UK - Dover

The White Cliffs of Dover which lie along the shore of England beside the English Channel is an ancient and important English port. It is the port where we start our 12 days cruise to the Baltic Capitals.

Thousands of visitors are drawn to the White Cliff which is often listed as one of the top natural wonders of the world. It was used as a base for a Roman lighthouse when the Romans invaded England, and later as the location of a castle for watching over the English Channel. Although the cliffs are famous for many reasons, it is perhaps their composition that makes them most interesting.

The White Cliffs date back over 136 million years, having formed during the Cretaceous period in the Mesozoic era as the shells and skeletons of billions of tiny sea creatures fell to the bottom of the sea. As the fragments settled over hundreds of thousands of years, they formed layers of chalk, or soft white limestone that became the cliffs. As the chalk sediments built up over time, they formed the three layers of the cliffs: upper, middle and lower. The upper layer is a nodular chalk with flints. The middle is white, nodular chalk. The bottom is glauconitic marl and gray chalk. The sea constantly erodes the base of the cliffs but also washes the chalk, keeping it fresh and bright white.

UK - London

London is the city frequented by lots of travelers throughout the year for pleasure and/or for business purposes. In 2009, I did both, in July for work and August for vacation. Both visits are memorable experiences for me.

During our stay in London, we visited a number of London’s popular tourist attractions; Chinatown, The Buckingham Palace, London Eye, Westminster and we even watched the Lion King musical.

Is London's Chinatown any different from those that I’ve visited in Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Manila, New York, San Francisco, Sydney and Yokohama? Frankly, no because you will be greeted with Chinese style street furniture, pagodas, merchandises, food (we had most of our meals here) and there are always lots of people.

Buckingham Palace has served as the official residence for Britain’s sovereigns since 1837. It is the pride of the Monarch and is a major tourist attraction. Buckingham Palace's 19 state rooms are open to public in August and September when the Queen makes her annual visit to Balmoral. The state rooms are an epitome of luxury with the Kingdom's greatest treasures which includes the best of paintings by Vermeer, Poussin, Canaletto, Rembrandt, Rubens, and Claude, sculpture by Canova and Chantrey, some exquisite examples of Sèvres porcelain along with some of the finest representation of English and French furniture in the world. The end of the tour takes us to the south side of the Palace's garden. Having just seen Catherine’s Palace in St. Petersburg, it is very hard to be impressed by what I saw in Buckingham Palace.

The London Eye has now become one of the iconic sights of London and is the most popular paid attraction. It’s visited by over 3.5 million people a year. The wheel design was used as a metaphor for the end of the 20th century, and time turning into the new millennium. It weighs 2100 tonnes, 135m/443ft high and has capacity for 800 passengers per revolution. There are 32 capsules attached to the wheel which travels gently at a speed of 26cm per second. Each rotation takes 30 minutes in which time you can marvel at the views that span up to 40km in all directions (depending on the weather). I was told that on a clear day, you can even see Windsor Castle.

Big Ben is located at the north-eastern side of the Houses of Parliament building. Named after the tower’s largest bell, it was originally called St. Stephen's Tower. It is the largest four-faced chiming clock and the third tallest free-standing clock tower in the world.

When Parliament is sitting at night, the light at the top of the tower will be illuminated.

The Houses of Parliament (also known as Palace of Westminster) are undoubtedly a Gothic masterpiece. In the middle of the 11th century, King Edward the Confessor had moved his court to the Palace of Westminster. In 1265 a parliament was created with two houses; the Lords and the Commons. The House of Lords met at the Palace of Westminster while the House of Commons did not have a permanent location. After King Henry VIII moved his court to Whitehall Palace in 1530, the House of Lords continued to meet in Westminster. In 1547 the House of Commons also moved here, confirming Westminster as the central seat of government, a position it still holds today. In 1834 a fire destroyed the Palace of Westminster, leaving only the Jewel Tower, the crypt and cloister of St. Stephens and Westminster Hall intact. After the fire, a competition was organized to create a new building for the two houses of parliament and the design by Sir Charles Barry and his assistant Augustus Welby Pugin was chosen from 97 entries. They created a large but balanced complex in neo gothic style and incorporated the buildings that survived the fire. The whole complex was finished in 1870. It includes the Clock Tower, Victoria Tower, House of Commons, House of Lords, Westminster Hall and the Lobbies.

