Confession of d travelholics再难也要去旅行

TIPS FOR JAPAN TRAVELLER

2011-03-09T13:51:00.000+08:00

Everyone has a dream of "Travelling to Japan"... I bet you had dream of this...
But no everyone really able to step into Japan for once... In Malaysia, it is too costly to go visit Japan, most recent heard cost of travelling is about RM 7000 for 7days 5nights per person.
Anyhow, don't let go your dream, work hard to save money for the Japan trip.

Many people may ask, how about we don't know their language, how we can go travel without communication breakdown? Cost of travel is the main factor for you to step back but Language barrier is the another main thing for you to think twice before pick up any travel plan.

Luckily Agnes and I know a little bit of Japanese language, both of us attended Japanese language class (She did it locally, I did that at Yokohama during AOTS training)... Just nice for travel and shopping.

Here wish to introduce some website for those who plan to visit Japan, it might come handy if you know how to use it.

Tenki.jp

and

Weather.yahoo.co.jp

Both site provide you the most accurate weather forecast. In Japan, you really need to check about the weather before you step out from hotel or home. It weather can change from day to day, hour to hour...
Think, check before go out will save all the time of waiting or trouble.

Here to introduce my favorite site...

EKITAN

This website is superb, it can show you all the possible route to go somewhere from where you are. The fastest, the most save money or the most comfortable route will be listed out. All you need to do is to key in the from and the destination.

Next will be how to read their language...

OCN.ne.jp

You can do translation from Japanese (Nihongo) to English or Chinese and even to Korean, vice versa in split second. Just copy and paste the sentence you copied and paste it, then click, and you will get the translate version. I found this program translate Japanese language more accurate compare to others...

If you still have many doubt, just drop by their Japan Tourism Agency and get more information

Ok, I bet you will equipped yourself with something now, before you arrived in Japan. Use them wisely, widely and you will never regret...

If you still not sure how to do all these, drop comment at here, and I will try to assist you as much as possible. or goto HERE

Dining reference in Macau

2011-01-28T09:23:00.001+08:00

I wrote a review on my dining list in Macau, but it ain't all the famous restaurant/cafe list available. I didn't purposely went searching for the recommended restaurants but I walked around and ate when I felt hungry. That brought to me a surprising discovery - almond cookies shop where Poker King was filmed. *Don't forget to click on the links*

Now I'd like to share a concise list of Macau dining places which I kept when surveying for food in Macau. Quite a common one shared across the internet but I did some simplification to include the address/info available. Hope it helps you to shortlist easily.

WHERE to eat and WHAT to eat in Macau?
(adapted from Macau dot com)

Cantonese noodles

Cantonese noodles are from Canton (Guang-zhou) and first became popular in the 1920s. The noodles are famous for being as fine as silk, smooth and springy to the bite. In Macau, some restaurants still makes it the traditional way, using long bamboo sticks, although most have stopped the time-consuming practice. You can eat it with a variety of toppings, either dry or in soup.

Wong Chi Kei（黃枝記）is the most famous Macau’s traditional Cantonese noodle restaurants. It has a few outlets, including one at Rua de Cinco de Outubro (十月初五街), and another more central outlet near Senado Square (議事亭前地). Other shops which stick to the traditional method of preparation is Fung Shing Chu Kei Noodle Expert（鳳城珠記), Wan Tat noodles shop（宏達麵食）near the Rua da Barca（渡船街), Lok Kei congee and noodles shop（六記粥麵） at Sha Lei Tau（沙梨頭） and Weng Luen Kei noodles shop（聯記麵家）at the Avenida do Conselheiro Ferreira de Almeida.

A bowl of Cantonese noodles only cost you about MOP20 to MOP30, you would find it worth much more than what it cost.

Wong Chi Kei（黃枝記）

Address: Travessa de Cinco de Outubro 51, R/C, Macau
Phone: +853 2892 2271
Opening Hours: Daily 15:00 - 01:30
Reservations: Required

Address: Largo do Senado 17, R/C, Macau (near Senado Square (議事亭前地))
Phone: +853 2833 1313
Opening Hours: Daily 08:00 - 00:00

Fung Shing Chu Kei Noodle Expert（鳳城珠記)

Address: Estrada de Coelho do Amaral 84A, Macau
Phone: +853 2821 1836
Opening Hours: Daily 07:00 - 00:00
Reservations: Required

Authentic Portuguese egg tarts

Portuguese egg tarts are Macau’s most famous snack. They are different from the egg tarts you’ll find in Cantonese dim sum restaurants. Macau’s more decadent version has a buttery flaky pastry shell with a custard filling that has a crème brulee-like consistency and a crispy caramelized sugar shell. Bite into the crisp top, sink your teeth into the creamy filling and chew on the buttery pastry – you’ll feel like there’s a party going on in your mouth. Make sure you get one fresh out of the oven. If you’ve taken-away the egg tarts, try to heat them up in an oven before eating them.

While egg tarts are available from bakeries all over Macau, the most famous are those from the Margaret’s Café e Nata (瑪嘉烈餅店) , which is near the Grand Emperor Hotel (英皇酒店) and Grand Lisboa hotel in Macau peninsula and Lord Stow’s Bakery (安德魯餅店) , which have several outlets in Coloane Village (路環村).

Margaret’s Café e Nata (瑪嘉烈餅店)

Address: Edifício Kam Loi, Nam Van, Macau (near which is near the Grand Emperor Hotel (英皇酒店) and Grand Lisboa hotel in Macau peninsula)
Phone: +853 2871 0032
Opening Hours: Daily 06:30 - 20:00, closed on Wednesday
Reservations: Required
Description: Tucked away in one of Macau’s lively pedestrian back alleys, Café e Nata is closest to Hotel Sintra and serves some of Macau’s most delicious baked goods. Its Portuguese egg tarts are reason enough to visit Macau, though you will also find fresh made sandwiches, pies, cheesecakes, fresh juices, homemade pizzas, and quiches.

Lord Stow’s Bakery (安德魯餅店)
Lord Stow's Bakery

Address: 1 Rua da Tassara, Coloane Island, Macau
Phone: +853 2888 2534
Opening Hours: Daily 07:00 - 22:00, except Wednesday 07:00 - 18:00
Reservations: Required
Delivery Service: Yes
Description: The name Lord Stow’s has become synonymous with the best Portuguese egg tarts in Macau. Different from the egg tarts you find in Chinese dim sum restaurants and even in Portugal itself, Macau’s version is a more decadent, with a buttery flaky pastry shell and rich custard filling.
Created in 1989 by Briton Andrew Stow, the much copied formula uses cream instead of water and flour for its filling - resulting in a crème brulee-like consistency. The top of the egg tart is slightly charred - to give it a crisp bite and a sprinkling of cinnamon on top and contains no preservatives or additives. This crisp texture, combined with the creamy filling and buttery pastry is love at first bite.
Since establishing his first bakery in 1989, Lord Stow’s Bakeries now sell 3,000 egg tarts a day at MOP6 each. There are now franchises in Japan, the Philippines, Thailand and Taiwan.
But while egg tarts are available at bakeries all over Macau – especially near Senado Square, you’ll have to make the trip out to Coloane to taste the original, which locals still swear is the best. Coloane Village could well be referred to as Lord Stow’s land - with two Lord Stow’s Bakeries and a Lord Stow’s Garden Café taking residence there, you’ll see tourists and locals tucking into the bright yellow pastries round every corner.
We recommend eating steaming hot egg tarts straight from the ovens of Lord Stow’s Bakery, because they taste twice as nice when piping hot. The bakeries also sell a range of freshly baked pastries and breads.

Lord Stow's Garden Cafe

Address: Rua de Cordoaria, 105, Coloane Village, Macau
Phone: +853 2888 1851
Opening Hours: Daily: 10:30 - 19:00
Description: But while egg tarts are available at bakeries all over Macau – especially near Senado Square, you’ll have to make the trip out to Coloane to taste the original, which locals still swear is the best.

Coloane Village could well be referred to as Lord Stow’s land - with two Lord Stow’s Bakeries and a Lord Stow’s Garden Café taking residence there, you’ll see tourists and locals tucking into the bright yellow pastries round every corner.
We recommend eating steaming hot egg tarts straight from the ovens of Lord Stow’s Bakery, because they taste twice as nice when piping hot. The bakeries also sell a range of freshly baked pastries and breads.
Lord Stow’s Garden Café is a rustic English-style café with a small courtyard selling mostly Western meals and sandwiches.
Get your egg tarts hot from the bakery instead of here, but if you feel like something more substantial, here is a nice place to grab a bite. Be warned however that the Garden Café opens at 10.30am but closes at 7pm daily – so if you want dinner, plan to be here by 6pm. The sandwiches (which start at MOP20) come with your choice of white or whole meal bread and you can choose your fillings like ham, smoked salmon or egg or chicken mayo from the sandwich bar.
There are daily specials, but favorites include the lasagna, fish pie, roast beef, Cornish pasty and beef burgers, which all come with a large serving of salad. The middle-aged ladies working in the open concept kitchen are efficient and generous with their servings and fillings. Healthy meals are also available – try the homemade yoghurts and steamed egg white omelet served with tuna and sweet corn.
There are well trained staff who speak good English, especially a Javanese waiter, who is knowledgeable and attentive, topping up customer’s drinks, and refilling tea pots when they run low.
There is a wide range of herbal teas, fresh coffee and wine available.
Expect to pay about MOP80 for an average meal.

Dessert stalls

Make sure you try the famous two-layer milk curd, which you'll find at dessert shops located in Senado Square (議事亭前地) and around Avenida Almeida Ribeiro (新馬路). The sweet smooth cream literally slides down your throat. For homemade ice cream, go to Lai Kei Ice Cream (禮記雪糕) on Rua de Abreu Nunes (荷蘭園二馬路). There’s a large selection of ice cream flavors including distinctly Asian flavors sold by the scoop.

For a healthy thirst quencher, you’ll find stores selling fresh coconut juice, coconut ice cream and coconut flesh not far from Rua dos Mercadores (營地大街) and Rua da Tercena (果欄街). We like Hone Heng Cocos’ (洪馨椰子) refreshingly light coconut ice cream made with fresh coconut juice. If you like modern sweets and desserts, Jing Yu Mang Tang (金玉滿堂) at Zone Barra and “Sweet and Sweet” (幾米陽光) in Taipa have many healthy and delicious desserts mostly made with fresh fruit. For traditional sweets and desserts like almond paste, walnut paste, sesame paste and rice balls, you can find dessert stalls on Rua da Felicidade (福隆新街).

Famous snacks

Almond cookies
That wonderful nutty smell you’ll come across while walking on the Rua do Cunha up to the Ruins of St Paul’s (議事亭前地) comes from the freshly baked almond cookies tourists bring home by the bagful. Other than almond cookies there are egg rolls, peanut and ginger candy and pastries. Try the free samples before deciding on your purchase.

Barbequed meat
Meat lovers will find it difficult to resist these thick and juicy slabs of meat which are seasoned with spices and served up in sheets. Similar to beef jerky, they are sweetened and seasoned with spices and usually made of pork and beef, though there are also gourmet wild boar and ostrich varieties. Eager stall owners standing outside their shops with large scissors are only too happy to snip off a chunk for you to try before you buy.

Shark’s fin
This delicacy is usually served up in fancy restaurants with an equally fancy bill at the end of the meal. But in Macau, there’s no need to wait for a special occasion to indulge in a piping hot bowl of tasty shark’s fin broth. Fook Lun New Street Rua da Felicidade (福隆新街), which is just opposite the area around Senado Square offer bowls at just MOP35 - and they do a roaring trade. Simply pull up a stool and slurp away – but be warned, you may have to wait.

Pork Chop Bun
Macau’s Pork Chop Bun’s (or Ju Pa Bau in Cantonese) is simplicity at its best. It consists of a sizzling hot deep-fried or pan-fried pork chop sandwiched into a white bun. There are no condiments or dressings; the secret is simply getting the crispness of the bun and juiciness of the pork chop just right.

Restaurant Victoria (勝利茶餐廳) on Rua dos Mercadores (營地大街) in central Macau serves up a hearty half-inch thick filet which will satisfy any appetite. On Avenida do Conselheiro Borja (青洲大馬路) located in northern Macau, you'll find Lau Kei Restaurant (劉記美食), which serves up tender pan fried pork chops and chewy hand-made fish bass balls, both of which are loved by locals and tourists alike. Lau's is one of the few food stalls left from a bygone era, and is a great choice for tourists to get a sense of authentic Macau food culture.

Goodies to take home

Two local bakery chains famous for their cookies, peanut candy, egg rolls and other sweets are Choi Heong Yuen and Koi Kei. Their packed outlets are all over Macau – tourists looking gifts for friends back home can be seen carrying huge bags out of the stores.

Other savory snacks from Southeast Asia

Go to Rotunda de Carlos da Maia (三盞燈) and you'll find many Burmese restaurants serving flavorful fish soup served with fried noodles and bean pie, coconut flavored chicken noodles, and specialty marinated foods. Other favorites include the painstakingly-made layer cake, deep fried chicken in pandan leaves, soft coconut custard and many other Southeast Asian specialties.

Also on Rua de S. Domingos (板樟堂), you’ll find Shanghai-style food of which the pan-fried dumplings are the best. They have less skin but more meat filling than the common dumpling and each bite is juicy and tasty. Go to the food stalls in front of the former Capitol Theater Commercial Center (國華戲院商場) next to Sun Star City (信達城) and you'll find fragrant snacks like egg ball and gateau.

Restaurants with a long history

For a taste of the old Macau, go to Long Wa Restaurant (Tea House) (龍華茶樓) and Nam Peng Café (南屏雅敍). With over 40 years of history, Long Wa Restaurant (龍華茶樓) is a perfect representation of Macau’s old leisurely lifestyle. In addition to sampling the past and eating delicious food, tourists can enjoy an interesting artwork collection. To get a feel for what Macau was like during the 70's, go to Nam Peng Café (南屏雅敍), a shop with a lot of history and tasteful antique decor. There's a strong sense of coziness in this place. Relax as the veteran waiters bring you food just as it was in the old days. Homemade cakes and pastries, including the famous and almost extinct egg puff, can be found here as well.

Long Wa Restaurant (Tea House) (龍華茶樓)

Address: Rua Norte do Mercado Almirante Lacerda, Macau
Phone: +853 2857 4456
Opening Hours: Daily 07:00 - 14:00
Reservations: Required
Description: Forty year old Long Wa Restaurant (Tea House) is proof that the living habits of old Macau are alive and well. Here, tea drinkers can relive the past and also enjoy arts and culture, not to mention the savory delicacies from the kitchen.

The owner of Long Wa Restaurant (Tea House), Big Brother Deh, keeps the tea aromatic and fragrant as this is in his opinion of utmost importance to run a successful teahouse and the first secret to attract customers. This means never neglecting the freshness of the tea leaves. He also pays careful attention to the naturalness of the atmosphere.The Long Wa Restaurant (Tea House) sits on a corner and has windows opening on three sides, and is warm in the winter and cool in summer even without air conditioning. Snacks which accompany the tea are very reasonably priced at about MOP10 each, with a minimum charge (for tea) per person of only MOP6. The restaurant is stocked with all the best teas, and prices range from very affordable to exclusive.
he tables next to the windows are the comfortable and spacious, and the balconies are filled with a forest of green plants. Add to this the view of the historical Red Market and the restaurant’s renowned dim sum, and you have paradise on earth. Big Brother Deh introduces the food, such as BBQ pork buns, pork fried noodles, and beef chow fan, as traditional and ordinary teahouse masterpieces. As for the mouthwatering cold chicken plate, it is tender and delicious. Since the restaurant is only a few steps from the Red Market, the ingredients are always fresh.
Big Brother Deh is a man of graceful manners, and he counts among his friends many filmmakers and artists. Over the years, the teahouse has held exhibitions of calligraphy, paintings, photographs, and other works of art. The teahouse is filled with treasured teas and antique furnishings, giving it a distinctive feel not to be found elsewhere. Its elegant atmosphere attracts customers in droves from around the region including mainland China, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, and Hong Kong.

