Streets of Macau

The last time I went to Macau was ages ago. At the time it was considered the backwaters to Hong Kong - famous for the Lisbao Hotel and Casino and not much else. Most people would make a side trip there if they are in Hong Kong, spend a few hours and then rush back to the big city and bright lights. But actually Macau has lots more to offer. As a Portuguese colony, Macau has its share of colourful history and heritage.

Recently we spent a few days in Macau on a family holiday. Being a compact city, Macau is quite family-friendly. Most of the historical attractions are on the main island, and it is quite easy to walk everywhere. They also have an excellent bus service which circles the island, making this the best option to get around. Taxis are also convenient and cheap compared to Hong Kong. Just get a good map and you are all set to explore the city.

Although Macau has seen lot of new developments in hotels and casino, the main parts still feel and look the same. It always remind me of Kowloon with its endless highrise tenaments and small shops. Most of the buildings are very old and shabby, but you can feel the life and pulse of the city coursing through the streets, and that is what am most interested in.

Life goes on in the streets of Macau.


Parts of the city haven't changed much.


These tenaments are where most Macanese live.


The best way to see Macau is to walk around. There are still many unknown little corners waiting to be explored.

Eating in Kuching - Lunch at Bamboo Leaf Cafe

The old Chia Heng Restaurant used to be an institution in Kuching. The restaurant was originally located at Carpenter Street, and it was one of the most highly regarded and popular Chinese restaurant in town. I remember my grand father used to bring back the excellent chicken in galangal almost every week. Till today I can still remember the wonderful aromatic taste.

The restaurant subsequently moved to another location in Pending, and most recently transformed itself into more of a casual dining cafe at the Jalan Song Commercial Centre. It has gone through its ups and downs, and I think the most recent incarnation is more in sync with the current food trend in Kuching - more modern and casual settings instead of stuffy formal Chinese style eateries.


I am glad to see that they have kept most of their popular dishes on the menu, and have added some new ones. The old chicken with galangal is still there, and so is the oyster omelette. But they have added a new crispy version which is excellent. The omelette is fried separately to retain the crispness, and the oysters with sauce served on top, with lots of fresh coriander. Seriuosly yummy !


The chicken with galangal - still one of my favourites. The simple combination of tender chicken pieces and the aromatic spiciness of galangal is a great match. I especially love the deep-fried bits of galangal, very addictive ! Haven't seen this great dish in any other restaurants, so this could be one of Chia Heng's original inventions.


The soy sauce chicken is another very nice dish. The chicken is tender yet with a slightly firm bite. The soy sauce seasoning done just right - not too salty.


Other dishes are quite standard and no different from other restaurants. Sweet and sour chicken.


Long beans with minced pork.


Braised tofu.


I think the best way to dine here is to order the set lunch or dinner which comes in different combinations for various group sizes. You can request for some of the pre-fixed dishes to be substituted, and order additional a la carte dishes that you like. It is good to see an old establishment able to transform itself for new tastes.

Cinque Terre Riviera the most popular tourist destinations in Italy

A local train from La Spezia to Genoa connects the "five lands". The tracks run most of the distance in a tunnel between Riomaggiore and Monterosso. The train occasionally emerges from the tunnel along the way and there are quick glimpses of the Mediterranean sea.

A passenger ferry runs between the five villages, except Corniglia. The ferry enters Cinque Terre from Genoa's Old Harbour and La Spezia, Lerici or Portovenere.

A walking trail connects the five villages. The trail from Riomaggiore to Manarola is called the Via Dell'Amore ("Love Walk") and varies in difficulty from an easy stroll to a rough and physically challenging hike. The stretch from Manarola to Corniglia is the easiest to hike, although the main trail into Corniglia finishes with a climb of 368 stairs. The trail from Corniglia to Vernazza is steep at certain places. The trail from Vernazza to Monterosso is by far the steepest. It winds through olive orchards and vineyards and is rough in places, but offers the best view of the bay and the spectacular approaches to both Monterosso and Vernazza.

There are fees to use the more popular walking trails, but the less frequently traveled (and most arduous) are free of charge. All of the trails are relatively narrow and are usually crowded in high tourist season. Experienced travelers know that short rains will clear the trails, and will jump back on the path after one has passed. The Park has trails that can take hikers up into the steep hills. Casual travelers should look at one of the park maps, which will give some idea of how difficult a trail is to travel. Although more challenging and strenuous, these high paths offer different sights from the main trail.

All the villages have small hotels or inns and there are many bed and breakfasts throughout the area, many with beautiful views of the Mediterranean and the surrounding hills. There is a youth hostel located at the top of the town of Manarola (Hostel Cinque Terre). Also, many small apartment owners in some of the villages have banded together and offer use of their apartments through small, locally-owned hospitality businesses. The quality of these accommodations varies greatly, from great to something less than ideal for some. There are usually beds to be found even in the highest part of the tourist season.

 Cinque Terre Riviera the most popular tourist destinations in Italy

Chittorgarh the largest fort in India

Chittorgarh  pronunciation (help·info) (also Chittor, Chittaur, or Chittaurgarh) is a city and a municipality in Rajasthan state of western India. It lies on the Berach River, a tributary of the Banas, and is the administrative headquarters of Chittorgharh District and a former capital of the Sisodia clans of Rajputs of Mewar.

Fiercely independent, the fort of Chittor was under siege thrice and each time they fought bravely and thrice Jauhar was committed by the ladies and children, first lead by Rani Padmini, and later by Rani Karnavati. Chittorgarh is home to the Chittorgarh Fort the largest fort in India.

