Life, Travel, GRACE

We did an unexpected hike in Bukit Sapu Tangan. Why unexpected? Because we thought the track would only require 3 hours to complete (return trip). Ended up we took 6 hours. We started from the entrance of Bukit Bandaraya. In a short while, we reached the first lake, not the Tasik Cermin. That should be Bukit Raja Lake. We were supposed to reach Bukit Sapu Tangan first, but somehow we missed it due to not familiar with the trail. We reached Station C, then proceeded to Tasik Cermin, and boy, the trail we chose was tough - with some climbing with the aid of rope. Luckily my kids did well in the entire hike. On the way back from Tasik Cermin, we passed by Station B, not sure if we did reach Station A (can’t remember well). In the end, we arrived at our starting point almost at 2pm. Everyone was famished. The first lake we reached Station C (if not mistaken) Tasik Cermin View of Tasik Cermin Station B

 It has been a month since mom left this world. She left us on Sept 4th.  My only prayer is that she is with God’s beloved on the other side of heaven. She was a hardworking, always making sure her children sufficiently nourished. Your love and sacrifice will be remembered.

 Chen Clan Ancestral Hall is a folk art museum in Guangzhou. The place is easily accessible via metro and public bus. What attract me about this place are the carving and architecture of the buildings. Like the Sacred Heart Church, the Hall was built during the Qing Dynasty era. The building complex is well preserved. The guided tour provided was very informative. A place not to be missed if you are in Guangzhou.

 Let's continue with my travel experience in Guangzhou, which I've visited in end 2019, before the Covid pandemic. If you would like to have a glimpse of western architecture footprint in the city, perhaps the Sacred Heart Cathedral at 56 Yide Road is the place to explore. The church building is built of granite. It has a history of more than a century. I visited this church twice, the second time was on the Christmas Day where Christmas Mass celebration was held. 

Perhaps this is the best attraction in town, according to my friend. So I booked the night cruise tickets via Klook website. You get to see the night view of the city amid the cool breeze. Overall, it’s just ok for me, I mean in terms of attractiveness. Here are some night view photos taken with my faithful iphone 6s. The first photo is the boat / cruise that we took. The must-see view is the Canton Tower (last 2 photos).

When you are in Hong Kong or Guangdong province, you can’t miss the yum cha culture there. Practically, it’s brunch (or breakfast) served with a pot of tea and 2 or more baskets of delicacies. I usually order the steamed bao (bun stuffed with meat or vege) and siu mai . Of course there are other varieties as well. Yummy. youtiao Porridge, yam cake, shrimp dumpling etc. xiao long bao Siu mai Tea is a must Steamed bao  

Location: Kiara Hill Walk Could this be the world’s largest unbranched inflorescence? Or the world’s largest flower? Also known as corpse flower. According to Wikipedia, the plant can reach over 3 metres. And it requires 7 years before the first bloom. By now, the plant should have finished blooming. Blooming (8 May 2021) . Finishing blooming, 10 May 2021

Was wandering around the Pearl River New Town area back in Sep 2019. Opera house, library and a museum are situated in that area. The Canton Tower is nearby too. Was impressed with the library - the design and the collection. Was a bit let down with the museum. Not much artefacts on displayed, or maybe I wasn't paying much attention on the details. Guangzhou Opera House Guangzhou Opera House Guangzhou Library (main entrance) Guangzhou Library (interior) Guangdong Museum (main entrance) Guangdong Museum (interior) Canton Tower

After several months of conditional movement, we took the chance to go for domestic vacation. At last, we went to Desaru Coast in last January (before the lockdown). Basically, nothing spectacular there, just two good hotels and a water theme park. The nearby town toward the south, Pengerang, is a good place to explore though. We managed to buy some local biscuits from a traditional bakery shop there. Due to heavy rain, we didn’t manage to stroll the beach of Desaru. Maybe some other time. Traditional bakery shop The sea view of Pengerang One of the hotels in Desaru Coast Fun at the water theme park Pool view The theme park is just beside the hotel Man-made beach, which is pretty good Try this