Nam Peng Café (南屏雅敍)

Address: Rua do Cinco de Outubro, No. 85, Macau
Phone: +853 2892 2267
Opening Hours: Daily 6:30 - 18:30
Reservations: Required
Description: Macau’s Rua de Cinco de Outubro was so named in commemoration of the birth of the Portuguese Republic, and it is one of the oldest streets in Macau. It has many establishments each with considerable history themselves. This old street’s style and atmosphere mixes traditional Chinese with western culture and is best represented by Nam Peng Café.

Nam Peng Café may just seem like an elegant old eatery, like a distinguished gathering place for artists, but upon entering you’ll be in for a surprise. This café is full of history, and the people of Macau, who have a very laidback way of living and have adopted the European custom of afternoon tea, can often be found with a few friends in the afternoon with a cup of coffee and a sandwich or an egg tart fresh from the oven, talking about all kinds of affairs and generally having a good time.These kinds of old-fashioned teahouses are hard to find nowadays and its relaxed atmosphere is the biggest reason why Nam Peng Café is so popular.
The café, with its two stories, seats about 100 people. Most of its customers are locals, and the strength of this establishment is in the friendship between the old proprietor and the long time customers, not to mention the waiters some of whom have worked at the café for years.Nam Peng Café’s milk tea and BBQ pork and egg sandwich are a delicious combination. If you are health conscious, tell the waiter that you want your egg sandwich with “less cooking oil” and you’ll have a lighter sandwich. The BBQ pork and egg sandwich is about one inch thick, and the egg portion is nothing short of hearty. Add the BBQ pork and soft bread and the sandwich just cannot be beat!Nam Peng Café’s special baked pastries and bread are also worth a try. If you calculate it right and they’re just popping out of the oven, these fresh, hot, and delicious pastries would be worth any price, but as it is they are a bargain.Gather your friends or a good book or newspaper and go to Nam Peng Café for a coffee and food. You’ll find that time flies here.

Popular Macanese and Portuguese restaurants for local cuisine

Camoes (賈梅士葡國餐廳) serves authentic Portuguese food in a typically Portuguese ambience. This restaurant is housed in a colonial style building in the theme park Fisherman’s Wharf (漁人碼頭) , next to the Macau Ferry Terminal. It is has a nice ambience with a good selection of Portuguese wines.

Henri’s Gallery (美心亨利) is a cozy family-run Macanese restaurant in a quiet part of Macau peninsula with great views of the lake and Macau Tower (澳門旅遊塔會展娛樂中心) . It has been around for 30-years and is not only popular with tourists from all over the world, but also locals. You’ll be given an apron to wear in this non-pretentious restaurant which has a quaint old-style charm with a nautical theme. A must try is the spicy African chicken and the Macau sole.

Near the Maritime Museum (海事博物館) and the A-ma Temple (媽閣廟) in Macau peninsula, are 3 very famous restaurants on Rua do Almirante Sergio. The most famous of the 3 is A Lorcha - known as THE place to try for Portuguese cuisine. This warm, wooden café-style Portuguese restaurant has friendly staff, efficient service and serves up large servings which are value for money. Popular with large groups, you’d better book in advance to avoid disappointment.

On the same road Litoral (海灣餐廳) serves authentic Macanese food using recipes from the Macanese chef’s family and prides itself on using fresh ingredients. Another cozy and warm restaurant which serves up all the Macanese favorites, as well as Portuguese specialties.

Also a few doors down is O Porto Interior, a friendly and affordable Macanese and Portuguese restaurant decorated in colonial style. The 2-floor restaurant is popular with celebrities and tourists for its comfortable setting and ambience. There is a homely feel and a wide range of desserts for the sweet-tooth.

Camoes (賈梅士葡國餐廳)

Address: Shop 101, Lisbon-Evora, Macau Fisherman's Wharf, Macau
Phone: +853 2872 8818
Opening Hours: Daily 12:30 - 23:00
Reservations: Required
Description: Go up the stairs of the seemingly old colonial building, in Fisherman’s Wharf’s Lisboa area and leave the festive atmosphere of its brightly lit shops and cafes behind, entering into a cool, cavernous space designed to suggest an ancient European villa, with Mediterranean-style stone arches framing a quiet timeless elegance that is both ancient and modern. The snowy table linen is subtly lit at night by glowing candles; by day the stone is dappled with sunlight, and the soft strains of Portuguese music play in the background.
Camôes serves Portuguese fare prepared with an eye to the imaginative. Its menu includes many traditional Portuguese bacalhau dishes, savory grilled chicken and fish, steak with mushroom sauce and other favorites, but they are that are all done with a fresher, lighter touch than is commonly found in these parts. The wine list features some very good Portuguese selections, including some fine ports to accompany delectable desserts like the ubiquitous but always enjoyable serradura.
Prices are on the high side, but appropriate for the refreshing ambience and the accessible location as well as the quality cuisine. The perfect setting for a romantic rendezvous, if such a thing were possible in a place like Fisherman’s Wharf, with its hordes of tour-bus passengers, visiting families and day-trippers, Camoes is a small place with a limited amount of seating, and small but hard working staff, so be sure to call in advance for reservations.

Henri’s Gallery (美心亨利)

Address: 4G-H Avienda da Republica, Macau
Phone: +853 2855 6251 / +853 2856 2231
Opening Hours: Daily 12:00 - 22:00
Reservations: Required
Description: In business since 1976, Henri’s Galley and its seafaring motif offer sought after Macanese and Portuguese cuisine. Henri touts his curry crab and has had his recipes featured in culinary magazines around the world. The African chicken and roast fish also come highly recommended by its highly trained staff. From the restaurant, patrons can enjoy pleasant views of tree-lined Sai Van Lake and the Macau Tower across the water.

Litoral (海灣餐廳)

Address: 261A Rua do Almirante Sergio
Phone: +853 2896 7878
Opening Hours: Daily 12:00 - 15:00 and 18:00 - 22:30
Reservations: Required
Description: Back in the good old days, if you asked people who knew about such things, which was the best Macanese restaurant in town, they would without hesitation have said Restaurante Litoral. They may still say it, but unfortunately the newer and glitzier restaurants in other parts of town are eclipsing many older, family-run establishments like this. Nevertheless, loyal local gourmets and many out of town visitors regularly return to enjoy the food and the old-time ambience.

Visiting the two-storied Litoral is stepping back through local history. It occupies one of the districts typical old shop houses on the street that used to front what was once a bustling waterfront. Not far away is the spot where the first Portuguese landed on Macau’s shores, in fact, in an area that also is home to the A-Ma Temple and the Maritime Museum.
The restaurant’s proprietor, Macau-born Manuela Ferreira, opened Litoral in 1995 with her husband, carefully guards her recipes, many of which have been passed down through generations in her family. She says she uses the wok to cook many of the dishes served here, which contain both Portuguese and Chinese ingredients. In fact, Ms. Ferreira says even she eschews commercially prepared foods and makes many of those ingredients herself, like the traditional shrimp paste that is a time-honored tradition in these parts. Ms. Ferreira was awarded a Medal of Honor by the Macau SAR government for the contribution to tourism her efforts represent. Mouth-watering dishes like stuffed squid, clams in garlic sauce, Macanese style duck rice and creamy serradura, washed down, naturally, with Portuguese wine or pitchers of refreshing sangria, not only make Litoral a favorite among Macau’s local community, but keep alive a gastronomic tradition that is unique to Macau.
Visa, MasterCard and American Express are all accepted.

Specialty Macanese and Portuguese dishes to ask for

Macanese cuisine has evolved over centuries as traditional Portuguese home cooking adapted Chinese techniques and ingredients as well as spices found by sailors traveling from Europe to Asia. That’s why Macanese food tastes different from Chinese and Portuguese food.

Be sure to try African chicken, which is unique to Macau and not traditionally found in Portugal. Different styles and flavors from around the world are used making African chicken and each restaurant has its own secret recipe. The standard recipe calls for brushing the chicken with a sauce made of garlic, peppers, white wine and vanilla. After the chicken is baked, the juices are mixed with the sauce and drizzled over top of the chicken. Its zesty and sweet taste has made this dish a favorite of locals and visitors for hundreds of years. If you enjoy chicken dishes, also try the Portuguese chicken. It’s served in large portions, made with many spices, and cooked in many steps. The sauce is aromatic and not too spicy and it goes great with rice. The chicken is tender and flavorful and melts in your mouth.

Other famous dishes include stir fried clams, bacalhau (codfish), curry crab, and baked vegetables in Portuguese sauce. For good restaurants that serve these cuisines, go to Restaurant Solmar (沙利文餐廳) and Litoral (海灣餐廳); Galo (公雞餐廳) and O Manel (阿曼葡國餐) in Taipa; and Espaço Lisboa (里斯本地帶餐廳) and Fernando's (法蘭度餐廳) in Coloane.

Restaurant Solmar (沙利文餐廳)

Address: Avenida da Praia Grande 512, Macau
Phone: +853 2857 4391／2857 4392
Opening Hours: Daily 11:00 - 23:00
Reservations: Required
Description: As one of Macau’s traditional restaurants, the name of Solmar Restaurant has long been beloved by local residents, and it has loyal customers from Mainland China, Hong Kong, and even from as far away as Japan. When you visit a historical restaurant, the most important thing to do is to order one of their specialty dishes, unless you want to skip the very thing that draws people there. The customers are largely Chinese and Macanese, demonstrating that the dishes served here are favorites of the local community.
Among these dishes, Solmar’s Portuguese chicken is very well received. They serve generous portions here, and one order of Portuguese chicken with rice can feed two people easily. The chicken is made by boiling fresh chicken, guaranteeing the smooth and tender texture of the meat. In addition to the chicken, don’t forget the splendid rice covered in Portuguese sauce. Their curry crab achieves the same amazing results with a different approach. But if you think that it’s too much trouble to break open crabs to get to the meat, why not try spicy jumbo prawns and African chicken. They are both spicy and they will definitely awaken your appetite. Another feature that needs to be mentioned is the Macau fish fillet, which can be fried or grilled. The tender meat is delicious and especially fragrant when fried. But if you don’t want it to be oily, have a grilled one, which also captures the delicious flavors of the fish. Also, Solmar’s rib-eye steak is of the highest quality meat, tender and juicy, and reasonably price.
In terms of snacks, there are distinctive items such as the Bolinhos de bacalhau (codfish balls), as well as prawn toast made with a whole fresh boiled prawn, which never disappoints. As for dessert, the serradura has a silky smooth texture that makes it the most distinctive dessert in the restaurant, with a quality that will leave you wanting more.

Galo (公雞餐廳)

Address: 45 Rua dos Clérigos, Taipa Village, Taipa Island, Macau
Phone: +853 2882 7423
Opening Hours: Monday to Friday 11:30 -15:00 and 18:00 - 22:30 ; Saturday and Sunday 11:30 . - 22:30
Reservations: Required
Description: Galo, which means rooster in Portuguese has come to be an icon of Macau. The motif of the restaurant is a rooster, apt because Galo specialises in home style Portuguese and Macanese food.
The medley of Chinese and Portuguese flavours which create the unique Macanese cuisine at Galo are popular with Chinese, Asians, and Europeans. Galo Portuguese Restaurant now has outlets both in Taipa Village as well as in Macau peninsula.
Galo’s dishes are simple and fresh, and every Sunday they serve a Portuguese cozido (stew), which is a very traditional dish. Though its method of preparation may seem a little strange to the unaccustomed, cozido is a delightful dish that cannot be found at most of Macau’s newer Portuguese restaurants.
Galo Portuguese Restaurant’s owner Linda explains that the method of preparing their unique prawns on ice is actually very simple, and is nothing more than boiling fresh prawns. However, Linda insists on using only fresh, live prawns, otherwise she won’t serve them at all. The flavor of the prawn itself is delicious, but adding either salad dressing or the restaurant’s own chili oil increases the tender taste, especially in the warmer summer months.
Galo’s Portuguese roast suckling pig is particularly delicious, as the restaurant only uses select young pigs that are about 20 days old and weigh between six and seven pounds. A quarter suckling pig costs around MOP100 and is a steal for such a succulent and tender dish. In addition, Galo’s delicious seafood paella, the fried prawns, and the African chicken are also worth sampling. If you want to experience Portuguese and Macanese home style cooking, you cannot miss Galo Portuguese Restaurant.

O Manel (阿曼葡國餐)

Address: 90 Rua Fernão Mendes Pinto, Taipa, Macau
Phone: +853 2882 7571
Opening Hours: Daily 12:00 - 15:30 and 18:00 - 22:30 Closed 1st & 4th Tuesday of each month
Reservations: Required
Description: This tiny but well-established restaurant just on the edge of Taipa Village has been enjoying a fine reputation for many years, although not necessarily for its ambience, which to put it kindly, is unpretentious. That being said, this is one of the best remaining examples of the kind of homey, welcoming small places that Taipa Village was famous for in the old days before the development boom began, and it’s still worth visiting just for really delicious food. As one of the oldest surviving Portuguese restaurants in the neighborhood, it has been written up for years in guidebooks, and still draws many out-of-towners as well as loyal local customers.

Proprietor Manel, who waits on tables himself as well as supervising the preparation of dishes in his kitchen, puts his heart, not to mention olive oil and wine for cooking imported from his family’s farm in Portugal, into his specialties to recreate many authentic tastes. He also whips up some original dishes of his own that have been luring devoted customers back again and again over the years without his having to do any fancy renovations or modernize the décor, which is characterized by red-and-white checked tablecloths over simple tables and basic chairs. Daily specials will vary, but especially recommended are the leitao or roast suckling pig, pork with clams, and seafood rice, along with classic dishes like pasteis de bacalhao, all at reasonable prices, and all cooked to perfection. A surprisingly extensive wine list includes good Portuguese selections to accompany the dishes.
This small casual restaurant, with its limited number of tables, fills up quickly, even at lunch time, so booking ahead for reservations is a good idea, especially on weekends.

Espaço Lisboa (里斯本地帶餐廳)

Address: 8 Rua dos Gaivotas, Coloane Village, Macau
Phone: +853 2888 2226
Opening Hours: Monday to Friday 12:00 - 15:00 and 18:30 - 22:00 ; Weekend 12:00 - 23:00
Reservations: Required
Delivery Service: Yes
Description: Roaming the narrow lanes of Coloane Village is a great way to experience Macau’s unique cultural blend of East and West, as well as a way to feel a bit of what the old days were like, with its historic church and temples, tiny, simple houses, old banyan trees, and waterfront with views of Hengqin Island. Not the least of Coloane’s many attractions is its wonderful, unpretentious and surprisingly reasonably-priced restaurants, and one of the best among them is Espaco de Lisboa, tucked away on a narrow street behind Lord Stow’s famous bakery.
Espaco de Lisboa’s award-winning executive chef Antonio Coelho brings a new and creative touch to Portuguese cuisine in this cozy old village house. There is a charming flower-fringed balcony upstairs that is popular for al fresco dining in good weather, as well as air-conditioned dining areas upstairs and down. In addition to traditional favorites like sauteed clams with garlic and coriander, African chicken, and bacalhao dishes, Chef Coelho adds innovations like tenderloin fondue, served with fresh asparagus, pineapple, banana, salad, delicious creamed spinach, and even a selection of vegetarian entrees, like sautéed pasta with green bell peppers, tomato, mushrooms and asparagus with tomato sauce. Needless to say, this restaurant probably serves more vegetables, and cooked more imaginatively than any other Portuguese establishment in town. The dessert menu is just as delightful, with surprises like pistachio cake with fruit jam. Naturally, there is a good selection of Portuguese wine.
Reservations are strongly advised for this small restaurant, which is likely, especially on weekends, to be filled with casually dressed local customers, especially expat residents of Coloane Village, visitors from Hong Kong, and private parties.
Visa, and MasterCard are accepted.

