At the Churchill Island Heritage Farm, where kids and adults get to experience a traditonal Aussie working farm.

Baa Baa Black Sheep.

Our lovely hosts, Orland and Mira with the handsome horse.

It began to drizzle after we reached the Koala Conservation Centre. Nonetheless, we still managed to witness a few koalas.

If I were still leading a office worker life, I will put this on my desk.

We then continued our way to the Penguin Parade. Photography was not allowed, and the rain was getting heavier. All of us huddled and waited patiently on the seats by the beach, observing the endless waves crashing on beach.

Despite the cold, wet and dark condition, it was well worth the wait. We witnessed many wild Little Penguins (world’s smallest penguin) emerge from the sea in small little groups, waddled across the beach to their sand dune burrows.

For dinner, Orlando brought us to Dutchies Stonegrill Restaurant, a highly recommended restaurant on Phillips Island. The tender stone cooked steak I had (above) was absolutely fantastic!

The next day was Sunday, and we drove to the Queen Victoria Market. And I was greeted by a Stormtrooper on arrival.

Jovie playing the shopping-auntie role in the market, buying some macadamia nuts and dried figs.

Poor Spidey.

Made our way to the Chapel Street precinct after the market. We had a quick bite at The Greek Deli & Taverna, ordering some tapas.

Have to say I quite like the Victoria Bitter.

Probably he hates window shopping as much as me.

Done with the shopping, we drove to St Kilda Beach area.

The iconic entrance of Luna Park, an old seaside amusement park with working wooden roller coaster and many other loopy rides.

Nope, neither of us was up there.

On Day Three, we embark on our most ambitious journey to date – driving all the way to the Great Ocean Road, stopping randomly along the way.

Why is the middle statue guy pinching his own nipple with one hand and giving a thumbs up on the other?

And after driving more than 250kms, we finally reached The 12 Apostles. We barely missed the sunset, but it was still a spectacular sight!

We stayed overnight in Port Campbell and revisited the 12 Apostles the next morning.  Also dropped by other nearby spots like the London Arch (London Bridge) and the Loch Ard Gorge.

Outside the studio apartment where we were staying.

12 Apostles during day.

Taking a different and shorter route, we then headed back where we came from.

Due to the time of our flight, our final day in Melbourne was spent briefly in the city area. We wandered around quite aimlessly and I was shooting from the hip all the way.

That’s it. Goodbye Australia

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After checking into our apartment, it was already dusk and we set out for food hunting.

We were not aware of the free Perth CATS (Central Area Transport Service) bus service, so we traveled on foot all the way on the first day. Snaking through the college area, we noticed a  unshaven guy with scruffy face with from far, pointing his fist as he headed towards us. We moved briskly, and the weird guy walked past us and aimed at another Chinese couple behind. “This is not fucking China!”, he yelled in the open air. Funny that he has to tell everyone. Thankfully, that was the only bad experience we had throughout the trip.

We proceeded to Northbridge area for dinner and settled for Korean dinner at  Dae Jang Kum Restaurant (74 Francis Street). Servings were generous and the service was excellent. We miss the kimchi!

Good morning.

It was not until the next day that we realized the extreme heat of this place. There was not a single cloud decorating the deep blue sky. Good thing was, it wasn’t as humid as back home, and so we didn’t perspire much despite the temperature.

On this day, we took a train from Perth Station and stopped a Fremantle after about sixteen stops.

We toured around The Fremantle Markets. Some interesting stuff here and there, but nothing spectacular.

Well, things you would expect from markets.

Lunch at Cicerello’s (44 Mews Road).

What else could you order in Cicerello’s but its supposedly famous fish and chips. Fairly decent. But you do need to pay extra for sauces like tartar sauce if vinegar and salt are not enough to satisfy your taste bud.

Bullseye! Headshot at the Roundhouse (Western end of High Street on Arthur Head), which used to be a prison.

We also visited The Western Australian Museum – Shipwreck Galleries nearby. Strange to me that you can actually have exhibition when you have accumulated enough accidents’ debris

Dropped by Kakulas Sister Grocer (29/31 Market Street) to pick up some olive oils and salt. Not planning for restaurant dining.

The shoot started on the third day, and I just tagged along, assisting here and there whenever necessary. First stop was the Busselton Jetty – quite a familiar landmark for pre-weddings in Perth, I guess.

Clouds were finally forming in the sky. We were told it had not rained for 3 months, but was expected sometime late in the week.

Stealing some time for phototaking. My love-hate relationship with Perth began here. The city bored me to death, but the outskirts fascinated me endlessly.

Plenty of vineyards throughout the journey and they were not really fenced. But that doesn’t necessary mean we were free to walk around and do whatever we wanted. Just tread gently as if they are land mines.

The historic Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse is situated at the most south westerly tip of Australia, standing at the point where the Indian and Southern Oceans meet. But the popular tourist attraction was closed by the time we reached there at 5.30pm. Nonetheless, we found another excellent location nearby and with the lighthouse still visible in the background.

And I witnessed the most beautiful sunset to date.

Last drop of light squeezing through the horizon.

As romantic as this may look, I had over thirty mosquito bites on my back through my shirt during this period of 5 to 7 minutes!

Revisited the lighthouse on the next day. Site fee is AUD5 for adult. It was well worth it.

One of my favourite shots of her throughout this trip.

Moved on to another vineyard. This time around, we found some grapes that have yet to be harvested. The sweet aroma of the wine grapes lingered in the air.

Nick introduced an Indonesian food to us for dinner. I really miss the chilli.

There was no shoot on the next day. And so it was a relaxing day of traveling around the city. We had lunch at the crowded but efficiently managed Japanese restaurant called Taka (347/417 Murray Street,). Great food and good value for money.

