Traditional transportation to travel around Porto

I received this postcard from Celia of Porto, Portugal. 

It is so interesting to learn that to getting around the city tour by using a tram. 

STCP is the company in charge the local transportation system of Porto.

There are three (3) tram routes in the city center are operating for tourism purposes, time between ~ 0930 to 1930. Ticketing is integrated with the metro and buses.  

Notes to Travelers : The trams and buses run on the 'semi-honor system', where the passengers are expected to buy the ticket from the machine and 'load' it with the number of rides you expect to take and the number of zones (separate tickets are needed if you are going to take two-zone rides and six-zone rides).  

Further reading : 

• Tram in Hong Kong ; 
• Tram in Melbourne and here ;
• Cable Car in San Francisco
• Double Decker Cable Car in Japan

Moomin : An online survey

Yes !! I've received a very cool Moomin postcard from Maua.
Thank you !

If you are interested to get yourself some Moomin product ...

You may response to a survey conducted by Moomin.com.  

The objective of the survey is to find out how the Moomin Characters's brand personality is perceived by the customers.  

The survey is about 5-10 minutes.
The respondents will receive a 15% discount code
and also have a chance to win a Moomin goodie bag (5 lucky winners). 

So, give a try by clicking here for The Questionnaire  

AND not to forget to view my cool collection of Moomin Postcards here.  

masterpiece of Alphonse Mucha

A postcard sends from Lenka of Czech Republic.

Bières de la Meuse (1897) ~ by Alphonse Mucha (1860-1939), a Czech Art Nouveau painter and decorative artist. 

The poster portrays a woman with a wreath of poppies, wheat and hops in her hair holding a pint of beer. She has Slav features and recalls the figure of Summer from Mucha's Seasons series of the previous year. There are two images at the bottom of the poster that are by another artist, an image of the goddess of the river Meuse and a bird’s eye view of the brewery.

And not to forget the beautiful stamp (Zodiac, Design 2, Ziegler 2010) that Lenka pasted on postcard. Another beautiful artwork piece called "Savonnerie De Bagnolet" , also by Alphonse Mucha (1860-1939).

  The Zodiac image of Mucha was one of his most successful designs, undergoing no fewer than a dozen different uses over the years. In this variant, the zodiac and all the decorations around the perimeter are gone, having been replaced by an 1898 calendarium. 

Replacing the astrological symbols is the text for the soap company. 

Dumpling

I've received this Dumpling shaped-postcard from Jin Hua of Xi-an , China. 

Dumpling (or 饺子 Jiao zi) is a traditional Chinese food. It's one of the most widely loved foods in northern China, as it's popular in cold weather. The dumplings can be boiled in soup / steamed / fried. The dumplings can be filled / stuffed with anything from meat, vegetable to fruit. 

What tempting me most about dumpling is eating with the dipping sauce. 

My favorite combination ~~ " ginger + vinegar + soy sauce + fish sauce " 

 

Source : 5 easy Dipping Sauce recipe

Cologne Cathedral and Romanic churches

Dom und Altstadt von Koln

Cologne Cathedral and the old town

A beautiful night panorama view postcard sent by Elke, Germany. 

The magnificent Cologne Cathedral hovers above the roofs and chimneys of the city. 

Alongside the Cathedral and museum, there are twelve Romanic churches which are also the main cultural highlights of Cologne. The Golden Chamber of St Ursula is amongst one of mystical and creepy. Golden Chamber (a small room at the left hand side of entrance) is filled with the brim with bones and skulls, which is said that these are bones of the 11000 virgins and St.Ursula herself.  

Photo Credit : Oh Ursula by Jessice Straus

6 Random Tips for travelers to Angkor Wat

Hi all, hope you are having a good time out there. 

I've traveled to Angkor Wat, Cambodia in June 2015. I had did some research before the tour (all by our own/ free & easy) and mainly on the main highlights of the place. 
In spite of that, there were some details and thoughts that I think are useful for all the travelers :-

1) Suggest to read A Record of Cambodia: the Land and its People by Zhou Daguan 《真腊风土记》.  Zhou Daguan is the author of 'The Customs of Cambodia'. He is one of the diplomats from China that lived in Angkor from 1296 to 1297. The journal becomes the only written source about the custom and daily living of the people from empire Angkor. It has been widely used as a first-hand guideline / reference for the researchers and even for the Cambodian to trace their ancestors. 

