tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41241281016311476712024-03-21T13:03:19.850-07:00Master Wongmaster wonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15326008168252415342noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4124128101631147671.post-50122580513628384992012-02-27T20:06:00.002-08:002012-02-27T20:13:38.999-08:00Teow Chiew Braise Duck<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif][if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif][if !mso]><object classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id="ieooui"></object> <style> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } </style> <![endif][if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><u>Teoh Chiew Braise Duck </u></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Ingredients:</p> <p class="MsoNormal">1 Duck (about 2.5 Kilo)</p> <p class="MsoNormal">8 pcs garlic<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal">3 pcs lengkuas</p> <p class="MsoNormal">1 1/2 tbsp soya bean paste </p> <p class="MsoNormal">1 1/2 tsp 5-spice powder</p> <p class="MsoNormal">1 tsp salt</p> <p class="MsoNormal">3 tbsp sugar</p> <p class="MsoNormal">1/2 tbsp black soya sauce</p> <p class="MsoNormal">1 1/2 tbsp oyster sauce</p> <p class="MsoNormal">1 inch cinnamon </p> <p class="MsoNormal">1 pc star aniseed</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><u>Methods:</u></p> <p class="MsoNormal">1) Season duck with 5-spice powder and salt for 1/2 hr.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">2) Heat sugar in a kuali or pot on low fire till brown. Add in soya bean paste, </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> garlic, lengkuas, star aniseed and cinnamon. Fry until fragrant.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">3) Add 1 1/2 to 2 bowls of water, black soya sauce, oyster sauce and stir.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> Then put in the seasoned duck and add enough water to cover about 3/4 of the duck.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">4) Cook the duck on medium fire. When gravy is boiling, lower fire and simmer the</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> duck for about 1 1/2 hrs.</p><p class="MsoNormal">5) Serve while it's hot with some chopped spring onion.<br /></p>master wonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15326008168252415342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4124128101631147671.post-46954530866756595242010-07-28T20:41:00.000-07:002010-07-28T23:37:57.291-07:0016 Days South Korea Adventure<div> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOvcvgoYpB4TUykhD0OQM3hx5oxOLqHj83mDOojuSqOcR_umCowpFSCyfu5eKFW_M9Ntod2KE8FhS7LB_zvTx968u39xNn5T-qKOxCiM_VDApttJNaoQ0iiCH8_n0Ra9uvklcVYNELi9Q/s1600/Day+5+Soreaksan+(258).JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499171418543263714" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 268px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOvcvgoYpB4TUykhD0OQM3hx5oxOLqHj83mDOojuSqOcR_umCowpFSCyfu5eKFW_M9Ntod2KE8FhS7LB_zvTx968u39xNn5T-qKOxCiM_VDApttJNaoQ0iiCH8_n0Ra9uvklcVYNELi9Q/s400/Day+5+Soreaksan+(258).JPG" border="0" /></a></div><div><em><span style="font-size:85%;">Ulsan Bawi Peak, Soraksan Nationa Park.<br /></span></em></div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div>Our 16 days adventure starts from Seoul, the capital of South Korea. We had a big group of 16 members in this trip. We spent the first 2 days in Seoul visiting the Jogyesa Temple, Gyeongbokgung Palace, Folk Museum and shopping at the Insadong street market. This street market comes to life on weekends. We then travel east to the coastal town of Sokcho, the gateway to the most beautiful national park of Korea, Soraksan. The best thing to do in Sokcho is to indulge yourself in the abundance life seafood. We are supposed to have a 2 days trekking at Soraksan with overnight at one of the hill shelters, but due to bad weather, the park was closed and the 2 days trekking was called off. The consolation comes in with some minor adjustment to our itinerary and extended stay at Sokcho, we managed to have a full day visit at this scenic park. The hike up to Soraksan’s Gwongeumseong peak from hill top cable car station was pretty nice, cool and easy. The weather was fine and clear after 5 days of rain. The hike up to Ulsan Bawi peak was much difficult especially the last one kilometer. The trail is almost vertical towards the peak. The scenery from the peak was breath taking. The gruesome hike was well paid off.<br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS-PaJD1nQrnYO2JoGaQVf-GizAAvtC8QfrNvM8QhljLiIDGbViyhqJR2T1v4IL0AGBSUEtmlUfTpVFiWfmCzcgvnQhx-yR3Is1xzkmTw4pa2M2mNVTUp4ubv3TVOdyxSp5t65AjuEdEw/s1600/Day+2+Seoul+(9).JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499170088083145794" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 268px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS-PaJD1nQrnYO2JoGaQVf-GizAAvtC8QfrNvM8QhljLiIDGbViyhqJR2T1v4IL0AGBSUEtmlUfTpVFiWfmCzcgvnQhx-yR3Is1xzkmTw4pa2M2mNVTUp4ubv3TVOdyxSp5t65AjuEdEw/s400/Day+2+Seoul+(9).JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;">Gyeongbokgung Palace, Seoul </span></em></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirDfG-UjWgXhjHO-Vyk868kG0JDrAvo_Tj0SscOJ_XLk-OQquZ_tXfKuGQ4-_wPihKhGTA8EAF_kARLqTe-m-XlDYpvwsK2ufmD8MM7uZUew5i3VuylwTpChV6YJKs8b5ECNqQcoxUs54/s1600/Day+5+Soreaksan+(74).JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499170717152473202" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 268px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirDfG-UjWgXhjHO-Vyk868kG0JDrAvo_Tj0SscOJ_XLk-OQquZ_tXfKuGQ4-_wPihKhGTA8EAF_kARLqTe-m-XlDYpvwsK2ufmD8MM7uZUew5i3VuylwTpChV6YJKs8b5ECNqQcoxUs54/s400/Day+5+Soreaksan+(74).JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;">Gwongeumseong peak, Soraksan Nationl Park</span></em><br /></div></div><div><div> On day 6 we traveled to Samcheok, another costal town. Samcheok is famous for its<br />scenic coast line and caves. We just have enough time to explore Hwanseondonggul, the biggest cave in Samcheok with a waterfall inside. We continue south on day 7 to Gjeongju, a living museum and a UNESCO listed cultural site. We had 2 full days in Gjeongju covering the tombs of Silla kings, artifacts, museums, the living cultural village of Yangdong, Bulguksa Temple and Sokuram Grotto. We also visited a very unique park called Penis Park which is about 1 hour bus ride from Gjeongju. According to the folk legend, these penises of different sizes and shapes are erected by fishermen to appease a frustrated virgin drown in the nearby sea in return for better catch.<br /></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN91t6h1BbRkt6KZIdFTMsuLdoR9IZaNNOn3Pn6cMDUfr8bN73Zbt0DckmLb7T10cx_Mwf0CaBXPeATYNySEArk4CqzS_qW-yEixpFPcqAfOzJ-MJPtm96AWOuCvJPB-62uslLuVGeiZ8/s1600/Day+7a+Samcheok+(15).JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499172576534930674" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 268px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN91t6h1BbRkt6KZIdFTMsuLdoR9IZaNNOn3Pn6cMDUfr8bN73Zbt0DckmLb7T10cx_Mwf0CaBXPeATYNySEArk4CqzS_qW-yEixpFPcqAfOzJ-MJPtm96AWOuCvJPB-62uslLuVGeiZ8/s400/Day+7a+Samcheok+(15).JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><em><span style="font-size:85%;">Penis Park, Gjeongju</span></em><br /><br />On day 9 we moved to Jungsan-ri village, our exit point from Jirisan trek. Here we left our excess luggage at one of the guesthouse and proceed to Gurye, our staring point of a 3 days Jirisan trek, for the night. We took an early morning bus to Seongsamjae, our revised starting point which is about 6 Km shorter than original Hwaeomsa starting point. With this revised plan, we still need to trek about 16 Km to Byeoksoryeong shelter on first day, 6.3 Km to Seseok Shelter on second day and about 12 Km to Jungsan-ri exit via Cheonwanbong, the highest peak @ 1915 meters on the final day. The first 2 Km of the trek is relatively easy and it gets tougher and strenuous with many steep accents and descents. We were actually trekking on the rocky ridge of Jirisan hills. The group eventually split into 2 due to the different pace of individual trekkers. The first stronger group took exactly 10 hours to reach Byeoksoryeong shelter at 6.15 in the evening. The second slower group had to settle at Yeonhacheon shelter which is about 3 Km short to Byeoksoryeong. It would have been a worst scenario if we had started our trek from Hwaeomsa. The hill dormitory shelter has very basic amenities. Each sleeping lot is no more than 2 feet wide. Dry toilets are located some distance from the dormitory. Fresh water supply is 100 meter down hill. Lights out at 9.00 pm is strictly observed. I grossly under estimated the terrain of Jirisan trail. I wore an oversized Crocs slipper and after 16 Km of walking, both my feet were badly bruised and blistered. The second and third day trekking was painful for me due to the blister bruise on my feet but I still managed to finish at Jungsan-ri in one piece. The entire trail is very scenic and the whole national park is filled with many different types of Azalea plants. It will be more spectacular if all the Azaleas flower at the same time. </div><div></div><br /><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_wNxIWcmeNPq8apPZbSV8pNoAzrCgNee8a-8G1fKy-Kkv9LwAwE5SoY-tLUeT2Hz7cJ7iYAAkIvroxTcpYFGIxuLK2mLYslikk_s3WPfE_-0g0APlCjix0ZcemSbj9CtpSnzV54SzDbo/s1600/Day+10+Jirisan+(1).JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499172578446357314" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 261px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_wNxIWcmeNPq8apPZbSV8pNoAzrCgNee8a-8G1fKy-Kkv9LwAwE5SoY-tLUeT2Hz7cJ7iYAAkIvroxTcpYFGIxuLK2mLYslikk_s3WPfE_-0g0APlCjix0ZcemSbj9CtpSnzV54SzDbo/s400/Day+10+Jirisan+(1).JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;">The team getting ready for 3 days trek at Jirisan National Park</span></em> </div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp1dfSYZ9zv-ghzMeCGhJII8i8lWPdsmchvIYq7e_TrMLCXBHksY0eg4SpXt2j5l3n49WUriZVaiuPLNtiDVPDnFiPTuFcRizHV7HNSDGCkXMDBdFSBUQwg3iY0hTpOIsdMz91WYCSZv4/s1600/Day+10+Jirisan+(11).JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499208008296925010" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 261px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp1dfSYZ9zv-ghzMeCGhJII8i8lWPdsmchvIYq7e_TrMLCXBHksY0eg4SpXt2j5l3n49WUriZVaiuPLNtiDVPDnFiPTuFcRizHV7HNSDGCkXMDBdFSBUQwg3iY0hTpOIsdMz91WYCSZv4/s400/Day+10+Jirisan+(11).JPG" border="0" /></a></div><div><em><span style="font-size:85%;">Nagodan peak, Jirisan National Park</span></em> </div><div><br />After colleting our luggage, we bus to Busan for a good night rest. Early next morning we visited the famous Jagalchi Fish Market, the biggest fish market in Korea and nearby Gukje Market. Later we explore Korea’s China town and spent the remaining afternoon at Lotte Departmental store, one of the biggest malls in Korea.<br /><br />Day 14 morning, we board a KTX bullet train to Suwon a suburbs of Seoul. We spent the entire afternoon at the Hwasseong Fortress, with its King's Palace and 5 km long fortress walls. This is another UNESCO listed site still very much intact and well maintained.<br /><br />Day 15 was reserved for the Korean Folk Village. This is a big complex with reconstructed traditional Korean village huts, museums, parks, playground and eateries. Traditional cultural farmer’s dance, tightrope dance, horse riding and Korean marriage are performed at different arenas throughout the day. We took the subway back to Seoul on Day 16 morning. After checking in, off we went to do our final shopping. We opted to do our final shopping at 2 of Seoul’s biggest shopping market, the twin market called the Namdaemun and Dongdaemun. Day 17 morning we hired 2 MPVs to Inchon International Airport for our flight home at 1100AM arriving at KLIA 435 PM follow by Air Asia flight at 9.00 PM arriving Penang 10.00 PM. </div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibhOG7T-IDJsM1sUSMqEw6MhKr3a3p2cPC6HsVZtBUg_-exwY5fU6-aI2qpvcqq56grnz5p9nUakTSS5tbzAVQNlDIkENtjCUkh2_hKjL07AcZ0bRgDsDDVA3xwtCaavPmpvxtbWc_geE/s1600/Day+15+Suwon+(4).JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499173634244136834" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 212px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibhOG7T-IDJsM1sUSMqEw6MhKr3a3p2cPC6HsVZtBUg_-exwY5fU6-aI2qpvcqq56grnz5p9nUakTSS5tbzAVQNlDIkENtjCUkh2_hKjL07AcZ0bRgDsDDVA3xwtCaavPmpvxtbWc_geE/s400/Day+15+Suwon+(4).JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;">Traditional Farmer’s Dance at Korean Folk Village, Suwon</span></em><br /><br />A big plus is all 16 people in this trip are very friendly and helpful. Most of them are regular travelers and very independent. Cost of living in Korea is high and things are relatively expensive compared to Malaysia. Koreans are friendly and honest people, no doubt most of them don’t speak English. Because of this, communication is a big problem. Ordering a meal is a risk. We just finger point at the menu and hope for the best. The good thing is that, they will recommend alternative if we point at the wrong item or inappropriate dish. Korea is a clean and tidy country especially at their smaller towns. Comparing the 2 national parks, I personally feel that Soraksan is better in terms of beauty and trekking condition. Jirisan’s trail is much tougher than I thought and very challenging to the less physically fit.