2012-03-14

Chinese New Year in Taiwan


Shihfen Waterfall, Taipei
There are pros and cons to visit Taiwan in the Chinese New Year.  On the one hand we did experience the bustling and exciting atmosphere of this big festival of Chinese culture, on the other hand some hard times in transportation were inevitable.  We landed in Taipei on the 20th of January.  We went sightseeing at some main attractions in Taipei on the 21st before departing at night for Chiayi which was a point of departure for the famous Alishan.  We also spent some time in Tainan before heading back to Taipei where we stayed for four more days by the end of the vacation.  Worth mentioning was the Taiwan High Speed Rail that brought us from city to city in around 20 minutes.  It’s a very advanced and well-developed system opened in 2007.  It’s also the most effective means of transportation throughout our trip.  What I loved most about Taiwan were still all those palatable foods found in night markets.



Puji Temple, Beitou, Taipei
The Taipei Metro was adequate, and so we were at ease touring around the city.  Main attractions included Mengjia Longshan Temple, National Taiwan Democracy Memorial Hall, and 228 Peace Memorial Park.  There were also Taipei 101, the second tallest commercial building in the world, and Beitou hot springs district, where we went for a private hot springs hotel room instead of the public outdoor hot springs.  You don’t want to miss such high quality hot springs!  Besides, we had a half-day trip and a 1-day trip in two hot spots named Jiufen and Shihfen respectively.  Never once had I see crowded trains like those.  We could hardly breathe.  If you are fine in an extremely jam-packed train, go visit Jiufen, which is a small town filled with both retro Chinese and Japanese style cafes, tea houses, and souvenir shops, as well as stunning views of the ocean, and Shihfen, where you can see the biggest waterfall in Taiwan.  


Two Sisters Pond, Alishan
Visitors go to Chiayi probably only for the popular scenic spot called Alishan, which is a range of mountains on Taiwan’s spine and from which Taiwan’s highest mountain, Yushan, is easily visible.  Since the famous Alishan Forest Railway from Chiayi was under maintenance, we took a bus at Chiayi HSR.  The journey took over two hours including toilet breaks.  We went sightseeing around Alishan by walking around trails indicated on a map provided by the hotel.  We were excited about the view from Jhushan just before dawn, the top attraction in Alishan.  The next morning we woke up so early, took Alishan Forest Railway up to this peak, and waited there frozen at 0 degree Celcius.  Unfortunately, we saw nothing due to heavy fog.  What a disappointing start of the day!  Back in Chiayi we shopped and ate again in the big night market.  We also had a massage the night before leaving the city.


Fort Provintia, Tainan
Tainan City is known as one of Taiwan’s oldest cities and cultural capitals for its rich folk cultures including famous local snack food and extensively preserved Taoist rites.  There are more Buddhist and Taoist temples in Tainan than any other city in Taiwan.  We particularly loved a big night market in Tainan, as there was a wider variety of mouth-watering snack food.  We would have gained some weight if we stayed longer.  It’s nice seeing all those cultural heritages too, but again we disliked the messy traffic.  There wasn’t a well-developed rail system and there were always long queues at bus stops.  We visited Anping Fort which was built by Dutch in 1624 and had been the administrative center of the Dutch regime and the hub for trading, and Chikan Lou, the Chinese style towers built on top of an old Dutch fort called Provintia where some of the original brick foundations could still be seen in certain areas of the site. 

2012-01-27

Pacific Coast Scenic Route from New South Wales to Queensland

Sydney


Upon arrival at Sydney Airport on the 23rd of December, we caught the Airport Train that brought us to city in 15 minutes.  Once we’d reached the City Rail Network, it took only another 15 minutes before we could check in and drop our baggage at the hotel.  Already at this point we started to like Sydney as its transport network was so adequate, convenient, and tourist-friendly.  After that long-haul flight and a busy morning, we decided to spend a relaxing afternoon lying down at the well-known Bondi Beach where people learn to surf.  Unless surfing is a primary goal, however, Bondi Beach is nothing more than a nice clean beach.  For those with a tight schedule, Bondi Beach might not be a must-see.

