March 2006
Croatia
Dubrovnik
Mjlet
Split
Trogir
Zagreb
Slovenia
Ljubljana
Bled
The year starts with a day trip to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to apply for a visa to Croatia. That marks the beginning of an
unforgettable trip to 2 Eastern Europe countries which I had long wanted to go. After my short weekend trip to Jakarta,
Indonesia, to attend my Canadian cousin's wedding in mid-March, I embarked on my 10-day trip to Croatia. First stop
being its capital Zagreb. Before arrival I encountered Austrian Airlines overbooked flight to Vienna & had since vowed to
stay clear of that airline in the future. Upon my arrival, my first task was to locate the Slovenian Embassy in Zagreb so
as to obtain my entry visa to Slovenia. Fortunately for me, I was on schedule & successfully proceeded to Ljubljana by
train after my week stint in Dubrovnik, Split & Trogir.

Of the 4 cities I visited in Croatia, Dubrovnik (a World Heritage site) is most fairy-tale like. It is hard to believe this
resort city had actually undergone one of the bloodiest war in Yugoslavia back then in the 80s & 90s. How the world has
changed for most Croatians. As Split houses one of the wonders of the world, the Diocletian's Palace, it is a must for
anyone heading Croatia. To get to Split from Dubrovnik, one needs to drive through Bosnia & Herzegovina, via the
coastal city of Neum. The 5-hour drive is very scenic though & is a delightful journey for me. This is where Croatia is at
its best. It showcased many of the rustic rural life of the people of this part of the world. Not to be missed! Split the city
itself was generally known to be distinctly unique & going through the maze of its old town is another kind of experience
that one needs to live through it to tell its flavors. Diocletian's Palace is not what you'd imagine a palace to be ;-) After a
night in Split, I headed back to Zagreb for the train across the border to Slovenia. My first stop is the capital Ljubljana.

Ljubljana is a very pleasant & compact city. It has a very different feel compared to cities in Croatia. I still marvel at how
that is possible for 2 countries that's only 2 hours ride by train from one another. Nonetheless, Ljubljana feels a lot more
peaceful than the vibrant cities of Croatia. I enjoyed my stay here very much & hope to return again in the future.
Finally, it's time to head to Lake Bled where I've always wanted to go since first sighting its pictures on the internet! Lake
Bled did not disappoint at all. It proves to be one of my most memorable stay throughout my travels this year. For those
of you interested, this is an ideal place for honeymooners & for those who want some peace, beauty & relaxation. Spas
here are great too & food is definitely excellent. I love it here! Such a beautiful place & yet undiscovered by most people
outside Europe. About 1 hour from Bled is the amazing Lake Bohinj. Do take the excursion there! It marvels!

It was then time to leave this paradise & head back to Zagreb after a 2-night stay in this paradise of the world. In
Zagreb, I further indulged in its splendor by spending a night at the town's most luxurious hotel, the Regent Zagreb.
Next, it's time to head to the coastal town of Trogir (much nearer to Zagreb Airport than Zagreb itself) for an early night
before heading to the airport for my flight home. What a marvelous trip it has been!!!
April 2006
Japan
Kyoto
Tokyo
The cherry blossom season is most beautiful in the city of Kyoto.
I missed many years of cherry blossoms due to global warming & mistiming. This year, I finally made it back to Kyoto,
the ancient capital where all things ancient & conventional can still be experienced in this city.

Last year's "Memoirs of a Geisha" brought back the urge to revisit this elegant city where geishas & maikos dwell. It is
my 3rd visit to this city but my first visit to the Miyako Odori (cherry blossom dance) where geishas & maikos performed
the dance every spring. The history of Miyako Odori dates back as far as 1872 (134 years ago!). It is a fun time of the
year, every visitor is exuberant & enjoy the atmospheric city at this time of the year to the utmost. One can even go as
far as dressing up & posing as a Geisha or Maiko just for the fun of it all. I did & you should :-)

Kyoto is extremely regal during this time of the year. If you are lucky like I was, you'll probably get to see maikos
dancing all the traditional dances at the temples too. It was a rare treat for me at Heian Shrine that sunday morning. The
sakura was in full splendor in its fantastic garden as well. A magnificent sight!
April 2006
Japan
Nagano
Matsumoto
Matsushiro
Suwo
It was cherry blossoms & hanami replayed. This time in the city of Nagano, once a winter olympic city.
Nagano is more famous for its snow monkeys than its sakura. However, as it's not snowing, all monkeys look the same
to me, even if they are bathing in hot springs... I decided to visit the neighboring towns of Matsumoto, Matsuhiro & Suwo.

