sea

A stroll around the Jagalchi Fish Market

I was strolling the streets early on a Sunday morning on my way to Jagalchi fish market. It was December and the street was still very quiet and only a few stalls was open at this time. Others were getting ready to open and preparing for the day.

Some cleaning in front of the store and some laying out the fish ready to be sold. The closer i got to the fish market the more busy it was. I passed the stalls and headed in to the indoor wet fish market.

I walked inside the building but as it was still quiet i decided to head over to the outdoor wet market that is located just next to the indoor market.

Fish was unloaded from small and large fishing boats and the outdoor market got busy.

Passing this i was thinking why not try out the waffles like thing looking like fish? Well i decided to miss it this time and headed in the direction of the harbor as i could see lots of fishing boats had anchored up and was unloading fish to be sold at the marked and transported off to other places in the country to be sold.

The harbor was busy and people was shouting at all corners to make sure the fish got to the right trucks or sold off to the local marked.

All was very well organized and boxes got stored in different location or transported direct on the trucks for transportation.

The Jagalchi fish market is the largest fish market in Korea and you will find fresh fish that can be purchased for a good price. With the location beside Nampo port the fish can be delivered quickly and kept fresh.

The market is famous as many elderly woman run the fish stands and have done so since the men were off fighting in the Korean War. Meals are served to locals and tourist alike in the small restaurants they have set up behind the stalls were they are selling the fish.

A lot of restaurants come here to buy fish from wholesalers.

At the time I left the market it was getting really busy.

If you visit Busan make sure you visit the Jagalchi market. Try out some of the food stalls or just stroll around. Either way it is worth the visit.

Maafushivaru

Arriving on Maafushivaru after a 25 min seaplane ride from Male we were dropped off in the middle of the sea on a pontoon. A Dhoni (traditional Maldivian boat) was ready to pick us up and at the Island we were surrounded by friendly staff handing out ice-cold face towels and a color-full refreshing Welcome drink.

Shoeless in the sand and with our snorkelling/diving equipment in our bags we were ready to celebrate Christmas.

Our new home was an overwater villa, modern and minimalistic, lots of natural light in the room with large windows overlooking the endless stretch of turquoise water.

A nice sundeck terrace, with stairs straight in to the water, large bathroom with a bathtub overlooking the balcony and the ocean and a shower was installed just in the entrance from the Balcony to the bathroom.

Maafushivaru means “The Flower Island” and on this small Island you will find 48 Villas, a wine cellar, a library / cafe, a restaurant Gallery Cuisine, a spa and yoga area, the Water bar, a big freshwater pool and a small stage for the different entertainment during the week. Furthermore there is the diving center, a small boutique, a water sports center, and the restaurant 135 Degrees East.

The Island also have a small sister-island, Lonubo, that is uninhabited and different trips can be arranged to the island.

Maafushivaru is located on the southern tip of the Ari atoll, so this makes it one of the best places to get the chance to swim with the whale shark. And as we wanted to see the life beyond the beach, we signed up for a few aquatic adventure. The Christmas snorkeling on Lonubo Island, Manta Ray snorkeling trip & not to be missed, Diving with the Whale shark.

We rented a Kayak and went paddling across the island’s lagoon, crossing over to the nearby Lonubo Island. It almost felt like being inside a picture perfect postcard of the Maldives.

We did not spend a long time at the Island before that relaxing feeling you get in the Maldives came sneaking up on us so before we knew, we were sitting at the Water bar sipping cocktails with same colors as the ocean admiring the amazing view.

The Island is surrounded by coral reef, that houses different fish, in all different color, small sharks and sea-turtles. Once you get in the water with your snorkel, there is a world beneath the surface inviting you to see thing from another perspective. We tried to get close up to the black tip sharks swimming in the lagoon, but they were too fast for us.

Snorkeling in the Maldives is a must try thing to do even if you have not done snorkeling before.

The underwater life is beyond amazing and what we saw during our snorkeling trips was all from Manta Ray, Sharks, Turtles, corals and fish in all kind of colors swimming around us. And not to forget the whale shark.

Early morning on the way to our dive site a school of dolphins decided to welcome us by swimming alongside the boat. At this time both my camera and my phone was downstairs and i had no time to get any of them to capture it on film, so I just enjoyed the view of watching them leaping up and down of the water. What i did get a photo of was the whale shark, but it was difficult to get a clear shot as we only saw it during snorkeling and not during diving. Same for the manta ray as it was difficult following them while snorkeling. You really need to swim fast to try to catch up with them.

One of the evening we got invited for a complementary dinner at The restaurant 135 degrees East. We were served a fantastic dinner with sushi and teppanyaki. The service was great and the location just amazing.

