tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38302951497076567792026-08-19T02:18:40.951-07:00Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger152125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3830295149707656779.post-37109326414699038872015-10-26T18:57:00.000-07:002015-10-26T20:06:50.757-07:00

I bought cook books in Morocco Among many things that traveling has done to me is that it has tremendously improved my cooking skill. Not up to professional skill but it definitely brings my amateur cooking to more variation and enthusiasm.   Traveling has inspired me to try new gadget, authentic spices and a different styles of cooking.  Cooked meatballs in my

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3830295149707656779.post-68854863735670318592015-04-05T20:54:00.000-07:002015-04-05T20:54:46.245-07:00

As we approach the gorgeous Pulau Rubiah, Aceh The water surrounding the island is stunningly beautiful   I feed the fish with bread and here they come! While searching for places to stay on Weh, we found Freddies and Iboih Inn which are equally comparable in terms of their beautiful surrounding.  But we decided to take Iboih Inn as it is close to Pulau Rubiah. From

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Pulau Rubiah, 24411, Indonesia5.882618700000001 95.2573439999999895.8667382000000012 95.237087999999986 5.8984992000000007 95.277599999999993tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3830295149707656779.post-78960088681407394582014-11-19T07:34:00.000-08:002014-11-19T07:34:48.375-08:00

The local tour bus which took us to Hukou A quick stop to stretch our legs and for the restroom After two days, we exchanged smiles frequently As I expected, life in Xian was much better at the Ancient Youth Hostel, Xian. Most of the staff speak English and they are very helpful. The fact that many backpackers and foreigners are residing in the hostel, the staff have lots of

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2Shanxi, China37.873532 112.5623980000000331.442995999999997 102.23524950000004 44.304068 122.88954650000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3830295149707656779.post-54258878730724995582014-11-08T04:37:00.001-08:002014-11-10T23:40:31.109-08:00

Halal Restaurant on Muslim Street Since we were not going to Zhangye...we decided to be closer to the city centre and all its attractions like the Drum Tower, Bell Tower, Muslim Quarter, mosques and the shopping malls. We moved to Ancient City Youth Hostel near Be Dajie metro station.  Getting a cab was much easier with the help of the hotel security staff. We went to Muslim Street for

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Xi'an, Shaanxi, China34.341568 108.9401749999999532.661049500000004 106.35838799999995 36.0220865 111.52196199999996tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3830295149707656779.post-59829811700521343222014-11-01T18:45:00.000-07:002014-11-01T18:45:41.845-07:00

Traveling Chinese style - Xian Railway Station, Xian, China Due to my tight working schedule, my blog has not been updated for months.  I have yet to write about Xian, China and Aceh, Indonesia.  I was in Xian, China from 12 to 22 September and it was full of surprises.  On arrival in Xian at midnight of 12th September, I sort of sensed the difficulties we were about to

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2Xi'an Muslim Dasi Residential Quarter, 90 North Guangji Street, 2nd Ring Road Yanxian Commerce Jingjidai, Lianhu, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China, 71000234.261523 108.938818999999978.7394884999999967 67.630224999999967 59.7835575 150.24741299999997tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3830295149707656779.post-52119415095121093532014-05-25T17:30:00.000-07:002014-07-30T08:13:08.398-07:00

View of Lovina Beach House from the beach The plunge pool in the garden - very clean and private We took a ferry from Ketapang, Banyuwangi to Port Gilimanuk in the northern part of Bali. This is our second time in Bali and we booked again with Eddy for a private tour but as usual Eddy always does more than he should. The journey by ferry took about 40 minutes and as soon as we got through

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Lovina Beach, 81152, Indonesia-8.1638975 115.021298-8.1678269999999991 115.0162555 -8.159968 115.0263405tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3830295149707656779.post-74222956068960773502014-04-30T23:26:00.000-07:002014-06-04T07:58:53.089-07:00