* PS: How I wish I could read it beforehand. 
There were few Mandarin simplified language translated version available online. 

2) Have a good and relax trip indeed. Keep the speed at your own pace. 

The photo taken inside Angkor Wat.   

3) Photograph in Angkor temples

To look photogenic in your photos, you may consider to wear in orange, yellow or red. 

*PS: Trick to use different angles for capturing better photos. Just to have fun !

a lit up candle 

 

Nose-to-nose pose

4)  

Do bring along umbrella, handy one, especially for those who plan to travel in around June - August.  

* PS : We have been caught in the rain on our first day arrival. 

5) Be caution for the height

Be prepare for some climbing. The most steep climbing require at Angkor Wat (left hand photo), visitor who want to have full view may queue for the 'Bakan Pass' and get to the steep stairs and conquer the height for beautiful view. 

  

* PS. No short pant / dress please

 

   Angkor Wat Temple's steep stairs - photo by N. Rickards

6) Not to forget to send a postcard 

Postcard - price varies from US$ 1 to 2 each (in good quality) in local store.

Or you may purchase them, especially for those 'old & vintage' postcards from local post-office. (price range from US$0.5 each)

Stamps - the cost to send a postcard from post office is US$0.8 and $1 in airport. The differential in USD probably due to the conversion of Riel to USD (in June 2015, 1USD = 3,000 Riel). 

Note: The riel is the official currency of Cambodia despite most Cambodians preferring the US Dollar which has become the country's most common currency. 

Further reading :  

Notes to travelers to Angkor Wat  

Notes to travelers to Angkor Thom , Bayon Temple  and Ta Prohm Temple

Reflection of Angkor Wat

The pools make Angkor Wat even more interesting to photograph, because of the addition of natural symmetry.

Angkor Wat - Opening Hours are from 5am to 6pm. 
Cambodia is located near to the Equator, thus the opening hours (5am) allow you to get to the temple before sunrise and leave after sunset (6pm). 

The shots was taken outside the Angkor Wat at around 6.15pm. 

Further reading :  

Notes to travelers to Angkor Wat  

Notes to travelers to Angkor Thom , Bayon Temple  and Ta Prohm Temple

Happy Skywatch Friday !

Umbrella Galbena

 I receive a postcard from Euglu, Bucharest (in southern of Romania). 

The word "Gustav Pranch (Austria) , Umbrela Galbena" is printed at the back of the postcard.

But, if you happened to dream of having an umbrella, it indicates that protection / profits / financial advantages that you are going to have soon. 

Gustav Klimt's art work

So glad to receive this beautiful artwork postcard from Jessica of Germany. 
Jessica send me the 'Lady with Fan' , a gorgeous paintwork of Gustav Klimt (1862 – 1918) who was an Austrian symbolism painter. 

Frau mit Fächer 1917As in Wally and Girlfriends II this half portrait of a young lady shows an awesome background with Asiatic ornaments. The lady wears a dress in the style of a kimono imprinted with motives of a Chinese dragon dress.  

  

A place to go in my plan to visit Vienna, one day :) 

1600 Pandas (continue) invasion in Malaysia

(Top Left) I have no idea where is this shot was taken from. 
(Top Right) Love the bamboo raft ~ Martial warriors in pursuit of a stolen sword, like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (my imagination, too much of TV watching recently..)

(Bottom Left)  The shot was taken in Kuala Lumpur city center, the tall building on the left is the famous KL Tower and on the right is the Petronas Twin Towers.  

(Bottom Right) Perbandaran Putrajaya (Perbadanan Putrajaya Complex), managing and administering Federal Territory of Putrajaya. PPJ are responsible for public health and sanitation, waste removal and management, town planning, environmental protection and building control, social and economic development and general maintenance functions of urban infrastructure. 

(Top Left)  KTM Old Train Station, KL
(Top Right)  Red Square, Melaka 

(Bottom Left) I wonder if the scene was captured from Chew Jetty, Penang.   

(Bottom Right) The Pandas lined up in front of Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion, Penang. The Blue Mansion's construction started before the end of 19th century.