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

In many trips to Bangkok, I have always enjoyed going to the malls. Not just because of the great shopping and food that can be found in the malls of the city, but also to enjoy the creativity that were on display everywhere I looked. These include the windows displays, the many artsy gifts and stationery items that were designed and made in Thailand, the advertisements and also the large display items that front the malls. In a recent trip to bustling Bangkok, I saw these outdoor huge display pieces at the MBK Center (a.k.a Ma Boon Khrong Center). They were downright creative, cute and a joy to behold. Outdoor display, MBK Center, Bangkok, Thailand (2017) Outdoor display, MBK Center, Bangkok, Thailand (2017) Outdoor display, MBK Center, Bangkok, Thailand (2017)

Beach combing at night is a favourite activity of mine whenever I was on vacation near beaches. And I did just that for every night I spent in Phuket when I was on vacation there in the summer of 2017. Listening to the waves pounding the shores, feeling the rush of seawater towards my feet, smelling the salty sea air and enjoying the pleasures of solitude as I walked bare feet along the shore, clad in nothing but my swim shorts, provided a calming sense of liberty, a feeling that can seldom be felt anywhere else. Patong Beach at dusk, Phuket, Thailand (2017) Along the shores at night, Ghost Crabs scurried away as I walked, some clambering over my feet in their hurry to avoid the approaching "giant". There were also the live barnacles, clung tightly to dead logs washed ashore, the occasional carcasses of fishes and other sea creatures strewn randomly across the sand by the waves and the dazzling array of stars up in the dark night sky above. Barnacles on a de...

The murals painted in the conserved buildings in Ipoh's Old Town always evoked a sense of nostalgia in me. Growing up in Singapore where the culture between Singapore and Malaysia were really similar, these murals depicting childhood games, fast disappearing or already disappeared lifestyles of the 70s and 80s and other facets of life during those years reminded me of my growing up years.  Mural depicting a local coffee shop scene which had long disappeared from the modern day life of Singapore and Singaporeans but scatters of which can still be found in Ipoh today, Old Town, Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia (2017) And nope, I am not someone who is experiencing middle age crisis so much so that I am beginning to dwell on the past. :-) But nostalgia with good memories can be a good thing as it helped to bring us back to the past, allow us to understand the present and assist us to prepare for the future. I have previously posted 2 blog posts here on the murals in Old Town. But i...

A ryokan is a traditional Japanese guesthouse or inn. Ryokans have been in existence in Japan for hundreds of years and its history can be traced back as far as the 8th century. Traditionally family-owned and run, ryokans in Japan offer a unique experience to the traveler unlike a standard hotel. Most ryokans found in Japan include at least a hot bath or onsen . There are etiquettes to follow when using these baths which are communal and meant to be shared by all guests at the ryokan . Most of the etiquettes associated with the use of an onsen are linked to politeness and hygiene. I will be sharing my personal onsen experiences in other articles in this blog, so check back soon to my blog to read these upcoming posts. A typical room layout of a Japanese ryokan , Ito, Izu Peninsula, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan (2017) The area under the painting is not to put luggage or to be sat on, Ito, Izu Peninsula, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan (2017) Besides the onsen experie...