Travel and Photography

December 9, 2016

Children playgrounds at airports are useful for young parents

Photo Details: Trolleys at Changi Airport, Singapore (1.3644° N, 103.9915° E) March 2015

When I was a backpacker, I normally turn up and check-in about an hour before my flights. Now when we travels with our little one, we tend to try to be at the airport earlier to avoid any last minute complications. Furthermore if we take any long-ish flights (over 3 hours) and/or overnight ones, we will definitely try to be at the airport earlier. Most airports such as Singapore’s Changi Airport has children playgrounds. We find it very helpful to check-in earlier and bring our son to spend some time at the playground to tire him out a bit. This will make for a more peaceful flight- he will be tired and fall asleep easily on the flight.

However not many airports are so children-friendly. In fact of the many airports that we have travelled with him in Asia and Europe, the only other one apart from Changi that has anything akin to a children playground is Narita of Tokyo, Japan. I guess it is about time that the new airports should pay a bit more attention to such needs of young parents.

December 6, 2016

If you bring a young kid to Italy, better to bring a carrier than a stroller

Photo Details: Colosseum, Rome, Italy (41.8902° N, 12.4922° E), April 2011.

Italy is a beautiful country, modern yet ancient in a lot of ways. The most obvious manifestation of its heritage are the centuries-old cobblestone roads in most cities and its amazing collection of invaluable arts and architecture. Often most of its prized arts and historical collections are housed in museums within converted heritage buildings with beautiful split levels accessible by stairs and in some cases (now) by lifts. As most of these buildings are old, structurally it is very difficult to be modified to suit modern day needs such as air-condition and accommodating handicapped people. I never thought much about visiting such places and walking the few stairs to different floors to enjoy the marvellous displays until we brought our young son along when he was around 3 years old. We were then also not experienced enough to realise the niceties- instead of bringing and carrying him in a backpack child carrier, we opted to bring a stroller/pram. This caused enormous inconvenience while visiting museums as most of them do not have lifts conveniently located- even if they do, there are still needs to take a few flights of stairs to reach the lifts. This became a problem with a kid in a stroller!!

So a tip for travellers with young children visiting countries such as Italy and Spain; if you planned to visit museums, try to bring a carrier instead or on top of a stroller for your little one.

December 3, 2016

Who is afraid of height? Not me!

Photo Details: Taroko Gorge, Taiwan (24.1587° N, 121.6216° E) Oct 2015

Travelling with kids, especially a little one is very different from traveling alone as a backpacker. There are so many considerations to take into account. Accommodation comfort, suitable food availability and ease of obtaining it, hassle-less transport, keeping the little one interested and most important of all, keeping an eye on the little one.

Our son has just turned 5. In some ways it is easier to travel with him now- food is easier (though he has never been a problem), he can walk on his own most of the time, no need to rush back for afternoon naps and so on. However it has other challenges compared to when younger- he is more easily bored, he has his own mind and argues a lot more, if he is tired and does not want to walk, he is a lot more difficult to carry.

One can probably forget about lingering around to try to take quality photos at the right moments. There is no chance to do so and one can definitely forget about blue hours- it is dinner time!

That said, it is different fun traveling as a family with my beloved wife and my naughty son. There are always fun and memorable moments which we will remember but we doubt he will, at this age. An example was when he gamely and bravely walk across a hanging bridge on his own over a gorge at Taroko Gorge in Taiwan (he was 3+ then). It was so funny to watch him trundle, hopping across on his own without any fear of the height and surroundings. These are moments to cherish.

December 2, 2016

I have changed!!

Photo Details: Singapore, Dec 2016

Yes! I am a changed man.

I have changed to using Sony instead of Canon. I have used canon since I started taking photos and have a small collection of Canon cameras (both film and digital) and lenses. I was looking to upgrade from APS-C to full-frame and when I looked around, Canon did not impress me with their conservative approach to technology and photography. On the other hand, Sony is simply pushing the envelope in terms of incorporating awesome new technology that helps take better photos, into their new line of mirrorless cameras. Sony is just challenging the status quo by putting technology into their cameras while Canon is simply mining their gold (so to speak).

I started off with the amazing APS-C size A6000. I was very impressed by its capability and image quality. After spending some time with it, I decided that Sony is the right choice to move up to; I sold the A6000 and bought the A7M2.

