Euro Travel & More

While I go to Farmer’s Market as often as I can while traveling for the food – I also loved the ones in Australia – Sydney best because of all the trinkets you can buy.  But yard sales are fun too because you can get things you need for really cheap – I found all sorts of stuff that I want from both the Farmers market as well as the yard sales nearby.  As much as I enjoyed the organic and home made stuff – i love hand made jeweleries and hand made bags & shoes too. I used to buy Beading Tools online but also found some lovely handmade stuff  online as well but it’s nice to be able to try it first before buying them.

These are lovely right?  yes great presents to bring back for the kids – your nieces and friend’s daughters.  I found some gems to bring home – because you can’t bring that much jam home can you and fly home with you – too heavy.

Another pretty store in a yard sale in Australia.

More food – and home bake stuff

Fresh bread – organic anyone?

The happiest vacation I’ve had was a road trip around Thailand – I was a lot younger – a lot more adventurous and a lot more daring – or is it brave? Road trips are a common thing in the West but for a few friends going for a road trip on an RV – was considered rare.  It’s like going backpacking in Europe – where our parents frowned upon – not because Asians do not travel – but they see traveling in RVs or backpacking as something way too dangerous.  They forget that we are pretty capable of taking care of ourselves and if the RV broke down – there is  rv towing all over the world too.

The road trip around Thailand was most fun because – you get to zip around in tuk-tuks – very cheaply and everything was so cheap back then – some 20 yrs ago.   We didn’t go to sleazy bars or night clubs nor Patpong – but we were in Koh Samui before it was developed into a touristy place.   We experienced the nature and all the wonderful temples in Thailand – plus don’t forget the mermaid beach in Hatyai – one of my favorite places to be – and just sitting around and watching the working girls go by.   I don’t really know how expensive it would be now to take a road trip around Thailand – but when we did 20 yrs ago  – it was and experience of a lifetime and definitely cheap!

Shopping in UK need not be in London alone – in fact – there are different part of UK – that one can travel and see lots of historical and cultural stuff.  I was once in Leeds, UK for a festival in the summer and found that I can come to like Leeds a lot too.

I love all the old buildings in Leeds – they make me think of the Kings and Queens in this modern world of ours.  So where is Leeds – I hear everyone asking me – when i returned from the festival – well it is in West Yorkshire, England.  So how did i get there?   We took the railway from London up to Leeds and if i remember correctly – it didn’t take too long to reach Leeds from London Kings Cross.

Look at the beautiful and majestic looking arch – i lived for old constructions like these.

More shopping if you want to.

My favorite store.

We started early in the day after breakfast – therefore you don’t see much people around – but later in the afternoon – this area was bustling with people.

Gotta love these independent shop houses.

English bears! i know of someone who has one since 1982.

The Light – plenty of shops here – from exclusive shops to the luxury – and have a cup of coffee in one of their quaint cafes if you are tired.

Unfortunately, we didn’t get to the museum nor watch a sport game – which Leeds is very famous for.  Maybe the next time eh.

The Koh SaMui that I know and missed is the old one – although it is still as pretty as ever – these days – Koh Samui is flocked with tourist and lots of local trying to earn a buck or two.   Not far from Bangkok, one can now catch a plane to Koh Samui where else when i first visited – i had to take a bus – a local one at that.  So you can see the huge change – but nevertheless – very beautiful and lots of relaxing to do when we arrived.

The beaches are beautiful and so are the resorts – all lighted up at night with led christmas lights – very festive and very bright.  I love the beaches in the morning – but at night – with all these lights – it doesn’t look scary at all.

The weather is good all year round in Koh Samui and boost is even cheaper – i love the local folks there – they are ever so nice and always selling coconut drinks along the beaches.  We did a lot of scuba diving and ate on the boat at night with bbq fishes caught from the sea.

The beach is always packed with people it seems – so it was nice to be able to go on your own private boat – a lot of para – sailing available on the island as well.  Love the sunset – and the local pubs – let down your hair and take in a massage on the beach.

