I’m joining Dan’s Fun Foto Challenge this week and the theme is views from or in public transport. I took the Eurostar a few years ago to join a friend in Paris for the weekend. It’s the ideal way to travel, avoiding those lengthy queues at the airport and not having to put all your liquids in a tiny bag.
I opted for lunch on board and was happily surprised by the food served and being waited on! It was such a comfortable journey and I would happily do it again.
Seems like I had the train to myself, but it did fill up!
During our stay in Thailand we headed out to the hills to have lunch at Monsoon Valley Winery. I was surprised that there was a winery here, never having been to one in Thailand before.
Monsoon Valley Hua Hin
There is also an elephant sanctuary situated here and you can take a small minibus out to see them. We had left it too late to book a tour though.
Anthony and I were delightfully surprised by the magnificent scenery that surrounded us.
We were seated outside on the verandah and had a lovely view over the extensive vineyards. It was exceptionally hot though and I was still recovering from a flu virus! There was a fan nearby which I had positioned to blow on me.
Stunning views from our table on the verandah
The menu was full of delicious dishes and when they arrived did not disappoint. Starting with a charcuterie board followed by coconut flakes and dried shrimp in grape leaves and grilled prawns and pineapple fried rice. We enjoyed every mouthwatering morsel.
You can’t tell that I have a fever!
Enjoying a crisp cold white wineA multi coloured sculpture of an elephant made from wood
The Monsoon Valley Restaurant
Another creative sculpture
What a wonderful way to wile away an afternoon, good company, great views and gourmet food. I would definitely recommend a visit if you are ever in Hua Hin.
Back in February we had a few days in Hong Kong. Normally February weather can be quite bleak, getting ready for the Chinese New Year cold snap. We were surprised this time by how mild it was, we even saw blue skies.
There was somewhere particular I wanted to see after spotting it on google maps. It wasn’t too far from our hotel so one morning we took a walk there. Just my luck that the day we went it was closed. Anyway I was still able to take a few photos. It was called simply “The Blue House”.
The building was constructed in 1920 and is a four tier tenement block. It was fully renovated around ten years ago and the original tenants were allowed to stay. The Housing Society came up with a plan of HK$100 million to preserve nine Chinese-style buildings in Wan Chai. I’m glad that money is not just being spent on high rise buildings, it’s great to see a glimpse of the past.
Emas – Wooden Plaques for writing prayers
Inside the courtyard of the Blue House – decorated for Chinese New Year
The front of the building is in Stone Nullah Lane.
At the start of the 20th century, shops that processed soybeans were established near Stone Nullah Lane. Because of the unpleasant odour emitted during the processing, this led to protests from residents in the neighbourhood. Eventually, the shops were forced to move to other areas. The nullah, (a water channel made of stone or concrete was located on the street ) which also emitted a foul stench, was culverted in 1959 and relocated underground, where the stream from The Peak still flows today. Although the nullah can no longer be found on the lane, the street name was left unchanged. Source: Stone Nullah Lane.
Disappointed that we couldn’t enter the house that day we wandered down the street to Wan Chai Pak Tai Temple. It was built in 1863 by locals and is dedicated to Pak Tai, a martial deity.
Red framed windows of the temple
A Door God to protect against evil spirits and intrudersEntrance to the TempleOrnately carved eaves and beams
I didn’t want to intrude on the people worshipping and praying, so no photos from inside.
Street Scenes
As we wandered back to our hotel I took some photos of everyday street scenes.
As fresh as it gets! – not sure about the joint on the ground
Fishmongers hard at work
Orange trees in preparation for Chinese New Year
Every time I visit Hong Kong I always see a different tram.
It was good to spot a mural without graffiti for a change
I’ll finish with this photo that I took from the top of the bus. Another side of Hong Kong. I’m wondering is he homeless or selling some wares? He has a few too many items to pack up.
Continuing with our week in Hua Hin, today we set off for the wetlands in a nearby national park. We had missed out on the abundant lotus flowers blooming but were hoping to see some birdlife.
This national park is surrounded by towering majestic limestone mountains. There is also a kilometre long boardwalk to view the surroundings or you can hire a boatman and his boat, which we did.
Viewing Tower
The first thing I noticed was the complete silence with maybe the occasional bird call. You are immediately struck by the serenity and peace here.
Boats for HireOur happy captain
The birds were there of course, hidden by the long grasses so it was difficult for me to take any decent shots.
It was a hard job for our tiller man to navigate through the reeds. Going slow or fast or stopping completely to untangle the propellor. He did need to get out a few times to push us through!
The photos below are the best of the bunch. It was tricky trying to focus, especially when Mr. Tiller only briefly slowed down.
Gliding through the reedy waters and looking out for the birds was a great way to spend an afternoon. We were on the boat for around 45 minutes and our backsides were getting quite numb.
