Better Days

Things turn out ain't that bad after all. The storm in my heart is over. I'm getting good sleep and gaining weight; enjoying the lifestyle and travels; free from financial woes; meeting new friends and great people around. There are really better days ahead. Rejoice.

Mini Travel Log: Auckland, New Zealand (3)

On this trip, I made a boat trip to the iconic volcanic island of Auckland; the Rangitoto Island. This symmetrical volcano cone is clearly visible from the city area and probably the most photographed icon of Auckland; where pictures of it are widely circulated over the internet. It is a very young island formed by eruptions just over 600 years ago. Black lava stones where the lavas once flowed are clearly visible; thus giving the island distinctive black color in areas where the ground is still sterile to vegetation. The crater rim at the summit offers interesting sights. One can view the volcano opening, albeit being covered with cooled off molten rocks and mud surrounded by green vegetation. Around the rim, you can have a 360 panoramic view of Auckland and surroundings. Although not active anymore, future eruptions are still predicted to likely happen by scientists. So, visit this island at your own risk. If by chance I spot signs of smoke, I'll be the first one off the island considering the fact of recent earthquake in Christchurch and many more in other parts of the world this year. I ain't wanna be roasted.

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Related link: Mini Travel Log: Auckland, New Zealand (2)
Related link: Mini Travel Log: Auckland, New Zealand (1)

Mini Travel Log: Amsterdam, Holland

Tulips, windmills, oranje, world cup runners-up, red light district, weed, space cakes, house boats and city below sea level. Does any of the above ring a bell? One will be quick to associate some of the above to the country Holland or Netherlands without any doubt. This country or specifically the city Amsterdam is famous (notorious) for all the good and bad reasons above. The red light district is the most distinctive feature of Amsterdam. Girls parade themselves behind huge glass windows; which you probably wouldn't find this in any other parts of the world. The people here are so open about sex that you'll find interesting sight such as a church on the left, prostitute houses on the right and a kindergarden next to it! Apart from prostitution, the city also legalizes drugs. As you walk around the city, you'll see rows after rows of "coffee shops". With strong distinctive "smell" emanating from those shops, it doesn't take a genius to figure out what they are actually serving inside. You can smoke weed and also eat space cakes (cake laced with drugs) in those shops legally if you can prove your age. Moving away from the vices, Amsterdam has its own unique charms. Museums are abound for the art lovers, or you can take boat cruises along the many canals and see the distinctive house boats. If you are a huge fan of Heineken beer, then the Heineken Brewery is not to be missed. If you are bringing your girlfriend along, then there is one place where you cannot bring her to, which are the diamond centers. There are many diamond centers around the city which some offer tours around their diamond factory. Here, you'll learn how diamonds are cut and processed. They are even generous enough to let you try on their huge diamonds worth up to 30k euro a piece. Definitely doesn't sound too good to your wallet.

Just a word of caution when you're walking around the city. Amsterdam produces the best breed of cyclists in the world. All their bicycles come without brakes. As they can easily knock you down anytime, they also have to skills to avoid vehicles. It means that you better give way to them if you're walking.

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Switzerland Mega Tour

First of all, sorry for MIA quite a while. Been on a rough ride through shitty "weather" lately. For those who kept supporting this blog and returned daily, thank you for your support. In return, I present you the ultimate post of the year for this blog. Enjoy tonnes of beautiful pictures below.

To fix a sore throat, you eat Swiss Ricola. To fix a broken body, mind and soul, you go to Switzerland. I did just that in my 2-week soul searching-and-fixing holiday in the land of Swiss. At the sight of the beautiful landscape, all your worries will disappear right away. With the amazing scenery, fresh air, crystal clear Alpine water; it's a heaven like no other places in this world. What more the Swiss chicks are hot as well. I don't mind marrying a Swiss farm girl and stay in the beautiful countryside; away from all the big ugly cities and their problems.

The most important thing to bring to Switzerland is not your passport nor money, it is the Swiss Pass. This Swiss Pass is the daddy of all transportation ticket in Switzerland. You can buy it online or at the airport on your arrival. This ticket entitles you to free travel on almost 99% of trains, buses and boats all over Switzerland. Best of all, it also includes free passes to museums all over the country. With it, you don't have to scratch your head of where to go. You just hop on and off at the destinations of your liking on any day you wish. Get even further discounts for travels with 2 persons or more.

