our life in Singapore

When in doubt, leave it out.

2012-01-27T17:03:00.001+08:00

It's been over a week since my last blog post - about packing - and its not because I am lazy, as that is far from the truth!

This packing business is taking on huge proportions and is far bigger than we first realised. The packing is much harder 'going back' than when we first moved over and I have no idea why. Am sure we have a more now than when we first arrived in February 2007.

For those considering a relocation or thinking about becoming an expat, be warned. If you decide to move OS for just a couple of years - travel lightly.

The #1 piece of advice you hear from frequent travellers: Pack light. Lay out everything you think you need. Then put away half.

Bring very little.

When in doubt, leave it out.

This also applies to expats moving OS.... believe me.

Most expats have the company they are working for to help with 'the move', the payment, the packing, the relocation etc. They will feel it wont matter about how much they bring over, and at the time, it probably wont. But when it comes to moving back, think carefully, will the company be paying for your move back? Will you still be working for the same company?

Organising, sorting, packing and repatriating is a lot harder when you need to do it all yourself.

We were only moving to Singapore for two years. Yes, two years!

What happened?

Two years came and went, then three, then four and now five years!

We brought over things we thought "we might need" and never used and we didn't realise most of the apartments are fully furnished, so one could easily arrive with just a couple of suitcases!

with hindsight - and we all know about that - we should have arrived here with very little, then the packing would be a little easier. Just like Jeff and Flora did.

We packed books, paperwork, bits and pieces of everything, stationary, photos, ornaments and even kitchenware. With all this experience behind me, I would suggest Ikea for the basic items, or Craigs List maybe.... even ask around, there is always someone moving on .... maybe you can take over their sofa or their kitchen items etc.

And over the five years we seem to have collected even more items.... like cables. Yes, cables ... how come we seem to have so many? .... and yes, they get rolled up along with the rest of the electrical items and packed away too!

CD's.... five years ago they were important. Had so many data CD's for my research, but now far outdated and so into the bin they go!

Books ... five years ago we brought over at leave five cartons of books, all of them to read again .... yes, again, most of them we loved so much it was going to be hard to part with them, so we brought them over to 'read again'.... and did we? No, of course not, we got caught up with doing so many other things like exploring Singapore and SE Asia too. So our pre loved books have been given away.

Kitchenware ..... five years ago it was my belief that we would be entertaining like we have always done. People coming and going, dinner parties, BBQ's, friends for lunch .... but in Singapore? No, it rarely happens. For many reasons, one being the kitchens are far too small! We will usually meet elsewhere to 'catch up'. Be it one of the bars at Clarke Quay, a local eatery for hawker food, maybe one of the many restaurants in town for lunch, or the Kopitiam for a quick kopi .... and all those nice plates, silverware, cups etc? All repacked without being used.

We both have computers and a lot of equipment sitting on the two desks in the study we share. We have back up servers, speakers, printer and scanner.... and there is even a fan sitting on the desk as the two computers 'back to back' create a lot of heat .... and we do not need any extra heat here in Singapore!

rethink what you are packing for the overseas.

we have so much extra 'stuff' and we don't even have children here, just one little dog!

Do think carefully when you are considering a move overseas and ask yourself, do you really need it.

When in doubt, leave it out.

for those new to our blog: we relocated to Singapore from Melbourne, Australia on February 9 2007 and now repatriating back to Melbourne on February 24 2012......

pack-ing cha-cha-cha

2012-01-18T11:28:00.001+08:00

❀♪♫♩❀♪♫♩♬

pack-ing cha-cha-cha

❀♪♫♩❀♪♫♩♬

for travel-ing cha-cha-cha

yes, packing.

and more packing.

for we are repatriating to Australia after 5 years of living on the Little Red Dot, also known to many as SINGAPORE!

We have been asked by others how we feel. This is incredibly difficult to answer. We are finding it to be harder than we expected.

Way back in 2006 we had a phone call asking if we would be interested in working in Singapore. At first John said no because both had good (work) positions in Australia which we really enjoyed, we had two dogs and our town house in the city area.

Why would we want to give all this up?

But after much discussion we decided to go ahead with the move. It was going to be good for John to gain some 'global experience' and for us to experience living in another country.
I have lived in Canada and the US, but living in Asia would be quite different.

After all it was only for two years right?

Well we moved here on February 9 2007 ..... two years soon came and went, three years, four years and now its five years. Where did that time go?

(above: Melbourne Airport: February 9 2007)

We moved out into the Heartlands as soon as we arrived as we had no desire to live closer in to Singapore itself. It was the best thing we could have done. By moving out amongst the heart of Singapore allowed us to settle in much quicker than we imagined. We made many friends and got to know the local area for shopping within a matter of weeks.

Singapore soon became part of our heart too and we became PR's (Permanent Residents) as soon as we could.

We immersed ourselves in the local culture, the local events, meeting people, we attended the festivals and we too - learned to live in harmony.

(above: at the Hari Raya Festival)

(above: at the Pongal Festival)

(above: at Bukit Brown Cemetery)

(above: at the Battle of Pasir Panjang Walk)

(above: last train out of the Tanjong Pagar Rail Station)

We attended many of the heritage tours and walks around Singapore to learn more about this young nation, by learning more you have better understanding of how or why things are done the way they are. By understanding the history, you can understand the present.

Our 'walks' have taken us to many area's of Singapore that even the locals tell us they have not done.

and so it is with a heavy heart we leave our adopted country.

we cannot possibly list the things we will miss, for there are too many. But we will miss our friends most of all.

Our Singaporean friends that took us to heart soon after we arrived, for we were never treated as just another Ang Mo!

Our 'expat' friends that were always there for us!

We have spoken to many others - some that have lived here for up to 20 years - asking the question what is it that keeps bringing you back to Singapore or what is it that you miss most.

Not one can give us a clear answer.

They don't really know, they like the welcome home at Changi Airport, where the customs and immigration people greet each of us with a smile - yes a smile and they all say welcome home.

They always enjoy the drive from the airport along the ECP (East Coast Parkway) where it is covered in flowers and greenery. A sure sign you are back in Singapore.

They also enjoy the smells, the foods, the people, the vibrancy, the festivals, the harmony, the local shopping areas, the hawker food, the weather, the safety, the cleanliness, the ease of getting around on the public transport, for they all enjoy being HOME where they feel comfortable.

Singapore is in their heart

as it is in ours and none of us can give a clear answer as to why. For we were not born here, nor did we grow up here, but we have all learned that living in harmony, in a safe environment, certainly does mean a lot and shows us that it can be achieved wherever we live.

So after writing the above thoughts, its time for me to get back to the sorting of what we are taking back to Australia or what not to take back.

But that's another blog post for sure!

usher in the Chinese New Year at The Halia !!

2012-01-17T13:41:00.001+08:00

We recently had the opportunity to experience The Halia Restaurant located within the Singapore Botanical Gardens.

“Halia” is a Malay word for ginger, a fragrant and hot root that is used for culinary and medicinal purposes. Drawing its name from its halcyon locale within the Ginger Garden at Singapore Botanic gardens.

I think the main attraction for The Halia would be the setting, no one could resist such an atmosphere. Sitting in this particular restaurant of an evening, shared with good company within the Botanical Gardens. Truly a delight.

Taking the helm at The Halia’s new kitchen is Chef de Cuisine Reynaldo Arriola. With close to a decade of training and professional culinary experience in Singapore and France, Chef Reynaldo’s new menu at The Halia showcases modern European cuisine with occasional touches of Asian spices. He certainly has a job ahead of him to convince the pedantic Singaporean customer that this is the place to dine.

The first comment most people seem to make is its too difficult to find parking or too far to walk. But take note of where the restaurant is located and you will find its is only a 3 minute walk from the Coach Parking Bay where the cab can drop you off.

Enter from Tyersall Avenue (off Holland Road) and stop at the parking bay for tourists visiting Ginger Garden and Orchid Garden. But do avoid entering from the Cluny Road entrance as that would entail a pretty long walk within the Botanic Gardens to get to The Halia.

From tomorrow - January 18 - there is an exclusive A La Carte Chinese New Year's Special available to mid February 2012 (Dinner only)

The exclusive Chinese New Year a la carte menu comprises of six Chinese-inspired dishes featuring auspiciously-named offerings such as "Prosperity" - a modern take on Yu Sheng with Ocean Trout Carpaccio, Pomelo, Orange Plum Sauce and Chinese Leek, and "Dragon" - Half lobster, angel hair pasta, XO lobster bisque and abalone garnish.

Very innovative as you can create a 3-course of your own (starter, maincourse, dessert) set from the A La Carte Chinese New Year's Specials from $128++ per person (Additional $40++ per person for a wine paired menu with 3 glasses of wine)

For reservations, call (65) 6287 0711 (office hours) or email

The images below are from The Halia and give you an indication of the foods we had and what is available for the coming festive season of Chinese New Year.

(above: Prosperity)

Carpaccio of ocean trout, carrot, sultanas, Chinese leek with pomelo and pamplemousse, black moss, glass noodle, black & white sesame seed and green lime juice, orange plum sauce, pickled ginger)

(above: Prosperity)
Foie gras, miso, seaweed, miso and spring roll with piquillos sauce

I particularly enjoyed these!