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmdVM86dyuiHkxEfwNJZp2UruM0kRUnljcjqF_whJ8Yh2Rbv1fqRcW7lqCbcloZpHrZwiYC4AHPPof-GM7ajQDWCMgdyLj_BPKxJtNseBXWdVCn-oB6Y1mimneRDWoYQqCD1ERZjs8PU0/s1600/Day+5+Soreaksan+(164).JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499175539287039714" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 268px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmdVM86dyuiHkxEfwNJZp2UruM0kRUnljcjqF_whJ8Yh2Rbv1fqRcW7lqCbcloZpHrZwiYC4AHPPof-GM7ajQDWCMgdyLj_BPKxJtNseBXWdVCn-oB6Y1mimneRDWoYQqCD1ERZjs8PU0/s400/Day+5+Soreaksan+(164).JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;">Crystal clear stream along the trail, Soraksan Nation Park </span></em></div><em><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdlhtyKfYnW7xK3JTZ3QH9h_3ZTZeBJKukDTWFA5cE_Q44L5IvPaKx-b_wxsjAJQ4zeBzQH-HAOlYRE2Z_jW4JO13vgGDY9HxCEy0ekxtUXBB0wEkSYfUoqeCa9e0QgClCOMZVUeYFEaA/s1600/Day+5+Soreaksan+(237).JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499206656293945282" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 268px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdlhtyKfYnW7xK3JTZ3QH9h_3ZTZeBJKukDTWFA5cE_Q44L5IvPaKx-b_wxsjAJQ4zeBzQH-HAOlYRE2Z_jW4JO13vgGDY9HxCEy0ekxtUXBB0wEkSYfUoqeCa9e0QgClCOMZVUeYFEaA/s400/Day+5+Soreaksan+(237).JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Trail to Ulsan Bawi peak, Soraksan National Park </div><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDcGbnLzKsoXfNjwjMSdVhQYPeg58WzWP5a0GFiV44HG14AJPh9TMtu-6S-iZhl6NLWaEDdbeZ9JuOyMe1hVT8hq10rRtKVJXAScyxEUc8Mq9y6CeA8l1tFr7iGIEJ9Je10NvIUR8YYzs/s1600/Day+7b+Gjeongju+(3).JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499206665184111122" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 268px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDcGbnLzKsoXfNjwjMSdVhQYPeg58WzWP5a0GFiV44HG14AJPh9TMtu-6S-iZhl6NLWaEDdbeZ9JuOyMe1hVT8hq10rRtKVJXAScyxEUc8Mq9y6CeA8l1tFr7iGIEJ9Je10NvIUR8YYzs/s400/Day+7b+Gjeongju+(3).JPG" border="0" /></a><br />One of the Silla King’s tombs, Gjeongju. </div><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7JPHRnY3IchleXUeQEFSHrSWLbmdydoJV3FN9GsHrm_N8f9A4zAJy6cRDsSft3cqhiPdWMXZs4fKE9kO4s7Sn7PXUTZhTQAVxaMYPcQlLqTLOLq_EH2p5uyJIhucbx2vCbJjcvJV_oZs/s1600/Day+8+Gjeongju+(104).JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499206668008124386" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7JPHRnY3IchleXUeQEFSHrSWLbmdydoJV3FN9GsHrm_N8f9A4zAJy6cRDsSft3cqhiPdWMXZs4fKE9kO4s7Sn7PXUTZhTQAVxaMYPcQlLqTLOLq_EH2p5uyJIhucbx2vCbJjcvJV_oZs/s400/Day+8+Gjeongju+(104).JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Typical Korean village house at Yangdong Cultural Village, Gjeongju. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRS_Gw_I6LwWGqx88Op9uvGAufM-I5TvhU5iiouoseLFGlOayK77TOKbkhD4FkJSeZBT_E6XxEQmShV4OQCR9oRIN9sPzLUb3QNwxS5v_gIzwAkpt2Kcw-454V_1kjgwxyM0AHePpeyZc/s1600/Day+10+Jirisan+(13).JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499175559313224370" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 268px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRS_Gw_I6LwWGqx88Op9uvGAufM-I5TvhU5iiouoseLFGlOayK77TOKbkhD4FkJSeZBT_E6XxEQmShV4OQCR9oRIN9sPzLUb3QNwxS5v_gIzwAkpt2Kcw-454V_1kjgwxyM0AHePpeyZc/s400/Day+10+Jirisan+(13).JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Nagodan Peak, Jirisan National Park </div><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4dkFS-kOoRxVu89MjlTcek1k8xbVGUrIvUAQ6hdIlmljkvy1471hzsccb-kEduCOTmHF1XCfSbaPLMvngH51h5rPO8mDVS3iEppo5v0FWINk_L2jH5l4whUHzsbTNFw2iHuDhQxzMKeg/s1600/Day+10+Jirisan+(94).JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499206677222268946" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 268px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4dkFS-kOoRxVu89MjlTcek1k8xbVGUrIvUAQ6hdIlmljkvy1471hzsccb-kEduCOTmHF1XCfSbaPLMvngH51h5rPO8mDVS3iEppo5v0FWINk_L2jH5l4whUHzsbTNFw2iHuDhQxzMKeg/s400/Day+10+Jirisan+(94).JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Signage along the trail, Jirisan National Park </div><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu6cC_HZRPKAGF-BKG1zr5aBwrKiRsB3o0Pf0uO6-Nioe5hsuuYANH2dbXyiJOsSWvQxxcZF_jD1TOzXcoG8ZsWsT1mjLouQCkvNpCOo7W80s801W-e4p4JjtI3QUJD7Ajrx3ugclSuLc/s1600/Day+13+Busan+(17).JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499207994022392306" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 222px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu6cC_HZRPKAGF-BKG1zr5aBwrKiRsB3o0Pf0uO6-Nioe5hsuuYANH2dbXyiJOsSWvQxxcZF_jD1TOzXcoG8ZsWsT1mjLouQCkvNpCOo7W80s801W-e4p4JjtI3QUJD7Ajrx3ugclSuLc/s400/Day+13+Busan+(17).JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Fishing Port, Busan </div><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinGVhYIW5zQ2ICRM7fn0VJDk1DhVSrxa1uxjrkiggmtRRAMB0JyH9ZLHLcqg_1EwkHNjCSYGx8qKE9bK-m1wvwshsOMbpDosnW4AdEeKV-rG-V-Zv0ojikRx3OtcqTAXmWfo18a7YMDEo/s1600/Day+15+Suwon+(42).JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499208001843648002" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinGVhYIW5zQ2ICRM7fn0VJDk1DhVSrxa1uxjrkiggmtRRAMB0JyH9ZLHLcqg_1EwkHNjCSYGx8qKE9bK-m1wvwshsOMbpDosnW4AdEeKV-rG-V-Zv0ojikRx3OtcqTAXmWfo18a7YMDEo/s400/Day+15+Suwon+(42).JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Traditional Marriage Ceremony at Korean Folk Village, Suwon</span></em></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>master wonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15326008168252415342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4124128101631147671.post-48560276578990259832009-05-08T00:31:00.000-07:002009-05-08T00:58:01.856-07:0010 Days Himachal, India. Mar-Apr 2009<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_U6IupD1nma2rh68LRIR4nx-foPNjhLptuajk1gpWugs54K22v09TUUGpoeWQ0B7YGqVA-bNcbI4BuqhY2ylmHNI51FgyhGQDs8P8qLC2gjwQT3J3rzyeWCrHjZL3zlMpy2-2EaRYv-8/s1600-h/Morning+at+McLeod+Ganj2.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333357350352483730" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 267px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_U6IupD1nma2rh68LRIR4nx-foPNjhLptuajk1gpWugs54K22v09TUUGpoeWQ0B7YGqVA-bNcbI4BuqhY2ylmHNI51FgyhGQDs8P8qLC2gjwQT3J3rzyeWCrHjZL3zlMpy2-2EaRYv-8/s400/Morning+at+McLeod+Ganj2.JPG" border="0" /></a> <em>Morning at McLeod Ganj</em><br /><div><div><div><div></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTGLUSJ08jhQ7ejJrUeZAcTkh09KEyBgkUMkKhrHdo7575GpXcoo3qxEFOYP1AL0cO7sENAB6ANP8EbtN7gD5TF3_LQ9sqC8ZjEQIfriG3yTHQxugT_iRE6bTjnQ7_2xKhvAUvJ8YUwt8/s1600-h/Day+3+Amritsar+to+Dharamsala+(24).JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333355498910510738" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 258px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTGLUSJ08jhQ7ejJrUeZAcTkh09KEyBgkUMkKhrHdo7575GpXcoo3qxEFOYP1AL0cO7sENAB6ANP8EbtN7gD5TF3_LQ9sqC8ZjEQIfriG3yTHQxugT_iRE6bTjnQ7_2xKhvAUvJ8YUwt8/s400/Day+3+Amritsar+to+Dharamsala+(24).JPG" border="0" /></a><em>Group at Golden Temple</em></div><div></div><div>I’ve not travel for quite a while. My last oversea trip was North Vietnam back in November 2007. Reason being both of us (my wife and me) are not in good health condition. Traveling not only requires time and money but more importantly health. Though not fully recovered, I managed to gather enough courage to try this 10 days trip with Yongo (Travel Operator). Celebrating our wedding silver jubilee and my birthday is the strongest motivation to join this trip.<br /><br />Our 10 days adventure begins in New Delhi arriving late in the evening. Early next morning, took a fast train to Amritsar. In Amritsar, we witness the flag-off ceremony at Wagah boarder. It was a spectacular display of patriotism, tall soldiers in their massive turbans goose-stepping march and the cheering crowd is what we came looking for. Both Indian and Pakistani boarder soldiers do this daily and it has become a tradition for people from both sides gather and see. They synchronized their parade and the entire event is meant to create a patriotic feeling amongst the crowd. The Golden Temple is another must-see place in Amritsar. It’s the most important religious place to the Sikhs and always packed with pilgrims from all over India.<br /><br />On the 3rd day we traveled north to Dharamsala. The weather becomes more cooling and view more scenic. Jagged snow mountain in the distant. We over night at McLeod Ganj, the upper district of Dharamsala and home of the Tibetan community. Dharamsala is a small Indian town and became popular in 1959 with the arrival of his Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama and his exiled Tibetan Government. McLeod Ganj is about 1800 meter above sea level and temperature in early April is still chilly. We had the whole day 4 to explore Dharamsala and McLeod Ganj.<br /><br />On day 5 we traveled further north to the valley of Gods, the Kulli valley. We passed thru many orchards and visited a couple of temples. The air is scented with the blossom of apple and cherry trees from the orchards. We overnight at a beautiful place called Manali. Day 6 activity in Manali include hiking in the morning and fun time (paragliding and Zorbing) at Solang in the afternoon.<br />On day 7, we backtracked south to a hill town call Shimla, the capital of Himchal. In Shimla, we do shopping and took the heritage toy train ride. On day 8, we continue south to Chandigrarh before taking the fast train to Delhi on day 9 morning. We had the whole afternoon and evening at Delhi until our flight scheduled at midnight. We visited the biggest spice market on trishaw and tour the latest and most beautiful temple in Delhi, the Akshardham Temple. We end our 10 days trip arriving KLIA 7,00 am.<br /><br /><div align="left"></div><br /><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333353491786512338" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 268px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtPDVfV0MwtYGmVickl9WDdpKv6feNShLM38ONGFXnPP118BUmdQuJMadosaZ-9HtjrWQEsEs0XBqiuC0PE56SdT06pLwqnNzJtaz7EgtJttdQlUFz7muEAUwCl33ksBBXpueKEG5pLqE/s400/Apple+blossom+in+Manali1.JPG" border="0" /> <em>Apple blossom in Manali<br /></em></p><br /><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333353992578021938" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 268px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg2daX42ls9pou0poL2s8xOA_9RN6jzuFZRlb6738rNN851ZbsYMGh2h28fKrubCRvBdv6bwgfs6BXiolb6BykPHwoc7YBDM-B7U9dAu1hrr1e-fBKmVmQkDX2UWUQ-iSkGcEDfZK3R-4/s400/Apple+blossom+in+Manali2.JPG" border="0" /></p><p><em>Apple blossom in Manali</em><br /></p><br /><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333353989481506418" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 268px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR1o9iJAOsjkKrNIKwyUiGpaUKgvsaEAyf9lGzicfGO1r8qtK63YWGA_q95v1v_9ZTN8N4sk48SIb2-RwgrcFHNoRlnM3vlARoR_bxN_XDnpJqXPKLN8YThyphenhyphengbAGS9qCs9TyEhYaCqk8I/s400/cherry+blossom+in+Manali.JPG" border="0" /><em>Cherry blossom in Manali</em></p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333353995322429794" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 251px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK7UVsxvtVDAjug8uVodn-lU16n53gNCo6iC4KQfpLmi0-svM3E4gUV4E2AQSZELQF1ADj00kYsGSDbn7mHzWafFXqHnfjHaDm2xnycZ1W9H2gl7aY0Gw8n3UEuqF3MtOst5vKSu84rG0/s400/Church+in+Shimla.JPG" border="0" /><em>Church in Shimla</em><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333353999545170098" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 268px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfpzcL9m6pZVXmHsjDDtgCj_tidBzqK7PP3rI7hLVJEhp4RjaxjucXDxzspisV9ag0RC0UTeM-AL_kKXn3PhvrVtjDod8sTOO7aTM071_YGow1qsJ0w-rbt4F-gA-n3ADL4l_yKp0sdDQ/s400/colorful+display+at+Wagah+boarder.JPG" border="0" /><em>Colorful display at Wagah Boarder.