Travelling in the endemic – Learn, unlearn and relearn

It feels surreal to plan for a trip again.

There’s a mixed feeling of excitement and anxiety. Because we have not travelled for more than 2 years. Because we have seen many changes to travel since the pandemic (and it is still evolving as we speak). Because we have to learn, unlearn and relearn how to travel as we live with COVID-19.

Thought I will try to document my preparation for this very first trip over the next 4 weeks before I fly off. Wanted to remember and at the same time, share my experience with everyone who’s planning to travel. And if you have already started travelling, leave a comment and share too!

The travel bug bites

It all started when Singapore started the Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) arrangement end of last year. I decided to shelf my plans because although quarantines were not required for VTL trips, many countries still required pre-departure and arrival tests. Cost asides, it also adds to the level of uncertainty involved. Then came Omicron at the start of this year.

In the last few months, many countries started to relax their travel restrictions, which made travelling less costly and more convenient. Also, many Singaporeans who have started to travel again shared their experiences. Planning for a trip began to seem less daunting and more assuring. Travelling, with some restrictions, was going back to the norm.

In March, I started to do some research on where to go. Initially it was somewhere in Asia so I could ease into the groove of travelling again. But I also wanted to visit a country where I have not been before, preferably somewhere with more relaxed travel restrictions. And because a longer trip makes more sense now with more preparation involved, Europe became an option too.

Source: Canva.com

Do your homework, don’t procrastinate

With further relaxation of the travel restrictions in Singapore recently, I finally mustered my courage and took the first step to purchase the air tickets to Switzerland today! I almost forgot about the hustle of comparing the airlines, deciding on the best schedule, monitoring prices etc.

On Friday evening, the ticket was S$900+ (it was S$1100+ a few weeks back). Then the price shot up to S$1100+ that night. I decided to wait it out for a day to see if the price will come back down. But alas, it was S$1200 this morning. It can be quite heart-stopping so I decided to go ahead and purchase the tickers. Lesson #1 – if the price of the ticket is one of the lowest you have come across, just book it. Procrastination proved to be costly in this case!

Now that the travel dates are locked in by the air tickets, I’m going to start planning the trip itinerary in the coming week. Will share more if I make any interesting discovery or learn anything new. Stay tuned!

#ilovelongvacationswitzerland

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Kyoto l Geisha and Gion

Was saying that the ‘Life in Edo | Russel Wong in Kyoto’ exhibition at ACM reminded me on my trip to Kyoto in 2015 and inspired me to press again (read: Kyoto l Kyoto Imperial Palace in the rain).

My Happy Place

When I think about My Happy Place, McDonald’s come to mind 🙂 Mine starts with an ‘M’ too! Museums are among my happy places. It’s almost meditative to wonder in galleries among items that have stood the test of time, learn about the story behind each one and soak in the silence (sometimes).

Like travelling to a country, I always learn so much whenever I visit a museum – from discovering a new artist to finding out more about a culture or an art form. And for someone who have not travelled in more than a year, I guess ‘Life in Edo | Russel Wong in Kyoto’ ticked off the boxes for both.

Photos and Woodblock Prints

I missed travelling 😛

On a more serious note, I learnt more about the Geisha culture and the Edo period in the two parts of this exhibition – black and white photos of Kyoto (left pic) and woodblock prints/paintings of Edo (Toyko) (right pic).

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There really is more to these female Japanese performance artists and entertainers than Gion, Kyoto’s famous geisha district. There are geisha and apprentices (maiko), and it takes many stages and years of training to become one. Geisha always give me this colorful and extravagant impression, and the black and white photos by Russel Wong took me past this notion.

Have always found woodblock prints interesting – thought they are a bit like photoshop, with layers building upon layers to form a painting. Didn’t have the chance to really understand this art form in Japanese museums (language barrier) so it was good to find out more in this exhibition.

Gion

My memory of this district is quite vague – remember the busy streets and alleys, shops and restaurants.

Thought that there will be geisha in the restaurants with lanterns with the words ‘舞妓’. Is this true?

A good memory at Gion was having matcha desserts – with chopsticks!

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Don’t think I bumped into any Geisha/Maiko in Gion – cannot really tell who’s who in Kimono! Maybe we should have gotten dinner at one of the restaurants to see them in action. Guess another reason to return to Kyoto, hopefully in the near future.

