A Walk Through The Town Of Lubeck - #8

Our walk took us to this interestingly designed building. The door and the steps leading up to it are sunken into the building. Also the lower windows are built low as like basement windows. The ground floor is painted a more subdued color while the first floor is painted a bright yellow. Then, there is that huge climbing rose which is trained to curve around the window and over the front steps. It was quite a spectacular view.

Not everyone went for roses. Here is one who chose a plant with delicate purple flowers with rich green leaves against a very light blue wall and door.

I tried but just could not get this fat cat to look at me. It treated me coolly totally disregarding my many attempts to attract it. It must be very well fed from its size and truly pampered. Give me a dog with its waging tail any day. A cat chose to bestow or withhold its affection according to its fancy very much like a…..

We came out of the street a short distance away from the Hospital of the Holy Spirits.

And meet the Seaman’s Guild Building from the other end.

We then decided to take a smaller street and took that street along the Seaman’s Guild building attracted by the overhanging arches.

As we walked along that street, we looked up and saw this lovely façade outlined against a blue sky and white clouds.

We now decided to be even more adventurous in our walk. We turned into a small alley to see what we can find in less traveled places.

Port Klang Views #14 - In The 'Safety' Of The Restaurant.

During a slight lull, one by one, covering our gears; we rushed to the restaurant like wet ducks out of the rain. The few patrons in the restaurant eyed us curiously with our large hats, sunburned faces, kangaroo pouches, cameras and tripods covered in plastic shopping bags and silly grins on our faces. We were not unlike any aliens they have seen. But the smart lady owner welcomed us with open arms, customers on a slow rainy day - God given. We chose a table closest to the river but just beyond the wet reaches of the embracing rain. Ordered hot food and Chinese tea and settled down for a test of patience with the rain.

We took pictures of anything of interests to us. "Capturing the moment" is our motto. Not exactly "Carpe Diem" (seize the moment) but close enough. Here is Kurau making love to the teapot. Our photography philosophy is not exactly quantity over quality but knows that moments are fleeting and once passed is lost forever. That precise moment when something interesting happens have to be captured at that precise moment. So being fast to recognize 'moments' and fast on the trigger are more important than perfect shots for us "moment photographer". The choice is clear for us between a not so well taken shot and no shot... Now in the 'safety' of restaurant, we can relax and take some more photos. Some of these photos are 'moment photos' and some are 'leisure photos'. See if you can spot the difference. To make matters a bit more complex, some are mixture of both...

Rain water dripping from the roof like a curtain. Rain from the sky falling like a veil. And a lone bird flying home. Kind of surprising to see it out in such a rain.

I never tires of taking the fishing village in the rain. Each shot seemed so different from the next.

A sampan parked next to the restaurant.

Our hot food came. Fried rice and Pulau Ketam fish balls soup. They were just absolutely delicious. Our hunger and the cold air made each mouthful a delight. Weather has a lot to do with our appreciation of food. Those who have a coke after a hot badminton game will know how different it tasted. The best coffee I've tasted are the coffee I had after coming in from the snow. When the hot liquid cruised down your throat and warmed your body, the aroma never more fragrant or the taste richer... We savored our food slowly for we had all the time in the world. In this mood, we reasoned if our trip is disrupted today, we can always go another day so relax...

Over in the village, a fisherman in yellow rain coat came out to do something with his boat. I'm really curious why they do that in the rain. It interests me that this fisherman wore a rain coat but with the front unbuttoned. In this rain, that almost offered no protection, he will be wet anyway. It is also difficult to work in that raincoat.

The water was really gushing down this gutter.

It splashed into the river below and formed an eddy which was mesmerizing to watch.

The rain lightened. The water from the gutter now a more gentle stream. I watched as a leaf got drawn in into the eddy traveling into the circle moving round and round each time drawing closer to the center... Soon the rain will stop and we may yet make the remainder of the journey albeit in fading lights.

To be continued...

Port Klang Views #13 - Under The Pouring Rain.

Caught in a little hut by the river while rain is hammering down is - not boring. In fact, it was quite pleasant. The world took on a hazy bleary look as if cloud has descended down on earth. Like a veiled lady, what is left to a little imagination is even more beautiful. It felt different as the cool damp wind brushed against our slightly wet body. It smelt different as the salty sea breeze is diluted by the clear water dumping down on us. Somehow it reminded me of the old days when in the bar we ordered "sky juice" instead of water. In a macho world, it was a less feminine term I guess. Or was it more romantic to impress the ladies that we have some intellect when we have none. The best time for reflections is a rainy day. But getting back to the story - in spite of the rain, there were much activities going on. You have just seen a couple of fishermen taking their boats out in the rain. Here are more scenes, not everyone ran indoor to hide when the sky opens up. I could sit here and looked at the rain, the river for a long, long time without tiring.