Fernando's (法蘭度餐廳)

Address: 9 Hac Sa Beach, Coloane Island, Macau
Phone: +853 2888 2264
Opening Hours: Daily 12:00 - 21:30
Reservations: Required
Description: Fernando's is well-known to locals and visitors alike for its tasty and reasonably priced Portuguese food. It’s the ideal place to relax with friends and leisurely enjoy a meal on Macau’s famed black sand beach.

Dim sum or yum cha

Dim sum, which is available in most Cantonese restaurants, is a similar concept to Spanish tapas. Small portions of food are served with Chinese tea usually for breakfast, brunch, lunch or afternoon tea. It is best to have dim sum in large groups, so that there is the opportunity to order more food, and taste a wider variety of dishes. It is common to see large groups of families or friends having a noisy reunion over dim sum. For many groups, it’s a mini reunion and an excuse to catch up with everyone.

There are savory meat, seafood and vegetable dishes as well as many types of dumplings on the menu. Congee, rice and noodle dishes are usually ordered at the end, just before dessert.

Most Cantonese restaurants will have a dim sum menu. Our pick of hotels with Cantonese restaurants serving good dim sum include The Venetian Macao-Resort-Hotel and Grand Lisboa in Macau peninsula, the Westin Resort Macau in Coloane and Pousada Marina Infante in .

Good restaurants for entertaining clients

For business travelers there are many fine restaurants inside the newer hotels. These restaurants have efficient and knowledgeable staff, stylish interiors, a refined ambience and serve up consistently good food.

Mezzaluna Italian Restaurant (月怡意大利餐廳) at the Mandarin Oriental Macau (澳門文華東方酒店) is a fine choice for the business traveler. This restaurant has been praised for both its food and wine. It serves a variety of drinks and imaginative food sure to please. Il Teatro (帝雅廷) at Wynn Macau (永利澳門) is another Italian restaurant which overlooks Wynn’s musical fountain. It made Conde Nast Traveler’s Hot List 2007. Opened by world renowned French chef Joel Robuchon in 2001, Robuchon A Galera (法國餐廳) inside Hotel Lisboa (葡京酒店) is one of the best French restaurants in Asia.

Last but not least, Cafe Deco (峰景餐廳), located inside the Venetian Macao-Resort-Hotel (澳門威尼斯人-度假村-酒店), has over 30,000 square feet of space and serves a combination of Asian cuisines. Private booths are available for reservation. This is an excellent restaurant for your business and seminar needs.

Mezzaluna Italian Restaurant (月怡意大利餐廳)

Address: 2/F, Mandarin Oriental Hotel, 956-1110 Avenida da Amizade, Macau
Phone: +853 8793 3861
Opening Hours: Daily 12:00 - 14:30 and 18:30 - 23:00, closed on Monday
Reservations: Required
Description: With its soft lighting, warm terra cotta walls and deep banquettes facing a sparkling high-tech kitchen with wood-fired oven, Mezzaluna is the perfect place for an important date or special celebration. As can be expected, this ambience, as well as the extensive menu, attracts a mature, sophisticated clientele, who come for the fine cuisine as well as the upscale atmosphere. Most of the tables and banquettes are arranged in view of the kitchen, which is surprisingly compact for the number of patrons the restaurant can handle during mealtime. Incidentally, during those hours, for those without reservations, a table may be hard to come by, so calling ahead is recommended.

You can stop by before or after a show for a pizza, if you are prepared to spend enough time to linger over a selection of toppings like porcini mushrooms, cured meat, arugula salad or pecorino cheese. But cognoscenti of Italian cuisine and the more gastronomically adventurous will opt to linger over some of the more innovative and imaginative dishes on the menu, which might include cold lightly fried fillets of eel seasoned with 15-year old vino santo vinegar on polenta, for example, or marinated mushrooms with mint and sausage, and savor the perfect dessert, traditional tiramisu.
Mezzaluna boasts of a "global collection of vintage wine," and, being part of the Mandarin Oriental, Macau, lives up to its promise. Especially complimentary to the Italian fare there are the chiantis. In addition, there is grappa in several varieties, and for a perfectly sweet conclusion to a meal of the quality you'll find in Mezzaluna, Amaretto di Saronno, or Frangelico to go with a cappuccino, macchiato, or latte.
Visa, MasterCard and American Express are all accepted.

Il Teatro (帝雅廷)

Address: 1/F, Wynn Macau, Rua Cidade de Sintra NAPE, Macau

Phone: +853 8986 3648
Opening Hours: Daily 17:30 - 23:30 Closed on Mondays
Average Price: 300
Reservations: Required
Description: If you are looking for a unique Italian dining experience, Ristorante il Teatro will delight all your senses. The open kitchen allows you to view the cooking of classic Italian specialties such as traditional pizzas, salads, homemade pasta and other authentic dishes from Southern Italy. You will be entertained while dining by the spectacular views of the Performance lake. Dress is casual elegant.

Relaxing ambience

Clube Militar de Macau (陸軍俱樂部) is housed in the exclusive Military Club near Hotel Lisboa. Although the Club is open to members only, you can enjoy the affordable Portuguese lunch buffet in one of Macau’s most distinguished colonial houses. Macau’s only revolving restaurant is the 360° Café (360度旋轉餐廳) in the Macau Tower, which serves up a buffet with different themes and flavors. On a good day you can not only see all of Macau and its islands, but all the way into Mainland China. Enter Restaurant Canton (喜粵) at the Venetian Macao-Resort-Hotel (澳門威尼斯人-度假村-酒店) and find out what nouveau Cantonese dishes are all about.

For local cuisine as well as international delights, try the offerings of Café Bela Vista (薈景閣) inside the Mandarin Oriental Macau (澳門文華東方酒店). Finally, Antica Trattoria (經典意大利餐廳) on Avenida Sir Anders Ljungstedt (澳門倫斯泰特大馬路) serves tasty Italian food and offers refreshing country style coziness.

Clube Militar de Macau (陸軍俱樂部)

Address: No. 975, Avenida da Praia Grande, Macau
Phone: +853 2871 4000
Opening Hours: Daily 12:00 -15:00 and 19:00 - 23:00
Reservations: Required
Description: Don’t be intimidated by the formal appearances of this quaint old red-and-white building in the middle of one of Macau’s busiest neighborhoods.

Although at one time it was a private organization available only to members, today the venerable old Clube Militar opens the doors to its beautiful dining room and welcomes the public, and is known as one of the best Portuguese/Macanese dining spots in town.
Housed in a historic landmark of incomparable elegance, beloved by discerning visitors as well as local residents, the club was established in 1870 by a group of army officers and soon became a nucleus of culture and social life for Macanese society for decades. Its luncheon buffets on weekends and public holidays are especially popular now among members of the local Portuguese and Macanese community and business people.
While not casual, Clube Militar is not stuffy, either. The colonial style building housing the club has been restored several times over the years and the dining room is picturesque with its graceful window arches, and high ceilings with gently stirring fans. The fine Portuguese and Macanese cuisine served includes an outstanding steak with mushroom sauce, melt-in-your-mouth bacalhau a bras, Portuguese green vegetable soup, seafood stew in a white-wine sauce, stewed lamb leg in red wine, or African chicken, with tempting desserts and a wide range of good Portuguese wine.
While prices reflect the high quality of the setting, the service and the food and drink, the club is still surprisingly reasonable compared to nearby hotel restaurants. Besides, the experience of dining in this lovely remnant of Macau’s colonial past is well worth the cost.
The restaurant serves lunch between noon and 15:00 and dinner between 19:00 and 23:00, Visa, MasterCard, and American Express are all accepted.

360° Café (360度旋轉餐廳)

Address: 60/F, Macau Tower, Lago Sai Van, Macau
Phone: +853 8988 8622
Opening Hours: Daily Lunch Buffet 11:30 - 13:00
(First Section) and 13:30 - 15:00
(Second Section) Dinner Buffet 18:30 - 22:00
Reservations: Required
Description: As Macau’s highest restaurant, the 360° Café not only offers the best location for dining in Macau, but more importantly, its spirit of constant innovation allows it to always present its patrons with something new in the famous buffet.

Here, there is always a lavish buffet available, whether it be lunch, afternoon tea, or dinner. The key to successfully maintaining this kind of high quality buffet day after day is in providing dishes using fresh ingredients with a high level of culinary skill and setting it in a beautiful environment with a conscientious service attitude. These are the reasons that the restaurant has been so warmly received by locals and visitors alike.
Just like the restaurant’s name implies, the dining area is surrounded by floor to ceiling glass windows, and it revolves at a very slow speed. In addition to the dinner buffet, there is also a lunch buffet and an afternoon tea buffet. Dining at 360° Café, you can enjoy the finest dishes while taking in the sights of Macau – high up in the sky – and appreciate the expansive sea view far above the everyday worries of the mundane world. Experience the grandiosity of the world and appetizing culinary creations while seated in the blue sky and white clouds!
Every Friday and Saturday night, the restaurant offers a different theme buffet. Besides the ever-present seafood, meat, and various other dishes, the chefs are adventurous in introducing new elements such as in making rice dishes or bean dishes as the theme of the buffet. Through the distinctive culinary skills of the chefs, the most ordinary dishes are imbued with an extraordinary style to present your senses with an unprecedented treat.

Restaurant Canton (喜粵)

Address: Venetian Macao-Resort-Hotel, Estrada da Baía de N. Senhora da Esperança, s/n, The Cotai Strip, Taipa, Macau
Phone: +853 8118 9930
Opening Hours: Sunday to Thursday 10:00 - 23:00 and Friday to Saturday 10:00 - midnight
Reservations: Required
Description: Macau has few establishments which combine the magnificence of Chinese cuisine with modern health food culture, and so Canton located at a corner of the Venetian Casino is definitely an unexpected delight. Canton offers both an elegant dining environment and a refreshingly innovative new style of Cantonese cuisine. The restaurant is equipped with six VIP rooms, and all told is capable of seating 120 people.

Chef Mak has many years of culinary experience. Profoundly rooted in Cantonese cuisine, he has improved upon and integrated dishes from many other regions of China to create an exquisite and distinctive style. Chef Mak says: “Although the majority of our guests are Chinese, there has been a recent trend in both Cantonese cooking and other regional cuisines in China towards less oil and lighter flavours”. Combining the soul of Chinese food with the appeal of Western cooking style, the restaurant is also appointed in a style which combines tradition and modernity, and which says “fine dining” from the décor to the dishes it serves.
For a starter, Chef Mak recommends the Vegetarian Goose done with a hint of the Jiang-Zhe style (Jiangsu & Zhejiang), the Coral Cucumber and the Sweet Osmanthus Pork in Aspic. The method used to create the Vegetarian Goose here is particularly unusual; besides wrapping the filling in a sheet of tofu as most kitchens do, Chef Mak adds a coating of flour and then deep fries it, giving the dish a delightfully crispy texture and flavour. The coral cucumber is made with Japanese cucumbers, which are uniquely refreshing and delicious. The Sweet Osmanthus Pork in Aspic is easy to imagine from its name; richly scented mayflowers are added to a fresh take on salted pork, producing flavours that complement each other perfectly.
For the main course, besides the more usual seafood, pork and beef dishes, the Horseradish Prawns are particularly recommended. Medium-sized prawns are spiced, dipped in egg yolk and briefly fried, before finally being flavoured with a specially made horseradish salad dressing. Both rich in flavour and spicy, this dish invigorates the palette, and is a testament to the thought which has gone in to creating this new school of Cantonese cuisine.
For soup, there is the Traditional Beijing Braised Golden Shark's Fin Soup, which is cooked for a minimum of eight hours. Large amounts of chicken and duck, as well as a small amount of red meat are added to a simple chicken soup stock and simmered for eight hours. Roughly one and a half ounces of shark's fin are then added, producing the soup with a rich, fresh flavour. Chef Mak has taken the decision to cease using pork in soups, making his soups uniquely fresh and pure in taste.
Dessert has of course not been forgotten. There is a choice of delicately prepared Aloe Mango Cream, Coconut Juice Red Bean Cake or Golden Sticky Rice Balls, the ingredients of which are all fairly healthy. A meal at Canton is simply an exquisite experience, from the starter to the dessert.

Café Bela Vista (薈景閣)

Address: Mandarin Oriental Hotel, No. 956-1110 Avenida da Amizade, 2/F, Macau
Phone: +853 8793 3871
Opening Hours: 24 Hours, except Thursday until midnight
Reservations: Required
Description: The charm of old Macau hasn’t been completely overshadowed by the incredibly fast paced new developments; the ambience of one of its most beloved landmarks, the Bela Vista, has been preserved on the second floor of the great hotel that has seen the passing of the old and the emergence of the New Macau.
The old Bela Vista, which now houses the Portuguese consul general in Macau, was at one time a center of cultural life in Macau, and even played an important role in its history, first as a hotel, then as a hospital, a haven for refugees, and in later years as the venue for the famous annual “Bela Vista Balls.”
The Cafe Bela Vista recalls its famous namesake’s elegant colonial architecture, with high arched windows reminiscent of the terrace that overlooked the old Praia Grande waterfront, louvered doors and reproductions of historic watercolors by the renowned artist George Smirnoff. Comfy white wicker chairs and softly purring fans hung from high timber ceilings complete the effect.
The menu features local specialties as well as international standards, but the best way to sample a variety of flavors is to book a reservation for one of the popular buffets and take your choice of dishes like hearty roast beef, Cantonese classics like tasty fried noodles and dim sum treats, Japanese delicacies, and authentic Italian pasta, with, of course, classic Macanese favorites like spicy African chicken, crab curry, and heavenly egg tarts.
The cafe is open round the clock, and buffets are available daily between 07:00 and 10:00, noon and 14:30, and 18:00 and 22:00. Prices include the standard hotel surcharge, and can be on the high side for a cafe.
Visa, MasterCard, and American Express are all accepted.

Antica Trattoria (經典意大利餐廳)

Address: Avenida Sir Anders Ljungstedt No. 40, 42, e 46, Edificio Vista Magnifica Court, R/C e 1 andar, Macau
Phone: +853 2875 5102
Opening Hours: Daily 12:00 - 23:00, closed 2nd Tuesday of every month
Reservations: Required
Description: It’s amazing how a place as big as Antica Trattoria can manage to feel as cozy as a country home. It could be the gallery of old photographs on the staircase or the colorful collection of Italian tchachkes or even the glorious aromas from the kitchen, and the friendly service and generous portions don’t hurt, either. Probably it also is a result of the many years of experience in the local restaurant business that makes its Italian proprietor an expert at providing good food and service.

You could make a meal of the antipasto and fresh crispy bread, still warm from the oven, accompanied by a good chianti, or go all out and share several courses family style with a group of friends around one of the big tables, and try main courses like baked salmon with lemon thyme and T-bone steak with mint, basil, parmesan, garlic, and lemon dressing. The seafood spaghetti, lasagna, and steaks, not to mention the creamy tiramisu, are hearty and satisfying fare. There’s no better place to stop for a pizza after shopping or before a night on the town nearby at the Docks. With 18 different varieties to choose from, there’s sure to be something to please every palate. Prices are moderate in this more or less casual spot, especially compared to those at more upscale Italian eateries in downtown hotels, and represent excellent value.
t’s important to call ahead and book a table, especially on weekends, because this popular place does a brisk business among not only neighborhood habitués and local families, but also many Hong Kong visitors.
Antica Trattoria is open from noon to 11 p.m. daily except the second Tuesday of every month.Visa, MasterCard and American express are all accepted.