On reflection, the fluency of the Maldives is found not on the sun lounger but out at sea, surrounded by crystal blue water. We dived beneath the surface and the ocean and found a Maldives that is much more than just relaxing and eating and left with memories that will be cherished forever.

How to get there:

Direct flight from Singapore to Male with Singapore airlines.

As we arrived late we had to stay over at Male city so we booked one night at Somerset hotel. Hotel provided pick up service from/to Airport.

Check in for the seaplane is at the airport and transport is then provided to the seaplane terminal by bus.

The White Beach

After an overnight flight from Singapore to Caticlan, we finally put our feet in the soft white sand that made this tropical Island paradise famous and on the top list of Island to visit.

Welcome to Boracay. A tiny Island among the 7000 that makes up the Philippines.

We checked in to Villa Caemilla, a beach front boutique hotel at station 3 and headed over to the Sunny side Café at station 2 to try out the breakfast. Egg Benedicts with Bacon, not the best choice from the menu, but at least it filled up an empty stomach.

White Beach is divided into three sections named after the former boat stations: Station 1 at the north end of the beach, Station 2 in the middle & Station 3 at the south end of the beach.

While we were Strolling the beach a “mermaid” appears in front of us, trying to find her way in too the sea.

This flashy Island is one of the best known holiday destinations in Asia. Having some of South East Asia’s best stretches of soft and powdery white sand.

White Beach is the main hub of the island, stretching along the west coast.

We walked along the sandy beach path running parallel to the shore. Being at Station 3 that is quiet and relaxed you will feel the difference as soon as you enter over to Station 2. It becomes busy and you stumble into people everywhere. Straight away you understand why it is known as the party place on the Island and it is where you find the majority of the restaurants, bars and clubs.

The area of station 2 get busy in the evening with restaurants preparing for the evenings buffet.

If you are concerned about Island fever there is no need to worry. Everywhere you turn there are someone trying to sell you boat trips. Everything from 3 hours sailing around the island to paragliding and snorkeling. And if you feel like exploring the life below the sea surface, diving is a big industry on the Island.

After a romantic tree-top dinner at the Shangri-la resort we had to find our way back to our hotel. It was a hot evening and being to tired to wait for the free shuttle but to take us back to D’mall, we ended up taking a tricycle. Shangri-la resort is located on a cliff top and heading down the hill our driver was on the breaks for most of the time to then again speed up as soon as we got close to another uphill part of the road. It’s amazing how they are able to maneuver these bikes around the curves and up and down the hills.

In the Philippines, there’s no limit to the number of passengers riding a tricycle. 2 adult can sit in the front, some more in the back and I think even another one can sit behind the driver. It’s a great way to get around the island.

Sunset from the beach is one of the things you don’t want to miss out on and a great way to capture it is with a walk on the beach, a sunset cruise on the sea or with a happy hour at the bar with some live music, sipping tropical fruit cocktails, watching the sun go down.

On the Island’s northwestern tip you find the Shangri-la Boracay Resort and Spa where you can watch the sunset from a day bed or from a comfortable chair on the beach with a mango cocktail in hand as we did. During the Happy Hour we tasted the different fruit cocktails on the menu, with the mango one being our favorite. And when the sun had set we found our way over to the bar.

D’mall is the shopping area on the Island with stores selling all type of equipment for Diving to flip flops and other things you might have forgotten to bring for you holiday on the beach.

You will find street sellers all along the beach area trying to sell you all kind of products and if you get thirsty, coconut sellers are everywhere.

We had some blissful days lazing on powder-fine white sand, punctured only by cooling dips in the neon blue water. Just the right recipe for holiday heaven.

How to get there:

Flight from Singapore with Cebu Pacific, via Manila or Cebu.

Our hotel in Boracay:

Villa Caemilla, a boutique hotel on the beach. It does not have swimming pool, but who needs that when you have the big blue ocean right in front of the hotel with water temperature around 29 deg C.

Great Places to eat:

Villa Caemilla

Christina’s Cafe

Rima Restaurant at Shangri la Resort

Cielo Beach bar for Happy hour at Shangri la Resort

A week on ski at 78 Deg North, from East to West of Spitsbergen

Some reindeer were passing just in front of us as we were reaching Isfjord Radio. The wind was picking up, with a bit of snow in the air. We had completed 160 km on ski, across valleys & Glaciers, from East to West of Spitsbergen/Svalbard, in the Norwegian Arctic. It had been an adventurous week, learning new things along the way.

A week ago we arrived in Longyearbyen and found our way to the Trapper’s hotel where we spent our first night. Information meeting was held at the hotel, last check and packing of the equipment done, a few things to buy at the local shops and a get to know each other dinner at restaurant “Kroa” just next door.

