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

My cruise in August 2023 had a stopover in Kagoshima. This was the last port call in Japan before the cruise ship officially leaves Japan for international waters to travel to China's Hong Kong. Kagoshima, Kagoshima, Japan (2023) In accordance to immigration procedures, all passengers on the cruise had to disembark for Japanese immigration and customs clearance at this last port of call in the country. Taking advantage of the hours we had while the cruise ship was in port, most passengers including myself took the chance to visit Kagoshima city itself. However, I did not join many of my fellow passengers to take the JR Train into the city centre. Instead, I spent my time shopping and dining at the malls that were within walking distance of the port. Yes, there are many malls within walking distance. And I was not disappointed. I managed to buy a good quality Made-in-Japan fishing reel and some clothing items.  The cruise ship, Spectrum of the Seas was docked within walking distance...

Mount Bromo, Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park, East Java, Indonesia This was a previous article written by myself and posted in this travelogue blog in Dec 2014. Mount Bromo was the first active volcano which I had climbed during my travels. A planned trip to climb Japan's much revered Mount Fuji in 2020, also an active volcano, was postponed indefinitely due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. ****************** Located in the eastern part of the island of Java in Indonesia, Mount Bromo is an active volcano. Its local name is Gunung Bromo. At an altitude of about 2,329 meters (about 7640 ft), Mount Bromo is not a particularly high peak and is actually quite accessible to the average tourists. Smoke rising from the crater of Mount Bromo,  Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park,  East Java, Indonesia (2002) Mount Bromo,  Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park,  East Java, Indonesia (2002) I climbed the peak of Bromo during a visit in 2002 when I was visiting Surabaya,...