3 Things about Guifeng Mountain National Forest Park

1. It is located in Xinhui District, Guangdong Province, China.

2. It houses a blooming flower-like pavilion at the centre of a lake (Jade Lake).

3. It has a perfect spot overlooking Xinhui.

Will you climb up the Great Wall of China on a winter?

It was winter time when we went to Beijing so we were loaded with clothes and accessories such as stockings, long john, sweater, coat, ear muffs, gloves, socks, boots, scarf, and heat pack. With all of these, we survived a week of low temperature even as low as negative 6 or 11.

Unique experiences in China

- International terminal is so huge that you need to take a train to claim your baggage. In fact, on the day of our departure, we were at the airport for 2 and a half hours before the flight schedule, but still, we were 30 minutes late due to long queues in immigration and security check; train-ride, walk, bus-ride before we got in the plane.

- Sumptuous food: Watermelon, brocolli, and chysim were some of the food always on the menu be it for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

- Wonderful cultural heritage: Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace, Great Wall of China, Hutong Area, and the Language.

- Sales ladies who had “excellent” selling tactics. They were to sell stuff up to the point that they pressured buyers till they would buy it. They would block costumers by stretching their hands. They would give big discounts even if you were not asking for it; if you did not buy the item at the discount they offered, they would nag at you for not buying the discounted product. They charged really really high; 450 yuan could be down to as low as 100 yuan.

- Tour guide who would limit our time in sight-seeing but would let us take our time when buying things. Also, the tour guide offered 5 sights to see for 80sgd. To our disappointment, only 1 of the sights had to pay (and it is only for 1sgd)... All the rest were for free!

But... regardless of those both good and bad experiences, I enjoyed my overall experience because I got to go up the famous "Great Wall of China"!

Here are some of the places you should see when in Beijing:

Temple of Heaven - where people ask for Good Harvest

Summer Palace - a popular tourist destination and recreational park

Tinanmen Square - a large city square named after Tiananmen (Gate of Heavenly Peace)

Forbidden City - Chinese Imperial Palace from the Ming to Qing dynasty, and now houses the Palace Museum

And the highlight of the trip, climbing up the world famous...

GREAT WALL OF CHINA!

So, will you climb up the Great Wall of China on a winter? Absolutely! I thought, it would be cooler and cooler as I went up... But, it was not! The more stairs I took, the more clothes I removed! Of course, I still had clothes on when I reached the top! :)

Evidence?

End of the climb without my thick jacket... I had to remove it because it was getting warm!

Five reasons you should visit Chengde, China

1. Take a photo with that frozen waterfall in your background.

2. Lie down on that frozen lake... But, be careful... Be extra careful! It is slippery!

3. Be dazzled by Rehe Spring!

4. Take a picture of the octagonal brick pagoda with 70 meters height known as Sarira Pagoda.

5. Have a warm night sleep in a yurt.

Why Phuket is Awesome?

Why Phuket is awesome? Do I still need to answer that? Well, because of Phi Phi Island and Maya Bay to name a few! :)

Maya Beach - where Leonardo De Caprio's "The Beach" was filmed

Phi Phi Island - where we spent most of our time

Mekong River will never be the same years from now

My friends and I set off to the capital city of Vietnam Ho Chi Minh City or Saigon. My Vietnam experience was awesome that made me want to come back again and again.

Day1

On our first day, we had a trip to Cao Dai Temple and Cu Chi Tunnel. The trip was about two to three hours away from the city.

Cao Dai Temple is the place where people worship their God. Their religion is a combination of Confucianism, Protestantism and Buddhism.

After that, we headed to the Cu Chi Tunnel.

This is the place where tourists will have a glimpse on how the Vietnamese people lived and fought for their freedom during the Vietnam War.

There were a lot of tunnels that served as their secret passage. I was able to pass through the 100m tunnel. The tunnel was so small and there were dark areas. Hurray! An achievement for me that I was able to do it!

Day 2

On our second day, we cruised along Mekong Delta. If I could remember it right, it was three hours away from the city. But sad to say, the Mekong River would never be the same years from now according to our tour guide. Perhaps, because the river was already polluted because of dumping.

Mekong Delta is the source of life of the Vietnamese people.

Day 3

We spent our third day touring the city of Ho Chi Minh.

Here at the War Remnants Museum we reminisced the past events happened during the Vietnam-American War

Chinese Temple

Handicapped Handicrafts - Run by the government to help those people with special needs

Independence Palace - The building built by French, but then, later on destroyed by the Americans

Bin Thay Market - The biggest market in Ho Chi Minh

Notre Dame Cathedral

That's it folks! Our last two days was spent shopping and pampering ourself! :)

Will you spend Christmas in an Islam country like Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia?

This was my first Christmas away from home. So, together with my friend, we decided to spend our Christmas in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. KL is near to Singapore, which is approximately 6 or 7 hours away by bus. I thought, I wouldn't hear Christmas songs in KL. I was wrong! In Berjaya Times Square, there was a choir singing some Christmas songs. There were also some Christmas decorations in few places. Christmas was alive in KL!

Here are the other activities that we did while in KL:

Of course, no one would miss taking picture with the tallest twin towers in the world, the Petronas Twin Towers.

Batu Caves is a popular Hindu Temple outside India. It is reachable by mrt from the city.

We wanted to go to Genting when we met this Filipino Family in Puduraya Station. We went to Genting together via taxi or rented van (I couldn't remember... Oopps!)

