Following the Linggi

I almost missed this very nice piece from Saturday's Star. Our friend Caving Liz makes a journey to find the Linggi River in Negri Sembilan, following in the footsteps of intrepid 19th century British traveller Isabella Bird.

Bird was probably the greatest of the women explorers of her day, and travelled to many other parts of the world. The Golden Chersonese and The Way Thither (1883) is an incredible account of a journey made through the Malay Penininsula, and you can learn exactly what places like Malacca, Kuala Lumpur and Kuala Kangsar were like back then. And I love to imagine the lady trecking through steaming jungle and riding on an elephant wearing her long Victorian dresses.

(Should your curiosity to read the book be stirred, you can read it online here.)

Postcards for Putrajaya

Caving Liz went to the Home Ministry (KDN) in Putrajaya with the representatives from Sisters in Islam (SIS) and other NGO's to hand over the postcards protesting book banning. She says :

... it was hoped to hand the postcards and poster directly to the Minister Syed Hamid Albar, but he sent his Under Secretary, Che Din, to receive us.

Her account and a whole lot more photos can be found here.