Life Ramblings

Fiery Sunrise

2015-08-13T15:17:00.001+08:00

A dramatic scene as light break through the clouds creating wonderful patterns in the sky

Skywatch Friday

Tree-mendous Atmosphere

2015-08-10T15:22:00.000+08:00

There’s something magical about walking through the trees. I love how they provide shades and natural air-conditioning. It feels good getting some cool fresh air and enjoying the beautiful greenery. Moments like these uplift my spirits.

Amusement Isle, Taiwan

Our World Tuesday

Reed Flute Cave

2015-08-03T14:51:00.001+08:00

Is a fascinating gallery of limestone cave formations in Guilin, China. The cave derived its name from a type of reed growing at the entrance of the site, which can be created into melodious flutes and other wind instruments. I've been to a number of caves in different locations but nothing quite like this one.

The cave is filled with tons of stalactites, stalagmites and rock formations in different shapes and sizes that are millions of years old. I find it truly amazing that the caves are still in such good shape after all of these years.

Illuminated by the rainbow coloured lights, everything looks magical and the water seems to be perfectly still.

The walkways are spacious and the cave has great lighting to see each area of interest.

However, when large groups were not around, the coloured lights would turned off, so I had to time my shots carefully and fast before the lights went out.

Some photos didn't turn out pretty well but at least I was able to get a few good ones worth sharing. Hope you'll like them too.

Our World Tuesday

Peaceful landscapes

2015-08-01T15:23:00.002+08:00

Sun Moon Lake is one of my favourite places in Taiwan. I find it really peaceful and it's hard to say goodbye to such a wonderful place.

Scenic Weekends

Blue Hour

2015-07-30T15:48:00.001+08:00

For Skywatch Friday, here are a couple of twilight shots taken from Hong Kong.

Peacock Garden, Taiwan

2015-07-27T10:10:00.002+08:00

This wonderful garden has the most beautiful peacocks that I have ever seen. There are many kinds of species and I find all of them amazing in its own way.

There are dozens of peacocks roaming freely in a large enclosure and they make unusual noises when they start squawking.

It was the mating season and the male peacocks would delightfully spread their beautiful feathers to attract the females.

Mr Peacock was kind enough to allow me to take as many pictures, at close range, as I like

His pretty plumage were eye-popping to say the least.

Here's a back view of him flaunting its tail to impress the opposite

Another shot of him showing off his wonderful feathers.

I think I've been lucky this round to capture a peacock from so many different angles. A co-operative and friendly model.

Our World Tuesday

Winter Trees

2015-07-23T13:49:00.002+08:00

We came across these bare trees at different spots in Istanbul. I love the shapes of the trees and the vast expanse of branches reaching for the sky.

Skywatch Friday

Recycled bottle fish

2015-07-20T23:09:00.001+08:00

These decorative artwork are created from the recycled soju (Korean liquor) bottles. Isn't it great to see such items are reused and not thrown away?

Jeju Glass Castle, South Korea

Our World Tuesday

Scenic Weekends - Memories of Ephesus

2015-07-18T10:21:00.002+08:00

Here's a typical view of the ruins and structures scattered across the landscape at The Ancient Ruins of Ephesus in Turkey

Beautiful in its own right and reveals a lot about the rich historical past.

The entire environment is peaceful and the lush greenery is so soothing to the eyes

The surrounding views made it a worthwhile stop and I love the beautiful bursts of spring popping around the place

And here's another one standing tall in all its glory.

Scenic Weekends

Skywatch - Good afternoon world

2015-07-16T13:10:00.000+08:00

Beautiful blue skies and trees against a backdrop of majestic mountains at Huang Long Valley in Sichuan. A wonderful spot to enjoy peace and solitude.

Skywatch Friday

Our World - Acrobatic Dance

2015-07-13T16:28:00.001+08:00

There's really no way to fully appreciate the art of acrobatic dancing without seeing it in person. This lovely duo portrayed their acro expertise in a variety of positions and they made it look all so easy. Wow simply wow.

Sichuan Cultural Performance

Our World Tuesday

Scenic Weekends - Autumn landscapes

2015-07-11T15:35:00.001+08:00

The beauty of autumn in all its glory. Something to look forward to in South Korea.