(above: Abundance)

we had Kurobuta port turo, yuzu and kumquat sweet sour sauce,

fricassee of carrots, white asparagus, prosciutto and chives.

(above: Dragon)

half lobster, angel hair pasta, XO lobster bisque and abalone

for my own personal taste, I found the flavour of the sauce a little overpowering for the delicate taste of the lobster meat, or it may have been the roasting of it.

But this is my western palate and perhaps would be quite suitable for the Asian palate.

(above: Happiness)

Chocolate Mousse, orange sesame tuille and Szechuan pepper ice cream.

this certainly was for "Happiness" as it was quite delicious, be warned though if you have never tried the Szechuan Ice Cream before, the pepper taste might be a surprise!

(above: Fortune)

Orange tiramisu, triple sec orange liquor gelee, pistaschio nougat, orange meringue.

I found the base of this dessert to be very 'rich', but did enjoy the light orange meringue!

All of the above dishes were paired with Brown Brothers wines, all exclusive to The Halia.

The Halia does offer far more than the above menu for discerning diners as there is a full a la carte menu is available for dinner and lunch.

A 2-course ($28++) and 3-course ($32++) set lunch menu is available from Mondays to Fridays (except public holidays), 12pm to 2pm.

The Brunch menu is an absolute delight to just read the menu!!

The brunch menu is available on Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays, 10am to 4pm.
The Kid’s menu is available at all times. Reservations are not accepted for brunch.

But of course there is also 'Teatime at The Halia'

At $28++ per person, The Halia offers a special “Premium English Tea Service” featuring items like the Mini olive quiche with Iberico bellota and tomato spread, Mini baked tomato provencale tart with lemon beurre blanc, home-made assorted macaroons and fresh scones served with apricot and ginger jam.

The one I would like to experience - and hope to do so soon, is the The “Premium English Tea Service” which is available on Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays, 3pm to 5pm. Reservations are not accepted for tea.

There is also a very extensive Wines and Beverage list at The Halia.

If you can't make it for the Chinese New Year celebrations, do try for the English Afternoon Tea, or perhaps even dinner one evening?

For reservations or any enquiry, call (65) 6287 0711 (office hours) or email

I do not consider myself a food critic nor a food writer, but I enjoy good food that is well presented with the added bonus being 'good value'. I do believe The Halia offers good service and good food that is served well in a very pleasant atmosphere. Each persons taste is very different, even the western palate is quite different to the Asian palate for example. As a blogger I share my thoughts and observations with others. I write only about what I enjoy and what I think others will enjoy and so do hope you enjoy your experience at The Halia!

Caveat and Disclaimer

This blog resulted from an invitation and represents the thoughts and opinions of the writer. All information on this blog is provided "as is", with no guarantee of completeness, accuracy or timeliness and the writer will not be liable for any losses, injuries or damages from the display or use of this information. Most of the above images and information have been supplied to me by The Halia Restaurant and FoodNews.

Thank you to The Halia and FoodNews for this kind invitation

I'll see you again one day soon .....

2012-01-12T00:00:00.000+08:00

This blog post (below) was written in July 2009, when I had to say goodbye to my friend Susan. Since then I have said countless goodbyes.... none of them being any easier.

It is hard for each and everyone of us, people that have not been 'expats' will never have the understanding of what it is like to be constantly saying GOODBYE.

As expats we make short and very intense relationships wherever we may be living, they may not be 'life long friends' from our school days, but they are equally as important for they have more understanding of what our lives are like today. We are all in the same boat with the same concerns, the same joys, worries, our fears, happiness or missing our families.

We miss the same things 'back home', we share the same joys and excitement of each others events, like graduations, babies etc ..... we travel to the same amazing places of which others have no understanding. In Singapore, we rarely discuss our latest trip to Kuching or Koh Samui or Chiang Mai with friends 'back home', because to be frank, they couldn't care less, let alone know where these places are!

We have many discussions with our expat friends as to where we have been or where we are going, because we are all interested in each others lives, where we are going or what is happening. Its not being rude or being a 'busy body', its because we care about each other .... we are all good friends and we know any one of us would be right there on the door step if anyone of us needed support.

So yes, we do form very intense relationships in a very short time. Most of them survive the goodbyes too as we all hope and pray that one day we will see each other again.

This year there are quite a few people departing the shores of Singapore and John and I are in that group too .... our goodbyes are now on the flip side.

                                   and they are not any easier either

                          How lucky we are to have known such friends
                                 who are so hard to say goodbye to.

July 2009

I am so lucky to have met many wonderful people here in Singapore ...... friends are so important.

They are important when you are at 'home', growing up, going to school, new work environment, getting married and having children of your own .... right throughout your life, friends are important. ......

even more so when you are living so far away from home.... wherever 'home' maybe.

Family are too .... but you cannot choose your family.

friends are special people that you choose with your heart.

Then sometimes when we are far away from our home country, life can suddenly take a dip. Like one of my friends here in Singapore wrote on her blog recently:

"I'll apologise in advance as I know this post will probably come across as a bit self-pitying but I just need to have a moan.

Sometimes life in Singapore can be downright lonely. Even though I've made some really nice friends, I don't see them often enough and some days the loneliness really gets me down. "

and it hit me..... she is right ..... we all have our friends here, but they also have their own lives and yes, they travel or go 'home' on holidays too.
........ and we are still here.

We can make many friends and then find they are leaving us due to many reasons, maybe their contract is up, maybe they have lost their job...... for whatever reason they are no longer with us

....... and we are still here.

“Friends are an integral part of your life, but every friend you have must live life at their own pace. When the time comes & they must leave you, there is no need to grieve over their parting from your life. It is the very essence of life that it should be so. But it hurts nonetheless and we grieve nonetheless, but we hold them in our hearts forever. Always cherish the joy, laughter, memories and love that they have brought into your lives. Always remember them with a warm smile for what they have given you.”
I have said goodbye to many people that have touched me whilst living in Singapore ..... and again next week I have to say goodbye to another.

but is it "goodbye"???

can it not just be:

"I'll see you again one day soon"

for I hope it will be.

Susan

my very good friend.

love ya!

in transit at Singapore?

2012-01-11T22:32:00.000+08:00

Have a stopover / layover is Singapore for a few hours?

Be it 4 hours or 8 hours, you will not be wanting to hang around the airport for that length of time, though to be fair there is a lot to do at Singapore's Changi Airport and you will not be bored!

At the airport there are many dining experiences for any palate. But you may wish to just wander around and 'shop' duty free, again many stores to choose from.

At T1 (Terminal one) there are many stores for perfumes and cosmetics, in T2 there is Hudson News, SK Jewelry, Chomel as well as many others. In T3 you will find Bata, Bratpack, Giordana, Samsonite, Swatch, Watsons and Cotton On to name a few…..

If you prefer to just rest, there are airline lounges located in all terminals. Check here.

If your stopover / layover is up to 3 hours:

Surf the Internet or send out some emails with FREE Internet services (15 mins)
Enjoy a stroll in the world's first Butterfly Garden in an airport at Terminal 3 (20 mins)
Get a FREE foot massage at the Foot and Calf Massage Stations (15 minutes)
Pick up fantastic gifts from a wide selection of souvenirs, toys, fashion and books (30 mins)
Grab a light and healthy meal at Quick Bites (30 mins)

If your stopover / layover is up to 4 hours:

Try out a fish micro-massage therapy at the Fish Spa & Reflexology (30 mins)
Refresh with a quick shower (20 mins)
Have a go at the FREE Xbox 360 and PlayStation® 3 games at the Entertainment Deck (30 mins)
Shop at the wide selection of fashion labels, gift choices and lifestyle brands (1 hour)
Enjoy delicious gourmet dining at our wide range of restaurants (45 mins)

If your stopover / layover is up to 5 hours:

Soak up the sun and take a refreshing dip in the rooftop swimming pool (30 mins)
Get a new hairdo or manicure (45 mins)
Catch a blockbuster movie for FREE at the Movie Theatre (2 hours)
Rediscover the beauty of nature at one of Changi's themed gardens (15 mins)
Tuck into a hearty meal and chill out at Harry's Bar or Hard Rock Cafe (45 mins)

If your stopover / layover is OVER 5 HOURS:

Join a FREE Singapore Tour and take in the sights and sounds of Singapore, as well as get a glimpse into Singapore’s ethnic heritage and tourist attractions. (2 hours)
Try out the various cuisine from local, Asian and international dining outlets in the airport (45 mins)
Don't miss out on some great buys from our wide range of duty-free products (1 hour)
Catch a nap at one of our quiet Rest Areas or check into a napping facility (1 hour)

For a short rest after a long flight, just book a room at the Transit Hotels if you are transiting in Terminal 1, 2 or 3. You don't have to clear Immigration to get to the hotels.

Terminal 1 - Tel: (65) 6542 5538
Terminal 2 - Tel: (65) 6542 8122
Terminal 3 - Tel: (65) 6507 9788

Visit the Transit Hotel webpage.

The transit area in the Budget Terminal is not linked to Terminals 1, 2 and 3.

Passengers who are transferring between two flights in the Budget Terminal will not be able to access the Transit Hotels in Terminal 1, 2 and 3.

You are allowed to enter Singapore during your transit as long as you have the valid travel documents (passport, visa etc). Passengers arriving on or connecting to a budget airline must clear Customs and Immigration into Singapore.