#armchairtravel #dreamnowvisitlater

Kyoto l The day after the rain at Nijojo, Kinkakuji, Ryoanji and Fushimi Inari Taisha!

Back on the press about Kyoto! Can’t believe that we visited 4 UNESCO World Heritage Sites on the day after the rain (read : Kyoto l Kyoto Imperial Palace in the rain). Guess we were well-rested after shopping around the hotel and sleeping early 🙂

Nijo Castle 二条城

I shared that Life in Edo | Russel Wong in Kyoto’ exhibition at ACM inspired me to press about Kyoto again. Coincidentally, Nijo Castle is the home of the first shogun or warlord during the Edo period (1603-1867) who has great power. Found the details of this castle from the feudal era quite interesting with elaborated features compared to the imperial palaces in Japan.

Check out the Chinese style gate Karamon gate (top left) and the Ninomaru Castle.

We enjoyed walking around the sprawling castle grounds in the fair weather which was such a contrast from the day before!

For me, the gardens and greenery added a special touch to the castle, like a stroke that completes a painting.

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Kinkakuji 金閣寺

I like Kinkakuji the golden pavilion, previously the retirement villa of a shogun and now a zen temple. Would count this as one of my favorite temples in Japan. I feel zen here, like how I did at Ginkakuji the silver pavilion (read: Kyoto l Zen).

Kinkakuji is covered in gold leaf – how extravagant!

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Ryoanji 龍安寺

Always interesting to visit the gardens in Japan and Ryoanji is one of them. Didn’t expect this famous garden to be a dry or rock garden, and I must admit it took me a while to appreciate this landscape.

This UNESCO World Heritage Site is such a contrast to Nijo Castle and Kinkakuji!

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Fushimi Inari Shrine 伏見稲荷大社

Fushimi Inari Shrine is the most important of Shinto shrines. We saw many statues of foxes on the shrine grounds as they are thought to be messengers of the Shinto god.

Your name is orange, Fushimi Inari Taisha!

Yay to finally checking out the hiking trails and orange torri gates, and getting pictures without photo bombers! This place is so crowded.

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Sometimes, a place becomes so iconic that the town revolves around it. Spot the foxes at the train station and restaurant. We must have tried some Inari Sushi and Kitsune Udon (Fox Udon) but I cannot find any pictures of them! 😛

This throwback to #Kyoto brings back good memories and I really hope to visiting the Kansai area again soon. Can almost imagine a different sight unfolding in the above spots in Spring or Autumn! #armchairtravel #dreamnowvisitlater

Kyoto l Kyoto Imperial Palace in the rain

Visited the ‘Life in Edo | Russel Wong in Kyoto’ exhibition at ACM, thought of my trip to Kyoto in 2015, looked through the pictures and decided to continue to press about it.

It was raining very heavily when we visited the Kyoto Imperial Palace. Decided to brave the rain as we made an advance reservation to join the guided tour (seems like it is open to the public now). But the wet weather dampened our mood and we abandoned the rest of the itinerary for that day and went shopping near our hotel instead. That’s the beauty of a free and easy trip 🙂

Did not take many pictures as it was quite hard to juggle an umbrella, a mobile phone and a camera (you know what i mean haha). Quite like these few which I took with a camera (not phone camera) and I thought they captured the palace in the rain quite nicely.

Room of the Cherry Trees.

Carriage porch.

Main inner gate leading to the inner courtyard. In the background is the Hall for State Ceremonies.

Inner garden. Took this shot because of the crane. Can you spot it?

Don’t know when I will visit Kyoto again, especially in the current climate. So I guess a throwback will do for now… #armchairtravel #dreamnowvisitlater

Huangshan Mountain l Rocks and Pines

Been to Shanghai thrice and each time, I would visit nearby cities. The first time was to Hangzhou where I soaked in the beauty of West Lake. The second trip was a tour of Hangzhou, Suzhou and Nanjing where I enjoyed the old water towns and grand canals.

On my third visit, a solo trip to Anhui province, I ‘climbed’ the Huangshan Mountain and visited the ancient villages of Hongchun and Xidi. That was exactly a year ago. Little did we know that COVID-19 would strike, and put all international travel to a stop.