Perhaps he was not too different from me, as we were both waiting for wives who were busily shopping in Harbour Town Outlet Shopping (840 Wellington Street).

Legendary was the word used by our friend to describe the Corica Apple Strudels at 106 Aberdeen Street. Indeed, at AUD18, it was so good that I came back for the second time to get another piece before we left Perth.

The shoot for the second couple began on the sixth day. Another round of touring the outskirts and we headed for Swan Valley.

Raisins?

Yet another dramatic sunset.

Another iconic landmark in Perth, the Blue Boat House by the Swan River.

Last day in Perth. Caught this on my way to buy more apple strudels from Corica.

From the parking lot area behind our service apartment. Not exactly the type of travel picture that I can show off and hang on the wall.

Goodbye, Perth! Melbourne next!

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View from the rooftop of Galeries Lafayette

Musée d’Orsay

Le Forum des Halles

Always Right Behind You

Pyramide du Louvre and Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel

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Montmatre and art are inseparable. Street painters thrive on a lively tourist trade as travelers flock to this picturesque district.

A street performer doing her gig.

Two painters taking a break over a game of chess.

A permanent exhibition of more than 300 works of the painter and sculptor Salvador Dali is on display here too, but alas time was not on our side.

Coincidentally, we met the couple of previous day, Crono and Tze Pen in Montmatre.

Grabbed a quick lunch of crepes.

This was our third trip to the Louvre Museum. But we had ample time this time around for the exhibits.

Yes, the reason and goal for majority of the visitors here. Personally, I felt it was overrated.

Someone looks bored.

Awesome sunset.

Spent the morning of our last day visiting Musée d’Orsay, before heading to Le Halles for lunch with Crono and Tze Pen again.

One of my favourite pictures taken on the final day, around Forum des Halles.

Au revoir, Paris!

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Jovie had a makeup job on this day for another bride-to-be. To save time, and for a change, we settled for Japanese lunch at the restaurant next door. Rice and seafood sounded nice and good.

Some meat won’t hurt either.

So, we parted our way after the meal; she headed back to hotel her job, and I was about to travel alone for the first time in this city. Where to go? The choice was obvious.

Traveling alone in a foreign city, I felt as if time moved slower, actions louder and emotions amplified.

Escalator-maintenance guys inspecting the non-relevant item. They noticed me seconds later with my camera and giggled at each other.

The cliché, the irony.

The legend. The decisive moment. The heritage.

I was greeted by Fondation Henric Cartier Bresson in the form of an unassuming and elegant building in a small and isolated cul-de-sac. A nursery was just next door. Obviously photography wasn’t allowed within the building.

I paid my entrance fee of 6 Euros at the reception on the ground floor.  Exhibition rooms are located on the first and second floor, and a relaxing space on the third floor. Perhaps this was as close as I could get.

I was grateful to witness one of Irving Penn‘s monumental work on the exhibit. The Small Trades was a series of portraits in the early 50′s of skilled trades people dressed in their work clothes and carrying the tools of their respective trade from Paris, London, and New York. Newspaper seller, fishmonger, fireman, waiter,  rag picker, contortionist, seamstress, brick layer, chimney sweep. You name it. The subjects were intriguing and the prints were breathtaking.

Made a short trip to Montparnasse Cemetery, another famous resting place of many illustrious Parisians. To name a few  - Guy de Maupassant the novelist, Samuel Beckett the playwright and André Citroën who founded France’s Citroën automobile factory.

My mobile rang – she’s done. Enough of arts and history tour. Time for Angelina Jovie (no typo).

The tea salon Angelina on the Rue de Rivoli is famous for its Mont Blanc and hot chocolate.

Very very very sweet. That’s all I can say.

Think Milo-gao to the 5th power. Add some cream. That’s somewhere close.

No chance for Laduree. So we settled for the macaron at Angelina as well.

Karl Lagerfeld’s alter ego.

Street performance was not unusual, but performing within the train added additional challenge of both time and space. Nonetheless, I was rather entertained and moved by the performance of the accordionist and his singer partner.

You’re welcome, I mumbled.

Trocadero at night. To mark our one-week milestone in Paris, we decided to go for a feast in a better French restaurant.

We wanted somewhere with tender escargots.

Somewhere with rich and creamy foie gras.

Somewhere that makes your partner look especially ravishing.

Somewhere with well-browned and crisp duck confit.

And somewhere that would end our night with a  sweet and refreshing sorbet.

The service was excellent, as the waiter kept checking with us if there was anything we needed. With no wine, the meal at Le Malakoff costed us 69 Euros. We’ll definitely come back again some day.

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Colorful rectangles and a head at Quality Burger Restaurant.

That was where we had our breakfast together with Derrick, Crono and Tze Pen. Little chatting, little planning. Back in the hotel, while they worked on their stuff, I kept myself occupied with online surfing. It was noon time when Jovie was done with her job.

Rush rush rush.

We dropped by at Musée de la Mode et du Textile (Museum of Fashion and Textiles), part of Musée des Arts Décoratifs. The fashion museum boasts a huge collection of costumes, fashion accessories and textile as well as work of celebrated modern designers such as Paul Poiret, Madeleine Vionnet, Elsa Schiaparelli, Christian Dior, Raoul Dufy, Sonia Delaunay and the embroiderer Rébé.

Finishing the museum, we exited into Jardin des Tuileries, the formals gardens  that were laid out in the 17th century, and later restored and filled with striking modern and contemporary sculptures.

Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel (background) built by Napoleon as an entrance to the former Palais des Tuileries.

The anti-climax of the day was when they discovered that the Louvre is closed on Tuesdays! Blind spot - the guidebook says it is open 9am-6pm Wed-Mon (to 10pm Wed, Fri). Judging by the number of people, we were not alone. So we hung around the area for a while.

What’s up birdie?

