Saturday, February 12, 2011
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Glenelg, probably Adelaide's most popular beach town
Glenelg - pronounced as "Glen-nelg" - is where I used to live for 6 months in Adelaide. It is 25 minutes bus ride from the city centre and is connected by the one and only tram line in South Australia. Yes, that explains how big this "metro" is! Of course, it is at the time of writing - they are currently building an expansion network towards Port Adelaide.
Glenelg is a sort-of mini Melbourne where the tram line runs through the middle of the main street. It is a hippy town where shopping thrives during the day and clubs loom after dark. They do have a wide variety of cuisines as well. Some of them, however, are notably pricier due to the location. Glenelg is a busy bustling beach town with tourists, yuppies and seniors as well.
However, I appreciate more of the quiet, peaceful side of Glenelg. Finding a secluded spot, away from the public and unnoticed is not hard.
It is my favorite spot in Adelaide - where I use to do my beach runs in the 10 degree Celcius winter breeze to Grange, where I do my rides in spring mornings towards McLaren Vale, where I watch sunsets when I'm not working. My thoughts, secrets, emotions and love are buried underneath the sand on this beach. I will never forget those moments when this beach is my best friend listening to all my thoughts and spending precious moments with the lonely me :)
This is where my inspirations lies.
However, I appreciate more of the quiet, peaceful side of Glenelg. Finding a secluded spot, away from the public and unnoticed is not hard.
It is my favorite spot in Adelaide - where I use to do my beach runs in the 10 degree Celcius winter breeze to Grange, where I do my rides in spring mornings towards McLaren Vale, where I watch sunsets when I'm not working. My thoughts, secrets, emotions and love are buried underneath the sand on this beach. I will never forget those moments when this beach is my best friend listening to all my thoughts and spending precious moments with the lonely me :)
This is where my inspirations lies.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Serenading Hoi An, Vietnam
I shall start with my favorite place I have been - Hoi An, Vietnam.
Hoi An is located in central Vietnam, about less than an hour's drive from the nearest city Danang. This small town is a UNESCO World Heritage site that used to be one of the largest harbour in Southeast Asia known as Champa city. Name sounds familiar to you? Yes! We studied about it in our history books in Form 3 if I'm not mistaken.
Why do I like this small town? It is a fairly small place, best traveled with a bicycle or motorbike. Most guesthouses do have rentals for motorbikes. Some staff would even rent you their motorbike just to earn extra few dollars for the day. There are not as many tourists as the big cities in Saigon (almost a day's train ride away) or Hanoi (maybe 15-16 hours train ride?). You would have guessed by now why there are few tourists that goes there - most that visit are usually backpackers, sometimes you would see groups of Japanese or Koreans ;-)
Hoi An is a small town with a little streets and petite little buildings. Just imagine the ancient Chinese towns we watch in those emperor/dynasty Hong Kong dramas. Just like that but the difference is we're walking in it! Living it, eating it. Lovely.
They are also famous for their unique local dish, cao lầu, which you can find almost in any stalls by the roadside. Rumors has it that their soup is made from a sacred well somewhere in the town. If you ask me how does it taste, I'd say fairly similar to pho but just better :)
They have many little museums, some requires tickets and some don't. Some don't even check! So you can take your chances but there is nothing much to shout about. Just old artifacts, not much knowledge sharing about the history of the town but I can be wrong. Perhaps I did not go to the better ones nearby.
Just immerse yourself in the local culture will do just as great, or at least that's what I did ;-)
Hoi An is located in central Vietnam, about less than an hour's drive from the nearest city Danang. This small town is a UNESCO World Heritage site that used to be one of the largest harbour in Southeast Asia known as Champa city. Name sounds familiar to you? Yes! We studied about it in our history books in Form 3 if I'm not mistaken.
Why do I like this small town? It is a fairly small place, best traveled with a bicycle or motorbike. Most guesthouses do have rentals for motorbikes. Some staff would even rent you their motorbike just to earn extra few dollars for the day. There are not as many tourists as the big cities in Saigon (almost a day's train ride away) or Hanoi (maybe 15-16 hours train ride?). You would have guessed by now why there are few tourists that goes there - most that visit are usually backpackers, sometimes you would see groups of Japanese or Koreans ;-)
They are also famous for their unique local dish, cao lầu, which you can find almost in any stalls by the roadside. Rumors has it that their soup is made from a sacred well somewhere in the town. If you ask me how does it taste, I'd say fairly similar to pho but just better :)
They have many little museums, some requires tickets and some don't. Some don't even check! So you can take your chances but there is nothing much to shout about. Just old artifacts, not much knowledge sharing about the history of the town but I can be wrong. Perhaps I did not go to the better ones nearby.
Just immerse yourself in the local culture will do just as great, or at least that's what I did ;-)
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Of Ca Phe and Cultures.
These are the memories of my travels: one picture in one destination. No more, no less.A picture speaks a thousand words: mine recalls memories of the distant past, dreams of the near future.
p/s: Cà Phê (pronounced as Ka Fey) is a Vietnamese word for 'coffee' which I love having while people-watching and getting immersed in the cultures of the places I visit.
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