One of the factors that encouraged me to switched to Sony was the ability to use my Canon lenses by an adapter. Though the functionality of Canon lenses on Sony body is slightly inferior than using the lenses natively, they are acceptable compromises to me.

So far I have been using the A7M2 on only a few trips. I have yet to fully explore its capabilities. It takes a little getting used to, coming from the Canon world. However I am sure I will have lots of fun with it.

November 30, 2016

A high altitude oasis- Hunder

Photo Details: Lake in Hunder, Nubra Valley, Kashmir, India (34.5753° N, 77.4989° E) Sept 2009

Hunder is a small village in the middle of the cold deserts of the Nubra Valley in Kashmir, India. It is a cold place with a desert that is actually very cold with sand dunes. Close to the disputed Siachen Glacier near the so-called border with Pakistan, it is an area tightly controlled by the Indian Army. The sand dunes and the desert is not exactly your Namibian-ish desert; still its rolling expanse is quite a sight especially being in the high altitude- it is cold! Even though the area surrounding the village is acrid and desolate, Hunder itself is quite an oasis famed for its orchards, nuts and flowers.

November 29, 2016

One of the busiest pedestrian crossing in the world- Shinjuku

Photo Details: Shinjuku Crossing, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan (35°39'30.65" N 139°42'4.79" E) May 2015.

Hi guys, I am back!

It has been over 3 years since my last post. I have been busy during this period, not with travel or so much with photography but with my family- my son is now 5 years old.

As a result, my travels these days are not the same as it was previously. With a young one along, we are now more in the mood of “family travels” where most of the time is spent in cities and/or more child-friendly environment. So the photos that I am taking these days are not so “outdoor” but more street photography, mixed in with lots of family photos.

Therefore I am now changing the format and focus of this blog a bit. I will still be posting photos- in fact I am planning to do a “1-photo-a-day” regime very soon- with less exif data. I am also write about travelling with family and especially with a young kid. There are challenges and there are tips that we have acquired along the way that we would love to share with everyone.

So, here we go.

Shinjuku Crossing is supposedly the busiest pedestrian crossing in the world. At the peak hours, there are literally hundreds of pedestrians crossing this square block of traffic junction at every change of lights. This is one of the highlights to experience for anyone visiting Tokyo especially if you do not come from an Asian country where crowds are the norm.

June 26, 2013

Will traveling be eased because it is a UNESCO Heritage Site?

Locations: Bayabulak, Xinjiang, China (43.030°,84.150°)
Date: 27 May 1999; 10.20am
Camera: (analogue) Canon 500N with negatives and scanned

UNESCO just added 19 new sites to its Heritage list. Among the new additions is Tianshan Xinjiang, the Tianshan mountain system in Xinjiang. This is a uniquely beautiful and till now, fairly unspoilt area of China. In fact, one would not imagined oneself to be in China here, considering the pollution and destruction that is prevalent in the rest of China. This area is the home of the Uighurs, Mongolians and a host of other ethnic minorities of Central Asia. The beauty, especially the snow-covered mountain ranges is indescribable. Getting around these places is not that convenient but is well-worth the effort. Unfortunately these days accessibility is not as open as it used to. The Chinese authorities had bar access to some of these places citing security concerns. For example, Bayanbulak, a fabulously beautiful high altitude meadows grassland ringed by snow-capped mountains can now only be visited by foreigners who have a special pass. I hope that as a result of its listing as a UNESCO Heritage Site would prompt the authorities to ease up on its travel control.

May 28, 2013

When the sun is down

Location: Plaza Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA (36°10'17"N 115°8'50"W)
Date: 10 September 2006; 6.25pm
Camera: Canon 300D with kit lens

Las Vegas used to have a bit of a sleazy reputation and thrives mainly as a casino resort. However with stiff competition especially from new casinos in Asia, it had remake itself into a top-notch family-oriented resort as well as a convention destination. Many of the hotels in Vegas has attractions which every kid would love to visit, be it Shark Reef Aquarium, Dolphin Habitat or the Eiffel Tower Experience. Asian shoppers enjoy Vegas as there are plenty of outlet stores with great bargains to be have, just outside of town. However Las Vegas nightlife is still a very vibrant scene. Apart from continued indulgence around a casino table, there are plenty of clubs with the variety that will satisfy whatever one’s taste of party hangout. If you like to party to hip-hop, rock or pop music, go to the Jet at the Mirage. If you prefer a stunning vista, there is the Palms or Club X at Mandalay. Of course, there are plenty of Gentlemen's Club, after all this is still Vegas. Even if clubbing is not your thing, one can just hangout and enjoy the fabulous neon lights with a good chance of catching a glimpse of a celebrity.