A bird in hand.

Shopping was the next item on the agenda, and we headed to Boulevard Haussmann. I helped myself with the street outside the malls.

If anything, air is the only thing I have to complain about this lovely city.

We met Derrick and the rest at Trocadero later and Jovie did some touch up for Tze Pen.

Eiffel Tower from Trocadero in the evening.

180 degree change. Eiffel Tower from Champ de Mars the very next morning.

We followed Derrick and the couple almost throughout Day Six. It’s great to have bigger company travelling together.

What’s travel without some cheesy tourist pictures?

Walked to Trocadero again. Why did the pigeon cross the road?

Sk8erBoi.

Sk8erGal.

Galeries Lafayette. Heaven for women.

Surprisingly a decent roast chicken set like this cost only 7.30 Euros at the foodcourt of Galeries Lafayette.

Can’t get enough of the tower. From the rooftop of Galeries Lafayette.

Shakespeare and Company is literary landmark – a small, cramped but wonderful bookstore located in the 5th arrondissement, in Paris’s Left Bank. Definitely a must-go for book lovers. I purchased a copy of An Inner Silence: The Portraits of Henri Cartier-Bresson, complete with the bookstore stamp.

Notre Dame Cathedral.

Crew in action.

Le Flore en l’Ile, located at the western end of the Ile St Louis, directly across the bridge from Notre Dame is a charming cafe with wonderful ambient and friendly service.

The rich hot chocolate.

Unforgettable chocolates.

Even the sugar cubes look extraordinarily sweet!

We completed our round-trip as we landed back the Louvre.

Jardin du Carrousel

I admit I had developed a fetish for spiral staircases in Paris.

The Louvre Pyramid at night. Daylight would not do justice to its grandeur.

And the saxophone performer closing our night with his ending music to our long day.

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Choice of restaurant was Pizza Del Arte at Boulevard St Michel, with the cheapest decent set meal at 9.90 Euros, with a drink inclusive. I had a penne with veges, plus a Heineken.

While she had a spaghetti with ham and mushroom with a glass of 7-Up.

Started to rain soon (again!) after our lunch. Chilling wind pierced through our jackets as we pushed on to our destination.

Upon arrival, Jovie was like the proverbial kid in a candy store.

Easing into a comfortable sofa seat near the store’s heater, by the window, I allowed myself to dry up. With the only French magazine available flipped through twice, cover to cover, I could only fiddle with my camera and study the street outside.

Separated through the window pane, I caught handsome guy discreetly through Live View. After finished smoking, he came into the store as a a makeup artist. Should have known.

As Jovie finished her first adventure of overseas stockpiling, we moved on to the next agenda of the day, the Panthéon.

Story was, King Louis XV was sick and vowed that if he recovered from the illness,  a prestigious church dedicated to  Saint Genevieve will be built. Obviously, he recovered. The design of the new basilica was entrusted to Jacques-Germain Soufflot, who planned in Neo-Classical style. Completed in 1790, the church was then turned into a pantheon, a location for the France’s good and great with the Revolution underway.

As it was our Day Four (with 6 more days to go), we decided to purchase the 6-day Paris Museum Pass at 64 Euros that allowed us free entry for unlimited time to over 60 museums and monuments around Paris. In comparison, an adult entry ticket for the Panthéon costs 8 Euros.

Polishing the famous Foucault pendulum, named after the French physicist Léon Foucault, which was conceived as an experiment to demonstrate the rotation of the Earth.

On the Dome of the Panthéon. It’s getting even colder than it looks as the wind blew mercilessly. The convertible has decided to unfold her rooftop.

Just because you don’t see anything… The Crypt covers the entire area under Panthéon building. Many French notables rest here. Amongst them – Voltaire,Victor Hugo, Pierre & Marie Curie, Louis Braille, Alexandre Dumas, Louis Pasteur. Their spirits could be roaming around.

We were more or less decided to try Léon de Bruxelles for dinner. Since there was a branch nearby, we took a slow walk there, observing the street, the people, their life and whatnot.

“Damn, where are my keys?”

Léon de Bruxelles at Boulevard St-Germain. Famous for mussels. Mussels from Brussel. That explains.

Pretzels as finger food.

Finally, the mussels from Brussels. Cooked with wine, 17.90 Euros with slice of salmon and bread as starter and fries. The mussels are unlike anything we have eaten in Asia. They are super tender and sweet and rich in taste. There were  at least 40-50 mussels in the casserole.

Baked salmon with rice. 14.70 Euros.

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Like every other morning, our daily journey in Paris began in Gare du Nord Station. Little did we expect what was to come later at night.

Arrived at Les Halles and greeted by many statues around the area. This set of tourist-like family statues intrigued me. Boy seems to shout, “Look Ma, the sky is falling! “.

Named after Georges Pompidou, the President of France who decided its creation, the Pompidou Center is a building turned inside out. All the escalators, lifts, air and water ducts have all been placed on the outside. Like an oil refinery, the pipes are colored (blue for air-con ducts, green for water pipes and yellow for electricity lines).

Boasting works of art encompassing painting, architecture, photography, cinema, new media, sculpture and design, the exhibits are divided between two floors, one for modern art (from 1905 to 1960) and the other for contemporary art (from 1960). We started on Level 5 with the former. Not that we had any idea of what to expect. Armed with a thin pamphlet, we navigated our way through fauvism, cubism, surrealism and whatever-ism and names like Braque, Picasso, Matisse, Dada, Delaunay, Giacometti. Our heads started spinning, and we gave up attaching names to works. At time I was really overwhelmed and awed by some exhibits, other times I was self-refraining from scratching my head too obviously.

Ad Reinhardt, Ultimate Painting n° 6, 1960. No kidding. Almost entirely black. In the center, there is a 90 degree cruciform structure barely discernible.

