I love to travel, I love my bike;
I love it as it's my kind of flight.
What I love most, is to travel on my bike;
To see the whole world in my own flight.
Monday, August 30, 2010
My Life Has Just Begun....
I can't believe you're here with me,
And now it seems my world's complete.
I close my eyes and still I see,
My dreams became reality.
I finally found someone who knocks me off my feet,
I finally found someone who makes me feel complete.
My life has just begun,
I finally found someone....
My Life has Just Begun: Malacca Adventure - 27-29 Nov 09
It was an impromptu trip after a casual remark that Friday was a Public Holiday and we would be having a long weekend. After making reservation at a guesthouse, we were ready to head up to Malacca on Friday!
Here's our travel route to Malacca: Head down to Kranji MRT > Bus 170 to Woodlands check point > continue on Bus 170 to Larkin Terminal > Purchase coach ticket from booth counters to Malacca City Centre. Malacca, the historical state of Malaysia, has strong influence of the Peranakan culture, and European touches from the Portuguese & Dutch colonisation eras. A good place for cultural finds and food! We stayed at Discovery Guesthouse, a conspicuous yellow building at the City Center. Despite being a budget bunking place, the room was relatively clean and the beds were comfortable. I would recommend this place for the less fussy and adventurous travellers. Flavours of History Story has it that the founder of Malacca, Parameswara- Prince of Palembang, was hunting when a mousedeer appeared and kicked his hunting dog who fell on its back into the river. Impressed by the courage of the mousedeer, he named the place 'Malacca' from the Tamil word 'mallakka' which means upside down and build a city on this land.
Remnants of a fort Christ Church Melaka Built in 1753 by the Dutch, the oldest functioning Protestant Church in Malaysia. Malacca houses many clans/associations, you will be able to find gold plated signboards like these along the streets. BABA HOUSE & HAINANESE CLAN TEOCHEW CLAN & HOKKIEN CLAN The heavily decorated rickshaws roamed the streets of Malacca with loud music It was really noisy when one comes along, but sometimes, you do hear nice songs. =)
The buzzling Jonker Street (Chinatown look-alike) By Day
By Night Portuguese Egg Tart Not as good as the ones in Macau, this tart has a sweeter filling and I thought it wasn't baked enough for the crusty outer crunch. Jonker Dessert 88 This is a must-visit stall as they serve very good Nyonya Laksa and Chendol!! Beautiful interior architecture too. Nyonya Laksa - Thick round noodles with a sour spicy base, goes well with Cinchalok* *fermented shrimp/krill I love the Chendol* here the most! Couldn't help but packet it on my last day for a second bowl! =p *As a dessert, basic ingredients consist of coconut milk, noodles with green food colouring, and the local famous gula melaka (palm sugar) Chung Wah Chicken Rice Ball There are many stalls claiming to be selling the popular local dish - Hainanese Chicken Rice balls. My friend who frequents the place recommended this stall as one of the best around. Just check out the queue in the morning and you wont be in doubt. We were there around 10plus and were lucky to be queuing for only a short while. Queue runs when it reaches noon. Besides the Mahkota Parade Shopping Mall, Malacca has another megamall built close to it - the Dataran Pahlawan. We were there for two movies (Ninja Assassin & Twilight - not even out in SG yet!) at the two malls as tickets were cheap, RM10! In comparison, Mahkota has a smaller theatre. Dataran's has a GV feel to it. I love watching sunsets and Malacca has few high rise, giving you a wide sky view of the horizon and we managed to capture many beautiful moments...
Swallows are everywhere in Malacca, nestings are common in sight... heee... First thought: Bird's Nest! *Slurp!*
Souvenirs Long ago, this packet of poppers were played by kids during Chinese New Year. Just throw it on the ground and one tiny bag lets out a POP! We went around throwing on the ground as we walk along the Malacca streets! Who cares if we looked childish! And yes, I believe you can hardly find this in Singapore. Very pretty hand fan, I like the details on it. Comes in handy when weather becomes really hot! Peranakan souvenirs. It was a short 3 day trip that felt like a week! Another great getaway!
Casablanca (Arabic: الدار البيضاء "ad-Dār al-Bayḍāʼ", original name in Amazigh: Anfa) is a city in western Morocco, located on the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Grand Casablanca region.
With a population of over 5,500,000, Casablanca is Morocco's largest city as well as its chief port. It's also the biggest city in the Maghreb. Casablanca is considered the economic and business center of Morocco, while the political capital city of Morocco is Rabat.