For other food review in Macau, click here.

爱.呼吸

2010-12-04T15:12:00.000+08:00

Why you should travel as a student

2010-12-03T19:43:00.001+08:00

...A guest post by Samantha Deavin...

Most students finishing their schooling or graduating from their university degrees are faced with the decision of whether to start full time study, enter the workforce, or go travelling. While there are often societal or parental pressures to start a professional career or ‘get serious’, there are also a number of benefits to student travel, and many reasons why travelling when young can have longstanding benefits.

- Cheaper prices. Transport, hostel rooms and tickets to sights and attractions are significantly discounted for those who fall within the ‘student’ category. Often it is just a matter of your age, and whether or not you are studying is irrelevant. If you’re within the age bracket of 12-26 then take advantage of these discounted prices – you won’t enjoy them again until you become a ‘senior citizen’!

- Learn more about yourself. It’s often hard to know what you want to do, or what career path you want to follow when you leave school or university. Taking time to travel, and putting yourself in different situations, environments and amongst different people can help you learn more about the world, yourself, and what it is that you want to do. Rather than jumping into a degree or job that you’re not sure is suited to you and your goals, travelling can give you the opportunity to remove yourself from your daily environment and learn more about what is important to you

- Meet other people. Travelling when young is very conducive to meeting other people. Because student travel is usually conducted on a small budget, most students choose to stay in hostels. Dorm rooms, communal kitchens and organised events make it easy to meet people from all over the world. When travelling, you’ll make friends from all corners of the globe.

- Take advantage of your freedom. Students are often told to take advantage of their youth and their limited responsibilities. What does this mean, you may ask? Travel! When else in your life will you be able to pack up and set off around the world, travelling wherever your fancy takes you? Hop on one of many cheap flights and see where you end up.

- Employers look favourably on travel. When your resume tells a prospective employee that you have travelled, it shows that you are independent, organised and resourceful. Travel is no longer seen as careless wandering, but as something that adds to a person’s skill base, emotional intelligence and employability.

Finishing school or university is an exciting time. What better way to celebrate then to go travelling? Whether you set off on a round the world ticket, or jump on a flight and see where the winds take you, student travel is fun, cheap, rewarding and will have longstanding benefits.

What are you waiting for?

Getting into the Thailand Medical Tourism Blog Contest

2010-11-27T03:11:00.003+08:00

by: Claire Algarme of First-Time Travels
You can visit her Medblog page for the final round of the competition. The more visitors her page generates, the more chances for her to win the top prize.

I admit I never expected to be in the final 12 of the Medical Tourism Blog Competition of the Tourism Authority of Thailand. A friend told me about it and participated online. I also never expected to finally meet fellow travel bloggers whom I had some interaction only via online.

Recently, we were introduced to the media. All 12 of us are travelholics and each aim for the top prize. But then again, even without it, we were already enjoying a seven day-six night all expense paid sponsored by TAT and its partners. Below is a press release from TAT.

http://www.medblogcontest.com/blog/11

First-Time Travels of Lonely Planet Travel Bloggers

2010-09-09T11:42:00.005+08:00

by: Claire Algarme of First-Time Travels

Jetsetters and seasoned travelers may be “experts on the road” but they also started out learning the ropes of traveling. They now have something to advice on the subject because they have a rich resource of firsthand travel experiences. Some of them, when they were newbie travelers, also listened from those who were ahead of them in the traveling landscape.

I may be able to easily give instructions to taxi drivers or haggle with vendors in Jakarta because I lived there for seven months, but I also struggled during my first weeks trying to decipher the map and learning the local language by myself. I can roam around Bangkok or Hong Kong unguided because I have visited these cities more than once, yet I also shamelessly asked for directions during my first visit there. Although I credit travel books and websites for pointing me to the right direction, my experience on the ground has provided me with more insights any literature could give. Dealing up-close with the locals and getting lost have made me street-smart, something one does not learn just by researching and armchair traveling.

My first trip outside of my home country, the Philippines, was in Thailand. Friends shared my excitement as they gave me lists of tips and places to visit. I was excited on what was in store for me at my destination that I never realized the more practical things to do in embarking on a journey, like packing lightly, paying the travel tax, getting in line at the immigration, exchanging my local currency into US dollars and Thai baht, etc. Like in any other Asian city, bargaining is a skill a traveler should learn when shopping in Bangkok. We visited the Royal Palace and there was a special occasion at that time. I accidentally stepped on the red carpet reserved only for the King and his entourage that a guard scolded me for doing so. Now, I’m more careful whenever I visit a palace or a temple that I don’t break any of their rules or disrespect any of their traditions.

The Lonely Planet blogsherpas walk down memory lane as they share stories of their first-time travels outside of their home country or their innocence when they first stepped into a foreign land. Who would ever think that these travel bloggers also had their moments when they first boarded a plane or when they finally made that big leap out of the comforts of their home? I feel privileged to host this blog carnival, which gives us a glimpse of the joy, frustration, fears, and milestones of the first-time travels our blogsherpas made.

To read their stories, you can visit the original post with the full article at First-Time Travels of Travel Bloggers: the Lonely Planet Blogsherpa Blog Carnival #9.

First-time in the Shanghai World Expo 2010

2010-08-26T10:20:00.005+08:00

by Claire Algarme of First-Time Travels

As we touched down at Pudong International Airport in Shanghai, everything was World Expo mode. Even the expressways had special directional signs to the expo site.

Photo by Claire Algarme

We were fortunate to have our visit timed during the World Expo, an internationally registered event (major expo) which happens every five years only and the venue held in different cities globally. There are also minor expos but this one in Shanghai is considered a major expo with countries building their own pavilions.

Purchasing expo tickets were not difficult at all, contrary to our belief. We bought our one-day passes at the China Mobile outlet just across the Expo gate at Yaohua Road. Since it was a standard day, we bought our tickets at ¥160 each. However, we had to buy it a day before so we could enter the Expo early the next day.

We entered the Expo site at the Xizang Road with the subway station leading to one of the entrances. Since we entered from the underground, we first saw the base of the funnels that appear at the elevated roads.

As we ascended the escalators, the towering China pavilion wowed us. We were awed by the gigantic red structure where everyone lined up. But for every half a million visitors a day at the World Expo, China only accommodates 30,000 in its pavilion through free reservation tickets that could be availed at 9:00am by the entrance gate.

Photo by Claire Algarme

The Oman pavilion showed the amazing landscapes of the country. There was a tent set up at one side of the pavilion. At the center was a colorfully lighted dome. Some products were also in display and were up for sale.

Beside the Oman pavilion were the Pakistan and the Israel pavilions. We entered the Sri Lanka pavilion where actual gem cutters and wood carvers showed off their expertise. There was also a small hut inside the large pavilion that exhibited some Sri Lankan paintings.

We were supposed to proceed to the Saudi Arabia pavilion, an oasis at the middle of the modern structures in the Expo site. But the line was too long that we decided to visit other nearby pavilions instead. We also thought of passing by the Nepal pavilion on our way back.

Photo by Claire Algarme

All six of us parted in twos to save up time. My friend and I attempted to enter the dune-shaped United Arab Emirates (UAE) pavilion but never got through because there were some who were quarreling at the entrance. We proceeded to the Qatar pavilion which showed its underwater pearl divers.

There was a Bedouin camp set up inside the pavilion with wax figures of Bedouins in their usual garb. A local performance was going on at a small stage area in its first level. Local art, trade products and a diorama of future Qatar were on display near the exit.

The next pavilion we entered was that of Morocco’s. It’s one of my favorites. When we entered, the interior was like a local Moroccan courtyard with a small fountain at the center. The palm trees and arches looked authentic.

Old urns, stamps, and clothes were displayed at the ground floor. There were mannequins dressed like the Prince of Persia character. A camel saddle with intricate weaving was also displayed for public viewing.

The second level was like a marketplace with stalls left and right, showing various Moroccan products. Some had television screens that presented how some of those products were made. My favorite window was that of the colorful slippers and the room that appeared to be inside a Moroccan tent. The topmost floor was all multimedia presentation that projected Morocco’s landscape on a sloping wall.

Photo by Claire Algarme

It was way past noon and we were already starving. We had to cross from Zone A to Zone B where there was a food court. As we walked the elevated walkways, we observed some people eating by the benches with their packed food. There were also Coca-Cola stalls almost everywhere, since they were a major sponsor of the Expo.

When we got to the food court, there weren’t much people around. It must be that we were too late for lunch or visitors opted to eat somewhere else.

After our meal, we proceeded to the Philippine pavilion. It would be a shame to miss our very own exhibit. As we entered the Southeast Asia and Pacific zone, a performance in the open-air stage area near the New Zealand pavilion surprised us. No wonder this area was more crowded than the previous one we visited.

We went directly to the pavilion of the Philippines which highlighted performing arts. As we entered the cube-shaped building, it was as if a concert party was going on inside. People were eating by the small restaurant, buying Filipino goods, viewing the exhibits, and participating on the variety show that was set up for the Expo visitors.

Photo by Claire Algarme

It was truly fun inside and I would have wanted to stay longer. I may be biased because this was my country’s pavilion but I was extremely pleased to be there and proud to be a Filipino. I must say that the people behind it did a great job. It was not just another exhibit but they injected the Philippine spirit of fun and music in it.

To read the full article, including descriptions of European pavilions and some tips around the World Expo, visit http://firsttimetravel.wordpress.com/2010/07/26/first-time-in-the-shanghai-world-expo-2010/

越南旅行记之胡志明市

2010-08-19T10:08:00.006+08:00

第四天．。。早上我们吃了早餐后就准备出发了。。我们的导游抱怨我们迟到令整个流程可能会迟了，所以下次要注意了。。。今天我们的行程是在胡志明市的一日游，这个城市与我们吉隆坡差不多，分别可能这边的电单车比我们的那边还要多。我们去了胡志明市的一些名胜地后就去了一家酒店吃午餐，真得很丰富哦。之后我们就出发去了以前打战避难的地下洞。真得很佩服以前的人想出来的避难方法，想到他们打战的时候生活真得非常痛苦。。。之后我们又坐了两个小时的车程回去酒店。晚上我们在附近找到不错的餐馆，其实是街边的大牌档，食物非常美味和价钱也非常便宜，过后就在附近逛逛shopping。不好的是下雨了所以有些地方我们都去不到。。。之后就回酒店休息了。。。

第五天．。。一早我们吃了早餐就出发去了湄公河，我们去了一个类似小村的地方，很多游客在那边买卖，然后我们去了听他们为我们准备的歌谣，还尝试了道地的蜂蜜，真得别有一番口味。。。之后我们就坐sampan围绕整个地方，还蛮刺激的因为一直来往都有船来船往，而且感觉快要下雨所以他们也划得特别快。。。过后我们开船去了另外一个小村吃午餐，午餐也算满丰富的，因为有专人服务我们，非常开心。。。之后我们就去了制造椰糖的地方，看见他们的工作效率真得非常厉害。我们买了椰糖后就准备回去了，因为今晚是我们最后一晚的冲刺所以回到酒店后我们就立刻跑去酒店附近的跳蚤市场，之后我们就去了船餐厅吃我们的晚餐，有点不值得因为没有书里面所说的美丽夜景和食物也还好罢了。。。早知道我们就吃回昨晚的街边小食更好。之后大概九点多就回去酒店了，倒霉的是两个晚上在胡志明市都下雨。。。然后我们就各自快乐，有的继续去附近逛逛，有的就回去酒店休息收拾行李住准备明天一早离开胡志明市回家了。

最后一天。。。今天是唯一一天没有迟到的因为飞机不等人所以全部人都很早起床准备了。。。导游也蛮准时到达酒店接我们，我们还吩咐了酒店打包我们的早餐。就这样准备离开胡志明市了。。。到达机场后，我们给了小费导游，他就离开了而且没有帮我们弄check in和填旅程感想可能他很赶时间吧。之后倒霉事来了，不知为什么我们的班机竟然换时间了，结果我们早到机场整三个多小时，结果我们就在机场傻傻的等待时间过，早知道我们就慢慢吃了早餐才走都不迟啦。时间到后就上机check in准备回去了。。。大家时候也讨论旅程如何，大致上还不错，也明白车程的问题。可能下次少一点历史性的地点就好了但也明白因地方而定。但终结来说这个旅程我们非常满意。。 =)

原作：Nick （终）

Travel information to Seoul, Korea

2010-08-16T23:07:00.001+08:00

Have you booked your ticket to SEOUL, the soul city of Asia? Or are you still struggling on picking up one of those cheap tickets offered by AirAsia to Seoul because it's kind of troublesome to update the dates and check the price?

You'll simply love this~ Oh... Don't kiss me for telling you this. =P
Check out AirAsia Price Chart here!

Or redirect to your latest favorite destination here - Seoul!

Good things are meant to be shared. And it's great to get the overview of the flight cost in just a glance. More and more of my friends are using it.

Talking about South Korea, I've been there years ago, just once, but it was nevertheless the most memorable one in my life (experience during uni days). There are too much to be described and said over here. You read it. =) I hope you can read Mandarin, else you can use the Google translation software on the right sidebar.
Seoul...soul of Asia
SEOUL's Best 100 - Daylight in Seoul (#1-8)
SEOUL's Best 100 - Daylight in Seoul (#9-18)
Korea, the beginning of my travel chronicles
出国第一章：韩国（游山玩水记）Expedition
出国第一章：韩国（踏步韩国大学）Visiting Universities of South Korea
出国第一章：韩国（秋天的邂逅之首尔闲游）Touring around Seoul

For girls, come back from Seoul with the experience as a Korean beauty:
A Guide to Korean Women’s Beauty Secrets Part.1: Spas
A Guide to Korean Women’s Beauty Secrets Part.2: Jjimjilbang

And a little something more on South Korea - my idol RAIN!
Rain's Coming World Tour Concert (27/1/07)

If you need help or information of South Korea, add me in my FB fans page and drop a message in Wall Post. I'll try my best to answer.

Last but not least, have a great trip to Seoul!

Baby and I at Namsan Seoul Tower.

Tulou: Walking into Living Homes

2010-08-11T08:48:00.006+08:00

By Janice Au

This part of China was never on the list of holiday ideas at the time until its now-famous Fujian Tulou (Chinese: 福建土樓) was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Driven by curiosity I decided to have a look at these strange constructions that were once mistaken as traces of UFO on our planet. Well, perhaps this itself was a story created by some business-minded people to boost tourism, I was one of those who were fascinated by the idea and decided to spend my precious holiday there in the mountainous region of Fujian, China.

The coach journey was an adventure itself. My coach could barely fit in those bumpy, narrow and often curvy roads. At the time, the region was not nearly ready for a huge travel coach or stream of visitors, which was good. I got to enjoy the privilege of walking around those largely unspoiled villages. Sad to say though, at the time I could already see signs of the place being commercialized; shops selling typical souvenirs like postcards, snow globes and travel guides.

Each of the tulou was like a little city itself, with its own living area and community. In the ‘King of Tulou’ there were a total of 370 rooms! The local guide told me that at its peak there were 80 families living in this one single tulou. I was simply amazed by the magnificent structure of this circular building and how it could accommodate hundreds of people, given that they were built almost 1,000 years ago when multi-storey buildings were not at all common.

