i travel sketch live

this tree sees us during our morning walks

Mornings + Coffee  + Music = Love

two fishing boats Jun Plaza's bangka amihan boys skimboarders anjot davao oriental mountain range view from dahican

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this is our small area in this massive city of davao.

On our last day, we went to putrajaya and viewed the putra mosque inside the beautiful city and had lunch at Secret Recipe. We had mushroom chicken and lamb stew, both were marvellous and filling and great to have after walking 2 to 3 kilometres under the sun. bonsais inside the putra mosque, miniature sketch of the mosque shown at the bottom of the page. Just before lunch i sketched the putra bridge from inside the restaurant, view it here . If you want to take the public bus (not the bas persiaran) back to the train station, you must walk back towards presint 2 and take bus number 208 walkfest 2013 - day 1: singapore walkfest 2013 - day 2: singapore walkfest 2013 - day 3: singapore walkfest 2013 - day 4: singapore walkfest 2013 - day 5: singapore-johor bahru-kuala lumpur-cameron highlands walkfest 2013 - day 6: cameron highlands walkfest 2013 - day 7: georgetown walkfest 2013 - day 8: penang walkfest 2013 - day 9: langkawi walkfest 2013 - day 10: langkawi walkfe...

Second to the last day in malaysia, we walked around visiting mosques and other monuments, and fell in love with Secret Recipe restaurant, but the best food in their menu we still have to eat tomorrow. The old train station sketched from the fountain area at the national mosque. walkfest 2013 - day 1: singapore walkfest 2013 - day 2: singapore walkfest 2013 - day 3: singapore walkfest 2013 - day 4: singapore walkfest 2013 - day 5: singapore-johor bahru-kuala lumpur-cameron highlands walkfest 2013 - day 6: cameron highlands walkfest 2013 - day 7: georgetown walkfest 2013 - day 8: penang walkfest 2013 - day 9: langkawi walkfest 2013 - day 10: langkawi walkfest 2013 - day 11: langkawi-kuala perlis-kuala lumpur walkfest 2013 - day 12: kuala lumpur walkfest 2013 - day 13: kuala lumpur

Today we go back to Kuala lumpur, taking the fast craft from langkawi to kuala perlis and taking the 9pm bus form kuala perlis to kuala lumpur. At the Kuala perlis bus terminal, there were friendly folks (they gave us lansones in exchange for looking at my sketch notebook) also waiting for the bus and friendlier staff (one long legged small lady who we regrettably did not take a photo of) A tree at kuala perlis bus terminal. walkfest 2013 - day 1: singapore walkfest 2013 - day 2: singapore walkfest 2013 - day 3: singapore walkfest 2013 - day 4: singapore walkfest 2013 - day 5: singapore-johor bahru-kuala lumpur-cameron highlands walkfest 2013 - day 6: cameron highlands walkfest 2013 - day 7: georgetown walkfest 2013 - day 8: penang walkfest 2013 - day 9: langkawi walkfest 2013 - day 10: langkawi walkfest 2013 - day 11: langkawi-kuala perlis-kuala lumpur walkfest 2013 - day 12: kuala lumpur walkfest 2013 - day 13: kuala lumpur

On this day we did not do alot of walking but did a lot of swimming with fishes big and small and some baby tiger sharks, and lots of tourists We ended the day again watching the sunset at Chenang Beach and had dinner again at Ali Baba. walkfest 2013 - day 1: singapore walkfest 2013 - day 2: singapore walkfest 2013 - day 3: singapore walkfest 2013 - day 4: singapore walkfest 2013 - day 5: singapore-johor bahru-kuala lumpur-cameron highlands walkfest 2013 - day 6: cameron highlands walkfest 2013 - day 7: georgetown walkfest 2013 - day 8: penang walkfest 2013 - day 9: langkawi walkfest 2013 - day 10: langkawi walkfest 2013 - day 11: langkawi-kuala perlis-kuala lumpur walkfest 2013 - day 12: kuala lumpur walkfest 2013 - day 13: kuala lumpur