You may visit the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) website for further information on entry requirements into Singapore.

You will only be able to re-enter the Transit Hall if you are holding the boarding pass of your flight out of Singapore issued by the airline or a self-printed boarding pass which has been endorsed by the airline.

Please note that if you leave the transit area without a valid boarding pass for your departing flight, you will only be able to check-in for your connecting flight when your airline starts its Check-in operations in the Departure Check-in Hall.

Check-in counters generally open at least 2 hours before flight departure. Please check with your airline for the exact opening time of Check-in counters. For further queries, you may approach any of the Information Counters at the airport.

*note* all of the above information can be found on the Changi Airport website. It has been transcribed here for ease of reading with this particular blog post.

Yes, you can leave your baggage at the Left Baggage counter located in all terminals. This service is available at:

Terminal 1
* Departure Transit Lounge East, Level 2
* Basement West, Public Area

Terminal 2
* Departure Transit Lounge South, Level 2
* Arrival Hall North, Public Area, Level 1

Terminal 3
* Departure Transit Lounge North
* Basement 2 South

Budget Terminal
* Departure Check-in Hall

OR ….

You can take the train to anywhere in Singapore from CHANGI MRT (rail station) located at the basement of Terminals 2 and 3, accessible from the Arrival and Departure Halls through escalators and lifts.

After purchasing the SINGAPORE TOURIST PASS for $8.00 SGD at the rail station, proceed thru the ticket barriers and board the train at CHANGI MRT.

Just two stops later transfer to the west bound train at TANAH MERAH MRT (train station) at Tanah Merah station all you need to do is cross the platform to board the train towards JOO KOON - which is the terminating point (on the far left) of the green line as seen below in the MRT Map:

Once on the train, you have the whole island to explore!!

You can stay on the train all the way to JURONG EAST INTERCHANGE (where the red 4 is located to the left on the above map) and transfer to the red line (terminating point will be MARINA BAY which is right at the bottom of the map where the red 5 is located). By traveling on the red line via WOODLANDS etc you do get to see quite a bit of the Singapore heartlands and countryside.

If you have decided to travel this route, taking the red line from JURONG EAST MRT, you can alight at BISHAN MRT. This is located in the centre of the above map where the red lines intersects with the orange line. The orange line being what is locally called "the circle line". It takes about a hour to travel from one end to the other. One of my Blog Posts on The Circle LIne is HERE.

Entirely up to you .... you can stay on the red line and continue all the way to ORCHARD MRT or SOMERSET MRT and alight at either of these if you wish to wander along Orchard Rd.

image above is Somerset MRT

If you do change trains at BISHAN MRT and take the circle line (or yellow line) then you could board the train that is going towards DHOBY GHAUT MRT. This is a major interchange between quite a few train lines.

If you look at the above train system map from BISHAN MRT in the middle of the above map, going towards DHOBY GHAUT interchange means you will be on the orange line going towards the right. Follow it around and you could alight at PROMENADE MRT if you wish to take a ride on the SINGAPORE FLYER for example, or continue on towards BAYFRONT or MARINA BAY MRT on the extended orange line (newly opened JAN 14 2012) as seen in the following abbreviated map:

above the train door the map will look like this:

If you decide to alight at BAYFRONT MRT it is directly beneath MBS (Marina Bay Sands) so a good opportunity to have a look around this area.

as this is a newly opened line (JAN 14 2012) be aware until further notice the following applies:

OFF-PEAK HOURS ONLY

During off-peak hours, things get a little less straightforward. There will be a shuttle train service that runs from Marina Bay station to Stadium station. This means commuters going towards the two new stations should alight at either Stadium, Nicoll Highway or Promenade stations to board the shuttle train.

Trains alternating between Dhoby Ghaut and Harbourfront will run at a frequency of 3.5 minutes during peak hours. The shuttle trains which operate during off-peak hours will run at a frequency of seven minutes.

This is until we here further news on an extended train service. But during peak times, the train will run as 'normal'.

But if you find this a little confusing, do not attempt to travel to BAYFRONT or MARINA BAY on the orange circle line. You are here to have a quick look around Singapore, so you do not need to have any added stress and worry about what train or where or if you need to catch the shuttle train.

Better if you alight at ESPLANADE MRT and do a nice walk of 2.5 klms around Marina Bay itself. All the way around the bay and back to the ESPLANADE MRT will stretch your legs nicely for the next flight!

By doing this you get to see the ArtScience Museum, Marina Bay Sands, Fullerton Heritage area, the Fullerton Hotel, the Esplanade Theatre as well as the Merlion!

At this time you may wish to board the train at ESPLANADE MRT back to DHOBY GHAUT MRT..... depending on how much time you have left, you can take the purple line to LITTLE INDIA MRT or to CHINATOWN MRT.

An hour or so wandering Little India or Chinatown will give you a small sample what they are like.

Again, depending on how much time you have left, you may like to change trains at DHOBY GHAUT MRT and take the green line towards CHANGI MRT (eg: on your way back to the airport) but instead of staying on the train, alight at BUGIS MRT and wander around the Kampong Glam area. Fabulous colours, foods, fabrics and people in this area!

There is much to see and do in and around Singapore. If you take any of the above suggestions, you will also find many areas for good food. Not always at the local hawker markets, but still the above will take you past some good food areas. There is a good one near the ESPLANADE MRT for example. But you can always find restaurants, coffee shops (kopitiams) and cafe's everywhere you look, you will not go hungry in Singapore!

please do remember:
that there is no drinking or eating on any train or bus in Singapore.

The above is by no means all there is to see in Singapore, but hopefully it will give you a taste of what it is like and that one day soon, you will return for a longer visit.

You could stay for a month and still not see everything ..... I have not touched on any of the amazing parks. The Botanical Gardens, The Orchid Garden, Pasir Ris Park, Labrador Park just to name a few.

There are the islands sitting just off Singapore where you can take a ferry to enjoy a peaceful picnic, a bike ride or a swim. They are Pulau Ubin, St John's Island, Kusu Island to name just three!

Then there is the Singapore Zoo or Jurong Bird Park, the many Temples, the Asian Civilisation Museum, The National Museum and Art Galleries, the Raffles Hotel or the Fullerton Hotel and the list goes on and on ......

We hope you do return and experience the hospitality of The Little Red Dot.

in the mean time we do hope you enjoy your short 'stopover'

and we wish you a safe journey on your next flight out of Changi.

a little bit of consideration .....

2012-01-09T18:39:00.000+08:00

and being polite goes a long way when one is a visitor in another country.

Sitting in a restaurant in Little India today with two Indian ladies ..... they had ordered Poori (which is a large soft, thin deep fried bread and completely hollow on the inside) and a few other items including Dosa.

Behind me were a group of tourists, they were loud and being quite obnoxious. But as the food came to our table, one of the group (of tourists) jumped up, came around and said:

"ooohhhh ... I must take a photo of this"

The two Indian ladies were mortified and tried to shield their faces as they turned away. I was more embarrassed than anything, could not understand why this group of Caucasians could act in such a rude manner!

But the tourist, with her little point and shoot camera was totally oblivious to what was happening. She was too busy (and too rude) to take any notice or have any consideration for others.

Would she do this in her own country?

Better still, I wonder how she would react if she were 'at home' and a tourist came running up to her in a restaurant saying.....

"ooohhhh ... I must take a photo of this"

My guess is, that she wouldn't like it one little bit.

a wander around Labrador Park

2012-01-07T20:56:00.001+08:00

Labrador Nature Reserve ..... a small park in the southern part of Singapore, not far from HarbourFront. It is a lovely park to visit and to enjoy the peace and tranquility of the area with easy access from Labrador Park MRT and the bus stop along Pasir Panjang Rd.

Labrador Nature Reserve is an oasis of tranquility and natural wonders. The park offers a picturesque view of the sea. A path built on the edge of the secondary forest provides a prime view of the cliff side vegetation coupled with a panoramic view of the sea.

You can take a picnic, spend some time at the playground with the children or just enjoy a nice long walk, but do take mosquito repellent. It is also an ideal spot for sunset photos at this time of year.

The following images were taken last Thursday as friend (and fellow blogger) Flora and myself explored the new Berlayer Creek Boardwalk and Labrador Park.

Blog post is here for the Labrador Nature and Coastal Walk.

Blog post is here for the MudSkippers of Berlayer Creek.

Blog post is here for the historic machine gun post at Labrador Park

The historic Machine Gun Post - Labrador Park

2012-01-07T16:54:00.000+08:00

The 16.8-ha site of the Labrador Park Nature Reserve, facing the sea in the southern part of Singapore is one of our least known parks but it has a rich variety of flora and fauna. Nature aside, Labrador Park is better known for having been one of the British navy's strategic defense sites meant to protect the harbor of Singapore in World War II.

Labrador Nature Reserve contains many historical relics from World War II and earlier, left behind by the British. That is because it has a long history, dating back to the 19th century. It also played a significant role in the history of Singapore.

There was an old British fort, the Fort Pasir Panjang, located on the hill and cliff next to the sea. The cliff’s high vantage point led the British to identify it as a defence site to protect the entrance to the harbours of Singapore. It became one of nine sites in which the British had set up their batteries, and is part of the British overall defence system for Singapore.

