Travelogue - Mt Bromo, Indonesia

It has just dawned upon me on how many backdated trips I have! I heard about Mt. Bromo from a friend the the photos were out of this world. So I decided to take a trip there to satisfy my curiosity about the place. 

The journey there started with a flight to Surabaya before our driver picked us up at the airport. From there.. it was a 4-5 hour drive to Mt. Bromo. 

Travelogue - Ho Chi Minh

Spent a night and half a day in HCM city, which was just the right amount of time to satisfy all my Vietnamese food cravings. 

When I look back at all the photos of food I took, I can't believe we ate that much. 😂 

Travelogue - Mui Ne, Vietnam

Mui Ne has been on the back of my mind since a friend told me about it a few months ago. Something about the endless sand dunes and mystical fairy springs stayed with me. 

A few weeks ago, I flew to HCM and hopped onto a sleeper bus straight from the airport to head to this lovely fishing village. 

Travelogue - Sapa

While in Hanoi, my friend and I decided to do an 2 day trip to Sapa. We took an overnight train there and a bus back to Hanoi. It was a definite experience - Sapa was so cold and foggy in February. It added a sense of mystery while we were exploring the area. I also got to experience riding a bike up and down the winding roads of the mountain while getting caught in a hailstorm! 

Travelogue - Hanoi

Hanoi was a spur of the moment trip in Feburary 2015. Went there to visit a friend who brought me around on her motobike - which was scary as hell for the first few days because traffic there is crazy! The weather was nice and cooling and flowers were in full bloom as spring was on it's way. 

Travelogue - Bangkok

The last time I went to Bangkok, was 12 years ago. When I went to Bangkok in November 2014, I returned to a completely different city. In recent years, I'd been hearing about the tantalising food and fantastic shopping that the city had to offer. So I decided, why not head back to see how Bangkok has changed?

I didn't really do much site seeing this trip - another excuse in my opinion to head back. All we did was eat and shop and take morning swims in our lovely hotel pool. It was a short and lovely getaway from everything.

Travelogue - Sydney

Sydney happened in July 2014. I'm horribly behind time in updating this space. I've always wanted to visit Sydney, but instead always ended up in other Australian states. So when I finally bought my ticket, I was hyped.

To me, Sydney holds a wonderful balance between the fast paced city life and the slower paced country side. Head to the city's business district and you'll see businessmen in suits walking around, the mandatory cup of coffee in hand. You'll see people of all walks of life hurrying about their daily life.

Travelogue - Blue Mountains, Sydney

Before heading to Sydney in July, I asked around for recommendations and everyone said I had to visit Blue Mountains. Some recommended tours, others said to head there on my own. In the end, we decided to make our own way there, and Blue Mountains did not disappoint. 

Travelogue - Beijing, Sights & Sounds

In April, I found myself on a plane, heading to Beijing. I was filled with anxiety because to put it simply, my Mandarin has deteriorated after years of not using it. Thankfully, the recesses of my brain still kept hold of all the words and phrases drilled into my throughout my years of education. 

We spent the first day exploring the Silicon Valley of Beijing and roaming around. There were no concrete plans due to our lack of sleep (oh, night flights). 

On one night, we decided to check out the Olympic stadiums before dinner, and there were a sight to behold! They were in their lighted glory with crowds trying to snap photos of them. 

Travelogue - La Sagrada Familia, Barcelona

Before I went to Spain, I had never even heard of Gaudi. I must admit that I did not have much exposure to the world of art. Sure, I knew who all the famous people where, and I'd heard of all the famous paintings. But I just didn't get it. And it did take effort and a lot of understanding on my part, before I was able to appreciate the beauty behind an art piece. Sometimes I still struggle, but I'm slowly learning. 

If you venture into the city of Barcelona, his structures are everywhere. Buildings have been designed to reflect nature. When I first saw Sagrada Familia, I was in awe. I stopped in my tracks, the admire the size and grandeur of it. 

Travelogue - Nou Camp, Barcelona

Now, if you are an avid football fan, no visit to Spain is complete without visiting Nou Camp. The largest football stadium in Europe. Imagine playing before a home crowd. If you are the opposing team, I'd say that it provides a pretty daunting experience. The stadium is well over 60 years old and Barcelona being Barca, has well, a rich history. 