We took the 8am fast craft to langkawi and we got there around 11am, in the langkawi ferry terminal, there is kfc and kenny rogers roasters, perfect for people who do not eat pork. but we did not go there to eat, there are also local hawkers with cheaper food at the left side of the terminal, there we had chicken rice and 100plus (yes more 100 plus for me) Then we took a taxi and visited the following places after taking pictures of the giant eagle statue/monument. Langkawi Cable car -on the way to the peak, you will be able to see the seven waterfalls -at the peak you will be able to see, chenang beach (beautiful panoramic scene) and other mountains, thailand (i forgot the name of the island visible) Bird park -you will see flamingos, if you have not already seen them at other bird parks. that was my first time Durian Water Falls -you must trek for ten mins upwards to get to a better view of the falls and some mountains surrounding it -there they are also selling durian, there is a ta...

On day 8, we had free breakfast at red heritage inn, it was spicy curried potatoes and dry noodles, which i liked, i sketched the entrance way wall arch as i had coffee and waited for the food to be served. Then we went to walk around the national park at Taman Negara, we did not have enough time to do a 2 hours (one way) walk to the beaches at the end of the park so we just went around the nearer trails and saw large water monitor lizards walking and running and swimming around rocks by the beach. Then we had lunch, more laksa for me, then we visited the batu feringgi beach, which was beautiful and serene that time, our next stop was the floating mosque, the tourist map illustrations will make you think it is so close to shang ri la hotel (and we almost walked it but a local gave us a ride) but it is actually 4 kilometers (1hour walk) I sketched the floating mosque from the parking area near the entrance gate, no water in this drawing. After the floating mosq...

Before our 930am bus left from cameron highlands to penang, i had time to sketch the wing fronting our bus waiting area, when the bus arrived i did some final sketches inside the bus (at the back of the bus looking out towards the convent). We arrived at the Red heritage inn around 2pm, it was sunny, and the inn was located at Love Lane. heheheh. We just threw our bags in our room, i finished my left over beer from last night then went out to meet and greet georgetown. The easiest way to do a tourist walk in georgetown is to ask for a tourist map in any hotel and just follow  the locations, 80% are just walking distance from each other. If you do not know how to read a map, just ask directions and point to the map, and pray that the man you are talking to knows how to read a map too. After walking around and taking pictures of large crows, we wound up in front of the city hall which was currently under going maintenance but still beautiful to look at and a pain to draw b...

On the sixth day we joined a half day tour. The earliest restoran that was open was an indian resto that served nasi lemak and aloo (spicy stir fry potato) and eggs and coffee and thats what i had and it was, for me, a great breakfast. I brought with me my new notebook from singapore and decided to give it a try. While waiting for the tour to start, i  had time to sketch part of the sk convent that was visible from the tour shop. First stop was Boh tea plantation where we got to see green landscapes and long mountain ranges. Then we moved to the tea factory where they showed us how they made the tea leaves into tea bags. I was not on the tea factory tour because i was sketching the staff house. i had time to sketch this tree with a wierd branch going sideways and the house of the ex-tea farm manager in the background. Then we went to the highest point in Cameron highlands, the sketch below was done at the top of a lookout tower and we were almost ...