Yeah, it's that cold in Genting! We could not even see what's inside the theme park.

The Start of Singapore Adventure

Singapore was the first country I visited. It has a very small area, but it belongs to the top ten richest countries in the world. It is also one of the cleanest countries. True enough! You will encounter no dust and no car smoke as you walk around Singapore. The people are much disciplined. They follow traffic rules. The drivers are courteous enough to give way to the people to pass in the pedestrian. There are so many things to know about the country, and surely you will love the place like me.


On our first day, we explored the Marina Bay area. Tourists who travel around Singapore should not miss to see the place. It is where the famous Merlion Park and Esplanade were built. There are two lions in the park – the big and the small. Near the park are different cafes and restaurants which can feed your hungry stomach. At the opposite side of the Merlion Park is the newly constructed mall called The Shoppes at Marina Bay.


Prepare your feet for a long walk. The Shoppes at Marina Bay may seem near from the Merlion Park. Yet, when you go to the other side, you will know how far it is. However, it worth the walk! On the way, you will see more beautiful places. The Fullerton Bay Hotel, Raffles Hotel and other establishments are some of these places you will encounter.

Marina Bay, Singapore
With Teacher Halzi
May 2010

Curious of Singapore’s Humble Beginnings: A Trip to Singapore National Museum

We decided to visit the Singapore National Museum on our second day to witness the rich culture and tradition of the country from the very start. We rode the MRT from Farrer Park and get off at Dhoby Ghaut Station. We passed by the Plaza Singapura and trudge the way to the Singapore National Museum.


I have never been to any museum. For me, museum will just make me bored and sleepy. Yet, Singapore Museum is different! After paying the entrance fee of 10sgd, we were handed down of a remote control. The control is very important as we stop in every station inside the museum. It works as a tour guide. When you press the number, it tells something about the station to where you are in. The control needs to be returned after the tour.


Aside from the remote control as a tour guide, another thing that fascinated me was the music area. I had seen two Chinese kids as they enjoyed listening to the song while dancing. When they were gone, I substituted them. The songs they had were really wonderful.


The third which captured my attention was the big television screen. It showed the classic movies. In this area, you can sit and relax as you relish the movie scene.


There are so many things found inside the museum which may amuse you such as the jewelries, crowns, clothes, cloths, and a lot more. Allotting half of your day is not enough to see all the exhibits and cherish the time you spend in each station.


On our way back home, we passed by the Singapore Management University. It is one of the top universities in Singapore.


Across the SMU is the Singapore Art Museum.


Singapore National Museum, Singapore
With Teacher Halzi
May 2010

The Enchanting Island of Sentosa (Day 3 in Singapore)

On our third day in Singapore, we visited Sentosa Island. There are numerous of activities to do in the island. To reach it, you need to ride an MRT going to Harbour Front. From there, you have to walk to the third floor of Vivo City (0.2 kilometers away) to look for a connecting MRT that will take you to Sentosa Island. A payment of 5sgd (or at least 150php) is needed for an unlimited transportation ride in the island. You do not have to pay when you ride in the tram, bus, and MRT within Sentosa as it is already included in the 5sgd fare you have paid.



There are four stations in Sentosa Island.



Sentosa Station is the first station along the Sentosa Express. It is where you are going to purchase a ticket that will allow you for an unlimited ride in the island. After paying 5sgd, you are going to wait for the monorail to arrive. Prepare yourself for an exciting adventure in the island!



Waterfront Station is the second station of Sentosa Express monorail. Lime green is the color code of this station. Here you can visit the Resorts World, theme park, and the famous Universal Records. The entrance fee in the UR is 55sgd.



Imbiah Station is the third station along the Sentosa Express. Its color code is purple. In this station, you can try the Imbiah Lookout which allow you to see the whole view of Sentosa from above. There are also other attractions that will keep you occupied such as Sentosa Luge & Skyride, Images of Singapore, Tiger Sky Tower, Sentosa 4D Magix, Butterfly Park and Singapore Cable Car. The Images of Singapore exhibits a unique performance called “Songs of the Sea”. A wonderful combination of sing, dance and acting presentation plus magnificent fireworks will melt your heart out! You will never regret with the 10sgd (around 330php) you have paid!



Beach Station is the fourth and last station along the Sentosa Express monorail. Blue is its color code. The three famous beaches in Singapore such as Siloso Beach, Palawan Beach, and Tanjong Beach can be found in this station.

Sentosa Island, Singapore
May 2010
With Teacher Halzi

Selamat Datang Ke Indonesia

Batam Island is 45 minutes away from Singapore by ferry boat. It is used to be a poor place, but because of its strategic location (being close to Singapore and Malacca Straight), this island is slowly improving in terms of economy.



If you have plans of having a day trip from Singapore to Batam, be sure that you know your destinations once you reach Batam Island. The residents of Batam can hardly speak the English language. There are some (only a few, very few) who knows a bit, but they are not that conversant. They may know how to speak English, but they cannot express it well and so you cannot also get the information you need.



The first place that you will see once you reach the island is the Batam Centre. Batam Centre is a place where you can shop for souvenirs. There are also eating places where you can dine to feed your hungry stomach.



During our visit in the island, we did not enjoy much because we were not able to see their tourist spots. We did not have much information about the place because their Tourist Information Center that time was closed and also their residents could not express well about the attractions that they have. To be safe, we just toured around the place by foot.

Lesson learned: If you are going to explore a place, research ahead!

Batam Island, Indonesia
May 2010
With Teacher Halzi