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

Estonia, Tallinn, Old Town - UNESCO World Heritage Site From a young age, I had read countless books on fairy tales where the central characters lived in medieval Europe. The age-old story of Hansel and Gretel quickly came to mind when I was planning a trip to Helsinki and the idea of a side trip to Tallinn cropped  up. Reading up as much as I could about Tallinn, I realised that the Old Town district of the Estonian Capital is considered to be the best preserved medieval city in northern Europe. Pictures of cobblestone streets and buildings with Gothic spires convinced me that I had to make the trip as a personal travel Bucket List item. Inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997, the Old Town of Tallinn has no lack of churches, houses, barns and streets all dating as far back in time as the Middle Ages.  When I arrived in Tallinn onboard the ferry from Helsinki, I immediately headed for the Old Town. Entering the town through the Viru Gates transported me back t

With its relaxed and friendly feel, the city of Grand Prairie in the US state of Texas typifies the Texan attitude. Being one of the more populous city of Texas also meant that Grand Prairie provides lots of options when it comes to dining out. I particularly loved the ambience at some of the more popular dining places where people mingled,  chatted or simply just enjoyed themselves drinking their favourite beer and and tucking into delicious food. The decors and layout at these dining places are also delightfully Texan, adding to that country-style feel. Whenever I travelled to the Dallas-Fort Worth area, I always made sure to visit Grand Prairie just to dine and drink my favourite beer. One of my favourite dining places in the city of Grand Prairie, Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, United States (2019) Lone Star, Grand Prairie, Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, United States (2019) Country-ambience, Grand Prairie, Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, United States (2019) Texan

2019 Travel Review....... The year began slowly in travel terms for me. I started off 2019 with a short trip to Hong Kong in January. The trip was a combination of work and vacation. While in Hong Kong, I delighted in dinning on my favourite local food including freshly baked egg tarts, fermented tofu, fishball noodles, wonton noodles and the all-time Hong Kong speciality of Dim Sum . Apart from work, after office hours were spent shopping for my favourite Lego sets because these could usually be bought at cheaper prices in Hong Kong than when back home in Singapore. Mall decorations at Langham Place, Mongkok, Hong Kong SAR, China (2019) February saw me travelling on a road trip to Ipoh, state capital of Perak in Malaysia. This had been my usual routine every year to celebrate the Chinese New Year holidays. And when I was in Ipoh, the local food as always, delighted my palate. A side trip from Ipoh to Cameron Highlands in the neighbouring Malaysian state of Pahang meant

As I was waiting to board my flight from San Francisco to Singapore at the boarding gate, I looked up and gazed in amazement at this wall mural. Upon a closer look, I realised that the mural was made up of both painted and crafted artwork. This was an amazing piece of art and from the looks of it, it probably depicts life during the course of America's rich history. A wonderful way to showcase history and culture. Photo taken using iPhone X Wall mural consisting of both painted and crafted artwork, San Francisco International Airport, San Francisco, California, United States (2019)

Visiting the city of Iwakuni in July 2019, I came across many interesting street artefacts,. All the artefacts were crafted objects depicting the history and culture of Iwakuni in particular and Japan in general. This photograph of a street artefact of a traditional Japanese-style lamp was taken just in front of the famous Kintai-kyo Bridge, a unique wooden bridge which spans the Nishiki River. Canon EOS70D, focal length: 62mm, f/5, 1/160 Artefact of a traditional Japanese-style lamp located along the street just in front of the Kintai-kyo Bridge, Iwakuni, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan (2019)

"I have found out that there ain't no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them then to travel with them. "  - Mark Twain Overlooking a tea plantation while on a rest stop during a road trip, Ringlet, Cameron Highlands, Pahang, Malaysia (2018)

A male novice in the Buddhist religious context is also known as a samanera . This is part of the typical monastic order prior to one being ordained.  While visiting a Buddhist temple in the Laotian city of Luang Prabang, I chanced upon this photo opportunity where a young novice was seen with his mobile smartphone. For me, this is a good example of how technology has permeated into our daily life. Regardless of who we are, what our professions are as well as what are our beliefs and callings, technology has somehow become the underlying common thread that binds all of us together. Canon EOS70D, focal length: 56mm, f/5, 1/80 Novice monk with mobile smartphone, Luang Prabang, Laos (2017)