The British made the beach an “impenetrable fortress”, making it extremely difficult for enemy ships and troops to enter Singapore via that area. It would have proven very useful in combating the enemies.

Alas, the site did not see much action during the war. When the Japanese arrived in Singapore, they, together with their equipment, came from the Northern coast, instead of the Southern coast which the British expected. No Japanese ships passed through the area at all. As a result, much of the equipment at the fort was put to waste.

The job of the fort then was only to provide a place for shelter and ammunition storage for the British troops. It was also near where the Battle of Pasir Panjang took place.

above image was taken (Feb 2011) from within the machine gun post on Kent Ridge where the Battle of Pasir Panjang took place.

When the British Armed Forces surrendered to the Japanese in 1942, the equipment at the fort (on Labrador Park) was quickly dismantled, and it was closed down and abandoned. After the occupation was over, the fort remained closed.

In 2001, two tunnels were also discovered within the park. They were located beneath the old fort, and probably served as a storage of ammunition and supplies, as well as a hideout for British troops. One of the tunnels goes under the sea and leads to Pulau Blakang Mati. Part of the tunnels have been opened to the public.

On the National Parks WEBSITE there is quite a bit of information on the Labrador Nature Reserve including a walking trail - as above - please do check it out.

Relics from World War II, such as the cannon and machine-gun posts, give visitors a taste of the past. For safety reasons, the jetty and rocky shore areas are closed, together with the war tunnels which were discovered in 2001 and are currently (January 2012) under maintenance.

a walk around the Berlayer Creek Boardwalk will also bring you to the Labrador Nature Reserve ..... both the boardwalk and the Nature Reserve are within easy walking distance from the bus stop near the Labrador Park MRT on Pasir Panjang Rd and the Labrador Park MRT station on the circle line.

Blog post is here for the Labrador Nature and Coastal Walk.

Blog post is here for the MudSkippers of Berlayer Creek.

The Labrador Nature & Coastal Walk ....

2012-01-06T21:52:00.000+08:00

Residents of Singapore and of course all visitors, can now enjoy the charming mangrove and coastal areas with the Labrador Nature & Coastal Walk in the southern part of Singapore. These tranquil nature spots will be an oasis of calm for visitors amidst the hustle and bustle of the city, connecting the Southern Ridges to the Southern Waterfront.

The Labrador Nature & Coastal Walk was conceptualised and developed by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) and is managed by the National Parks Board.

The 2.1km walk, which seamlessly connects the Southern Ridges to the Southern Waterfront, runs along Alexandra Road from Depot Road to Telok Blangah Road, through the Berlayar Creek mangrove area and skirts the foothills of Bukit Chermin.

(above: the Labrador Park MRT)

At the exit area of Labrador Park MRT it is well signposted for you to locate the start of Berlayer Creek Boardwalk or even Labrador Park itself.

The Berlayer Creek mangrove trail is 969m long and is one of the few remaining mangrove areas in the city area. Previously inaccessible to pedestrians, the opening of the Labrador Park MRT Station right next to it along with the new trail makes it convenient and simple for members of the public to explore this nature area.

Extra care was taken to retain the natural environment along the walk.

A visitor pavilion provides a sheltered rest point and and allows visitors to enjoy elevated views of the mangrove through its roof deck. Look-out points perched over the Creek also allow users to get closer to the biodiversity.

As we wandered along the boardwalk, we saw MudSkippers and Monitor Lizards:

and colourful foliage ......

and old steps, rocks and stones.....

but most of all we enjoyed the peace and tranquility of the area

that is easily accessible for everyone to enjoy.

Labrador Park MRT is on the Circle Line and is situated near to Labrador Park itself, a historical site which held former fortifications and naval guns built by the British forces in Singapore before World War II. The station has 1 exit and entry point. An overhead pedestrian bridge links various offices across Alexandra and Telok Blangah roads to the station. The station is located along the Labrador Nature & Coastal Walk's Berlayer Creek sector.

Previous blog post on the MudSkippers of Berlayer Creek is HERE

The images from WildSingapore of Berlayer Creek and its marine life is HERE

The Mudskippers of Berlayer Creek .

2012-01-05T22:19:00.001+08:00

The Berlayer Boardwalk is now open!

Starting from the Labrador MRT station, the boardwalk leads along the mangroves of the Creek towards the sea. Fellow blogger and friend, Flora and myself decided to explore the new boardwalk today.

But we were in for a surprise.....our first experience of seeing walking fish!

Amazing little creatures that are actually called Mudskippers. Mudskippers are commonly seen on many of our shores. They are particularly abundant in mangroves and muddy shores, but are also seen on rocky shores and near reefs.

In fact they don't really 'walk', but certainly look like they do .... they skip. Hence the name Mudskippers. They curl their muscular body sideways then push against the mud to spring forward.

While out of water, they breathe by retaining water in enlarged gill chambers. Just as we bring tanks of air to breathe from when we scuba dive, mudskippers bring stores of water. They can also breathe air through their wet skin. These fish are in fact more comfortable crawling around on the mud than submerged in water!

Mudskippers have interesting features designed to rule the mud! They have eyes at the top of the head for an all-round view. While their mouth faces downwards to feed on the mud surface. In some mudskippers, the pelvic fins are fused to form a sucker so they can better cling to rocks and roots. Their pectoral fins are used like crutches to crawl over mud. Some have colourful dorsal fins that can be raised to signal other mudskippers on the sand or mudflats.

all of the above information on the Mudskippers came from the Wild Shores of Singapores website.

Wild Shores of Singapore's blog post on the opening of Berlayer Creek Boardwalk is HERE

John Fabre & Associates

2012-01-04T22:52:00.000+08:00

Wahooooo.......

John's website went live tonight!!

John Fabre and Associates is a boutique agency focused on how consumers and businesses can genuinely benefit from our changing world. I choose to work with associates in applying creative, communication and business management skills to align brand aspirations and consumer needs in an experience consumption driven world. We all bring different skill sets.

We work to deliver the best possible product and service experience based on a deep understanding of consumers, commercial positioning and strategic intent.

We have experience doing this. Extensive commercial background in human factors (safety and usability engineering), human-centered design, creative design, design thinking and leadership, allows us to formulate compelling solutions aligned to consumer needs and brand tenets.

We value excellence, quality and leadership. We believe that consumers deserve and value great experiences. We empathize with both consumers and organizations wishing to make a difference. Simply put, more of the same products and services, delivered in the same manner, benefit no one.

We are a team, with each client project resourced on its own merits and there are 'no canned' solutions.

In a crowded world, small is big, simple is best, and being authentic is absolute. We search for the essence of good design to give rise to effective solutions.

We operate in Asia and Australia. Our associates in Singapore and Australia are among the finest creative talents and people centric leaders in the region.

What's more we believe in the idea that simple, old-fashioned service and value still resonates.

Please take a look at the complete website of

John Fabre & Associates

including his first blog post here.

email

The ArtScience Museum - Singapore!!

2012-01-04T15:18:00.000+08:00

The ArtScience Museum certainly looked spectacular on New Years Eve (2011) and was a colourful addition to Marina Bay!!

The Museum is certainly a "must visit" if you are a visitor to Singapore, or if you are a resident of Singapore then its a "must visit' for more than the odd occasion!

There are events happening all year long and are constantly changing as well.

For the permanent exhibition, the ArtScience Gallery consists of three galleries - Curiosity, Inspiration, Expression. Visitors go through these galleries to explore the connections between the arts and the sciences, and undergo their own journey of creativity. So far there have been SEVEN touring exhibitions, with many more being planned.

ArtScience Museum is one of the attractions at Marina Bay Sands, an integrated resort in Singapore owned by the US Las Vegas Sands company. Opened on 17 February 2011 by Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, it is the world's first ArtScience museum.

Although it has a permanent exhibition, ArtScience Gallery, the ArtScience Museum mainly hosts touring exhibitions curated by other museums. These visiting exhibitions are recast through the lens of ArtScience.

The architecture is said be a form reminiscent of a lotus flower. It is designed by the architect Moshe Safdie.

Referred to as "The Welcoming Hand of Singapore" by Las Vegas Sands chairman Sheldon Adelson, the ArtScience Museum is anchored by a round base in the middle, with ten extensions referred to as "fingers". The design concept for each finger denotes various gallery spaces sporting skylights at the "fingertips" which are included as sustainable illumination for the dramatically curved interior walls.

and during the daytime, it still looks spectacular!

The ArtScience Museum website

Other blog posts on the ArtScience Museum are here:

The ArtScience Museum

The Southern Part of Marina Bay

Van Gogh - Alive!

The opening of MBS

The Titanic Exhibition

a very colourful New Years Eve ....

2012-01-02T09:19:00.002+08:00

fireworks are amazing all around the globe, no matter where you are its all very similar ..... but each 'city' has its own individual atmosphere that makes it 'special' for those celebrating and welcoming in the New Year!

We have spent New Years Eve in many parts of the globe ..... one of the most memorable being Batam (Indonesia) where we celebrated a Singapore New Year at midnight on the beach as we watched the fireworks explode over the Singapore Straits and then one hour later, celebrated the Indonesian New Year with the container ships (and others) setting off their flares and blasting their fog horns ....