I could actually walk into the living homes of villagers. Only the ground floor of any tulou was opened for tourists, the upper floors were the villagers’ homes. The buildings were still occupied by families, even when it was at the same time open to visitors. This was perhaps what fascinated me most. Tulou was not just a historical relic, but living homes of villagers that I could step into and get a taste of their lives. It was not like visiting an old Roman theatre that had been abandoned for years or some constructions that were historically significant during the WWII. In some parts of the buildings I could actually see villagers on their day-to-day living state: some cooking with the very traditional kitchenware, some hanging laundry out on the balcony.

I was asked a few times why I would take a trip to a place as undeveloped and rural as that. What instantly sprang to mind was a quote by Paul Theroux: ‘The fact that few people go there is one of the most persuasive reasons for travelling to a place.’  I guess it explains why.

Check out Janice’s travel blog Wide World, Little Places or follow her on Facebook

http://www.wideworldlittleplaces.com

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Wide-World-Little-Places/109069755803716

Top 10 Things to Do in Vang Vieng, Northern Laos

2010-08-08T22:38:00.001+08:00

by our guest blogger, Elaine Chung

Vang Vieng is a town built for backpackers. If you take tourism away, the town will lose its energetic soul. Vang Vieng (4 hours from Vientiane) has become a pit stop for backpackers who are heading to Luang Prabang. This town is generally known for its “happy” pizzas, booze and party. Apart from that, here are a list of things you can do and find in Vang Vieng.

1) Tubing. If you only have limited time to spare, I reckon river tubing along Nam Song since this is one of the popular activity among backpackers. You can read more about tubing here.

2) Caving. There are a few caves to explore, you can hire tuk-tuk to bring you around.

3) Kayaking along Nam Song. If you are fit enough and up for the challenge, you can take a one day trip kayak from Vang Vieng to Vientiane. Otherwise, a short kayak along Nam Song is sufficient.

4) If you want more of outdoor activities, buzz one of the many tour operators lining up in town for rock climbing, biking and trekking tour packages.

5) Party. There are lots of bars in town especially along Old Market Riverside Road. Loud music, whiskey bucket (mixture of Tiger Whiskey, Coke, Red Bull, lime, lemon juice, honey and ice) and beer lao all night long.

6) Chill out at one of the restaurant while enjoying (if not annoyed) by the endless re-runs of Friends and Family Guy. You pick your restaurant based on Friends or Family Guy preference, period.

7) Hammock is a common sight especially at the guesthouse. If you’re a hammock person just like me, this is a good place to spend a quiet afternoon with a good book to keep you company.

8 ) Local fishermen can be seen along Nam Song with fishing nets. Casting fishing nets required a lot of skills and it isn’t easy as it seems. If you’re lucky, they might ask you to give it a try.

9) To witness a typical routine by mostly women and children, head up to Old Market Riverside Road for the morning market at 7am.

10) Head to Norkeo for Lao food. The typical sticky rice, grilled fish/chicken/beef without any TV (Friends or Family Guy re-runs) insight.

For more interesting trails in Asia, check out Elaine's website - Trail of Asia

The ‘Where are you from?’ Culture

2010-08-04T06:08:00.003+08:00

Istanbul is no doubt a great place for shopping. Have a walk in the Grand Bazaar, a virtual labyrinth of fascinating shops; it’s easy to be drawn by the carpets, copper and brassware, jewelry and all kinds of ceramics.

Hmm, no. My story is not titled ‘Shopping in Istanbul’. I’m more interested in people.

It didn’t take long for me to realize this special and interesting culture of Turkish shopkeepers: the ‘Where are you from?’ culture.

The day I arrived in Istanbul I was told that shopkeepers there like to ask that question (if not a little obsessed with it), and no matter what country you answer they will tell you they have a close relative living there, very close to you. I had no idea how true that piece of information was as I’d just arrived in the city. I started wandering around touristy places and reached the Grand Bazaar. I was fascinated by the nicely arranged shops and the colorful ceramics. I stopped at one or two of the atmospheric little shops, was asked where I was from, but didn’t pay much attention to that until I reached this carpet shop.

The shopkeeper started by quite an odd opening, ‘Your eyes are tired.’

Feeling a bit puzzled, I stopped.

‘You’ve seen too many carpets, your eyes are tired.’

‘Ah, yes, quite.’ I was just trying to give the desired answer; I hadn’t seen any carpet at all.

‘Where are you from?’

‘Canada,’ said my partner.

‘Oh, my wife is from Canada,’ he said with that look as if he’d just found a long lost friend. ‘What about you, lady?’

‘Hmm, Hong Kong.’

‘My wife’s sister is now living in Hong Kong!’ The way he responded gave me the impression that I was only given a standard response. If I said ‘Taiwan’ his wife’s sister would have been living in Taiwan; or if I said ‘Japan’, then the response would have been rephrased with Japan.

The rest of the conversation was all about his carpet shop, where the carpets were from, how they were made and such. I didn’t pay much attention, as I was still amused by his response, remembering what I was told when I arrived.

As we kept walking around the Bazaar, we saw so many more shopkeepers who asked just this very same question, ‘Where are you from?’ Quite predictably, a lot of them had some brothers, sisters, nephews, or uncles living very close to us. I couldn’t understand why, but instead of finding it annoying, we found it quite amusing. Each time we were asked that question by a new shopkeeper we exchanged smile as if we were saying, ‘Hee, another one!’ Sometimes we would even prepare a surprising answer to see how they would respond.

We didn’t count how many times we were asked that question, but we would definitely have failed and lost count if we had tried.

Things were pretty much the same in other parts of Turkey.

In Antalya, even the restaurants asked the same question. Each time we walked past an eating-place the friendly waiters would rush to us and show us each item on their menu. In the conversations, they never forgot to ask where we were from.

I remember this one restaurant just at the entrance of the old town. We were not interested in the place, but were stopped by a very talkative waiter. As expected he began by asking that question, we didn’t answer. He continued promoting his restaurant. Still, we were not interested, so we said ‘Thank you’ and walked away. As we walked, we heard the fading voice of the waiter, asking, ‘Where are you from? Hey, where are you from?’ I couldn’t help but feel really puzzled this time. Why was he so interested in asking that, even if we were walking away, obviously not interested in what he was selling?

If I was to write a list of fun memories of my trip to Turkey, ‘Where are you from?’ would no doubt be the top of it. I’d never answered that question so many times in my life, come to think of it.

Check out Janice’s blog Wide World, Little Places or follow her on Facebook

http://www.wideworldlittleplaces.com

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Wide-World-Little-Places/109069755803716

10 things you must do in Langkawi

2010-07-06T22:56:00.000+08:00

1. Take a cable car ride up Gunung Mat Cincang and walk the suspension bridge

2. Enjoy a candle light dinner at the Royal Langkawi Yacht Club

3. Go island hopping – Pulau Beras Basah, Pulau Tasik Dayang Bunting, eagle feeding

4. Buy a snorkeling day trip to Pulau Payar and swim with the black tip sharks

5. Buy chocolate and drink alcohol like nobody’s business

6. If affordable, rent a chalet by the tranquil seaside of Pantai Kok; else enjoy your stay at the busy seaside of Pantai Cenang

7. Visit the Underwater World of Langkawi and find out how Tun Dr Mahathir brought back the 2 species of penguins to Malaysia

8. Visit Galeria Perdana to know more about the life of our respected ex-Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir

9. Eat seafood!

10. Take a mangrove tour in the fishing boat, enjoy the picturesque archipelago coastline, and bedazzled~

Fat Yogi Cottages, Bali

2010-05-04T17:17:00.000+08:00

Indeed, it is a hidden gem in Kuta. Operated by Summer Planner's partner in Bali, this hotel is located only 5 minutes walk to Kuta Beach. It's just recently renovated and now it has a swimming pool. Was there to experience the true environment and give feedback for Summer Planner before making it the appointed accommodation for Bali tours. Now it is official.

Not forgetting to camwhore while capturing the beautiful hotel pictures. =P

Breakfast is nice for a 2** hotel, with 3 set breakfast for selection. You can choose to have your breakfast sent to room or at the poolside, just drop by at the reception to submit the breakfast form the night before. Nice eh...

Kooky said he wanted to sit at the poolside so we had breakfast here on the very first morning. But the next day we asked for room service - breakfast at the room balcony.

Day 229: York, England.

2010-04-13T11:17:00.003+08:00

Date: 18 April 2009

According to Clayton and Leonard, York is a beautiful place and it is definitely worth a visit. Even the website of york states that:

"Visit York and be enriched in one of Europe's most inspiring cities...

If you are looking for a cultural getaway or a romantic weekend break then visit York and be inspired. Renowned for its exquisite architecture, tangle of quaint cobbled streets and the iconic York Minster, York is fast developing a flourishing, cutting-edge scene. Delve into the city's vibrant cafe culture, take time out to enjoy some of the country's most talented street entertainers or simply watch the world go by while sipping a drink by the river.

A city of contrasts and exciting discoveries, York is a place where the old encompasses the new and the commonplace meets with the unexpected. Broaden your mind with a visit to world class museums or a variety of festivals held throughout the year catering for all ages and interests."

Well, York is indeed a very charming town. However, departing Edinburgh and arriving York kills the excitement. If you say york is a very charming town, then Edinburgh is a super charming town. Because Edinburgh is so much bigger than York, it seems like a downgrade now. If I had visited these 2 towns in a different order, the feeling would be much better. Unless of course you find smaller cities much easier to handle, than York is a better choice. But then again, everything is so well labeled here in UK, be it Edinburgh or York, you will never get lost.

York Minster, the second largest Gothic cathedral in northern Europe, stands at the city's centre. York's centre is enclosed by the city's medieval walls, which are a popular walk. The entire circuit is about 3 miles (5 km), including a part where walls never existed, because the Norman moat of York Castle, formed by damming the River Foss, also created a lake which acted as a city defence. This lake was later called the King's Fishpond, as the rights to fish belonged to the Crown.

Clifford's Tower, a stone quatrefoil keep built on top of a Norman motte, was the site of a massacre in 1190 when the small Jewish community of York sought protection in the tower on the feast of Shabbat ha-Gadol. Many Jews took their own lives rather than face a violent mob in an event regarded as one of the most notorious examples of antisemitism in medieval England.

A feature of central York is the Snickelways, narrow pedestrian routes, many of which led towards the former market-places in Pavement and Sampson Square. The Shambles is a narrow medieval street, lined with shops, boutiques and tea rooms. Most of these premises were once butchers' shops, and the hooks from which carcasses were hung and the shelves on which meat was laid out can still be seen outside some of them. The street also contains the Shrine of Margaret Clitherow, although it is not located in the house where she lived. Goodramgate has many medieval houses including the 14th century Lady's Row built to finance a Chantry, at the edge of the churchyard of Holy Trinity church.

The city has many museums, including the Castle Museum, Yorkshire Museum and Museum Gardens, JORVIK Viking Centre, the York Art Gallery, Richard III Museum, the Merchant Adventurers' Hall, the medieval house Barley Hall owned by the York Archaeological Trust, Fairfax House owned by the York Civic Trust and the Treasurer's House owned by the National Trust. The National Railway Museum is situated just beyond the station, and is home to a vast range of transport material and the largest collection of railway locomotives in the world. Included in this collection are the world's fastest steam locomotive LNER 4468 Mallard and the world famous 4472 Flying Scotsman, which is being overhauled in the Museum.

York is noted for its numerous churches and pubs. Most of the remaining churches in York are from the medieval period. St William's College behind the Minster, and Bedern Hall, off Goodramgate, are former dwelling places of the canons of the Minster.

Enough said. Its time to depict them.

*Click HERE to return to the Main Page of The Cold Journey.*

:)

越南旅行记（第三天）之河内

2010-03-10T01:29:00.001+08:00

第三天一早，我们吃了早餐后就收拾行李上车然后我们就出发了。。。今天的主要目的地是陆龙湾，在之前也是两个小时多的行程，我们也习惯了就如往常看看一路上的风景然后就是昏睡在车里直到目的地。我们先去了两间庙宇参观和聆听它们的故事，其实以我们年轻的一辈对于历史这方面真的没有多大的兴趣。

之后我们去吃了一顿十样菜肴的道地越南美食，这一餐真得非常的饱哦！！！

然后就前往陆龙湾了。。。陆龙湾的景色可以去下龙湾媲美，分别是一个是坐大船，这个做的是sampan，感觉很不错但当你身处在四面八方都是水的时候，你就会想起一些之前看得水怪电影之类的因为我们都没有穿上救生衣的。但幸好一船平安啦。。。整个流程差不多两个小时，我们也尝试了学他们划船，他们一开始就会送我们进到最里面然后大家都身处在一个没有他们就回不去的地方因为都处都只有水和山，没有陆地的。这时候就是他们敲我们钱包的时候了，他们以只要我们请他们喝水然后一船上还不断介绍物品给我们购买，所以在下船的时候本来讲好的小费就给少了因为我们在里面的时候已经被他们敲了一笔。之后我们就开车去发去机场了。。。我们的河内导游非常尽责地护送我们去check in然后给了我们填行程感想后就离开了，之后我们在机场吃晚餐然后就准备上机了。。。在我们非常欣赏vietnam airlines的时候，倒霉的我们遇到激流，整架飞机往下降了一下，然后很快的就恢复了，还真得给它吓倒。这个经验真得非常难忘，之后整架机就有点摇的飞去何志明市机场。。。到达后我们的导游就来接我们去酒店休息了。。。这次的酒店比河内的高级，非常喜欢这间酒店，还蛮舒服的。。。

原作：Nick （待续。。）

越南旅行记（第二天）之河内

2010-02-09T16:27:00.000+08:00

第二天早上我们用了早餐后就上车准备两个多小时的行程去下龙湾。路途其实不是很长远只是因为河内不像我们的国家很多高速公路所以就需要多一点时间了。。。在半路中我们看见了很多很美的景色，稻田和一些蛮不错的房屋。。我们还买了火龙果在车吃，还玩牌度过这漫长的路程。。。在到达之前我们还去了一间残障人士工作的工厂参观，在这里我们看见了非常厉害的刺绣工功夫和雕刻，还真得非常厉害。。。虽然不能拍照但当我们知道的时候，我们已经拍了很多张照片了。

之后终于到达我们的目的地，下龙湾的码头。非常惊喜就是我们的行程的策划者竟然安排了一架大船给我们，突然间我们来到河内成为了有钱人，我们六人就这样坐着我们的船前往下龙湾。

下龙湾的景色真得很不错，我们还享用了一顿不错的海鲜餐还开了一支白酒配合下我们临时当成的有钱人身份。我们在船上大概用了三个多小时围绕整个下龙湾，其实在船上的时候还蛮闷的，因为没有东西做，虽然风景是很美但欣赏了一个小时候就开始有点厌倦了，所以我们唯一可以做的就是不停的拍照。

之后我们去了那边出名的石溜洞，洞里面的景色还不错的，之后就开始开船回去了。。。这时候导游吩咐我们需要给多少的小费，但我们想起之前好像说了多少是出自心意的，但不想夜长梦多就随他的意思给钱了。今晚是我们最后一晚在河内因为明天行程后我们就要出发去机场然后飞去胡志明市。。。我们回去后就去了一家叫kangaroo cafe吃晚餐，其实还好吧了。之后就开始我们的疯狂购物，其实觉得时间还不是很够因为我们还没有机会尝试一下街边的美食，下次一定要再来这里。

原作：Nick （待续。。）

越南旅行记（第一天）之河内

2010-02-07T12:01:00.001+08:00

等了大半年的越南旅行终于到了。我们搭临晨的飞机。坐了大概三小时的飞机，我们终于来到了越南河内。下飞机后就准备做往常的检验和入境手续，这样一搞就差不多用了我们半个多小时。结果出来时，我们找不到接我们的司机了，在那边我们又等了半个小时。到最后原来，那个司机写错了我们的名字，怪不得一直找不到我们啦。之后我们就准备上车，我们的大车BMW和导游就一路介绍我们河内的地方风景，然后我们还学习了几句越南的问候语，最重要的我们一定要学的一句话“厕所”。

上车后我们就开始我们第一天的行程了，河内的都市非常多电单车，交通非常凌乱但心想这里再怎样乱，交通意外竟然还是输给我国的，还真的有点吃惊。不知道是幸运还是倒霉，第一天就遇到河内的女人节，到处都看见很多人买花。结果本来预算好在一家道地的越南餐馆享用我们的lunch buffet的行程被取消了因为没有位置了，所以我们去了另外一家餐馆，虽然不错但记得之前我的朋友说过那边有百多种食物选择，所以比较起来就有点失望了，但还好啦。

之后我们就继续我们的行程了，我们去了胡志明的陵墓但是不知什么原因我们没有进到去，结果我们只是在大门前拍照和在里面的公园观赏他生前的事迹。

之后我们在河内出名的三十六条老街看水上木偶戏，本来还蛮期待的但之后就觉得还好罢了，其余的人还看到打瞌睡了。。然后我们就去了一间在还剑湖上的庙宇，之前本来说好还会去另外一间庙宇好像我们马六甲的古城门的，但可能因为时间所以取消了。。。

在回酒店之前我们就尝试了河内道地的脚车的士，它一直在送我们环绕整个还剑湖和三十六条老街，看见了许多不同的店面，外国人，餐馆和一些街边的食物。最紧张的莫过于看着迎面而来的电单车和车辆。。之后那些tuk tuk车就送了我们去酒店。我们的酒店还不错，吃惊的是竟然每间房间都设有电脑。之后我们就到处逛逛shopping，我们自行找了一间还不错的餐馆little hanoi吃晚餐之后就在酒店附近乱逛之前坐车走过的地方。这样就完成了我们第一天河内的行程了。。。

原作：Nick（待续。。）

London walkabout: Westminster, Big Ben and London Eye

2009-12-28T22:10:00.000+08:00

Princess on a walking tour with 3kg on her back. London is great, easily accessible by the Underground subway. I think I love the black and white photos the most. Just scroll and let the pictures tell story. Oh ya, we were staring at Big Ben and waited for the needle to hit 12.