Very beautiful – turquoise water.

My friends asked me why I am writing more and more about Asia – i replied maybe it is because i miss home very much? maybe it’s the traveling I am missing and all the interesting things that i missed sharing and the adventures I have had before.  I haven’t really been home for a long time and Asia has changed so much and this picture taken by a friend reminded me so much of the time we encountered the lovely apprentice Geisha when we were in Kyoto.

Before living in Japan for a few months because of work – I’ve often wondered if the shows with Geisha – were they just traditional ladies that doesn’t exist now – since Japan is so modern and if they do exist – what kind of benefits do they get.  For sure – this old trade – of cultural entertainment – may not be everyone’s cup of tea no more.  Normal companies in Japan offers good benefits like a retirement plan, insurance and disability insurance for those doing labor jobs – so what does these ladies who started training really young have in store for them?  But of course, we will never know because this trade is so secretive it seems – that even taking pictures of them are rare.

We did go for a Geisha show and it’s nothing like what we thought it would be – but a cultural show with dances, a puppet show and a tea ceremony.  The art of dancing by the Geisha – was truly precise and refine – nothing like those I’ve seen – it was an eye opener for me at least.   The Geisha are still pretty much a mystery and if only i can get to find out more about them – i certainly would.  Movies and stories portray them as a high class prostitutes/mistresses for rich men – during the olden days – but i’m pretty sure they are not just that.   Are you as curious as I?

Phnom Penh has changed quite a bit since I was last there according to a friend who had just got home from there.   She said there was a  steel building just at every corner they turned in a cab.   So yes – not only is Phnom Penh a touristy place now – it’s pretty industrialize too.  Check out the evening market at Sisowath Quay but they were more for food – if you are into trying local cuisine but if you have a weak tummy – i think you should skip that.

Don’t be too surprised if you are frisked when you visit the Heart of Darkness – the security is really tight there and it’s not about the terrorists that they are afraid of – but more like the locals trying to gun down each other in a dispute – so i heard.  For those who loves their drinks – Phnom Penh is the place to be – because they are dirt cheap – we had our filled that night and went bar hopping till wee hours in the morning.   More on Phnom Penh in another post.

Welcome to Saigon !  the spouse said to me when we visited Saigon aka Ho Chi Minh City aka Vietnam for a short trip some 6 months ago.  It had been more than 10 yrs since we last visited Saigon and the last time i was there was also for work.  Saigon the land of many opportunities and lot of history – the good, the bad and some ugly.  Where the ladies I’ve seen are the most hardworking people and the humblest and in my humble opinion in need of good wrinkle removers because the sun is so hard on them.  But they smile and tell me each wrinkle lines tells a story.

Saigon has changed a lot – just by looking at all the high rise building and everywhere our cabbie turned – there was another new building sprouting out.  I felt a little overwhelmed when i came back for this trip with the spouse who was on business.

Dong are what they are called – the currency used in Saigon – and 100,000 Dong is about $5.45 in Cdn.  Yes – lots of money to carry – the same for when you are in Thailand or China even a bit of Malaysia – where the currency seems so big and huge but the value is so little.

Many of their older buildings are now restored and used as restaurants.

Shophouses on the ground floor and on the top are living apartments – a lot of expatriates lives here because it is in the center of town and convenient – i hear that rent isn’t that expensive in this area as compared to the rent in Hong Kong.

Road side eateries are my favorite but i strongly advise against if you do not have a strong stomach.  Food is like $0.20 – $0.50 for a meal in this store.

Karaoke anyone?

Shop houses for eating like this one is everywhere in Saigon and they are relatively cleaner although more expensive than the roadside stores.  But if you want authentic Vietnamese food – here is the best bet.

We tried the more posh restaurant -  located at Nguyen Thiep Street, District 1 – and wasn’t disappointed – love the fusion decor and the fusion food too.