Henri Matisse. Polynesia, The Sea. 1946. Gouache on paper cut-out.

We took a break in the afternoon for lunch at Le Bistrot Beaubourg (25 Rue Quincampoix),  an affordable restaurant serving classic French  food. Seated ourselves on the sunny terrace, we took our sweet time with lunch, like everyone else.

Marinated fresh sardine fillets. Very salty. 5 Euros.

Tripes or soup made up of potatoes and cow stomach. 8.25 Euros.

Onglet or hanger steak with fries. 10.80 Euros.

It rained a bit after our lunch. Waited a while before we returned to the Pompidou to continue the other half of our visit.

Room of minimalism. My ideal living room. I remembered clearly there were only Jovie and another museum guy when I entered the room. I took a step, squatted down and made a shot as Jovie pointed her camera at me. And I heard a faint giggle from my left.

On the way back.

I wasn’t feeling well by the end of the day as flu crept in. Already had symptoms of running nose and sore throat early in the morning, and it got worse by late afternoon. Bite the bullet, fight another day. Reluctantly we got back to the hotel, and I took a nap after some pills.

Our dinner at a Chinese restaurant around the hotel neighborhood, opposite Gare Du Nord station, was a dramatic episode. By the way, the Chinese restaurant here operate in a very different manner. You choose the dish, and they weigh them for the price before sending straight to microwave for reheat.

Anyway, our meal was disrupted halfway by a sound not unlike punctured tire, and we saw police cordoning off the area outside the restaurant. Swiftly, the owner of the restaurant and his friends shut the main door and locked it! Subsequently they got back to their seats and resumed their card game. We managed to keep calm as other patrons continued their meal nonchalantly. About 10 minutes later, the boss peeped a bit and opened the door again as we had finished our meal. When asked, the boss told me there seemed to be an explosion earlier, but it seemed to be ok now as the cordon was already removed.

I was glad to travel light that night without my heavy camera. We pressed our way back to hotel through the night without looking around much, and heaved a sigh of relief once we had reached. Whew!

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Excellent.

Like everywhere else, everyone was looking for a bargain in flea market.

Love the red-white thing going on between the lady and her radish. Like Singapore Flag!

Speaking of flag, here’s Italy’s, made in France.

Shhhh…

Lighter, please?

We spent like grand total of 3 Euros on a handful strawberries before leaving the market. And we could barely finish those strawberries by the end of our stay in Paris.

May 1st marks the Labor Day in France. The French celebrate spring by offering small sprigs of muguet (Lilies of the Valley) as a good luck charm to those who are close.

That’s the Lilies of the Valley the little boy is holding. Apparently, he is more interested in his lollipop.

More well wishing with Lilies of the Valley.

Limited space, endless stream of pedestrians, timeless joys.

Built by Henri IV, Place des Vosges at The Marais - with grand symmetrical houses around an open central space – 36 houses, nine on each side, remains intact even after 400 years. Victor Hugo lived here for 16 years.

Spotted this nice vintage car. Maybe older than me.

Beware of dog!

We thought we could visit the nearby Musée Picasso, only to be disappointed to discover later that it was under maintenance from “August 2009 up to 2012″!

We spotted a long queue outside this place called Chez Marianne at Rue des Rosier, and joined the queue. There wasn’t a need (or enough time) to consult the travel guide. Took us about 15 minutes before we got ourselves a falafel sandwich for 5 Euros. Mainly eggplants cooked with tomatoes, eggplant dip, a salad and pickles.

Verdict: Must try! It’s as good as the queue has indicated.

Monsier Dumbledore and Monsieur Potter showing The Way. Along River Seine. Still walking, we were heading towards Notre Dame Cathedral.

Gotta love the antics of these tourists in front of Notre Dame Cathedral.

Rollerskating at Pont au Double.

A self portrait.

River Seine from above.

Getting up close, indirectly, unobtrusively.

Tummies were grumbling. Waiting for dinner.

The pathetic tomato salad as entrée from Brasserie Les Deux Palais. Main course was steak with fries and dessert was chocolate mousse. To be fair, we ordered the cheapest set meal (still it costed 13.50 Euros per pax).

Also Brasserie Les Deux Palais. Jovie’s entrée – the onion soup with cheese. Main course was 1/4 roast chicken and dessert was a slice of Neapolitan ice-cream.

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The fact that this trip happened at all was a miracle. A junior college friend was aware about Jovie’s makeup profession, and her wedding photographer, Derrick happened to be looking for a makeup artist for overseas pre-wedding shoots in Paris. After some contacts and negotiations, emails and phone calls, the deal was sealed.

It was too good of an opportunity to miss, and I was in the middle of transition to a new job. Euro was dropping, and having some free time to spare in between, I decided to tag along. And just about two weeks before our departure came the news of the Icelandic volcanic ash that disrupted flights in and out of the UK and several other European countries. Thankfully, on the last day of April, we managed to arrived safely in Paris after a long flight via KLM Royal Dutch Airlines with a mad rush during the transit in Amsterdam.

From Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport, we took the RER, a rapid transit system, and arrived at Gare du Nord station. That the station has a second name of Paris Nord almost made us miss the station.

We checked into Hotel de Bruxelles et du Nord, a 2 star hotel that costs 75 Euros per night. The hotel has a small lift that fit at most 3 people, and the room has a toilet with shower-cubicle which you can hardly turn around. Not exactly spacious, but it’s clean. Breakfast not included though. And the area did not seem to be particularly safe at night, as we came to learn later.

One of the first things we purchased was the Paris metro pass. A 5-day 3-zone ticket costed 28.90 Euro at that time and it provided us with unlimited free rides on the transport that includes the Metro, RER (regional express trains) and bus. And it is valid starting on the day you first use it, not from the date of purchase or delivery, for the specified number of consecutive days. Zones 1 to 3 include Paris and the nearby suburbs (La Défense, Saint-Denis Basilique, Le Bourget).