Kamakura Trip

2009-12-04T10:51:00.000+08:00

Just back from Kamakura. An ancient city of Japan. Kamakura(鎌倉) is the capital of Japan (like Kyoto or Nara) by the time of the Genji Family(源氏) - since 1192.

It's been a great experience for me to know Japan ancient Government better, as well as the Japan History of Shogunate. We're lucky to have a very responsible tour-guide who willing to shows us every single little corner of Kamakura, he even bring us to Kamakura Genji Family Grave yard where most of the great family member buried.

Great Buddha of Kamakura

Day 210: Luxembourg

2009-11-25T15:09:00.001+08:00

Date: 30 MARCH 2009

Left Belgium for a day trip to yet another special country, Luxembourg.

On the train towards Luxembourg, Clayton is pretty excited.

After a long train ride we got to Luxembourg.

And it was only after we got off the train then we realised that our train look like a loft of bread. Haha.. Cute!!

Luxembourg (pronounced /ˈlʌksəmbɜrɡ), officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg (Luxembourgish: Groussherzogtum Lëtzebuerg, French: Grand-Duché de Luxembourg, German: Großherzogtum Luxemburg), is a small, landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. Luxembourg has a population of under half a million people in an area of approximately 2,586 square kilometres (999 sq mi).

Luxembourg is a parliamentary representative democracy with a constitutional monarch; it is ruled by a Grand Duke. It is the world's only remaining sovereign Grand Duchy. The country has a highly developed economy, with the highest Gross Domestic Product per capita in the world as per IMF and WB. Its historic and strategic importance dates back to its founding as a Roman era fortress site and Frankish count's castle site in the Early Middle Ages. It was an important bastion along the Spanish road when Spain was the principal European power influencing the whole western hemisphere and beyond in the 16th–17th centuries.

Luxembourg is a founding member of the European Union, NATO, OECD, the United Nations, Benelux, and the Western European Union, reflecting the political consensus in favour of economic, political, and military integration. The city of Luxembourg, the capital and largest city, is the seat of several institutions and agencies of the European Union.

Luxembourg lies on the cultural divide between Romance Europe and Germanic Europe, borrowing customs from each of the distinct traditions. Luxembourg is a trilingual country; German, French and Luxembourgish are official languages. Although a secular state, Luxembourg is predominantly Roman Catholic.

Enough said. Its time for pictures. I love this small country. It was as if I had entered into a fairytale with mountains, rivers, castles, high walls, towers and so on......

Although I know that my photo shooting skills is not very good but I still believe that a picture speaks a thousand words. So I hope that the following photos will bring you into Luxembourg without you going there yourself. :)

Can you see me? :)

Just as we were enjoying our walk along the river, I saw many of these lying along the way.. Heehee.. Luxemboourg, naughty naughty ya?

So we laughed and joked about it as we carried on our walk.

This walk was tiring but worth it. So tiring that Clayton slept his whole way back to Brussels, Belgium.

What about me? I was so bored on the train that after I finished doing the sudoku and all the riddles in the papers, I did this. Haha...

Back at Sabrina's place, it time to cook again. :)

I feel like I am preparing to be a good house husband for the future. Keep cooking... Haha.. Any takers? I am still single and available!!! HEE HEE.....

*Click HERE to return to the Main Page of The Cold Journey.*

Day 197: St Patrick's Day

2009-11-15T19:30:00.000+08:00

Date: 17 MARCH 2009

FINALLY!!! The day I have been waiting for... The reason why I come to Dublin.... Its PADDY'S DAY!!!! WOOT!!!! There will be a huge street parade/party going on in town later and so armed with my camera, I marched towards O'Connell Street, the main thoroughfare of Dublin and one of Europe's widest Street.

It was already packed with people by the time I got there and I could not clearly see the parade when it started. Instead, every time when the parade/float passes by, I saw hundreds and hundreds of hands stretching high up, snapping away. It was quite a funny sight. Haha....

Few moments of the parade.

After trying to capture shots of the parade, I decided that it will come to no avail. There were too many people and the shots will not turn out nice. So I decided to do street photography instead. Capturing the moments, the expressions, the fun and laughter might be a better choice. And it was indeed.

You see, there were too many people viewing the parade and so if you want to be able to see it, you have to be on higher ground than others. So some people stood on the rubbish bins, trying to catch a glimpse.

Some climbed up trees.

How about clinging on bus stop sign posts.

Clinging onto street lamp posts.

Some made their way up monuments.

Others brought their own ladder.

However, the best of all are those who climb up the traffic lights.

Even better, wearing skirt up on a traffic light.

While these people were going all out just to have a view of the parade, the police seems to be alright with them. No one seems to have concern for the safety of these people. Well, I LIKE IT!!! Thats the way a parade should be. Its freedom!!! Haha....

Anyway, liked I said, I was going to do street photography and street photography I did. I went wild and crazy shooting at random people. It was fun. Presenting to you, the colourful St Patrick's Day Parade in Dublin, Ireland 2009!!!

The police, smart and ready for the parade.

Then it was time to go to a bar to catch a cold Guinness, have a break, before heading back out again. Saw a couple of CS'ers in the pub.

Back on the streets!!!

Since there was a huge crowd from all over the world here in Dublin, how can the attention seeking drags not make use of this good chance to have their own mini parade?

Even though the parade has ended, there were still thousands and thousands of people roaming around the streets. Everyone were in very high spirit. Singing loudly, holding hands, dancing in group, It was pure fun. How I wish my friends were here as well, it would be more fun!!

Noone was camera shy that day. Everyone wants to be captured and was so willing to pose in front of the lens! Some saw me shooting them and they even stop for me, others approached me and asked me to take photos of them. It was awesome.

Even the police were friendly. Hey, did that police wear a make up while on duty? Beautiful ya?

Well, only one guy was not very friendly. One random guy on the streets. Just as I was talking photos of some cute little kids, he walked passed me and shouted " BEWARE OF THIS MAN!! DONT LET HIM TAKE PHOTOS OF CHILDREN!! HE IS A PEDOPHILE!!!"

What is wrong with him?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

Anyway, the fun did not stop with the parade. People were singing songs, drinking, smoking, chilling, playing guitar all over the streets and also, on the ledge of windows!! :)

The most interesting of all was this group of youngsters. I stood by the street for a very long time trying to capture these moments. They were on the 2nd or 3rd floor window and were waiting for victims to walk pass along the streets on the ground floor. Then, once they decided on their victim, they would lower down a sock using a string. Most of the time the sock would hit the head of the victims, and sometime, it just appears inches away from the victims faces.

The shock and surprise look on the victims faces were priceless. Many of them gave a "huh?" look at first but ended up laughing. It was like gotcha or gigs in the making.

Check out this pictures.

The cool thing was noone got angry. :) It was Paddy's Day!!!

I met up with Joey for the later half of the day, visiting some places around Dublin.

and then I headed back to my host's place for a rest.

Wassup for the night? Another round of huge party ofcourse!!! Sad to say, it was the last party. Everyone will be heading off towards their own direction from tomorrow onwards. But no worries, we live to enjoy the moment.

Haha.. Check out Emma's name tag.

More asian!! Japanese.

Asian spotted again! Its me?? No No... Its Andrew....

More Asian spotted! Korean.

P/S: Saw another drag on the streets wearing only a small piece of cloth which was just enough to cover up his "little brother". Along with that, 2 tiny strings run up along his body covering only his 2 nipples and then down his back connecting to his G-string. I was quite amazed!! He was as good as naked. How can he not feel cold at all? Impressive!!

*Click HERE to return to the Main Page of The Cold Journey.*

The Magic of Malacca – Johan Hotel’s Love Story

2009-11-11T21:10:00.010+08:00

This is one of the older posts but its content is still as fresh as ever, considering the number of searches it still receives.

I thought it may be interesting for the readers of Confession of d Travelholics, especially those who may be visiting Malacca and in search of a decent accommodation.

Here is therefore a re-post. Hope you enjoy it.

This is dedicated to the Kai, the lady boss of the traveller's lodge on Melaka Raya 1.

Johan Hotel is a traveller's lodge run by a couple - Johan and Kai (transliteration).

[Source: Hotel Johan Website]

We met Kai by the counter when Miguel and I arrived on Sunday. Dressed in her flowery selengdang (or tudong, a head scarf worn by Malay women), she was having a conversation with a Chinese-looking middle-aged man, who seemed to be an old friend.

It was only later we realized that they were chatting in Japanese. As a Malay woman, Kai's Japanese was über fluent. I was so impressed that I had to tell her when the man left.

Turned out that Kai IS native Japanese! But she looks absolutely like a Malay, skin tone-wise and even shape of her face and features. I gasped with astonishment. Even my Korean buddy couldn't tell that she's Japanese (Silly Miguel tried to fool her that he's a one too).

We chatted longer than we should at the counter as Kai unfolded her story to us.

Kai was a young Japanese lady travelling in South East Asia 16 years ago. She was passing by the city of Melaka when she took shelter at Johan's guest lodge. This was supposed to be her last stop before moving on to India.

Using Kai's very words, "the angel's arrow shot". Kai and Johan ended up falling in love and so she postponed her trip to India. The rest was history. Kai never made it to India, and Johan became the dearest man of her life.

The trip to Melaka made a fateful twist to her life. She did went back to Japan but by intervention of fate Kai and Johan got married and Kai settled down in Melaka.

Today, this beautiful traveller's lodge in the middle of Melaka city is the fruit of their love. You can absolutely feel a touch of difference when you step into this lodge. It is clean, organized and tastefully decorated with both local and Japanese arts and ornaments.

I was crazy about the lizards on the glass panels. Look at their shimmers when my camera flashed on them!

This has to be from Kai, no others.

I give this place a 5-star rating for a clean, beautiful and affordable accommodation right in the centre, accessible to all the actions by feet. We paid RM95 for an evening, totally worthwhile. Oh by the way, coffee and drinks from the pantries are complimentary from the lodge.

The morning we were leaving, it was pouring like crazy. For an hour, Miguel and I were sitting at the lobby of Johan Hotel, listening to the pitter patter of the rain. Both sighing at the painfully romantic atmosphere, both lamenting that here we were with the wrong partner.

Originally posted on Heyzanie's World (4 Aug 09).

Funny Questions, Funny Comments

2009-11-08T15:01:00.015+08:00

It's not all about sight seeing when we travel.

What I really love is those colourful sparks from the combustion of different cultures as people mingle.

During my stay in Cambodia, there were times when a few funny incidents left me growing roots on the ground or chuckling away by myself on the tuk tuk.

You Good!

I was done with the sunset at Pre Rup.

As I crossed the road to look for Soc Phean, I saw him chatting with another tuk tuk driver. Both of them flashed me back with that famous 'Cambodian grin'.

I whipped up my happiest grin back at Soc Phean and his mate. I was really happy, for the sunset at Pre Rup is oh-so-satisfying!

And without a word, I started climbing into the tuk tuk.

His mate started laughing. "No! No!"

Then I realized I climbed into the wrong vehicle. Soc Phean, who was already ahead, turned back in amusement.

Those who knew me since young know that I have this nickname "Big Head Prawn". That in mandarin or Cantonese refers to someone ultra blur.

That's me. And this trait has been with me even today.

That kind tuk tuk friend of Soc Phean walked me to the Real McCoy. All of us couldn't stop laughing.

"You good!" Uncle Tuk Tuk lifted up his thumb at me.

I thought he was teasing my blur-ness.

"You good too!" I teased back. "Maybe you give me good discount, I sit in your tuk tuk!"

"No, you good!" he repeated again a few more times. This time, another tuk tuk driver joined us. I started to feel a little baffled, not sure if I've gotten the gist right.

"What is good? Pre Rup? Yes, very very good!" I returned with a sincere compliment.

"He meant to say you are very beautiful." Soc Phean was chuckling away at our conversation.

"Your driver loves you!" The second tuk tuk driver looked at me cheekily.

"Really? But he was always late!" I wanted to say "I love my driver too!" but I thought it could sound too cheesy. I held back my tongue last minute and switched to a mean tease instead.

All of us laughed.

"Bye!!" I waved at the two tuk tuk drivers as Soc Phean and I rode off in the earthy, reddish gold of the sunset.

I dunno what's the definition of beautiful' in Cambodian culture because I am certainly not by our oriental standard. I read somewhere that the Apsaras are supposedly very beautiful. Maybe with my flat nose and slightly angled face, I reminded them of an Apsara??