I woke up early next morning, exited to get started on this week of adventure, not really knowing what to expect. It was my first time camping in a tent surrounded by snow, also knowing we had to play hide & seek with polar bears. We started our skiing from Agardhbukta, so transport by a vehicle was arranged to get us there. It was a Bandvagn 206 (BV 206), a tracked articulated, all-terrain carrier. 3 guides, 2 dogs and driver in the front and our group of 12 squeezed in to the back. Quite the interesting experience, but not very comfortable. Knowing it would take at least 6 hours to get to the east coast it was just to start thinking about something else and get used to the bumping up and down.

Arriving at the east coast I was happy to get out of the car and move my legs again. We organized our gear, got our skies on and were ready to start. It was windy and a bit snow in the air, so I was eager to get going.

It was my first time skiing with a sledge, but it went well the first day as there was not much up and down. Arriving at the campsite, the next step was to put up our tent. We got some tips from our guides, to use the ski to prepare the ground to be as flat as possible, make sure to secure the tent before starting to put it up for it not to be blown away with the wind, dig a hole inside the outer tent to have head room to stand and make a wall in front of the tent in the wind direction to avoid snow to blow and get stored on the tent. Quite a lot to think about but after a few days it got easier. We also learned the trick of using our ski and poles as tent plugs.

It was agreed that we would sit up during the night on shift to watch out for the polar bear, so with 2 groups we would have to sit for an hour each every 2nd night. An introduction how to use the signal gun was done. I think we were all exited about the fact that it could happen that we would spot a polar bear. We had to look out for something moving and in case a Polar Bear would come and we had to use the signal gun to scare the Bear and wake up the guides. Sitting up for an hour during the night was like being out during the day as the midnight sun makes the night as bright as day.

I shared the tent with my 2 friends, Arne and Eva. Arriving at the campsite with wind and cold, we spent the evening inside the tent, eating our dinner, a snaps glass with cognac to make a toast for the day and get our sleeping bags ready for a good night of sleep after a long day skiing.

The wind was blowing quite strong during the night. We had our breakfast, Rice porridge with Cinnamon and Sugar and some raisins or nuts added to it. Then it was down with the tent, packing the sledge and get ready for a new day. We crossed over the glacier, Passbreen, down Kjellsromsdalen, passing the mining town, Sveagruva, and put up our 3rd campsite at the end of Gustavdalen. The days continued with wind and not much to see as it was all white around us. We kept walking, with a 10 min break every 50 min, to fuel up on some chocolate and snacks.

At lunch we had our daily supply of “drytech Real turmat”. Just put hot water, shake the pack and wait for 5 min and it was ready to eat.

Being all white around me and not much to see, I just keep skiing, following the group, most of the time in my own thoughts, thinking about everything and nothing. I got a sense of peace being surrounded by nature. Just skiing listening to the poles touching the snow. Like a kind of meditation.

At day 4, Arriving at Stormyra the wind stopped. It had been a hard day as most of the day had been skied with a slight slope down on one side as we where skiing along the mountain side. It was difficult to control the sledge not tipping over as it was sliding on the side of me, so I had to try to get a pace that would allow the sledge to follow but not slide down and stop as then it would tip. As we where turning around the mountain we where facing a quite steep uphill followed by a steep downhill before entering down at Stormyra. One of the guide fell and cut his hand on a stone so urgent attention was put to that to see that he was fine to continue. Then it was the challenge to ski down with the sledge as it was sloping both down and to the side, so I chose as some of the others to take the ski off and carry them down. Better be on the safe side to avoid ending up in the fjord and the ice cold water.

The first part of Stormyra went quite easy and as the wind had stopped and the sun started to show itself between the clouds, so I enjoyed it and just kept walking. Around half way across the ice it became more difficult as the snow started to be more wet and it was like the snow was sucking me down. Every step was heavy, so when we finally stopped at the other side having a break and the guides decided we would camp, it was the best message I could have had. We still had to put up the tent and get organized with our things so when that was done I just sat down in my sledge, found my coffee, having a moment of rest. Totally exhausted.

Being in the middle of a dream, I heard the words, breakfast in 5 min. Opening my eyes I realized i must have dozed off after my watch during the night. I heard people talking outside in a joy full tone, enjoying the nice weather. I could see when I was up during the night that the weather would be good as it was no wind, just a few clouds on the sky and cold. Showing -9 Deg C on the Thermometer. I had experienced and learned a few things during the first days. Keep everything you want to not be frozen inside your sleeping bag during the night. So wet napkins, my bottle of milk for my coffee (Had to bring a bottle of milk as they where sold out for milk powder in Longyearbyen), my clothes to change for next day, and any other things I wanted to stay warm.

We all enjoyed the beautiful weather, skiing along the fjord. A few uphill parts but mostly flat until we where turning around the mountain side and was facing the side way slope again. My sledge was not very cooperative and kept turning over. The luggage kept shifting to the side so I had a few stops along the way to re-organize and try to get the weight to the right side.