The fourth day was spent getting out of Singapore and going to Cameron Highlands, Malaysia via, Woodlands - Johor Bahru - Kaula Lumpur. We arrived at Cameron Highlands at ten in the evening by bus. All i did that day was sleep. walkfest 2013 - day 1: singapore walkfest 2013 - day 2: singapore walkfest 2013 - day 3: singapore walkfest 2013 - day 4: singapore walkfest 2013 - day 5: singapore-johor bahru-kuala lumpur-cameron highlands walkfest 2013 - day 6: cameron highlands walkfest 2013 - day 7: georgetown walkfest 2013 - day 8: penang walkfest 2013 - day 9: langkawi walkfest 2013 - day 10: langkawi walkfest 2013 - day 11: langkawi-kuala perlis-kuala lumpur walkfest 2013 - day 12: kuala lumpur walkfest 2013 - day 13: kuala lumpur

On the fourth day, i specifically wanted to sketch the houses/ shops at the boat quay so we went there and did it, and we saw crows picking at bread floating at the singapore river. That was after walking around chinatown and visiting a Buddhist relic temple and after i bought boat loads of new notebooks for sketching. We had lunch at clark quay hooters where there was a filipina waitress who was not comfortable speaking tagalog or exchange pleasantries with her kababayans. maybe we looked weird for pinoys. I sketched the water taxi while waiting for my steak. After lunch we went to fort canning park where the highlight of that walk for me was visiting the tombstones before exiting towards the national museum. I placed the leaf of my notebook on the tombstone and started rubbing charcoal on the surface catching the word that was part of the epitaph. We visited the museum and there i bought the old singapore notebook, walked to orchard and had duck rice dinner at i...

on the third day, we went for a looooooooooooong walk (13 kilometers, 6 hours long, more pictures here ) thought the tree top walk from bukit timah to the mac ritchie reservoir park. starting at 10am we walked and walked and walked, met people, birds, reptiles and trees and monkeys. i suggest you buy food for lunch if you decide to do the 10 - 13 km tourist walk, but those who are exercising and running might finish the  trail in 1 to 2 hours. day 1 day 2 walkfest 2013 - day 1: singapore walkfest 2013 - day 2: singapore walkfest 2013 - day 3: singapore walkfest 2013 - day 4: singapore walkfest 2013 - day 5: singapore-johor bahru-kuala lumpur-cameron highlands walkfest 2013 - day 6: cameron highlands walkfest 2013 - day 7: georgetown walkfest 2013 - day 8: penang walkfest 2013 - day 9: langkawi walkfest 2013 - day 10: langkawi walkfest 2013 - day 11: langkawi-kuala perlis-kuala lumpur walkfest 2013 - day 12: kuala lumpur walkfest 2013 - day...

after breakfast (free breakfast, same food, eggs, hotdogs, pork and beans, sliced bread, fruits, coffee and  freshly squeezed orange juice, at the hotel, see first day post, the restaurant staff was extra friendly and pleasant) we went straight to the botanical gardens, after walking for 20 mins, i stopped to draw this majestic tree while fighting mosquitoes going at my feet any legs. I did not do any more sketch that morning, we went back to chinatown and hand a pleasant lunch in a Chinese restaurant before going to the merlion park in the afternoon. When we arrived at the merlion park, i had to sit down and dodged the sight people posing for photos as i sketch. We did not actually do this but, to check if there are filipinos in the area, sing 'bayanag magiliw' in a low voice and check for filipino-looking people looking at you :) After posing and sketching at the merlion park, we went to makansutra food area (for dinner but the area was crowded, mostly with ...

On the first day we arrived at the St Andrew's Cathedral around 9am from Chinatown where we stayed at the Santa Grand Hotel Lai Chun Yuen Hotel that used to be an old Chinese opera theatre.  For this trip, i bought a medium charcoal pencil and used a sharpener with it (blade cutter is not a safe way to travel). Most of my Singapore sketches were done with pen and ink and charcoal to add shades and shadows. After visiting the church, we walked all the way to Marina Bay going to the Gardens by the bay, passing the art museum, and other museums and hotels. On the way i sketched my first fire hydrant sketch ever. We had lunch at gardens by the bay, i had laksa in one of the old singapore restos which had coconut milk that made it extra creamy and delicious and oh tah (fish paste - i think this is only in singapore, i have not seen this in malaysia). After lunch we went to sentosa and i did not do anymore sketches for the rest of the day, i wanted to do the...