#12 on top of the world, meteora

taken: 7-8 May 2015

it's funny how after all has been said and done, all that remains is - not facts; not details - is the memory of how you felt at that moment.

and in that moment, i felt: the growing bruise in my toes, from hiking in cheap shoes; the heat radiating off the pink skin on my face; the beat of my heart pumping and my lungs expanding to keep up.

most of all, in that moment, i felt on top of the world.

#11 cappadocia

taken: 18-19 May 2015

the thing about travel is: just when you're exhausted from an overnight bus ride ending at 4am, in need of a shower and a warm bed, feet aching, and starting to ask: why? -- the answer reveals itself. always.

in this case, it appeared in the form of slowly rising balloons in the crisp morning air, backlit by the golden sunrise.

#10 snowy hokkaido

taken: 10-16 Dec 2013

hokkaido in december is a blanket of snow. it reminds me of this quote by heather wolf: "kindness is like a warm blanket of snow, softly covering and gently touching the heart." when i first saw the quote, i wondered: how can snow be warm? but perhaps the sight of snow, contrarily, warms the heart as it transforms the landscape into a pure-white sight. it is the feeling of watching snow flakes lightly dance with the wind, before falling and forming one more stitch in the blanket.

of course, no trip to hokkaido would be complete without sampling their food - king crabs bigger than your face, creamy orange uni, fresh sashimi, and red-as-blood strawberries.

#09 oslo revisited

taken: 22-25 Feb 2014

sometimes it takes a second look to really appreciate the beauty of a place. usually the first experience comes with a mishmash of novelty, sensory overload, excitement and a little confusion (not necessarily a bad thing), and i forget to relax and take in the sight.

time has made me forget how gorgeous oslo is.

oslo is where culture meets nature. it is the heart of culture - who can forget the multiple museums (including the national gallery with munch's famous 'the scream'), the gargantuan and intricate sculptures at vigelandsparken, and ballet performances housed in the iconic opera house. the tune of a single trumpeter floating along the streets. all these, against a backdrop of a sea of white, snowy hills and little ducks on frozen lakes.

but even more, the greatest pleasures come from the simplest things. sledding down a snowy hill, eating a ham-and-cheese on rye atop the opera house, tasting some 'lefse' (norwegian flatbread) with butter and feeling alive in the icy cool of the wind.

#8 melancholic kraków

taken: 10 april 2013

kraków struck me as a place of melancholy - though more of a hopeful kind of sad. a place where the past and present coexists. where history lingers.

the buildings and structures of the city envelopes its stories. from the more distant past: the royal wawel castle (built and rebuilt), the barbican, the town hall. more recently, reminders of wwii: the jewish ghetto, the schindler's factory, the nearby auschwitz.

every hour kraków is awakened with the sounds of the trumpet (Hejnał Mariack) from atop the st mary's basilica, drifting across the city and broadcasting on polskie radio, before coming to an abrupt stop. a tribute to the trumpeter who was shot in the throat in warning of a mongol invasion in 1241 (according to legend). the anthem is played four times in four directions (NSWE) - once for the kings, once for the city, once for the bishop, and once for the visitors. it was like a little wave and nod to us - a lovely touch to the city. 

#7 magic in hongkong

taken: 15 & 17 dec 2012

hk isn't the most scenic places around. but there is magic that exists there, particularly in disneyland. some may say disneyland is cliche/ kiddy. but it's where you are allowed to be a kid, even if you are already 35. to wear mickey ears just for the fun of it. to be excited about taking photos with minnie and winnie.

and of course, who can forget the dim sum and shopping that are synonymous with hongkong.

#6 dreaming about venice

taken: 1-3 jul 2013

venice is the city of dreams. it is what you would picture it to be, but more. yet you are awakened, a new spring in your step. in venice, people walk (with the exception of water taxis). tourists explore the city that buzzes with the repetition of stalls selling souvenirs, venetian masks, glassware from murano and more souvenirs. in one hand, a camera. in the other, a cone of gelato.

the waters sparkle with the sun's reflection. they meander and merge into the streets, bearing elaborately designed gondolas and their striped rowers.

two days in venice. short and sweet, just like a dream.