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!

Going home to Asia for a vacation with the entire family may not be a real good idea for now – because of the long flight – which is about 28 hrs on the plane – not counting the lay over time and transit time.  In fact, going to the States is cheaper than going to Vancouver for us – so our other alternative are  Branson vacations or a trip to New York city to visit a long time friend or Maine, Portland – which is only a ferry away from Digby.

We have been to Maine before – and New York seems like a very long drive – and we still have to cross over with the boat in Digby – plus a family vacation – you need to take the kids to a place where they have plenty to do.  Ours is no longer young kids – so Disneyland is out – so is SeaWorld.  We want to cater to  our teenagers or bigger kids more than 10 – then family fun like Branson would be the ideal.   Rates are pretty great too – as we can see – lets hope no hidden charges eh.  But soon – we’ll head back to Asia – I promised.

I kinda missed the Westin, Bali – well not only because of the rustic furniture in the outdoor restaurant – The Veranda but I love the indoor ones as well – don’t forget to check out the Teppanyaki while you are there.  Westin Bali is a great place to be with the family and those with kids – you should see the kids’ club they have to cater to family.

Love the outdoor cabanas in Bali and the ocean – the privacy is to die for – and of course the never ending flow of mai tais and whatever drinks you would like.   Don’t forget to get a massage while you are relaxing and have your kids watched over by their trained staff at the clubhouse.  The guys -  they can enjoy the golf club – if they are into golf.

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.

No i wasn’t there silly – but the nephew was – his company sent him there – a US based company – with lots of perks like health care for the entire family with Blue Advantage – I often wonder if it was anything like the Blue Cross here. But it is always good to have some health insurance if you are traveling a lot like the nephew of mine.

There was a parade for the opening of the show – but he was pulled away to attend a meeting – so this was the only picture he got – bummer!

This is the Netherland and Holland Pavilion

The Croatia Pavilion

The Australian Pavilion – look at the line up!  i guess ppl do like to be in Australia eh.  If you are not a participant – you can still buy a passport to enter the expo -  and of course lots of food to try out and souvenirs that one can buy.  The Shanghai Expo is a cultural exchange for lots of countries coming together in one place – as you can see – it is a huge event – i wished i was there  – large scale expo like these are only hosted by countries with the capability – not only in manpower but resources to accommodate tourists and event planners from various countries.  Shanghai is definitely proud of itself.

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.

Feeling a little nostalgia and also mostly because I’m missing home a lot lately – the cousin sent me some recent pictures of Chinatown from home.  And home is not in China – where most people here in Canada thinks i am.  I guess – when they see a Chinese – they just assume we are all from China – hahaa!  but just like the Westerners thinks we all look alike, the Westerners look very much the same to me too – unless they are people I know very well.  So when i was reading about  herbal phentermine one day and a customer walked in asking about something – i had mistaken her for the spouse’s cousin – hahah!

Truth be told – i rarely go to Chinatown when i was home – i never really appreciate the beautiful and restored buildings but as you can see – they are very beautiful building and the government of Singapore tried to make every inch of Singapore look as beautiful as possible for both the tourist as well as the residents in Singapore.

Some people only goes there once a year for Chinese New Year but many older folks i know goes there every morning for a brief walk – a – bout and then coffee in the clans near the temple.

It is very interesting to see the many temples in Singapore – but i never go – because my mum wasn’t a believer and she never really allowed us to go into temples.  How i wished i could turn the clock around and won’t take these beautiful statues for granted.

The inside of the temple as you can see – is very beautiful as well.  In Chinatown, they not only have temples for the Chinese but mosques as well for the Muslims.

I’ve walked this passageway before – i hope soon – i can bring my kids home with me.

Yes.. a trip down memory lane for me when my best friend was just in Macau and brought back some wonderful pictures.  Macau was one of the many places that were on my first year’s trip out of Singapore and while reading about apidexin scam the pictures kept coming in and i thought i should look for some to post them up.

Macau has changed a lot since the last time i was there some 15 yrs ago – but one thing that never changed are the many casinos there – in fact i hear there are more now.   Anyone who have been to Macau would recognized the Grand Lisboa – i had stayed here when I was in Macau.  The 400 luxurious rooms were huge and it wasn’t really expensive either – I’m guessing they hope you leave the rest of your money in the casino as well.  Don’t forget to check out their famous Lotus Pond in the hotel’s lobby.

Yes – there you have it – the casino of course.

A gigantic statue of Guan Yin (that wasn’t there when i visited last)

The Museum of Macau is all about the history of Macau – it’s up on a hill of a 16th century fort – check out the canons and artillery they used back then.

The famous Ruins of St Paul’s – how can anyone miss that right – even if i were to go there every year i would want a picture of the Ruins. Many movies and tv shows were filmed here.

Signs everywhere now.

The Pou Tai Un Temple in Taipa.

The Observation Tower in Macau – also known as the Macau Tower

Up at the Observation Tower – you not only see the awesome views of the entire Macau, you can dine there – watch a show there, shop and of course go for a thrilling walk on the Skywalk – where you walk on glass flooring.

Here I leave you with one of the views of the Macau Tower – both day and night views are different – just like in Paris. By the way – Stanley Ho the owner of the many casinos in Macau – almost all – was in Auckland when he saw the Sky Tower there that he commissioned a similar one to be built in Macau.  The work started in 1998 and opened for the first time in 2001.  Like i said – i have many stories to tell about Macau – next would be the things you can buy and eat in Macau.

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!!