Scenic Weekends

Skywatch - Twillight Cloudscapes

2015-07-09T17:19:00.001+08:00

There is nothing like sitting on plane window seats and enjoying magnificent views like these.

Skywatch Friday

Our World - Floral Delights

2015-07-06T14:00:00.001+08:00

These are some photos from my trip to Shilin Official Residence at Taipei. The residence includes both Chinese and Western style gardens, a chapel and the house of former president Chiang Kai-Shek.

It was a fine weather and people of all walks of life took advantage to enjoy outdoors.

There were various species of flowers and plants and I was amazed of how well maintained the park was.

The riot of colour was such a welcome sight.

Looking so charming and delicate against the light

I just love how everything comes to life with a burst of colours.

Some have already flowered and finished, but I also noticed that some flowers were in early stages of bloom.

The roses are in full bloom from March to May, and but I wish the blooming period could last longer so we have more time to enjoy them.

From another corner of the park, I love the heart shaped shrubs. It's also another favourite spot of photography for couples.

I hope these pretty blooms will brighten your day and put a smile on your face.

Our World Tuesday

Scenic Weekends - JiuZhaiGou Natural Reserves

2015-07-04T11:48:00.001+08:00

For Scenic Weekends entry, I'm featuring another memorable series of photos of my trip to JiuZhaiGou Natural Reserves in SiChuan. Enjoy.

Scenic Weekends

Skywatch over Sun Moon Lake

2015-07-02T17:12:00.000+08:00

Lovely views as seen from a cable car at Sun Moon Lake in Taiwan. The weather that day was nice for a day out with beautiful sky and cool breeze blowing through.

Skywatch

Our World - Lights Galore

2015-06-29T16:34:00.000+08:00

While roaming around the city of Guilin, I came across this park with a wonderful display of lights. It was fun to watch the lights changed colours every 20 seconds or more.

I can't make up my mind which photo I like best so I'm posting all three here. What do you think?

OurWorld

Our World - Yehliu Geopark

2015-06-22T21:30:00.000+08:00

One of the interesting sights we visited in Taiwan was Yehliu Geopark. Located at Taipei’s Northern Coast, Yehliu is a cape located in the town of Wanli. One of the most distinctive feature of the cape is the hoodoo stones of different shapes and sizes that lined its surface.

When we arrived, we were warmly greeted by beautiful blooms waving in the air.

While walking through the cape, you'll encounter tons of different kind of rock formations. These were the result of sea erosion, wind and weather conditions forming them into the shape we saw today.

It's quite common to come across this kind of honeycomb weathering which can be found all over the place. As can be seen here, they're covered with holes of different sizes.

The star attraction here is the Queen’s Head, a kind of mushroom rock. The 4,000-year-old rock formation got its name from its resemblance to the profile of England’s Queen Elizabeth.

The fairy's shoe was another favourite spot of photography. This was my first time seeing something like that.

Weathered and eroded to different stages, they even have 'pineapple bun' here.

I spend the rest of the afternoon exploring other unusual rock shapes, taking pictures, overlooking the sea.

Potholes are a common sight in Yehliu. They can be as small as a few centimeters and as large as several meters in diameter.

Some rock formations have been given fancy names based on their shapes and sizes. I have no idea what this is called, no luck searching for it on the net. I call it 'A Hole in the Wall' for lack of a better description.

Before leaving the area, we paused over the boardwalk to enjoy the lovely views for the last time before we made our way back.

Our World

Skywatch - The Blue hour

2015-06-18T13:40:00.000+08:00

These were captured at Pantai Bersih in Butterworth during the evening twilight. A great spot to just relax and enjoy water and skywatching on the beach.

Skywatch Friday

Our World - China Lane, Chengdu

2015-06-15T14:28:00.002+08:00

A walk along the bustling street will reveal the daily life of the locals and the surviving culture of Chengdu. One most apparent place we visited was China Lane featuring an interesting blend of old and new architectural designs.

Some of the buildings were built in the style of the Qing Dynasty and there were corners which displayed the ancient times.

The streets are also adorned with an array of modern boutique shops, restaurants, tea houses and an occasional bar. Even Starbucks has a big presence here.