We went sightseeing on Christmas Eve.  The iconic Opera House was smaller than expected; nevertheless, it’s the most impressive architecture in Sydney.  Royal Botanic Gardens was probably not a main attraction, but from which we got a best view of Opera House together with Sydney Harbor Bridge.  We spent most of the day wandering around this prosperous Sydney Harbor where there were street performances, shops, ice-cream and local snacks, and diversified choices of restaurants, before walking to Darling Harbor, which was only 3km away.  While we were about to dine in a roofless table in a seafood restaurant beside the Harbor, there was a firework display right over.  What a surprisingly wonderful Christmas Eve!


Blue Mountains


On 25th morning we left Sydney and headed northwest by car.  We had a Christmas day in Katoomba, the most visited town in the Blue Mountains.  First, Scenic Railway, the steepest railway incline in the world, brought us down the valley.  It was a very exciting ride.  Second, there were a few pretty waterfalls on the way of various walks clearly signposted when strolling along the Scenic Walkaway.  I was enthusiastic to boost calorie consumption.  Finally, Scenic Cableway took us on a 545 meter ride during which there was a breathtaking panoramic view into the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area rainforest of the Jamison Valley.  Three Sisters were magnificent.  No wonder they deserved to be an icon of Katoomba. 


Hunter Valley


From Blue Mountains we headed northeast and spent a night in a small town called Gosford.  The next day morning we set off to Brisbane Water National Park, which was just a 15-min drive away.  Again, it was a day of hike.  Resting points were some rocky platforms in front of pretty waterfalls that cooled us off.  We really loved the peaceful and beautiful nature in Australia.  Likewise, the view of extensive fields in Hunter Valley or Wine Country, the Australia’s premier wine growing district 170km north of Gosford, was another bit of picturesque nature.  We sampled some of Australia’s finest wines and enjoy top quality cuisine, before reluctantly leaving this whole piece of spacious green for continuing our journey to the north.


Port Stephens


This holiday heaven called Port Stephens composing of 26 beaches was simply marvelous especially when the clear seawater mirrored the azure sky and shiny sun.  The first stop was Nelson Bay.  There was lots of parking, but so were the people.  Luckily we were able to park shortly outside Nelson Head Lighthouse where we visited the lightkeepers house and the attached light room.  Tomaree National Park was the next stop.  Instead of seeing pretty waterfalls, it was an exciting adventure into wildlife.  Right at the entrance I was frightened as a huge lizard came all of a sudden crawling across the trail just 4 meters away in front of me.  It was really huge!  It was a pity it happened so fast that we were not able to capture this huge friend.  Various animals also showed up to say hi while we were on our way to reach the top.  It was quite an exhausting hike at about 28 degree Celsius, but we had no regrets when we were standing at the top enjoying perfect panoramic views over the bay.  We then left Nelson Bay for other nice spots such as Shaol Bay and Fingal Bay for the rest of the day.


Last Few Stops in New South Wales


Continuing up the coast, Seal Rocks was another popular area for its many premier surfing beaches.  Even though we never surfed, all these nice clean Australian beaches were best spots for a relaxing sedentary day.  On 30th morning we were approaching the very north of New South Wales.  We didn’t do much in Coffs Harbor, except for getting a photo of the famous Big Banana, in order to earn more nice times in the beachside town Byron Bay and meet our schedule to arrive in Brisbane by New Year Eve afternoon.  Unexpectedly, after a 3-hour drive, we could do nothing but shopping in Byron Bay, as the blue sky and sunshine finally wanted a day off.  It was the only rainy day throughout the 18-day journey.  We settled in a hotel early this night. 


Brisbane


Here we were in Queensland on 31st morning.  After a nice walk at the long Broadbeach and a happy lunch time at one of Queensland’s largest shopping centers called Pacific Fair, we departed Gold Coast for a stop at Tamborine National Park on the way to Brisbane.  There were some more pretty waterfalls.  It was a bit of a rush.  We arrived at Brisbane City Backpackers at 19:00.  While we were about to head to South Bank to watch the fireworks display, it was quite an amazing discovery when I came upon the rooftop garden of this hostel where everybody was ready for the 20:00 fireworks tailored for family with kids who needed to go to bed early.  It was a full clear view there!  We had a very happy New Year.