From Gare du Nord station, we headed Champs-Élysées – Clemenceau station. To the south are the Grand Palais and the Petit Palais two very imposing architectures that are mainly used for exhibitions these days.

Le Grand Palais.

Petit Palais.

After his greatest victory, the Battle of Austerlitz in 1805, Napoleon promised his men, “You shall go home beneath triumphal arches”. Speaking of big fat year end bonus! Standing at 50m high, the Arc de Triomphe is now the customary starting point for celebration and parades.

Arc de Triomphe.

The entrance ticket to the viewing platform on top costs 7 Euro per pax. And of course, it offers one of the best views in Paris, overlooking the grand Champs-Élysées.

Finishing the 284 stairs at Arc de Triomphe.

After the Arc, my lady hinted it was about time for window shopping.

And so we wandered around. Bustling with restaurants, cafes, hotels and designer boutiques, Avenue Montaigne is noticeably one of Paris’s most fashionable streets. We also managed to walk drag ourselves all the way to Boulevard Haussmann where department stores Galeries Lafayette and Au Printemps are sited. But as it was holiday eve (as we found out later), and the shops closed earlier than usual. Jet lag was creeping in, and we hurriedly settled for a less than ideal dinner in a cafe at Rue Saint-Lazare, before heading back to hotel and hitting the sack.

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Unlike the previous day, their third day in Hong Kong began with a better breakfast spot – the 50 year old Mido Cafe (美都餐室) @ 63 Temple Street, Yau Ma Tei, Kowloon.

Po Lo Bun and Yuan Yang

Triple Yolk Egg, Tomato, Ham and Baked Potato.

French Toast. Never tasted any better (and any more sinful) than this.

After a hearty meal, it’s time for next activity – shopping in Mong Kok.

Mr Anti-McDonald in the centre.

Faceless.

Before they realized, it was already dinner time. Originated from Guangzhou, the Tai Ping Koon restaurant has a history that spans more than a century. Recommended by a friend, this restaurant was their chosen dining location for the final night in Hong Kong. Once immersed in the quiet and classy ambient, they almost felt the clock has been re-winded a few decades earlier. Food was great and so was the service.

Swiss Sauce Chicken Wings

Dried Fried Noodle with Beef

Baked Soufflé.

After dinner, they strolled to the Victoria Harbour area before proceeding to Avenue of Stars.

Night view of Hong Kong landscape from Victoria Harbour.

Opened in 1928, The Peninsula Hong Kong  is Hong Kong’s very first hotel.

After a long day out, they returned to the hotel for a short rest before heading out to the nearby Temple Street. Wifey did some last minute shopping.

Supper at Temple Street was superb at this place called Sweet& Spicy Crab (庙街香辣蟹). You can’t go wrong with ice cold beer and great seafood. The clams and pepper salt mantis shrimp otherwise known as ”pissing shrimp” (攋尿蝦) top the list of specialties to try.

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For dinner, they dropped by the Corner Cafe – a Victorian parlor-inspired restaurant on Main Street U.S.A. No surprise, the menu was all thing Halloween.

After the dinner, it was the Glow-in-the-Park Halloween Parade. All hell broke loose!

Jack Skelly, larger than life.

The pumpkin man attempts to fly.

The Disneyland experience would not be complete without the fireworks. It was the highlight!

Round and round, Merry-Go-Round – The classic Cinderella’s Golden Carrousel in Fantasyland. Way better at night!

It’s a Small World,  a popular attraction of a boat ride located in the Fantasyland area of the parks. The ride features 400 brightly costumed audio-animatronic dolls in the style of children of the world, frolicking in a spirit of international unity, and singing the ride’s title track, which has a theme of global peace.

Golden Age - ”Animation Academy” in Town Square.

His most favourite picture from Disneyland. Spotted this on the way down from Tarzan’s treehouse. Summarizes the whole Disneyland experience – magical.

They left Disneyland at exactly 11pm when the theme park closed. Reached back hotel around midnight and had some yummy desserts at the shop opposite before hitting the sack.

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Eventually they settled in for a dim sum shop nearby the hotel which he had rather not speak much about. And that should say a lot.

Anyway, the plan of the day was simple, shop in the morning and early afternoon, and conquer Disneyland afterwards until night time.

The first and only outlet mall in Hong Kong, Citygate Outlets is home to many international brands offering great discounts. Located in the heart of Tung Chung, directly adjacent to Tung Chung MTR and Lantau bus terminal, Citygate Outlets is only a station away from Disneyland, which makes it the ideal shopping heaven for the missus.

Guess, Levi’s, Espirit, Quiksilver, Roxy. Craziest shopping trip to date.

Decided to have a quick lunch at McDonald after the shopping. Love the Iced Milk Tea and Shogun Burger.

Off to Disneyland!

Already, the presence of Disneyland’s magic was felt the moment you stepped into the train. Childhood memories flashed in an instant. Because they had bought the tickets the night before at the booth in The Peak (HKD350 per pax), they saved the hassle of queuing up once they reached.

Probably the must-have photo session in Disneyland. They queued for more than 20 minutes. The line at Goofy’s corner was almost non-existent.

And the parade begins.

Never watched Toy Story before though.

These fishes could breathe on land!

Flying Dumbo!

Ready for Mickey’s PhilharMagic, a 12-minute long show featuring 3D effects, scents, and water as well as a number of characters from Disney movies

Yet another Mickey and Minnie session.

Mickey and Minnie donned their trademark costume, and the missus had changed hers too (not too flattering for Minnie though).

