Hidden Treasures at The Cloisters

                             

                  

                                      

The Cloisters

The Cloisters is located in Fort Tryon Park, New York City. It is the branch of The Metropolitan Museum of Art; reconstructed in the 1930s with several elements of the European medieval abbeys. 

It was a pretty Saturday afternoon when my friend, David and I decided to go there. We took the A train to 190th street as directed in the museum's website. But when we got off the train, somehow, we missed the exit station by the elevator. We came out looking at tall uncharacteristic apartment buildings. With just one road and a hill on one side, we walked along the road which led us to a walkway up the hill. It took us less than 15 minutes before we finally reached a park overlooking the Hudson River. Families were picnicking, while friends and lovers were taking a nice long stroll in the park. 

Finally, there it was - The Cloisters: charming yet unassuming.

The Cloisters incorporates parts from five French cloistered abbeys. Buildings at Saint-Michel-de-Cuxa, Saint-Guilhem-le-Desert, Bonnefont-en-Comminges, Trie-dn-Bigorre, and Froville were all disassembled brick-by-brick before being shipped to New York, and later reassembled in Fort Tryon Park between 1934 and 1938.

The Cloisters collection contains approximately five thousand European medieval works of art, with a particular emphasis on pieces dating from the 12th through 15th centuries. The Cloisters is on the Romanesque and Gothic periods. The Cloisters also holds many medieval manuscripts and illuminated books, including the Limbourg brothers' Les Belles Heures du Duc de Berry and Jean Pucelle's book of hours for Jeanne d'Evreux. Renowned for its architectural sculpture, The Cloisters also rewards visitors with its exquisite stained glass, metalwork, enamels, ivories, and tapestries art pieces.  

The bricked walls, high ceilings, and religious statutes of medieval times gave us a peace of mind as we wondered from one gallery to the next. 

The Cloisters is landscaped with gardens planted according to horticultural information obtained from medieval manuscripts and artifacts, and the structure includes multiple medieval-style cloistered herb gardens. The gardens and the area surrounding The Cloisters are very well-maintained. It is just relaxing without the hustle and bustle of city life, and a charm off the beaten path in New York City.

Borobudur

Borobudur - A Shrine to the Lord Buddha

Borobudur is one of the top destinations in Indonesia. Its ancient Buddhist temple is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  We (Jeffrey, my brother-in-law and Jack, history teacher in New York and I) arrived at Adisucipto International Airport in Yogyakarta at noon. Weather in Yogyakarta or better known to the locals as Jogja was pretty hot and humid. After we checked into our hotel, we went for a buffet lunch. Jerky beef, oxtail soup, fried chicken and fish, sauteed vegetables, and rice. It was a very good meal and cost us $20. 

The commercial district in Jogja is along Jalan Malioboro. This is a major shopping street for both locals and tourists alike. Souvenirs, tee shirts, teas, local arts and crafts, batik, tidbits and knick knacks, or anything you can think of is available here. Vendors display and sell their merchandises on the sidewalks of most shophouses. Therefore, the sidewalks can be pretty narrow. As we walked, we began to wander off to the side street. We were approached by a gentleman who claimed that he has a nice collection of paintings, and today was his last day here in Jogja. "Today's your lucky day" he said. Jeffrey wanted to take a look, so me and Jack went along. Later, we found out that he was selling the paintings for a commission. 

Jogja is known for its silver work, leather puppets used for 'wayang kulit' (shadow plays) and batik. It has a very active underground art scene (like the one we were lured to see), and its gamelan music has a very unique sound, and it's very popular. As we wandered back to Jalan Malioboro, we came across this huge store. In the store front, there were teak wood furnitures, and something caught my eye; two gigantic birdcages beautifully handcrafted and made of wood. Welcome to Mirota Batek, a renowned batik and handicraft center. Once we got in there, we were entertained with traditional Javanese live music. I found a colorful bag made with 100% recycled papers.

In the evening, several open-air side-street restaurants, called lesehan, started to open up for business. Some of the favorite local dishes here are nasi gudeg, nasi langgi, mee goreng Java, and yam goreng Kalasan. Less obvious to the tourist, but more for the local population, side streets, lanes and structures that lead on to Malioboro are as important as the street itself. 

