Kuantan Sights 2

Enjoy these images taken around Bukit Sekilau, a quiet little village near the Kuantan town centre. I love discovering tiny flowers and plants that would otherwise go unnoticed, and give them a little advertisement!

I couldn't quite believe it when this beautifully crafted butterfly perched on our window for a while to allow me the pleasure of photographing him.

Optical Illusions

Strain your eyes for a little while and try to figure out these weird tricks!

All of the horizontal lines are dead straight...

And this is the beast of all illusions...

Believe it or not, square 'a' and square 'b' are exactly the same shade of grey!!!

The Angelic Moon

Last night was Halloween and as I gazed up to the skies I wondered what sort of 'trick' was being played before me. Then I wondered what had crashed into the moon, causing a huge impact explosion. Perhaps it was the end of the world, and the sign of the coming of the Son of Man? There were many sore and aching necks around Kuantan last night as everyone marvelled at the rare scene before our eyes...

What we were witnessing, infact, was an optical phenomenon called a 22 degree halo. These halos appear when the sky is covered with thin cirrus clouds containing ice crystals. It forms when sunlight is refracted in hexagonal ice crystals suspended in the atmosphere. The ice crystals act as prisms and the light passes through them, dissecting into colours. {Click on the pictures for a clearer view}

Sacred Spots

The awe of sacred places is consuming. There is a certain reverence that lights up within me when I step foot inside a mosque or a temple or old cathedral, whatever theological denomination they may proclaim. These are buildings that were erected in faith, places where their believers come to pray, to commune with the divine, to find peace, to worship, and in so doing, acknowledge a divine source higher than themselves.

Here are a handful of photographs of my visit to the Pahang State Mosque, and secondly, to the Pahang Buddhist association.

This is but a taster. More pictures of both the Pahang State Mosque and the Pahang Buddhist Association will be on their way soon.

Kuantan Sights

Kuantan rather reminds me of Ipoh. I stayed there for a too-short 3 months back in 2004 and gradually fell in love with the place. Like Ipoh, Kuantan is a small town which is generally quiet and peaceful. Located well away from the hustle and bustle of Kuala Lumpur, one can appreciate more fully the stunning nature scenes Malaysia has to offer.

I have had in my storage vaults a number of photographs taken as far back as 2007, from various places around Kuantan. One simply has to venture on a brief saunter around the streets of Bukit Sekilau to feast upon flowers and other fascinating plants growing by the roadside and in front gardens. Here are a few of my favourite scenes of my current home village...

This picture of a mature hibiscus is my pride and joy. I have never held my camera so still in 'no flash' mode! The blurry dancing circles of colour in the top left perfectly contrast with the sharp clarity of the hibiscus' erect stamen.

In Malaysia this flower is known as Bunga Kertas, which translates as 'Paper flower' because, well, it looks like paper!

I think you will agree with me that the beauty of these flowers need no lengthy written description. It just wouldn't do them justice. There is most definitely a God who created this glorious natural world.