This Wonderful World

Rochester In Pictures

2012-12-01T20:24:00.001+00:00

Rochester has been around for centuries. Its two main attractions, the medieval Rochester Castle and Rochester Cathedral can attest to the fact. But historical records claim that this small town along the banks of the River Medway in Kent is much older than these two.

Nowadays Rochester is one of five towns comprising the Medway area : Strood, Rochester, Chatham, Gillingham and Rainham. But it is mostly Rochester that foreign and local tourists visit during the summer months for the open air concerts in the castle grounds and Dickens festival and in December for the Dickens Christmas Market.

So, here is Rochester in pictures.

A plaque on a centuries old wall in the

grounds of Rochester Cathedral showing the coat of arms

of what was then the City of Rochester

The tower is what remained of the medieval
Rochester Castle

Rochester Cathedral viewed from a slight
elevation at Rochester Castle

Eastgate House from a different perspective. Built in the late 1590s by Sir Peter Buck,
Clerk of the Cheque at Chatham Dockyard
and is an excellent example of an Elizabethan town house.

A sign in Corporation Street welcomes visitors to the town. The building on the right

is a pub (public house)and restaurant named after one of Charles Dickens's books

"Great Expectations". As of this writing, it is being refurbished.

rare and antique books dealer shop
in High Street

Buntings above High Street, on the left is the

pub (public house)and restaurant the George Vault and on the right are gift, souvenir and specialist shops.

autumn trees and bench

on the road between the castle
and the cathedral

an old door next to
the cathedral gates

displays in one of
the gift shops

flower shop

The Coopers Arms,the sign says: "Believed to be

the Oldest Pub in Kent".

Coat of Arms on Rochester Bridge

Antique and collectibles

Greengrocer in High Street across the cathedral

Sweet Expectations, some shops, public houses and restaurants
are named after characters or titles of books by Charles Dickens.
The author had a very strong connection with Rochester;

having spent his early childhood in the town.

A side gate at Rochester Cathedral

depicts the insignias of the British Armed Forces

tourist sign

everyday street scene
in the High Street

Snowman by the entrance of an art gallery

colourful candy store in the High Street

display outside a novelty shop

local wine and gift packs

in Rochester's visitor centre

houses in the Esplanade along the
River Medway

Rochester Motorway Bridge over
the River Medway

hills along the Esplanade, overlooking the River Medway

I hope you enjoyed viewing the images and that they gave you an idea of what a typical English town is like. Thank you for visiting. :-)

Cebu in the Eyes of a True Blue Native

2012-11-24T16:45:00.001+00:00

In this blog, I'd been talking about places I have visited and explored so far. It's only proper that I should also blog about the city of my birth, Cebu. Yes, I am a true-blue, born and bred Cebuana.:-). I may be living in an adopted country for years but home will always be that small but thriving city in a narrow strip of island in the Central Visayas region of a country in Southeast Asia composed of 7,100 odd islands and islets; the Philippines.

As for geography,history, people and culture, that sort of information; I'll leave it to you to research as there are a lot of data available on the net. What I will be sharing in this topic are mostly random photos of familiar places as seen through the eyes of a true blue native, moi :-).

The first thing that will greet any foreign visitors would be the heat and humidity; typically tropical. To cool you down, that's where those golden beaches come in. But Cebu offers more than just beaches; it has come a long way in the last ten or even five years. It has now become a business hub, as well as a leisure destination. It is also internationally accessible via Mactan-Cebu International Airport.

So, here is my Cebu in photos :-)

As seen from the Skywalk of
Crown Regency Hotel

Waterfront Hotel and the hills beyond

In the centre is the distinctive architecture
of the Iglesia ni Cristo (Church of Christ) church

novelty souvenirs made of
coconut shells

container vans in the port area,
Pier 4, North Reclamation Area

motorbikes in the parking lot
of SM City Cebu
North Reclamation Area

Port Area as seen from Radisson Blu Hotel.
In the distance is the Marcelo Fernan Bridge