January 11, 2013

The new icon of Singapore- supertrees

Location: Gardens by the Bay, Singapore (1° 16′ 56.89″ N, 103° 51′ 42.6″ E)
Date: 10 September 2012; 1.05 pm
Camera: Canon 500D with Sigma 17-70/f2.8-4.5

Singapore is continuously re-inventing itself for economic reasons. The country do not have any natural resources and its main niche is its physical location, being in the middle of important marine passageway. It has capitalized on that and branch out to promote itself successfully as the bridge or gateway between the East and West as well as first-mover in moving up the value chain in manufacturing. With other Asian countries catching up, it is tough for Singapore to stay on top, from a manufacturing perspective. As such the country has diversified itself into being a premium service provider as well as a premium destination. this despite its absolute lack of natural beauty- it creates landmarks and attractions.

One of the latest is the Gardens by the Bay, which sits on reclaimed land in the central of Singapore. The Gardens fit into the government’s attempt to differentiate itself as a “Garden City”, which it has been very successful in promoting- many tourists were absolutely impressed with the trees and gardens on the way from the airport to the city. Gardens by the Bay consists of a few conservatories- enclosed gardens within a huge glasshouse-like structure and a few Supertrees- tree-like structures that dominates the Gardens’ landscape. These supertrees ranges in height from 25m to 50m and are both vertical gardens as well as dining venues. The supertrees had very quickly became the latest Singapore icons.

October 17, 2012

Star Wars’ Storm Troopers must be inspired by these chimneys

Location: Casa Mila, Barcelona, Spain (41° 23′ 43″ N, 2° 9′ 42″ E)
Date: 24 August 2012; 6.05pm
Camera: Canon 500D with Sigma 17-70/f2.8-4.5

Casa Milla and Casa Battlo are 2 of the better-known creations in Barcelona. Though I find Casa Battlo more interesting, I believe that Casa Milla is probably more well-known due mainly to its enigmatic chimneys. The building was completed in 1912 and looking at these chimneys, I suspect that this must be the inspiration source for George Lucas’s Storm Troopers in Star Wars.

October 9, 2012

Something in China is worth preserving

Location: Yangshuo, Guangxi, China (24° 47′ 0″ N, 110° 30′ 0″ E)
Date: 10 October 2008, 7.35am
Camera: Canon 400D with Sigma 17-70/f2.8-4.5

China is a fast changing country, driven by the government’s haste to modernise and develop and the poeple’s desire to get rich fast. As a result everything in the country that is able to make money is changing at break-neck speed. This includes nature- new structures (buildings) are being built, roads being constructed and old architecture being demolished (to make room for newer ones). In places where one thought are safe from the intrusion of ugly fangs of commercial development such as Yuanyang, structures such as viewing platform are built in its midst to improve the convenience for tourists to enjoy the view- of course, paying for the benefit of using the platform in the process. Lazy photographers will warmly welcome this while enthusiastic amateurs like us bemoan the opportunity of catching that prized scene that can only be captured with silent and patient devotion and waiting. However there are still places in China where nature still holds out eg. one can still enjoy a quiet pretty sunrise over the limestone karsts and Li River on the Li River Bridge in Yangshuo.

September 12, 2012

South China: Wanna buy a dog… to eat?

Location: Meizhou, Fujian, China (24° 16′ 37.2″ N, 116° 6′ 57.6″ E)
Date: 22 December 2010; 3.50pm
Camera: Canon 400D with Sigma 17-70/f2.8-4.5

It is said that the Chinese eats anything that moves. Well, that may be an exaggeration but the Chinese do actually eats a lot more living things that the normal Westerner can imagine. Animals, crustaceans, reptiles, birds and even insects are fair game. Not just meat, they consume all the different parts of an animal as well. Rhinoceros horns, bear paws, tiger bladders and bull penis are all valued for their medicinal benefits.

One of the delicacies of the Southern Chinese (Guangzhou, Fujian and Guizhou) that really gets under the skin of animal lovers is dog meat. This is a favourite dish in the winter; the meat is cooked and stewed in a casserole with various herbs. In other seasons, it is either bbq, grilled or braised. One can buy the meat fresh from the market- choose the canine that you like and it is killed, cleaned on the spot for you. These days, the dogs that are consumed are reared specially for this purpose.

