One of the interesting things I find with travelling is the way each country would express and translate something into English. This applies for both English-speaking and non-English speaking countries. However, the more profound differences are obviously seen and heard with non-English speaking countries who strive to make themselves become more “international” and tourist-friendly. Japan is one typical country that has been using English in a rather interesting way. They seem to be using English for fashion purposes, and you’d see English text on clothing or plastic product designs that would not make much sense at all, but the Japanese all find them cool! I have to say that I do appreciate that they are trying their utmost best to cater for the wider international community, however, being a somewhat-native English speaker, you can’t help but make fun of how they put up their signs in English! Here are some examples of what I found on my trip to Japan last year:

1.) This sign was taken from the outside of the pharmacy/souvenir shop of the Sheraton hotel in Osaka

Oh yes, I do hope they’re all legal!

2.) I found this while looking for a toilet in the town of Himeji

Thanks for reminding, but I don’t think anyone will ever hesitate if they’re really busting to go!

3.) I bought some ready-packed sushi from a convenience store in Kyoto one night, and I found this on the toothpick pack

OK, I never realised that toothpicks in Japan can attack you the minute you open them!

4.) These two signs are probably not that funny, but I thought they could use some editing:

There is a collection of funny english signs around the world on the website http://www.engrish.com. You’d be amused with the collection from this website. I found that China has now taken the lead in terms of the number of posts on this site! With that, I’ll leave you with this photo I took of an anime figure outside a restaurant in Gion, Kyoto. I thought this looks really funny!

Til the next Fabulous Journey!

The Crimson Castle

It’s a UNESCO World Heritage site, it is well-known, yet it’s not as popular as the likes of the Taj Mahal, the pyramids of Giza, the Angkor Wat or Machu Picchu. It’s not on the front covers of your travel brochures (apart from those for that region). Books and poems have been written about it, and several writers over the centuries have marvelled at this magnificent palace fortress. I’m talking about the Alhambra, a 14th century Moorish palace/fortress overlooking majestically on the city of Granada in southern Spain.

Before my visit, I’ve heard of stories from friends of how great this place is, and that I should at least once see it for myself. Yet, I’ve only heard of this mentioned once in my Medieval History class, and never from any travel magazines, travel agents or the news. When you mention Spain, the Alhambra is not exactly one of the first things that people talk about (it’s usually the sun, beaches, tapas, Sangria, party islands, running of the bulls, Tomato festival, Barcelona, Madrid, to name a few..). As such, I didn’t think much of it until I finally got to the city of Granada in the Andalucian region of Spain.

Walking around Granada itself is a fascinating experience. It’s like walking into medieval Spain where there are a lot of the Moorish influence still evident, yet you don’t hear anyone speak Arabic. The narrow cobble-stoned streets and the Moorish-styled buildings with a courtyard in the middle, the water features that are ever-present in the middle of it… It’s one of the very special places in Spain to visit!

Visiting the Alhambra is a must when in Granada. The minute I saw the intricate design and symmetry of the palaces and the beautifully laid-out gardens, I then realised why so many poets and writers over the centuries fell in love with it. To make the most and enjoy of your visit, I have a few handy tips :

1.) BE THERE EARLY! – Preservation is of the utmost importance for this fortress, and to reduce the impact of tourists visiting the site, they have a limited number of tourists that are allowed inside the fortress, and there is also a section inside the complex that they only allow people to enter up to a certain time. You have to be by the gates of the Alhambra by 8:30AM at the latest, so you can get tickets to enter the Generalife. Entry into the Generalife is only until 9AM. The Generalife is one of the most interesting sites in the complex, and is a must-see. It’s possibly the most beautiful garden palace I’ve seen so far! This is located at the far end of the complex. As the complex is quite big, it might take 15 minutes to walk from the main gates to the entrance to Generalife.  Thus, when you get to the Alhambra, go straight to the Generalife and check it out first.

2.) If you’re travelling alone, it does pay to hire out their audio guide. This gives you a better appreciation of the fortress-palace, its history, architecture and its beauty. Also, if you’re going during winter, it is quite cold (it was probably the coldest part of Spain that I’ve been to during my trip) so be prepared for it.

3.) Make the most of the entire complex as it is fascinating! It also offers a great view of the city of Granada, as it sits on a hill facing the city. There are a number of buildings and courtyards to explore, and it took me a little over half a day to relish all of it. Check out these spots:

• Chamber of the Lions (Cuarto de los Leones) – don’t worry, they don’t have real hungry lions waiting to devour tourists! It’s a courtyard with a 6-lion fountain in the middle, and braided with narrow water features along the courtyard flowing from the fountain. The building around it has some awesome moorish decor!
• Court of the Myrtles – this has a long pool in the middle of the courtyard, and the reflection of the Tower of Comares on the pool makes it really stunning!
• Hall of the Abencerrajes – look to the ceiling of the hall and you will be amazed of the star-shaped dome with all the intricate carvings
• Towers of the Homenaje (Homage) and the Quebrada – there is a maze before you get to the towers, and this was designed to distract any invaders from getting to the towers. There is a magnificent view of Granada from here, and the Sierra Nevada.
• Water features all over the Alhambra – you will notice that there is so much water around this fortress-palace. There are numerous fountains, pools,

4.) After visiting the Alhambra, make sure you make your way to the Albaycin (or Albayzin), the old Moorish quarters on the opposite hill facing the Alhambra. Climb through the hilly suburb, enjoy the beautiful houses around, and once you get to the top, there is a lookout point called Mirador de San Nicolas where you can get a magnificent view of the Alhambra from the outside! There is a nice outdoor cafe there and you can sit out and enjoy the view of Granada and the Alhambra. It’s really one of the best spot I’ve found to chill out and enjoy a magnificent scenery!