The largest acidic volcanic crater lake in the world We're in Paltuding - 3 km to go We told Hasbullah, we will be starting our journey after fajar which is about 4.15 am. No hurry, I told him since we're not going after the blue flame. He nodded his head faithfully. In the dark, our jeep hit the bumpy, rough, narrow roads with potholes. At about 5.15 am we arrived in Paltuding (1,850m

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1Kawah Ijen, Kalianyar, Sempol, Bondowoso 68288, Indonesia-8.0575 114.24138889999995-33.712571499999996 72.757013899999947 17.5975715 155.72576389999995tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3830295149707656779.post-69133134474095214272014-04-21T10:41:00.000-07:002015-03-21T08:58:16.860-07:00

He could hardly lift his head while climbing up the crater The sulfur miners of Ijen have the most dangerous job and they are constantly exposed to the risk of sulfuric fume which can killed them or shorten their life span. Sur, our guide, did not complain about his job, “This is the only work that I could earn a decent living for my family and all the miners here come from the same

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Kawah Ijen, Kalianyar, Sempol, Bondowoso 68288, Indonesia-8.0575 114.24138889999995-33.5795345 72.932794899999948 17.4645345 155.54998289999995tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3830295149707656779.post-36080952899007635082014-04-20T23:01:00.000-07:002014-04-21T23:35:24.107-07:00

The white cement is sprinkled on the cabbages to preserve them At about 10.00 am we completed our Bromo tour, ate the simple, not tasty breakfast at Lava Cafe, checked out and we were all set to our next destination Banyuwangi. We told the driver that we wanted to make several stops along the mountain village of Cemoro Lawang to have a closer view of the East Java mountain farming. &nbsp

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2Mount Bromo, Taman Nasional Bromo Tengger Semeru, Ngadas, Sukapura, Probolinggo 67254, Indonesia-7.9430555999999983 112.95388890000004-11.975147099999997 107.79031490000004 -3.9109640999999984 118.11746290000004tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3830295149707656779.post-6056175169930847042014-04-20T07:51:00.000-07:002014-04-21T23:23:51.318-07:00

Mount Batok (2,470m) right in front with Mount Bromo (2,329m) on the left and Mount Semeru (3,676m) at the far end After the mesmerizing view of sunrise on Penanjakan, we moved on to Bromo, an active volcano at 2,329 meters. Not the highest but rather the most well known of the Tengger massif. Our jeep rode across the vast sea of sand without a stop at the savannah as we had a separate tour

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Mount Bromo, Taman Nasional Bromo Tengger Semeru, Ngadas, Sukapura, Probolinggo 67254, Indonesia-7.9430555999999983 112.95388890000004-33.4650901 71.645294900000039 17.578978900000003 154.26248290000004tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3830295149707656779.post-5042383072965803002014-04-17T01:36:00.001-07:002014-04-17T02:05:06.593-07:00

Pak Ecok told us that he would knock our doors at 3.15 am but beaming with excitement we were all ready minutes before the knock. In the dark, the only street in Cemoro Lawang was packed with numerous jeeps making their way to the view point on Mt. Penanjakan 2,770m) to witness the first ray of morning lights. We got on the jeep and like a roller coaster our vehicle jolted into the dark

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Mount Bromo, Taman Nasional Bromo Tengger Semeru, Ngadas, Sukapura, Probolinggo 67254, Indonesia-7.9430555999999983 112.95388890000004-33.4650901 71.645294900000039 17.578978900000003 154.26248290000004tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3830295149707656779.post-78984500546208402602014-01-14T01:12:00.005-08:002014-01-14T01:12:43.953-08:00

We arrived in Jeddah at about Maghrib and we were heading to the holy city of Madinah. There are about 40 of us and the group  encompasses adults of all ages. Though I prayed for easy and facilitated journey, never do I expect one with no hiccups at all. I imagined, a spiritual pilgrimage is like a plate of food embellish with the mix of spice and a splash of tastes. This is my second