I've always enjoyed watching Disney's animation, The Lion King. This trip, Ghee and I went to watch the Lion King musical at the Lyceum Theater while our friends watched Wizard of the Oz and Phantom of the Opera.

The Lion King musical features actors in animal costumes as well as giant, hollow puppets. The props are very well done and the singing, very entertaining. We had a good time.

UK - Stonehenge Salisbury

Stonehenge (literally “hanging stones”), designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site is probably the most important prehistoric monument in the whole of Britain. It stands as a timeless monument to the people who built it using basic tools such as antler picks and bone “shovels”. The construction is ingenious.

The stones used came from two sources; the smaller bluestones from the Preseli Hills in Pembrokeshire, West Wales and the larger super-hard “sarsen” stones from nearby Marlborough Downs.

Its orientation on the rising and setting sun remains a mystery. Is it simply because the builders came from a sun-worshipping culture or part of a huge astronomical calendar?

Interestingly, what we see today is only about half the original monument. Some stones have fallen down, while others have been taken away to be used for building elsewhere.

The Heel Stone (also known as "Friar's Heel" and "Sun-stone"), a rough stone, 16 feet above ground, leaning inwards towards the stone circle, lies just outside the main entrance to the henge, next to the present A344 road.

According to folk tale, The Devil bought the stones from a woman in Ireland, wrapped them up, and brought them to Salisbury plain. One of the stones fell into the Avon, the rest were carried to the plain. The Devil then cried out, "No-one will ever find out how these stones came here!" A friar replied, "That’s what you think!" whereupon the Devil threw one of the stones at him and struck him on the heel. The stone stuck in the ground and is still there. Some claim "Friar's Heel" is a corruption of "Freyja's He-ol" from the Nordic goddess Freyja and the Welsh word for track. A more simple explanation for the name might be that the stone heels, or leans.

Audio guides are complimentary and available in ten languages. To complete the journey, visit the superb gift shop and the Stonehenge Cafe on the way out.

Visit the dynamitetravels website (please click on the enclosed link) to read more about Stonehenge.
http://wwww.dynamitetravels.com/stonehenge-stone-circles-salisbury

Indonesia - Ubud Bali

My first trip to Bali is for work. This is not the first time when work is also fun! We were in Bali for an inaugural leadership meeting from May 17-20 at Maya Ubud Resort and Spa; a heaven of tranquility set amidst the verdant hills of Ubud, Bali.

Every morning at 7.30am, we gather at the lush green garden to participate in yoga exercises with the resort’s yoga master. The short exercise was so refreshing and I was immediately transported back to my “kampong” where I grew up, at peace with nature, with the sound of birds and insects in the background. Other recreational and cultural activities offered includes tennis, swimming, golf putting green, nature treks and cycling in the beautiful surrounding country side.

The resort has an infinity swimming pool, overlooking the lush tropical forest and Petanu River. The poolside was so serene, a great spot for my colleague, Leong to take his “power nap” after lunch! You can also relax and be pampered in the riverside spa, watch traditional cultural performances (on certain night) or perhaps take painting lessons in the nearby village, all of which, I do not have the time to do because of tight meeting schedule! I had to remind myself that I'm here for work 

I fell in love with the décor in the hotel. Even the toilet in our meeting room! I took pictures of it and the garden outside our meeting room as I would love to recreate the same look and feel for my home. Planning to renovate your house? Yes! You have come to right place - Bali is definately the place for home improvement inspirations, unique furnitures and home decors.

