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

The state of Malacca (a.k.a. Melaka) lies south of the Malaysian capital city of Kuala Lumpur. The states of Johor and Negri Sembilan are to the south and north of Malacca respectively. By car along the North-South highway, Malacca is just a 3-hour plus drive from Singapore, depending on traffic conditions. Malacca City, viewed from a room window at the Hatten Hotel, Malacca, Malaysia (2015) Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008, the city centre boasts a number of iconic tourist attractions. Besides places for sight-seeing, Malacca's rich cultural heritage also translates into an equally rich food culture.  A simple breakfast of Roti Canai (an Indian flatbread) is usually served with curry, Malacca, Malaysia (2015) Claypot Rice served in a hot claypot with rice, chicken and lots of flavourful garnishing, Malacca, Malaysia (2015) Malacca's many historical buildings and sites have been "preserved" as museums. These museums are natura...

Loch Ness is the largest lake in Scotland by volume. Reaching depths at up to 230 metres (about 750 ft) in some areas, it is not surprising that Loch Ness comes with legends of its own. Chief amongst the legends associated with this large Scottish Loch is the Loch Ness Monster (a.k.a. Nessie). Loch Ness, Scotland, UK (2011) I first read about Loch Ness and the Loch Ness Monster when I was a school librarian at the age of 9 years old! Since then, the legend of the Loch Ness Monster has continued to fascinate me. As I grew older, my perception of the possibilities of the existence of the Loch Ness Monster changes but somehow, I still choose to nostalgically believe in the legend! Thus, when I finally visited the famous and legendary Loch in September 2011, it was one item off my bucket list! Travelling north from Glasgow into the Scottish Highlands and passing by famous landmarks such as Glen Coe and the city of Inverness, I finally reached Loch Ness after several hours. A...

Singapore celebrates the 50th year of its history as an independent nation this year. As part of the year-long celebration to mark the young nation's 50th year of independence, a series of events including exhibitions are held all year round in 2015. At an exhibition held at the National Library Board headquarters in Victoria Street in the month of August, plastic building bricks were used to re-create scenes of Singapore life over the past 50 years. These include interesting and iconic events that mark the country's journey as a young nation from 1965 to 2015. Recreated in mini-scale plastic building bricks are snapshots of Singapore's history such as public transport, public housing and the country's diverse cultures. One particular exhibit caught my eye; a recreation of a row of historical shophouses that features Peranakan architecture. Peranakan refers to the Straits Settlement people of Chinese descent who settled in South-East Asia around the 15th to...

The Chinese city of Suzhou is well known for its cuisine. The relatively light flavours of Suzhou cuisine brings out the natural taste and "sweetness" of its ingredients. This is because the key ingredients in Suzhou dishes are not masked by the overpowering and overt taste of spices, herbs and flavourings. My recent visit to Suzhou in the beginning of July 2015 coincides with the Crayfish season. Aptly named as Xiao Long Xia (han yu pin yin) which translates literally as Little Dragon Prawn (a.k.a. Little Lobsters). For the dish that was served in my dinner, these small freshwater crustaceans were prepared boiled and possibly dipped or marinated in Chinese rice wine. They were then served cold on a bed of ice. The taste was unique and the rice wine brought out the rich natural flavours of the Crayfish. I enjoyed the Crayfish and I must say that it can get really addictive as I ate quite a number of them during that dinner. Whether that addictive streak was due to th...

Ipoh is the capital of the Malaysian state of Perak and is located geographically north of the Federal Capital of Kuala Lumpur. I usually drove from Singapore to Ipoh once or twice a year to visit relatives and friends who live there. While in Ipoh, I like to drop by the Old Town area for its delicious food and unique local branded cafes. This area is a commercial district of the city and located here are many historical shophouses. During my most recent visit to Ipoh in February 2015, I walked passed this old shophouse with very interesting murals on its side facade. Taking out my iPhone 6 Plus, I took this picture. Mural on a historical shophouse, Old Town, Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia (2015)

Located in Nikko, the Nikko Tosho-gu (a.k.a. Toshogu) is both a Shinto shrine as well as a mausoleum that is dedicated to the founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate, Tokugawa layasu (1543 - 1616).  The Toshogu shrine is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site listing of the Shrines and Temples of Nikko. My visit to the Toshogu shrine on 5th October 2014 was partly clouded by the impending arrival of super Typhoon Phanfone. Although Nikko wasn't in the path of the typhoon, the accompanying rains sort of "wash-out" my day trip to Nikko. I started the day trip early in the morning and the bus journey from Tokyo to Nikko passed through parts of Saitama Prefecture offering picture-perfect views of the countryside despite the drizzle which got stronger as the tour bus neared Nikko. Because of the rain, I was unable to take much photos of the lavishly decorated Toshogu. The most famous of these decorations being the wooden carvings of the Three Wise Monkeys, who toge...

The Clock Tower in Hong Kong is located in the Tsim Sha Tsui area in Kowloon. This clock tower used to be part of the original structures of the old Kowloon Terminus of the Kowloon-Canton Railway network. The clock tower is strategically located where it overlooks the famous Victoria Harbour. At slightly more than 40 metres in height, not including the lightning rod, this iconic structure somehow reminds me of the colonial heritage that is part of the modern history of Hong Kong. The city of Hong Kong was a British Crown Colony until 1997 when it reverted to Chinese rule as the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (a.k.a. Hong Kong SAR) of the People's Republic of China. I took this picture as I was strolling along the Star Ferry Pier during a visit to Hong Kong in December, 2012. The photo was taken using an iPhone 4S. Clock Tower, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China (2012)