</em></p><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333355499010971746" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 257px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGwdeAY6c7VQCPiQRXNglrfgEvvJcbT3WlRmcwcy_m8cGXJZfGGp3eucNKJj_MX5IrurIfKSNBiof21q7xtta48XN-HQZcgxgKRTFCUNkP3NGCBodI2xRv5WdZiHr8NzqsBHyXpBnbNxA/s400/Golden+temple1.JPG" border="0" /><em>Golden Temple</em></div><div><br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333355502775693202" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 268px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnnhyphenhyphenkWpJNsY4sFvE4swRTo5sHr2StLb1wLq2eFtHkUVcDvHGhhdP3Y8tkpWTBe5kIIak9IYHToUkjAurL9YC5js3XDZOv8RFQYdAveQzZfFCWFcfhoaXZ184PNMQ0PCXlX5TA2LHWOLM/s400/Hiking+in+Manali.JPG" border="0" /><em>Hiking in Manali</em><br /><br /><br /><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333355503627392882" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 268px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhrabUKHgK0lFkG7Iu8azUv9Q8YLgHnKUS7UJdXvm_kxBxoz-mrZV0vcoK7dZ59dZ9Kfa__W3xy8cqhxgmjycBrIe98uTT3lKrMYusNg0IG6x_FgzcbOebACnFiwcsueCooIuqzpFjNcY/s400/Golden+temple+at+night.JPG" border="0" /><em>Golden temple at night</em></p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333357363771452514" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 268px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjpegmThqTwvfAAWj6LrujpO47WJ_2XmXPgyHjEw3GL8Bpp8WptV5N_zyKyT5ddITnRPIFv2m5CpswtBOemFykYucr25fcbpkHtwOdS-JzUaQ8Zim4ViGFjdBwVhsmrRDqDWuuzbMPlcw/s400/Shimla.JPG" border="0" /><em>Shimla</em></div><div><br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333357354726030994" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 268px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkLUj9ZrSTRIpFx7oVPtVdmWnRJmK8dPl87F3L2T_2CKPjBSXoxQok6wruM6oz1j3UOufeH-9ICjXgmTpuFYqiSNflNtENP9s_O6QLLXxmI_KW0ZqvXuXEmmLv1Zubj8is1CYquWCimp4/s400/Yellow+mustard+flower+and+apple+blossom+in+Manali.JPG" border="0" /><br /><em>Yellow mustard flower and apple blossom</em></div><div><br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333357354271189826" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 257px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqUaWLDCusp1RoSNAMsV-LZ7GSgyqZWieiS5Ebckuuy3SWhi2EUTHRoswis9XCsAyxZ33aTOyk-J9E6pzUNbzaR8LzkCegJ2l879eRXYoyGwBlSs0KOpzzv9TvqhPkkRAeTvPlY-zZmp0/s400/Relaxing+in+Manali.JPG" border="0" /><em>Relaxing in Manali</em></div><div><br /><p><em><br /></em><br /></p><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div>master wonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15326008168252415342noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4124128101631147671.post-12593417248845672502008-02-14T23:10:00.000-08:002008-02-15T00:37:31.093-08:00Bali<div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLmScZiX0uokC0nxRbE-uEpy3xOvrfNBU8mMGSe3hL99ki9P9Drtdk6nf2cM0MQFKHflSkTOaF4ZKkRtGw1oYFUtX-68kv9vBD-1EHeGmpGyOh55TMhAcDqGSp_HXW11xJqSYmD70z_eQ/s1600-h/Uluwatu+KecekDance+(27).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5167119824685003746" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLmScZiX0uokC0nxRbE-uEpy3xOvrfNBU8mMGSe3hL99ki9P9Drtdk6nf2cM0MQFKHflSkTOaF4ZKkRtGw1oYFUtX-68kv9vBD-1EHeGmpGyOh55TMhAcDqGSp_HXW11xJqSYmD70z_eQ/s400/Uluwatu+KecekDance+(27).jpg" border="0" /></a>I have heard a lot of beautiful things about Bali when I was young, miles of wonderful sandy beaches, crystal clear water, smoking volcanoes, rich cultural heritage, friendly people and breathtaking sceneries. Bali is a magical and mythical tropical island of paradise. Everything about an ideal vacation destination, but 2 terrorist bombing in 2002 and 2005 has changed all that. I had dropped Bali out from my vacation list but in 2007, I was tempted with the very attractive value 4 days 3 nights package (Air Asia DIY holiday package). I managed to convince my wife and 2 of my friends to join me on this 4D3N trip.<br /><br /><strong>Day 1</strong><br />We took off from Penang at noon and arrived at LCC terminal about 1.00 pm and then continue from LCC terminal at 4.20 pm and arrived at Denpasar 7.20 pm. Our prearranged transport was there to pick us up and we arrived at Rama Beach Resort around 8.00 pm. After checked in we had our dinner across the road (which was much cheaper than our hotel). Rama Beach Resort is situated in Kuta, the main tourist attraction of Bali. The October 12th, 2002 bombing that killed 202 people and injured another 209 happened right here in Kuta. Kuta is a bay area with miles of fine black sandy beach. The main street of Kuta is concentrated with Beach hotels, resorts, restaurants, discos, bars, and shopping malls. It was once packed with thousands of tourist (mainly Australian) everyday and night but ever since the bombing, the numbers has dropped significantly. Rama resort is quite nice and the room is very spacious with full amenities. The only draw back is the water supply is very hard with high dissolved solids, not good for bathing and definitely not for drinking. I get a sticky feeling after taking the bath.<br /><br /><strong>Day2</strong><br />After breakfast, I negotiated with the tour agent at the lobby for our 2 ½ day’s travel itinerary. I have done some homework prior to the trip and I know what I want to see and where to go to places of interest. I did some bargaining and got a 2 ½ day package for Rp1,400,000, equivalent to RM560.00. Cost includes an air conditioned car, driver, and petrol. Entrance fees and meals are not included. Our driver is a young Balinese named Pudu. Speak some English but not a good guide. First day itinerary covers some temples, Gua Gajah, Gunung Batur in Kitamani, Tirta Empul, Ubud and end at Tanah Lot.<br /><br />First stop was at a temple in Mengwi, one of many thousands Hindu temples in Bali. They say that there are more temples than houses in Bali. To enter a Balinese temple, one must wear clothing long enough to cover the knees. Entrance fee is Rp6,000 per person which include the rental of sarong if your cloth is not long enough to hide your knees. Next stop was Elephant Cave "Goa Gajah", a hermitage from the 11th. century used by both Buddhists and Hindus. After that we drove all the way up to Kitamani. From Kitamani view point, we can see Gunung Batur and its surrounding lake, Gunung Abang, the adjacent mountain and Gunung Agung the highest peak at 3,142 meter in the distance. Both Gunung Batur and Gunung Agung are still active volcanoes. Gunung Agung last erupted in March 1963. We had our buffet lunch at the view point restaurant.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5167117148920378274" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM_41DgYL2fyOATRN-m7W_oEvuPg3TmJqviVZBvrLO3SXUDW6679CK8yFvWHIaKs75q-I3LZmrWG_3EryTPt717ZpmMRgZJnu9Vb2lo8ZDNdix0pYN_bHKFmlvl5y2h1RWy5wSfOSLSdU/s400/Gua+Gajah.jpg" border="0" /> <div><span style="font-size:78%;">Outside Gua Gajah</span></div><br /><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5167117157510312882" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7JFGzeJipMkr5Ud1KKy-vbPi-rXNfpvL3wYcYSZdODdTZXPmgNYORIFNupFBf9Uic_JskOKZe6cWwZuexRCHgCaZCbFmZDV6bphFMTV_EFsD46Y7pc5yWJn1_sBo_sHvYGsZpq6rR0CM/s400/Kitamani+(5).jpg" border="0" /><span style="font-size:78%;">Gunung Batur </span></div><div><span style="font-size:78%;"><br /></span>After lunch we proceed to Tirta Empul. The most striking feature of Tirta Empul is the holy bathing pool for spiritual cleansing. With a small donation of Rp10,000, one can perform the spiritual cleansing at this holy pool. On our way back we passed thru some rice terrace farms in Ubud. Ubud is the center for art galleries and museums. We end our day one at Tanah Lot, Temple in the Sea’. Tanah Lot located north of Kuta and is built atop a huge rock surrounded by the sea. The best time to see Tanah Lot is in the late afternoon when the temple is in silhouette with the setting sun. I had a couple of beers at one of the café watching the sun set. It was the best scenery of the day. In the evening after dinner, we took a stroll along Kuta main street.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5167117166100247490" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYgEGvalKGFWv1YPXWfe065FWtMLO1E_8vjQXT0D7G5_0TRu8lBeAVFaJeSazTXs-QduvWcGLOSIJr5mVf2h2tPaJTxdHcCJTlPuhbeI0ggvE7Fs8PSq2iCHNs6qGv1-YQnfLQ56GJ81k/s400/Tirta+Empul+(6).jpg" border="0" /><span style="font-size:78%;">Spritual cleansing at Tirta Empul<br /></span><br /><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5167106458746778514" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB4Tc_4aDcI0GcDkrvqZXvy2VgT18pOZIclZUXgKt0fEURNTIt7IJJorROr1g6Az4WDNZPnE0eIUcGTfQuuya-EirHyR2Q2jZ4eFuiw0PEu1jMTaPZUh2Qha6wofLB4d5Owq0SpNYGdt4/s400/Tanah+Lot+(24).jpg" border="0" /><span style="font-size:78%;">Tanah Lot 'Temple in the sea'</span></p><p><strong>Day 3<br /></strong>We started day 3 at 9.15 am and our 1st stop is the Royal Temple of Taman Ayun. On our way to Bedugul, we made a stop to have a panoramic view of hill terrace farming. Bedugul is quite similar to our Cameron Highland with lots of vegetable farms but no tea plantation. The weather turned bad when we reach the peak of Bedugul. There is lake and a temple at this peak. Weather was not conducive for photo taking and we go straight to the view point restaurant for our buffet lunch. We also skip the visit to this lake side temple and headed straight back down hill to Uluwatu. On the way to Uluwatu, we stop by a small town to witness a holy celebration at a temple. There were Balinese women with a decorated fruit baskets well balanced on their heads entering the temple. These fruit baskets are offering to the temple. We tried to enter the temple for a closer look but were stopped because we are not wearing the proper attire. We also made a stop at one beautiful hotel situated on a hill top facing the sea at Nusa Dua. The view from this hotel is spectacular but unfortunately this place is a bit isolated and virtually no occupancy after the bombing incident at Kuta.<br /></p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5167106454451811202" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMcclL0LmXIz-dwC8K_cHrY0-cXNdj5UXBxekVI6b-4zYOc4c4zPi89S1OuG_ra7T0mIYdTdPa-52TFKlu_8ohW4meFyPYnp-kplPKaWIcmTmUS_g19xdZX6wgozizO2kyjJ03J4jk9Kw/s400/IMG_4104.jpg" border="0" /><span style="font-size:78%;">Offerings to temple</span></p><p>We arrived at Uluwatu a little passed 5.00 pm. We quickly bought our ‘Kecek’ Dance show ticket @ Rp50,000 each. This ‘Kecek’ dance is a local Balinese cultural dance highly recommended by friends. This is a big group of about 70 dancers in trance portraying the story of The Ramayana Epic on a hill top with beautiful sunset background. It’s a one hour show which starts at 7.00 pm every evening. We still have about an hour plus before the show to explore the temple and surrounding. We were forewarned about the notorious monkeys at this place. They are known to snatch things from tourist like spectacles, foods and bags. True enough, just minutes after the warning, out of nowhere came a big long tail monkey, snatched the spectacle of my friend. The monkey was so fast and appears to be a ‘professional’. It got my friend’s spectacles, ran to the brick fence, sits and waits for us to react. Then one of the locals came and throw some food (pineapple cubes) to the monkey in exchange for my friend’s spectacles. The monkey dropped the spectacles and grape the food thrown to him. Now my friend is obligated to reward (pay) the local for his service in getting back his spectacles. We highly suspect that the monkeys in this place are well trained by the ‘owners’ to prey on visitors. These monkeys are big, fat (obviously over fed) and very bold. After this incident, we were extra careful. I had my wife watching over me with my tripod in her hand while I take photographs. The ‘Kecek’ dance show performed in open air was very nice to watch indeed. This colorful dance together with the natural beauty of the surrounding environment was our high light of the day.