Nothing was planned for the 1st of January.  We wandered around a central district of Brisbane where we came across a big tourist information center.  We intended to ask whether there were anything interesting to see in Brisbane city, but then we realized all most featured destinations were about animals.  Since we needed to head 300km north and settled in Hervey Bay this night for catching a tour next early morning, we picked Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary which was located only 15-min drive away from where we were.  I had already come close to koalas and kangaroos years ago, but this was an unforgettable first time I held a koala in my arms and was surrounded by a mass of kangaroos enjoying themselves freely at their spacious home. 


Fraser Island


Fraser Island is considered the largest sand island in the world.  It was also Queensland’s largest island, and the largest island on the East Coast of Australia.  Shortly after arrival at Fraser Island at around half past nine, we boarded a big four wheel drive that brought enough excitements as it drove along bumpy roads.  The first stop was the well-known freshwater lakes called Lake McKenzie at which the beach sand was nearly pure silica.  I loved the beautiful water color of this lake.  Also noteworthy was the Seventy-Five Mile beach running along most of the east coast of Fraser Island.  We had a long ride on this beach.  It was fun!  Other spots included Central Station, Wanggoolba Creek, Pinnacles, the wreck of the cruise ship Maheno, and Eli Creek. 

Fraser Island is definitely a holiday paradise.  Joining a tour, however, isn’t the best option for us lovers of freedom.  We woke up very early just to catch the tour bus that spent lots of time detouring around Hervey Bay to pick up everyone at different hotels before departing for the pier.  Also, we were obliged to follow a schedule.  For example, we could spend only one hour at the paradisal Lake McKenzie, but too much time at spots that we didn’t find extraordinary.  We always prefer individual visit to tour group, but visiting Fraser Island without joining a tour sounds quite hard.  Individual visitors on the islands were mostly Australian vacationers, but not overseas travelers.


Great Keppel Island


Most time of the next day we were on the road, as Hervey Bay and the next stop Rockhampton were 400km apart.  We did understand the advantages of being on a coastal scenic driving route in Queensland, so we stopped at coastal towns and beaches on the way for lunch, tea time, and relaxation.  On 4th of January, we headed to the ferry pier where we departed for Great Keppel Island.  Passengers were deposited at the island’s main beach that didn’t appear exceptional.  We hiked for more than half an hour before arriving at the beautiful Shelving Beach best for snorkeling.  Seawater there was clean, clear, and baby blue.  We had lots of fun swimming with fishes over coral reefs.  There was no tour schedule to follow.  We just needed to be very aware of time of departure of the returning ferry, because the ferry did only one round trip to and from Great Keppel Island each day.


Whitehaven Beach


The next morning we arrived at Meridien Marinas Abel Point of Airlie Beach, a popular point of departure for Whitsunday Island.  As we realized how clear the seawater right at the marina was, we were expecting much more at Whitehaven Beach, Queensland’s cleanest beach well-known for its  distinctive white fine sands on which we walked barefoot comfortably on that hot day.  Water was clean, clear, and perfectly blue.  We were certain it’s the most beautiful beach we’d ever seen.  I always appreciate how successful Australia government is to protect nature.  Dogs are not permitted on the beach and cigarette smoking is prohibited.  It was a great day.  What a pity time was quite limited as it took a long time to travel to and from Whitsunday Island.
                                      

Paronella Park


While we were looking for something to do on 6th of January, we were told that Paronella Park, located exactly on our way towards Cairns, was worth a visit.  The park was built by a Spanish man named Jose Paronella in the 1930s with diverse facilities inspired by Spanish castles.  The spectacular Mena Creek Falls attracted my attention the most.  The pretty waterfalls, fountains, bridges, and plants in the gardens were all best choices of shooting background.  It was fun feeding the starving fishes too.  Regarding wildlife mentioned in the tourist brochure, we hardly saw anything else except for lizards, animals found almost everywhere in Australia.  We were happy we didn’t miss this nice park, though the entrance fee was AUD38, fair enough.
 