Marcelo Fernan Bride
connecting Lapu-Lapu City
and Cebu City

Above and below:
Marcelo Fernan Bridge
from different perspectives

Scene under the bridge: fishermen mending nets

Coastal town in the north

The grounds of Radisson Blu Hotel,
North Reclamation Area

Radisson Blu Hotel

Ayala Shopping Centre
Cebu Business Park
(also right top and bottom)

corn fields in Northern Cebu

gardens of Nailon Beach Club

sun,sea and sky in the north

above and below:
by the pool, Nailon Beach Club

above and right: low tide sunrise, Nailon, Bogo, Cebu

Coastal town in the south,
in the distance is the tiny island resort of Sumilon

devotees on pilgrimage at Simala Marian Pilgrim Centre
Sibonga, Cebu in the south

above and below:
beaches in the south

Bagacay Point Lighthouse,
Lilo-an, Cebu

And that is Cebu City in pictures as seen through the eyes of a true blue native. Thank you for viewing. This blog will be updated regularly, so keep posted. :-)

Singapore Revisited

2012-11-09T12:52:00.004+00:00

In an earlier blog I talked about our visit to Ho Chi Minh City in November of 2011 (Saigon in My Mind). Before continuing on to the last leg of the journey back home; we spent a week in Singapore.

buildings in the financial district

city scape

I find Singapore to be clean and extremely organized. The traffic is consistently smooth- flowing. Despite the lack of space, there is still room for greenery and everything is allocated its own place. Stepping into its soil always feels like a homecoming to me, the reason being its close proximity to the city of my birth. I feel safe anywhere in its corner. It is a relatively safe place to be especially for tourists as the government enforces laws that are strictly observed.

despite the lack of space
there is an allocated place
for everything including
much needed greenery
and parks

beach, Sentosa Island

The above mentioned stop over was our fifth visit to the tiny state of which the last one was a couple of years previously. Within that short span of time there were already new structures sprouting; not surprising really as in each visit we always see some sort of construction going on.

The Marina Bay Sands and the Helix Bridge are the most significant additions to its skyline and urban landscape. In spite of my fear of heights;I have to say the view from the observation deck of the Sky Park at Marina Bay Sands is awesome especially at night.

The Helix bridge is a pedestrian walkway that is obviously shaped like a double Helix.

There is also the uniquely designed ArtScience Museum. It is shaped like a lotus flower and is referred to as "The Welcoming Hand of Singapore".

Marina Bay Sands

Marina Bay Sands
from a different perspective

Above and below: the lotus shaped building

of the ArtScience Museum at Marina Bay Sands.

Each petal is likened to an outstretched finger.

SkyPark Observation Deck
at Marina Bay Sands

view from the SkyPark Observation Deck

at Marina Bay Sands

The Helix Bridge, a pedestrian walkway
designed like a double helix.

an iconic image, the Merlion is a symbol
of Singapore

Singapore is not just about urban structures and skyscrapers. Worth exploring in the outskirts are nature and wildlife parks such as Jurong Bird Park for its colourful and exotic birds,Singapore Botanic Gardens for its varied collection of tropical orchids and flora, Singapore Zoo for its residents of wild animals and fauna from all over the world and Sentosa Island with its beaches. Away from the hustle and bustle of the city centre ; these places are oasis of calm and relaxation.

beach at Sentosa Island

swans gliding serenely on a lake
at Singapore Botanic Gardens

a water lily blooming in an
aquatic garden
at Marina Bay Sands

Blue and Yellow Macaw at
Jurong Bird Park

Toucan at Jurong Bird Park

Banana Blossom
at Singapore Botanic Gardens

Heliconia Bloom
at Singapore Botanic Gardens

Parrots at Jurong Bird Park

Jurong Bird Park

orchids at Singapore Botanic Gardens

Thank you for visiting my site. Feel free to drop by every now and then as new updates will be posted regularly.

Saigon In My Mind

2012-11-03T16:11:00.000+00:00

A year ago this month my husband and I were traipsing or more precisely dodging motorists in the streets of Ho Chi Minh City(formerly Saigon). So in remembrance of that time spent in that exotic part of the world, I am sharing in this blog our experiences and my impressions of the place, people, food and culture. Click here for a short information about the country.

an old temple

entrance of an old temple

As soon as we landed at Ho Chi Minh Airport I knew I was home (in a sense). The humidity and heat were typically Southeast Asian; reminding me that I am not that far from the country of my birth.

a corner of a park in Ho Chi Minh

statue in the park, Ho Chi Minh

modern buildings
are being build
at a fast pace
all over the city

views of the Saigon River

from out hotel room

PEOPLE

Since it was both our first time in the place and we didn't know anyone; we opted to let the hotel pick us up at the airport. A smart young woman holding a cardboard with our names written on it met us at the arrivals area and introduced us to our driver who barely spoke a word of English but was very polite. Both of them had delicate, small-boned structures. That was my first and lasting impression of the Vietnamese; their body structure. In my mind's eye they are a small, delicately build race.