We found a nice spot for lunch and where surprised by the guides serving us Cheese and cured meats. During lunch we could hear some birds in the background. Getting up on the hill we saw some rock ptarmigan walking up the hill.

We continued in the nice weather, passing some reindeer along the way, enjoying the sun and the nice view as we were skiing along the fjord and entering fridtjovhamna. From here we could see Akseloya that is almost crossing from one side of the fjord to the other. just leaving a small pass for the boats to enter.

It was a beautiful day and even with my sledge not being on my side, this day could not have been more perfect. Entering Fridtjovbreen we put up our camp for the night. Some went with a few of the guides up on the glacier before dinner and some of us just stayed at the tent and relaxed. This evening the guides prepared dinner for us, Salmon with mashed potatoes and vegetables. Being Saturday we had a few shot glasses of whiskey cheering for a fantastic day. Chatting and laughter from the other tents where a sign that they where enjoying the evening as much as us.

I woke up early next morning and stepping outside the tent all was quiet. The 2 dogs was sleeping. One of them had made himself comfortable in one of the sledge. It was cloudy and a bit of snow in the air, but looked like it might clear up during the day.

We started off with a few steep uphill parts when entering up on the glacier, Fridtjovbreen, and this morning my sledge was not one with me. I wanted to get up and the sledge wanted to stay down. Looking at the others getting up the slopes without problems I was wondering what they had eaten for breakfast that I did not eat. Maybe it was just that I was tired from the other days of skiing, but with a little support and some push on my sledge from the others i managed to get up the first part. After the first part struggling it became easier. During lunchtime some took the opportunity to have a nap and get some rest for the next part up the glacier.

The weather kept changing from cloudy to sunny so It was difficult to dress correct to not get cold and not get to hot and sweet, so I kept putting my jacket on and off.

Arriving at the top of the glacier the weather gods where on our side and the sun where shining. We where facing a stunning view on both side of the glacier and the feeling standing on the top, enjoying the view, felt amazing.

To ski uphill was quite hard but the downhill with the sledge for me was more challenging. I had to find a techniques to ski with the sledge on the side so it would not overtake me. It took a lot of energy to keep control of the sledge and myself with the ski at the same time.

We all managed to get down. Some easier than others and some tried the option on sitting on the sledge down. With blue sky and no wind we decided to continue out the valley before setting up the camp. The distance did not seam far and we continued ski, with 50 min ski, 10 min break. Just keep going. It felt like there was no end to the valley. We where on day 6 and the following day we would reach Isfjord Radio, so we all agreed to continue until reaching the sea to get a shorter leg the next day.

Reaching the sea the sky started to be cloudy and we had a nice light. Almost like a sunset.

Our last evening sleeping in tent. We had become quite good at setting up and packing down the tent and it felt a bit strange to know that this would be the last time on this trip that we would have to put it up and take it down. I was looking forward to sleeping in a bed again, but still would miss this atmosphere you get when sleeping in tent out in the wild nature.

Getting organized inside the tent we heard some snowmobile arriving outside. The guides asked us to come outside and again we where surprised with the cook and worker from Isfjord Radio showing up with waffles. What a fantastic surprise. We where all happy, eating and enjoying, until there where no more left. The guides had called them to get some supply of food for the dogs and had not mention anything about waffles. Waffles and Norwegian goat cheese and as Eva still had some crackers left we enjoyed Crackers and cheese for our coffee. And with a shot of whiskey we all forgot that we where exhausted after a long day of skiing. We had done 30 km on ski that day, up Fridtjovbreen, down on the other side and out the valley reaching the sea, enjoying the beautiful weather making us able to enjoy the scenic landscape surrounding us from all angles.

The Arctic region of Svalbard is incredible and a fantastic location for seeking out wildlife and we where lucky to see a group of bloated walrus laying on the beach. One of them more gray and pale, so we where sure he had seen his last days, but there was still some life in him as he was moving his head.

Continuing along the coast with the view of Isfjord Radio in front of us.

Arriving, it was a group of blissful, tired but happy, tanned faces toasting with hot wine, beer and champagne. It was an emotional moment shared with friends and people I got to know during this week that went by way to fast.

We spent the afternoon enjoying and toasting over some beer and wine, having a well earned shower and was served a 4 course dinner that tasted heavenly. A good night sleep in a bed and then our transport, the sailboat, Noorderlicht, was ready to take us back to Longyearbyen.

A week together with a fantastic group of people, learning new things along the way was over.