Chittorgarh the largest fort in India

Chittorgarh is home to the Chittorgarh Fort the largest fort in India.

Eating in Kuching - Dinner at the Orchid Garden Coffeehouse

A I mentioned in my previous post, the Orchid Garden Coffeehouse at Kuching Holiday Inn (now Grand Margherita) used to be an institution in Kuching. It was so popular, the place would be packed even to the late hours at night. People would be drinking coffee, enjoy some grilled steak or nasi lemak, and Hungarian Goulash - one of the coffeehouse's specialties. When other hotels came up, Orchid Garden continued to hold its own until recent years when it just couldn't compete with the spanking new and better establishments in town. Still, it has its loyal followers.

The coffeehouse has undergone a complete makeover recently. Now it has a large open kitchen in the middle, with several other cooking stations on the front and back. The seating area is divided into 2 sections, one next to the river terrace and the other just after the entrance.


The central open kitchen. One of the main flaws of the design is that the kitchen is separated from the diners with clear glass. Although this helps to reduce the fumes from the cooking stations, it makes it unfriendly - and diners have to sneak in from the side to order some of the items. A better exhaust system would have made the glass unnecessary.


The food.

The new concept has made Orchid Garden more current, and the menu has also been given a refreshment. Unfortunately the quality of the food is a bit uneven. The salads were good. The sushi was just OK. Cooked items were not very good, and desserts were very limited. There are better buffets in Kuching, but when you have grown tired of all the other places then this serves as a pleasant alternative.

The Manila Ocean Park is an oceanarium in Manila,

The Manila Ocean Park is an oceanarium in Manila, Philippines. It is owned by China Oceanis Philippines Inc., a subsidiary of China Oceanis Inc., a Singaporean-registered firm that has operated four oceanariums in China. The Manila Ocean Park (MOP) is currently under construction behind the historical Quirino Grandstand at the Rizal Park.
MOceanPrk.JPG

Still incomplete, the Manila Ocean Park nonetheless is now partly open, as of March 1, 2008. In terms of floor space, the 8,000 square metres (86,000 sq ft) oceanarium is larger than the Sentosa Underwater World oceanarium in Singapore; its 25 metres (82 ft) underwater acrylic tunnel is far shorter than Sentosa's 83 metres (272 ft) tunnel which includes a moving travellator.

 The Manila Ocean Park is an oceanarium in Manila,

Manila Ocean Park

Fernando de Noronha holidays

The archipelago has never been linked to the mainland. Geologically, it is the tip of a submarine volcanic formation which rises out of the deep seabed and consists of one main island and several rocks and islets. The rocks form many natural aquaria and the underwater life is diverse. Because the reefs of the South Atlantic are isolated from the Caribbean by the outflow of the Orinoco and Amazon rivers, the reef communities are very different with many endemic species.

Bathed by currents coming from Africa the waters around the islands are very clear with very good visibility even at 50 meters and have great year-round warm temperatures. Of course, you can also see the large “global” species such as manta rays, sharks, moray eels, goliath groupers, sea turtles and dolphins.

The island is also home to one of the largest sea bird breeding colonies in the South Atlantic.

Discovered by Amerigo Vespucci (1454-1512), Italian merchant and cartographer in 1503, the archipelago is 4 degrees south of the Equator, around 200 miles off the northeastern coast of Brazil, north east to the city of Natal.

During its 500 years history, Fernando de Noronha has been temporarily occupied by the Dutch (17th century), French (18th century) before Portugal established dominion in 1737. They built an extensive defense system of 10 forts. The largest and best conserved fortress is Nossa Senhora dos Remédios de Fernando de Noronha.

The island also served as a prison and a US Army base. Today the population is around 3.500 and the main industry is tourism.

As an unique ecological sanctuary, Fernando de Noronha is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a large part of the area is a National Marine Park. And it has the most wonderful beaches. Three (Sancho, Porcos and Leão) regularly feature in Brazil's top beaches list.

Being a small island with limited water resources and a fragile ecosystem, there is a maximum number of 460 visitors allowed on the island. Visitors also pay an Environmental Preservation Tax that increases progressively with the length of the visit.

The relative isolation from the mainland, the limits on visitors and the preservation make Fernando de Noronha an expensive destination. But the "happy few" will be well rewarded by the delights of this island paradise and its fascinating underwater world.

Fernando de Noronha rock

Fernando de Noronha National Park

Fernando de Noronha submarine

Fernando de Noronha submarine

Eating in Kuching - Lunch at Rumah Hijau Cafe

We have passed through this cute looking eatery many times but never had the opportunity to try it. One recent Sunday we made it a point to go there. Rumah Hijau Cafe is converted from a corner and intermediate terrace house. It serves a variety of Malay-Indian Food.


We ordered the Roti Chanai - very cheap at RM 1.00 each, and it was good - light and fluffy, not oily at all.


The Nasi Lemak Ayam Penyet is a twist on traditional Nasi Lemak - served with Indonesian fried chicken. The chicken was really good - well seasoned with spices and herbs, crispy outside but still tender inside. What I loved were the crispy bits of herbs and spices piled on top of the chicken which were so tasty !


The Nasi Beriani Ayam Madu was also good. Traditional Beriani Basmati Rice served with a honey-flavored chicken confit. It came with some side garnish of pickle vegetables and onions. Nice.


The assam laksa is one of the better ones in Kuching. The sauce is thick and flavourful, had an clean and fresh taste. It still can't rival the original in Penang or KL, but good enough to satisfy the craving.


Prices at Rumah Hijau are very affordable - the place is nicely decorated, and service is quite good. Highly recommended.