For those who relate casablanca to a movie and find it familiar, yes you are not wrong. Casablanca is a 1942 American romantic drama film directed by Michael Curtiz, starring Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman and Paul Henreid, and featuring Claude Rains, Conrad Veidt, Sydney Greenstreet and Peter Lorre. Set during World War II, it focuses on a man torn between, in the words of one character, love and virtue. He must choose between his love for a woman and helping her and her Czech Resistance leader husband escape from the Vichy-controlled Moroccan city of Casablanca to continue his fight against the Nazis.
Casablanca won three Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Its characters, dialogue, and music have become iconic, and Casablanca has grown in popularity to the point that it now consistently ranks near the top of lists of the greatest films of all time.
My hostel.
A walk down Rue Anfa in the morning.
I find this place unit very intertesting. It was as if I had walked into a black and white world with the exception of the door.
Morning activities.
Interesting Dentist Clinic!
BREAKFAST!!
I made my way to Hussan II Mosque after filling my stomach. Pictures taken along the way.
The Hassan II Mosque (Arabic: مسجد الحسن الثاني), located in Casablanca is the largest mosque in Morocco and the third largest mosque in the world after the Masjid al-Haram (Grand Mosque) of Mecca and the Al-Masjid al-Nabawi (Prophet's Mosque) in Medina. Designed by the French architect Michel Pinseau and built by Bouygues. It stands on a promontory looking out to the Atlantic, which can be seen through a gigantic glass floor with room for 25,000 worshippers. A further 80,000 can be accommodated in the mosque's adjoining grounds for a total of 105,000 worshippers present at any given time at the Hassan II mosque. Its minaret is the world's tallest at 210m.
Built on reclaimed land, almost half of the surface of the mosque lies over the Atlantic water. This was inspired by the verse of the Qur'an that states "the throne of God was built on water." Part of the floor of this facility is glass so worshippers can kneel directly over the sea; above, spotlights shine at night from the top of the minaret toward Mecca. These features were specifically requested by King Hassan II, who declared, "I want to build this mosque on the water, because God's throne is on the water. Therefore, the faithful who go there to pray, to praise the Creator on firm soil, can contemplate God's sky and ocean."
It also includes a number of modern touches: it was built to withstand earthquakes and has a heated floor, electric doors, and a sliding roof.
The mosque displays strong Moorish influence and the architecture of the building is similar to that of the Alhambra and the Great Mosque of Cordoba in Spain. This and the old Tin Mal Mosque are the only mosques in Morocco open to non-Muslims. Non-Muslims may view the interior on hour-long guided tours that depart several times daily.
Work on the mosque was commenced on 12 July 1986, and was intended to be completed for the 60th birthday of the former Moroccan king, Hassan II, in 1989. However, the building was not inaugurated until 30 August 1993. It took 2,500 construction workers and 10,000 artists and craftsman to build the mosque.
All of the granite, plaster, marble, wood, and other materials used in its construction were taken from around Morocco, with the sole exceptions of some white granite columns and the glass chandeliers, both of which come from Italy. Six thousand traditional Moroccan artisans worked for five years to turn these raw materials into abundant and incredibly beautiful mosaics, stone and marble floors and columns, sculpted plaster moldings, and carved and painted wood ceilings.
The roof of the mosque is retractable and it is usually closed. I cant remember why but I was luckily enough to see it open today!!
Check out this video.
And with the sunlight, this place looks different.
One thing that you will normally find the a mosque is speakers but you cant find any here because they are all embedded in the pillars.
Overlooking the Alantic Ocean.
More pictures
A place for Muslim to cleanse themselves before praying.
Extrior of the mosque.
Sound of Islam.
Made my way back to the old town, along the way I saw this and once again I wish I am on a bike.
I realise that people here are generally friendlier and more genuine than in Marrakesh. They talk to you because they want to, not because of money.
Interesting buildings.
It was so hot that I need an ice cream to cool down.
I then took a rest at a cafe. Met this american pilot and decided to have dinner together. And in that restuarant, their tissue paper is literally PAPER!!
Went back to my hostel to rest after dinner. Was reading my book in my room. Then came the housekeeper.
Housekeeper: " What are you doing?"
Me: "I am reading my book."
Housekeeper: "GO read in the common area."
And he just off the lights in my room and walk off.
Hi, Thanks for hoping on to my bike. In this ride, You will be riding through some of the most wonderful memories of my life. So put on your helmet and let me show you my world.