September 7, 2012

Gaudi is on the mind of every tourists to Barcelona

Location: Casa Batllo, Barcelona, Spain(41° 23′ 30″ N, 2° 9′ 54″ E)
Date: 23 August 2012; 8.05pm
Camera: Canon 500D with Sigma 17-70/f2.8-4.5

Barcelona is one of the most popular destinations in Spain. The city is always bursting with tourists. Architecture is the main tourist draw in Barcelona; and it is virtually all about Gaudi. At least seven of his designs are being listed under one UNESCO Heritage Listing. Tourists to Barcelona can be seen busying themselves at the various Gaudi buildings and/or parks.

The most well-known of Gaudi’s creations has to be Sagrada Familia, the monumental and forever-unfinished cathedral; it will be the world’s largest cathedral when it is scheduled to be completed in 2026. However the most emblematic of his creations is supposedly Casa Milla (or La Pedera) with its enigmatic Star Wars’ Storm Troopers-like chimneys. However I prefers Casa Batllo to Milla because visitors can access all of the former mansion with an excellent (free) audio guide giving an excellent account of the mansion; whereas only the roof of Casa Milla is opened to visitors. Visitors have to contend with seeing models of Gaudi’s other creations as the main content of the visit (furthermore it is more expensive with extra for the audio guide).

June 27, 2012

Singapore is a mix of the old and ultra-modern

Location: Chinatown, Singapore (1° 17′ 5.46″ N, 103° 50′ 38.42″ E)
Date: 12 October 2010; 7.20pm
Camera: Canon 400D with Sigma 17-70/f2.8-4.5

A recent survey by a credit card company placed Singapore as one of the top 3 tourist destinations in the world. I have to say that I am absolutely surprised to read that. Ok, the city-state has put in a lot of effort to remake itself into a more globalised and friendly destination including adding new “attractions” such as the world’s largest ferris wheel and iconic architecture such as the Marina Bay Sands, and the soon-to-be-completed spectacular Gardens by the Bay. It has also totally remake itself form a strict society that bans long hair in the 80’s (Kitaro was not allowed to perform there then due to his long hair) and strict movie censorship to one of the most liberal in Asia- hell, these days fans from around Asia flock to Singapore to attend concerts and its TV programs are indistinguishable in terms of content intact from those of US broadcasts. Yet it is extremely difficult to believe that these had made the city-state a must-go among world tourists. Perhaps amongst the less discerning ones. A more believable report is that the city-state has now become the favourite destination for wedding photography for newly-weds from around Asia.

June 25, 2012

Sungei Ringit- soon will be sleeping fishing town no more

Location: Sungei Rengit, Johor, Malaysia (1° 21' 0 N, 104 ° 13' 0 E)
Date: 17 April 2008 10.20am
Camera: Canon 400D with Sigma 17-70/f2.8-4.5

Sungei Rengit is a small sleepy fishing town in the Pengerang district in the southeast corner of West Malaysia. It is popular with Singaporeans who come over in the weekends, either with their bicycles to cycle around the quaint countryside or in buses to pray at the various Chinese temples. Most of these weekend tourists will top off their visit with a sumptuous but cheap seafood meal in or around the town. However all of these are about to change with plan to build a RM5 billion (US$1.6 billion) independent deep-water petroleum terminal project and a regional oil storage hub due for completion in 2016. There are already various construction activities going on. Cyclists will soon have to cycle along highways, sharing them with tankers. Tourists coming over looking for “peace and quiet” quaint setting for their activities may bemoan the development and changes but the local population welcome such economic activities which bring employment and economic benefits to them. Ultimately that’s what’s more important rather than standing still as a playground for others.

June 21, 2012

How will the Euro crisis affects tourism in affected countries?

Location: Samos town on Samos Island, Greece (37° 44′ 0″ N, 26° 50′ 0″ E)
Date: 4 April 2010; 3.15pm
Camera: Canon 400D with Canon 70-200/f4L USM

The Euro crisis is throwing many people’s travel plans into a tailspin; at least those to and from some countries of Europe. The major concern for such travellers will likely to be how the exchange rates will be moving and how much as well as any implications in social order in some countries. In the case of Greece, the concern is not so much the Euro fluctuations but rather what would be the currency then and how chaotic things can be in that country. Interestingly friends in Europe’s critical-list countries such as Greece and Spain actually expects record tourist arrivals in the traditional high summer season. They reckon the current economic upheaval will encourage foreign tourists (which make up the bulk of their tourist trade) to visit the countries to take advantage of any potential price advantage on account of the weaker domestic demand or affordability.

