TANKS Travel Tales - a travelogue.......

Kagoshima is located in the south of Kyushu , one of Japan's main island. The port at Kagoshima where cruise ships typically docked at, is located along the coast of Kinko Bay , facing the East China Sea . Royal Caribbean's Spectrum of the Seas berthed at Kagoshima Port, Kagoshima, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan (2023) Kagoshima Port The port is conveniently situated close to shopping areas. It is also just next to Sakurajima , an active volcano that is also the symbol of Kagoshima. The port's official name is Marine Port Kagoshima . Walking along and around the port area yields scenic views of the surrounding areas including Mount Sakurajima . View of Kagoshima Port from Deck 15 of Spectrum of the Seas, , Kagoshima, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan (2023) View of Sakurajima from Deck 15 of Spectrum of the Seas, Kagoshima, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan (2023) View of the surrounding areas of Kagoshima Port, Kagoshima, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan (2023) Public Transport The port is a...

Singapore , where I was born and grew up in and still live in, has always been compared to Hong Kong . While both cities have their similarities, they also have their unique differences which defined each city it each own right. I was first "introduced" to Hong Kong as a kid when I watched Hong Kong-produced TV dramas with my family. Then, I started listening to Canto-pop, basically pop songs by Hong Kong artistes. While I was not conversant in the Cantonese dialect then, I did slowly picked up the language due to constant exposure. Today, I still do not consider myself conversant in Cantonese. But I can at least understand the dialect when someone speaks to me in it. I will try my best to reply in Cantonese, peppered with Mandarin of course. For the record, I am an ethnic Chinese with Hokkien ancestry . However, I have no known living relatives in China or the province of Fujian , just to digress a bit from the focus of this blog post. Back to why I love Hong Kong and fin...

Travel Year 2026 has commenced.......  I am a little late with my monthly Travel Bits post for this month because I had been traveling and only just returned home less than a week ago. Then, there were the office work, the home chores and of course, the usual procrastination to deal with before I could actually sit down and start writing this blog post. Truth be told, I am behind in lots of work and chores but I will just have to manage each task as they come! So where have I been traveling to? I started the year with a trip to the airport on 1 January 2026 for my 1.30am flight on 2 January to Hong Kong. I was actually on my way from Singapore to Osaka but transited in Hong Kong to meet my partner at the Hong Kong International Airport before taking the onward flight to Osaka.  It was a really short trip to Japan as we only had 6 days before we need to return to Hong Kong and Singapore respectively. This was because I had a cruise scheduled on 8 January from Singapore to Pena...

After a very good dinner, I was window shopping in Sha Tin's New Town Plaza when I discovered a beautiful rooftop garden. While the rooftop garden is beautiful, I find the view from this vantage point even more awesome. High hills with residential buildings in the background and children playground in the front, both nicely illuminated by man-made neon lights as well as the fading natural light from the dusk sky.  A photo opportunity that I simply could not resist. Rooftop garden with an awesome view, New Town Plaza, Sha Tin, New Territories, Hong Kong, China (2025)

I have "met"  Godzilla many times in Tokyo! The last meeting I had with the famous and colossal legend was in November 2024. Godzilla, Godzilla Store Tokyo ,  Shinjuku Marui Honten Annex , Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan (2024) I had specifically reserved almost one whole day of my Japan trip just to seek out Godzilla at all the locations it has been known to appear. These include Shinjuku Tôhô Building , Hibiya Square , and of course, Godzilla's very own  Shinjuku Marui Annex (Shinjuku Marui Honten Annex). I also bought a Godzilla-themed t-shirt at Don Quijote Akihabara . Here are some "proofs" of my meetings with Godzilla! Godzilla, Hibiya Square, Tokyo, Japan (2024) Myself with my Godzilla merchandise paper bag,  Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan (2024) A Hobonichi X Godzilla Weeks Diary for 2025 bought at the Godzilla Store Tokyo,  Shinjuku Marui Honten Annex, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan (2024)

Angkor Wat and its archeological sites are steeped in history, religion and culture. Any visitors, will be in awe of all that Angkor Wat has to offer. While one may prefer to look at Angkor Wat from either a historical, religious, cultural, scholastic or scientific angle, but all will certainly agree that this is not simply a collection of archeological sites but a lot more.  In this photograph taken with my DSLR camera from a distance away, two young monks took in the sights, cameras in hand to record the magnificent beauty of Angkor Wat. Monks, Angkor Wat, Angkor National Park , Cambodia (2022)