To say you have truly explored Switzerland, you have to like outdoor activities, walking and mountain hiking in the first place. If you are just another typical lazy tourist who follows tour agency, then I'm sorry to say Switzerland is not the place for you. Even if you travel there with the agency, you're just wasting your time and money; as the most beautiful places are always hidden behind the hills and mountains. Even on my 12 days in Switzerland, I still did not have enough time to fully explore the whole country. The best way to discover Switzerland is to spend probably a month here and hike to a new place everyday. Enjoy a good hot meal up on the mountains while enjoying the panoramic view, then head back to base mountain to spend a night in one of those cosy family-run hotels. Remember to bring along plentiful of sunscreens. The sun up in the Alps is very strong. You wouldn't want to get skin cancer as your souvenir.

Zurich
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Appenzell + Santis
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Mt. Titlis
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Lucerne
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Bern
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Jungfraujoch
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Zermatt + Matterhorn + Gornegrat
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Ballenberg
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Montreux + Vevey
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Rochers de Naye
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The Swiss Alphorn


Matterhorn and the Swiss Alps


Gornegrat, Matterhorn and the Swiss Alps


Rochers de Naye


*Note: It is too tedious to label every picture. Descriptions and locations of each picture taken are available in my Facebook album.

Mini Travel Log: London, UK

We brought the sunshine from Singapore to London when we touched down. I was told by the ground staff it had been awful and raining for the past week. With great sun, blue skies and cool temperature, I had a wonderful stay in the city. I benefited from the long day hours during summer, which I had spare time to visit more places and a cruise down Thames River. However when it comes to night time, I had to wait until 9pm for the sun to fully set. I have missed the chance to snap the beautiful city night shot from the hill up in Greenwich Park, because it closes at 8.30pm. The weather turned awful again on the day I left. Temperature dipped to a low of 16 deg during summer. Unbelievable. It reminded me of Melbourne, where the city can have 4 seasons in a day.

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Singapore Street/Night Photography, V4

Although Singapore is small, photography opportunities are endless. Being a young city, it is undergoing major transformation everyday. There are always new attractions and places popping up. And all these are carefully planned and artistically built to give Singapore such a beautiful yet futuristic city landscape. The recently completed Marina Bay Sands and the Helix Bridge is a testament to that. The rooftop garden of Marina Bay Sands is an engineering marvel.

I wrapped up my day with an ice cold beer on the rooftop garden. While enjoying the sunset, I can also see the city basking under the golden rays from the sun. Singapore has definitely come a long way to reach where she is today. As she will be celebrating the National Day soon; Happy Birthday.

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Related links:
Singapore Street/Night Photography, V3
Singapore Street/Night Photography, V2
Singapore Street/Night Photography, V1

Singapore Botanic Garden, V2

I had an outing at the Botanic Garden last year in my dog photography project. As mentioned earlier, it was cut short by an unexpected rain. I made a promise to return to this beautiful garden due to some "unfinished" business. Haha, actually I wanted to explore the entire garden. On a sunny Monday morning, I made my trip to the garden. While everyone else is stuck in the morning rush hour and Monday blues, I take the slow lane in the park. Breathing fresh air and having picnic in the lush greenery is definitely the way of life.

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Related link:
Singapore Botanic Garden, V1
A walk in the park with "Celebrities"

Mini Travel Log: Munich, Germany

Munich is a very old city dating back to as early as year 1158. With a legacy of over 800 years old, this city is full of histories as with its' many well preserved medieval buildings. Parts of the city were destroyed by world war bombings but Munich rose from the ashes and was rebuilt to its former glory. I was really intrigued by the wonderful architectures here. The city is so clean and I was virtually breathing fresh air from the Alps. I arrived on the weekend and boy this city is alive with carnivals and concerts. I enjoyed open air classical orchestra right up to the latest pop music from so many different venues. I was in for a surprise initially when I came across a colorful carnival and parade at Marienplatz. I thought it was cool to see so many people dressing up in fancy clothes. Hey, so they do have cosplay here too like the ones in Harajuku Japan. To my horror, I found out I'm right smack in the middle of a Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras. Holy cow, on closer inspection, I realized all those dressed up ladies were actually men! And so the parade started with the gay version of PopeMobile leading the charade; throwing out condoms and gay clubs leaflets. Oh gawd my eyes!!! Ughhh!!!

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