The Great Barrier Reef


The Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest coral reef system composed of over 2900 individual reefs.  In order to minimize chances of disappointment caused by adverse weather conditions or even just cloudy sky with a little rain, we’d booked separate tours to two coral cays, Michaelmas Cay and Green Island, for 7th and 8th of January respectively.  It turned out to be two perfect sunny days, yet we were right anyway to go on two tours, firstly because the two cays themselves were different beauties, secondly with the long way from and to Cairns time allowed at the Cay was just not enough for scuba diving, snorkeling, and sightseeing all in one day.  It was an unforgettable experience to swim with sea turtles and abundant fishes over the beautiful coral reef.

2011-08-10

USA HoneyJune

Right after our wedding in early June, we departed on the 6th of June for this 3-week honeymoon in the United States.  We went from the West Coast where we visited San Francisco and Los Angeles in California, Las Vegas in Nevada, and Grand Canyon in Arizona, to Florida in the southeast where we spent around a week in Miami and Orlando, and finally to the capital Washington and New York City in the East.  It was a wonderful journey, not only were we extra happy being newly wedded, we were also impressed by the diversity of this giant country that would give different surprises.  Among all those cities we both liked Las Vegas the most while we might want to use the word dislike for Washington for a particular reason.  Grand Canyon as part of the beautiful nature was my favorite too.


San Francisco

It’s a bit cool there in San Francisco in June, especially for us travelers coming from a hot region.  Since the Golden Gate Bridge was known as one of the most internationally recognized symbols of the city, we headed to the Fisherman’s Wharf, first of all, to purchase a ticket for Golden Gate Bay Cruise that cost 24 dollars per person.  We didn’t find the experience extraordinary as it’s simply a crowded boat with open seating, nor did the Bridge appear more impressive in close shot.  On the contrary, driving past the Bridge might be an alternative best option.  Back at Fisherman’s Wharf, we spent an afternoon at Pier 39, a shopping center and popular tourist attraction built on a pier located at the edge of the Wharf.  We were seated by the window in a seafood restaurant from which a bunch of sea lions resting on wooden platforms was clearly seen.  On the next day we toured around the city by hopping on and off tour buses.  Muir Woods National Monument was the last destination of our 3-day stay.  Also on this last day we rented a car and started a coastal journey towards Los Angeles.
 


Los Angeles

On the way between the two cities we didn’t see any big attractions, but several scenic viewpoints and nice clean beaches along the Pacific coast.  Upon arrival in L.A. the first destination was Beverly Hills, an affluent city as well as home to the shopping district Rodeo Drive.  We also visited the Hollywood Walk of Fame nearby.  Both were lively districts full of tourists engaged in sightseeing, shopping, watching street performances, etc.  On the 14th we had lots of fun in Universal Studios, the last but best spot throughout our stay in California.  Simulation of earthquake and King Kong movie scene were one of my favorites.  This movie studio and theme park entertained visitors of all ages due to its great diversity.  We were glad we arrived and started the day at its opening time at 10:00, because we wouldn’t have been able to tour around the whole park before it closed.  On the next day we returned the car at the airport and departed for Las Vegas.


Las Vegas

Flying from LAX to LAS there was a transition from autumn to burning summer all of a sudden in one hour, regardless of proximity between California and Nevada.  Known as The Entertainment Capital of the World famous for its consolidated casino-hotels and associated entertainment, it’s not surprising to see slot machines everywhere right at the airport on the way to baggage claim.  We went on a shuttle that brought us to Bellagio Hotel, which was a perfect choice.  Through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows in our guest room we had a magnificent view of the center of this resort city.  What we loved most was the dynamic performance from the Fountains of Bellagio both in daytime and at night, and also the marvelous Cirque de l'Eau held in the theater of Bellagio.  We spent two full days on experiencing this internationally renowned city of gambling, shopping and fine dining.  



