I am pleased to announce that the sixth coin in my series 'Geocaching around the Planet' was released this week. The country chosen for this geocoin is Malaysia. Lots of reasons for that: I lived and worked in Singapore for quite a while and I visited Malaysia many, many times. It is a country that has not done enough to attract tourists, although it has a lot to offer, particularly in the area of eco-tourism. I remember that I spent some wonderful times in Sepilok and Sukau, two great nature reserves on the Island of Borneo (yes, I know, few people realize that Borneo is mostly part of Malaysia, and it is a well-kept secret in terms of natural wonders). Here is a picture of the Orang-Utangs in Sepilok in Northern Borneo. I was there last year and I was impressed with the way they do rehabilitation and bring back orang utangs to the wild jungle environment which is theirs. This one looked pretty relaxed, at least...
I was also impressed with the Kinabatangan river nature reserve in Sukau. This is an eco-lodge which is only accessible by river boat, and it tries to be low-impact in terms of its influence on the local environment. It is also part of a 'responsible toursim' initiative whereby local residents are in charge and earn their living with the project, and the food or other products are mostly locally grown as well. The Kinabatangan is a river that regularly floods the low plain it goes through, and when I was there last year the water level was definitely high. Luckily the bedrooms were on the first floor, but the lower floor where the dining room is located, was under water. The picture below gives you a good idea of how it was.
I was also incredibly lucky because the guide who was with us found a Raffleisia, a flower which has a double record : it is the largest flower in the world, and it stinks like no other (although the Durian fruit is a strong contender in the stinking category as well). The Raffleisia is a parasitic plant and does not flower often, so it is a rare event when you see it, and the landowner made everyone pay a hefty pack of Ringgit, the local currency, to witness this rarity.
But back to the Geocoin. You probably wonder what it depicts. Actually, it is the Wau, the traditional kite which the Malaysians love to assemble and fly. There are many patterns, designs and colors, but the one I have chosen for this geocoin is the Wau Bulan, or moon kite. Have you ever wondered what was the symbol emblazoned on the tail of all Malaysia Airlines planes? Well, that's the Wau. Although for most people, it is nothing more than just an emblem, it has a huge significance for each and every Malaysian that makes them proud. It is one of the oldest traditional games in the Malay culture. When flown, a wau is accompanied by a hummer, which produces various buzzing and purring sounds when soaring in the wind. There is something mystical about the way the kite defies gravity by swaying and climbing slowly up the sky. The wau on the geocoin is truly elegant and shaped like a moon crescent (hence the name...) and hereunder are pictures of the real-life object. The coin was designed by Paula Collins, based on original designs which I provided, and I think she did a wonderful job with the transparent colors and the shape of the kite. There is lots of visible metal on the coin, and the transparent colors with the metal shapes under the paint give this goin a very appealing look. If you want to know more about my geocoins and if you want to buy one (or the whole collection) have a look at my Website on www.ellandel.com