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2Medina Saudi Arabia24.460899 39.6201899999999823.998429 38.974742999999982 24.923369 40.265636999999977tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3830295149707656779.post-20980174481255490102014-01-03T08:20:00.000-08:002014-01-03T08:20:18.225-08:00

Morning tea served in the middle of the desert with goats' dung around the table :) It was such a memorable place to have tea - the desert! In the middle of the desert, we were served the herbal Berber tea.  Ali invited us to have a sip of this magical drink and he told us the flavor of the tea can be altered by pouring it at different heights. We looked at one another and I

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Erg Chebbi, Morocco31.1458333 -3.967777800000021730.8939773 -4.2905013000000221 31.3976893 -3.6450543000000217tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3830295149707656779.post-31079924308872347632013-12-27T21:25:00.001-08:002013-12-27T21:25:36.302-08:00

The rocks are wet with water to make the fossilized critters visible The fossils in the rock become visible when splash with water Rissani is a remote desert town in eastern Morocco, near Erfoud and according to the 2004 population census, it had about 20,000 people then. It is not far from Erg Chebbi, the magnificient desert.  After traveling a few miles in the region of Er-Rachidia,

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1Rissani, Morocco31.2858333 -4.274999999999977331.2586923 -4.3155119999999769 31.3129743 -4.2344879999999776tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3830295149707656779.post-86279345576612457612013-12-27T18:20:00.000-08:002013-12-27T21:10:46.987-08:00

Carving on a gold plate The man patiently working on his piece Rambling in Fez medina would be more meaningful if we understand the history as well as the culture of the locals.  Fez is more than just a religious city, trade and artisans flourish from medieval until today.  It is a paradise of artisans and traditional authentic crafts is all over the Medina.

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Fes, Morocco34.0333333 -533.9280508 -5.1613615 34.138615800000004 -4.8386385tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3830295149707656779.post-15613015251391057012013-11-26T00:16:00.002-08:002013-11-26T00:16:47.456-08:00

Baiturahman Mosque entrance from rear Baiturahman at night BAITURRAHMANBaiturahman is the biggest mosque in Banda Aceh and amazingly, this mosque built in 1612 and some claimed 1292 has survived through several calamities including the massive 2004 tsunami with only minor damages. During the Dutch invasion in 1873, the original mosque was razed to the ground and in 1877 the East

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Banda Aceh, Aceh, Republic of Indonesia5.55 95.3166667000000425.4228855 95.154618200000044 5.6771145 95.478715200000039tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3830295149707656779.post-63480363479041744272013-08-20T19:21:00.001-07:002013-08-20T19:21:23.836-07:00

I find it difficult to eat when everything in the restaurant menu is on my table! Small shrimps fried with garlic, shallots and green chilies taste delicious Indonesian cuisine is full of diversity, largely influenced by its geographical and ethnics factors. Although some of the dishes resemble Malaysian food but the uniqueness of the Indonesian food differs in terms of its

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2Aceh, Indonesia4.695135 96.749399300000050.64366249999999958 91.585825300000053 8.7466075 101.91297330000005tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3830295149707656779.post-76264823664114104652013-08-09T19:02:00.001-07:002013-11-12T16:35:15.105-08:00

It was a busy Monday morning in Ramadhan - Takengon At about 7 am and everybody is rushing to the market It was the nicest morning I ever felt...the air is fresh and crisp in Takengon. You can really feel the difference...in the mountains with no pollution. It was about 6.30 am and we decided to check-out early.  Takengon begins its day as busy as every other days but it's Ramadhan

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Takengon, Bujang, Lut Tawar, Central Aceh 24519, Republic of Indonesia4.6132409999999986 96.84671000000003-26.401384 55.36233500000003 35.627866 138.33108500000003tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3830295149707656779.post-87917416746031427202013-08-04T19:40:00.001-07:002014-03-19T08:36:36.837-07:00