People in the Mekong Delta

TRADITIONAL DRESS/ATTIRE

Most of the women wear a traditional dress called Ao dai. It is made of (usually) light coloured material, long sleeved and slit on both sides from the waist and worn over a loose fitting pair of trousers. I regretted not getting one while there. :-) It seemed the comfortable and sensible thing to do. It covers the skin while keeping it cool enough for the tropical heat. As for the men, there do not seem to be any wearers of traditional apparel. Both sexes occasionally wear a conical hat called the Non la. It shields the wearer from the heat of the sun and is typically worn in the fields and rice paddies but I did notice some city dwellers wearing them.

a woman crossing the Mekong Delta
wearing a conical hat

TRAFFIC/ ROADS

Traffic in the streets of Ho Chi Minh is atrocious! That is the only word that comes to mind. Months before we were due to travel, I made some research about the country and learned that in Vietnam you don't wait for vehicles to stop before you cross the street. We found out for ourselves as soon as we stepped out of the hotel. You just simply carry on walking, as nonchalantly as you could while vehicles from both directions come bearing down on you. If you stop or hesitate,then you are more likely to cause an accident or harm yourself and the motorists. When one gets the hang of it, one notices a certain rhythm, sort of like a synchronized dance between pedestrians and motorists. Motorcycle is the mode of transportation for the majority of the population. There are the usual taxis and a few cars but most people go around in motorcycles that they call "honda" regardless of the brand.

motorcycles is the mode of transporation
for the majority of the population

main street of Ho Chi Minh
The streets are wide and tidy

female motorcyclists

FOOD

The Vietnamese for all their small build love to eat. The staple is rice, fish and vegetables with pieces of meat There are of course western restaurants;Ho Chi Minh being a modern thriving metropolitan. I was hooked (and still am) with their spring rolls. It is very easy to prepare. One just buys the rice paper, soaks it in warm water for a few seconds and wraps it around salad leaves, shrimps, noodles or whatever one fancies then dips it in peanut sauce or any sauce of choice.

a basket of guavas

coconut juice

dragon fruit served on board
the Mekong Delta Cruise

elephant fish!

food served by a local family

RELIGION AND CULTURE

As for religion, our eternally smiling and well spoken guide explained that the majority of Vietnamese traditionally practice Buddhism and Taoism. There is a small percentage of Christians but most Vietnamese have a practical attitude towards religion. They practice whatever is convenient regardless of their own personal belief.

Cao Dai Temple

worshippers inside the temple

LANGUAGE

I find their language pleasantly rhythmic. Our guide explained that their language uses the Latin alphabet and is one of the easiest language to master. I did learn a few words for rice male, female and toilet but soon forgot when the plane landed at Heathrow. How terrible. :-)

a sign inside Notre Dame Cathedral

wet closet

SOME HIGHLIGHTS OF THE VISIT

We toured the city, went inside the Reunification Palace, bought stamps at the Saigon Central Post Office, an impressive building of Gothic architecture and took photos of Notre Dame Cathedral and Saigon Opera House. One night we went on a cruise down the Saigon river where a Filipino band entertained us in an evening of songs, food and some magic by a quick fingered magician.

Reunification Palace and grounds

interior of the Reunification Palace

interior of
Notre Dame
Cathedral

interior of the post office

Notre Dame Cathedral

facade of the Saigon Opera House

pillars designed as statues
at the entrance of Saigon Opera House

After all that, the highlight has got to be the cruise down the Mekong Delta.The cruise gave us more insight into the everyday lives of the Vietnamese than we ever learned just exploring the city. At some points of the river we stopped along the banks where cottage industries are thriving. We learned how rice paper is made. We sampled different types of teas, the ingredients of which I did not dare ask after seeing rows of bottles of snake wine. :-). Below are some images of the everyday scenes in the Mekong Delta.

drinks made from fruit

souvenirs

home factory for coconut candy

popcorn

snake wine

souvenirs

On our final week we joined a tour group that went to the Cai Dao temple and observed worshippers in colourful robes doing their daily ritual.