My sister reminded me to try dirty duck and pork ribs while in Bali. My first night’s dinner was at Bebek Tepi Sawah Restaurant (the name Tepi Sawah is Balinese words, which means side of the rice field) to have my first Bebek Bengil (fried crispy duck). For starter, I was served satay in a unique charcoal grill. The satay taste like the ones back home except for the sauce which is less sweet.

On the second night, our group went to the famous Dirty Duck Diner, an outdoor garden restaurant, featuring lotus ponds, large elephant leaf plants, statues and a beautiful rice field view from all around. It was first opened in 1990 and has since been serving delicious foods and providing good services in a friendly, comfortable and relaxed atmosphere. Check on dirty duck but no pork ribs as we have Muslims in our group 

Ever wonder how the name “Dirty Duck Diner” came about? Here's the story…when the owners were building the restaurant, they have thought long and hard about the name for the restaurant. They wanted a Balinese name that translated well into English. Many good suggestions came from friends, but none seemed just right. One tropical monsoon morning, when the restaurant was very close to being finished, a flock of ducks from the rice field across the road ran quacking and squawking into the restaurant and across the floor and tables. They left muddy webbed footprints all over the place. They were the restaurant’s first guests - those dirty ducks, thus the name Dirty Duck Diner!

Want to know who had dined in Dirty Duck Diner? Do the names like Mike Jagger, Sting, Chow Yun Fatt, Mrs. Megawati Sukarno Putri and Mr. Bambang Yudhoyonon ring a bell? Yes! They had dined in the restaurant.

UK - Bath

City of Bath is situated within the south west of England. It is a world heritage city renowned for its hot springs, Roman Baths, splendid Georgian stones crescents, beautiful countryside and an abbey. It has been described as one of England’s most beautiful places to visit.

Our group of 5 took a day tour to Stonehenge and City of Bath when we were on a 3 weeks’ vacation to UK and cruise to the Baltic Capitals, while our other 2 friends were busy with apartment hunting at Notting Hills. We arrived at City of Bath around noon after spending a few hours at Stonehenge.

We started our tour on Bath, driving round The Circus and The Royal Crescent.
The Circus, a perfect circle of 33 Palladian-style houses was designed by John Wood in 1754 with inspiration from Rome's Colosseum and parts of it is said to resemble the Roman amphitheatre, with three tiers and Corinthian columns. The Royal Crescent is the other prominent and loved local landmark. It was designed by John Wood’s son, consisting of 30 glorious houses, decorated with a facade of columns and built of pale-gold Bath stone. Most of these properties are apparently owned by the rich and famous in the entertainment world.

Next, we stopped to visit the famous Roman Baths, one of the finest thermal spas with healing power known and used by Celts in ancient time. The temple and baths flourished in Aquae Sulis (The Roman name for Bath) in the first few centuries AD. The site was excavated in 1878 after being discovered during building work. The Roman Baths is below the modern street level and has four main features, the Sacred Spring, the Roman Temple, the Roman bath house and finds from Roman Bath. The Georgian Pump Room (regarded as the social heart of Bath) is on the ground level and admission is free. The Pump Room Restaurant is open daily for morning coffee, lunch and afternoon tea.

We begin our visit to the Roman Baths in the magnificent Victorian reception hall, equipped with audio guide. Next, we proceed to the Terrace which is lined with statues of Roman Governors of Britain, Roman Emperors and military leaders, overlooking the Great Bath. The magnificent centerpiece of the Roman baths is the pool. At the very heart of the site is the Sacred Spring. The "sacred area", place of worship and sacrifice and where ceremonies took place in pagan time, surrounds the Temple. It was also the place where the cult statue of the goddess Sulis Minerva was housed. In the Roman Bath Museum, great ornamental pediment survives and re-erected. Many of the objects in the museum tell us about the people who lived and worked in the area and those who visited the great Roman religious spa of Aquae Sulis.