The trip was booked via Hvitserk: http://www.hvitserk.no/

Guides where from Basecamp Spitsbergen: http://www.basecampspitsbergen.com/

Our hotel in Longyearbyen was the Basecamp Trapper’s hotel

Escape to sandy beaches, crystal waters and Mouth watering cuisine

Parador La Huella, A restaurant located at the Beach, just outside the small town of José Ignacio, brings back memory of my visit to Uruguay. The restaurant is located on the outskirt of Punta del Este, also known as the St. Tropez of Uruguay. La Huella is known as one of Uruguay’s number one restaurants with it’s laid back atmosphere, it’s well known sushi dishes and wood-grilled platters and not to mention the location right on the beach front, perfect for a barefoot walk along the sand.

A year ago just before ester I was visiting Rio Grande Do Sul in Brazil. It is not a town you would spend your ester weekend as most things would be closed and not much happening, so we planned a trip to Uruguay. As Rio Grande is located close to the border of Uruguay we decided to rent a car and drive down. Trying to book a car we realized it was not that easy as all the car rental companies don’t allow you to drive the car outside of Brazil. So we started to look at option of other places to visit in Brazil, but we did not give up on the idea of Uruguay and at the end we found a local company that would rent us a car with the papers needed to cross the border. Then It was the hotel booking. Again, we got a surprise as we would never imagine most hotels would be fully booked at this time of the year. Punta del Este is known for being busy during the summer months from December to March. All hotels in the center of the City was fully booked so we ended up booking a room in a B&B outside of the town. And it ended up being a perfect location for our stay.

Hitting the road late afternoon on Thursday evening we planned to spend a night on the bordering town, Chui, to split up the journey. Arriving in Chui and checking at the few hotels on both side of the border we realized that it was not only us that had that Idea, so no room available anywhere. We decided to drive to the next town so drove down to La Coronilla. After a few stops and no room available we ended up asking some local people that pointed us in the direction of the beach as they said there would be a hotel there we could check, so we ended up at a rundown hotel that probably was our only option and decided to take it.

The hotel was in need of some painting and an makeover in my eyes, but well it was a room and a bed to sleep inn. The room had a padlock on the outside of the door and one of these easy locks you just push to the side on the inside. We had to lift the door up a bit to be able to get the lock in place and after shaking some dust out of the woolen blankets it was time to get some sleep.

We got up early, took a shower in a bathroom that also was in need of some touch up. Looking at the bathroom, It seamed like it probably had been installed with a bathtub before and when they decided to change they put a shower head up in the middle of the wall pointing out where the mid of the bathtub probably had been, so not in the direction you logical would have put it, so with the shower head fixed on the wall pointing out to the bathroom floor and no way to adjust it, it was an interesting project to get some water drops on the body. As we where leaving early we missed the breakfast, but considering the standard of the hotel, we where fine with having our breakfast a place along the way.

We found a bakery in a town on the way where we stopped for some supply and had our breakfast in the car. It was the only shop we could find that was open this early in the morning. The streets where empty and quiet and only a few person out shopping for some bread.

We made our check in at the B&B. The house was located just across the road from the beach so it could not have been a more perfect location. It was a small house, nice room and a outside area with a swimming pool and tables where they would serve us breakfast. The host was friendly but only Spanish speaking. With a mix of Spanish, Portuguese and English we all managed to communicate in some way and got some information about the area and the city.

We took the car and went in to the city center to have a stroll around the town. We walked around in the streets and headed down to the seaside and the beaches that was crowded with people enjoying the sunny day. We tried out some local seafood on the seaside restaurants and had a walk around the more upscale area of the town.

We found out that a great way to spend our days would be to bike around as we where staying outside of the city center but again not to far out. So with a bicycle it was easy to get to most places that was worth seeing during our stay. So when back at the B&B we managed to organize some bikes being delivered early next morning and we rented them for the rest of our stay and the company would come pick them up at the B&B. It could not be more easy than that.

Our B&B was located in La Barra. An area with great restaurants and beaches. La Barra is connected to Punta del Este with a Curvy Bridge, so you will get some up and down hill and the most of the road around the area has small curves up and down with small side roads taking you down to the different beaches. A popular activity in the town is fishing and you see it all over. On the pier and down on the beaches. And what could be better than some fresh catch of the day on the grill.

At the popular seaside playground of Punta del Este, there’s a unique beach vibe for all kind of traveler.

From the fashionable Bikini beach, where you’ll find sun-kissed, bronzed bodies to more relaxed beaches and not to mention the Playa Brava Beach with Punta del Este’s famous landmark, the monster-sized hand emerging from the sand.

La Mano en la Arena, sculpted in iron and cement by Chilean artist Mario Irarrazabal in 1982, won first prize in a monumental art contest that year and has been a Punta fixture ever since.

Breakfast by the Pool served with ester bunny chocolates, biking around in the city, visit to some of the areas hip beaches, Watching the sunrise early morning walking in the untouched sand, dining at top notch restaurants and time relaxing on the beach was just what we where looking for.

