I have never thought that I’ll find myself face to face with a kangaroo and more so feeding one; or even dancing with one! Continue reading »
Filed under The Traveler …
Weekly Photo Challenge: UP (The Universe and I at Mt. Stromlo)
We look up and we feel humbled of how minute our existence is. We look up and something or someone might also be looking down at us. We look up aiming to grasp all the knowledge the universe can give only to look back down to this place we thought we know fully. Continue reading »
Blue Mountains
Without fences, the cliff where we were standing on provided us a vast view of the Blue Mountains with the Flat Rock in spotlight. Other than the mountains, it’s a region of gorges, falls, gum trees and rainforest. Continue reading »
The Life of Convicts at Hyde Park Barracks
The Hyde Park Barracks is one of the 11 Australian convict sites collectively listed as UNESCO World Heritage Site. They are the best surviving examples of European imperialism when convicts were utilized for building structures throughout the empire and providing presence in the occupied lands. The convicts who arrived in Australia during the British colonial expansion thrived and formed a vibrant society in Sydney. Continue reading »
We’re at Bondi Beach, Mate!
The sand is a delicate beige color.
The waves are rushing as the sun sets at the horizon;
the wind, chilly.
Yet I feel warm inside as we walk barefoot along the shores of Bondi. Continue reading »
Walking Around Sydney
Sydney is not just about the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge. There’s more to it than fine architecture and sun-kissed skins. It is a city faraway from its equals yet equally bustling. It has paved hills and flat mountains, laid back beaches and raging falls, high-end opera shows and outdoor movies. Continue reading »
Earth Hour, Moon and Fire
The sky was much brighter that night as the moon watches from above and the stars smile upon the Earth. Continue reading »
Hiking Mount Ainslie
I live in Canberra where mountains block us from the rest of the country and yet it is enlightening. Continue reading »
Sydney Travel Expenses
Here is an accounting of our travel expenses incurred during our 5-day vacation in Sydney. Continue reading »
Weekly Photo Challenge: MY NEIGHBORHOOD (3 Panoramas)
Toad Hall and my new discovery, i.e. phoneography Continue reading »
My February through Instagram
Follow me on Instagram @theblacktwig Continue reading »
Weekly Photo Challenge: Lost In the Details
It was simply amazing to find the details of the cycle of life amongst unexpected and usually ignored places. Most of the time, I become so engrossed in the grand scheme of things that I tend to overlook the little details that make up the grand subject of my admiration. Continue reading »
Bukit Batok: A Mining Relic and a Memorial
Bukit Batok Nature Park is an epitome of transformation and convergence. It is an abandoned quarry site transformed into a nature park. There is also a memorial park built during WWII located just beside an operational transmission tower. Continue reading »
A Thousand Images of One God
One of the popular tourist spots in Singapore is the Sri Mariamman Temple, the country’s oldest Hindu temple. From Chinatown MRT station, you have to pass thru alleys full of souvenirs shops and food stalls, typical of a Chinatown, before reaching the temple. It’s like a mini journey from one culture to the next. Continue reading »
Weekly Photo Challenge: FORWARD (Cycling)
Cycling is literally moving forward. Metaphorically, it renews my spirit to move on with life. Continue reading »
Candi Sewu
Candi Sewu is a Buddhist temple located 800 meters from the Hindu temple of Prambanan. It was constructed by the Hindu King of the Mataram Kingdom for his Buddhist queen. Continue reading »
Candi Prambanan
Going around the complex is like revisiting the past. I may not be a Hindu but I can feel how important and sacred this place is. Continue reading »
Candi Borobudur
Walking around the temple walls was akin to retracing the life of Buddha and it’s just humbling to think how faith can make wonders and inspire people to build structure such as this. Continue reading »
Exploring Yogyakarta
Other than the famed UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Borobudur and Prambanan, here is a list of other mphotosust-see places around Yogyakarta. Continue reading »
The Temples of Bali and Other Places We’ve Seen
This is the last from my series of posts about Bali, the magical island I’ve been tirelessly raving about the past couple of weeks. See the temples of Goa Gajah and Tirta Empul, the traditional village of Penglipuran, the active volcano of Kintanami and the process of making civet coffee. Continue reading »
Barong and Kris Dance: Good vs. Evil
Pemaksan Barong Denjalan is a Barong Play about the never-ending fight between good and evil. Continue reading »
Weekly Photo Challenge: UNIQUE (Cultural Differences)
The portrayal of the union of two souls among billions and the act of showing to the rest of the world the strong reason for such union is, in itself, unique. Continue reading »
A Spiritual Communion in Ubud
In Ubud, I felt closer to nature, the people, everything from the past and of the present. The invisible ties I have with all other people and things who inhabited and presently inhabiting the place where I was felt stronger. But most importantly, I felt closer to myself. Continue reading »
The Roads from Sanur to Amed and then to Ubud
Sunsets, snorkeling, dolphins, swerving roads and everything else that we encountered during our road trip in Bali. Continue reading »
