old. You have a double bed and single bed so at least 6 persons can share this family suite. It is very good value for money for those on a budget.

This is the bathroom, again very basic. There is hot water but the amount of water coming out of the shower is rather small so you will disappointed if you expect a jet.

This is a very very old cupboard. Its doors are just a pull over curtain. Must be as old as the hotel.

Every room has a safe but it is not what you expect. It is a metal box with a padlock.

The furniture and fittings of this hotel is really old like this old wall lamp.

First time I saw this type of telephone in a hotel.

Some of these fittings are old but classy. There are plenty of quaint things throughout the hotel that you will not see elsewhere. Some of them are antiques. Whether you can appreciate them depends entirely on you. I liked this hotel. I love its history. It is a bargain for money. It is unique. But I accept it may not be for everyone. I will have another few posts to help you decide if it is for you.

To be continued...

Port Klang Views #6 - The Royal Selangor Yacht Club

This is the Royal Selangor Yatch Club opposite Pulau Hailam. It was founded in July 1969 and called "Port Swettenham Yatch Club". Before Port Klang was thus named, it was called Port Swettenham after Sir Frank Swettenham, the first resident general of the Federated Malay States. In 1972, it was renamed Selangor Yatch Club. On its 20th anniversary, His Royal Highness the Sultan of Selangor gave its new and current name - "Royal Selangor Yatch Club". In 1992, a fire destroyed the clubhouse and it was rebuilt in 1996.

Many Port Klangites are not aware that the public can come here for a meal. There are members' privileges but you can eat in the restaurant. The food may not be great but there are few places in Port Klang that can provide a better atmosphere. I have held two conference dinners in this restaurant and the leisurely ambiance more than make up for the food. Participants are always impressed when I host a dinner there. Maybe, we can hold a MyKlang community meeting there someday. It is a good place to hang back, have a chat and get to know each other better.

The big expanse of white roof and wood interior made this place stand out next to the blue sky and grey water. It is simple and eloquent.

It is the most striking building in the waterfront. A new waterfront for South Port is being created. Hope that it will do justice to this building.

We have doubled back as our purpose this trip was to explore the coastline of South Port and as much of Pulau Indah as we could. So we once again headed back to South Port. We will leave the Klang River for another day, hopefully.

This is the current custom office and some of their boats. A new custom complex is being built at the southern edge of Pulau Indah and we hoped to sail past it later.

This is the repair dock for the yacht.

This ship is carrying buoys to be deposited into the sea. So far I have seen three bright colors - green, orange and yellow. Wonder if the color has any significance?

Kurau is even more excited about this place than the yatch club. Once built, this location will be the new home for the Port Klang Fishing Association. He will be sure to be spending quite a bit of time here.

To be continued...