The fishing village at high tide.

It will take more than rain to deter the fishing enthusiasts huddling on the bridge or under it.

If you look carefully, you can see the fishing “kakis” (enthusiasts) squatting on the pillars supporting the railway bridge. They must be soaked to the skin. They must also be enjoying the rain. It would be impossible to explain the pleasure to those who don't immediately understand. Only way is to drag them into the rain and left them in an open field to remind them that once when they were a kid, they too enjoyed the rain. What makes it different now they are adult? I won't mind being with the fishermen under the bridge.

A heavy rain doesn't last forever. A light drizzle can last what seems to be an eternity. That is why the Hokkien called it the "Hou Lam Hor" or "crying rain". As the rain lightened but still heavy, the earth took on a new clean appearance.

The lyrics of this song played in my mind "I can see clearly now that the rain is gone". It has not exactly 'gone' as it will take a while yet but I could see very clearly already.

This is an interesting scene. Fishing under an umbrella under the bridge in the rain.

Contrary to what some believes, the world did not go to sleep when it rains. As what this guy is doing -"Row, row, row his boat. Gently in the rain. Merrily, merrily, life is but a dream". What different dreams we all have. His is to fish in the rain.

While his mates scooped out the water before his boat took in too much water.

And this boat went speeding by. You may be surprised at the great amount of activities going on. Try getting wet again. It is fun. If not for our cameras and that we need to continue with our work, we won't mind getting wet ourselves that day.

To be continued...

A Walk Through The Town Of Lubeck - #7

After the blackbird has flown away, we continued our walk. There was this bicycle leaning against the wall of vines.

We took our time to admire unfamiliar flowers.

Hendrik told me that is an old smoke bucket from East Germany. It is a noisy, smoky, fuel guzzling bone shaker. I forgot what is the made he told me. After the unification, this car disappeared. Now, they treated as a relic, a museum on wheel and is again in demand because of all its notorious qualities. Kind of amusing.

You can see graffiti on the white wall as well as the wall next to the car. It is very sad and upsetting to see this beautiful place being disfigured with ugly graffiti. If this is my town, I will take such pride in it and will do my utmost to preserve it.

It is now used for advertisement. But what is it advertising? Anyone know German out there? Is it advertising for a gourmet café or Buddhist meditation?

Whatever its fault, you can say it don’t have a smiley front. Reminded me of one of the cars in the cartoon movie. It is a quaint little vehicle.

By now we have walked to the edge of the town. It is not a very large town. Across the road, you’ll come to the sea and the port. We did not head towards that direction and instead turn back and took another path to return to where we started.

The tower gate’s architecture showed a Moorish influence.

This is the other gate into the town.

We reentered the town and came across this lovely secluded alley that is higher than the street it is joining to. It is quiet and very cool. It is such a pleasant feeling to be walking leisurely through this historic town.

We can’t wait to discover more of this town where every turn is a pleasant surprise.

Can You Spot The Crow?

It is not only the blackbird of Europe that knows how to hide. The intelligent crows of our homeland are just as smart and they hide just as well.

When I looked out my office window a couple of weeks ago during a thunderstorm, I saw a crow flew into the trees.

It hid itself among the leaves of the trees and I took several pictures. These are some of the photos where I could see the crow. Can you spot it?

In some of the photos which I did not post, I could not find the crow even though I took the picture myself!

Well, happy crow hunting. If you found none, you may want to have your eyes checked. If you found 3 crows, you are okay, I guess.

If you find 5 crows, you are sharp.

If you found all 7 crows, congratulations! You can be a professional crow hunter.

A Walk Through The Town Of Lubeck - #6

As we were walking, the air was suddenly filled with the melodious sounds of a bird song that was sweet, varied, quavering with a fantastic range from low sweet notes to shrill high pitches. We instinctively searched for the source of the song.

And found it perched high on the roof a building. I quickly sneaked a shot and caught this. Interestingly, there was a statue of an owl with a wire running to the top of the building. I had no idea what is the purpose of that ‘owl’ but guess it had something to do with attracting bird or providing food for it, maybe? Another mystery of life apparent to ‘the know’ but mysterious to the one who have never seen it.

