Of bicycles, dorayaki and huge temples - Asakusa, Tokyo

Sometime in June 2013, about a year ago, I had a few days to spend in Tokyo, Japan.  I stayed at the Khaosan Tokyo Annex for the whole extent of my stay there (Unfortunately they have closed that branch and reopened somewhere else, check the website).  I was assigned the topmost floor, also the fourth floor! with no elevators servicing the hostel.  Good thing about it is that the washing machine and drying area is on the roof level, just a level upwards.  I think it was 200yen for a full load.  There is also a very nice view from the roof where one can catch a clear view of the Tokyo Skytree.

A fun map detailing the main attractions of Asakusa (source: http://youinjapan.net/maps/tokyo_maps.php)

It is a short walk across Sumida river to the Asakusa subway station and to the Nakamise shopping street where you see lots of tourists, stalls, food, souvenirs, etc.  The main temple is called the Sensoji temple and the main gate to the street is called the Kaminarimon (I think its translated to Lightning gate).  Its really hard to miss this.  Just alight at the Asakusa subway station and follow the crowd.  Japanese food like ramen and yakitori are plentiful there.

Well, I didn't really need the bicycles to get to Asakusa.  To Ueno perhaps...

The Tokyo Skytree.

charsiew ramen.  Amazing.

Cheaper machine made dorayaki.

60yen dorayaki made with machines.

The Kaminarimon.

Nakamise shopping street.  One can get lost in there!  and don't forget to visit the many smaller adjoining streets.

Fried rice biscuits.  Try the one with seaweed wrap.

Yakitori served by a shop in the shin-nakamise street.

Basically, one does not need to plan too much while in Tokyo, especially in Asakusa.  Just randomly walk starting from the kaminarimon.  Who knows, you might just discover something special.

Kuching Marathon 2014

Ok.  A quick post before I forget the details of my really short one day trip to Kuching, Sarawak just to take part in the inaugural Kuching Marathon.  It so happens to be also the first time I took part and (drum roll please...) successfully completed a full marathon.  Yes, all 42.195km of it.

AirAsia really supports travel (and now sports) in Asia as without them I would not have even considered flying to Kuching from Miri just for a day.  I spent the afternoon the day before the marathon sleeping and eating near Jalan Padungan and the Main Bazaar in Kuching and the eight hours after that resting my legs.  You see, Kuching is the capital city of Sarawak, my home state and I should know and see more of it but this is also my first trip in about 20 years. D:

The attractions you can see just by being near Padang Merdeka, the starting venue of the Kuching Marathon 2014.  They are (clockwise from top left) the old post office, Carpenter street, Kuching waterfront, Jalan Padungan and the Sarawak state assembly building.

So I got on this really uneventful AirAsia place to Kuching on Saturday morning and I arrive at Plaza Merdeka near Padang Merdeka to collect my race pack, which consists of the bib which is your race number (I think it also contains a NFC chip) and my nice fluorescent green singlet.

There was a 45 minute queue.  The people were there queuing at 11am.   The organisers could have opened more counters.  But hey, it's their first time.  I say their efforts to even let participants collect at midnight shows they really go all out to make this event a success.

Alright, so off I go with my race pack to find some food to eat.  Any difference between food from Miri and Kuching?

Clockwise from the top-left, Kuching laksa, food court near Jalan Padungan, view from Jalan Padungan towards the Sarawak river and Belacan bee hoon (vermicelli noodles)

All the nice pretty buildings were across the river from me so I was really tempted to take the perahu tambang (wooden boat) and go see them up close.  However, I knew I need to sleep and rest for preparation of the full marathon I will run that starts early in the morning at 3am.  Maybe an adventure for another day.

Clockwise from the top-left, Totem pole of cats (Kuching south city council),  the old Brooke era palace, gate into Jalan Padungan, sign to show the right way during the marathon.

I woke up at 1:30am and this is what I saw.  I finish at 8:54am and that is what I got.

