Singapore Ooh "Lah Lah"

This small island country is definitely worthy of emulation.  Consistently rated one of the least corrupt countries in the world and with a low crime rate, its cleanliness - both literally and figuratively, is bordering on aseptic.  Definitely one of most livable cities in SEA.

Little India is a must visit when in Singapore.  This place has so much color, character and chaos albeit organized.  It is also home to the only 24-hour mall (i think) in Singapore.

Home of the original Singapore Sling

One of the kids having her face painted at Universal Studios

Universal Studios Singapore is for the young at heart too...

Our tour guide showing the group what appears to be sampaguita buds and how they make them into necklaces

Nina with the iconic Sikh doorman at The Raffles.  He obviously wasn't in the mood for pleasantries during the shoot.

Never miss the opportunity to capture something colorful with your camera

Her Name Was Kota (Kinabalu)

Sabah Tea Plantation in the foothills of Mount Kinabalu

Conveniently located in front of Warisan Square

Definitely not from the 5-star chain.

With majestic Mount Kinabalu as backdrop

You Say Malacca, I Say Melaka

Possibly Malacca's most famous landmark and the oldest Protestant Church in Malaysia.

Jonker Street during daytime.  Malacca's most happening strip.

The Courtyard@Heeren.  Quaint and nice but the acoustics in their rooms need a little improvement.

Lobby of the hotel.

We read in travel guides that their Chicken Rice Ball is a must try.  I don't get it.  Somehow the idea of rice rolled into a ball (possibly by hand) doesn't seem very appealing to me.

I love this drink! 

If only pedicabs in the Philippines were like these...

Influenced by the Portugese and Dutch, Malacca was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2008.

Hanoi - A Photo Travelogue (Part 2)

The Water Puppet Show is a must-see when in Hanoi.  This statement is coming from someone who fell asleep during the show.  ;-)

North Face bags galore near Hoan Kiem Lake.  From overruns to class C, they're all here.  The ones they have in Ho Chi Minh seem more "authentic" though.

Happy faces

Happier faces

The view from my sister's apartment.  Is it just me or is it really smoggier in Manila?

We stayed at The Art Hotel in Hanoi's historic Old Quarters.  Amazing customer service.  This is far from 5-star (maybe not even close to 3) but the service here is very genuine and warm.  No other hotel comes close.  We were so surprised because on our last day, they even gave us a parting gift - a framed photo of us with the front desk person.  So simple but we were so touched.  

Make sure to buy North Face or Columbia jackets when in Hanoi.  Just make sure not to pay more than 900,000 VND (about P1,800)

Our suki.  Out of all the vendors near the lake, we chose to buy our loot from her because she was very friendly and not pushy.  Well, maybe a little pushy, but funny and not annoying at all.  Make sure to buy Crumpler camera bags from her. 

Students in traditional Vietnamese garb. (I know, I know.  Never chop off limbs and there's too much space overhead.) ;-)

The infamous Hanoi Hilton.  Hoa Lo Prison was where the Vietnamese used to house, interrogate and torture captured US servicemen.  Today, a portion of the prison serves as a museum where even the flight suit and parachute of one its more famous former prisoners - Senator John McCain is displayed.

Nina loves Vietnamese food.  For me, it's my least favorite.  They may look good but don't let that fool you.  We ate at the popular Green Tangerine and sadly, the only thing I liked was the ice cream. 

Banh Mi.  Introduced by the French, this is Vietnam's famous sandwich.  Often eaten with cold cuts and veggies, these sandwiches are available in street corner stalls and even in the most upscale restaurants.  Give me my pan de sal anytime!

The Vietnamese eat a lot of things.  We visited their famous one-dish restaurant - Cha Ca La Vong and found their "specialty" a bit greasy (not to mention expensive).  Yup, they only serve ONE dish - fried fish in turmeric with herbs.  In our of our tours, we heard that the true and authentic recipe for this dish calls for dog fat. Huh?!?!!!!.  We were assured though that the ones being served at CCLV are "westernized" and DO NOT have dog fat at all.   

Looks good, tastes eeeeeck.

Can't miss eating at Bobby Chinn's.  Our TV is almost always tuned to TLC and we are big fans.  Nina mentioned that his taste in food is very similar to ours (which is  good thing).  A bit pricey but definitely worth the visit.