Have always wanted to visit a national park in China because of the magnificence it promises, being one of the largest countries in the world. Looking back at my 2 days 1 night on Huangshan Mountain, what stood out for me was the vastness of the nature, the poetic beauty of the Chinese language and the imagination of the Chinese.

At times, Huangshan Mountain looks like a painting.

I love the depth of the mountain ranges.

It took my breath away – literally as i pushed myself physically to ascend the various peaks, step by step.

Rocks, one of the 4 wonders of Huangshan Mountain, look like many objects if you put on your imaginative cap.

There’s usually a poetic name and story behind each rock. What do you see in this one?

Flying-Over Rock (飞来石). It looks like a rock that has just fallen from the sky.

Monkey Watching the Sea (猴子观海). A monkey-shaped rock which overlooks the North Sea of Clouds.

Pines – another wonder of Huangshan Mountain.

It’s interesting how the pines take roots from the rocks and grow outwards in different shapes to survive.

Did not have the opportunity to experience the other two wonders – the sea clouds and the hot spring – on this trip. Guess this gives me another reason to revisit the Huangshan Mountain, perhaps in another season. 

Parting thoughts:

Surprised to see people and cable cars transporting goods up the Huangshan Mountain, which drives the costs of commodities. A bit baffled that there are walking paths but no roads on the mountain. Guess it helps to preserve the national park and to create jobs.

Engaged a local guide but would have gone free and easy if I knew how easy it is to navigate the mountain. There are walking paths with good sign posts, and many tourists with guides on loudhailers all around. Just do some homework to better appreciate the 4 wonders.

Meet Our Lady of Paris

Truly appreciate why ‘Our Lady of Paris’ (french for Notre Dame Cathedral) is a gothic beauty from its towers. Sounds cliche but it did felt like I was on top of the world, surrounded by sculptures of saints and monsters, and bird-eye views of the city. Worth the climb!

PS: We used the Paris Pass to get free entry to the towers. Note the ticketing process though to get your preferred reservation. We did not do our homework and had to return later to ascend the towers in the evening even though we arrived at the cathedral early in the morning. Expect a queue!

Paris’ Left Bank – Part One

In my younger days, when I first started travelling, I used to wonder if I would ever revisit a country. The world is so big. There are so many new places to explore after all.

Well, I found out I would. And it’s amazing that there are (almost) always new things to discover in the same city, no matter how many times you have been there. Because you were with different travel buddies. Because you missed a spot in your last trip. Just because…

So I first visited Paris in 2007. It felt a little underwhelming then, being the last stop in Europe after two weeks in Italy. Guess it was hard to be wowed after visiting so many monuments and cathedrals in Rome, Florence, Venice and Milan. Check out these presses of my first time in Parisian city (Paris ~ Day 1 and Day 2, Paris ~ Day 3, Paris ~ Day 4)

Revisited Paris again last July. Second time but did many things for the first time. For one,  I didn’t know about the Left Bank and The Right Bank of Seine River!

Had more time to explore the La Rive Gauche (guess which side?) which Left Bank this trip, starting with a walking tour which took us to the Latin Quarter.

For a literature student, it was surreal to visit Shakespeare and Company – a place where many writers and artists of The Lost Generation gathered.

Guess which level is the most sought-after in the good old days? Not the penthouse, contrary to popular beliefs. It’s the mid-floor  – further from the street noise and the glaring sun. Plus there are no lifts in these buildings!

Saint-Julien-le-Pauvre, one of the city’s oldest religious buildings.

A glimpse of the local market. Nice vibes 🙂

Fruit shopping!

Flower power!

The Chapelle de la Sorbonne, a church that is part of the famous Sorbonne University.

One of the many universities in the Latin Quarter- like a Uni Town. Learnt more about the education in France.

Pantheon – resting place for many great men (and two women in recent years).

The Pantheon is huge! Airy and cooling. Many, including us, sat around for a while to hid from the summer heat while admiring its beautiful architecture.

Spotted Eiffel Tower from everywhere. Here’s one from the Pantheon

From Pantheon, a monument and mausoleum to France’s greatest, we continued our walk to St-Germain-des-Pres en-route Luxembourg Gardens on our own. No pictures of the former though. Hmmm.