With that, I leave you with a poem I found from Mexican poet Francisco de Icaza:

Give him alms, woman,

For life holds no greater affliction

Than that of being

Blind in Granada.

Til the next Fabulous Journey!

EarthRace – this New Zealand-built and owned boat is one of its kind. It’s a specially design boat that uses 100% bio-diesel, an environmentally friendly and sustainable alternative, for its fuel. Its mission was to spread awareness around the world on the use of environmentally sustainable fuel sources and alternatives, and also to attempt to break the world record in circumnavigating the globe. That it surely did, but not without much trouble.

It first attempted to break the world record for circumnavigating the globe in 2007. It encountered a lot of drama on its first attempt which included :

• engine problems in Palau, where they had to divert to Singapore and quickly get it fixed
• encounters with the Colombian and Nicaraguan navy where they were chased and guns were fired at them
• hitting a small fishing vessel in Guatemala which caused the crew to be detained in prison for 9 days
• facing 3 huge storms in the Mediterranean
• lack of sponsorship and funds to proceed with its journey

But these setbacks didn’t deter the skipper, Pete Bethune, who spent nearly his entire fortune just to get this boat built and promote environmentally sustainable fuel sources. He was driven by a mindset of success and didn’t give up his dream of beating the world record for the fastest boat to circumnavigate the globe. They beat the record by over 2 weeks, finishing the journey in 60 days, 23 hours and 49 minutes on 27 June 2008.

I had the privilege to attend the launch of the EarthRace tour in Sydney and go inside the boat itself. From the outside, it looks very impressive, but the insides were just a squeeze! They had such tight spaces and because they try to be environmentally friendly, they didn’t have any airconditioning inside the boat! During the launch, I heard the skipper narrate his adventures and misadventures around the world, and I have to say that it was very inspirational. He was able to tour 100 cities in more than 50 countries across the globe. It has inspired me to go for my dreams of covering the globe and seeing at least 1 new country each year (more would be better!). If you want to help our planet and promote environmentally sustainable fuel source AND support this cause, go to their website: www.earthrace.net

Here are some more photos of the EarthRace:

steps into the boat:

The sound system:

The captain’s seat:

The entrance to the main cabin:

I hope you enjoyed a brief tour of the EarthRace and support its worthy cause! Til the next journey…

Welcoming 2009

2009 has finally come! But before it happened, I went to queue up to see the New Year’s Eve fireworks by the Sydney Harbour Bridge. The New Year’s Eve fireworks in Sydney are known to be one of the most spectacular in the world. People from different corners of the globe come and flock to see the magic that Sydney puts on for the New Year’s Eve celebration. Hotels have been fully booked a year in advance (in many cases) and cruises have also put up their prices due to exceptional demand.

Each year, the New Year’s Eve fireworks are said to be better than ever, and the City of Sydney definitely delivers each time. I watched the fireworks display the previous year, and I can say that this year is much more spectacular. In saying that, I managed to get a better spot this time than I did the previous year.

The Queues for the views

I was indeed very lucky to have found that spot, because my friends and I actually didn’t queue up that early. We started queuing up for Mrs. Macquarie’s Point at 3PM. Other people apparently started arriving at 8AM, and some even spent the previous night there! By that time we got to the Mrs. Macquarie’s Point queue, the area was already half-full, and the queue was extra long, that we’d have to wait for 2 hours to get inside the area. Another friend of ours were sitting in the Tarpeian precinct, which is just behind the Opera House by the gardens. My group of friends decided to try out that area, and when we got there, the area was already closed! We have to think hard, and the next best thing was to cross the Harbour Bridge and try out the Kirribilli side. It was a very fortunate decision, and all those long queues and closed areas were a blessing in disguise for us. We couldn’t have picked a better spot, as we were very close to the bridge, and we had a great view of the Harbour, the Opera House itself! It’s like having front row seats already!

The Shots

Check out some of the photos I took with my DSLR. I bought a tripod especially for this occasion, and I’m so glad I did:

9PM fireworks with a view of the Sydney Opera House

After the 9PM fireworks

Countdown

HAPPY NEW YEAR! – 1st blast off the bridge

And the magic continues…

More fantastic fireworks

And more..

Waterfall effect

After the fireworks finished… A wonderful light beaming from the bridge!

I hope you enjoyed looking at these photos… Til the next adventure!