Stopping by South Africa - Part 1

Going through the photos on my computer, I found it difficult to choose one destination over another to blog about this week. I finally settled on what has to be my all-time favorite vacation: my trip to South Africa. Part one of this blog is going to be focused primarily on our time in Cape Town.



Hout Bay, one of the bays known for its exceptional harbor,

as well as for multiple neighborhoods of different economic levels,
all encompassed within a very small region.



As always, I’m going to begin by discussing the history of Cape Town – a city that, in my opinion felt like a cross between Sydney, Australia and San Francisco. The area was not mentioned in written history until about 1488 when it was mentioned by the Portuguese explorer Bartholomeu Dias. Another famous explorer, Vasco de Gama briefly mentioned it as well, when searching for a route from Europe to Asia. The area was previously occupied by indigenous people, but was settled by Dutch settlers in 1652. It stayed under Dutch control until the British invaded the territory in the late 1700s and from that point onward, the territory shifted between British and Dutch control until South Africa’s independence. During South Africa’s infamous apartheid era, large portions of the city were deemed to be “white-only territories”, with a large portion of the black African population being forced to move north into more under-developed territories.



The plaque at the Cape of Good Hope,
marking the Southernmost point of the
African Continent



What really sets Cape Town apart, especially as a popular destination for tourists it’s impressive array of natural attractions. The city is surrounded by a variety of bays and, my favorite attraction, picturesque red sandstone cliffs meeting deep blue water. My family and I made our way to the Cape of Good Hope – the southern-most point on the African continent –, took a boat ride out to Duiker Island to enjoy watching the seals inhabiting the island, and made our way to the Twelve Apostles – conveniently named due to the fact that there were twelve sandstone cliffs lined up along the coast.



Biltong - or cow's tongue  -one

of South Africa's delicacies, the tongue

is dried, salted, sliced, and served as an

appetizer





The seals of Duiker Island





 








One of South Africa's many bays



The View from Our Hotel window out over
Cape Town

Stay tuned ‘til next time, with part two of the South African blog, discussing my favorite part of the trip, our adventures in Kruger National Park!



Traipsing in Thailand

Sa-wat-dee ka! Since it's close to smack dab in between winter holidays and spring break, I thought it was only fitting to talk about one of my favorite destinations for both vacations: Thailand. And, when I say Thailand, I'm talking more specifically about a city with, in my opinion, the best beaches around: Phuket.

To start off my post, as always, I'm going to open with some historical information about the city itself. Phuket is Thailand's largest island, connected to the mainland by two bridges. It is located in the Andaman Sea.  As with many Southeast Asian island-cities, Phuket was situated on one of the major trading routes between India and China. It was also mentioned several times in the ship logs of traders from Portugal, France, and England. In addition to trade, Phuket was known for its rich tin and rubber production.



The Tuk-Tuk, the Thai version of a taxi



Phuket, Thailand is now known for its exceptional beaches, and breathtaking sunsets, and is a popular vacation destination for expatriates living in Southeast Asia, as well as Europeans hoping to escape cold winter weather. There are several beaches that are frequently visited. One of the most well-known ones is Patong Beach, prized because of easy access to a wide and long beach. Most of the city’s nightlife is in Patong, as is the large strip of shops that sell knock-off merchandise. Each part of the island has something different to offer. For example, the restaurant On the Rock, a very popular Thai gourmet restaurant, is located on a cliff overlooking a different beach, Karon Beach. For the adventurous, I would definitely recommend visiting this restaurant. And, to add to the experience, I would strongly recommend taking the Tuk-Tuk, the local "taxi" if you will.



Horizon Karon - a hotel that I would definitely

 recommend, especially if you are looking for a

 reasonably priced hotel close to the shore,

but with a reasonable amount of privacy





Just a snapshot of one of Phuket's many beautiful sunsets,

taken at Kata Beach.