<br /></p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5167119816095069138" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAXE-VC2_vMCq6cD6raHovo4Uwy9orsdgCN6Nf59-qvbUMhSxdzC0MKUFETLhigRkQerne7T6i9TmctD2aRrbedNQSpAY3ENk4dzVx6dm4xSP7G9BmuooQhaG6jF44XkcL0lIA7Gu_LIQ/s400/Uluwatu+(30).jpg" border="0" /></div><span style="font-size:78%;">Notorious monkeys of Uluwatu<br /></span><div></div><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5167119833274938354" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5XLgH26MzSYdRjICNfjsWgA87Z5vmR_ki-Ce_eHSgcw6FUlzH2QaHShRetRXdJrQZ0iT-bFQaEnPW5sFuew2O5exoE-5XzA3tzBJsujRc2wgPA4Et1evYOtD3BdwHBEUUlAuHeK9TSSo/s400/Uluwatu+KecekDance+(65).jpg" border="0" /> <span style="font-size:78%;">Sunset at Uluwatu</span></div><div><span style="font-size:78%;"><br /></span><strong>Day 4</strong><br />Day 4 is ½ day city tour cum shopping at Denpasar per the package. Our return flight to KL is scheduled at 8.20 pm and that means we still have ½ day free and easy on our own after the city tour. We have to check out and store our luggage at the reception area after our breakfast. The city tour and shopping trip was a bad decision. Nothing much to offer in Denpasar and we were hassled by some locals who keep following us everywhere offering their service in return for some tips. We had to cut short our shopping trip and return back to Kuta instead. We took the remaining morning to explore the famous Kuta beach. The beach was very nice indeed, long and wide but unfortunately, the weather was bad. No blue sky, no surfer, not much people at the beach. We had fast food lunch at the mall and took a slow walk back to our hotel via the beach.<br /><br />We spent the afternoon at the swimming pool of our hotel. In the late afternoon, we went to the convenient store at the corner of the street and bought some souvenir. We had some Bali coffee and Chicken Bakso (chicken dumpling noodle). Bakso is the most favorite dish in Bali. It’s cheap (Rp5,000 per bowl) and good. After this tea break, we went back to the hotel to get our luggage. We did some re-packing of our luggage while waiting for our transport to the airport. We arrived at the airport 2 hours before flight time. The return flight to KL took off on time and we arrived 10 minutes ahead of schedule. </div><br /><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>End.</div></div>master wonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15326008168252415342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4124128101631147671.post-58901768603479943682008-02-10T18:53:00.000-08:002008-02-10T19:01:10.195-08:00Cheese PrawnI'm going to introduce a very simple recipee of my own and most children will love it.<br /><br /><strong>Ingredients<br /></strong><br />600 g of prawns washed and peeled.<br />1 can button mushroom, sliced into small pieces.<br />100 g of mixed colored vege (jagung beans, green beans and carrot cubes)<br />1 onion, sliced into small pieces.<br />2 table spoons of creamer (coffee mate) or ¼ cup of UHT milk<br />½ tea spoon of salt.<br />3 table spoons of oil.<br />5 slices of Kraft cheese.<br /><br /><strong>Method</strong><br /><br />1. Heat 3 table spoons of oil in pan and fry the onion.<br />2. Add in the prawns, mushroom, mixed vege cubes, creamer, salt and stir fry until prawn is just cooked.<br />3. Transfer the above into a bowl and place the cheese evenly on top.<br />4. Put the bowl into oven, set 200 C and bake for 10 to 15 minutes until cheese is melted.<br />5. Remove and serve while it’s still hot.master wonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15326008168252415342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4124128101631147671.post-2859439302592795912008-02-04T18:21:00.000-08:002008-02-04T23:13:18.777-08:00Lijiang Old Town.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNjbOe1NXFzlU7s7LGk17_QIYDJ_eE_u5run8uFix_zOvUvnudAehtHB3MGpaGOWG6FIjUotqu8PAZ5uEpGSWe5pvteajhw_zX0EI5zLgoxYTC6ynLebaHcJsQaQ1JsYimbWkQhTpLz1o/s1600-h/Day11+Lijiang+(24).JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5163323875667987490" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNjbOe1NXFzlU7s7LGk17_QIYDJ_eE_u5run8uFix_zOvUvnudAehtHB3MGpaGOWG6FIjUotqu8PAZ5uEpGSWe5pvteajhw_zX0EI5zLgoxYTC6ynLebaHcJsQaQ1JsYimbWkQhTpLz1o/s400/Day11+Lijiang+(24).JPG" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"> Aerial view of Lijiang Old Town<br /></span><div>This is a continuation of my last post on Tiger Leaping Gorge. After our 3 days trek at TLG, we came back to Lijiang old town for 2 more nights. Lijiang old town is the best preserved old town in China and it’s more beautiful than Shangri La old town and Dali old town. Lijiang at 2,400 meters above sea level is blessed with clean fresh air, crystal clear stream and breathtaking Jade Dragon Snow Mountain as backdrop. The inhabitants of this area are mainly the Nazi which has a very unique Dongba culture. Till today, Nazi people still practice the pictorial Dongba script. Lijiang was once confluence for trade along the Ancient Tea-Horse Road. Lijiang old town became UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site in 1997. It’s now a tourist magnet and a paradise for backpackers. Lijiang old town is famous for its unique reticular aqueduct system that supplies water to every family and every street. There are about 350 bridges in this small little town and it’s sometime referred to as ‘Suzhou in highland’. Rows of widow weeps are lined along the main streets beside these waterways. </div><div> </div><div>Another interesting fact to note is that this is the only old town build without any city wall. According to legend, Lijiang was ruled by the Mu family for more than 500 years. In the Chinese character, if 'Mu' (represents the ruler of Lijiang) is boxed up in a frame (represents the city wall), you have the character 'Kun' which means 'siege'. </div><br /><div></div><div>The layout and architecture of Lijiang old town reflects a very rich historical background. Wooden houses with beautiful engraved figures of people and animals on doors and windows. The center of the town is Square Street (Sifangjie) and has 4 main streets that extend to four different directions. Countless narrows alleys and lanes from every corner of the town are connected to these 4 mains streets. These streets and alleys are packed with tourist from morning till late night. At night, the whole town is brightly lighted up with lanterns. Groups of Nazi women trying to out sing one another across the street. I had 3 wonderful days exploring this little old town. No matter where I go, I find the fusion of old and new in a pleasant environment. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5163323884257922098" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSn_ZYYitlQqzLtUDlGYvxWyLVJ_9UsYn93cut8Qk0yBqx66KLfIYDdT0rSmdChNdKGtzBP8sil2RGJd_3M0W9vVe6tHJVEaf8sbZDQ9VDr2nHIi8MfdXpbDAJgkoVc8NaDMySxhsrHlE/s400/Day2+Lijiang+(73).jpg" border="0" /></div><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Square Street (Sifangjie)<br /></span><p></p><br /><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5163323922912627778" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1__yQm8JNpml96WrD-3cHXCrdnfhK3Kdqgj85DzO1Ef9vBtQTBB77FEBSPJqw-r7921Rx98e_MeJ1kTswSN3xZr7kPLepDZoKj32vrRJIlAoxdiRM8tsCQfdCKwaXfxyD8TGdDyi8sh8/s400/Day2+Lijiang+(77).jpg" border="0" /></p><span style="font-size:78%;"> Main street</span><br /><p></p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5163325473395821650" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpRNZMcvLIbLtOwltD14GhyphenhyphenZ_dJPsVYv9pAR5Ikw4l-L0z7cE6oRQ6HQ98z-mu6pgoVm3n2atnLOgvPY0vJFvVBExFBoamajs_8lrUD156Yb_sBkEvn5LYWhI3kFj-biCxPIdR6avgfMA/s400/Day2+Lijiang+(155).jpg" border="0" /></p><span style="font-size:78%;">Dongba pictorial script</span><br /><p></p><br /><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5163325481985756258" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4R6wMGj6URlOxfvyTvi_XOSCgppwcCchPK5-8DLvGdIACQPUZ3kjSlmgpG-6UHePKaolG9WbKcdx_T5hVZqPK9S2yhwXMQHW_XVXMk2NzMGKdj_hyB9LLUniAW6yz5cqV29jbRo87MOE/s400/Day10+Daju+-+Lijiang+(23).JPG" border="0" /> <span style="font-size:78%;">Waterway of Lijiang</span><br /></p><br /><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5163325486280723570" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0swENz2O_aqiHgVRRf79wfOKi3wlHdGaB5Ng6PQH2X4oCv76R4k4gikuIfH-KFpO_7h6VxgUY2WY2Qjl0HlV68nOMcEfkZdvqEEihtQaqQd91pSoDcL2VTkwTgOjvdOvFMALjh4gxhTI/s400/Day10+Daju+-+Lijiang+(30).JPG" border="0" /></p><p><span style="font-size:78%;">Lijaing old town at night</span></p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5163366550463040642" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWVn62BWH03P7ytgUp0PBvKctnCqx0BNXywZMCtEY_IsWlQ-BfWJMZ1wYnPQmNDmkaAEgAqV7gCBrLCTA95wjWrvMfd2rmENA0W4HqWIi7WQaM413DYrpkzt7WYJZhHwo32UgoNkKLpAM/s400/Day10+Daju+-+Lijiang+(33).JPG" border="0" /></p><p><span style="font-size:78%;">Bar Street at night</span><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5163366563347942546" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT2tJvOFvYBnn4Kgh-ea6cst4I57w3A4Ma0rQsFn7QaaBGi2kuGgG2ebGU8oqNWstUtyAnJ52Qk5PtwMFTA_cxgy-lgOU9DMndIxVbFh_dmMuMWhrhdqCDRRlloUVzhF9FkpD57Ik0ytk/s400/Day11+Lijiang+(44).JPG" border="0" /></p><p><span style="font-size:78%;">Water wheels at entrance to old town</span></p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5163366571937877154" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSaViWh52-TYHbTv7ihk4XJDtexsAo8CxUEIDuwjcziyAux93LQa5wq-2Q8teNMB4mrgGscG2nqaul1BRzv6fv6_v8poNNVcNC-h7hd48B-lfTdKECLCYQjcoHTUWr46rAkm_gYy7LReo/s400/Day11+Lijiang+(51).JPG" border="0" /></p>master wonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15326008168252415342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4124128101631147671.post-8607094130838658622008-02-01T20:14:00.000-08:002008-02-02T18:42:50.051-08:00Trekking Tiger Leaping Gorge (Hutio Xia)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_VJqBgykvEtez5AIm-ABoVa2Lk9SvWWXfy8hV9I46Fz7h2iAW0hcNSOqlIct6uuGIsaSt42lLgKXePj5mNyjo8W5XV9qZlSv7RQYFG8fv4TOSKONWAXmHi3EpXHeeMtFR4l7HoFf9RTE/s1600-h/Day9+TLG+-+Daju+(9).JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5162243377860430674" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_VJqBgykvEtez5AIm-ABoVa2Lk9SvWWXfy8hV9I46Fz7h2iAW0hcNSOqlIct6uuGIsaSt42lLgKXePj5mNyjo8W5XV9qZlSv7RQYFG8fv4TOSKONWAXmHi3EpXHeeMtFR4l7HoFf9RTE/s400/Day9+TLG+-+Daju+(9).JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div><div>I love trekking and one of the best trails I ever trekked is Tiger Leaping Gorge (Hutiao Xia) in Yunnan China. Tiger Leaping Gorge (TLG) is about 80 Km northwest of Lijiang and is the deepest gorge in the world. This 15 Km long gorge lies between Jade Dragon Snow Mountain (Yulong Xueshan) and Haba Snow Mountain (Haba Xueshan). Peak of Jade Dragon Mountain is about 5,600 meters and Peak of Haba Mountain is 5,400 meters. At the bottom of the gorge is the Golden Sand River (Jingsha Jiang) which becomes the mighty Yangtze River down <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNvKa7sxvhKjtI_MVIBNBlozLGtWAURGbL0RHYNuMX_Z9jLyCv8bN3JSwQwsCDaGq4RNOWG3nWIiIUDFzYHjnJEV9y6l32zgGrSeHFILUwDScMc3HDubFEvj_nFLQKye4yjR3y61D8ccI/s1600-h/Day8+TLG+(38).JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5162248377202363314" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNvKa7sxvhKjtI_MVIBNBlozLGtWAURGbL0RHYNuMX_Z9jLyCv8bN3JSwQwsCDaGq4RNOWG3nWIiIUDFzYHjnJEV9y6l32zgGrSeHFILUwDScMc3HDubFEvj_nFLQKye4yjR3y61D8ccI/s320/Day8+TLG+(38).JPG" border="0" /></a>steam. The narrowest portion of the gorge is only 30 meters wide with a stone in the middle of the river. Legend says that a tiger jumped across the river at this narrowest point to escape from a hunter and hence the name of this gorge. The inhabitants in this area are mainly the Nazi ethnic minority. The total length of TLG trail is about 40 Km long which starts from Qiaotao and ends at Daju. The trail can be covered in 2 days but we opted for a 3 days leisure trek. There are a few guesthouses along the trail. The best time to trek TLG is autumn or spring. Summer is peak season and may be crowded. We did it in late autumn of 2006. </div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5162245654193097602" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOUOGODuWq8DKAHUAWNo_To6d4Z-0M6OWVRpXggNW_QF3PBtPaZ74PWKJnk166UxZEepwFEsdNsNisaJ13wVgAE2UUqYXB4td8gkYNBqZRILyMHgCOMAltzOLkWQXYzK7DjNorZZ1JVTA/s400/Day7+Shangrila+-+TLG+(28).JPG" border="0" /><span style="font-size:78%;"> Jade Dragon Snow mountain</span><br /><strong>Day 1<br /></strong>We left Shangri-La in the late morning and arrived at Qiaotao around noon. We had lunch at a nearby restaurant while our guide was busy negotiating with the locals for mules transport. Our team of 16 members includes tour leader and a local guide. After lunch we proceed to our starting point which is just a short distance from the gorge entrance. The local farmers with their mules were there waiting for us. 3 mules were used to carry luggage and 9 of us including me and my wife opted for the mule ride. The fee for mule ride is only RMB100 per day and we hire the service for 2 days. I have never ridden a horse or mule before and this is really a good experience for me especially when negotiating narrow winding tracks. Day 1 trek was easy, relatively flat with some slight ascent and took us about 2 hours to reach our first destination, Nazi Guesthouse. The weather is superb, cool with bright sunny sky. The trail was scenic all the way and the view was spectacular, with the majestic Jade Dragon Mountain on the other side of the gorge. We passed thru some farms and villages. The locals here are friendly and some waved their hands as we pass thru. We arrived at Nazi Guesthouse around 3.00 pm. Nazi Guesthouse is a typical Nazi family house with a courtyard surrounded by 4 blocks of buildings. The guest rooms are on the top floors and each with a window to a beautiful view. The amenities are very basic, no heater, no hot shower, 2 common bathrooms to share, one gents’ toilet and one ladies’ toilet. I quickly took a shower while the sun is still up. We took the whole afternoon exploring the guesthouse and nearby village. Our dinner at 7.00 pm was served on a long table. It was a simple Nazi dinner food and it tastes good. The temperature starts to dip when the sun sets and I have to put on my wind breaker. We gathered at the courtyard after dinner accompanied by 2 young friendly Nazi girls. These are the same 2 girls who make our rooms and prepared our meals. Tonight, they teach us how to do the Nazi dance. We had a wonderful time till late night. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5162243399335267170" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxVgeJn6LxiYt2swR5ma3lHGuDEGZVHpJWAQ6pjwQoEIMLT3_JKIvrVYz1c9wJnHSmgeDXpMqeru0t-zmtfqVilEqwfq4_sLtTdth-L7vzDj-EG5rhyN9xnKX1uprgk3kHeLkK2PWgE70/s400/Day9+TLG+-+Daju+(40).JPG" border="0" /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Nazi Family House</span><br /><br /><strong><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5162245667077999522" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB2oPdZd_S-jG9KbSwEw73ygidrp1qr_BpHdkRE60oq9NH98chRmoyLChNaN_n8OQBpvabkUhCNhlX5uxMiNUSk9XCMnqxFJ4mrtlRlGG-wqyX_8xBZTJhapRvhm9u29rJPkgWVlLb3mw/s400/Day7+Shangrila+-+TLG+(44).JPG" border="0" /></strong><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Doing the Nazi dance</span><br /><strong>Day 2</strong><br />Morning was broken by the call of roosters. I looked out my window and saw the most memorable view. The silhouette of the jagged peaks of Jade Dragon Mountain and the slow swaying trees under the crescent moon light was simply unforgettable. I watched and admired at this tranquil scene for almost half an hour.<br />We had simple Nazi pancake with coffee for breakfast. The Tibetan Yak butter tea is also available but it’s not agreeable with my taste bud. Day 2 trek is expected to be tough as we have to ascent 900 meters thru what the locals referred to as the ’28 bends’. We left Nazi Guesthouse at 9.00 am and were soon struggling up the ’28 bends’. More spectacular sceneries as we ascent higher. The snow jagged peaks of Jade Dragon Mountain with drifting misty clouds and the gushing Jingsha River below remind me of those ancient Chinese watercolors. The romantic colors of autumn are everywhere. Patches of green, yellow, brown and red vividly displayed on the slope of the mountain. Our shaded trail is paved with fallen colored leaves. We made a couple of stops on the way and many were busy with their cameras shooting the spectacular views. We arrived at our 2nd destination, Tea Horse Trade Guesthouse, around 1.00 pm. Our mule ride service end here and we bid farewell to their owners. Only 3 mules are left behind for the luggage. We had a late lunch and immediately after lunch everyone armed with their cameras again and starts exploring the neighborhood. There was a small waterfall nearby but the water was too cold for me to take a bath. The neighbors are really friendly and some even invite us to their house. Later in the evening a few of us gath<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHTIW4VEOrEdJTq_pTKmrTJL3Muq-NrNU-8uOOauk3S3-99Gx4HDfjUB3WXax_KFkUoLeu-Ttppk7cTx6PlQfH9atH8EPf7Uin7-7-VE35CphzbxznVg1dYT2Jr6dOVOvAE2rxtMma7SY/s1600-h/Day8+TLG+(58).JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5162248385792297922" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHTIW4VEOrEdJTq_pTKmrTJL3Muq-NrNU-8uOOauk3S3-99Gx4HDfjUB3WXax_KFkUoLeu-Ttppk7cTx6PlQfH9atH8EPf7Uin7-7-VE35CphzbxznVg1dYT2Jr6dOVOvAE2rxtMma7SY/s320/Day8+TLG+(58).JPG" border="0" /></a>ered at a resting area just beside our guesthouse for a couple of beers. From the rest area we have a good view of Jade Dragon Mountain to the East. When the evening sun sets, Jade Dragon Mountain glows like a gigantic piece of gold in front of us. The shadow cast on the mountain then starts to inch slowly upwards till its tip and then disappeared into the darkness of the night. Dinner was at 7.30 pm and to night we had 2 more trekkers joining us. Both are female and if I remember correctly, they are from down south Australia.<br /><span style="font-size:78%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Tea Horse Trade Guesthouse</span><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5162245658488064914" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFcostcQDVOAqTnJj1w9Ssgsl0p8eU8QRZCYBHKJ4aRca6UD5B5bH_qooH2GixVa7zDEY5F67Y11jtcGJjp6peCW5epnXBi48lftIJowEatPWl_Fih_lRRWR4ZURUszQDAgpvDZWQTeAU/s400/Day8+TLG+(2).JPG" border="0" /><span style="font-size:78%;"> Silhouette of Jade Dragon</span> <span style="font-size:78%;">Mountain</span><br /><strong>Day 3</strong><br />After a good night sleep, we woke up early at 6.00 am to catch the sunrise. The sunrise is not as spectacular as the sunset but we still enjoy the cool fresh morning breeze. After a simple breakfast we move on again. Day 3’s trek is equally tough and much longer than Day 2. The first part of the trek in the morning is relatively flat with a short steep descent to the service road where Tina’s Guesthouse is situated. As usual the trail is scenic and we pass thru villages and some nice waterfalls. We arrived at Tina’s Guesthouse at 1.00 pm and had our lunch here. Our mule service for luggage ends here. From Tina’s Guesthouse we took a short van ride, about10 Km down the road where we continue our trek to Daju. The most difficult part of today’s trek starts from here. It’s a half hour steep descent to the Jingsha River bank with heavy haversack on our back. We then took a ferry across the river. Luckily on the other side of the river, our guide had arranged mule service for our luggage. It’s another half hour steep ascent to a flat plateau. From here we can see Daju, a small village town, in the distance surrounded by farm lands. It took us about 45 minutes slow walk to Daju. Our 3 days trekking end at Snow Flakes Guesthouse.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5162243416515136370" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5WCT1GBNq-sSxPy1xIq8dxwYwLpB-J_J6aHoorN0KCbjz_9pj5ZTo2QEsre9Tb1OhgzxbrxA4slrJXYMOZtlgG1ueuk84-5i3fvf274r0yBFy9lUubmhLkn74RaIu47v2je2JIGuWKgQ/s400/Day9+TLG+-+Daju+(49).JPG" border="0" /><span style="font-size:78%;"> Trek pass thru 'Kuan Yin' Waterfall</span><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7UcENUtYsyWKvuLLlttH-Bg9JdqLxNPZPyTu4gzVLJZwAqBk96r1Tul6HYfKS72L8wJXfRJWzTqQxzr6ejNn5N29Fcfpe1GDn_e-Xcx8sDoAmtSdzuota4jr1D9Dc7SAon9Fqzr_ofrY/s1600-h/Day9+TLG+-+Daju+(93).JPG"></a></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUnZ_lHooOoQiO3ItLNy11PB9CkXKtUSXCDzvsWo-m2u2Eca5ppDIxwcAQ7NYLslb2lDUgM_eZP0sUL1w0pignjjXqai6mkygNEPBG6G5CEMtzlH4eaqZqlxGrZXoekgX0-ypLntMb-8g/s1600-h/Day8+TLG+(93).JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5162255012926835698" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUnZ_lHooOoQiO3ItLNy11PB9CkXKtUSXCDzvsWo-m2u2Eca5ppDIxwcAQ7NYLslb2lDUgM_eZP0sUL1w0pignjjXqai6mkygNEPBG6G5CEMtzlH4eaqZqlxGrZXoekgX0-ypLntMb-8g/s320/Day8+TLG+(93).JPG" border="0" /></a></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVCeykcgEOhBVPoGIO-SIiYeB6sX1f0fO_OYatIOlRxAO3GRlDJt2nkErAYavxTz9_BJduyFZ-Hry6go5GkXD-qotEfGhyphenhyphenPYnGDiS5GAohYo8K5uNs541c7nwgV9q8WAQLM4anTadS-vg/s1600-h/Day8+TLG+(100).JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5162255008631868386" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVCeykcgEOhBVPoGIO-SIiYeB6sX1f0fO_OYatIOlRxAO3GRlDJt2nkErAYavxTz9_BJduyFZ-Hry6go5GkXD-qotEfGhyphenhyphenPYnGDiS5GAohYo8K5uNs541c7nwgV9q8WAQLM4anTadS-vg/s320/Day8+TLG+(100).JPG" border="0" /></a></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7UcENUtYsyWKvuLLlttH-Bg9JdqLxNPZPyTu4gzVLJZwAqBk96r1Tul6HYfKS72L8wJXfRJWzTqQxzr6ejNn5N29Fcfpe1GDn_e-Xcx8sDoAmtSdzuota4jr1D9Dc7SAon9Fqzr_ofrY/s1600-h/Day9+TLG+-+Daju+(93).JPG"></a></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4T-UKbHXaYdCQpJwnr76a8nlh7AubWBgwGfCTO_pGPLXdRfcSwfqCFDCV_7aI2s2I15CVuZdq9J-Ri2j-pTYK1TjXEC1tmi5rb_0pxLCRu8kIDjRM0w54hVgPzmOLF9qabQf75kL1Tfo/s1600-h/Day9+TLG+-+Daju+(68).JPG"></a></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7UcENUtYsyWKvuLLlttH-Bg9JdqLxNPZPyTu4gzVLJZwAqBk96r1Tul6HYfKS72L8wJXfRJWzTqQxzr6ejNn5N29Fcfpe1GDn_e-Xcx8sDoAmtSdzuota4jr1D9Dc7SAon9Fqzr_ofrY/s1600-h/Day9+TLG+-+Daju+(93).JPG"></a></div><div></div><div><span style="font-size:78%;"> Sunset on Jade Dragon Mountain. Dinner at Tea Horse Trade Guesthouse</span></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4T-UKbHXaYdCQpJwnr76a8nlh7AubWBgwGfCTO_pGPLXdRfcSwfqCFDCV_7aI2s2I15CVuZdq9J-Ri2j-pTYK1TjXEC1tmi5rb_0pxLCRu8kIDjRM0w54hVgPzmOLF9qabQf75kL1Tfo/s1600-h/Day9+TLG+-+Daju+(68).JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5162257014381595650" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4T-UKbHXaYdCQpJwnr76a8nlh7AubWBgwGfCTO_pGPLXdRfcSwfqCFDCV_7aI2s2I15CVuZdq9J-Ri2j-pTYK1TjXEC1tmi5rb_0pxLCRu8kIDjRM0w54hVgPzmOLF9qabQf75kL1Tfo/s320/Day9+TLG+-+Daju+(68).JPG" border="0" /></a></div><div></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7UcENUtYsyWKvuLLlttH-Bg9JdqLxNPZPyTu4gzVLJZwAqBk96r1Tul6HYfKS72L8wJXfRJWzTqQxzr6ejNn5N29Fcfpe1GDn_e-Xcx8sDoAmtSdzuota4jr1D9Dc7SAon9Fqzr_ofrY/s1600-h/Day9+TLG+-+Daju+(93).JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5162257027266497554" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7UcENUtYsyWKvuLLlttH-Bg9JdqLxNPZPyTu4gzVLJZwAqBk96r1Tul6HYfKS72L8wJXfRJWzTqQxzr6ejNn5N29Fcfpe1GDn_e-Xcx8sDoAmtSdzuota4jr1D9Dc7SAon9Fqzr_ofrY/s320/Day9+TLG+-+Daju+(93).JPG" border="0" /></a></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><span style="font-size:78%;">& Tiger Leaping Gorge. Daju </span></div><div><span style="font-size:78%;"></span></div><div></div><div>End.</div><div></div>master wonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15326008168252415342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4124128101631147671.post-1335402436409494132008-01-28T18:47:00.000-08:002008-01-30T03:55:39.843-08:00Forgiveness<strong>Forgiveness</strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><a href="http://www.inspiringthots.net/movie/forgiveness.php">http://www.inspiringthots.net/movie/forgiveness.php </a><br />The above link is forwarded to me from a friend of mine. I find it very meaningful and would like to share all of you. Forgiveness is not to forget but.............master wonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15326008168252415342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4124128101631147671.post-50720576827576930522008-01-27T22:43:00.000-08:002008-01-30T04:07:45.182-08:00Hanoi/Sapa/Halong Bay<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi83NGHCRsu28z2ORN9GbG6Zai5Z6DKTBHzs5g6Lhi5xJnYBJSMistbyac9Ltk3mLzSM5JogvhPNgT7HASAE109cOaSdXFjM8DNdCzSJKsqZbhye8fr7Z-bYhM0XGZ3w3Fe77pqUfpiUiQ/s1600-h/Day+8+Ha+Long+%2894%29.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5160427323953761058" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi83NGHCRsu28z2ORN9GbG6Zai5Z6DKTBHzs5g6Lhi5xJnYBJSMistbyac9Ltk3mLzSM5JogvhPNgT7HASAE109cOaSdXFjM8DNdCzSJKsqZbhye8fr7Z-bYhM0XGZ3w3Fe77pqUfpiUiQ/s400/Day+8+Ha+Long+%2894%29.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:78%;">Sunset at Halong Bay<br /></span><div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">10 Day Hanoi/Sapa/Halong Bay (Nov 2007)</span></strong></div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"><div><br /><span style="font-weight: normal;">This is a very recent trip with a group of friends. Below is the 10 days itinerary which begins on Thursday 8th Nov 2007. I engaged the service of </span><strong style="font-weight: normal;">Yongo</strong><span style="font-weight: normal;"> (</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">an aternative travel organizer) to help me tailor out this 10 days itinera</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">ry. It's a win-win partnership and it turn out to be one of the best organized trip.