Back to Taipei

Taipei - The last time I was in Taipei was 3 years ago.   I have  a regular driver, Mr Chang that will meet me at the airport but sadly I was told by his wife that he passed away.   He was a good man....

Upon arrval, took the airport taxi to the The Westin Hotel.  

Located @ 133 Nanking East Road, Section 3 Taipei 104 Taiwan

In the evening, I went with Chung-Li to a stylish Italian restaurant on the 88th floor of the Taipei 101.   It was a beautiful view from the top of Taipei 101.   Taipei 101 also has the world's fastest elevators. These can transport passengers to the 89th-floor observatory in a mere 39 seconds.  To prevent the building from swaying during typhoons or earthquakes, an 800-ton, US$4 million, ball-shaped damper is used to dissipate lateral vibration to a spring system underneath.

http://www.taipei-101.com.tw/index_en.htm

Daegu, 4th largest city in South Korea

Seoul - Arrive at Seoul KTX train station bound for Taegu to meet a potential new partner. The train leaves at 9am bound for Daegu and will arrive in 1 1/2hrs time.

Kraton

Jogyakarta - Kraton or The Palace, where the real sultan of Yogyakarta (Sultan Hamengku Buwono X) who is also the Governor of Jogja and all of his family live. It was built in 1757, in this castle you will find genuine form of old Javanese culture. This is real worth a visit.

Borobudur Temple

Borobudur - It as a very interesting 1 1/2 hrs drive from Jogja to Borobudur.   We had a tour guide and driver all to ourself  - it was good.    

On the way to Borobudur Temple

Motorbikes everywhere...

 

Upon reaching Borobudur it was a spectacular site to behold, the biggest Buddhist temple of the world built around the 8th century. This temple is structured from about 55,000 sqm andesite stone (volcanic rock) and structured without any adhesive. This temple was buried under layers of volcanic ash until it was excavated in 1815. Since its restoration in the early 20th Century, which took 10 years with donations from UNESCO. Six square stone platforms topped with three round platforms, are host to 2,672 relief carvins, 504 statues of Buddha and 72 stupas surrounding the main dome, each containing a statue of Buddha.

 

Borobudur Temple

Borobudur performance

Another Borobudur performances....

More like lego in children's play...maybe the biggest and ancient Lego ever built. Just beware of the many touts plying everything from T-shirts, Kris (traditional knife), wooden puppets, etc.

Borobudur Temple view from afar...

Climbing up the Borobudur Temple

There are many Buddhist carvings all around the temple. The carvings along the various levels of the monument convey the Buddhist version of the cosmos, starting from the bottom with portrayals of the world desires, pilgrims spiral up each level, passing through different realms to reach nirvana at the top.

Carvings on the wall

that's Joe and I

View from the Top

Another beautiful view from the Top

Taman Sari/Water Castle - Quite a disappointment as it was dilapidated and badly need renovations and restorations to her previous glory. Built in 1758, it used as a splendid pleasure park of the Sultans and Royal families. Place of errie ruins, underground passages and a large subterranean mosque.

Me and the Tour Guide a the entrance

dilapidated water castle

Royal swimming pool ???

Entrance to the underground mosque

Ngasem/Bird Market - This is the oldest bird market in Jogyakarta and been operating since 1809.

So many people in the Bird Market

Batik Factory - Indonesia traditional art, Batik textil printing and the word 'batik' origins is Javanese and from Jogja.

Kota Edge/Silver Town - Visted a Silver making factory. This town is famous as the producer of fine burnished silver.

Yogyakarta

Jogyakarta - Commonly called Jogja by the locals, and is Java's artistic and cultural centre, and is the place to see the best of the island's creative talents. This is a small city and life evolves around the sprawling Sultan's 18th Century palace in the centre of town, where the royal family still lives and traditional art and music performances are often held.

Arrive at The Phoenix Hotel located @ Jl. Jenderal Sudirman No 9. Is is a beautiful and well maintained hotel. The ambiance is like the Grand dame 'The Raffles Hotel'.

The view from my room's veranda

The Hotel swimming pool

Another view of the Hotel swimming pool

Interetsing Status within the Hotel

A good place to have dinner is Gadjah Wong, famous restaurant in Jogja that serves very good food and the ambiance is fantastic.

Joe with his beer....

Joe thinking !!!

Budget Airlines - Bane

Singapore - I read a good article in today Sunday Times on the hidden cost of flying on the cheap.

1. Once a booking is confirmed, it will cost anything from $70 to $100, depending on the airline, to change flight or passenger details for a round trip. Fare top-ups will apply if you were originally scheduled to leave on a slow day such as Tuesday or Wednesday, and now want to fly over the weekend or during the school holidays, when the airlines charge more.
2. Change fees - these are subject to fare top-ups. Airlines allow customers to book new flights provided they did so within a stipulated number of days of the originally scheduled departure date. Typically, such waiver period last a week or two.
3. Low-cost carriers do not give refunds. And if they do, the refund process can be tedious and can wait for months for the refunds to be paid.
4. Flight is cancelled or delayed for whatever reason, you will not get a drink or a bite out of the airline while you wait at the airport, and it will not put you up at a hotel either.
5. If bags are lost or damaged en route, do not expect a hardship allowance or quick compensation. Read the fine print on the when claims must be made upon returned.
6. Getting in touch with budget carriers can be tough especially in a crisis. Nobody picks up the phone and there is no email contact for customer service either.

Fly low-cost by all means. There are many good deals out there and, most times, nothing will go wrong. But if something does - a coup here or an earthquake there - it is always good to know where your airline stands on matters such as flight cancellation and refunds.

Mercury poisoning in Food??

Singapore - Toxic effects from ingesting fish containing mercury, a liquid metal harmful to humans. Sea creatures absorb mercury deposited in oceans due to natural occurences such as underwater volcanoes or man-made causes like industrial pollution. Fishes higher up in the food chain (like tuna, swordfish, salmon, etc) accumulate higher level of mercury compared to smaller fishes.

The symptoms of mercury poisoning are fatigue, muscle weakness, impairment of speech, vision, hearing and memory loss. In severe cases, it may lead to brain disorders or even death.
Cooking doesn't remove mercury from fish because the metal is bound to the meat. The fish will contain the same amount of mercury whether it's eaten raw or cooked. So it's all the same whether it's sushi or barbecued sambal fish.

Be careful where you next eat your sushi !!