The next morning, we rented a car for a day (cost $15 plus gas) to take us to Borobudur. Borobudur is a 9th century Mahayana Buddhist monument near Magelang, Central Jawa. The monument comprises six square platforms topped by three circular platforms, and is decorated with 2,672 relics panels and 504 Buddha statues. It is the biggest Buddhist monument of its kind in the world. Like most developing countries, entrance to most historical sites are extremely high for tourist. In this case, we had to pay $15 each to enter the site!

The monument is both a shrine to the Lord Buddha and a place for Buddhist pilgrimage; once a year Buddhists in Indonesia celebrate Vesak at the monument, where the journey begins. It follows a path circumambulating the monument while ascending to the top through three levels of Buddhist cosmology, namely Kāmadhātu (the world of desire), Rupadhatu (the world of forms) and Arupadhatu (the world of formlessness). During the journey the monument guides the pilgrims through a system of stairways and corridors with 1,460 narrative relief panels on the wall and the balustrades.

From there, we went to Mount Merapi, one of the most active volcanoes in Indonesia and it is in direct vicinity of Borobudur. In fact it is so active that the area where the river used to flow was dried up with traces of volcano activities. 

Besides Borobudur, there are other Buddhist and Hindu temples in the area, including the Prambanan Temples compound. Pramanan is a 9th century Hindu temple dedicated to Trimurti, the expression of God as the Creator (Brahma), the Sustainer (Vishnu) and the Destroyer (Shiva). This temple is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and it is one of the largest Hindu temples in South-East Asia. It is characterized by its tall and pointed architecture, typical of Hindu temple architecture, and by the towering 47m (154 feet) high central building inside a large compound of individual temples. 

We ended the day with some cold beers and coffee with Prambanan behind as a backdrop. 

When people think of Indonesia, Bali always comes to mind. Indonesia comprises of more than 17,000 islands, and they are scattered over both sides of the equator. It has around 300 ethnic groups, each with cultural identities developed over centuries, and influenced by Indian, Arabic, Chinese, and European sources. A country full of diversities, and landscapes, so the next time you plan to go to Indonesia, think of places like Danau Toba, Banda Islands, Kelimutu, Pualu Biak, Sumba, and Labuan Bajo just to name a few.

The Pearl of the Orient

Penang is often known as "The Pearl of the Orient". Its history began when the island was leased to Captain Francis Light, an English trader-adventurer working for a Madras-based firm, in exchange for military protection from the Siamese and Burmese armies who were threatening Kedah.

The architecture in Penang is a durable testament of her history - outstanding colonial buildings include the Municipal Council and Town Hall buildings, Penang Museum, the Eastern and Oriental Hotel, St George's Anglican Church, and buildings in the old commercial district - all of which are part of the UNESCO Heritage Site. 

Penang is linked to the Peninsula by a 13.5 km (9 miles), three-lane, dual carriageway Penang Bridge. Penang Bridge is one of the longest bridges in Asia. Alternatively, there is a ferry service for passengers, and vehicles from Butterworth in the Peninsula. Driving from Kuala Lumpur is about 4 to 5 hours.

Penang was recognized as having the Best Street Food in Asia by TIME magazine in 2004. I couldn't agree more. The food reflects an ethnic mix of Chinese, Nyonya, Malay, and Indian in Malaysia. The best places to savor Penang's food include Gurney Drive, Pulau Tikus, New Lane, Penang Road and Chulia Street. In retrospective, Penang is truly a cosmopolitan city with communities of Burmese, Filipino, Ceylonese, Japanese, Eurasian, Arab, Armenian and list goes on. It has a sizable expatriate population under the Malaysian My Second Home Program, and this has greatly influenced the local cuisines in Penang which you don't find often anywhere else in Malaysia.

One of Penang's best known attractions is Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion. Located at 14 Keith Street, the structure was erected in the 1880s by Hakka merchant, Cheong Fatt Tze. The mansion is built in a traditional Hakka-Teochew style. The stately manor as 38 rooms, 5 granite-paved courtyards, 7 staircases, and 220 timber-framed windows. 

The Khoo Khongsi is a Chinese clanhouse for individuals with the same surname, Khoo. The clanhouse represents the family's social and spiritual commitments between ancestors and the extended families. The Penang Khoo Khongsi (known as Dragon Mountain Hall) has an impressive architectural feat that personifies good luck and wealth. Stone carvings adorned the entrance hall and pavilions, fantastic murals portraying birthdays, weddings and most impressively, the 36 divine guardians sprinkle the interior. The Khoo Khongsi has retained its authentic historic setting, which include an association building, a traditional theatre and the late 19th century rowhouses for clan members, all clustered around a granite-paved square.