Kuching Marathon 2014 route map (from http://www.marathonkuching.com/route-map)

A little bit about the route.  One of the more interesting attributes of this route for me was that I had to cross four bridges.  They are like little hills.  In addition to the real hills along the course, this route was quite difficult for me as I had not trained in a hilly environment.  I usually run near the beach and the terrain for a beach is yes, you guessed it, flat...

The first few kilometres of the route brought us to a Malay village.  They really welcomed us to their city with their cheers and kompangs (hand held drums the Malays use in welcoming ceremonies).  We passed through many nicely lit buildings like mosques and cat-themed landmarks.  After that, in the northern part of the route, there were nothing but trees on both sides of the road until we came back to civilisation in the form of industrial areas (and maybe warehouses?).  The journey ended with me running through Jalan Padungan and boy was that a relief...

I found a nice map on google but couldn't find its owner. This map shows nicely the old part of Kuching and Kuching waterfront.

Georgetown, Penang

Pictorial map of the old town

Wanting to take part in my first half-marathon, I travelled to Penang, or Pulau Pinang last November.  Georgetown is the capital of the small Malaysian state and is one of the first to be colonized by the British in the late 18 century by Sir Francis Light.  The city has an old area with British forts and administrative building surrounded by many straits Chinese shophouses.

World famous Chendol at the corner of Penang Road, Georgetown

Since the arrival of the British who then brought in the Chinese and Indians as immigrants to develop Penang in the 19th century onwards.  Many Malaysian foods we know and love today probably came from here, although it might be slightly modified to suit the different tastes of the people of the other Malaysian states.  For example, these well known Malaysian foods are laksa, chendol, curry fish head, curry noodle, luk-luk and nasi kandar.

Having dinner at one of the street side stalls.  I think those are watermelon juice and some fried tofu

My half-marathon event started in the wee hours of the morning at 3am.  Running together with thousands of people was incredible and running halfway across the bridge was amazing!  I took 2 hours and about 40 minutes to complete all 21km.  If you are a running enthusiast, and live somewhere near Penang, Malaysia, I recommend trying to run the bridge at least once.

Penang Marathon 2013 underway

View of the Penang bridge in the early hours of the morning after the marathon

Asam fish head curry.  I got this from some random shop operated mostly by old owners as most shops in the old part of town are.  I could bring you back to this shop although I can't really point to it on the map.

Ernest Zacharevic, a artist from Lithuania has been transforming the old landscape of Georgetown by painting numerous all murals all over the place.  It has become an activity for tourists to hunt for all these murals and have the pictures taken with them.  One of the most practical ways to hunt for them is to rent a bicycle or motorbike.  The roads and lanes are very narrow with empty parking lots a rare sight, travel is much enjoyable either by foot or on two wheels.

One of the many wall murals in Penang by foreign born artist

Dim sum breakfast.  Make sure to wake up early to get a nice seat in the many restaurants that offer cheap and nice dim sum around Lebuh Campbell.

After the half marathon run, I took the chance to go up to the highest peak of Penang island, Bukit Bendera.  It has in recent years been upgraded and looks very modern and comparable to many funicular rides I have seen in Hong Kong peak tram ride and Salzburg funicular ride to the top of the castle hill.  A few hundred meters above sea level, the air is noticeably cooler and fresher.  There is an owl museum and food court on the top.

Georgetown from atop Bukit Bendera

I needed to pay MYR10 as entrance fees to enter the owl museum

Going down from Bukit Bendera, I headed towards Air Itam to taste the world famous Asam Laksa.  It is also very close to the Kek Lo Si buddhist temple.  I wasn't too interested in looking at temples but if you are, there is a huge Kuan Yin statue there now.

World famous Asam Laksa

I also visited the beach at Batu Feringhi.  The beach was very clean and there wasn't a lot of tourists or locals on it.  I think the crowds come in the evenings when the many beach side cafes and restaurants open.