</span> </div><br /><div><br /><strong style="font-weight: bold;">Day 1 Thu 08 Nov KL to Hanoi</strong> –<span style="font-weight: normal;font-size:100%;" >Assemble at Penang international airport at 06.30 hr and board the Air Asia AK6313 from Penang to KL(LCCT) at 0810 hr arriving 0900 hr. Will continue our flight to Hanoi with Air Asia AK762 t500 hr arriving 1725 hr. When reach Hanoi, we will transfer directly to Hanoi Railway Station for night train to Lao Cai at 21.30 hr (Lao Cai,310km northwest of Hanoi) . Overnight on the train. </span></div><br /><br /><div style="font-weight: normal;"><strong>Day 2 Fri 09 Nov Sapa - Cat Cat - Ta Van</strong> -<span style="font-size:100%;">Arrive at Lao Cai Station at 6.00 AM. Have a breakfast of local foods before departing to Sapa ( about 40 km from Lao Cai ). Arrival in Sapa hike downhill 4km to Cat Cat stream and waterfall ,visit Cat Cat village of the Black H'Mong to explore their routine life, walk around the village to enjoy the scenery of forests and continue trekking to Lao Chai (H'mong ethnic group) and Ta Van (Zay people) villages. Overnight at homestay in Ta Van village.</span> </div><br /><div style="font-weight: normal;"><strong>Day 3 Sat 10 Nov : Sapa trekking</strong> - <span style="font-size:100%;">After having breakfast, trekking to visit the Red Dzao in Giang Ta Chai village, visiting waterfall and suspension bridge. Jeep back to Sapa. O/N in Sapa.</span> </div><br /><div style="font-weight: normal;"><strong>Day 4 Sun 11 Nov - Sun: Sapa -Bac Ha market</strong> -<span style="font-size:100%;"> night train to Hanoi - Leaving from Sa Pa early in the morning at 6.30Am, we take the bus to Bac Ha market. We arrive in Bac Ha at 9.30 AM, the best time to visit huge market with its entire colorful ethnic people as Flower Hmong, Phu La and Dzao, Tuyen who gather to buy and sell. After visiting this outstanding market , a short walking tour to visit the house of H'Mong King (or Meo Minority King) built by the French as well as a light trekking tour to visit some surrounded villages of Bac Ha (Dao, H'Mong..). Transfer to Lao Cai Railways Station for catching the night train down from the mountains back to Hanoi. O/N on the train.</span><br /><br /><strong>Day 5 Mon 12 Nov: Hanoi - Hoa Lu - Tam Coc</strong> - <span style="font-size:100%;">Arrive in Hanoi about 6.00 am. Transfer to the hotel for check-in and relax till 8.30 AM, tour guide come back for welcoming the group to Hoa Lu - Tam Coc. A 90km drive south of Hanoi will lead you to Ninh Binh, the site of the one capital city of ancient Vietnam before Hanoi took its leading role in 11th century. The area is featured by lots of well-known sceneries, which include Tam Coc Caves and Hoa Lu ancient capital with the old temples dedicated to King Dinh & King Le reigned in 10th century. The visit in Ninh Binh starts by a boat trip in Tam Coc where spectacular limestone karsts jut out from the green paddy fields reminding about Guilin (China) and Halong Bay of Vietnam, which gives this scenery the name “Halong-bay-on-land”. Further discovery in Ninh Binh will be continued in the site that used to be the kings’ palace in 10th century and now famous for the wooden relieves of the shady Dinh and Le temples. O/N in Hanoi.</span></div><br /><div style="font-weight: normal;"><strong>Day 6 Tues 13 Nov: Hanoi</strong> - <span style="font-size:100%;">Today is free and easy. No guided tour. Group have whole day to explore and shop around Hanoi city on own time and leisure. Overnight in Hanoi.</span> </div><br /><div style="font-weight: normal;"><strong>Day 7 Wed 14 Nov: Hanoi</strong> <span style="font-weight: bold;">- Halong</span> - <span style="font-size:100%;">At 8.00 am pick up from hotel in Hanoi for Ha Long. Arrive at Ha Long Bay wharf around 12:00 noon, check -in registration, Board Anh dDong junk. Have lunch on board with welcome drink. The cruise will take by exotic islets with shapes of Dog, Incense Urn, Sail, Fighting Cocks, which are naturally formed by process of erosion between the see water and lime stone mountains. Arrive Surprise Cave and explore the bay with kayak, paddle to Luon cave, this cave is a natural tunnel thrusts through a mountain's foot and leads to an exotic lagoon surrounded by mountains covered by dense jungle. Seafood dinner and optional night paddle. Overnight on boat inside a wonderfully tranquil atmosphere in Luon cave area.</span> </div><br /><div style="font-weight: normal;"><strong>Day 8 Thu 15 Nov: Visit Halong bay</strong> - <span style="font-size:100%;">A new day wake up with joys and emotions in an early morning for watching sunrise on sea. Have breakfast, continue kayak exploration. Paddle from Luon cave toward islets in shape of Tortoise, Man's head, Cua Van fishing village. Have lunch on board. Paddle to Three Tunnels lake ( selected according to the tides). Have dinner on board. Optional night paddle. Overnight on board in Three Tunnels area. </span></div><br /><div style="font-weight: normal;"><strong>Day 9 Fri 16 Nov :Halong -Hanoi</strong> - <span style="font-size:100%;">Sunrise breakfast, continue islands exploration by kayak to Con Vit, Ba Hang. Have lunch on board, back to Ha Long wharf then transfer back to Hanoi by private car. Overnight in Hanoi.</span> </div><div style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><strong>Day 10 Sat 17 Nov: Hanoi - home</strong> - <span style="font-size:100%;">We fly home on AK761 at 0915 hr arriving in KL(LCCT) at 1330PM. Will wait until 21.30 hr for AK6316 flight from LCCT arriving Penang at 22.20 hr.</span></div><br /><div style="font-weight: normal;"></div><div style="font-weight: normal;">Here is a comment by Pipit, one of the team member of this trip.</div><br /><div style="font-weight: normal;"></div><div style="font-weight: normal;"><strong style="color: rgb(102, 51, 255);">Pipit wrote ....."My side of Sapa – Hanoi – Halong Bay</strong><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 255);"> .............</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" >I don’t travel all that often and I normally look for slightly different traveling experiences when I do, which is why I snapped up Master Wong’s offer to join him to Vietnam on a Yongo trip. Most travel operators offer sightseeing, shopping, eating, entertainment, business or health, but with Yongo’s reputation for non-commercialism, I hoped the niche for odd ball travelers like me might be satisfied.<br /><br />One’s memories of experiences much depends on how adventurous one’s behaviour is. Unfortunately, I was not adventurous enough to risk what Thiem our Vietnamese guide called “eruption inside”, but this was my own entire fault. I talk of the myriad of tiny “benches” selling hawker food whose fare sometimes looked worrying, but often temptingly delicious. Nor did I take up the numerous offers of motorcycle taxis to tour the city of Hanoi, not even when some of them offered “bang bang” as a last resort in persuasion. But then I don’t usually take up what I don’t know (ahem, anyone knows what it is?)<br /><br />I guess I am a little conservative stick in the mud after all. Still, the trip proved rich and rewarding in terms of experience – from the rustic dirt tracks of Sapa hills to the mad cacophony of Hanoi’s traffic and on to the olive green glassy sea of Halong Bay. I hope our Vietnamese hosts got something rewarding in return too for all the trouble they take in opening their country up to demanding and self-interested foreign tourists like me and if they are still open, I think it is worthwhile to make a second and hopefully braver and more intimate repeat trip."</span></div><br /><div style="font-weight: normal;"></div><div style="font-weight: normal;"><strong>Summary</strong></div><div style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size:100%;">I shared same behavior and feeling with Pipit on the adventurous part. Guess it’s the fear inside that prevent us from taking risk when we are in unfamiliar ground. This fear will gradually reduce when we get to travel more and also when we are with experienced traveler.<br /><br />Highland Sapa has a lot to offer for those who love nature and cultural life style of ethnic minorities. A home stay in one of the many villages is highly recommended.<br /><br />A river cruise on Tam Coc is another nice experience. The misty limestone islands as back drop is just simply picture perfect.<br /><br />Ha Long bay is no doubt a very beautiful place. Relaxing on the deck of a Junk boat surrounded by small exotic islands, floating on calm green water, with blue sky and red orange setting sun is unforgettable. One may choose to star glazing on the deck at night with a cup of warm aromatic Vietnamese coffee or join the karaoke session at the dining area. I’m afraid that this beautiful place is not sustainable with the current large numbers of boat operators. The pollution in the form of refuse and wastes that are dumped into this bay are quite evident. I can see plastic bags, bottles, wrappers and occasionally oil floating on the water surface. </span></div><div style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br />Hanoi is a busting city and the historic Old Quarter near Hoan Kiem Lake is filled with tourist and travelers like us. One uniqueness of this narrow streets and allies of Old Quarter is that most shops on the same street sell the same merchandise. This makes your shopping so much easier. You want to buy shoes, go to shoe street, like wise you need bags look up at bag street. Crossing the streets of Hanoi requires real courage. You are advised to move at a constant pace and they will know how to weave around and avoid you. Any sudden move or stop can mean disaster. The Water Puppet show near Hoan Kiem Lake is recommended but you have to book your ticket early to avoid disappointment.</span></div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5160427311068859138" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; font-weight: normal;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhioY2XXZYbThuWT7nD4kvgIoLYg5lhsofZNGkS_eB2qztQflMum91mJPS1704rKiDymZwnmk0UXaHiA0bjiusCtDh49BlcwLLutYcFcDbZnBNX2ppGxG-ROaECjJHkVX45KxMAkZ8kyZc/s400/Day+5+TamCoc+%2844%29.jpg" border="0" /><span style="font-weight: normal;font-size:78%;" > Boating at TamCoc</span></span></strong></div><span style="font-size:78%;"></span><strong style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></strong><div><strong><br /></strong></div><div></div><div><strong><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5160426409125726946" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1XynMOn6BTsbEAT1hx20rmeB4r-6uVNHZEdxhbDBKz-7XmBkM9ni_EviVsFARL2GhgmqsPxlWszbZ9Jbv0-4-FxkGGPgSCtLeliJJT2wdDL-0Ic1lbgSKvc5oFKJOv0pCW6iZPOh73cE/s400/Day+3+Sapa+%2852%29.jpg" border="0" /><span style="font-size:78%;"> Terrace farming at Sapa</span></strong></div><span style="font-size:78%;"></span><div><strong><br /></strong></div><strong style="font-weight: normal;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5160426422010628850" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHdrzcUXYxXCrNDNstNl3rWAXSvmD68OgbeT-XLQRRiB1V7nQUAP646Nog2J40AyJDfBP6RDf0gBjTNR-QLg7BOyzgA966SjagmCpGEEErODS5duVQyFk5ffpcIy8nsmFdnS4OXVU4EI4/s400/Day+3+Sapa+%28126%29.jpg" border="0" /><span style="font-size:78%;"> Group at Sapa</span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"></span><br /></strong><div><strong><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5160427319658793746" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiri0YFI4IsLgXVUBlWWqip21IGOgbkT1IYMnu2QlgAKZdlo3uzusnQQjdiPTW0-7pUTJixp_H_aBPqbzvl-fMKxh0uMabNi-XobwUHp_eSs2u1xRxIhqMV0KdaeQXCcqHMqwser0BsvVU/s400/Day+6+Hanoi+%2826%29.jpg" border="0" /></strong></div><strong style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"> Water Puppet show</span></strong>master wonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15326008168252415342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4124128101631147671.post-87979851786158554162008-01-25T00:48:00.000-08:002008-01-30T03:56:01.918-08:00Roast PorkBeside traveling and hiking, I do love to cook during weekends and holidays. Chinese new year is just round the corner and I would like to share a recipe on Roast Pork (Siew York). Roast pork fresh from the oven taste much much better than you buy at the market. Here are the ingredients you need and the method to roast a perfect crispy 'siew york'.