Getting late, but thankfully, it’s the Halloween season (September 18 to October 31) which meant the opening hour was extended to 11pm instead of the usual 7.30pm. More to come in Part II.

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Upon arrival via JetStar, they purchased the Airport Express Tourist Octopus at the Chek Lap Kok Airport. The card allows three days of unlimited rides on the Mass Transit Railway (MTR) and includes a HK$50 refundable deposit.

After checking into the Evergreen Hotel at Woo Sung Street in Kowloon (just one street away from the famed Temple Street) they grabbed a quick lunch at the nearby Tao Li Yuen (桃李園茶餐廳). Condition of the hotel is sllightly below average, but the location is superb.

Temple Street during the day. Comes alive eight hours later!

Shopping defined the afternoon activities (zZzZzz…) around Causeway Bay area which can only mean covering places like Sogo and Times Square.

While she shopped inside, he shot outside.

Took a short break to taste the Chinese Herbal Jelly (Turtle Jelly) from Kung Wo Tong (恭和堂).

Time and Tide.

Recipe for Cliche Street Photo #99 – Graffiti + John Doe drifting

Love the red tiles in Yau Ma Tei MTR Station. Red Hill MRT should have been redder than this!

Swirling and shooting.

The 2-way ticket for the tram ride up to The Peak costs HK$175 per person. Inclusive of the entrance into the Madame Tussaud’s Museum.

Without a doubt, it was the highlight of the day for her in the museum. He tried closing both eyes taking this shot.

Of red and green and blue. And they kept changing.

Dinner at Spaghetti 360 inside The Peak Galleria – Squid Ink Rice with Crayfish in Stone Pot.

The obligatory nightscape of Hong Kong City from The Peak.

Related posts:

1. Hong Kong Trip 2009 – Day Three
2. Hong Kong Trip 2009 – Day Two (Part I)

After checking in at Rosa Pasadena Hotel (3-star, RM128 for twin sharing per room per night) at Brinchang, he booked a local tour from the hotel lobby. At RM25 per person, the tour covered destinations including Rose Garden, Butterfly Farm, Boh Tea Plantation farm,  Honey Bee Farm, Strawberry Farm and a Chinese Temple. Departed at 1.30 pm from hotel lobby in a van with 6 other travelers (2 Filipinos, 1 Malaysian and 3 Dutch), the trip ended at around 7pm. Dinner was steamboat at the OK Tuck Restaurant which was highly recommended by the locals. Verdict: not bad lah.

The second day in Cameron Highlands was mostly spent walking around in Tanah Rata (RM8 taxi ride from Brinchang), a major hub whereas it seats several hotels, parks and comercial center. They had a fantastic lunch at T-Cafe (check out their Strawberry Fruity Scone and Mango Lassi!). Back in Brinchang, they discovered Strawberry Moment which sells all things strawberries! Besides dried strawberries, strawberry jam, strawberry chocolate and strawberry tea, Mum bought a whole piece of strawberry strudel for supper back in the hotel.

Dinner was yet again steamboat, but in another recommended place called You Hoo Restaurant which was equally good if not better than the previous one. Anyway, in a cool place like Cameron Highlands, nothing really can beat a steamboat dinner, especially with family members.

Some pictures to share, as always.

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Surprisingly, they have never been to any zoo together. Thanks to his uncle, the first attempt somehow landed them in Jurong Bird Park back when they first visited Singapore. The second attempt in Melaka strangely ended up in the Malacca Crocodile Farm instead of zoo because Dad couldn’t find his way.

So after 29 years, the son brought the parents to the zoo instead. His second trip there actually, but it’s free this time courtesy of company’s welfare.

Just Mum, Yun Xin and the late Ah Meng. Dad didn’t want any photos taken. Like father like son, they said.

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Uncles. Newspapers.

And assorted dim sums. That pretty summed up their breakfast at Tho Yuen Restaurant (92 Lebuh Campbell). Like most of the other eateries they’ve been to, they found their way here through Lonely Planet Guide’s recommendation. No angmohs or youngsters seen. Probably just got into bed after a night of wild party.

Wife had just recovered from stomach upset. Porridge suited her better than those greasy oily (yummy) dim sums. As much as he missed the dim sums in Ipoh, this one was not too bad either.

Roaming around the small lanes in Georgetown appreciating dilapidated buildings on Christmas Day did not seem appealing. Instead they decided to take a public bus to Kek Lok Si Temple.

Reaching the largest Buddhist temple in Malaysia was no easy feat.  They had to snake through a maze of souvenir stalls, past turtle and fish ponds in order to reach the entrance.  Perhaps they might revisit this place again once the 16 bronze columns supporting a roof over the colossus 120-feet high bronze status of Kuan Yin (Goddess of Mercy) is completed.

A poor man’s wide angle scene at the hilltop area.

The workers taking break at the base of the giant statue.

Their next destination was supposed to be the Penang Hill, but the 30-minute funicular railway ride  ticket had sold out by the time they reached at 2pm. 7pm tickets were available, but obviously without much of a demand.

Returning to the city by bus, they proceeded to Komtar Tower, Penang’s tallest building, standing at 65 storeys, 232m tall. At the cost of RM15 per person (inclusive of drink, well..), they took the lift to reach the highest level of the building. Located in the heart of Georgetown, they were able to scrutinize the whole city lying bare naked, 360 degrees from that highest floor.

Wall-E? No thanks.

A multi exposure taken from the tower of the city with his Holga. Hardly an exaggeration of the cityscape. Busy is an understatement.

From there on, they repeated Day 1 routine. Back to Gurney Drive again for dinner (different food, minus the photography, because he was too hungry), did some shopping in Gurney Plaza (just her), caught Twilight in Golden Screen Cinema until midnight before they called it a day and got slapped with an additional RM10 for taxi fare.