We experienced a different perspective when we slithered down a very narrow opening on the ground that led to the Cu Chi tunnels where guerillas hid, plotted and set traps for the enemies during the war. We spent the rest of the afternoon having lunch with a local family in a nearby village.

narrow and tiny opening leading
to the network of underground tunnels

hole on the ground that serves
as ventilation for the people
living underground

countryside

a reconstruction of the weapons factory
within the network of tunnels

That in a nutshell is one face of Vietnam. I hope you enjoyed reading this blog. Thank you for visiting. :-)

My Kind of Season-Autumn in Rochester

2012-10-26T12:43:00.001+01:00

Autumn is my favourite season of the year for the many lovely hues of gold, red, brown and even orange. I'm sure there are a lot of places in the United Kingdom and other countries in the world (that enjoy four seasons) that can claim to have beautiful autumn scenes. My corner of the world is not exceptionally scenic; nor does it have remarkable autumn hues but I find it lovely nonetheless.

Rochester is a small town along the banks of the River Medway, about thirty miles (48 kilometres) from London. It is most visited for its cathedral and the ruins of a medieval castle of which more will be discussed in my next blog.

So for your viewing pleasure, here are some images of little corner woodlands and parks around Rochester that are showing their autumn colours.

bench for two in the park

golden canopy above a carpet of
golden leaves

leaves of autumn

carpet of leaves

shedding trees

woodland footpath strewn with leaves

trees along the gently sloping hills
at Victoria Gardens in Fort Pitt Hill

Golden leaves, flaming colours

gold on blue

I hope you enjoyed viewing them. Thank you for dropping by. :-)

The Emerald Isle

2012-10-22T17:38:00.001+01:00

This month I've had the chance to visit the Republic of Ireland, around country Clare to be exact. It was only a two- day flying visit but what I saw of the place impressed me so much that I will definitely re-visit in the future for a longer stay.

CURRAGHCHASE FOREST PARK

First off was a quick walk around Curraghchase Forest Park, a 1000 acre spread of woodlands and lakes around an 18th century house from which the park got its name.

The whole place exudes a sense of tranquillity and serenity; ideally perfect for meditative or relaxing walks. There are also walking as well as cycling trails and a children's play area. I suppose this place must be popular with families with young children, walkers, cyclists or just about anyone who loves traipsing around woodlands. There are other attractions within the park that we were unable to explore due to time constraints.

trees reflected on the waters of the lakes

the lakes

Curraghchase House

entrance to the park

the woodlands

BUNRATTY CASTLE AND SURROUNDING AREA

The following day, we set off to the Cliffs of Moher but stopped at Bunratty Castle and Lahinch beach along the way for some photo opportunities. The skies were overcast which seemed to suit the atmosphere around the castle that day.

The skies were overcast which seemed to suit the atmosphere
around the castle that day.

a pub next to the castle

road signs

LAHINCH

And then the beach! There were a few surfers that day, otherwise the place was relatively quiet.

beachline of Lahinch

lifeguard station

riding the waves! a surfer in action

beachline and horizon

CLIFFS OF MOHER

Around mid-day we finally arrived at the cliffs.The cliffs of Moher is one of the most visited spots in southern Ireland so there were bus loads of tourists and sightseers but there is still enough space for everyone to explore and enjoy!

There are concrete steps carved along the side of one of the cliffs that lead to the highest point where O'Brien's tower stands.

Entrance to the cliffs. It's one of the most visited spots in Southern Ireland
so there were busloads of tourists and sightseers but there's enough space
for everyone.

steps leading to the highest part

O' Brien's Tower stands on the highest part

cliffside

the cliffs

POULNABRONE DOLMEN, the BURREN

By mid-afternoon we headed towards the Burren, a stretch of land that is composed entirely of limestones.

Its main attraction is the Poulnabrone dolmen which means "hole of the quern stones". The dolmen is a structure in the middle of the Burren made of a twelve-foot(approximately), thin, slab-like stone with irregular edges supported by two slender columns of stones called portal stones.

The Burren seemed desolate and bleak but it's actually accessible by private transportation and inspite of the rocky soil; wildlife thrive abundantly in the area especially in the summer season.

The Burren

a footpath amongst the limestones

Poulnabrone dolmen in the Burren

a boulder and some trees sprouting
here and there

rocks and boulders!

inspite of the rocky terrain
there is a thriving wildlife in the area

During the summer months a profusion of wildflowers thrive
in the rocky soil. Note: it was nearing autumn when this image was taken

The Portal Tomb-
a visitor attraction

rock formation

rocks and wild plants in the Burren

So, those my dear readers were the places I've been to in the Emerald Isle. Watch this space for more interesting places. It's a beautiful world we have!