Jardin du Luxembourg is so pretty!

Luxembourg Palace in the background. So stunning in summer. So blue and so green.

Pool in front of the palace

Many kids were spotted playing with paper boats at the pool.

Reminded me of the Hanami picnic in Tokyo. Guess this is a favorite summer activity everywhere 🙂

Albeit the summer heat, it was nice exploring the more artsy side of the Seine River. More on The Left Bank later. One of the best things about a holiday is to have the time to walk and see new things, and to stop and watch the world go by,  just like we did that day 🙂

Hokkaido Highlights : Otaru

Otaru brings back good memories. It was charming right from the moment the train left Sapporo.

I enjoyed the 45-minute train ride along the sea en-route to the fishing port, liked the old-town feel train station and enjoyed the freshest seafood bowl at Otaru Sushi Street.

It was fun (but cold) snapping away at the Otaru Canal which looked great day and night and exploring the shopping street filled with accessories/souvenirs/food.

Its snow festival, simple compared to the ones in Sapporo and Asahikawa (read ‘Hokkaido Highlights: Asahikawa‘), was rich in spirit. I could almost feel everyone in the town putting it together – there were very few frills but lots of human touches. Take a look at the city which came alive with its Otaru Snow Path Light.

Charmed at first sight by Otaru at the train station.

Welcome to Otaru!

Leaving the Otaru Train Station for the canal area.

My first and only seafood bowl in Otaru.

Spotted the famous Yubari Melon in a super mart and finally tried it.

First sight of Otaru Canal. A pretty sight.

Warehouses from Otaru’s past as a trading and fish port.

A shot of a volunteer making preparations for the first night of the snow festival.

Guess this reads ‘Otaru Snow Light Path’ in Japanese.

A glimpse of Otaru Canal in the evening.

The streets are all ready for the Otaru Snow Light Path – spot the snowmen?

Streets starting to light up for the snow festival.

Had fun checking out the shops along Sakaimachi Street.

Sakaimachi Street, a short walk from Otaru Canal.

Was too dark to get a picture of the iconic steam clock outside the Music Box Museum by the time I reached the end of the shopping street. So here’s one of the music boxes spotting it!

Having an ice cream from Le Tao in winter! 🙂

Night view of the Otaru Canal from one end.

Ice blocks holding candles dotted the Otaru Canal.

Starry night at the Otaru Canal.

One of the very few photos I took of the Otaru Snow Light Path. The camera/phone batteries drained so fast in winter!

Spotted along the street on the way to take the train back to Sapporo. Good bye, Otaru!

I imagine that Otaru will look very different as the season changes and the snow melts away. Would definitely want to return another day in another season for another long vacation.

Hokkaido Highlights : Asahikawa

Looking through the photos of my Hokkaido trip in February makes me really happy. It has been so long since I traveled in winter (since Scandinavia in 2012). Can’t wait to share more with you – it was such a joy to see snow daily (almost) for 10 days!

My Hokkaido highlights were the snow festivals, skiing in Niseko and day trips to  Asahikawa and Otaru.  The snow festivals were my main reasons for visiting Hokkaido when it is super crowded, super cold and super peak. I was shocked to find most hotels fully booked in early December!

Took a 1.5 hr train ride to Asahikawa on the first day of its snow festival as I wanted to catch the opening ceremony. I heard there will be fireworks 🙂 When I goggled about this city, its ramen and zoo were highly recommended. So that summed up my itinerary.

I decided to get discount tickets (a combo of train as well as bus and entry to the zoo tickets) at the JR office in the Sapporo Train Station – more value for money. Had to stand for almost half the train ride as I could not get a reserved seating ticket – so either get one to get a seat or queue at the platform earlier (not recommended in winter though!).

Asahikawa train station is definitely more modern than I imagined. I like its quiet vibes.

The train station is connected to the bus interchange, a hotel (JR Inn) and a shopping mall (AEON).

There’s even a park besides it. Stepped out of the train station to check out Asahikawa Park. Winter air is fresh – cold and crisp.

The first thing I checked out upon reaching a city is usually the tourist information centre – very useful if you have not done your homework about the destination. The folks at the Asahikawa Tourist Information Centre at the train station shared some great tips – a map of ramen shops near the station (and even recommended a few to try), directions to the snow festival and programme line-up (including the fireworks at 7 pm).

