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

Enroute to the United States recently, I caught sight of these 3 birds from United Airlines lining up at the Boarding Gates at Narita International Airport. They are two Boeing 777-200s and a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner.  Having only my iPhones with me, I took this picture using my iPhone 6S. United Airlines planes all lined up at the Boarding Gates. The planes at the foreground and background are Boeing 777-200 while the plane in the middle is a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, Narita International Airport, Tokyo, Japan (2016) See also other Airplane Pictures in this travel blog

The discovery of the Angkor Temple ruins in the 19th century and the subsequent international tourism associated with the now famous UNESCO World Heritage Site has allowed Siem Reap to grow into probably the most "famous" city in Cambodia known to travellers all over the world. The Siem Reap International Airport (IATA: REP, ICAO: VDSR), Siem Reap, Cambodia (2015) Silkair, the regional arm of Singapore Airlines, flies direct from Singapore, Siem Reap, Cambodia (2015) Tourism is the main stay of the local economy in Siem Reap and the number of hotels, restaurants and pubs are a testament to that. My first impression of Siem Reap with its dusty roads, haphazard traffic and low-rise housings was that it resembles many of the smaller cities common in the developing countries of the South-East Asian region. However, the friendliness and hospitalities of the locals soon set this small city apart from the rest. Due to my inability to accurately pronounce wor...

The National Gallery Singapore is located within two iconic Singaporean national monuments. These are the former Supreme Court Building and the City Hall. Both monuments were built during the times of colonial Singapore when the country was a Crown Colony of the United Kingdom. Today, these two buildings have been refurbished, restored and designated national monuments. It is thus fitting that instead of being leased/converted into commercial spaces, these monuments are today home to probably the world's largest collection of Singapore and South-East Asian art. These arts focuses not just on Singapore's cultural heritage but also its inherent links to the cultures of the greater South-East Asian region and the World. The National Gallery is currently Singapore's largest museum. The National Gallery Singapore is housed in two iconic buildings designated as National Monuments, Singapore (2016) View of the Marina Bay Bay Sands Integrated Resort from the Nation...

An unexpected trip was the highlight of the month of April for me. A dinner with friends sometime in March resulted in a last minute decision to collectively travel together to India to attend another friend's wedding. Kathakali Dancer (female character), Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India (2016) A quick booking of air tickets was followed by an application for an e-tourist visa for the visit. With the air tickets confirmed and the e-tourist visa approved, I was soon booked for my quick 2-day trip to the city of Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala State of India. Despite the short trip, everything about the trip was new and interesting to me. This was my first time visiting India and I was glad I made the short weekend trip despite my initial doubts about taking time off from my busy work schedule.  Indian-style breakfast, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India (2016) This was also my first time attending an Indian traditional wedding and to do so in India itself makes th...

Toulouse, is located in the south-western region of France and is the capital city of Haute-Garrone. It is also known as the Pink City because of the unique architecture of some of the buildings in the city which use pink terracotta bricks. Home to European Aerospace giant, Airbus, Toulouse is the fourth largest city in France after Paris, Lyon and Marseille. I visited Toulouse for the first time in 2005 to attend an international symposium on System Engineering. In-between the conferences, seminars and meetings of the various chapters of the symposium, I managed to find some time to walk around and enjoy this beautiful southern French city. The highlight of my short sight-seeing walking trips in was my visit to the Capitole (a.k.a Place du Capitole). This magnificent building houses the City Hall, the Orchestra (Theatre National du Capitole Orchestra) and the Opera House. The 8 pink marble columns create a unique architectural style worthy of the attention of many budding...