Other beaches that are well known for their soft sand and slightly more private settings are Karon Beach, Kata Beach, and Kata Noi beach. In addition to the mainland beaches, there are several islands offshore, especially the Phi Phi Islands to the south east, that provide tourists with snorkeling and scuba diving opportunities.

A view of the Phi Phi Islands - coral
islands where tourists can come and
snorkel

 

 



If you ever find yourself in Southeast Asia, I would strongly recommend a visit to Phuket. There is a variety of food, from the traditional Thai cuisine to Buffalo Bill's wings. The people are extremely hospitable and friendly. And, when in Phuket, you shouldn't leave without visiting the coral islands offshore. My only word of warning is to look carefully for packages to the islands. Many vistors are trapped with the hotel deals which can sometimes be double the price of equally good packages downtown.

Hopefully this post was useful in sharing a bit about Phuket, Thailand.

Thanks for reading and until next time!

Venturing in Vietnam

Chào bạn! Welcome back to Travel Jeanne! I hope you're still excited to learn more about another country in the world! As evident from the post title and the traditional greeting above, this week's post is dedicated to a wonderful spring break trip to Vietnam, Hanoi and Ha Long Bay in particular.

Living in Singapore for seven years certainly has its perks - the biggest being that there is a vast array of vacation destinations to choose from. In the spring of 2007, my family and I ventured to Hanoi, Vietnam. And, while the main intent of our trip was to relax, we still made sure to visit the bigger historical sites in the city.

As with the post on St. Petersburg, I think it's important to understand a bit of the Hanoi's history before discussing specifics. If you were to turn the clock back to 3000 BC you would find Hanoi in its developing stages. Until the later half of the third century BC, the city remained a fishing village. But towards 200 BC, a Vietnamese leader from Northern Vienam, Thuc Phan, set up the Au-Lac regime, moving the capital to Co Loa - Hanoi's ancient name. From that point onwards, Co Loa served as a national social and political center.

In 197 BC, the Au Lac Kingdom was taken over by the Hans, leading to over 1000 years of Chinese domination. During the time of Chinese rule, Co Loa's name was changed at least three other times.  Under the Ly dynasty, from 1009 to 1225, the city was named Thang Long, or Flying Dragon,  a name that lasted from 1009 to 1788. The Thang Long of the Ly Dynasty, from 1009 to 1225, was where many of the architectural works that set the city apart were designed. These include the Dong Co Temple and the Dien Huu One-Pillar Pagoda. 

The Dong Co Temple



The Dien Huu One-Pillar Pagoda



When discussing Vietnamese history it is also extremely important to mention, the rise of the leader of the Việt Minh, from 1941 onward: Ho Chi Minh. Ho established the communist-governed Democratic Republic of Vietnam in 1945 and defeated the French Union in 1954 at the Battle of Điện Biên Phủ. Ho Chi Minh resigned shortly after, in 1955 due to his health, but remained an inspiration for the Vietnamese who fought for a united, independent Vietnam until his death. His body was embalmed and is on display in a mausoleum modeled after Lenin's tomb in moscow.

The Kissing Rocks - the two best known islets in the bay

My family and I ended our venture in Vietnam with a cruise in Ha Long Bay. The "descending dragon bay", marked by isles of various sizes and shapes, is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The bay consists of a dense cluster of over three thousand limestone islands. An interesting fact, however, is that locals claim there are only 1969 islands as that was the year of Ho Chi Minh's death. Many of the islands are hollow, with enormous caves. While two of the islands are frequently visited by tourists, the majority of the islands are inhabited. The population living in this area is concentrated in four main villages that are located around the bay.

A dragon boat made in the style of the

 traditional Vietnamese vessels that originally sailed

the Ha Long Waters

When my family and I visited, we travelled with a small, highly recommendable company that ran a single cruise through the bay. The name of the ship was the Emeraude, and it was captained by a quaint French sailor that had settled in the area. With several opportunities to kayak around the islands, the cruise is highly recommendable, and is definitely more reasonably priced than many of the other larger cruise liners that pass through the areas. Another perk about taking the Emeraude is that it can travel in shallower waters than the other liners, allowing you to see more of the islands that make Ha Long Bay so unique.