Punta del Este is well worth a visit. I did not know much about Punta del Este before visiting. I will for sure go back when i have the opportunity. Arriving from outside of Uruguay the best option is to fly in to Montevideo. From Montevideo you can rent a car or take a bus. You can also do like we did and drive from Rio Grande in Brazil and the roads are in good conditions and straight froward easy driving.

A Day Trip to Pulau Ubin

Pulau Ubin is home to Singapore’s last villages called kampongs and some say it’s how Singapore looked like back in the 1960’s. A 10 min bump boat ride from Changi Point Ferry Terminal and you are on the shore of a treasure house of wild plants and animals. According to folklore, hilly Ubin was formed when an elephant, a pig and a frog challenged one another to cross the waters to Johor, across the Straits of Johor. Whichever failed — and all three did — was turned to stone. The pig and elephant became Pulau Ubin, and the frog Pulau Sekudu (Frog Island), visible from Ubin’s southern coast.

Now and then when I feel like getting away for the City life in Singapore this is one of the places I venture off too. I rent a bike and once on the bike I just trundle off to see where the road takes me. And what a nice feeling to be surrounded by mother nature. As soon as your off the boat the bike stores are there trying to convince you to rent a bike from them. The prices differs from S$2 to S$10 for a day and so do the quality of the bikes. As you arrive you enter a tiny village with a few stores and some restaurants and from there a few paved roads fan out to coastal campsites and the Chek Jawa Wetlands.

I was on one of the paved roads when I spotted this Oriental Whip Snake (Ahaetulla prasina) crossing the road. I was curious to see where it was heading and wanted to try to capture a good shot of it, so in a moment, my fare of snakes suddenly vanished. I followed the snake with my camera as it was elegantly finding its way up some plants alongside the road. At this time I had informed my friends about the snake. I probably yelled out loud, there is a snake, knowing myself right as I’m not particular found of snakes and if I can avoid seeing them I’m quite happy. Having my friends around made me feel a bit more safe being this close to it. The snake did not seem to be affected of us looking at it and it was just finding its way slowly up the trees. We where all excited and tried to get some shots of it, but being long and thin with a green color it was not easy as it was blending in with the nature.

Another animal I have bumped in to many times on the Island is the wild boar. Another interesting animal and looking at it I would not like to get to close to it.

Maps are placed in most of the junctions on the paved road telling you where you are and for you to get an overview of where you are heading. There is small paths of the main road that are interesting to follow if you feel like getting out of the main stream. You will pass houses on the way and most places is selling cold drinks and a few places you can hire a boat to see the Island from the sea.

It’s mainly the older generation still living on the Island and it’s not many of them left. They seam to have a laid back attitude and enjoy the quiet way of living.

The younger generation have moved to Singapore to find work and take the trip back to Ubin to visit family. As the 3 sisters I started to chat with on my last trips to the Island. They where down in the mangroves collecting Oysters.

I saw them when I was passing by and was curious to what they where collecting so started to talk to one of them. She excused herself for not speaking much English, but I could understand some of what she was telling. Her sister was opening the oysters and collecting them in her bucket. She told me they used to live on the Island but they had all moved to Singapore. Her parents had lived on the Island until they passed away not long ago. So they still use to come over at least once a month to collect oysters and spend the day on the Island.

It as fascinating to see how the women opened the oysters and handled them. I meet the sister I talked with again a bit later in the day, standing on the side of the road with her trolley, looking up in the trees. She saw me and tried to show me a durian tree but for me it was hard to spot it. So I asked where her sisters where and she told me they where down in the field collecting some vegetables. I smiled friendly to her and wished her a good day and continued my journey.

Alongside the road you find the lotus ponds and I like to stop and look at the dragonfly whenever I can spot them.

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The chek Jawa Wetlands is another interesting place to visit. Chek Jawa is made up of 7 interdependent ecosystems – namely, its coastal forest, mangrove forest, its rocky shore, the sandy shore, sand bar, sea grass lagoon and the coral rubble. Within each of the ecosystems, there is an abundance of natural creatures, rare plants, local and migratory birds.

At house number 1 you have the visitor center. There is a boardwalk out on the sea, another around the wetland and a tower if you are interested in walking up to look at the view. The tower becomes quite shaky if there is lots of people up at the same time, so I would recommend to get up when the crowd i less.

Shaped like a boomerang, Pulau Ubin (Granite Island) is situated just off the north-eastern corner of mainland Singapore. A trip to Pulau ubin is a journey back in time, back to basic, back to the nature and perfect for a day trip.