I dun mind having that figure of the Apsara though ;P

Original article at Heyzanie's World

秋冬2009，澳洲墨尔本

2009-11-07T21:31:00.005+08:00

第二篇

Young and Jackson Hotel
已有过百年历史，很久很久以前是酒店，现在好像已被改装成墨尔本市其中一个最出名的酒吧。

St. Paul Cathederal

Melbourne Visitor Centre
里面有些退休年龄的员工，他们都很亲切的为访客服务。

秋冬2009，澳洲墨尔本

2009-11-07T20:34:00.015+08:00

第一篇

刚去了一趟墨尔本，感受了和马来西亚完全不同的环境和天气。在这里贴上墨尔本的照片让大家欣赏。

墨尔本市
墨尔本市（CBD）是一个很有规划的城市，在发展之前，由某位建筑师设计后而建的。城市的形状好像长方形，由几条大道纵横交错，就像九宫格。如果你有兴趣自游墨尔本市，只要你有街道地图，就不会有大问题，路上也有明确的路牌指示。

Flinders Street Station
墨尔本市的火车总站，也是墨尔本的地标和有名的历史建筑物。（墨尔本还有另外一个现代化的火车总站）

Bruges, Belgium travelog (I) 布鲁日，比利时游记(I)

2009-10-31T14:01:00.001+08:00

EURAIL SELECT PASS TIPS
在去Brussels的火车上
在想这个eurail Select pass到底划不划算
结论是，如果你使用one train travel day,就要用到够够
因为一旦用了那一个train travel day
你那天不管搭什么火车基本上都是免费（有些要reservation, EUR 3-6)
也就是说在那个train travel day如果你只搭一趟EUR 30的火车去下个目的地
然后就什么地方都没去，你那天只用了EUR 30的价值
可是我的eurail pass价钱算起来一天要差不多EUR 52,还亏了EUR 22
不想被变相骗钱，到了brussels放行李后就再度冲去火车站
去离brussels差不多一个小时的Bruges

到Bruges 的时候已经是下午4，5点了
除了市中心的一些店，其他90%的店都关门了
感觉死死的
但是风景还是漂亮

我用剩下的2，3小时的日光
快速的看多一个地方
回到brussels已经晚上9点了

Amsterdam, Netherland travelog (III) 阿姆斯特丹，荷兰游记(III)

2009-10-31T13:55:00.002+08:00

Walking tour guide推荐我们租脚车
因为郊外的风景也是好看
第二天早上就租了脚车

骑脚车乱走，看到这个
比伦敦的tower bridge还厉害咯

也想找风车
不然就觉得好像没到过荷兰
真的是离市区蛮远的

然后又回到市区走走

也去参观了heineken brewery,canal cruise
可是都没拍照:rf:
我懒惰+没什么好拍的关系:$

晚上又去club
荷兰妹也是很美的
如果德国是第一，我觉得荷兰第二

然后，红灯区在唐人街那边
晚上是多人的咯

我玩到半夜3点才回
然后隔天去比利时

Amsterdam, Netherland travelog (II) 阿姆斯特丹，荷兰游记(II)

2009-10-31T13:54:00.001+08:00

我也参加了这边的free walking tour
有熟悉当地的人带你走，可以省下很多迷路的时间

最古老的哥德式建筑物

晚上的桥

当地食物: Haring

强烈推荐去这间店买haring,当地人都来这边买吃的
Vishandel Centrum
address :
Haarlemmerdijk 4
1013 JC Amsterdam

我光顾了3次

虾汉堡

最好吃的鱼肉

Amsterdam, Netherland travelog (I) 阿姆斯特丹，荷兰游记(I)

2009-10-31T13:48:00.002+08:00

火车站

小提醒
跟德国不同
荷兰的路牌其实都是贴在墙壁靠角落的地方
我花了好久时间才注意到

走出车站

Tram，我完全没搭到
走路其实走得完市区

check in+ 拿到地图后
就自己导航自己到处走了
荷兰人的英文相信是欧洲里最好的
遇到90%的人都说得很流利

Royal palace

最大的博物馆隔壁的大地标

canal

建筑物都向前倾的

徒步在阿尔卑斯山脉

2009-10-24T10:56:00.002+08:00

徒步，在夏天的瑞士是最热门的活动。

我们不是挨苦的料，所以我选了个最短的路程。来回到其中一个山上的湖，一小时半。阿麦很懒徒步，可是在我的坚持之下，他也没办法的跟我走。

走在海拔两千多里的山上，不能太急，因为缺氧。我们慢慢的走，走了一会儿，脚就开始酸了，累了。看看身边的公公婆婆，走的又快又稳，还一身专业的装备，几乎每个人都带上登山棍，我很敬佩他们的毅力。大部分的徒步者都会走个三，四个小时，而且都是四，五十岁的老外，和日本人。

好不容易走到湖边，可惜天空太多云了，阴阴的。拍出来的照片，都不美。我们带了些三文治，就在湖边野餐。也许看不到阳光，有点冷，就赶快离开。在下缆车时，看到旁边有个温度计，才一度。我的天！

在瑞士徒步，真的很容易。这里大概有几十个徒步的路线，每条路线都有路标，然后涂上不同的颜色，代表不同等级的登山者，路标旁边还放上大概需要多久的时间。假如要骑脚踏车也有不同的路线，要什么资讯都可以在任何的车站或者旅游中心询问，再不然酒店里的服务员都会给你想要的资讯。来这里的火车，有些车厢还是专门给脚踏车的，这个国家真的是绿色拥趸，给户外活动者带来很大的方便。

世界很大，我们太渺小了。还是第一次看到原来徒步和骑脚踏车也可以这么的专业，我不禁为自己的孤陋寡闻而感到有点惭愧。

Munich, Germany travelog (III) 慕尼黑，德国游记（III）

2009-10-24T05:07:00.001+08:00

本来要参观BMW museum隔壁的olympic park的
结果下雨就只好打道回府
隔天才再去
其实德国城市都有那种地铁的3day pass
跑这种大城市我觉得真的很需要
因为来不及去一个地方的话可以等到隔天才去

Olympic park

最后一天很轻松
要看的都看了，就随便在市区走
等晚上的night train to head for Amsterdam（床位要事先预定）
englischer garten走走
其实就跟纽约的central park没什么分别
只是在德国nia
没拍到照片，反正都是树:rf:

警车

Bavarian cuisine dinner

City Night Train (CNL) couchette (EUR 20 with eurail pass)

在火车上睡一觉，早上醒来就到风车国了:rf:

Munich, Germany travelog (II) 慕尼黑，德国游记（II）

2009-10-24T05:05:00.002+08:00

现在有空，还是先贴好了
隔天早上本来是要先去Free city walking tour的
那些从英语国家来的年轻人组织的导游tour
在游玩过后根据他们的service 来给小费就可以了
可是因为纳粹集中营明天关，就先去纳粹营
没拍到什么，就这几张

回来后就冲去重点目的地BMW museum

BMW headquater,就在博物馆隔壁

晚餐，忘记这是什么菜了，不错吃就是了

拜仁慕尼黑的球场

看完这些，又是一天了

Munich, Germany travelog (I) 慕尼黑，德国游记（I）

2009-10-24T05:01:00.003+08:00

德国留给我的印象最好,尤其是这城市
虽然很多欧洲人都不太喜欢德国人，因为纳粹党的关系
可是德国妹还是很辣很漂亮的:rf:

New town hall in Marienplatz

中间那根柱子就是整个慕尼黑市的中心

真的很大的街道

满街的德士

Mercedes concept car: Ocean drive

从沙地阿拉伯过来的超级跑车

这城市有一个地方我一定要去
就是BMW museum，第一天到的时候已经不早了
所以也是留到第二天才去。。。

Füssen, Germany travelog (II) 菲森，德国游记（II）

2009-10-24T04:58:00.002+08:00

到每个新地方第一件事就是要先去tourist information center拿地图
这样子也方便找旅馆，如果还没订好的话
总之不是先找旅馆放行李就是先找地图
拿到地图后就可以很有系统地探索整个市镇

Pedestrian zone in Fussen

街景

小镇里的城堡

河的颜色:rf:

被照亮的城堡

隔天早上我回去看旧天鹅堡
可是没拍到什么照片
因为也没什么好拍的
走完后就再度搭上火车往巴伐利亚Bavaria的大城市慕尼黑前进了

Füssen, Germany travelog (I) 菲森，德国游记（I）

2009-10-24T04:53:00.002+08:00

第二天一早吃了早餐
就飙去火车站
买到票的后只差一分钟火车就开了
这边的火车超准时的
去富森的火车比较旧，因为只是一个很小很小的市镇
可是旅客却超多的，都是冲着新天鹅堡Neuschwanstein而来的

到了富森火车站要搭巴士273 or 278
总之看巴士牌写是去castle or neuschwanstein的就是了

从山脚望去

旧天鹅堡

从巴士站要走斜坡上去
不用浪费钱搭马车，只是十多分钟的路而已
路上其中一个拍照点

我跟着火车上遇到的旅行团一起上，所以只是付钱给导游
就省掉了买票的时间,不然排队要很久的

导游先带我们去城堡后的一座桥
那里看城堡是最好的
可惜装修工作煞风景

城堡内遥望

望过去之前去的桥

参观完后，旅行团回慕尼黑，我自己去找订好的旅馆
after check in, 又开始这个小镇的探索

Stuttgart, Germany travelog (II) 斯图加特，德国游记（II）

2009-10-24T04:52:00.001+08:00

第二天早上起来
吃了早餐就迫不及待的搭tram去我最期待的Porsche Museum
才刚在2009年头建好，所以还很新

可是里面让我有点小失望
可能是Mercedes museum的太好了
但是车子还是觉得保时捷的最好

保时捷的总部跟Flagship dealer就在博物馆隔壁而已

走完博物馆就又回到市区找吃的
吃了那个德国妹介绍的Stuttgart local cuisine: Maulstachen,鸡蛋跟马铃薯
然后饮料是sparkling water+ apple juice

那之后就没有什么拍照了
记得晚餐时吃另一样道地食物Saurbraten+汤+啤酒
吃掉EUR 16
可是还是觉得午餐好吃点

过后就回旅馆休息，准备明天去Fussen了

Stuttgart, Germany travelog (I) 斯图加特，德国游记（I）

2009-10-24T04:45:00.001+08:00

Mercedes museum 6pm 关
离开后我就去市区走走
熟悉一下这个城市的layout

没错的话是市中心的柱子

pedestrian zone的街景

真的就是随便乱走
看看有什么新奇的食物，结果没有
但是发现一件事情，这城市的人开车很猛

后来就想起来的时候看到的电视塔
就在回旅馆的路，就决定去看看

tram station to my hostel

那个电视塔叫做Fernsehturm

俯瞰Stuttgart 市区

延迟交稿

2009-10-22T09:20:00.002+08:00

我知道我最近没交稿，所以来交待。

上两个礼拜，我结婚了。再之前，我搬家了。再再之前，我找到工作了。所以最近都忙着张罗以上所有小事。

最重要的是，新家没得上网，一直到现在（我现在还是在公司做私人事）。

一有时间机会，我会更新游记。　谢谢。

Balinese loves crackers!

2009-10-19T19:17:00.000+08:00

I've been crunching a lot of crackers when I was in Bali. Day and night, almost every meal, except breakfast. *Am cruching my fav deep fried pork skin.*

You can find all sorts of crackers sold at food stalls.

Including my favorite deep fried pork skin. I tried it once, got it from my Philippino-Chinese mix student last time. His mother is a Pinoy, and every time when her sisters came visit them from the Philippines, they would pack a whole box of "junk food" and send to KL. It's really cheap in Bali, probably less than a Ringgit for a packet.

And for all dishes served, you will find prawn crackers. No doubt that the fried rice in Bali really taste good, the meat were very juicy. Worth to try!

I will write a review on Babi Guling rice in the coming post. Anyway most of the food in Bali is non-halal because more than 90% of the residents are practising Hinduism.

Vegetarian Festival in Phuket - food

2009-10-15T23:34:00.001+08:00

Time flies, I was in Phuket for last year's vegetarian festival. Few more days and it'll be the ninth month of Chinese lunar calendar. Thought of sharing this post to give some idea to the soon-to-travel-to-Phuket people. Last year we purposely dropped by at Phuket Town in the morning to witness their famous street procession.

Everybody was busy praying for good business..

And everybody was wearing white. White represents purity and clean. We all wore white too. It's a custom to wear white if you want to participate in any of the Vegetarian Festival events.

We went to the famous temple for prayers.

Then we started craving for vegetarian food in the town. There were all sorts of vegetarian food that we seldom find in local. Even the jellies also look more colorful and just like an artwork.

Fried stuffs not to be missed.

Popiah.

Producing popiah wrappers.

Wedges and green bean cake.

Vege 'pau'.

Mini fried sweet potato balls.

Grill sweet corn.

Fried stuffed bread.

Fried noodle.

Desserts.

Selling vegetarian instant noodle too.

Candy floss.

Among all the sweet tooth, we all like this the best. I don't know what is it called. And it requires some expertise and skill to produce it. Requires flipping without breaking the very thin skin.

My favorite!!!! Mango glutinuous rice~

Pickled fruits.

This is also a must try. Taste like our Nyonya kuih.

My stomach was then filled with food, vegetarian food. Was sipping fresh fruit juice then.

I bought another packet of mango glutinuous rice for dessert after lunch.

Juicy sweetness. I never had enough of mangoes.

This dessert is definitely very filling.

Tower Bridge, London

2009-10-15T23:33:00.001+08:00

Princess Cheryl's thought of the day:- I am very very tired these days... Work from morning till night. I need a short vacation to rejuvenate. Luckily my coursemate gathering is only one day ahead, thus going to Genting and KL for a short break...and it's time to top up my little wardrobe too~ Heheh..

London Bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down,
London Bridge is falling down, my fair lady.

If you think London Bridge is the huge bridge that you watched in "The Mummy Returns" then you've got it wrong. It's name is Tower Bridge. Tower Bridge is a combined bascule and suspension bridge over the River Thames. It is very close to the Tower of London, which gives it its name. The photo above was from Wikipedia, such a nice view of Tower Bridge at sunset. I went there in the early morning when the weather was still a bit misty due to rain.

After having our quick breakfast at Pret A Manger, we headed to Tower Bridge. It took about a 10-minutes walk from London Bridge Underground Station.

The old British buildings behind me.

I was attracted by this huge red wall of More London Place building. I stopped by and took a picture, and by the next moment I was being scolded by the security guard who rushed all the way out from the lobby! Why was I always get scolded for taking pictures...duh.

Tower Bridge is right after this narrow pathway.

Ta~da~ Tower Bridge!!! It was windy and still drizzle a little.

I was really in London then. It's a signature of London. Strong wind~~ Look at my hair.

A moment later the wind stopped blowing.

And then it blew again~~

I couldn't get a nice pose due to the strong wind...arrgghhh. Advice -- tie your hair when you visit Tower Bridge.

The bridge is 800 feet (244 m) in length with two towers each 213 feet (65 m) high, built on piers. The central span of 200 feet (61 m) between the towers is split into two equal bascules or leaves, which can be raised to an angle of 83 degrees to allow river traffic to pass. The bascules, weighing over 1,000 tons each, are counterbalanced to minimize the force required and allow raising in five minutes.

Overlooking the River Thames is Tower of London, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its real name is Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, but only more commonly known as the Tower of London. It's located at the north bank of the River Thames.

And this, HMS Belfast (C35) is one of the two ships forming the final sub-class of the Royal Navy's Town-class cruisers, the other being HMS Edinburgh. She was initially expected to be disposed of as scrap but after a private trust campaign went on, she was preserved as a museum ship in the Pool of London, and opened to the public in 1971, and being maintained as a branch of the Imperial War Museum since 1978.

London's sky is most of the time full of clouds. Hardly see blue sky during early Spring.

That's why most of the photos I took in London have very dull background tone.

Initially I wanted to submit this photo to SilverKris and maybe I still stand a chance to win something if they publish it in the next volume, but Noel said NO because people might misunderstood that we're dating each other...

Moments later tourists started barging in.

The QIC team group photo before we left for Big Ben.