The Emeraude, the liner that took us along Ha Long Bay





To close, I have to mention two things that Vietnam is best known for: the laquer and silk production in Hanoi and the rice paddies lining many of the highways in between cities. The laquer products are some of Vietnam's best known export items and the silk tapestries aren't far behind. And the rice paddies, dangerous as they are, - with all the snakes and potential for malaria - are probably some of the most beautiful site you will lay your eyes on. So, enjoy these, and until next week!



A woman adding the final touches to a laquered plate -
three of those red ones are hanging in our foyer!
Courtesy of the AP





The Rice Paddies en route from Hanoi
 to the dock at Ha Long Bay





Relishing Russia

Welcome to my first official post on Travel Jeanne! I am extremely excited to talk about one of my more recent excursions: my trip to Russia,

Being a tiny bit of a history nerd, one of my favorite parts of the world to visit was Russia, especially as I had just finished a European history course before my family and I travlled there. St. Peterburg in particular has some of the most beautiful architecture that I have ever see. But, before I get carried away with the details, I think it's important to start with a little bit of history. 

St. Peterburg was founded in 1703 by Peter the Great but, in reality, the city was named after the Apostle Peter. The city was established as a bold move on the part of the Russian tsar in an attempt to secure authority over the Baltic Sea. Peter was one of the first Russian nobles to travel out of Russia and visit other countries. He was fascinated by other palaces, such as Versailles, and eventually became obsessed with outdoing other European royals in terms of the grandeur of his city. He hired a large number of engineers, architects, shipbuilders, scientists and businessmen from all countries of Europe and, through his efforts, the city was eventually considered more cosmopolitan than Moscow, or any other Russian city.

St. Petersburg served as the capital of Russia from 1713 to 1918. It is now Russia's second largest city, and has a population of 5 million people. In regards to its geographic location, St. Petersburg was built on forty-two islands and has ninety rivers and canals.



The Winter Palace - St. Petersburg, Russia



The Raphael Loggias  in the Hermitage

St. Peterburg houses one of the largest, oldest, museums in the world - The Hermitage - in one of the many royal palaces - the Winter Palace -  in the city. It has three million artifacts, including the largest collection of artwork in the world. The Winter Palace was the official residency of the Russian Monarchy from 1732 to 1917 and the storming of the Winter Palace is one of the most iconic moments in the Russian Revolution.

The Square outside the Winter Palace

The front entrance of Tsarkoe Selo

St. Petersburg also houses two other extremely famous palaces, Tsarkoe Selo and Peterhoff.

Tsarkoe Selo was another residence of the royal Russian family. It was bequeathed upon Queen Catherine I as a present from her husband, Peter the Great. It was later renovated by Queen Catherine the Great (Catherine II). Known as the Catherine Palace, the palace is known for its cerulean blue walls with white and gold trim, as well as the surrounding garden.



The Catherine Garden



Grand Palace and Grand Cascade

I can't finish this blog without mentioning a third and final palace, Peterhof. Known as the Versailles of Russia, Peterhof is a series of palaces and gardens comissioned by Peter  the Great (notice the common trend in this town yet?). In my opinion, the fountains and entrance of Peterhof trump those of Tsarkoe Celo (hard to do, I know). Recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Peterhof is comprised of the Upper and Lower Gardens, the Grand Palace (Bolshoi Dvorets), the Grand Cascade (Bolshoi Kaskad), and, finally the Sea Channel (Morskoi Kanal), dubbed one of the most extensive waterworks of the Baroque Period. 

Canal

Samson Fountain and Sea Channel



Hopefully you learned a bit about the main sites of St. Peterburg all, ironically, palaces and you'll tune in next week for another adventure with Travel Jeanne!

Over and out.