How to Get There: Bumboats to Pulau Ubin leave from Changi Point Ferry Terminal when 12 passengers are ready to board, cost 2.50 Singapore dollars each, or charter the whole boat for 30 dollars. Bumboats to and from Pulau Ubin, and public transport on the island operate from sunrise to sunset

Getting Around: You can get around by foot, rent a bike or hire a taxi.

Dining: Some seafood restaurant are located at the main village as soon as you get off the boat.

Staying: There are basic campsites on the island (campers have to register at the park kiosk by the Ubin jetty), and you have the Celelstial Ubin Beach Resort close to the jetty.

A City, a river, a kirkyard & a Castle

Welcome to Scotland

It was wet and muddy as It had been raining during the morning when i arrived. I walked over to the graveyard or kirkyard as it said on the sign when entering it. I was standing on the historic site of the Knight Templars Kirkyard. A little known graveyard.

Arriving at the hotel I decided to go for a walk as I started to see some glimpse of the sun finding the way through the clouds. I was in Aberdeen for a business trip and had been booked in at the Maryculter House Hotel. A Hotel located quite a distance from the city center.

The Templar Kirkyard is a part of the Templar Park now located on the grounds of Maryculter House Hotel. The park was dedicated to the Virgin Mary by the Knights Templars around 1225 and a Chapel was built on the site in 1287. The Kirkyard is surrounded by a wall that makes it sheltered from the park. It’s small and have a number of good examples of 18th century stones still in good conditions.

I walked around the graveyard and found my way down to the river. The hotel is located next to the River Dee.

A river that reaches the North sea at Aberdeen and is also known to be a river great for fishing so one of the activities of the hotel, as things to do in the area, and that is a unique aspect of Maryculter House is fishing. The river Dee is a world famous salmon river. I found a road along the river and kept walking. It was wet after the rain so I had to be careful where to step and at some points the road went over to a small pathway.

I found the way up to the main road to try to find my way back to the hotel.

Getting close to the hotel I saw the sign to Storybook Glen and got curious, so I headed up the road to have a look and see what It could be. Saying storybook, A bell should probably be ringing, telling me that It is for kids, but well It did not ring yet. Getting closer I found out it’s a park and the women selling me the ticket to go in to the park probably told me it’s a children park, but at this time It must have been the Scottish accent that I did not understand or it might as well have been the jet lag.

It was only when I entered the park I realized it was a kids park, but as I was already inside I made my walk through the park and It ended up being a nice walk. The park is quite large and a great park to bring the kids for some play. Looking at the figures from different cartoons and children stories, I could even recognize some from the stories I was told In my childhood.

Arriving in Aberdeen I discover a bustling, cosmopolitan city with Beautiful Architecture and a good range of restaurants, cafes and bars to choose from.

Aberdeen City and Shire is a region full of maritime heritage so I spent some hours I had free to walking around in the city. I had to try out some of the tasteful seafood as the area is known for some of the worlds finest seafood. I strolled around for a couple of hours visiting some attractions and ended up having lunch at the Jamie Oliver restaurant in town.

And one of the thing I could not miss was the coast line and the majestic landscape Scotland is know for, so i headed out to the Dunnottar Castle on my last day in town. I arrived at the entrance to the Castle and it looked liked it might be closed. No cars at the parking and I did not see anyone around. I found a sign telling me it was open so I continued in the direction of the castle. It was a bit of rain in the air and getting closer to the coast line it started to be quite windy. The Castle is located on an enormous flat-topped rock with cliffs on three sides and attached to the main land only by a narrow neck of land. I read on the website of the Castle that it had been closed a few days before I went to visit and being late February with strong wind and rain and this location I could understand that it’s probably not the place you would want to be with that type of weather.

Entering Dunnottar Castle was like stepping back in history. This rock and the buildings reflects much of the rich and tragic story of Scottish history. I spent some time walking around in the different buildings and it’s an impressive site. I could imagine how it must have been in the old days.

St Ninian, William Wallace, Mary Queeen of Scots and the Marquies of Montrose have all appeared on this dramatic stage. Most famously, though, it was at Dunnottar Castle that a small garrison held out against the might of Cromwell’s army for eight months and saved the Scottish Crown Jewels from destruction.

After visiting the Castle I made my way back to the small town of Stonehaven following the path along the coast line. It was still rain in the air and the wind had become more strong than when i entered the Castle but I decided to do the walk anyway as I wanted to see the landscape and make some photos on the way. And It is an impressive coast line well worth the walk.

Walking the coastal path I also passed the war memorial and had some amazing view back to the Dunnotar Castel and down to the Stonehaven city. The walk was fairly easy and took me about half an hour.

Walking down to Stonehaven you have a great view of the small seaside town. It’s a cozy city and easy to get around. I found my way over to the central part to try to find a way to get back to Aberdeen. I found a tourist information center but it was closed, but had some stands outside of the buildings with some information about the city and a map. The city is a good starting point for entering the Dunnottar Castle and also for other hiking options in the area.