Grand Canyon

On the 16th we were brought from Bellagio by a limousine to a Grand Canyon’s point of departure where we boarded a helicopter.  The whole thing was costly, but it proved worthwhile because there were the most stunning views on the way to the Canyon on the helicopter.  The package also included a short boat trip.  From the river we could see the Canyon in a different angle.  Everything was good, except that the free time allowed at the site was too limited.  We needed to be on time to catch the same helicopter that flew us back to Las Vegas.  All those times spent in Nevada were great, but it’s extremely hot.  You might need to be well equipped with sunglasses, hats, powerful sunscreens, shorts and vests for this trip.



Miami


On the 17th we left West Coast for Florida.  After settling in a hotel in a renowned coastal resort city called Miami Beach, we spent the rest of this day at the nearby South Beach.  It’s a nice day lying on the fine sand and swimming in the clear water.  For the 18th we’d booked a tour of a remote location called Key West mainly for underwater activities.  In the early morning we got on a tour bus that needed to detour around the area to pick up everyone.  That’s the problem of travelling in group.  Worst of all, it took 3.5 hours to reach the destination and another 3.5 to come back.  We passed most of the day on the bus, but only a very short time on the cruise ship that brought us to snorkel offshore in perfect clear water, and in the lively city center where there were Key West Museum of Art and History, various kinds of shops and restaurants.  Like lots of places in Florida, Key West is beautiful, but you might want a 2-night stay instead of a 1-day trip.  Also beware when you need to join any tour.  All those tours never specify travelling time to and from a destination.


Disney World


On the 19th we flew from Miami to Orlando where shuttles were right there at the airport to pick up guests of Disney World Resorts.  We’d booked a 4-night stay in Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort, which we would now be happy to recommend to others.  The rest of this first day we toured around Downtown Disney which was nothing inferior to those four theme parks.  From the 20th to 22nd we visited Epcot, Magic Kingdom Park and Disney’s Hollywood Studios.  For us it’s more about sightseeing than entertainment.  Disney World is a wonderland for kids after all.  This Hollywood Studios was interesting, but not as much as the one in L.A.  We had very happy times in Orlando, except that it’s a bit too hot.


Washington


We went from Southeast up to East Coast where we landed in Washington, D.C., the capital of United States.  On the 24th we went sightseeing in the city by means of subway.  U.S. Capitol, White House, Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, etc. were all nice places to see.  This one of the largest metropolitan areas of the U.S. fell short of our expectations, however, as we saw the police going after a group of criminals right in front of us at a train platform.  We were shocked.  We were there for only two days.  Were similar scenes easily seen every two days in Washington?



New York

Last four days of our honeymoon we had lots of fun exploring New York City, the most populous city in the United States known for its status as a financial and cultural center, the largest gateway for immigration to the country, and also as a choice of destination for many foreign visitors.  Once again we travelled by means of subway.  Even though the subway system in New York was so old, it’s very well developed, extensive, and efficient.  I was just a little annoyed at one point when we needed to go out of the gate up to the ground and cross the street to take another line in the same station.  We went up the Empire State Building that overlooked Midtown Manhattan, walked around Wall Street, visited the Statue of Liberty, shopped at Times Square, strolled into Central Park, etc.  We also had some nice meals at Manhattan Chinatown, the biggest Chinatown I’d ever seen.  By the way, we were quite satisfied with our stay in Grand Hyatt New York, a quality hotel located just over Grand Central Station.

2011-01-10

Santa Claus in Snowy Finland

No doubt it was such good fun to meet the Santa Claus and cross the magical Arctic Circle at the Santa Claus Village in Lapland especially for the Christmas holiday in December. We were also so excited sending friends and relatives greetings from the Santa Claus Main Post Office with the unique Arctic Circle postmark. Unless the trip is intended only for a festive occasion on which partying with friends and visiting the Santa are main goals, however, it might be a bad idea to go sightseeing in the beautiful Finland in extremely cold weather and during the period of shortest daylight in winter. Ease of transportation is a concern as well even for those travelling by car. Besides, smooth communication in English is not guaranteed as even staff working in Helsinki main train station are illiterate in English. Rovaniemi, Tampere, Hameenlinna, Turku, and Helsinki are all nice places to see.  Just make enough efforts to plan for your perfect trip before you set off!