As we drove along an elevated road we saw this amazingly gorgeous, mysterious landscape surrounding us! Buffaloes grazing grassland by the lakeside A village on the shore of Lake Lut Tawar No way we could returned to Banda Aceh after visiting the earthquake sites in Ketol and Blang Mancung. It was getting late and the rough road to Banda Aceh would take another 7 to 8 hours and we had

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Takengon, Bujang, Lut Tawar, Central Aceh 24519, Republic of Indonesia4.6132409999999986 96.846710000000034.6132409999999986 96.84671000000003 4.6132409999999986 96.84671000000003tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3830295149707656779.post-33725744517195079192013-08-04T18:09:00.000-07:002013-08-17T09:05:21.215-07:00

The road to Bener Meriah One of the temporary tents built by the government at Bener Meriah In the early morning of 22nd July, our driver, Salahudin, a young graduate from one of the Aceh universities appeared at the hotel lobby. After introducing ourselves, soon the journey begins. Our first destination is to Sigli district, to pick Misbah who lives in the village of Meurdu. The 2 hours

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Bener Meriah, Aceh, Republic of Indonesia4.7748348000000007 97.0068393000000244.2657503000000005 96.358645800000019 5.2839193000000009 97.655032800000029tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3830295149707656779.post-50308307756965379572013-08-04T09:24:00.002-07:002013-08-04T18:10:20.610-07:00

Beyond this check point, we could only drive at the speed of 25 km per hour but most of the time lesser We booked the tickets to Banda Aceh about three weeks before the earthquake of 6.2 magnitude in the epicenter of Kabupaten (province) Bener Meriah, Aceh, Indonesia.  Banda Aceh felt the tremor but was not affected...no change of plan, we are going and secretly, I was hatching a plan

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Aceh, Republic of Indonesia4.695135 96.749399300000050.62179949999999984 91.56385230000005 8.7684705 101.93494630000005tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3830295149707656779.post-74234748250717144762013-07-03T01:52:00.003-07:002013-07-03T01:52:54.726-07:00

Delicious Baklava and sweet delicacies from the glass window In Istanbul, I love to stay around Sultanahmet and Gulhane. Walking down the street from Gulhane until Spice Bazaar in Eminonu is a real sweet treat for my eyes.  I would stop by the many sweets shops and like a hungry child I was leaning on the window glass admiring every delicacies on parade. The food amaze me not only for

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3830295149707656779.post-30753546858164569862013-06-15T10:38:00.000-07:002013-10-21T21:54:37.204-07:00

Putra Mosque - a floating view from the lake Putrajaya is relatively a new town in Malaysia and along with other unique buildings, the  Putra Mosque began construction in Jun 1997.  It took 2 years to complete the mosque which cost approximately USD 81 million.  Its architecture has the influence of Moorish and Persian design. Non-Muslims are allowed to visit the

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Putrajaya, Federal Territory of Putrajaya, Malaysia2.926361 101.696445000000042.7994975 101.53508350000004 3.0532245 101.85780650000004tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3830295149707656779.post-61172536187419032482013-06-15T02:39:00.001-07:002013-06-15T02:39:08.672-07:00

The Grand Amphitheater, Colosseum, looks so imposing in the middle of city traffics We took the fast train from Naples to Rome in the early morning and arrived in Rome at about 10 am. There are so much to see in Rome but unfortunately we are spending only a night. However, with efficient time management, it wasn't really that bad...we got to see some of the iconic things in Rome and

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3830295149707656779.post-45845631351418154062013-06-12T09:18:00.001-07:002013-06-12T09:18:57.715-07:00

Several things can go wrong on a journey no matter how perfect the plan can be.  I have a checklist when I travel - list of things to bring, things to do, places to visit, list of important addresses in the respective countries I'm visiting and my list goes on and on. My travel usually incorporates more than two countries and often I have people following me. Therefore I need to plan

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2