Back at the hotel it was time for an afternoon coffee and some snack before heading to the airport. The hotel is stepped in history and tradition and is often used as a location for arranging weddings. Before leaving I was told that The Knights Templar’s whose original function was to protect those on pilgrimage to the Holy Lands, were never completely dissolved in Scotland and that the organization still exist today.

Some useful information:

http://www.maryculterhousehotel.com/

http://www.dunnottarcastle.co.uk/

http://www.storybookglenaberdeen.co.uk/

A Tropical Temptation

When I first moved to Singapore I wanted to take a trip with my son to celebrate his birthday, This was back in 2007 and searching for a place not to far from Singapore I discovered this beautiful little Island called Nikoi.
The Island is located of the coast of the Island Bintan in Indonesia.

So to get to Nikoi we had to take the ferry to Bintan. At the immigration we where meet by the staff from the Island. A car was waiting for us and took us to another part of Bintan Island and from there we where transported in a small Speed Boat to the Island.

Arriving at the Island we had to get off the boat on the beach as the only pier was under construction and not suitable for dropping us off in a small Speed Boat. This made the feeling of being on an adventure more complete. With little information about the Island upfront, we where both exited how this weekend would be.

On the beach we where meet by the staff for a welcome drink and then shown to our Chalet that would be our home for the weekend. The Chalets are mostly built from old washed-up wood. The Chalets are open with no glass and being right at the beach you fall asleep to the soft sound of the waves.

At the time we where there 6 Chalets had been completed and new one where under construction. The Chalets is built to have natural ventilation and with no air condition installed. Mosquito net are installed above the bed and you really feel like being in a tropical paradise.

Arriving late and just in time for dinner we where introduced to the other visitor at the Island as everyone where seated at the long table for dinner. As the Island was newly opened the only visitors was another group of 5 people and the 2 of us. Then another 2 persons where expected to arrive the next day.

Our plan for the Saturday was to explore the Island and as it is a small Island, It did not take us long. To walk around the Island took us around 30 min. Walking around the Island we got to walk through the mangroves and we ended back up where they where building the swimming pool close to the Chalets. Most of what you can do on the island is water sports, relax in the sun or play games as there where no Internet and no TV. They also have some climbing on a big rock on the island for the one interested in that.

We went to the beach and spent some time there and tried out the kayak. Our plan was to try to paddle out to the rock looking like and Ipad, but dark clouds was getting closer and the waves got bigger and a tropical storm was about to hit the Island.

It started to rain heavy with thunder and lightning so we went back to our chalet to relax before dinner. During dinner it was still raining heavy with thunder and lightning and suddenly the lightening stroke and hit the Island Generator. It felt like something strong hit the ground and the light was shut down. The feeling of sitting in the open air just covered with a roof above us with no walls and feeling the forces of the nature was a strange feeling and a bit scary as we where very close to where the lightning stroke. I think we where all in a kind of shock after this and kept talking about how close it was so the dinner ended up a bit different then it started. The rain stopped and the weather changed. The Generator was fixed and electricity came back on.

The staff had noticed it was Aleksander’s birthday as we had to give a copy of our passport on arrival, so they surprised him with a cake and the evening was celebrated with Cake & Drinks.

The next day we had to return back to Singapore so the first group where leaving just after breakfast and we where leaving just after lunch.The staff on the Island where down on the beach to wish everyone a safe trip back and thanking them for visiting the Island.

As in this tropical climate you never know when the rain will come and and when it comes it comes fast with heavy rain so just before we where to take the boat back the rain started again. This time without the thunder and lightning and lucky for us as we where going to spend about and hour in a small speed boat to get back to Bintan.

Even with the tropical storm hitting the Island with the lightning cutting the electricity the weekend had been fantastic and I was planning to return to this Island at a later time and so I did in 2011.

This time It was not so easy to book a stay at the Island as it had become more known to people and special to people living or visiting Singapore, so I was lucky and managed to book a stay for a weekend and here I was back on this beautiful Tropical Island.

The Island had not changed much but had a few upgrades, so the small speed boat was changed out to a larger one with cover. A new jetty had been built, the rest of the Chalets was completed so now there is a total of 15 Chalets that has different sizes and the swimming pool had been completed.

A Lizard is out for a walk and was trying to take a swim in the pool.

The sunset is still amazing and they still make the fire at the beach in the evening.

The Island is not the place if you need to be connected to Internet or need a TV, but if you are looking for some days just feeling the peace and quiet this is the perfect place. It is still a tropical temptation even do with a little less Robinson Crusoe touch to it.

To book your stay at Nikoi Island you can log in to: http://www.nikoi.com

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Where is my next adventure?

come and explore

sea