<br /><br /><strong>Ingredients</strong><br />> 1.5 kg or 3 kati of pork belly.<br />> 1 table spoon of salt<br />> 3 table spoon of vinegar<br />> 3 cups of water<br />> 1 tea spoon of white pepper powder<br />> 1 tablespoon of 'five spice powder' (Ngo hiang hoon)<br />> 1 teaspoon of sugar<br /><br /><strong>Method</strong><br />> Wash and dry the pork<br />> Use a sharp knife and make a few cuts on the meat side.<br />> Boil 3 cups of water and add 3 tablespoon of vinegar.<br />> Bath the boiling water with vinegar on the pork skin.<br />> Let the pork cool down and rub some salt on the skin.<br />> Rub the remaining salt, white pepper powder, five spice powder and sugar on the meat.<br />> Leave the marinaded pork for a few hours (best over night)<br />> Place the pork with meat side up in pre heated oven.<br />> Set oven temperature to 200 C and roast the meat for about 30 minutes.<br />> Remove from oven, turn the meat up and prick the skin with skewer or folk.<br />> Put the meat back to oven with the skin facing up.<br />> Continue to roast for about 30 minutes or until the skin turn crispy brown in color.<br />> Remove from oven, let the meat cool for a while and serve.<br /><br />End.master wonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15326008168252415342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4124128101631147671.post-21200391374200178702008-01-23T21:06:00.000-08:002008-01-30T01:30:05.654-08:00Sabah Adventure<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgJFN5SnuYKRC59re-M4OBFVxmTv_Sg4VwdBjRvECDcrBv2dyXYFxVTvDIT_2dOSDEc8W4J8wJPgLBDG0Oy5G_OOQgS0ilR4xSNTpO79XZGPRKUBPFcJI4QK-sgGBFWUgeAts4kyET4-4/s1600-h/Sabah+2007400++++.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5158916960049416898" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgJFN5SnuYKRC59re-M4OBFVxmTv_Sg4VwdBjRvECDcrBv2dyXYFxVTvDIT_2dOSDEc8W4J8wJPgLBDG0Oy5G_OOQgS0ilR4xSNTpO79XZGPRKUBPFcJI4QK-sgGBFWUgeAts4kyET4-4/s400/Sabah+2007400++++.JPG" border="0" /></a> This is my second post and again I would like to share a trip experience. With Air Asia everyone can fly especially with direct flights from Penang to KK. Our group of 17 is made up of close friends and their immediate family.<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Day 1 - Sunday 17th, 2007 (Penang – KK)</span></strong><br /><br />Our Air Asia flight AK852 arrived at KK on time at 12.35 pm. Rachel, our guide was there waiting for us. After checking in to our rooms, we went for lunch at one of the food court in a shopping complex. We took the whole afternoon checking out the Filipino market which is just 10 minutes walk from our hotel.<br /><br />We had a grand seafood dinner at the Ocean Seafood Village. We also had a surprised birthday party for 4 of the members whose birthday fall in June. Thanks to Rachel for ordering the birthday cake in advance. We continue the party at our tiny hotel room with sweet rice wine which I bought at the Filipino market early in the afternoon. The wine was so good that everyone decided to buy more for the next few days.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5158910749526706754" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZm6XKgNwrwBJcpSzYKZBUd3EETUqYfUbekkGljKBoYwJ47XNRVhlEfXEXXulyWK9UZnNi_7eCMlsT_453fx_yJvOWsOW6ArZbVBWINJR5wap-whJ5-rXcpDHKA1M_B1AQd3XIxfkE0l0/s400/Day+1+KK+(32).jpg" border="0" /> <span style="font-size:78%;">Pick your lobster. </span></p><span style="font-size:78%;"><p><br /></p><p></span><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5158911239152978514" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEcDbbafJ3oMx8DjOVg6NnW2eePgDfJ1UOx1TS8vOWZ5a0Z99j5-Z0h5SLJS3gBgKyLxPHKPcenrilE2SaOBx0vHmVJo7WZRnuivAMT15-UH8Yd0nGGJh4nz1nCiiDbso16DOmXMmnGaY/s400/Day+1+KK+(51).jpg" border="0" /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"> Group with birthday girl and boys.<br /></span><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Day 2 - Monday 18th, 2007 (KK – Poring)</span></strong><br /><br />After an early breakfast we hopped on to our vans and headed for Kinabalu National Park. We took a guided tour on one of the trails in the National Park. We also had a glimpse of the highest peak in south east Asia.<br /><br />Our lunch at Kundasang is mainly vegetables that we bought at near-by market. After lunch we headed to Poring. It was raining quite heavy when we arrived at Poring and we have to wait for the rain to stop before we can hike up to the canopy walk. It was quite a strenuous hike for some and a disappointment at the end of the hike. Most part of the canopy walk was closed for maintenance. We end the hike with a soak at the hot spring. We had a simple dinner across the road just outside the park.<br /><br />After dinner we gathered at one of the chalet for party. We had more rice wine tonight. I bought ten bottles at the Filipino market early in the morning before breakfast.<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Day 3 - Tuesday 19th, 2007 (Poring – Sandakan)</span></strong><br /><br />Not a good start today. There were no water supplies to our chalets. All of us had to use the dormitory’s facilities. At the time we left Poring at around 7.30 am there was not a single restaurant or shop opened. We had to travel almost 2 hours to the nearest restaurant for breakfast. We continue our journey for about 3 hours to Sandakan. We had a brief visit at the Australian War Memorial Park before we checked into our hotel. After a good lunch at the hotel lobby, we walked about 20 minutes to Agnes Keith House located on a small hill top overseeing Sandakan bay. Next to Agnes Keith House is a typical English Tea house where we had our afternoon tea break. We spend the afternoon at this place playing lawn polo. In the evening we had another splendid seafood dinner at Ocean King Seafood Restaurant.<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Day 4 - Wednesday 20th, 2007 (Sandakan – Sepilok – Batu Putih)<br /></span></strong><br />We visited Sandakan’s biggest fish market in the early morning. We checked out after breakfast and proceed to Sepilok Orang Utan Sanctuary. We were just in time for the morning feeding session. After seeing the feeding of Orang Utan, we decided to do the 1 hour trek up to the water hole at this park. We had a late lunch at a nearby restaurant and move on to our next activity, river cruise on Sungai Kinabatangan. We saw a lot of Proboscis monkeys and Hornbills on this river cruise.<br /><br />After the river cruise, the group is divided according to their assigned Orang Sungai homes in Batu Putih village. This home-stay program is aliened to all of us and a cultural shock. There is no pipe-in water supply and fresh water is precious. I thought my assigned home was bad. I had to wait for about 10 minutes to fill up a 5 gallon pail for a bath. The 2 ladies assigned to another home were even worst. Their toilet is without door and no water tap inside. They were given only 3 water containers of about a gallon each to do their washing and bathing. The night seems very long at Batu Putih. The experience of staying with Sabah’s Orang Sungai reminds us not to take things for granted especially food, water and the conveniences we have in our present homes.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5158913068809046658" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipYnza4pXeUHMlunYjvABa83AxUMdHP18X0TwMSJ5IltSVK6rcfH2AUmbm77C02VRgIAzRWnyveSxkqH5du21esZcX7OpXgOsTIHfdAkT3MTNug6LCtD7GLdWJX1FshhWE0iU1jH1CUAg/s400/Day+5+Batu+Putih+(12).jpg" border="0" /> <span style="font-size:78%;">Batu Putih Home-stay</span><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5158913064514079346" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9_CbjfQdOZQP-YiGhvOM-KJum1OFPMwoT5cDOGmyRRg8PsjftifJoTtXCP5Hd6SFK3gGeMN6qi4cWTH2-lZ82bXFlL07NK5JpcG1xQsx-XKJcWbysiLjN-vACys_IhQkY3SWJYoR-LHU/s400/Day+4+Sepilok+(4).jpg" border="0" /> <span style="font-size:78%;">Orang Utan at Sepilok</span><br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Day 5 - Thursday 21st, 2007 (Batu Putih – Semporna) </span></strong><br /><br />After a long night every one woke up very early. We had a simple home cooked breakfast and followed by a short visit to the grave museum inside lime stone caves. It was amazing how ancient people carried the coffins 30 meters up a near vertical lime stone hill into these caves.<br /><br />Our 1.00 pm bus to Semporna only shows up at 3.30 pm. It was late evening when we arrived at Semporna and we have to cancel our visit to one of the factory making jelly. After checking in at the nice Dragon Inn water chalet, we gathered for dinner. Guess what? More seafood again.<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Day 6 - Friday 22nd, 2007 (Semporna – Mabul/Sipadan)<br /></span></strong><br />The breakfast given by Dragon Inn was extremely little, only 2 slices of bread and a cup of coffee. We had to supplement with a packet of nasi lemak each. Our speed boat to Mabul island arrived at 9.00 am. It was still drizzling and the sea was a little choppy. We left our luggage at Mabul water chalet and went straight to Sipadan island. The weather turned fine when we arrived at Sipadan. The old abandoned Sipadan Resort still standing and now used as rest area. This island and Kapalai is now guarded by Police and Army. We spend the whole morning snorkeling off Sipadan. The water was crystal clear and the corals were the most beautiful ones I have ever seen. We had packed lunch and short break before we head back to Mabul for more snorkeling. A few of us spend the late afternoon walking around the small Mabul Island and enjoy the sunset. That night, we had good Bar-B-Q fish for supper provided by John the Master Diver.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5158914048061590178" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb1XnGSUY4B0-SPTVPkmfaMyNwLjgVxNoKyFFuMHZ-gPPlJCD-LKb1eBTYxYtp3bWr3oyq-Vg4SglQdWJQQRasiDHFMcvEcLDU3TC9hyphenhyphenRgnoZajtQRL_6ag2S3mgVooFOsb6vIixQS0HU/s400/Day+6+Mabul+(70).jpg" border="0" /><span style="font-size:78%;"> Sunset at Mabul</span> </p><p><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5158914039471655570" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJkBtCHzHzL6xEck3QRlKZVK7u-kgoGTVXArChmaX4anZpFd4321vTZNa6c-7LXpu1u9s6bsD3KNvxCDGFHUlc458kFcaSOr8Je1i6Q0AEYuzCui3fGe-4Q6r2qr9LucwkQ98npipkrGw/s400/Day+6+Sipadan+(7).jpg" border="0" /><span style="font-size:78%;"> Sipadan Island<br /></span><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Day 7 - Saturday 23rd, 2007 (Mabul/Kapalai – Semporna – KK) </span></strong><br /><br />It was raining heavy, the sea was rough and our morning trip to Kapalai looks doubtful. The rain stopped at about 8.30 am but the sea was still rough so we decided to take another walk around the island. We were lucky, the weather improved later in the morning and off we go to Kapalai. Kapalai is a small beautiful Atoll with only one resort, built on stilts. It was an ideal place for snorkeling. The water is shallow, crystal clear and abundant sea lives. We left this beautiful Atoll at 1.00 pm and back to our ‘little resort’ at Mabul for lunch. Our boat picked us up at 4.00 pm and we arrived at Semporna just before 5.00 pm. We had an early dinner at Semporna before we head to Tawau for our 9.25 pm flight to KK. Every one of us cursed and swears at MAS when they announced that our flight to KK is delayed 2 hours to 11.30 pm. It was almost 1.00 am in the morning when we reached our hotel in KK.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5158917750323399378" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkzmBnihdKN_uxWVYkZkuPtlfjfJHQJ4bOG4XkXpT-uo_1MBwy2E7sHDBs6i49CkuBus2AJaPqbWvHokTah5xUYvu1VUrQE_y0JNmCAz2dHetr13sO7HmMzxK8DpbpzekObqzH4590hek/s400/Day+7+Kapalai+(21).jpg" border="0" /><span style="font-size:78%;"> Beautiful Kapalai Resort</span><br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Day 8 - Sunday 24th, 2007 (KK – Home)</span></strong><br /><br />We slept about 3 hours and left the hotel at 4.30 am to catch our 6.30 am morning flight to Penang. We arrived at Penang 20 minutes ahead of schedule.<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Summary<br /></span></strong><br />This trip was well executed and the itinerary was planned to suit all the participants. The close friendly relationship of group is also the major factor for the success of this trip. Everyone had their shares of fun, joy, experience and unforgettable memories to bring home.