With thanks to the URA, we welcomed 2012 in at The Float on Marina Bay in Singapore as seen in the following few images:

Hope 2012 brings you peace, much joy, good health and a lot of happiness!!

we sincerely thank the URA (Urban Redevelopment Board) for the

invitation to celebrate NYE 2011 at The Float!

the colourful wishing spheres on Marina Bay

2012-01-01T16:08:00.001+08:00

Each wishing sphere represents a hope,

a belief that the New Year will bring new possibilities

and a brighter tomorrow.

Many people penned their wishes for the New Year on the spheres at the wishing stations located around the island last month. But to see the colourful spectacle of 20,000 balloons on the water of Marina Bay on New Years Eve is certainly amazing!

above: looking across the bay towards One Fullerton.

You may have already seen my blog post on the WISHING SPHERES, in December 2011, well this post is of the spheres seen last night (New Years Eve) on Marina Bay ..... keep in mind, when in Singapore next December and you see the volunteers offering the 'balloons' for you to 'make a wish' for NYE of 2012, make your wish and then go to Marina Bay and see the beautiful display of Wishing Spheres for yourself!

above: looking towards One Fullerton

On December 31 2012 witness your wishing sphere, together with 20,000 plus others filled with the wishes of all Singaporeans and visitors, become part of a visual arts installation in Marina Bay – the Bay of hope and light.

above: close up of spheres and the Merlion in front of The Fullerton Hotel.

many thanks to the URA [Urban Redevelopment Authority] for the invite to witness NYE at Marina Bay!

the terraced rice fields of Vietnam ....

2011-12-19T22:27:00.000+08:00

One of the main characteristics about the landscape in Northern Vietnam are the terraced rice fields. The irrigation works around Sapa (North Vietnam) extend like huge flights of steps far up along mountainsides. These terraced fields have been built since antiquity and maintained at a extraordinary cost in human labor and toil.

As we trekked around the mountains and down in the valleys, we could see these terraced fields for as far as we could see. The hill tribes around Sapa are subsistence farmers who live off their land and the livestock they own. They do not pay taxes, but they also do not receive any government pensions or other social services. They grow rice for their families, which is backbreaking labor and in a bad season the land does not provide enough rice to feed them. In that case the Vietnamese government helps by distributing 300kgs of rice per family to the villages.

Terrace building and water control, reputedly the "eighth wonder of the world," is a distinctive cultural phenomenon of Asia. Terracing, as done in many parts of Asia, consists of building stone walls, often without mortar, along the slope and contours of uplands being converted into cultivated land. The walls might be given a slight batter (receding upward slope) or inward lean at the top. These walls often exceeded six meters in height and were topped with sluices for water drainage.

Earth materials would then be used to fill each unit to a level just below the top of the wall. By then staggering the field units in overlapping manner at different levels, a whole mountain slope might be terraced toward the top such that it resembled a sculptured system of fields covered with rice and other types of crops. The field units may be as narrow as 2.5 meters but as long as 90 meters on steep slopes. They are, however, commonly much wider and not so long.

For irrigation, water is usually introduced at the top of a terrace series or sometimes as a complementary supply at an intermediate point. The water that is supplied then moves through sluices in each field by gravity downward across each level of the terrace. Finally, the water empties into a stream channel at the bottom of the valley.

The terraced rice fields of Vietnam are an amazing sight. This is not a place to rush any journey, you do need the time to stop and absorb what is around you!

all of the above images of the terraced rice fields were taken by

JOHN FABRE with the Sony Cybershot.

PREVIOUS BLOG POSTS - on our visit to Hanoi, Halong Bay and Sapa

Blog posting on the Royal Palace Hotel.

Blog posting on the madness of Hanoi traffic.

Blog posting on the humble motorcycle

Blog posting on the local coffee shops of Hanoi.

Blog posting on the way to Halong Bay

Blog posting on our arrival onboard the Dragons Pearl

Blog posting on the kayaking

Blog posting on the vegetable and fruit carving

Blog posting on the Magical Dinner!

Blog posting on the Bamboo Boat

Blog posting on the Fishing Village

Blog posting on the Yen Duc Village

Blog posting on the St Josephs Church of Hanoi

Blog posting on the KOTO Restaurant

Blog posting on the overnight train journey
Blog posting on the arrival at Sapa

Blog posting on the market in Sapa

Blog posting on the first part of our trekking experience

HELPFUL WEBSITES FOR HANOI and SAPA AREA's:

Royal Palace Hotel
IndoChina Junk Company

Fruit and Vegetable carving classes (in Saigon)

Fruit and Vegetable carving website (with recipes)

Fruit and Vegetable carving (images)

OrangeFoamFingers trip to the Fishing Village

The Man in SEAT 61 (website on train travel)

Train Travel in VIetnam

HANOI KIDS- volunteer tour guides - hotel can organise if you book well ahead.

KOTO Restaurant - hotel can book a table for you.

TRIP ADVISOR

CURRENCY EXCHANGE

email for Royal Palace Hotel

This is just one of the many blog posts of our visit to Hanoi and beyond.

So stay tuned for more updates!!

starting the first day of trekking in Sapa ......

2011-12-18T21:11:00.000+08:00

We had a great couple of hours exploring the town of Sapa before setting off on our trekking experience with our guide and two H'mong ladies ...

* from Wikipedia:
The Hmong, are an Asian ethnic group from the mountainous regions of China, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand. Hmong are also one of the sub-groups of the Miao ethnicity in southern China. Hmong groups began a gradual southward migration in the 18th century due to political unrest and to find more arable land.

A number of Hmong people fought against the communist Pathet Lao during the Laotian Civil War. Hmong people were singled out for retribution when the Pathet Lao took over the Laotian government in 1975, and tens of thousands fled to Thailand seeking political asylum. Thousands of these refugees have resettled in Western countries since the late 1970s, mostly the United States but also in Australia, France, French Guiana, Canada, and South America. Others have been returned to Laos under United Nations-sponsored repatriation programs. Around 8,000 Hmong refugees remain in Thailand.

The two ladies that followed us were Mei and Cor (pronounced May and Kerr) and they were a God-Send to us .. they laughed and chatted with us and their English and command of the language was outstanding. When we asked where they had learned their English, they told us "from the tourists" ... they speak exceptionally well, yet neither can read or write!

They did not hound us in any way, they asked if we would purchase their trinkets and we said no, but they had to walk in the same direction as us to their own village, so they walked with us and helped us many times. I was very grateful for their companionship and their support!

As we walked out of the town early in the morning the weather was quite cool and very misty around the mountains ......

everywhere we looked, it was breathtaking and not one of the images wil do it justice!

as we walked along the road, there were a few people that passed us ..... one in particular caught our eye. Just as she had passed us, her cell phone rang. It was a surprise to us to see one of the minority group ladies out in the middle of nowhere talking on a cell phone!

but communication is important to us all and the same goes with these ladies ...so we continued on our way .....

then our 'road' became a muddy track and as we looked up we saw this bend in the road ..

and stopped at the top to admire the scenery once again...

as we looked over the edge, we could see the river far below ......

and this is when we were told that we would be going DOWN that steep slope to the river as seen here.

Down? Down there? .....

straight off I said "there is no way I could do that" ..... and I didn't believe I could.

But with the help of the two H'mong ladies and a bit of encouragement from John and our guide, somehow I did it.....

we looked back to the top and saw a group of people also trying to decide if they would continue down or not:

This was really just the start of the trek and by this stage I was wondering what was ahead of us. But we continued on down the mountain, across the valley and up the other side ....

passing by some of the most amazing scenery......

in the above image I have marked the track - in red - we had taken up till this point.

if you look closely in the above image (at the top) you will see the water buffalo that just stood there as we passed by it on the track.

we managed to get past the road machinary ..... somehow!!

I think this is where I fell as I was scrambling over the 'wheel track' to get past it. It looks easy here, but it wasn't!

and down to the river we went .....

... and yes, crossing the 'wobbly' bridge ..... this was the first of four!!

magical scenery eh?

Thats it for tonight .... will continue on with the trekking blog posts tomorrow!

* * * * * * * * *

PREVIOUS BLOG POSTS - on our visit to Hanoi, Halong Bay and Sapa

Blog posting on the Royal Palace Hotel.

Blog posting on the madness of Hanoi traffic.

Blog posting on the humble motorcycle

Blog posting on the local coffee shops of Hanoi.

Blog posting on the way to Halong Bay

Blog posting on our arrival onboard the Dragons Pearl

Blog posting on the kayaking

Blog posting on the vegetable and fruit carving

Blog posting on the Magical Dinner!

Blog posting on the Bamboo Boat

Blog posting on the Fishing Village

Blog posting on the Yen Duc Village

Blog posting on the St Josephs Church of Hanoi

Blog posting on the KOTO Restaurant

Blog posting on the overnight train journey
Blog posting on the arrival at Sapa

Blog posting on the market in Sapa

HELPFUL WEBSITES FOR HANOI and SAPA AREA's:

Royal Palace Hotel
IndoChina Junk Company

Fruit and Vegetable carving classes (in Saigon)

Fruit and Vegetable carving website (with recipes)

Fruit and Vegetable carving (images)

OrangeFoamFingers trip to the Fishing Village

The Man in SEAT 61 (website on train travel)

Train Travel in VIetnam

HANOI KIDS- volunteer tour guides - hotel can organise if you book well ahead.