“A blackbird!” Hendrik exclaimed. Having never seen a blackbird, I thought blackbird was like an Asian crow. And who can forget the nursery rhyme –

Sing a song of sixpence,
A pocket full of rye;
Four and twenty blackbirds baked in a pie!
When the pie was opened the birds began to sing,
Oh wasn't that a dainty dish to set before the king?

And in all the illustrations I had seen related to that nursery rhyme, the blackbirds looked like crows. So I am not to be blamed. Thus, it surprised me that the blackbird looked like a flying black tub with yellow beak. It is fat, I thought a bit unkindly. But it could sing heavenly. It did not fit my bias image of a lovely singing bird. Who would have thought but then I remembered the late Pavorotti and was chastised.

After my initial shot, I trained my camera for a clearer and better shot. It decided to have none of that and away it flew to my regret. I tried to follow its flight and saw it flew into this wall of vines and disappeared inside. The whole of this building was completely covered. What a lovely shade of green.


That was a whole block away and we walked towards it all the while not taking our eyes off it and hoped it will stay long enough for the hunters to arrive. As we neared the house of leaves, we slowed our paces into cat’s steps trying to land softly on the cobbled street. It was no longer singing choosing not to give away its position but I can still hear its refrain through the lines of Edward Thomas –

And for that minute a blackbird sang
Close by, and round him, mistier,
Farther and farther, all the birds
Of Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire.

We were practically standing right beneath the wall and no matter how we searched, we just could find where it was. We stood there and searched and searched but we just could not find the blackbird hidden in the vine. So I implore it with the lyrics of The Beatles –

Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these broken wings and learn to fly
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to arise

Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these sunken eyes and learn to see
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to be free

And I realized that the lyrics suited the blackbird better than me. I could not see with my sunken eyes and the blackbird was waiting for its moment to be free. So I pointed my camera at the general direction where I thought it was and clicked and clicked. As I moved in even closer to try to unravel the mystery, the blackbird decided it had enough of me. A shaking of leaves, a flurry of movements, a dash for freedom and the blackbird was free of me.

p.s. could you see the blackbird hidden in the vines in the last photo? But if you want a real challenge, try finding it in the second picture, ha ha.

A Walk Through The Town Of Lubeck - #5

We continue our leisurely walk down the street, chatting about everything under the sun or it should be clouds wondering when it will dump its load on us. The air is wet, cool and fresh – ideal weather for walking if it does not rain. We came to a particular beautiful stretch of street. What made it even lovelier was that there are no one around, just the two of us. Kind of selfish isn’t it? To want this whole scene for ourselves and we have it that day.

The street would be the same but I know the feeling would be different had I been walking around. Not necessarily worse but different. Walking alone and walking with someone you enjoyed gives you different pleasures.

Flowers with the window sills, white walls with black borders, contrasted with blue lines of the window frame. Color perfect, picture perfect. Silent except the sound of our steps on the cobbled street. No one around to disrupt the harmony. Street walking could not be more ideal.

A yellow house with luxurious green wandering vines that know where to go. “I am different” and “I am beautiful”, it seems to say. And it is both.

Roses are the most popular flowers and I love them. They graced the door of many doors and sprinkled the steps with their colored tears.

White roses against light blue, a subdue tone. Can you guess the character of the owner No. 61?

Red roses climbing up to the upstairs window to declare “I bloom for you”.

Port Klang Views #12 - A Man & His Boat In The Rain - Part II

This series of photos complete the scene from where the fisherman took his ship out for a spin in pouring rain and back to the jetty again. Under driving rain, he stood erect as he surveyed and estimated the distance of his ship from the bank.

The river is not very wide just several length of his ship. When he judged the distance near enough for him to start to work on the turn, he used both hands and leg to turn the rudder to turn it.

After successfully making the turn, he headed towards our direction again. As the ship slowly moved and turned under the misty curtain of rain, it was like a dream sequence.

When he neared the jetty, he once again bended to his task to move the ship to coax it into safe harbour between the two concrete pillars of the jetty.

He gently guided the ship in.

As he leaned forward to get a better view through the rain lashing at his eyes, he relied on his legs to do the steering.