One of the boats on a tour
A pagoda to sit and relax and watch for wildlife
This is a tour well worth taking, reasonably priced and well organised.
After this we stopped at a small place for iced coffee. Although try as I might I find iced coffee too bitter for my liking.
Behind the kiosk there was a large cactus display showing some very quirky and colourful blooms.
A Gallery of Cacti
If you’re ever in Hua Hin, I highly recommend setting aside a day for this amazing outing. It’s a wonderful escape from a day at the beach.
Kung Hei Fat Choi everyone, Happy New Year of the Fire Horse. Although the Chinese New Year Calandar cycle is every 12 years, the year of the Fire Horse is only once every 60 years. After shedding the year of the snake in 2025, 2026 is meant to be an abundant year for all. This is something I am hoping for anyway, after a somewhat stressful 2025.
Having recently been in Hong Kong I took the opportunity of snapping a few shots of some of the decorations I saw.
Hong Kong can always be relied upon for ornate decorations whatever the event.
The lotus blossom is a powerful, auspicious symbol for Chinese New Year representing purity, harmony and abundance.
We stayed in Wanchai on Hong Kong Island and below are photos I took at different times of the day from our window.
Above is a video playing of different images of horses.
In case you are wondering what animal you are I have added a photo of a Chinese New Year Calandar. I am a dog, faithful and loyal. Which one are you?
How did these particular animals get chosen to represent the Chinese Calandar? For your information I looked this up!
According to legend, the 12 Chinese New Year animals were chosen by the Jade Emperor or Buddha to compete in a great race across a river. This was to determine their place in the zodiac. The first 12 animals to finish secured their spots, resulting in the order: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig.
1. Rat: Won by hitching a ride on the Ox and jumping ahead at the end. 2.Ox: Diligent, but outsmarted by the Rat. 3. Tiger: Strong, powered through the current. 4. Rabbit: Nimble, hopped across stones and rode a log. 5.Dragon: Strong, but stopped to help others. 6. Snake: Hid on the Horse’s hoof. 7. Horse: Spooked by the snake. 8. Sheep; 9. Monkey; 10. Rooster: Worked together to cross. 11. Dog: Delayed by bathing in the river. 12. Pig: Stopped to eat and nap.
🔥 Wishing everyone a Happy Year of the Fire Horse 🔥
We recently spent a week in Hua Hin with Anthony’s brother and wife in their beautiful apartment. On our first night I managed to capture the bright orange moon from their verandah.
Daytime photos
Our first morning was spent walking around Khao Tao Lake. It is a serene and tranquil man-made reservoir. There is a running track and cycle path. We met plenty of other walkers on our way.
The lake is surrounded by ornate gold lamp posts topped with turtles. Luckily for us the water lilies were still blooming.
A fresh fruit juice bar to quench your thirst after your walk sits on one side of the lake.
A traditional fishing village is located just by the lake.
Brothers in Arms
A quick stop at the beach for breakfast
After a lovely morning walk we headed to a local shopping mall where I could get a pedicure.
We decided to get a tuk tuk back instead of waiting for a taxi. Such fun weaving through the traffic with the wind in our hair. Our tuk tuk was a “Hello Kitty” style, decked out with small toys and painted pink.
A selfie of me and the driver!
Looking forward to seeing what the rest of the week brings.
Sarah from Travel with Me has challenged us this week on Monochrome Madness with the theme markets.
Markets have been around for thousands of year. Amazing when you think the concept has not changed much. People visit markets for a bargain, cheaper produce and fresh food. The oldest market still operating is The Grand Bazaar in Istanbul dating back to 1455. We have visited this market but I found it quite hot and claustrophobic.
I loved a market when I was younger and visited many London markets when I was working. Petticoat Lane, Camden Market and Roman Road to name a few. I was very much into vintage clothing back in the day and these were wonderful places to find antique items. Of course my mum was horrified when I came home with a black bin liner of old clothes.
Nowadays many of the stalls found at a lot of markets have items made overseas, as locally made goods cost so much more. Although you do come across some artisan markets but you won’t be finding a bargain there.
Girokaster, Albania – Perusing old army items He did buy one of the white hats and wore it throughout our time in Albania.
Kruje, Albania
Sihanoukville, Cambodia – A lady sorting shellfish
Hong Kong – Dried Vegetable Stall
Hong Kong – Flower Market
Wanchai Street Market, Hong Kong
Central, Hong Kong – Looking for another hat!
Covent Garden, London
Night Market, George Town Penang, Malaysia Anthony skipping right to the head of the queue and requesting a special order from the chef!
I realise I have the same title as Sarah, but I had already finished this post and thought it was quite original. Great minds as they say.
