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

Israel, Nazareth Growing up in a family who was and still is predominantly Roman Catholic, I have always identified myself as Catholic even though I am not officially baptised as one. Wherever I travel, I would always ventured into a church to pray when the opportunity presented itself. During a trip to Israel many years ago, I took the chance to book a day trip whose itinerary included a visit to the Church of the Annunciation. Also known as the Basilica of the Annunciation, the church is located in the city of Nazareth in the northern part of Israel. The story goes that this church was established at the very site where the angel Gabriel appeared to the Virgin Mary to announce that she would conceive and bear the Son of God, Jesus Chris t. Church of the Annunciation (a.k.a.  Basilica of the Annunciation), Nazareth, Israel (2002) The current church is a double storey building constructed over the site of earlier churches from the Byzantine and Crusader eras. At the l

These are uncertain times... to travel ....... The recent worldwide pandemic as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak has resulted in uncountable number of trip cancellations due to travel disruptions imposed by many national authorities in a bid to control and stem its spread. For travelers mid-way through their trips in a distant and foreign land, this could not have come at a worse time. Due to sudden flight cancellations, what could have been a straight forward flight itinerary had quickly unravelled into a nightmare battle to get home quick before further lockdowns result in even more difficulties to return to their home country and city. From the many accounts of travellers stuck overseas and trying desperately to find a way home, what was once a simple flight from one destination to another had now became a not-so-simple odyssey involving multiple transits via numerous carriers, not forgetting the relatively large amount of additional costs involved. Airlines worldwide

Fishing for ayu (a.k.a. sweetfish, Plecoglossus altivelis ) is common among the residents living close to rivers and streams in Japan. With its clear and clean waters, many rivers and streams are teaming with aquatic life and ayu , being a favourite food fish, is often fished both commercially or as a hobby by many locals. Crossing the famous Iwakuni Bridge or Kin-tai kyo  on my way to the top of Mount Yokoyama to visit the Iwakuni Castle, I looked down into the passing Nishiki River and chanced upon the sight of this fisherman fishing for ayu at low tide. Because I was standing on the bridge almost directly overhead, I could frame this shot seemingly from a bird eye's view perspective. This is another of those photo moments that would digitised the memory of that moment in time during my trip. A perfect digital momento to an unforgettable travel experience. Fisherman, Nishiki River, Iwakuni, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan (2019)

On a friend's recommendation, I decided to visit the Sorrento Quay Boardwalk for dinner as one of my itinerary items while visiting Perth. Arriving on a rainy June afternoon, I drove into the huge car park at Sorento Quay. Along the way, I noticed a number of leisure fishermen trying to get bites on their lines along the many breakwaters that lined the coast. The many small boats and yachts berthed  at the harbour,  Hillarys Boat Harbour,  Perth, Western Australia, Australia (2018) Located at Hillarys Boat Harbour, there are many shopping and dining outlets at Sorrento Quay. As I was early for dinner, I had a perfect excuse to shop at the many retail shops. My memorable purchases here include a very beautiful lava crystal candle holder.  Entrance to Sorrento Quay,  Hillarys Boat Harbour,  Perth, Western Australia, Australia (2018) Venturing in the light rain out into the boardwalk area, I discovered that one can purchase tickets and board a ferry from here

"Wherever you go, Go with all your heart "  - Confucius (551-749 BC), Chinese Philosopher of the Spring and Autumn Period. Road leading from the National Palace Museum, Shilin District, Taipei, Twain (2016)

Located about 18 km (11 miles) from the city of Luang Prabang, the Tat Sae Waterfalls (a.k.a. Tad Sae Waterfalls) is the less famous cousin to the more well-known and touristy Kuang Si Waterfalls (a.k.a Tat Kuang Si Waterfalls) which can be found further away from Luang Prabang towards the south-western part of the province. Thus, while foreign tourists visiting the province trooped to the Kuang Si Waterfalls, the locals generally prefer the less well-known Tat Sae Waterfalls. No less spectacular than its more popular cousin, the Tat Sae Waterfalls has its own beauty and charms.  To get to the Tat Sae Waterfalls, I had to take a drive from Luang Prabang to the village of Bak En. Near this village, I took a small rickety local boat to cross a tributary of the Nam Khan River. The waterfalls is located at the opposite bank of this tributary. The short 15-minute boat ride was an experienced in itself. The waterline was only mere centimetres away from where I was seated and I could

To travel or not to travel....... At the time of writing this blog post, the travel industry is roiled by the ongoing coronavirus, COVID-19, outbreak. This has caused much upheavals in the travel world, including trips and flights cancellations. The question I kept asking myself was, should I still travel at this time? As a matter of fact, the fatality rate of COVID-19, at about 2%, is much lower than the SARS outbreak of 17 years ago in 2003. In most cases, healthy adults who were unfortunate to be infected with COVID-19 typically displayed mild symptoms and recovered without much or any long term effects,. This is based on currently available data. Thus, as a healthy individual without any pre-existing medical conditions, I should be fairly safe even in the event that I caught the infection while traveling. That being said, I could also have easily caught the infection even if I am staying put in my home country. Unless, I barricade myself at home and cut off all contacts wi