It was amazing to watch his display of skill as he handled the ship alone without anyone to help him. It was only 10 minutes or so from the time he took the ship out till he docked it again. I was so glad I was there at the right moment and for the rain to give it that dreamy look for my shots. It was my lucky day and this series will always remained as one of my favorite shots especially as I may never be able to duplicate the exact sequence no matter how long I waited. It was indeed a gift of rain from heaven.

Port Klang Views #11 - A Man & His Boat In The Rain - Part I

As we waited out the rain under the small hut while fierce winds blew and the rain came down in sheets, I noticed a man taking his large boat out parked between the remaining pillars of the former concrete jetty.

This next series of pictures will show him handling the whole big boat or a small ship by himself using his hands or legs whichever more effective to take it for a wash in the rain.

Single-handedly he spun the ship round the swollen river by himself and brought it back again to rest in its original position.

He not only "washed" the ship but also washed himself in the process.

The driving rain, the fading light, the swollen river, the swaying trees at the bank all combined to make this series of pictures quite picturesque and romantic.

I was glad to be here at that precise moment to take the pictures.

It was a gift of the rain...

A Walk Through The Town Of Lubeck - #4

Heiligen-Geist-Hospital or the Hospital of the Holy Spirit is one of the oldest social institutions in Europe. It is also one of the most significant and well-preserved monumental buildings from the Middle Ages. It was initially used to tend to the sick, but eventually came to serve as an almshouse. In the early 19th centure, wooden compartments (cubby-holes) were added along the central nave to house the poor and needy. The chambers and church hall are used for individual events such as the craftsmen’s Christmas market.

We had been playing hide-and-seek with the rain. It came and went without warning. Not like the heavy downpour in Malaysia but intermittent rain just enough to get you wait. So when the rain came, we ducked into any building available and came out to walk the street when it is done but always casting a wary eye on the clouds. It just starting raining again so we ducked into the Hospital of Holy Spirits for protection.


The floor was rather plain but the columns and ceilings were still grand though not as spectacular as the St. Mary’s church.

However the stained glass in this church is absolutely beautiful with amazing details and color combinations. Would have been interesting to have the time to find out the meaning of each symbols.

These are the compartments where the sick are treated. It is very basic with just a bed and a table and nothing much else. Rolls after rolls of them are built within the building.

There was a locked door to a room that had been preserved in its original condition. Not sure whether this was the room of the administrator of the church. I caught sight of rain stained red roses outside the window. Hendrik said I will never capture a good shot through a darkened room and a lighted window but I was quite pleased with this effort.

The rain stopped again so we re-start our walk. Some of the shop fronts were really quaint but you wonder how they can survive selling such merchandises?

We passed by this backyard where a huge cheery tree loomed.

The wind and rain had fell some cherries and they sprinkled them – little red dots on the ground.

Hendrik said he did not want to risk eating them though I was hoping he would so I could follow. After all, he is local and should know what is safe to eat or not. Until today, I still regret not trying and wonder what was the tastes of the cherry from that tree. Moral of the story – take a little risk and worry about the stomach upset later.

There was this huge climbing rose that reached more than two stories high forming an arch over the wall. Never knew roses can be that big. The wind has stained the ground red with its petals.

Who will be looking out from that window?

A Walk Through The Town Of Lubeck - #3

It was noon and we were a little hungry. Hendrik suggested we had lunch in the “oldest pub in the world” – the famous Schiffer Gesellschaft restaurant in this building of the Seaman’s Guild.

It had a majestic interior that spoke heavily of the past. The dark solid wood contrasted beautifully with the white table top. I had a wonderful dish of giant white asparagus, to read more click on this - The Unique Flavor of the Giant White Asparagus.

When we exited the restaurant, we were surprised that the road has been wet with rain. With our stomach full, we took a leisurely walk and chat down the street. We met fellow walkers and cyclists along the way usually in pair doing what we did.

There are some beautiful pubs along the way.

It would be very pleasant to sit outside in this cool summer weather having a pint.

There are beautifully manicured lawn and flowers. These types of lovely quiet spots are what is missing in most Asian countries especially in the city.

Two white benches among nature’s green and blooming roses. Wished I was sitting there on one bench with my love sitting in the next having a quiet shared moment. It was so easy to day dream in beautiful country.

There were many types of roses everywhere. Here is a purple climbing rose plant against the wall.

From small streets we would come out to main street and would then took other small streets in random. We were making leisurely discoveries and just taking them all in slowly. After so many years of travel, I am finding that I recalled the quiet moments more fondly.