June 18, 2012

Few travellers have been here before

Location: Yungbulakang Palace, Tibet, China (29° 8′ 38.76″ N, 91° 48′ 0.72″ E)
Date: 26 May 2005; 10.45am
Camera: Canon 300D with kit kens

China has been locking down Tibet, in an effort to prevent foreigners witnessing or accessing first-hand her iron-fisted policies on the Tibetan population. In 2011, Tibet was closed to foreign travellers for 3 months. This is happening again this year as more Tibetans are self-immolating as a protest against her repressive policies. It has been reported again that no independent foreign travellers are allowed into Tibet for the month of June. Only foreign travellers in a group of at least 5 from the same country are allowed to travel inside Tibet, and with a travel agent.

Personally I felt that this is counter-productive. Travellers generally, do not want to get involved in the country’s domestic affairs, apart from lending a sympathetic ear to complaints by Tibetans. Closing off the province simply give the impression that China has something to hide about its activities in Tibet from the world.

April 11, 2012

Will K2 be the same again the next time I am at Concordia?

Location: K2 , Pakistan (35° 44′ 0″ N, 76° 31′ 0″ E)
Date: 10 July 2007; 7.30am
Camera: Canon 400D with Sigma 17-70/f2.8-4.5

I can boast with a little confidence that there are many places which I have been to that many people will only dreamed about. Predominantly I would list the high-attitude trekking to places such as Everest Base Camp, Concordia/K2 Base Camp, various places in Tibet and remote China and Ladakh/Kashmir. In fact I would love to go back to some of these places again for a couple of reasons:

(1) these places are no longer the same- most are more developed and lose their characters such as parts of (then) remote China, and permanent and irreversible changes to the landscape and environment wrought by climactic changes such as the Himalayas; and

(2) these places are so beautiful beyond descriptions and such a valuable experience that I like to bring the people that I loved, such as my wife and kid, to go enjoy them with me.

Hence, I made a promise to myself that I will trek to the Everest and Concordia Base Camps again, this time bringing my loved ones with me.

Technorati Tags: Pakistan,Concordia,K2,mountains

March 30, 2012

This used to be a church, before it became a mosque and then a museum

Location: Deësis mosaic, Hagia Sophia, Instanbul, Turkey (41° 0′ 31″ N, 28° 58′ 48″ E)
Date: 20 April 2010, 9.20am
Camera: Canon 400D with Sigma 17-70/f2.8-4.5

Hagia Sophia is a former church, then a mosque, and now a museum. As I have written before. to me it is comparable to the Vatican’s St Peter’s Basilica in its grandeur and place in history. One of the most exciting feature of the now-museum is the Deësis mosaic. It depicts Jesus as the ruler but what struck me is the tone of the mosaic and the humane and soft tone of the depictions. It is one of the strongest reminder to visitors that this building was a church.

Hagia Sophia is one of the must-see for any visitors to Turkey; hence it is always crowded with tourists, be it independent or the hordes that comes in tour groups. The best time to visit the building with a little peace and quiet is the earlier hours of the morning, when the tour groups hasn’t arrived yet.

March 20, 2012

This scene of Mount Semeru is probably gone forever

Location: Bromo-Tengger-Semeru National Park, East Java, Indonesia (7°59'7.19"S 112°59'9.64"E)
Date: 16 July 2008; 8.50am
Camera: Canon 400D with Sigma 17-70/f2.8-4.5

Bromo-Tengger-Semeru National Park is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Indonesia. It is popular for the casual tourists as well as those who are more adventurous. For the regular tourists, watching the sunrise over the volcanoes is the highlight; for the outdoor enthusiasts, trekking up Semeru and the breathtaking sunrise above the clouds at the summit of Semeru are most unforgettable. In fact one of the most unforgettable and rewarding experience of such a trek up Semeru has been the sense of adventure, proximity and feeling the power and danger of the regular eruptions of the volcano up-close. However since the violent eruptive activities of Semeru in late 2010/early 2011, which resulted in the ban on trekking up the volcano for a while, Semeru does not throw up any smoke and lava on a regular basis anymore. It is now just another volcano with (unimpressive) little plumes of smoke from its crater.

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