Nagano has a 7th century temple, Zenko-ji, right in the city center. This was where I managed to capture many shots of
the sakura & tulips. I had a great time visiting the surrounding areas & enjoyed some of the very best soba in Japan.
Yes, chilled (zaru) soba is truly fantastic in the Nagano Prefecture & especially so in the city of Suwo. Remember to have
at least a taste when u venture to this part of Japan. The shops do offer take-home soba too! Yummy...

Next, the nearby town of Matsushiro. It was a small castle town with plenty of samurai houses & their training institute.
An afternoon walk in this part of Nagano transported one back to the feudal times & lost in another world. An authentic
Japanese experience indeed! Not to be missed if you are coming here looking for remnants of the past of Japan.

I was in Nagano for 4 days in total. The other 2 days, I spent visiting Matsumoto which has one of the oldest castles
(Matsumoto Castle, also a National Treasure) in Japan & the lakeside resort town of Suwo.
May 2006
China
Shanghai
Wulingyuan
Zhangjiajie
The journey to Zhangjiajie was conceived way back in 2004 after my 2003 short stint/hike to Huangshan. Huangshan
was hardly a great hike for me as it was almost raining the whole time I was there. That made the paths most dangerous
& the sceneries most dreadful. Still, it was a challenge I conquered & that kept me hoping for more of great hikes in this
vast land. It took sometime b4 I finally made it to Zhangjiajie. Many told me b4 my arrival that it's similar to Huangshan.
It is not similar though...

I had better luck with Zhangjiajie. Of the 4 days I was there, the first was pouring until no one in their decent mind would
venture out; well, at least until 2 pm. Later, God took pity on me & the rain stopped. It was still very cold though (due to
the rain) & I successfully made my way to a walk in the valley of Jingbianxi. The 2nd & 3rd day (2nd gloomy, 3rd bright
sunshine & much too hot!) I spent more time venturing deeper into this huge national park in Hunan. I visited the
Tianzhishan section & also Yangjiajie. On the 3rd day, I was at Baofeng lake & Yellow Dragon Cave. Zhangjiajie is
interesting & challenging in its own way. Many sightseeing spots & locations are unmarked making it a challenge & tiring
task of navigating the park on one's own. But as usual, I like the freedom of going on my own pace too much so I simply
went on my way about. In this park, it is worth going off the beaten path though riskier. The sights where most tourists
don't venture are worth checking out. Allow more time though, at least a total of 4 days excluding Baofenghu & Yellow
Dragon Cave (Huanglongdong). As the weather heated up, I finally made my way to Wulongzhai. This is one fine place &
a hike up further into the park promises great stunning views!
June 2006
Germany
Berlin
Hamburg
Luebeck
Estonia
Tallinn
Tartu
It was supposed to be summer but it felt very cold here in Berlin. This had to be one of the very worst time of my life
too. I began the trip on receiving news a day after arrival a good friend had passed away due to some work accident. He
was an archaeologist in Lisbon, Portugal. His name, Armando. I met Armando 3 years ago in Lisbon & had a great great
time during my 4-day stay in Lisbon. We even talked about meeting up in China b4 I left! I'll never ever see him again :(
On top of that, I had another client who passed away while coaching some kids in NZ on the field! He was only in his 40s.
So many deaths of people I personally know. Other than that, I've had other personal problems, severe ones! So, it was
a trip that I ought not to have made. & though World Cup was held across Germany & the final in Berlin, I was not even
here for that! Still, looking at those photos I took back then, I did enjoy it even in that mental state back then. It is one
of many great cities in Europe.

I left for a 4 day-stint in Estonia after Berlin. Too long!!! Tallinn was smaller than I could have imagined & a day trip
would suffice. Max: 2 days. It was also a lot colder than I had imagined. For God's sake, it's supposed to be summer &
yet it was freezing!!! Those girls in Tallinn told me it's normal to be cold there! I pity them! After exploring the entire old
city of Tallinn, I decided to visit its 2nd largest city,, the university town of Tartu. Tartu was unexpectedly pleasant
though I wouldn't make a trip all the way here just for it ;)