KOTO Restaurant - hotel can book a table for you.

TRIP ADVISOR

CURRENCY EXCHANGE

email for Royal Palace Hotel

This is just one of the many blog posts of our visit to Hanoi and beyond.

So stay tuned for more updates!!

the Market in Sapa

2011-12-17T21:57:00.003+08:00

Soon after we arrived in Sapa, our guide offered to show us around the local market. I always enjoy visiting any market in any country of the world and this one was no exception. Though to be honest there were a few 'sights' that did my head in ... and I thought at one point John might head back to Hanoi, but we survived and I actually did enjoy most aspects of visiting the local market as you will see by some of the images below.

The market in Sapa is located at the center of the town and and is open every day. But quite crowded on Saturday late afternoon and evening.

John with the two ladies (Mei and Cor) from the H'mong Minority Tribe

and Huang, our guide for the Sapa Tour.

Until the late 1980s, when the population of the region was small and transportation was very poor, It was difficult to communicate among the outlying villages, the market offered probably the only chances once a week for H’mong and Red Zao peoples to meet others.

The main market took place on Sunday but many went to the market on the Saturday afternoon, mainly because the villages were quite some distance. Of course there were no accommodation, so to pass the night they gathered around the fire's talking, playing their traditional music, dancing…

Gradually these activities attracted the youngsters from villages near by to come and turned the market into a dating place for lovers. These days due to the development in the region and making it easier for locals to communicate among villages, as a result, the market in Sapa has been becoming less important spiritually. However, it is still crowded every weekend and worthwhile to spend few hours wandering around - just for the experience.

each time I see the above image, I think of the "Chicken Dance"!

there were plenty of stalls selling fresh vegetables and fruit ...

*note*
If you are intending to go trekking around Sapa, the ladies from the minority groups will surely follow you. Most are hoping that you will buy some small trinket or souvenir. You might find about 5 or 6 following you around the town. They do understand the word NO if said politely. Do not say 'later' as they will take that literally.

These people are delightful and you can learn much from them as you are trekking.

You might find that only one or two will stay with you past the edge of town, knowing the guide that is with you, they will know that you are trekking for the next few hours too ... do not disregard them... treat them with the respect they deserve.

These ladies will be of enormous help over the next few hours.

The two ladies that came with us were from the H'mong Minority Group, their names were MEI (May) and COR (Kerr) .... these two ladies were amazing, they were always there to hold our hand, guide us over a muddy patch, show us different things along the way etc and we even managed to visit the family home...

They had asked if we would buy something from them and we had said no.

Prior to our trip, we heard that people buy things to take to the villages or families, things like pencils or candy bars etc. Some people just give money.

We felt we would rather give something else, so while at the market we filled our day pack with bananas, mandarins and apples .... we shared these with both ladies at the end of the day saying that the fruit was for the children. They certainly appreciated the fruit and thanked us profusely.

The guide later told us, that in all the years he has been taking people trekking into the mountains, no one has ever bought fruit for the families ..... you may like to also consider doing this if you intend to be doing any trekking out of Sapa.

We did buy a few things off them at the end of the day as well. But more about that later.

If your guide offers to take you to the market, do so .... it is really a 'local shopping experience' that you won't get back in your home town!

Interesting to note that before the French built Sapa town into a town, the market place was on the sandy ground about 7 km east of the town, at the junction of the main road to Lao Cai and the trail to Ta Phin Village.

* * * * * * * * *

PREVIOUS BLOG POSTS - on our visit to Hanoi, Halong Bay and Sapa

Blog posting on the Royal Palace Hotel.

Blog posting on the madness of Hanoi traffic.

Blog posting on the humble motorcycle

Blog posting on the local coffee shops of Hanoi.

Blog posting on the way to Halong Bay

Blog posting on our arrival onboard the Dragons Pearl

Blog posting on the kayaking

Blog posting on the vegetable and fruit carving

Blog posting on the Magical Dinner!

Blog posting on the Bamboo Boat

Blog posting on the Fishing Village

Blog posting on the Yen Duc Village

Blog posting on the St Josephs Church of Hanoi

Blog posting on the KOTO Restaurant

Blog posting on the overnight train journey
Blog posting on the arrival at Sapa

HELPFUL WEBSITES FOR HANOI and SAPA AREA's:

Royal Palace Hotel
IndoChina Junk Company

Fruit and Vegetable carving classes (in Saigon)

Fruit and Vegetable carving website (with recipes)

Fruit and Vegetable carving (images)

OrangeFoamFingers trip to the Fishing Village

The Man in SEAT 61 (website on train travel)

Train Travel in VIetnam

HANOI KIDS- volunteer tour guides - hotel can organise if you book well ahead.

KOTO Restaurant - hotel can book a table for you.

TRIP ADVISOR

CURRENCY EXCHANGE

email for Royal Palace Hotel

This is just one of the many blog posts of our visit to Hanoi and beyond.

So stay tuned for more updates!!

(especially our trekking outside of Sapa)

arriving in Sapa ......

2011-12-16T16:10:00.000+08:00

........ as mentioned in the previous post, we took the overnight train from Hanoi to Lao Cai, then the shuttle bus to Sapa. We had booked our trip to Sapa, including the train journey, the trek and the overnight stay through the hotel we were staying at in Hanoi, The Royal Palace Hotel.

Everything was organised through them via emails with ourselves and it all went very smoothly despite some of my initial fears. The hotel staff took us direct to the train and even to our carriage to make sure we were in the correct cabin and off we went .... at 5.00am the following morning we arrived at Lao Cai Rail Station and were met by the driver of the shuttle bus that was taking us to Sapa.

above: some of the buildings seen on our way to Sapa.

It was quite cool and misty on the drive up the mountains and we could see very little scenery due to the pre dawn darkness early in the drive and then the mist over the mountains. By just after 7.00am we arrived in Sapa and we were met by our guide who then took us to the hotel - Royal Sapa Hotel - for breakfast and a shower.

view from the back decking of the hotel.

The hotel was nothing outstanding and certainly not 5 star, but our breakfast was adequate and the room allocated to us for a shower was just OK. We were supplied towels, supposedly white towels but with a distinct grey tinge to them!!

You do need to take your own toothbrush / toothpaste / hand towel / small container of shampoo and soap. But it is a shower and was very welcome after the overnight train journey and sleeping in our clothes!

By 9.30 the guide came and went through our itinerary with us, where we were trekking, the weather, the home stay, the food and anything else we needed to be aware of...... soon after we left the hotel with one day pack and the camera bag between us. We had left the other day pack with the hotel reception.

the following are some of the 'usual' scenes around Sapa ..

above: the ladies from the Minority Groups wait outside all the hotels for your custom.

Our guide first took us through the market area where most of the local people in Sapa do their shopping and where we saw many sights best left unsaid!

But a visit to any market anywhere in the world is an experience not to be missed ..... as seen in the next blog posting. A Visit to Sapa Market!

PREVIOUS BLOG POSTS - on our visit to Hanoi, Halong Bay and Sapa

Blog posting on the Royal Palace Hotel.

Blog posting on the madness of Hanoi traffic.

Blog posting on the humble motorcycle

Blog posting on the local coffee shops of Hanoi.

Blog posting on the way to Halong Bay

Blog posting on our arrival onboard the Dragons Pearl

Blog posting on the kayaking

Blog posting on the vegetable and fruit carving

Blog posting on the Magical Dinner!

Blog posting on the Bamboo Boat

Blog posting on the Fishing Village

Blog posting on the Yen Duc Village

Blog posting on the St Josephs Church of Hanoi

Blog posting on the KOTO Restaurant

Blog posting on the overnight train journey

HELPFUL WEBSITES FOR HANOI and SAPA AREA's:

Royal Palace Hotel
IndoChina Junk Company

Fruit and Vegetable carving classes (in Saigon)

Fruit and Vegetable carving website (with recipes)

Fruit and Vegetable carving (images)

OrangeFoamFingers trip to the Fishing Village

The Man in SEAT 61 (website on train travel)

Train Travel in VIetnam

HANOI KIDS- volunteer tour guides - hotel can organise if you book well ahead.

KOTO Restaurant - hotel can book a table for you.

TRIP ADVISOR

CURRENCY EXCHANGE

email for Royal Palace Hotel

This is the 16th blog posting of our visit to Hanoi and beyond.

So stay tuned for more updates!!

(especially our trekking outside of Sapa)

by train from Hanoi to Lao Cai ......

2011-12-14T21:51:00.001+08:00

Taking the overnight train from Hanoi to Lao Cai, then the shuttle bus to Sapa sounds quite daunting for those not used to Asian travel. Am sure most people try and gather as much information as possible via Google or from friends that have possibly done the same trip in the past. We gathered what we could from TripAdvisor, a few travel blogs and then from the hotel.

The best way to get to Sapa is to take the overnight train from Hanoi to Lao Cai, then transfer the final 38 km (24 miles) from Lo Cai to Sapa by bus, car or taxi. There are both daytime and overnight sleeper trains between Hanoi & Lao Cai, and on the sleeper trains you can use a regular Vietnamese Railways soft or hard sleeper or choose from a whole range of privately-run sleeping-cars of a higher standard aimed at tourists.

