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

The Jaffa (a.k.a Yafo) of today was part of an old city adjourning Tel Aviv to the south-west. Although the city of Jaffa reportedly dates back more than 3000 years, the current Old City of Jaffa was originally built during the Ottoman Empire. View of the Old City of Jaffa from Tel Aviv, along the beach bordering the Mediterranean Sea near the Opera Tower. Jaffa, Tel Aviv, Israel (2002) Housed within Jaffa's unique stone houses and narrow alleyways are many restaurants, shops and artists' galleries. Walking along these narrow alleyways evoked an almost nostalgic feel that seems to transport me back to medieval times! Indeed, Jaffa's history went way back to eras even before medieval times! Historical records from as far back as 1470 BC described the city of Jaffa as being part of the conquests of the Egyptian Pharaoh, Thutmose III. Archeological excavations have also revealed artefacts dating back to the Bronze Age. Historical characters such as Saladin (first ...

Stonehenge is world famous, being known as a prehistoric monument made of monolithic stones. Located in Wiltshire, England and about a few hours drive from London (depending on how fast the drive is!), Stonehenge is probably one of the most accessible of the ancient monolithic sites in the world. Visitors to Stonehenge will notice the roads that ran just in front of Stonehenge (near the Heel Stone) and the herds of livestock grazing near the monument. Stonehenge was added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1986 together with Avebury Henge. Stonehenge, bathe in an almost magical glow in the early morning light, Wilshire, England, UK (2011) Today, it is a known fact that Stonehenge wasn't built in a single time period. It was built, re-built and added upon over thousands of years dating possibly as far back as 3000 BC to about 1600 BC. To the uninterested and uninspired visitor, Stonehenge is probably just a bunch of large stones placed in the middle of some...

Istanbul's Grand Bazaar rank top as the world's most visited tourist site! A friend of mine who is currently in Istanbul to attend a medical conference took time off to visit this hugely popular bazaar and sent me this photo taken with his iPhone 6. Grand Bazaar, Istanbul, Turkey (2015, picture taken with iPhone 6)

I am currently in Nusa Dua, Bali as I posted this blog post. I took this trip to Bali to rest and relax after a very hectic few months at work. While lying on a deck chair by the beach and reading my book, I happened to look up and saw this local man walking along the beach pulling a low-flying kite. He is one of the many local hawkers selling wares and  souvenirs  to tourists by the beach. I reached for my iPhone and snapped this picture of the man and his kite fluttering in the sea breeze. This is another of those photo opportunities one gets every now and then during one's travels. Don't want to miss out on these impromptu moments? Keep a camera at hand. Or in this case, keep your smart phone nearby and remember to charge that battery! Selling Kites by the Beach, Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia (2015, picture taken with iPhone 6 plus)

Whichever city or town I visit, I usually like to find some time to walk the local markets. It can be any markets; be it a wholesale market, a sunday market or a flea market. Observing how the locals go about their daily business around these markets can be a very enriching experience. From the items sold in these markets, I can quickly get myself introduced to the food culture of the country, city or town that I am visiting. During my visit to Seoul in September 2011, I spent an entire morning just walking around the Namdaemun market. Namdaemun literally means "Great South Gate" in the Korean language. This market is reputedly the largest as well as oldest in the whole of Korea, dating back to the year 1414! Namdaemun Market, Seoul, South Korea (2011) The Namdaemun market is a short walk from the Hoehyeon Subway Station.  More than 1000 stalls sell everything from fresh produce (e.g. fishes, vegetables, ginseng etc.) to toys, shoes, fabrics and accessories. If...