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Eastern and Oriental Hotel. It would not have caught his attention that much if not for the fact that the hotel was established by the Sarkies Brothers, Tigram and Martin in 1884, who later founded Raffles Hotel in Singapore. Undeniably Penang’s and, potentially Malaysia’s most grand hotel.

They made an entrance into the hotel and snapped several shots. None of the staff seemed to mind, which was great. No doubt they won’t attempt this gig in Raffles Hotel.

The next stop was  Cheong Fatt Tze’s Blue Mansion. Cheong was the Rockefeller of the East. The Last Mandarin. In other words, very rich, very powerful. At 11am, they were just in time for the tour around the house (RM10, but worth every sen and sense). Every single object in the house – the door, the chair, the table, floor tile, and their placement – seemed to echo the glorious moments of the past to every visitor who care to pause and feel them. Photography is not allowed inside, which made every instance in the building more memorable.

Who would have known Mr Cheong had such a fast vehicle back then?

Things didn’t go smoothly for them. First she realized she lost her sunglasses. Secondly, her stomach did not feel quite right. Something was wrong with the buffet breakfast, she felt. Feeling uncomfortable, they returned to the hotel for her to rest.

As she got better, they pursued their walking tour in the afternoon. Lunch proved to be difficult, again. They eventually settled for a newly opened restaurant with traditional Chinese tea art as the main theme. Nothing special worth mentioning, except for the long waiting period despite no other customers.

After lunch it was buildings and buildings and buildings. They covered the Cathedral of the Assumption, Penang Museum, St George’s Church, Supreme Court, Town Hall, City Hall, State Assembly Building and Victoria Memorial Clocktower. They passed by Fort Cornwallis, but did not went in.

On the way back, he spotted this Banksy-wannabe graffiti at the turning point of an overhead bridge.

Dinner. After all it was Christmas Eve. They decided to splurge a bit. The Opera at 93E Jalan Penang was the final decision. The environment was excellent and the food was relatively well-matched. Classy without stiff, as someone puts it.

However, wife stomach felt worse soon after (not because of the food in the Opera). They headed back to the hotel straight. He caught Blood Diamond partially on the hotel’s in-house TV channel. By 10pm they both turned in, only to be awakened slightly by the countdown and fireworks two hours later.  Oo, it’s Christmas.

Back to slumber.

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Two days before Christmas, around afternoon, they set their feet in Penang after 3 hours of bus ride from Ipoh. Guided by their self-printed-self-bound Lonely Planet Malaysia Guide (Penang Chapter, purchased from LP’s very own website) in hand, they were ready to explore the island.

Highlights:

• Suffice to say they were nearly ripped off by taxi driver once they reached. Or maybe they just saved few extra ringgits. The drivers had this chart on the wall that states the “official” taxi fare for different zones. Yet it can still be bargained. Why can’t they just stick to meter-reading?
• After checking into Hotel Malaysia (a balanced choice between price and comfort) at Upper Penang Road, settled their belongings, they embarked on a journey to hunt for lunch.
• First impression of Georgetown, which has recently been listed as World Heritage site on UNESCO – sick.
• Several recommended food joints (like the Ecco Cafe) seemed have closed down (LP writers, please update).
• It was 2.30pm. Lunch was overdue for way too long!
• In the end, they had their first meal at …*drumroll*… Secret Recipe in Prangin Mall. =(
• Weather was unbearably scorching hot outside. Definitely not the best time to walk around.
• Movie – Yes Man. How to say no?
• Getting dark by the time the show ended.
• Took cab to Gurney Drive, Penang’s most famous food area that was named after Sir Henry Gurney, a British High Commissioner who was assassinated by Malayan communist guerrillas in 1951.
• Food! Real food! Awesome food. It was the climax of the day. For a split second, they thought they had died and entered heaven.

The Legendary Penang Char Kuey Teow. Not that it’s the best or most well-known in Penang, but good enough for him. Plus the queue was freaking long, so it must be good.

Ah Chye Rojak. He was delighted by the inclusion of jambu (rose apple).

Deep fried chicken gizzards. Beats KFC anytime of the day.

Curry Mee. Notice the pig blood cubes?

And the night ended with a short window shopping in Gurney Plaza, before hailing a cab back to the hotel.

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After an 8-hour bus trip from Singapore’s Golden Mile Complex, Chern Ye, Poh Yen, his wife and him reached Ipoh at about 6 in the morning. He barely had a wink the whole journey with the stomach grumbling relentlessly. But already he knew what Ipoh had in store for him. Soon after the rendezvous with the rest of the gang at Jye Sheng’s home, they headed towards Foh San Restaurant for dim sum breakfast. It wasn’t exactly easy to get a table to fit nine people during the early morning rush hour, but they didn’t wait for too long either.

Rush Hour

Makan and minum.

All cleared.

Next item in the agenda? More food! And off they went. But just before they entered the next makan place, Yew Nam pointed out an alley that might arouse the interest of the only guy who was lugging his camera all the while. He was darn right.

Nostalgic Alley

Comfort Zone

Tiptoed shoes

The specialties of the next coffeeshop was their super-sweet “Dan Dan” (caramel custard dessert) and Chee Cheong Fun. The latter was so good that Wen Ho had 3 servings!

Considering the sin of gluttony they had committed in the morning, post-breakfast activity was surprisingly healthy – caves visiting. But it wasn’t the caves per se that were so interesting.

No animals allowed, but little did they know the zoo they were heading in.

Yew Nam posing with his new found friend.

He has to admit the photo was slightly tweak to boost the impact, but it isn’t too far off from the reality either.

Why did the chicken cross the road? Ask them.

What you get when you put together an a bunch of tortoises in an enclosed area, a group of football/wrestling fans and some apples.

Camel ride for Kenneth.