One of the best websites for any train travel in Asia is SEAT 61 .....

and the page for Vietnam is titled a beginner's guide to Train travel in Vietnam . . . you will find everything you need to know there. Some of the info I have lifted and placed here (in brief) but do suggest you take note of all the information located on his website.

When we booked our hotel - The Royal Palace Hotel - in Hanoi, we asked if they could suggest a Tour Company that could help us with a trip to Sapa and the overnight train. Within minutes they replied saying they could help us ...

We did not have any thought or idea as to who to use, so agreed. They came back with reasonable prices that included the overnight train, the trekking, the overnight homestay, the guide .. in fact, everything!

We then sent many emails asking different questions re the train, the type of trekking, if there would be a shower we could use etc... they answered all our questions without delay.

One of our concerns - as with most Westerners - is the lack of privacy in a 4 berth cabin on the overnight train. But that was quickly sorted out as the hotel suggested we book the four berths both ways. We were so glad we did as we heard many tales from people on the train about noisy guests in the same cabin, or one young woman with three older men, etc ..

Our train was to depart at about 9.00pm from Hanoi ..... so we went down to the reception desk and asked if they could organise a cab.... "all organised" we were told!!

The cab arrived and off we went. Would you believe the 'bell boy' of the hotel got on his motorcycle and followed us to the station, guided us through the crowds of people, organised our ticket to be stamped AND then took us all the way (crossing rail tracks) to our carriage AND onto the train to make sure we were in the correct cabin!!!!

If you book your ticket through any hotel or agency, the voucher that they give to you is NOT the actual ticket you need to board the train, you have to exchange that voucher against the real ticket at the railway station (and, again, read that ticket carefully, errors are frequent)

see following images from the train station to the cabin!

Hanoi Train Station

Train ticket for Vietnam Railways.

Remember there are four trains per night going up to Lao Cai, you will need to know what train and what carriage you have been allocated.

above: walking across the tracks at night to locate the correct train, carriage and cabin ....

below: our cabin

There are ladies selling drinks, beer and snacks (from mobile carts) outside the carriages if you feel you need something on the train overnight. Though there is water in the cabin.

It had been suggested we carry very little in the way of luggage, so we each had a day pack. A good tip as there really is not a lot of room in the train cabin. Especially if there were four people. The cabin locks securely from the inside, so security is not a problem.

We had four water bottles, clean bed linen, bedding etc ..... not so sure about the floor of the cabin though .... would advise anyone to take 'slippers' (as in flip flops) so your bare feet do not touch the floor if you need to get up to use the toilet during the night.

We did not feel that it was cold, we had a comfortable cabin and the temperature was perfect. Though if you are traveling on the train, note that there are 16 vents (in the ceiling) blowing cold air into the cabin ... we shut down 14 of them.

It is not easy to use the toilet as the train rattles along, but by being 'careful' and holding onto the rail ... it can be managed. We also suggest that you take some tissue with you.

We had no trouble at all sleeping on the train.... yes, you can hear some people walking along the corridor (many people totally ignore the idea that others maybe trying to sleep) and yes, you can hear the rattle of the train .... but overall it is quite a good train trip.

We do suggest you take ear plugs or ear phones so you can listen to music (on your IPhone etc) as you drift off to sleep!

The line from Hanoi to Lao Cai (296 klms) was built by the French and opened in 1910 as part of the Vietnam to Kunming railway. The Lao Cai to Kunming section is currently out of commission following landslides in 2002.

Set your alarm for 4.30am .... yes, FOUR THIRTY in the morning!

The train pulls into Lao Cai at about 5.00am and you will only have about 5 minutes to get ready, packed and off the train. Some carriages (ours was the Orient Express) have train staff on board to offer tea or coffee ( a private enterprise perhaps?) and they will come along banging on the doors to wake you, also giving you time to have one of their cups of tea / coffee!

It will be dark when you alight, but follow the other passengers to the exit point and remember to have your train ticket ready to hand to the gate staff.

Hopefully your shuttle bus / cab / bus etc is waiting for you at this point ... we were very lucky as we had booked through the hotel and we could guarantee someone would be waiting for us ... and yes .... there was our shuttle bus and driver ready to take us on the 38 klm journey to Sapa ....

Below: Lao Cai Train Station early morning.

NOTE:

Remember to only pack a small bag for your trip to Sapa and the train journey.

Take camera!

Take a flashlight / torch (there are lights are on the train though)

Take ear plugs.

Maybe eye shades too?

Dress comfortably. Loose clothing is best.

Pack toilet tissue

Slippers (light flip flops) for over night on the train.

Music on your IPhone.

Playing cards perhaps.

Do not hand your train ticket to anyone but designated station staff only.

the following maybe helpful to you, and is from the SEAT 61 website:

Hanoi to Sapa by privately-run tourist sleeping-car...

You may prefer to take a privately-run sleeping car to Lao Cai for Sapa. In addition to the normal Vietnamese Railways sleepers & seats, overnight trains SP1-SP8 between Hanoi & Lao Cai convey a bewildering range of privately-run deluxe sleeping-cars for tourists.

If you want extra comfort & cleanliness and don't mind paying a bit more, go for one of these private cars as they're all significantly better than the regular Vietnamese Railways sleepers.

Fanxipan, Sapaly Express, King, Livitrans, Orient Express, Tulico, Ratraco, TSC, Friendly, Royal, Hara...

All these private operators offer berths in shared First Class 4-berth sleepers, and a few also offer a handful of VIP 2-berth sleepers (though if these have sold out you can always pay for all 4 berths in a 4-berth if you like, the price works out pretty much the same). The sleepers all have air-conditioning, fresh clean bedding, complimentary mineral water and snacks, and clean western-style toilets. These private sleepers are all very comfortable, just remember that this is still Vietnam with Vietnamese standards, you'll enjoy the trip more if you don't turn up with unrealistic expectations of 5-star western-style luxury for $35!

Most of these private tourist sleeping-cars run attached to train SP1/SP2, though one or two (TSC and Sapaly) are attached to SP3/SP4 and Livitrans cars are attached to SP7/SP8.

Can I buy all 4 berths in a compartment to have a room to ourselves? Yes, if you insist, if the very few 2-berth VIP compartments are all sold out as they often are. But meeting fellow tourists and talking over a beer into the night is great fun. Would I recommend paying double to miss all the fun and sit in glorious isolation? No!

(we were happy we booked the four berths to ourselves, everyone has their own thoughts on this though)

HELPFUL BLOG POSTS & WEBSITES FOR HANOI AREA:

Blog posting on the Royal Palace Hotel.

Blog posting on the madness of Hanoi traffic.

Blog posting on the humble motorcycle

Blog posting on the local coffee shops of Hanoi.

Blog posting on the way to Halong Bay

Blog posting on our arrival onboard the Dragons Pearl

Blog posting on the kayaking

Blog posting on the vegetable and fruit carving

Blog posting on the Magical Dinner!

Blog posting on the Bamboo Boat

Blog posting on the Fishing Village

Blog posting on the Yen Duc Village

Blog posting on the St Josephs Church of Hanoi

Blog posting on the KOTO Restaurant

Royal Palace Hotel
IndoChina Junk Company

Fruit and Vegetable carving classes (in Saigon)

Fruit and Vegetable carving website (with recipes)

Fruit and Vegetable carving (images)

OrangeFoamFingers trip to the Fishing Village

The Man in SEAT 61 (website on train travel)

Train Travel in VIetnam

HANOI KIDS- volunteer tour guides - hotel can organise if you book well ahead.

KOTO Restaurant - hotel can book a table for you.

TRIP ADVISOR

CURRENCY EXCHANGE

email for Royal Palace Hotel

This is the 15th blog posting of our visit to Hanoi and beyond.

So stay tuned for more updates!!

(especially our trekking outside of Sapa)

KOTO - know one, teach one

2011-12-14T18:03:00.001+08:00

We were in Hanoi for only 5 days, but out of those 5 days we ate at KOTO three times and we highly recommend it .... not just for its 'idea', but for the friendly staff, the service and the food ...

KOTO is a not-for-profit restaurant and vocational training program that is changing the lives of street and disadvantaged youth in Vietnam. KOTO - training Hanoi street kids in restaurant skills

The concept of KOTO began on the streets of Hanoi in 1996 when an Australian Vietnamese man, Mr Jimmy Pham, asked a group of street kids what they wanted out of life. They simply replied, "we need skills so we can find stable jobs" and so the concept of KOTO was born.

In just five years, KOTO has grew from a small sandwich shop in Hanoi to a 120-seat restaurant and an internationally accredited hospitality program that gives some very special young people the start in life that everyone deserves.

and now Saigon......

All donations over $2.00 to KOTO are tax deductible for Australian taxpayers against their tax commitments in Australia. Please advise KOTO staff if you require an Australian Tax Deductible receipt as the payment will need to be made via KOTO International in Australia.

Become part of the KOTO Saigon foundations by buying a brick now and having your name featured at the restaurant, forever.

For $100, your brick, inscribed with your name, will be part of the KOTO Saigon restaurant’s “Brick Wall”, and be regarded as an acknowledgement of those who supported KOTO Saigon restaurant in its founding days.