Entered Ramen-Santouka – the first ramen shop I chanced upon as I walked down the street as directed by the tourist information centre.  The ramen was so good (the noodles are chewy and the soup full of flavors) that I wished I had planned a 2-day trip that will give me more time to try more Asahikawa ramen!

Ramen-Santouka food porn. Looks yummy, doesn’t it?

After one of the best shoyu ramen I have ever eaten, I headed back to the train station to catch the bus to the Asahiyama Zoo.  Like the train ride, I couldn’t beat the long queue and had to stand throughout the 30-minute ride. Meh.

But the destination, Asahiyama Zoo is one of the prettiest zoo I have ever been to! Saw many Hokkaido animals and they were so active in winter!

Entry to Asahiyama Zoo – my first time to a zoo in winter!

Meet the bears.

The red pandas.

The Japanese cranes.

The fox.

View of Asahiyama Zoo. It doesn’t look like a zoo right?

Another queue had started to form at the Asahiyama Zoo as people tried to get a good spot for the Penguin Walk – a winter highlight at the zoo.

They like to move it, move it!

Strutting their stuff.

Close-up! The last time I came so close to these divas was at the Penguin Island in Melbourne in sunny summer though… And no photos allowed then!

So I was at Asahiyama Zoo on 7 Feb 2018. See those colorful ice blocks? They will hold candles to light up the zoo at night during the snow festival. Too bad I could not stay for the night.

Next up was the Asahikawa Snow festival with two main sites – Asahibashi Bridge with the giant snow sculpture and the Heiwa Dori pedestrian street with the ice sculpture competition. Took the bus from the train station (had to stand the entire ride again) to the former where I saw my first fireworks show in winter! Watch the video here.

The giant snow sculpture at the 2018 Asahikawa Snow Festival was of the Hokkaido animals. Can you spot them?

Besides the ice block, there were many little snowmen along the festival trail to guide visitors. So cute!

After the festivities at Asahibashi Bridge, I saw the artists hard at work at Heiwa Dori on my way back to the train station. A pity that I could not see the finished sculptures . If you want to see them, it might be a good idea to visit Asahikawa on the last day of the snow festival.

This summed up my day at Asahikawa. Shall press about Otaru next and I hope it will not take too long. Till then!

 

#2017bestnine

 

First posted early this morning on Instagram @ilovelongvacation

Wanted to post this earlier and was preoccupied. And what a difference this procrastination made – from yesterday to yesteryear. A timely reminder to procrastinate less in 2018. To follow our heart, to let nothing (or less things) hold you or others back, to be kinder/nicer in every interaction with others because you never know when it will be your last in years or in a lifetime. 

Have always been a believer that days are long and years are short. Its amazing how fast/faster time passes every year. 2017 was a crazy good/bad year. My best nine in IG says all the good and the bad are best forgotten…. 2017 – First time to Tokyo for my first Sakura party! First white strawberry (almost no bad Japanese food from where it originates). First snow encounter after 5 years – totally unexpected. First trip to Maldives at the start of 2017 was beauti-full of sun, sea, sand – also marks my first close up with dolphins and turtles and my first snorkeling trip without life jacket! First time to After You in BKK and First time to JB via train after it stopped running from Tanjong Pagar railway station. 

Life’s good in our very own backyard too – something we often take for granted be it time spent with our family and friends or the food/places at home. Finally tried the Michelin Star Tsuta ramen – happy that there was no Long queue and to see the order machine (come to think of it, Japan has started on its digital journey quite a while!) Our sunny island has become home to so many big food names that we no longer need to fly to eat good food. And for my only trip to our national gallery in 2017, it was to see the work of Yayoi Kusama – another example of how we need not fly to see world class art. But we still want to fly to do all these. Well, it’s always good to have more wants than needs! And back to the topic of art, the painting in this picture depicts the saying 比上不足，比下有余 – which literally means there will always be someone or something better than us and vice versa. A reminder to compare less in 2018 – to be (or try to be) thankful for something at the end of Everyday.

Enough of rambling. Happy New Year Everyone. Cheers to a better year and a better us!