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

The Panama Canal is a man-made water way for maritime vessels to transit from the Atlantic to the Pacific Oceans. Spanning slightly more than 80km, the canal literally serves as the dividing line between North and South America. Half a world away from where I lived, these are pictures of a journey through the Panama Canal as seen through the lens of a mobile phone camera that were sent to me. Gatun Locks  is the gateway for ships to enter the Canal, Panama Canal, Panama (2021) Gatun Locks is the gateway for ships to enter the Canal, Panama Canal, Panama (2021) Gatun Locks is the gateway for ships to enter the Canal, Panama Canal, Panama (2021) Gatun Locks is the gateway for ships to enter the Canal, Panama Canal, Panama (2021) Puente Centenario is one of the 3 major bridges spanning across the canal and is the one closest to the Pacific Ocean, Panama Canal, Panama (2021) Boat along the waterway, Panama Canal, Panama (2021)

I skipped my annual Bucket List review for 2020 last year because an international leisure travel lockdown means there were no bucket list travel achievements to review. Even though 2021 had been another no-go year for leisure travel, I decided to write about my travel plans and hopes for the coming new year in 2022. My last trip before the pandemic-triggered leisure travel lockdown was to Kuala Lumpur in January 2020. Since then, I had not travel out of my home city for the past 23 months and counting. With the doors to leisure travel being opened slowly but cautiously by the Authorities in my part of Asia, I decided to book a trip for March 2022. This will be my first overseas trip in 25 months, if no hiccups crop up to scuttle it. But this is no leisure trip. Instead, this trip to Kuala Lumpur is to reconnect with family and friends since we last met in the first month of 2020. Can this trip be considered a Bucket Travel List item? I would say "no" in normal times but ...

Christmas is almost upon us again. This is usually the time of the year when life slowed down and working folks like myself take a well-deserve break to unwind, gather with family and friends to celebrate the end of another year and also to take some time to review the happenings of the year and plan ahead for the new year. In "normal" times, I would typically had already planned a trip to enjoy winter and the Chirstmas-ty festivities in North America or Europe. But this year, just like the year before, is not "normal" times. So no leisure travel for me. Instead of visiting Christmas markets in winter, I have to contend myself with celebrating a tropical Christmas at home right here in South-East Asia. For the past 2 years, I had saved much on travel and those savings had been wisely, poured into long-term investments. But given a choice, I would rather spend some money on travel now instead of trying to save more for that proverbial rainy day. I am no spendthrift b...

"Your  journey is not found in any maps, Your journey is inside your heart. " -  Anonymous Itsukushima Shirne, Itsukushima, Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan (2019)

Many of my most memorable travel experiences were not borne out of planned itineraries or recommendations from travel guides. Instead, these experiences were from unplanned side trips. An example of this was when inclement weather forced me to cancel a planned trip to Rottnest Island.  After speaking to some locals at Sorento Quay, I decided to drive slightly more than 120km from Perth to New Norcia. On arrival, I was enchanted by the old monastery town. Prior to arriving at New Norcia, I had no idea this place even existed. But there I was, at New Norcia, totally unplanned but yet enjoying the experience no less. Souvenirs  that I bought at the gift shop stayed with me, several years after that visit. These included a rosary which I had placed at the dashboard of my car and some beautiful postcards which I still kept. Mementos from a memorable side trip. And of course, there were lots of digital memories from the photographs of this enchanting and serene monastery town, taken...

The Hermit Life....... Coming close to beginning the third year of staying put in my little home city, mostly working from home and meeting few people in-person, I am fast embracing a hermit lifestyle, albeit reluctantly. As I had mentioned in an earlier post in this blog, even the occasional dining-out has sort of become an event in itself for me. Living in a small compact city, there are only so many activities I can find after taking into account the need to maintain social distancing measures.  Campings are currently forbidden; ironically due to the pandemic.  Dining outs are allowed but limited seating arrangements necessitate the need to plan and book a table way in advance, sometimes as early as three to four weeks ahead. Staycations? Thanks but no thanks. The relatively high cost of staycation packages are definitely beyond my limited financial means. Reading has since become a major past-time activity for me. I used to read a lot when I was in school, both fiction and...

As an archeological museum for the collection and preservation of Angkorian artefacts, the Angkor National Museum has a relatively large collection of materials focusing on the art and culture of Khmer civilisation, including artefacts dating as far back as the 9th century.  If you are visiting Angkor Wat and its neighbouring temple complexes for the first time and wish to know more about Khmer history and culture before physically visiting the temple sites, I would definitely recommend spending at least half a day at this museum. Located conveniently in downtown Siem Reap, this museum is easily accessible. A small entrance fee is required.  The address of the museum is: 968 Vithei, Charles de Gaulle, Krong Siem Reap, Cambodia  Khmer Art, Angkor National Museum, Siem Reap, Cambodia (2015) Khmer Art, Angkor National Museum, Siem Reap, Cambodia (2015) Khmer Art, Angkor National Museum, Siem Reap, Cambodia (2015) Khmer Art, Angkor National Museum, Siem Reap, Cambodia (2015)