The success of the restaurant is vital to KOTO Saigon as, being a social enterprise, it’s not only a major revenue source, but also a means by which trainees can gain practical experience and become more employable upon graduating. It has long been a dream of KOTO’s to bring its successful Hanoi program to the street and disadvantaged youth in the South of Vietnam, and the establishment of the restaurant is an integral part of this.

Sign-up now and be part of KOTO Saigon, forever

...... an Australian Vietnamese man, Mr Jimmy Pham, asked a group of street kids what they wanted out of life. They simply replied, "we need skills so we can find stable jobs" and so the concept of KOTO was born......

HELPFUL BLOG POSTS & WEBSITES FOR HANOI AREA:

Blog posting on the Royal Palace Hotel.

Blog posting on the madness of Hanoi traffic.

Blog posting on the humble motorcycle

Blog posting on the local coffee shops of Hanoi.

Blog posting on the way to Halong Bay

Blog posting on our arrival onboard the Dragons Pearl

Blog posting on the kayaking

Blog posting on the vegetable and fruit carving

Blog posting on the Magical Dinner!

Blog posting on the Bamboo Boat

Blog posting on the Fishing Village

Blog posting on the Yen Duc Village

Blog posting on the St Josephs Church of Hanoi

Royal Palace Hotel
IndoChina Junk Company

Fruit and Vegetable carving classes (in Saigon)

Fruit and Vegetable carving website (with recipes)

Fruit and Vegetable carving (images)

OrangeFoamFingers trip to the Fishing Village

HANOI KIDS- volunteer tour guides - hotel can organise if you book well ahead.

KOTO Restaurant - hotel can book a table for you.

TRIP ADVISOR

CURRENCY EXCHANGE

email for Royal Palace Hotel

This is the 14th blog posting of our visit to Hanoi and beyond.

So stay tuned for more updates!!

(especially our visit to Sapa)

St Joseph’s Cathedral in Hanoi

2011-12-12T22:09:00.002+08:00

We recently visited St Joseph’s Cathedral in Hanoi which was opened in 1886, a year after the French colonial officially occupied the country of Vietnam. The cathedral still holds mass twice daily and is probably the most famous church in Hanoi.

Archdiocese (Metropolitan) of Hanoi (Latin: Archidioecesis Hanoiensis) is a Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Vietnam. It is one of the earliest in the history of Roman Catholicism in Vietnam.

The creation of the diocese in present form was declared November 24, 1960. It covers an area of 7,000 km² and headed by Archbishop Peter Nguyễn Văn Nhơn (from 2010).

The above images are of the garden walls within the Church grounds ...

The church was built in 1886 in the neo-gothic style. It holds several masses throughout the day and is usually crowded on weekends and religious holidays. On Christmas, 2004 the cathedral hosted more than 4,000 visitors.

By 2004, Archdiocese of Hanoi had about 282,886 believers (5.3% of the population), 59 priests and 132 parishes. The Archdiocese of Hanoi is a "sister" diocese of Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange County (USA) since 2008.

The young Catholics from the Archdiocese of Hanoi and Archdiocese of Ho Chi Minh city formed in 2006 an organization for helping children in rural and underdeveloped areas of Vietnam.

if you are spending a few days in Hanoi, do visit the Church ... even if it is to wander around the garden area ..... it is truly a restful haven away from the noisy Hanoi streets!

HELPFUL BLOG POSTS & WEBSITES FOR HANOI AREA:

Blog posting on the Royal Palace Hotel.

Blog posting on the madness of Hanoi traffic.

Blog posting on the humble motorcycle

Blog posting on the local coffee shops of Hanoi.

Blog posting on the way to Halong Bay

Blog posting on our arrival onboard the Dragons Pearl

Blog posting on the kayaking

Blog posting on the vegetable and fruit carving

Blog posting on the Magical Dinner!

Blog posting on the Bamboo Boat

Blog posting on the Fishing Village

Blog posting on the Yen Duc Village

Royal Palace Hotel
IndoChina Junk Company

Fruit and Vegetable carving classes (in Saigon)

Fruit and Vegetable carving website (with recipes)

Fruit and Vegetable carving (images)

OrangeFoamFingers trip to the Fishing Village

HANOI KIDS- volunteer tour guides - hotel can organise if you book well ahead.

KOTO Restaurant - hotel can book a table for you.

TRIP ADVISOR

CURRENCY EXCHANGE

email for Royal Palace Hotel

This is the 13th blog posting of our visit to Hanoi and beyond.

So stay tuned for more updates!!

(especially our visit to Sapa)

the "hurry up" village!

2011-12-11T19:24:00.001+08:00

~ goodbye Halong Bay ~

After three days and two nights aboard the Dragons Pearl 3, we took the shuttle to return to Hanoi but with a slight detour. We had pre booked a 5.5 hour tour of Yen Duc Village to visit on our way back .....

Yen Duc village is in Dong Trieu town and 60km West of Halong city. The village was recognized as a national relic in 1993.

Yen Duc is a beautiful village with nice scenery, historical mountains and sacred legends and relics related to Ly and Tran dynasty.

Considered as a “Stone wall” under the war, the village was a cradle of revolutionary movements with many brave, ingenious heroes and local people sacrificed to protect their hometown. Over the years, their names are still alive together with each famous mountain, river and pieces of land here.

Similar to other rustic countryside, the local people here are very diligent, gentle and optimistic.

We had already paid for this tour at the time of booking the Indochina Junk Cruise as had others, though some were only doing the 2 hour tour. Once there and after wandering around the village we felt there was too much pressure for us to "hurry up", each time we stopped to take photos, we were told to "hurry up" ......

Even when we stopped to watch the workers in the rice fields, we were told to "hurry up".

We decided then that 5.5 hours of being told to "hurry up" was going to be far too much so we elected to depart at the same time as the others in our group. We were more than happy to forfeit the balance of our money to return to Hanoi and to our hotel than be constantly told to "hurry up"....

We would have enjoyed wandering around the village, seeing the people, watching them work the fields, maybe talking with them, but we were constantly being moved from the Temple to the roadways, to the school etc.

Luckily we did manage to capture a few images of Yen Duc Village before our departure as seen below:

image is of the local school ....

below are a few images of the people of Yen Duc Village ....

including 'the cat'!

the local hairdresser ......

the local broom maker ....

the man that delivers the feed for the animals .....

the lady working in the fields ...

tending the garden ....

lady returning home from working in the fields ......

homeward bound .....

the lady that sits outside the Temple daily ......

and everywhere you look there are well tended gardens with flowers and vegetables ..

A short tour would probably suit most people, the 5.5 hour tour was to include dinner, but we felt that after two hours we were ready to return to Hanoi .....

HELPFUL WEBSITES FOR HANOI AREA:

Blog posting on the Royal Palace Hotel.

Blog posting on the madness of Hanoi traffic.

Blog posting on the humble motorcycle

Blog posting on the local coffee shops of Hanoi.

Blog posting on the way to Halong Bay

Blog posting on our arrival onboard the Dragons Pearl

Blog posting on the kayaking

Blog posting on the vegetable and fruit carving

Blog posting on the Magical Dinner!

Blog posting on the Bamboo Boat

Blog posting on the Fishing Village

Royal Palace Hotel
IndoChina Junk Company

Fruit and Vegetable carving classes (in Saigon)

Fruit and Vegetable carving website (with recipes)

Fruit and Vegetable carving (images)

OrangeFoamFingers trip to the Fishing Village

HANOI KIDS- volunteer tour guides - hotel can organise if you book well ahead.

KOTO Restaurant - hotel can book a table for you.

TRIP ADVISOR

CURRENCY EXCHANGE

email for Royal Palace Hotel

This is the 12th blog posting of our visit to Hanoi and beyond.

So stay tuned for more updates!!

(especially our visit to Sapa)

Halong Bay Fishing Village

2011-12-11T17:05:00.001+08:00

While on the recent Halong Bay Cruise we had the chance to visit one of the Fishing Villages ...... we have been to Fishing Villages in the past, but mostly around Singapore and Malaysia, so we were interested in seeing one that was operating in Vietnam.

It was no different, though this one did have a school.

Our mode of travel to get there was by "Bamboo Boat" as seen in one of my previous blog posts. The following images are of the fishing village we visited:

above image is how one shops in fishing village and below is as we headed back to the junk in the bamboo boats .....

HELPFUL WEBSITES FOR HANOI AREA:

Blog posting on the Royal Palace Hotel.

Blog posting on the madness of Hanoi traffic.

Blog posting on the humble motorcycle

Blog posting on the local coffee shops of Hanoi.

Blog posting on the way to Halong Bay

Blog posting on our arrival onboard the Dragons Pearl

Blog posting on the kayaking

Blog posting on the vegetable and fruit carving

Blog posting on the Magical Dinner!

Blog posting on the Bamboo Boat

Royal Palace Hotel
IndoChina Junk Company

Fruit and Vegetable carving classes (in Saigon)

Fruit and Vegetable carving website (with recipes)

Fruit and Vegetable carving (images)

OrangeFoamFingers trip to the Fishing Village

HANOI KIDS- volunteer tour guides - hotel can organise if you book well ahead.

KOTO Restaurant - hotel can book a table for you.

TRIP ADVISOR

CURRENCY EXCHANGE

email for Royal Palace Hotel

This is the 11th blog posting of our visit to Hanoi and beyond.

So stay tuned for more updates!!

(especially our visit to Sapa)