Finally back to Germany again. This time I headed to Hamburg. The weather finally warms up & it's football fever at its
peak! Football fans have arrived from all over the world & to tell you the truth, I've never seen so many men
congregated in a place! In fact, in all corners of the city. I met some Croatians (imagine my surprise) & lots of Asians &
even Australians! It was crazy time... testosterone at its height! After 2 day-stay, I proceeded to the northern city of
Lueback & that marks one of the best day trip of my life! I met a very wise & unforgettable lady!
June 2006
USA
Portland
San Francisco
Yosemite
Seattle
Washington DC
This trip to the U.S. was too complicated to summarize. It was not a properly planned trip but done on the spur of the
moment. & there was a heat wave across the U.S. this very summer! It's torturous to do any hikes. My gateway was
Portland & after my purchase of the excellent Hood River Marionberry Dessert wine (my favorite of dessert wines to
date) at the airport, I headed for San Francisco. It's been quite awhile since my last stay here & I found the city still as
pleasant & beautiful as ever. Loved it here... one of my favorites in the States. What's new? Managed to catch the 36th
S.F. Gay Pride Parade! What a sight & novelty to see so many people all dressed up & partying. Great fun!

After many years of looking at pictures posted on the internet, I finally get to visit Yosemite. It felt like I had been here
before! Due to the heat, I didn't enjoy much of it though as I would have enjoyed most national parks in the States. We
also ventured to the Giant Sequoia & I was running out of breath by the time I finished the 2 hour stay there. The heat is
killing me!!!

When I reached DC, it was raining cats & dogs. Next day, the weather was back to its normal self! Hot is the word!
August 2006
Thailand
Chiangmai
Chiangrai
Malaysia
Kuala Lumpur
My very first time to the northern part of Thailand. After landing in Chiangmai I. Airport, it took me less than 10 mins to
reach my hotel right in the city! For Thailand, that's call speed!!! In the past, I dreaded going to Thailand because for
most part, I had headed for Bangkok which is well known for its traffic jam! Other than Jakarta, nowhere in Asia is traffic
that bad!!! So, from the start Chiangmai was endearing & relaxing. During my stay here, I got hooked on the Oasis Spa's
massages (tip: ask for Nut, well, that's her name :-)). They were great & at a price much cheaper than most neighboring
countries. I vowed to return within the next few months! Heavenly!!! People in Chiangmai is as friendly as other parts of
Thailand. I enjoyed their hospitality to the fullest. Loved walking around the city too if not for the hot sun! Still, I
managed to see quite a few sights during my short stay here. I was only here for 3 full days & nights. Shopping in
Chiangmai (Central Airport Plaza) was fun too. & food... hmmm, as yummy as the rest.

I further took a day tour to Chiangrai just to experience the country side. Visited some local hill tribes & was amazed at
the simplicity of lifestyle. Don't think I can ever survived in those places, I've been much too spoilt! ;-)
Xiamen & Wuyishan are both in Fujian Province, China. They were both apart by flight by about 45 mins. Xiamen is a lot
more compact than I had imagined. The weather is a lot warmer than many other parts of China since it  lies to the
southeastern tip of China, a lot closer to Taiwan than many other parts of China.

Xiamen is nice for a first visit. It'll be quite some time b4 I'll return here again. However, for anyone interested, Xiamen
has a great university, an interesting Buddhist temple (Nanputuo) & a very famous island off its shore (Gulangyu). I
found Gulangyu a lot more orderly than Xiamen & has a resort feel to it. Gulangyu is also well known for its extensive
nos. of pianos. The view from atop the mountain is fantastic. Worth climbing all the way up to just see the entire Xiamen.

Wuyishan is a famous mountain in China, more for tea-growing than for hiking. Still, it is very popular mountain for most
Chinese as it's a holy place for the trinity of Buddhism, Taoism & Confucianism. Wuyishan is also a World Heritage Site;
both cultural & natural.  I had a great time here especially at the newly opened 5* hotel, one which offers the VERY best
service in China. It's one I'll remember for quite some time to come. Excellent hotel: Yue Hua Hotel.
October 2006
Canada
Toronto
Puerto Rico
San Juan
U.S. Virgin Islands
St. Thomas
It's time for my yearly pilgrimage to clock up the miles required for next year gold/platinum status on my frequent flyer
program. Canada in Autumn is most beautiful with the changing color of the Maple leaves. This year though, global
warming has delayed the arrival of Fall & hence it still felt like Indian summer somehow. After a week stay in Toronto, I
took a short trip to Puerto Rico & the U.S. Virgin Islands of St. Thomas. I've 4 full days here in the Caribbean. Most
arrived the two countries by cruise ships, moi... by plane. Remember those miles I acquired? Yep, I managed to redeem
both flights to Puerto Rico & St. Thomas.

Puerto Rico (specifically San Juan) has a Spanish touch to it. It's essence is more Spanish than American though its
citizens basically hold American passport. It's hard to explain & it's a lot easier to experience :) St. Thomas (