In the heart of the city next to the Roman Baths is the splendid Bath Abbey, a fifteenth century medieval church. The Abbey is the last of the great medieval churches of England and has remarkable carved frontage and amazing fan vaulting. The carvings on the front of the Abbey, depicting the visions of Bishop Oliver King after God appeared to him in a dream were recently restored to their full glory, showing off the honey colours of the unique Bath stone untouched by exhaust pollution. When we were in the Abbey, the church's orchestra was practicing for a concert that night. A special bonus to our visit  Non-flash photography is welcome inside the Abbey and donation is appreciated.

A short walk from the Abbey is the Pulteney Bridge, complete with three classical arches and the dramatic swirl of the nearby weir. It is one of only four bridges in the world lined by shops on both sides. It was designed by Robert Adam for landowner Frances Pulteney. Construction began in 1769 and completed two years later. This structure is now widely associated with the city and a major tourist attraction in its own right, not only for its history and detailed architecture, but also for the bustle of shoppers and sightseers.

Overlooking the River Avon is the Parade Garden which has fine views of Pulteney Bridge and the nearby weir. It’s a nice place to laze around without a care for what’s happening around the world. Bath is my vote, England’s most relaxing and beautiful place to spend the vacation and maybe to further one’s studies as well - Bath is also famous for its university, University of Bath.

United Arab Emirates - Dubai

En-route to Cairo, our group makes a stop-over at Dubai. This accounts for the 30 hours trip before arriving at Cairo.

Our first photo stop was at shoreline where the Burj Al Arab is. This legendary and symbolic hotel was designed to resemble a billowing sail. It sits on a man made island and have attracted international attention and awe. This opulent hotel have been featured on Travel Channel before and I believe it would have been heavenly to stay in but since this is just a quick stop-over, having our photos taken with Burj Al Arab as the backdrop was good enough for most of us.

Next stop was Atlantis The Palm, the flagship resort on The Palm Jumeirah. Since we are not staying guests, we only get to visit the aquarium. We are not complaining as it is free ☺ and good enough to experience the mysterious ruins of Atlantis, lost for thousands of years deep beneath the sea and coming face to face with marine life from around the world including sharks.

After taking in glimpses at the lifestyles of the rich and famous, we took the water taxi which the locals called “Abra”, for an authentic Dubai Creek experience. The Dubai Creek plays an important part of everyday life for people living and working in Dubai. It divides the two major Dubai sections of Deira and Bur Dubai (also known as Dubai city). The “Abra” is a popular transportation not for crossing across to the other side but up and downstream as well. Our guide told us that they do experience traffic congestions during rush hours as well. Looks like no one is spared of traffic these days. Along the river side, there are many shops selling spices, nuts, textiles and other stuffs. To enjoy the beautiful views and fantastic architectures along the creek, I would recommend taking the “Abra”.

Another must see in Dubai is the Gold Souk, located in the heart of eastern Dubai's commercial business district in Deira. 'Souk' is the Arabic word, which stands for the market or place where any kind of goods are brought or exchanged. In Gold Souk, it is obviously gold that’s being brought or exchanged. The number of jewelry shops seems to go on and on forever. Every where you turn, you are blinded by the yellow gold color and not to mention, stunned by different designs and sizes of the jewelry. From where I came from, we have security guards with riffles sitting in the gold shops and items tucked away under locks and keys but in the Gold Souk, we did not see any guards at all and the chunky gold items are displayed in glass windows. Definitely worth visiting even if you have no intention of buying.

Russia - St Petersburg

Highlight of our 12 days cruise to the Baltic Capitals was St Petersburg, home of the czars and their counts, a rich repository of extravagant palaces, brilliant museums and reknowned theaters oveflowing with music and dance. St Petersburg was conceived by Peter the Great and fashioned after his favorite European cities.

To read more about our 2 days St Petersburg's adventures...click on following links:
http://www.dynamitetravels.com/spilled-blood-cathedral
http://www.dynamitetravels.com/st-petersburg-russia
http://www.dynamitetravels.com/catherine-palace-st-petersburg-amber-room