Malaysia

 15/9/14
I received this lovely owl postcard from Cendy. Owls are very difficult to see in Malaysia as they live in forests or on palm oil plantations. The plantation owners will rear owls to control the rat population, which I think is a great idea! Recently some owls decided to move into a housing estate and the area was very busy with birdwatchers trying to see them.

Thanks for the postcard and the info!

*****

15/9/14

Tom sent me this postcard of Mount Kinabalu. He says that Sabah prospered in education and development when it was part of the Commonwealth. They got independence in 1963 but relationships between them and the Commonwealth remain strong.

Thanks for the postcard!

*****

12/8/14
Yang sent me this postcard showing some of the iconic wildlife found in Malaysia. All three are endangered, and the tiger appears on the National Coat of Arms. Many students from Malaysia travel to the UK to study, which is one of the advantages of the Commonwealth.

Thanks so much for the postcard.

*****

10/5/14
Fiona sent me this lovely postcard showing a Velvet-Fronted Nuthatch. My first impression is that it's a lot more colourful than our resident Eurasian Nuthatches. She doesn't know much about birds but says that the emblem of Sarawak (a region on Borneo) is the Hornbill, which I never knew!

Thanks so much for the postcard and the info.

*****

18/3/14
Yen Shin sent me this multiview card of Kuala Lumpur monuments. It looks like an amazing city and I wish all railway stations were as impressive as that one! I'm always intrigued that other countries tend to write the temperature when they post the card - apparently it was 37 degrees C! Just a bit too hot for me at the moment then! Let me know when winter comes and I'll pay a visit! :p

Thanks again for the card.

*****

 8/3/14
Weny sent me this colourful Birds of Borneo postcards while she was on vacation to her homeland (she now lives in UAE). These birds are amazing and maybe one day I'll visit on a bird watching/ ringing trip!

Thanks again for the postcard, and hope you enjoy the rest of your travels.

*****

 8/3/14
Hugo sent me this postcard showing the crystal blue sea of Semporra. I was very impressed by the drawing on the back too, a very skilled artist!

Thanks for the postcard.

*****

8/3/14
Isabella sent me this enchanting postcard showing Mulu National Park. This was Malaysia's first UNESCO site and Langs Cave is a very popular tourist site in Sarawak. It looks amazing, and if I ever get to Malaysia I will definitely pay this area a visit!

Thanks for the postcard and the info on the area.

*****

Before I started my postcard exchange, I had never heard of Sabah. But through a few groups on Couchsurfers, I have now made correspondence with three people from this region of Malaysia. This was my first postcard from the area and has truly inspired me to travel one day to this part of the world. Mt Kinabalu (the peak on the postcard) looks like an amazing mountain to walk up, with lots of interesting flora and fauna to distract me, besides the fantastic views I can imagine from the top!

Thanks to Fiona for this postcard.