Fort Cornwallis is another well-known landmark in Penang. The fortress’ 10-feet walls are laid out in the shape of a star, and within those walls, some of the original structures built over a century ago can still be seen – a chapel, some prison cells, ammunition storage area, a harbor light, the original flagstaff and some old bronze cannons, which include the infamous 17th-century Dutch cannon called ‘Seri Rambai’, believed by the locals to have an encouraging effect on women’s fertility. As for Captain Frances Light, his final resting place is at the Catholic Cemetery, located less than a block from Penang Road. 

There is a lot more in Penang that meets the eyes. "The Pearl of the Orient" has a unique architectural and cultural landscape without parallel anywhere in Southeast Asia. It is also the most livable city in Malaysia and it has the lowest crime rate in the country. It is definitely one of the best islands to explore in Asia.

2011 Destinations and Beyond: Revisiting Melaka

2011 Destinations and Beyond: Revisiting Melaka: "Malacca Town was formally inscribed as a UNESCO Heritage Site in 2008. It is rich in culture and it bears several places of historical inte..."

Revisiting Melaka

Malacca Town was formally inscribed as a UNESCO Heritage Site in 2008.

It is rich in culture and it bears several places of historical interests. Tourism is an important industry in Malacca. "Visiting Malacca Means Visiting Malaysia" is a slogan adopted by Malacca because it was the location of one of the earliest Malay sultanates, and it was the birthplace of the Baba Nyonya heritage.

I took a day trip to Malacca with some friends. Jessica, our tour guide and driver, drove us from Kuala Lumpur. It took us about 2 1/2 hours to reach Malacca Town. Jonker Street is the main street in the town. Well-preserved prewar buildings turned into shops selling souvenirs, antiques, and local designs. On Fridays and Saturdays, the street turns into a night market where tasty treats and delicious knick knacks are sold at dirt cheap prices. A handful of bars turn the street into a mini street party with tables oozing beyond the sidewalks and a mix of live music beating throughout the area. 

Traffic was pretty slow here. Jessica showed us the oldest and grandest temple in Malacca, Cheng Hoon Teng. It is located along Jalan Tokong (formerly Temple Street) in the core area of the Malacca Heritage Site. Dating back from 1646, the temple continues to serve the Buddhist community in Malacca. The temple is dedicated to Kwan Yin, is noteworthy due to its craftsmanship and preservation. A robed effigy of the Goddess of Mercy can be found within the main hall and remains the focal point for the entire shrine.

Malacca is well-known for its food. Its Baba Nyonya cuisine is a fusion of Chinese, Portuguese, Dutch, Indian, British and Malay cooking with most dishes being spicy in nature. We had 'Chicken Rice Ball' for lunch. It's basically chicken rice with the rice comes in the size of a ping-pong ball. Other famous local fares in Malacca are 'Nyonya Laksa' (a Peranakan cuisine, which is a fusion of Malay and Chinese cooking) 'Itek Tim' (a sour duck soup with salted vegetables), and 'Ayam Pong The' (miso soy braised chicken).

Malacca has a laid back atmosphere. Between the scattered historic spots are Chinese prewar shop fronts and traditional Malay houses. Time stands still as we head to the Main Square, where Stadthuys and Christ Church are located. Stadhuys, a salmon-pink town hall and the governor's residence, is believed to be the oldest Dutch building in the East, houses several museums. Christ Church is the oldest Protestant church in Malaysia. Built in 1753 to commemorate a century of Dutch rule in Malacca, it is one of the most recognizable buildings in the country. The square is never short of activities: trishaws adorned with plastic flowers (lots of them) and Malaysian flags to attract tourists, man with a white 'motionless' python that you pay a fee to pose with it, and street vendors selling souvenirs and tidbits. 

Porta De Santiago (A'Famosa) is a must for anyone planning to visit Malacca. Constructed by the Portugese in 1511 as a fortress, it suffered severed structural damage during the Dutch invasion. What is remained today was saved by Sir Stamford Raffles in 1808 when the British planned to destroy the structure was aborted.  

Malacca is a city mix of the old and new, historical sites and prewar shophouses stand close to modern shopping centers and offices. Here you will find old folks relaxing in their houses and young adults enjoying the life texting with their iphones. Malacca once a sleepy town, is slowly becoming a major tourist destination in Malaysia. And, before we drove back to Kuala Lumpur, we had Malacca famous satay celup, it's skewered raw fish or meat cooked in peanut sauce!