Looking for Eagles

Feeding eagles was not part of our original plan. But taking a ride amongst the swarm was. We were lucky that plenty of eagles showed up during our boat ride the other day. Unfortunately I did not bring my zoom along. No eagles close-up I'm afraid.

They were hunting for foodThere were flying in in groupsThe boys were discussing eagles. Naturally!We then went past some swamplandsThe hot weather did not help matter as we were sweating in the heat. The boys turned grumpy and right on cue, our guide sped up for them to enjoy the wind. We went on to snake through the swarm before returning to Tanjung Rhu.

I was surprised to see the number of private hatch and boats at the mouth of the river there. Certainly a suitable spot to anchor as the breeze was quick but the water was still. There was also a small jetty for boats to moor right on the other side of our hotel.

On the way home, we passed by a dockThe boats were parked here during off-peak seasonThe famous ape mountain in the backgroundBack to the hotelSince the water by the beach in front of our hotel was shallow, the guide was able to drop us right in front of our hotel. But it was not without incident as Irfan managed to get himself wet while alighting the boat! Served him right for being a diva. Quite impressive but quite expensive ....

Pulau Dangli

After much convincing, the boys agreed to join us for a boat tour. The original plan was for 3 and a half hours. But the combination of the hot weather and Irfan entering diva node, we cut that short to a couple and a bit.

It was a compressed journey in 3 parts.

Waiting for our ride ....Making sure we got one of those For good luckWe actually got the hotel to organise the ride for us. In a boat with just the four setting off at around 3 pm. It was hot but while speeding in the boat, the wind was breathtaking and one did not feel the heat at all.

The first part was feeding fish off Pulau Dangli, about 20 minutes away from the hotel on the boat. Irfan was still warming to the idea then but as soon as he started feeding the fish, he was super excited. We had to make sure that he didn't fell off the boat when feeding the fishes.

Speeding thereAn earlier group was already thereTesting the waterGetting the hang of it ....We were armed with some bread provided by the guide. The water was still and as soon as we arrived, there were plenty of fish around our boat. They were going all out for our bread and the school we saw easily contained around 200-300 fishes.

Time to goSuch serene sight ....We could wait for too long as there were more boats coming - plus we ran out of bread. I thought Irfan especially used too much bread trying to entice the fishes. Idlan was more sensible, but ending up using less quota!

Off to the second part, the fish farm!

Boating around Lake Lugano

It was a warm afternoon and staying indoors listening to lectures just sounded like disrespecting the great weather we had in Lugano. It didn't take much persuasion when a few of my colleagues asked if I would like to join them for a boat trip around lake Lugano. After all. The ferry terminal was only a 10 minute walk from the Congress Hall.

Straight after lunch, we ventured out. We decided to take a quick trip as another lecture later in the afternoon was not to be missed. Off we went.

The trip was on an open top boat, but with an air-conditioned cabin at the bottom if the weather upstairs was too hot, or should it be raining. The round trip around the lake would last for an hour, and you could freely disembark and catch the subsequent boat if you fancy a quiet walk at the little towns and villages that the boat passed along the route.

The main stop was a quaint little village called Gandria. A few of our colleagues stopped, but we decided against it as the next boat would be around 90 minutes after. Too long a wait even in such a gorgeous setting. And it was too early in the afternoon for the restaurants and cafe to be opened just yet.

So, we stayed in the boat through out the trip. The weather was warm enough for me to catch some sun burn. After 20 minutes all of us went to the lower deck enjoying the scenery from there.

The place was really gorgeous. The best time to venture would've been earlier in the day, maybe around 10 am or so, when the weather was bright but not too sunny. Late afternoon was just too warm, at least for me. I prefer a quick walk then stop by a cafe in that sort of weather.

Should you end up in Lugano, it was definitely worth the time taking the boat trio, but as I mentioned, best to take the ride in the mornings or just before lunch and catch a meal at one of the boat stops. And make sure that you bring your camera along. There were plenty of gorgeous snaps to be had.

The rest of the photos from the outing can be seen here.