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

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)

Hong Kong's air pollution has been in the news in recent years. For a fairly large percentage of days every year, this pollution can be so bad that it literally blocks out views with a hazy and overcast tone. But on those days when the air is clear; either due to directional changes in the winds or a change in the weather, the view of the Hong Kong waterfront can be spectacular. During one of my visits to this southern Chinese city, I was taking a stroll along the waterfront after a heavy meal when I realised that the view of the buildings across the water was spectacular. It was one of those clear nights, a rare occurrence indeed! With only my iPhone 5 with me, I took this photo which I am sharing here. Another of those photo opportunity moments. My advice again, keep a camera close at hand during your travels. Don't miss that photo moment. :-) Waterfront, as viewed from Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China (2012)

Airplanes are synonymous with today's notion of traveling. Whenever I am at any airports waiting for my flight, I always enjoyed watching planes took off and land. During such moments, I have never failed to marvel at the incredible engineering feat that enabled such big machines to literally lift off almost effortlessly from the ground and into the air! Amazing isn't it? As part of my aircraft watching past time, I usually took photos of these planes; using my iPhone as that is the most convenient camera that I have on hand. Here is a picture of a Thai Airways Airbus A380-800 taxying along one of the runways of the Hong Kong International Airport (IATA: HKG, ICAO: VHHH). Thai Airways Airbus A380-800 at the Chek Lap Kok Airport, Hong Kong, China (2012) See also other  Airplane Pictures  in this travel blog

London's Natural History Museum houses a vast collection of exhibits spanning different segments of natural history. Whenever I visit London, and when time and schedule permits, I would usually spend a whole day at this museum. There are so much to see, so much to learn and so much to discover. I especially like the exhibits from the segments on Palaeontology and Zoology.  I will be following up with separate blog posts on the segments on Palaeontology, Zoology, and Mineralogy soon, complete with photos of some of the exhibits from these segments. But until I can find the time to pen those posts, I am sharing a few photos of the exhibits from the Palaeontology and Zoology segments of the museum. These photos were taken during my visit in September 2011. Author's Note: My most recent visit to the Natural History Museum was on 26 May 2017. A re-created exhibit depicting what a dinosaur nest would possibly look like. Natural History Museum, London, UK (2011)