<br /><br />Recorded by WH Wong</p>master wonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15326008168252415342noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4124128101631147671.post-83695636804664735982008-01-21T16:49:00.000-08:002008-01-30T01:30:05.654-08:00Cambodia trip<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0SAhJ9tBE8YtKU6FkZ1mhtU0zLaMgrukyltJ99a9Nk0_lw2M3Wlk3ckKI3IgpaOkwq8gyLVH7wQOTw1Yh0yAabkkIjLBwBo43ID8_5Bs7wSrFGLu7OLsT8wyhxLfwMlvyMrrWFwT_hg8/s1600-h/B+Angkor+Wat+(73).JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5158117782182540578" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0SAhJ9tBE8YtKU6FkZ1mhtU0zLaMgrukyltJ99a9Nk0_lw2M3Wlk3ckKI3IgpaOkwq8gyLVH7wQOTw1Yh0yAabkkIjLBwBo43ID8_5Bs7wSrFGLu7OLsT8wyhxLfwMlvyMrrWFwT_hg8/s400/B+Angkor+Wat+(73).JPG" border="0" /></a> <strong><span style="color:#6600cc;"><span style="font-size:130%;">7N8D Trip to Cambodia (1st April to 8th April 06)</span><br /></span></strong><br /><span style="font-size:100%;">This is my first post and I would like to start by sharing a trip I took last April with a group of friends. There were 6 of us together with my wife on this self organized trip. Though the timing was not right, (April being the hottest time of the year) there was no rain to spoil the trip. Day time temperature in Cambodia soars above 37 C and we get exhausted and dehydrated fast. Our 7 days in Cambodia cover Siem Reap, the gateway to Angkor, and Phnom Penh, the capital. First 3 nights at Siem Reap, then bus to Phnom Penh for 2 nights and back to Siem Reap for last night. Should have saved one night and took the direct flight out of Phnom Penh</span>.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5158116837289735442" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMzwQMwc2xliqoKV4WqnfnlorbwEx3yBKUpMbsYCRy4ZHap53ghOSnLJdkTBirtStRn-C8e8ArEO3Fi5NH-6Jy6ho9t_zXMHZDdhS_ntLZ2btXgbbJ34yeFSbuuv1iu1BRIRZklWPfMlI/s400/B+Bayon+(14).jpg" border="0" /><span style="font-size:78%;"> Bayon<br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Siem Reap</strong><br /></span>Siem Reap, the gateway to Angkor Archeological Complex is a small blooming town with lots of hotels and guest houses to cope with increasing visitors. The small little airport is just 6 KM from town. Cambodia has 3 seasons weather, the cool and dry from October to January, hot and dry from Feb to May and hot and wet from Jun to September. Angkor Archeological Complex is a huge site of a ruin city and temples. A truly magnificent wonder of the world and an UNESCO Heritage Site. The entrance fee to Angkor though expensive (US$20 for single day pass. US$40 for a 3 days pass and US$60 for a week pass) is worth the money spent. We opted for the 3 days pass and that is the minimum to me. You’ll be cheating yourself and done no justice for the trip if it’s just a single day visit to this site. Angkor Wat, the biggest temple ruin is well restored and maintained. The panoramic view during sunrise and sunset is simply spectacular. <span style="font-size:100%;">No</span> wonder it attracts so many visitors every day. The Bayon inside Angkor Thom is another magnificent site. Other must see spectacular sites include Baphoun, Elephant Terrace, Thommanon, Ta Keo, Banteay Kdei, Preah Khan, East Mebon, Ta Phrom, Banteay Srei, Ta Som, Neak Pean and Phnom Bakheng. The best way to explore this vast site is either by Tuk-tuk (motorized trishaw) or hired van.<br /><br />Another worth while place to visit is Tonle Sap, the biggest inland fresh water lake in South East Asia. Though it’s dry season and water level is low, the boat cruise on Tonle Sap is still rewarding. The sight of Vietnamese refugee life on floating villages in this lake is intriguing and unforgettable. The reflections on the water, the color of the sky and distant sun set makes a perfect picture.<br /><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div align="left"><br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5158109059103962274" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirv1fbqRdQZfea6X1pf_AbveIOPyiqjW-wqBvUa9CLV7Y5lcy7tIegW_cPSYzb4xVJ-QaCUmhfncRaolXnMNpVmZhP_eIqNWxTtt85r_S1e6LjZAr6TZ6yxtzfvb-pADcwBfu6EzEEoD0/s400/A+PhnomBakheng+(6).jpg" border="0" /> <span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size:78%;">Group in front of Phnom Bakheng</span>. </span></div><div><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5158105292417643618" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJedNW_ynPM6Jamkq987jPUxh1aKMWq-YrboeNV5y_6oID3zrO3uJP0p7spS0xF6tq0QE4uhqdYf6io_18KcznFOxKa94jtzpGZ8UJxY_XDvFXyjAl_gqHWE4WVA78hQawaXuEgcBBmZI/s400/B+Angkor+Thom+South+Gate+(6).jpg" border="0" /><span style="font-size:78%;"> Angkor Thom South Gate<br /></span><br /><p><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span></p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5158100464874402882" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAn6e2OcBXezwXk-7KVZdIYwzPSFesEaijUcybA19m-gp4lLDR9b3iW9Y3SDN9L-WnXJpXHViANarIiW5gxnfNdKCBkT623ZJQKhddSmid0mD1VLELRWyFPXrICA5blq2epgUvZJ6cpxM/s400/B+Banteay+Kdei+(13).jpg" border="0" /><span style="font-size:78%;"> Ruins of Bantey Kdei</span><span style="font-size:85%;">.</span><br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Phnom Penh</span></strong><br />Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia is now a busy town but still bears the horror images of Pol Pot’s reign of terror. I guess it will take many more years to recover from the damage done by this mad man and his ruthless army. Nearly half of the seven million people in Cambodia were tortured and brutally executed during his 4 years in power for reasons that is still unknown today. The Toul Sleng Genocide museum and the Cheoung Ek Killing Field are very eerie places and one must be mentally prepared before visiting. Other places of interest in Phnom Penh are the Royal Palace, Silver Pagoda, Russian Market and National museum. The best way to visit all these places is take a day trip package with guide. It’s relatively cheap at US$6.00 per person and readily available at the Capitol Guest House.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5158111936732050610" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgabkc3Z8WGPipmnKqTmoT7ONzn-krz0Akw5zfJl6oZulWJ0jJYqK9urZqOuql78s2nxBgru_BqtALBgFCWq3RXsMVJhTrqfuqppAUhiXy4DkhlRS-EwW55XEbTIzU_b5677DhM054G2uY/s400/E+Killing+Field.jpg" border="0" /> <span style="font-size:78%;">Killing Field</span>.<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Lodging<br /></span></strong>Lodging in Cambodia is not an issue. There are plenty of Hotels and Guest Houses to suit all kinds of visitors. Dormitory bed from US$1.00 to 5 star hotel suites more than US$1000.00 per night is available. Our first 3 nights is at Red Lodge Guest House, a highly recommended place by friends who has visited Siem Reap. For US$12.00 per night for an air cond double bed room, I rated this place a 5 out of scale of 10. Pros are coffee / tea, bread and some fruits on the house whole day, relatively clean and close proximity to market and town. The cons are room is hot, the old air cond takes ages to cool down the room, water pressure low and that makes cooling off with a shower is not possible, and got a couple of cockerels next door waking you up at 4.30 every morning.<br /><br />Our 2 nights at Phnom Penh is at Hoong Pien Guest House, same owner as Capitol Guest House. At US$10.00 per night for an air cond double bed room, I rated this place 6, slightly better than Red Lodge. At least the room is bigger, air cond cooler but still not up to my expectation, water pressure is good, has got a small 14 inch color TV, and much quiet. The cons are my room is on the 3rd floor with no elevator and 3 fleet of long steep staircase, window with no view – just a plane un-plaster wall of next building, and has no save fire escape route.<br /><br />Last 1 night before departing was at Tasom Guest House. Original plan was to stay some where on the east side of the river around Wat Bo but was taken to Tasom by the same bus owner, Capitol. At also US$10.00 per night for an air cond double bed room, I rated this 6.5 the best among the 3 Guest House we stayed. It has the pros of the above 2 guest houses and the air cond is cool. The only cons is the toilet is a bit small and toilet wall partition is not full height to ceiling. All 3 guest houses’ water supply is yellowish in color and has a distinct foul odor of organic decay in stagnant water. Obviously it’s not safe to drink.<br />Tasom Guesthouse<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Food</span></strong><br />Cambodia food is very much like the Thai food minus the chili. A lot of coconut milk and spices are use in their cooking. Amok is a non hot green curry in coconut milk, a favorite and famous Cambodia food. It can cook with fish, chicken or pork. Palm sugar made from Sea Coconut palm, is sold as candies. The variety and quality of food in Siem Reap is much better but more expensive than Phnom Penh. The cost of living in Siem Reap is also higher than the capital Phnom Penh, mainly due to the higher number of foreigners. There are also the exotic delicacies for the more adventure gourmet eater. Duck egg embryo, preserved animal internal organs, deep fried inserts and retiles are sold on the side walks and market places. Surprisingly the deep fried inserts taste good and goes very well with beer.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5158112971819168962" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Amj7ntBGEHlqBhakaf_zZhbsibwIG5mW2EyWeE3xjRGguisKEF2rMkOR607UHNv2qPy-F329M62DC8VMc_P6x28t01gkBsOwOWLINkAJiSNKh40A-63P_0JCycFzan-Q6YBsC1TQfjk/s400/Delicacies.jpg" border="0" /> <span style="font-size:78%;">Deep fried cicadas</span><br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">People<br /></span></strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5f60k5r0YSJ2PLGyy7qUTfrSDax52MHkwO8ay_T_36aexmlX4sLkvQbSCOuutbkgYJ1hSsUDB4C6Zra94A2hUaRlUTuS7qLf8NL6uWzSMOBbwVrmqTBeWyUKlnRihlon05gFZtHR0atQ/s1600-h/C+Banteay+Srei+(7).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5158113740618314962" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5f60k5r0YSJ2PLGyy7qUTfrSDax52MHkwO8ay_T_36aexmlX4sLkvQbSCOuutbkgYJ1hSsUDB4C6Zra94A2hUaRlUTuS7qLf8NL6uWzSMOBbwVrmqTBeWyUKlnRihlon05gFZtHR0atQ/s400/C+Banteay+Srei+(7).jpg" border="0" /></a>Cambodia has a population of about 12 million and 95% are Buddhist. Physical feature of Cambodian is like the Thai, even the language also sounds alike. The country is still very poor and is now on the road to recovery from the civil war. Life is simple, very basic with bare necessity. Most residences don’t have the basic electricity and pipe in water. Many are in the poverty class and are concentrated in town areas. From my observation, those living in Siem Reap are much better than Phnom Penh mainly because of the revenue generated from tourist visiting Angkor.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><p></p><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Young Apsara dancer</span><br /><br /><p></p><p><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Conclusion</span><br /></strong>Despite having Angkor Archeological Complex, a world heritage site and wonder of the world, I wouldn’t make a second trip to this place. Once is good enough for me. I couldn’t deny that this trip is a good experience and worth every cents. I would even recommend it to my friend. I felt very lucky and fortunate to be a Malaysian after this trip. The only regret I have in this trip is not able to see the Apsara cultural dance that comes together with the buffet dinner for US$12.00 per person. I should have used my influence power on the group.<br /><br />The End.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5158114380568442082" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp7OpZzogYy3JvMXcXgeZQzoYw2TBs2ZjRlteu6tLiMw6sL81M7hVfu9vxq7C6yDKozo0Sk8lyHhEZrwMyHRoG6zWU6D-3O9sg5o03MyWqH0pddevxNY4QqspQlbeTfhMbPRB-RzFIkwc/s400/C+Tonle+Sap+(9).jpg" border="0" /><span style="font-size:78%;"> Tonle Sap</span> </p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5158115312576345346" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Sxujw_vpCDvSHeMJScJwPsMUUaPL5JIyYYdHGPzshGFbl3EvzjUB45gYKf1HzPOtxKW9HZpYR9UrUwvX1Rw_Z54sQppujpbWwiriyZYsx7SvsLUmWhv7eUu8Lu5v-1KFs9VY8PhyNGQ/s400/C+Tasom+(11).jpg" border="0" /><span style="font-size:78%;"> Tasom<br /></span><br /><br /><p></p></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>master wonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15326008168252415342noreply@blogger.com0