As for lunch, let’s just say he was too busy eating to be bother with taking pictures.

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Jalan-jalan Singapura.

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The performance was mesmerizing with a mixture of multiracial, traditional and modern dances and spectacular lighting. Instead of the usual 50mm 1.8, he experimented with his 55-250mm IS on ISO 800 this time.

The bubbly dancer to whom she performed makeup on. That mole was self added.

The Singa has been creatively adapted with a lion-dance. Even a cook sneaked out of kitchen to watch.

Sang Nila Utama and the gayish peacock he met.

Yellow.

“Check out my headdress!“

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Instead it was more like a market for the locals to get their daily stuff like these.

As noon approached, they started to hunt for lunch, but with the blazing hot sun, they couldn’t traveled far. There were few visible hawkers nearby, but let’s just say, tourists were not their target customers.

Com= Rice, Ga= Chicken. Therefore Com Ga = Rice Chicken Chicken Rice.

She rejected the chicken rice shop. Ironically, they soon found themselves feasting on fried chicken in a nearby KFC. After the finger-lickin’ air-conditioned lunch, they braved the hot sun again for temples visit.

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Love the color.

He already tried hard to get the horizon right, still…

While waiting for the ladies to shop, the world drifted, slowly but surely.

Bird’s nest extraction, Vietnam style.

The stars in Hoi An are not found in the sky, and they are mostly red.

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Hot and sleepy afternoon. No business.

Everyone was resting.

Even the ladies.

But not her.

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With some elderly around, they figured it’s not a wise move to stay in Pham Ngu Lao area, which is cheaper but much further away from the central of the city. Therefore, they eventually settled down in a rather affordable hotel in Mac Thi Buoi Street.

The traffic is still as busy, but the motorcyclists are now wearing helmet as demanded by the law. As well as retracing some familiar locations in Ho Chi Minh and Hoi An, they also explored a few new places like Cholon and Hue.

Time to let the pictures tell the stories.

He wondered how many of those colorful feather duster he could buy for the price of a iRobot Roomba.

Hawkers beside Ben Thanh Market on their way to setup their stalls.

It was only less than half a year since the compulsory helmet laws in Vietnam fully came into effect. Some were not hesitant to declare their fashion statements.

In Singapore and Malaysia, it’s normal to see 2 people on 4 wheels. In Vietnam, it’s not uncommon to see 4 people on 2 wheels. Well, maybe we should ubah gaya hidup!

It was hot. A coconut would do the job. He squatted down and took this shot. Suddenly, he wasn’t thirsty anymore. Next time, maybe.

Just by staring at this picture, he felt depressed.

On the way. By the way. Anyway.

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The last trip to Melaka was his first photo shooting trip with the 400D just bought. Returning after more than half a year, he felt more comfortable this time. The kit lens had been replaced by his 28-105mm USM and 50mm 1.8. Moreover, he also brought the Holga along!

The following are from Holga with Fujichrome Provia 100F cross-processed.

Remaining photos are here and here.

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Could have done better. But then they say, don’t think just shoot.

Well, some of the better ones:

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Similar to any other places in Vietnam, two-wheeled vehicles dominate the streets.

Threesome. How sweet.

From south to north, their daily breakfast consisted mainly of baguettes like these.

She has had to agree that map-reading isn’t her forte.

A sleepy cyclo driver.

Cha Ca (grilled fish), the one and only dish from Cha Ca La Vong at the 14, Cha Ca Street.

The famous (and no doubt expensive) Bobby Chin Restaurant. Initially, they had planned to have a grand feast here on their last day in Vietnam.

However, convinced by another couple of fellow travelers from Singapore, they eventually indulged themselves in authentic Vietnamese buffet at Sen Ha Thanh, which was fantastic, and cheaper.

The rest of the photos.

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Situated in the Lao Cai province in northwest Vietnam, Sapa is a quiet mountain town and home to a great diversity of ethnic minority peoples such as H’mong, Dao and Tay.

The Red Dao women shaved their eyebrows and foreheads as a sign of beauty.

On the other hand, the Black Hmong women have quite a different taste of fashion.

Must have been quite a burden to the earlobes.

Many of the Black Hmong women carry their baby on their back to work, whether the child is awake,

or asleep,

or, in whatever state.

Of course, the Sapa experience would not be complete without the buffaloes,

the trekking and terraced fields.

Encountered many kids in Sapa.

The cutest baby they had seen throughout the Vietnam trip.

And as usual, more photos.

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Hoi An is an exceptionally well-preserved example of a South-East Asian trading port dating from the 15th to the 19th century. It was declared World Heritage by the UNESCO in 1999.

First encounter – a herd of cow dominating the street.

It was a scorching hot afternoon when they arrived.

The clothes should have dried up already.

Colorful paintings.

The Japanese Covered Bridge was built in the middle of the 16th century by Japanese merchants. The construction of the bridge was supposed to pierce the heart of an enormous monster whose head was in India, tail in Japan and body in Vietnam. =)

The magic hours. Fishing kid. Perfect backdrop. And he had finally got his catch of the day.

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Living by the river, he wonders how different their lives are.

First encounter with the snake wines. Like every other bizarre and exotic stuff, these are supposed to make men stronger. Later more of these are found all over Vietnam.

A cute little girl from Korea accompanying her grandparents.

Vinh Long Market, not too different from the pasar back in Malaysia.

As she headed home after finished shopping, so are they.

More photos.

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From bicycles to motor scooters and motorcycles, the Viets must have traveled more on two wheels than their two feet.

Maybe it’s time to replace the ubiquitous conical hat. The compulsory helmet laws in Vietnam fully come into effect on 15 December 2007.

First meal in Vietnam – beef noodle from Pho 24

Making a living.

Reminded him of the goreng pisang back home.

More photos.

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