Travelogue - Seville, Spain

Laid back lazy days were spent mulling around in Seville. I have a love hate relationship with Spain. I adore the pace of life there. You feel as though you're just floating through. Late breakfasts and even later dinners. And the food. 

Seville is a city with narrow paths (sometimes so small that it leaves me in awe of how drivers manage to navigate through them). At night, the river lights up with cafes, music and dance. 

Travelogue - Granada, Spain

To be honest, prior to my trip to Granada, I had never even heard of this city. To date, its one of the cities in Spain that I look back upon with fond memories. Now, while I was on exchange, I was some sort of a lazy traveller - at the beginning at least. Planning is one important skill that I learnt on exchange - it's so important to always be prepared for a new city. But I digress. 

Although the city is small, it is beyond charming. I especially loved the alley ways where you could stroll down and look at stores displaying their wares - this resulted in a myriad of vibrant colours everywhere I looked. 

Travelogue - Madrid, Spain

I first started this blog as a way to slowly pen down on my exchange memories and for it to serve as a platform for me to look back on photos. I have too many on Facebook. Its much easier to look through a few that represent what the city is to me. While I'm struggling to find time to continuously pen down my thoughts because of my increasing work load, when I do find time to do so, its like taking a little trip down memory lane. It instils a yearning so strong. Day after day, I wished that I had the resources or the opportunities to simply book an air ticket to see more of the world. But till that day comes (if ever) I shall settle for my sporadic trips down memory lane.

My first stop in Spain was to the capital city of Madrid. I must say that I was expecting more from Madrid. Shopping wise, its lovely. But I'm not much of a shopper. 

Maybe we didn't plan our stay in Madrid properly, or maybe the city was not for me. Nonetheless, there were places that had their appeal. Photo below was taken while randomly strolling around the city.

Travelogue - Bali, Indonesia

Bali is only a two and a half hour flight away from Singapore and yet, this was the first time that I'd been there. I was really excited about going to Bali as prior to the trip, I had seen many beautiful pictures of the island, and read about all the good food there. 

Travelogue - Kutná Hora, Czech Republic

While in Prague, we took a day trip out to the town of Kutná Hora. It was a simple train ride away! 

A little background information. Kutná Hora was previously a mining town. The city has now been declared a UNESCO World Heritage site because of several buildings there. 

And here are some of the places I visited. 

First up was Sedlec Ossuary. I unfortunately can't find the photos I took of the interior! (Do a google search!) But its a Roman Catholic church that contains up to 70,000 skeletons. While a little daunting to be inside, it's definitely worth a visit. 

However, I did manage to find a picture I took of the cemetery behind the church. 

Travelogue - Prague, Czech Republic

How do I even begin to describe Prague. 

The buildings here give off a historical vibe. It feels as though you've travelled a few years back in time. To a time where you could imagine white knights roaming around the streets, the fresh smell of baking bread wafting through the air. Although Prague is full of tourists, it does not feel that way. Yeah, the shopping here is pretty decent too. ;)

Travelogue - Lyon, France

Viva la France! Lyon was my second stop stop in France. And I love this city! The pace of life is so slow and relaxing. You can literally spend the whole Sunday strolling along the riverside. 

We were in Lyon while France celebrated Bastille Day. While most shops were unfortunately closed because of that, we got to experience the charms of Lyon by simply walking along the river, going to flea markets, and roaming around the vibrant city with no aim in mind. 

Travelogue - Paris, France

Oh, Paris. The City of Lights and City of Love. Also fondly remembered by me as, the city with lots of rain. I visited Paris in July last year, and was not prepared for the amount of rain I got when I was there. It rained almost every afternoon. But even the rain, was not enough to make Paris lose its allure. 

Travelogue - Krakow, Poland

As I write this, I'm sitting in the kitchen, keeping a watching eye over my first attempt at making Paella. Krakow is a city full of history, and yet exquisitely charming.

Alleyways and little corners are filled with charming cafes. The cobbled streets bring you back to the past. But once you turn into the old Jewish ghettoes of the past, you get a sense that this city, has a story to tell.