Paraglider at Batu Feringhi

Ubah bird, election maskot of the current ruling party of the state

Eating luk luk (satay celup) is a very unique Malaysian (or south-east asian) experience.  This time I had my fill of luk luk after a ride to Bukit Jambul and back to my hostel in the middle of rain.  You choose something from the row on the moving stall, and you dip it on the spicy peanut sauce to cook it.  This means if there is one uncooked or badly cooked food, you might get an upset stomach.  I was lucky.

Nice warm luk-luk after getting drenched in the rain

One can get so many different types of meats and vegetables to be dipped in spicy peanut sauce.  They are priced differently of course

Recollections of a homeless, lost, little rat

Recollections of a homeless, lost, little rat aka me. There were a few times I felt a little like a homeless drain rat as I was travelling solo in Europe... However, I will always be taken in by kind strangers  It was raining continuously these two days in Milan and I always showed up at my favourite vegan restaurant half an hour before they open and they always took the drenched me in before time... hahaha

This got me thinking about that night in Munich... I was staying in Belle Blue Zentrum Hotel for the entire time I was in Germany. However, on the last night there, I did not book a room as my train left at 3:20am in the morning so I thought I would just wait it out.

However, after spending 5 hours just shopping and doing nothing (cuz there's nothing to do in Munich), I was tired and bored so I went back to the hotel. I was initially using my phone in the hotel's dining area but was getting more and more tired so I laid down on the couch. The receptionist on his night shift saw me and he told me he will have to close the dining area soon. When I said it was alright and was about to leave for the train station with my luggage at 11:30pm, he asked if I wanted to sleep in his room. My initial reaction in my head was "what???!!" Then he clarified that he will go back to his house for the night and I could sleep in his spare room in the hotel. I very politely rejected his kind offer but he kept insisting... Seeing that I'm really homeless and tired, I agreed to his very kind offer in the end LOL.

So he showed me to his room and gave me extra duvets as it's cold at night... He then checked with me if there's anything else I needed. Before he left, I saw him double checking all the doors to make sure they could be opened from inside so that I don't get locked in when I have to leave 3 hours later. I had a really good sleep and left at 2:30am. I am really really grateful to him 'cuz he's sooooo nice! I mean he totally did not have to do that. All the staffs in Belle Blue are really friendly and the hotel is really really comfortable so I would totally recommend you to stay there if you wanna stay in a nice hotel at Munich.

Writer is Li Dong Ying (https://www.facebook.com/dongying) who is currently wandering around the streets of Lombardia Italy.  She is a former French language classmate of mine in Singapore.  She's been travelling around Europe since January and doing voluntary work with Czech children for a month.

Day 11 & 12: Bhaktapur and Patan durbar squares. Farewell Nepal!

Previous post: http://physikality.blogspot.com/2014/03/day-8-9-10-downhill-to-pothana-back-to.html

After an eight hour journey by bus from Pokhara back to Khatmandu, we had some free time at the hotel.  Some of us decided to explore the surrounding Thamel area and have dinner at the numerous cafes on the roofs of buildings.  There was nothing really special on the menu as they were mostly north indian food or nepali food.  At the time, we were all thinking of food back home.

The next day, or rather last day of our trip to Nepal, we visited two durbar squares, Bhaktapur and Patan.  These were once separate kingdoms on the Khatmandu basin ruled by different kings.  Then one day one of the kings of the Shah dynasty, Prithvi Narayan Shah decided to unite all so he went to war and united all of them in 1769.

Anyway, entrance fee for tourists is NR1500.  But the place is huge and the money hopefully goes to conservation and restoration works.

Man frying local Nepali bread.  Guy in red attempts to get into my shot.

What? You looking at me?

I personally like this shot very much.  The oil lamp seems to be arranged till infinity.

A peacock window.  Very intricate.

The story of Buddha

At the pottery square, you see many works been left out to dry in the sun before being oven baked later.  Besides pots, you will see clay figures of farm animals like chicken.

The kings used up bath here.

Bhaktapur durbar square