背包旅行第一站：Stuttgart, Germany

2009-10-12T08:16:00.002+08:00

其实只是先在瑞士休息，寄放行李
顺便借姐姐的backpack for real backpacking purpose
省了买旅行专用背包的$$

隔天就踏上了3-week solo europe trip:rf:

背包旅行第一站：Stuttgart, Germany

虽然不是很有名的城市，但是如果是爱车人士应该都会知道
这城市是Mercedes and Porsche's hometown
来这里就是为了朝圣，参观他们的博物馆，还有看看他们的总部

定了早上8.30的火车，从zug 出发要大概12.30才会到
因为是走跨国路线，所以火车都比较新
这其实是德国的火车，DB

在火车上遇到一个从Stuttgart来的德国妹
知道我是一个人来背包旅行的
就给了我很多stuttgart的资料
还帮我查餐馆资料，介绍我当地的美食
可是其实当时我的jet lag还很严重
讲了一下子我就回座位休息了

为了表示谢意，我在到站后请她喝咖啡
自己也喝了杯expresso提神
也要感谢她大概给了我一些在火车站跟地铁站的orientation
不然很多时间就都浪费在找柜台，问票等等

火车站

德国这边没有所谓的entrance gate
他们用的是self-control,人们要搭地铁会自动买票
如果不幸运被查到你没买票就会被罚款EUR 50

地铁站 Hauptbahnhof

到旅馆处理好入住的手续后
把大背包放下，把要带的东西放进day trip的小背包后就往第一个目的地出发了
来stuttgart的主要目的就是mercedes and porsche museum
所以我定了两晚的床位
因为大概想到一天应该是不够看两个博物馆的
加上交通，吃住等等因素，时间上行不通
而且肯定还有其他好玩的景点

因为mercedes museum比较靠近，所以就先去

Still in Zug

2009-10-12T08:08:00.003+08:00

Still in Zug

从 Philadelphia 去 Zurich

2009-10-12T07:56:00.007+08:00

启程
从philadelphia 去zurich，要飞大概8-9小时
不算长，可是也够受了
US airways 的晚餐

First time at Zurich airport,随便拍下

姐姐家

窗外风景

姐姐Agak agak带我explore 这个叫做Zug 的城市

叫价CHF 800的脚车

我的欧洲背包finalized行程

2009-10-12T07:55:00.002+08:00

因为有人推荐，我买了一本叫做Let's Go Europe的旅游书
这本书对欧洲所有国家都有基本的介绍，语言，钱币是什么之类的
里面有大量的有用旅游资料，如各个旅游胜地的旅馆，餐馆，大概地图跟地铁路线图都有

我是参考了这本书才决定要去的地方，应该在那里呆几天等等
总之非常有用

Finalized 行程
7/28 Zug, Switzerland
7/29,30 Stuttgart, Germany
7/31 Fussen, Germany
8/1,2 Munich, Germany
8/4, 5 Amsterdam, Netherlands
8/6, 7 Brussels, Belgium
8/8- 11 Paris, France
8/12- 15 London, UK
8/16,17 Venice, Italy
8/18- 23 Switzerland; i leave the planning for my sis as she knows it better than i do

本来是要去Frankfurt, Germany的
后来因为时间不允许，住宿方面都订好了，不能在德国多呆
只好留给下次的欧洲之旅了

我的欧洲背包旅行记

2009-10-12T07:52:00.001+08:00

从2006年开始就很想去欧洲旅行
可是一直都想要多一个理由来说服自己
一年前，姐姐拿到准证去瑞士工作
就加多一个探亲的理由，促成了这次的背包行
从暑假一开始就已经在策划了
一切从机票开始，学期还没结束就一直在监视机票价钱
查到从美国东岸去苏黎世的机票最便宜$568
终于在6月中买了，可是价钱已经是$605了，Round trip 7/28 - 8/23
在监视机票价钱的同时，也在衡量要在那边待多久，应该去几个国家等等
火车票也让我烦恼不少
最后买了Eurail Select Pass for 5 days of train travel

这背包行是有生以来最大的计划，花了2个多月策划
总结一下自己是如何开始筹备这次的旅行
1.买机票 6/14
2.大概决定要去哪几个国家
3.买Eurail pass，Ryan air from London to Venice 7/1
4.间中不断对要去的地方做research, 上hostelworld.com 查旅馆资料
5.预订旅馆床位 6/14 - 7/20，夏天是peak season, 安全起见，提早一个月订房间就不怕有订不到的惊喜

筹备行程的良伴
For accommodation: www.hostelworld.com, http://www.eurotrip.com/
For train pass: www.eurail.com
(recommended for first-time traveler in europe)价钱跟在火车站买票差不多
可是买这个train pass他们会附送你railway map for the whole european continent and train schedules for almost all the major cities
这两个非常有用

I explored the Angkor Wat at night

2009-10-05T00:33:00.001+08:00

Imagine walking under the stars into the almost a 1000-year-old Angkor Wat. Listen to the howling wind beside your ears, and walk like a blind man through the half kilometre causeway over the moat into the ancient temple. If you've been to Angkor Wat, you'd know how bad is the causeway condition. If you haven't been, give some imagination from the picture below. That was during day time.

After coming back from Siem Reap, I only realized that we're among the first batch of people to explore Angkor Wat at night!!! Read this.

After dinner at Angkor Cafe somewhere opposite Angkor Wat, we then walked to the historical site for a night time adventure. See the half kilometre causeway you need to walk before entering the main temple？We walked across it under the stars.

Yes indeed. Now we're stepping into the night adventure. A 800-year-old relic was just right beside us at the entrance.

After passing by the entrance temple, the light source is only from Angkor Wat itself.

Zooming in to the towers.

Angkor Wat combines two major features of Khmer architecture - pyramid and concentric galleries.

Somewhere on the right hand side of the causeway across the moat.

I doubt if this is the N 'library' of the outer enclosure. Too dark...can't be sure.

They even prepared a night cultural performance. But...the distance was so far away.

I like the reflection.

This causeway was built more than a century later than the temple. It's the W (west) entrance gopura with the remains of three towers.

Heading up to the W Gallery.

Performers welcomed us with the traditional music.

To the left - Battle of Lanka.

To the right - Battle of Kurukshetra.

Apsaras on the wall.

Entrance of the W Gallery.

Felt a little spooky to walk in the ancient temple at night.

Dance in the ancient temple.

Finally we're in the gallery.

The Khmers, beautifully dressed up and welcoming us.

The dance went on.

My temporary 'ah sei' helped me carry my handbag while I was busy taking photo... =p

Battle of Kurukshetra (W Gallery, S section)

The Kaurava army advances into the Battle of Kurukshetra.

Lots more of the battle legends. These are all hand carved. Cut by cut they illustrate all the stories and legends onto the temple's walls. If I got it right, they spent at least 40 years to get all done!! 40 YEARS!!

Suddenly it started to rain!!?! Very heavily.

Gosh...how to walk all the way back across the causeway without umbrella??!

Our guide kept telling the tales of the ancient Angkor kingdom, and the battles that the Khmers had gone through to protect their kingdom.

On the wall - Khmer foot soldiers. And the light, that's our PLLC LED torch, single LED.

Too much of stories at the same time, I couldn't digest... Luckily I bought some books about Angkor in the afternoon, then I can read and understand more later on.

Apsaras on the inner wall of the W entrance gopura.

Would you dare to walk alone? Besides the rainfall and howling wind, there were shadows everywhere!

Live performance. I don't know what was the dance called. Apsara dance maybe.

Princess and the performers.

Sincere smile of the Khmers.

Worse...the rain got heavier.

And we're stucked beneath the leaking walls...water dripping.

While waiting for the rain to stop, we talked to them, and of course not forgetting to take photos.

For a memory in my life, I walked with the Khmers in Angkor Wat at night! I'm not sure when will the Cambodia government open this place for tourist visit at night. It's a great experience.

Rain drops were still as big as pearls when we left. However, thank God that the organizers did brought along a few umbrellas!

3 people shared 1 umbrella, and by the time we got into the coach, my shoes were flooded. These holes were as deep as 3-4 inches and full of water, and the ground was super slippery after it rained for a while. Moreover it's a raining night.

And never forgetting, when you walk the opposite side away from Angkor Wat there was no light at all!!! It was really a challenge that we gotta make sure we did not walk in zigzag into the moat. WHAT AN EXPERIENCE.

Check out my adventures in Siem Reap under the tags of *Siem Reap.

Wave Rock, Hyden (WA)

2009-10-01T16:15:00.004+08:00

Wave Rock is located at Hyden. 4 hours drive from Perth. I saw beautiful view (Passing Avon Valley) before reaching this place.

There is no entry fees but you need to pay a car parking ticket for it..

Amazing structure of Wave Rock..

My bro in law.. with his surfing stunt... ^_^

.. and my boy.. wanted to do the same stunt.. Poor lil boy.. ;-p

公主的05圣诞旅行 - 第8篇 (My X-mas vacation '05 - Day 8)

2009-09-30T22:48:00.000+08:00

昂平，去天坛大佛必经之站。n年前要去天坛大佛，一定要搭巴士，而且是整整1个钟的车程。

我又在车上睡着了。。。一张开眼睛，已经到了天坛大佛咯！现在昂平360已经建筑完毕，所以去天坛大佛的路程没有以前我们去的时候那么沉闷啦。话说回来，这座佛像坐在268级的石階上，由202块铜片组成（佛身160块、莲花36块、云头6块），高26.4米，连莲花座及基座总高约34米，重250公吨，坐於3层祭坛上，耗资超过6000萬港元，是世界上最大的户外青铜座佛。

大佛的对面，就是宝莲禅寺。才早上九点多而已，没什么地方好去的，走来走去就这两个景点。那时以前的故事啦，现在不同咯，应为吊缆车游昂平360，有很多景点呢。

已经是第八天了，就轻轻松松地过吧。这天都是随走的，只有看照片来拼故事。

大屿山全景。。不，只是一部分而已，这个角度是从大佛的正面拍下去的。

别人去天坛大佛大多吃素，但是我们却倒反。。。吃“车仔面”。车仔面其实就是香港的一种廉价面食，如果你有看周星驰的《食神》，那碗莫文蔚煮的面就是啦~

车仔面出现在1950年代，是香港市民生活水平较低的年代。国内难民涌来香港，谋生困难，香港街头涌现了流动摊贩，最多便是搭起车仔面档摆卖咖喱鱼蛋和车仔面一类熟食。贩卖车仔面的木头车中放置金属造的“煮食格”，分别装有汤汁、面条和配料，配料通常有鱼蛋、牛丸、猪皮、猪红、萝卜等平价菜色。顾客可为面条自由选择配料，通常十多块钱就可饱吃一顿。

随着生活水平改善和卫生要求提高，街头熟食贩卖渐渐消失。车仔面走进茶餐厅和食堂，成为餐牌上的菜色，也有小型专售车仔面的店铺，甚至有走“高档”路线的。车仔面的配料也愈来愈丰富，面条亦有多种选择，计有：幼面、粗面、油面、伊面、河粉、米粉、公仔面、乌冬等。汤汁有清汤、牛腩汁、麻辣酱等选择。

兜兜转转的一个早上，终于又回到地铁站了。搭地铁离开大屿山，回到香港岛。这是东涌站，是大屿山的站。

那时候，昂平360只是策划中，还没开始建呢。

终于，回到港岛了！今天，我们参观艺术馆。。很有文化吧。。哈哈~

然后就到赤柱去了。

看到我手上的袋袋吗？有所收获了啦。。。

这天是圣诞节前夕哦！！我们在整1万人的拥挤街道（尖沙咀钟楼前）倒数~

人挤人。。像蚂蚁群吗？

香港，人口真的很多很多！！为了顾及交通及行人的方便和安全，大部分的道路已经封锁了。我们就只好在人潮中一步步地走回佐敦的酒店。。。就这样，倒数圣诞完毕，终于过了平第一次的异国圣诞节。 (^.^)

咕咕，咕咕，完美的钟表王国

2009-09-28T12:45:00.002+08:00

在我们那个年代成长的人，都会看过咕咕钟吧？住在屋子里的小鸟每小时都会跳出来，“咕咕，咕咕！”那个童年回忆。

只要有来过瑞士的人，看到那五颜六色的田园房屋，都会联想到这个回忆。已经好久没看过咕咕钟，怀念小时候。坐在火车上，风景都很美，眼睛很忙，虽然是三个小时的车程，可是一点也不觉得久，因为大大的玻璃窗就像是影画片似的，很美。

来之前，我在网上抄下火车时间表时，几趟火车都要转车，转车时也只有那短短几分钟。在想万一火车有个什么延迟，那不是很糟糕？我真的没想过，这里的交通效率这么好。几天下来，每趟火车都是那么的守时准确，那一分一秒，没多也没少。就连巴士的时间也可以捉捏得刚刚好。

瑞士是十大人民最富裕的国家，三大城市都入围地球十大最适合居住的地方，不是没有原因的。

回首。。我们的旅行语录(IV)

2009-09-27T18:57:00.000+08:00

出国第一章：韩国（踏步韩国大学）

要进入韩国的大学，一点也不简单。我说的只是要去参观和作交流，想必真的要进入他们的大学修读，肯定难上加难。我们一共向很多间大学申请参观，但是受理和被批准的，就只有3间而已。首尔有韩国排行第二的연세대학교(Yonsei University)，还有한양대학교(Hanyang University)，而大田(Taejon)有배재대학교(PaiChai University)。

想当年，韩国的教学材料差不多99%都是用韩语编写的，所以他们的英语程度的确非常差。可以讲出一口流利的英语的人，可说是难得难得啊。。。而且呀，都很受器重。

走遍首尔和大田，我们留下了步步脚印。至少，我们把马大的小旗子挂上了他们的纪念品橱窗，这代表着跨国大学之间的MOU(Memorandum of Understanding)，而我们也终于完成了任务。资料搜查也七七八八了，是时候打点一切准备回家在重组然后在conference和大众分享。

从首尔搭火车到大田大概要花2个钟，火车座位是可以360度移动的，第一次出国，很‘三八’叻。。。就在座位上转来转去的，结果突然间发觉有个人站在我的背后哦！！原来呀，票根不一定是对号入座的，只要火车上还有空位，乘客就可以一路站着，一直站到终点。所以我们算幸运啦！

第二天：Hanyang University (Seoul)

在Hanyang University只花了半天的时间，但是交流还算不错啦。

教授很乐意地和我们分享科技知识。

所以我们也全神贯注地“上课”。

男子组。后面也有五棵树哦。

第三天：Yonsei University (Seoul)

韩国排名第二的大学，绝对不简单！最喜欢这栋post-grad building了。春天时时绿色的，夏天时有花的花都开了，秋天时一片红色，冬天就被雪花覆盖，变成全白色的了。

如果你有看《我的野蛮女友》，其中的一幕校园追逐戏就是在这边拍摄的。

这是相机的事或建筑的事啊？？！是我们的幻觉啦。

飞鹰代表着成功。

这是他们的工程系建筑，如果我们的建筑由他们的一半那么齐全就好了。

大学里的餐馆，非常有气氛的装饰啊~ 这是我们在首尔里吃到最好吃的烤肉餐了！很感激教授自掏腰包请我们吃这丰盛的一餐。

这晚只有摄氏2度。。我们依然咬紧牙根从大学走回去。

第五天：Pai Chai University (Taejon)

大田广域市，乍看之下就十足我们的Cyberjaya一样，空荡荡的，人口不怎么多。托世界杯足球赛的福，近两年突然冒起了许多酒店和饭店，至少再也没那么死气沉沉。

火车窗口外的风景。越走越乡下。。。

培才大学。有点像幼儿园的颜色吗？

大田的红蓝色桥 - Expo Bridge。

大田的世界杯足球场。

教授请我们到乡下的韩国传统餐厅享用晚餐。

泡菜。花样很多，味道很棒！

人参鸭！！很补哦。冷天当正餐绝对合心意。

助教Ms.Jung。

再见了，大田。明天起就放生咯~

。。。花絮。。。

大学给我们一人一份的纪念品。

首尔-大田的火车票。每程大概要RM180，很贵吧。

枫叶，6年了!还没腐化。

还有。。。这些都是我在大田市区街上拾回来的，色情场所把这些“名片”一整套的夹在每一辆汽车的玻璃上，风一吹，满街都是！其实都是一套8张的，但是不好意思捡完啦。。

（待续）