Love the fruit stores !  missed this terribly because they don’t have it here in Canada.

Some local fruit – i don’t remember what it is called – but it’s a cross between a mandarin orange and a lemon – taste sweet though.

More street store with sweets/desserts.

Yes! saigon is this modern – they have an Esprit building – just for shopping at  Dong Khoi street, also in District 1.  The entire ground floor is for shopping and the upper building are offices.  I have so many pictures to share but that will be for another day and another post.

Ahh! Pulau Ubin ! kinda nostalgia for me – you see when we were going to school as a kid – so carefree and no need for prevera times – our school would bring us to Pulau Ubin for class trips all the time.  In fact, I think we go for a class trip every now and then to Pulau Ubin but I’m guessing that it’s only because it’s darn cheap to go there.

Pulau Ubin is an island near Singapore – and you can make a short trip with a bum boat for less than $2.50 or hire the whole bumboat for $30 with friends.  Is there much to do at Pulau Ubin ?  not really that much if i remember correctly but it was fun for it’s like bringing you back to another era.

Very quaint right?  Sure brings you back to the 60s in Singapore – the mainland i mean.  But what else can one do in Pulau Ubin I hear you asking? cheap bike rides – cheap seafood – but make sure you get out before 4pm because the last bum boat goes off then.

Life in Pulau Ubin is pretty simple as you can see.

But getting away from the hustle and bustle of the city is kinda cool once in a while – although the kids may not like it that much.  But where would you get to rent a bike for the entire day for $2 eh.

Don’t forget to get to CheK Jawa – where you can go for nature walks and do all sorts of sight seeing too – check out the 21 meter Jejawi Tower.

the broadwalk

Don’t forget to bring your sunscreen and most importantly – BUG SPRAY!!

Yes! you guess right – Walt Disney World is where everyone wants to bring their kids to – and we are no difference of course – and when you see a good deal – you take it just like when you see  diet pills that really work you buy it immediately – haha!   I have been to Walt Disney World several times but not with the family  – but when i was working and traveling.

But be prepared – the queues are long for just about every ride and try to choose a day where it is not so sunny but also windy.  The heat really almost killed all of us – hahaah! when we were last there a few years ago.  Plus if you are going with kids – make sure you have some kind of stroller or a push wagon – because the kids are not going to be walking for hours and hours with you.

We had a really good deal with the theme park this year and besides special passes for the entire family for a few days – we also got a great deal to stay in the resort.

We didn’t even cover half the area in the time we were there – the first day that is – so it was great that we were staying in the resort and was able to go back the next day.  More in the next few post.

When we were in Korea many years ago, well – when i was a kid – i went with the church to the prayer mountain – what a waste of time then.  We didn’t really get to see very much then – but when I was much older and a girlfriend showed me all the Louis Vuitton handbags she got from Korea – i told myself, I had to go there for sure.  So when i was posted there for a meeting for carpark meters some years ago – i was darn happy.

Besides the normal shopping and touristy places and drinking holes that we went to – we also had to see the world’s largest indoor theme park – Lotte World of course!   We should have taken the subway but instead a co-worker there drove us and we ended up using roadside assistance because his car broke down.

Lotte World reminds me a lot about DisneyLand and Sanrio World and you can find a theme park hotel, a museum, many shopping malls and monorail, movie theatre and lots more – both adults and kids will enjoy this place.  We spent like 6 hrs in the theme park and never even finished all the rides.

Opens as early as 9.30am and closes at 11pm – we only waited for the fireworks to end and left – but if you go after 5pm – entrance fees are cheaper.

Pretty magical eh.

Don’t forget to try the Gyro Drop !  It’s awesome awesome!  a great view from the top but hold on tight when you are coming down.   The drop is about 400 feet down and it was really breath-taking – or rather – you can’t breathe.

We all love the carousel but we were too shy to go on it – but some of our co-workers did and made a fool of themselves.