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

Located just next to the busy Paddington Station is a quaint neighbourhood nestled amongst a mix of several canals. Little Venice, Paddington, London, England, UK (2017) Known as Little Venice, one can see many houseboats berthed alongside the canals or sailing in it. Some of these houseboats are actually Food & Beverage outlets which offer a nice English Breakfast that comes with a nice view. A Houseboat which is also a cafe, Paddington, London, England, UK (2017) Whenever I visit London, I will always take time to visit this part of the city. Sitting under the shade of the tress lining the canal while tucking into my breakfast of toasts and eggs and sipping my latte, I simply enjoy the beauty and serenity of Little Venice. Life is alway beautiful here and this is one of the many reasons why London was, still is and will continue to be a favourite vacation city for me. Breakfast set, Paddington, London, England, UK (2017) View of the con

Travel Hassles....... We all love traveling. However, like all things in life, the unexpected can happen. And when unexpected and unpleasant incidents happen, they can totally ruined that dream vacation. Here are what I associate as the top five travel hassles: 1. Missed Flight or Missed Flight Connections - This is probably one of the travel hassles that is most likely to happen to anyone. Most of us have experienced this hassle or at least know of someone who had. I remembered some years back when I was traveling home after a very stressful working trip when I got stranded at Heathrow Airport due to a strike by the Ground Crew. As I was on transit and on my way home, most of my daily necessities were already packed into my check-in luggage. Thus, there I was at the airport, with only my office laptop in a small haversack and no flight home. The earliest I could get on a flight was 4 days later and I had to spend 4 days in London with no change of clothing and no toiletr

The smelly tofu is a street food mostly associated with Hong Kong. While the smell (or aroma) of it from afar can be a put off for those who have yet to acquire a taste for this street delicacy, it is a snack popularly enjoyed by locals and those tourists who have developed a taste for it. Smelly tofu is made from fermented tofu (bean curd) which is deep fried to a nice golden brown colour and served with locally-made condiments such as chili sauce or sweet sauce. Best eaten while the tofu is still hot and crispy, this locally well-loved street food is widely available in Hong Kong, especially in the areas of Mong Kok around the Yau Ma Tei and Prince Edward MTR Stations. The smell does not justify the taste and those who were brave enough to eat it despite the smell, will usually fall in love with, or at least not hate it! In Taipei, smelly tofu can also be found in the many night markets of the city. Personally, I find that the taste and texture of the smelly tof

Indigenous art typically consists of symbols and date far back into the earliest histories of mankind. The earliest indigenous art that we still have today are those carved into rock faces and preserved in the dwellings of our early ancestors, such as caves. Australian indigenous art probably holds the record as the oldest traditional art in the world. In the aboriginal culture, life is typically based on the foundation of "The Dreaming"; the beginning, ancestors, life and death, and power. All Australian Aboriginal beliefs shared this common foundation. Today, indigenous art is often depicted on canvas, sculptures and even body art. I have always been fascinated with Australian indigenous art. The flowing patterns created by the symbols and the artistic deployment of vibrant colours used to depict the stories in each art piece is as fascinating as the talent of the artists who brought these art pieces to life. They all look so beautiful and similar but ye

At all Shinto shrines in Japan, there are water-filled basins where worshippers will use to wash their hands and mouth as an act of self purification before approaching the shrine to offer prayers. This practice is unique to Japan and is followed not just at Shinto shrines but also at Buddhists temples throughout the country. The rite itself is known in Japanese as temizu and the areas where the water basins are located are known as temizuya . Wooden ladles are available at the basins for the worshippers to use to scoop up the water for temizu . In my travels around Japan over many visits to the country, the sight of a  temizuya  has become so common to me that I hardly take any photographs when I see one. Another reason is I usually avoid taking photographs if there are worshippers in the  temizuya  area because I think it is extremely rude to take photos of someone preparing to pray or praying since I personally view the act as both a private and solemn moment for the worshippe

Local food....... Traveling often bring us out of our comfort zone. And this includes food....... what we eat during our travels. Local food encompasses the cultures and traditions of the place we travel to. Other factors that typically shape the local cuisine are economic development, climate and location. Lunch set consisting mainly of ox meat, Luang Prabang, Laos (2017) While I am always game to try out the same food that the locals delight in dining on, there are some "no-go zones" for me. And where does this red line begins? I generally do not eat anything raw; unless it is sashimi or sushi prepared in a clean environment. Health reasons aside, I personally do not delight in putting something that is uncooked into my mouth. Taking this a step further will be eating "live" food. That is another experience which I totally avoid. Besides the cruelty of it all, I am rather squeamish about eating something that is still squirming and moving. So whil

While traveling to Loch Ness, I had the chance to briefly explore the Scottish Highlands. The highlands is a mountainous region north-east of Scotland. Bed and Breakfast Inn, Scottish Highlands, Scotland, UK (2011) My trip was too brief for me to even scratch the surface of the immense culture and history of this region. Even so, what I experienced during this brief sojourn through the highlands on my way to Loch Ness gave me an insight into the rich cultural and historical significance of the region. I shall plan and return on a longer trip  to explore the region. Until that entry in my travel bucket list is fulfilled, I will always look back at some of the photographs I took during my maiden trip through the highlands and  marvel at the magic that he region has to offer. The mountainous landscape that defines the Scottish Highlands, Scotland, UK (2011) Rolling meadows on the outskirts of Inverness, Scotland, UK (2011) Local inn, Scottish Highlands, Sc