As we moved along, our eyes were attracted to these amazing wall art that framed the streets. If only those people can speak, I'm sure they have many interesting stories to share.

In a different corner, it's great to come across artists at work, some are pretty talented.

Everywhere in the street corner is populated with lots of these vendors. It's fun to see what the vendors are selling because things they have in other countries are so different than in our own. I approached the girl for a photo but unfortunately, she declined and covered her face.

It's also quite common to encounter these kind of coloured masks which typically depict well-known characters from the opera. Not my kind of thing but I enjoyed watching them during opera performances.

Here is a big panda bear welcoming everyone to the store. Too cute and I couldn't resist buying one as most everyone else seems to have done.

OurWorld

Skywatch - Twin Pagodas

2015-06-11T18:20:00.000+08:00

The Dragon and Tiger Pagodas are one of the famous twin pagodas located at Lotus Lake in Kaohsiung City, Taiwan. They are pretty magnificent especially at night.

Here's a dragon and a tiger standing guard over the pagodas. According to Chinese folk tales, entering through the dragon and exiting from the tiger brings good luck and reverse bad fortune.

The surrounding views made it a worthwhile stop whether or not you believe in the folk tales.

I took these photos without a tripod and I liked the way they turned out. Hope you liked them too.

Happy Skywatch Friday.

Our world - Chishingtan Beach, Hualien

2015-06-08T10:20:00.000+08:00

There is nothing more enjoyable than spending the day at the beach.

Serene, inviting and refreshing.

Don't you wish you were here too?

Our World

Wordless Wednesday - For the sweet tooth

2015-06-03T07:32:00.001+08:00

Wordless Wednesday

Our World - Jiuzhaigou Natural Reserve

2015-06-01T22:41:00.001+08:00

This is a continuation on my trip across Sichuan. We made our way from Huanglong Valley to Jiuzhaigou Natural Reserve at the crack of dawn the next day.

Also known as Valley of Nine Villages, Jiuzhaigou consists of 3 main valleys arranged in a 'Y' shape. As the layout within the park is enormous, shuttle buses are available to take you from one scenic spot to another, so it's really convenient.

We visited the park in the middle of peak season since it was the most beautiful time to see the place.

While I'm pleased that tourism in China is booming, I'm not happy with the big crowds. Despite the long queue, I was hesitant to get in line as this was the place we mainly came to SiChuan for.

When we arrived, we were warmly welcomed by the beautiful trees swaying in the air.

A wonderful start to autumn

The scenic landscapes were indeed a feast for the eyes. The water seemed to be perfectly still and everything had a balanced reflection

I learned that some lakes have a high concentration of calcium carbonate, which made the water crystal clear and the bottom often visible even at high depths.

At a different corner, here's a flock of beautiful mallards moving gracefully around the lake

Another breathtaking view along the way. The air smells great and refreshing too.

Before leaving the park, we stopped by to enjoy the the soothing sounds of a waterfall before we made our way back. A lovely way to end the day.

Our World

Our World - Huanglong Valley in Sichuan

2015-05-25T12:20:00.002+08:00

While in China last year, we made our way to HuangLong Valley after reading that it had become a top destination for hikers, trekkers and nature lovers. The scenic area is known for its colourful ponds, snow-capped mountains, beautiful valleys and hot springs and as such, has been listed as a World Heritage site.

It was a beautiful autumn day but a long and strenuous hike. It was tough to catch your breath in the high altitude and I moved like a snail most of the time. Despite this difficulty, I was fine the rest of the day.

We took a cable car to the summit and walked further uphill. Along the way, we were greeted by heavenly skies and incredible mountains as far as the eye could see. Parts of it reminded me so much of the Austrian Alps.

This was the highest altitude of our hike, over 3,000m above sea level. And one of the many things I loved about this place was the multi-coloured ponds. I was told that it took thousands of years to harden and formed.

We passed yet another splendid view along the way.

The crisp mountain air combined with the panoramic view was lovely.

Every trail offers a magical hiking experience. There's so much to explore and trek around the valley.

As the sun beginning to set, I hurriedly took one last shot before we made our way out of the valley and headed back towards town.

Our World