Tai O @ Hong Kong

Date: 16 February 2013
Location: Tai O, Hong Kong

Tai O is a small fishing village with more than 200-year history. It used to have acres of sea-fields along the coast. Tai O was famous for its stilt houses which dates back to the 19th century and can still be found today. Some families are still living in the houses built on the stilts over the water in the harbour.

Although I've been staying in Hong Kong for 2x years, this was indeed my very first visit to Tai O. I did not even know where Tai O is located beforehand. Now i knew. One can take bus no 11 at Tung Chung MTR station. The bus station is right outside Exit B of Tung Chung MTR. There is a bus every 15 mins and the ride cost $11.8 and around 30 minutes (This may only valid for weekends).

I was there in the afternoon with beautiful weather. Wondering in Tai O was like going back to the 60s/70s. Everything were more raw and less polish. You could find souvenir shops selling mostly dried seafood and food stalls selling nostalgic snacks on both side of the streets. You can get onto the stilt houses for photos/ souvenirs. Salted fish and dried maw were the two things I saw most in Tai O. The walk in Tai O took around 2-3 hours and was very relaxing. So happened it was time of sunset we were about to leave Tai O and we had enjoyed a very beautiful sunset.

PS. I was very surprised that there were quite a number of foreign tourists/ tour in Tai O. I used to think Tai O is a popular scenic spot for the locals only, never thought it is indeed popular among tourists as well.

漫遊檳城 George Town @ Penang

Date: 27/11/2012-1/12/2012
City: Penang, Malaysia
Route: wandering around George Town

我很喜歡老城，喜歡在舊城裡走，享受休閒的氣氛。因此，喬治城非常的適合我（除了超熱的天氣）。整個喬治城是一個聯合國教科文組織的世界遺產，分為核心文物區和緩衝區遺產區。但你是說不出核心和緩存區之間的差異的，因為當你城裡走的時候，在喬治城裡面所有的建築都是如此古老。

在喬治城四處走的感覺很好。喬治城是一個小城市，旅遊景點都非常集中，都在可步行的距離內。你可以看到了中國的寺廟，印度清真寺和教堂和諧的並排在一起，你很少能在別的地方看到。

我最喜歡的喬治城是它的生命力。喬治城仍然是檳城的市中心，檳城人民仍然在喬治城裡面工作和生活。在早上和晚上繁忙的時間，你可以看到街道上的人和的道路上的汽車，你可以感覺老城還是活著的，你可以感覺到它的生命力，它的魅力。如果整個城都沒有人在裡面生活，都沒有人氣，只有廢墟，整個城市會失去它的魅力。

在喬治城的古建築四處走，彷彿回到了過去。但是檳州不全都是舊的東西，檳州政府在喬治城的舊建築上畫上藝術壁畫，在舊的東西上增添新的元素，給城市增添活力。

PS. 那裡的天氣超熱的，下午的時間不太適合在太陽下走。早晨和傍晚是很舒​​服，有微風，不一定需要開空調。然而，在白天，它像30多度，在太陽下我幾乎融了。因此，經過第一天以後，我下午的時間都回會到hostel休息，早上和黃昏出去走。

I always like old towns and love wandering around an ancient town, just to lay-back and enjoy leisure. So George Town is like perfect for me (except for the heat). The whole town is an UNESCO world heritage site, with core heritage area and buffer heritage area. But you can't really tell the difference between the core and the buffer area when you walk around the town, since all the buildings in George are so ancient.

It just feel so good in wandering around George Town. It is a small town, so the tourist spots are very concentrated, all in walkable distance. It is amazing to see the Chinese Temples, Indian Mosques and Churches sitting side by side in such a harmony. The architectural and cultural townscape is so uncommon that you can rarely find it elsewhere.

What I like most about George Town is its vitality though. George Town is still the city centre of Penang and people are still working and living in the town. You can see the number of people on the streets and the cars on the road when it's during the peak hours in the morning and in the evening. Not saying that I like traffic jam, which I don't at all, but I love the feeling that the old town is so alive and vivid. The whole town would lose its charm if there are just ruins.

With the old buildings around, wandering around George Town is like going back to the past . There aren't just old stuff in the Town though, There was a great mix of old and new. The Penang government had added pieces of artistic wall paintings on the old buildings, which is of cause another attractions.

It just feels so good in wandering around George Town. I am just loving it.

PS. The weather there was HOT though, not quite suitable in wandering around the town in the day time under the sun. Morning and evening are indeed very comfortable, with the wind breeze, you do not necessarily need to turn on the air conditioner. However during the daytime, it is like 3x degree and I can hardly walk around under the sun for long. My itinerary was therefore to wander around the town in the morning and in the evening, and go back to the hostel to rest and escape from the heat in the afternoon.

#GeorgeTown, #penang, #penangtravel, #travel, #sunset

Sunset @ Penang

Date: 29/11/2012

City: Penang, Malaysia

Route: Day 3

Took this on the ferry from the mainland back to Penang Island. It's amazing, with sunset on the left and raining over George Town on the right!! Love it so much!!

#penang, #travelblog, #sunset, #travel, #travel

George Town to Penang Airport @ Penang

Date: 1/12/2012
City: Penang, Malaysia
Route: Day 5, CX flight from Penang to Hong Kong

Since I was taking the flight at 0750 back to Hong Kong (which was early in the morning), I had been very worry about how to get to the Airport from Day 1. After asking around, I could take Bus No 401 or 401E in Komtar Terminal or Weld Quay Terminal to the Airport. The bus get off from Weld Quay and the second stop is Komtar. There is no other station in between.

The locals advised that the bus ride would take at least an hour, so I'd better take the bus at 0530, which was the first bus of the day. There is a bus every 20 min. So my plan is to get up at 0450 and get to the station at around 0520 for the 0530 bus (it should take around 10-15 min walk from my hostel to Weld Quay Terminal).

That, however, was only a plan, since when I was awake it was already 0535!!! Oh my gosh!! I immediately got change and rushed out to the Terminal. Don't even have time to wash my face/ brush my teeth... It was around 0550 when I got to the Terminal. I was so worry when I was waiting for the bus and had been kept asking the bus drivers at the Terminal whether I could make it to the Airport before 7am (There were lots of drivers in the Terminal since many routes start at Weld Quay). The drivers were so nice and helpful. They told me the ride was around 40 min and it was!! I was so grateful. I got on the bus at 0610 and arrived the Airport at 0650!! Since it was early in the morning, the sky was still dark and there was no traffic at all and just a few passengers throughout the ride.

I still had time to wash up after checking-in and enjoy the sunrise @ Penang Airport. Que bien!!

PS. 40 min bus ride to Airport should only valid for early morning in weekends. I heard from the locals that the traffic jam starts at 0630 and the ride would usually take much longer.

#travel, #travelblog, #penang, #George Town, #penangbus, #penang airport, #sunrise