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Point Peron lookout bridge, at Point Peron near Rockingham, offers amazing views of the rugged limestone cliffs and the panoramic views of the Indian Ocean.

Western Australia South West Edge Road Trip Part 1 – Perth to Gracetown

Sights and Scenes, Travels and Destinations / /

Western Australia South West Edge refers to the southwest region that stretches from south of Perth towards Albany then east from Albany to Esperance. The coastline from Perth to Albany stretches more than 700 km by the Indian Ocean. Continuing from Albany to Esperance is another approximately 500 km of coastline by the Great Australian Bight, which is part of the Indian Ocean.

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Chongqing 重庆 is the start point of Yangtze River Cruises 长江游轮 that sail through the magnificent Three Gorges 三峡 of the Yangtze River 长江 and the cruise journeys end at the humongous Three Gorges Dam 三峡大坝 which supplied about 10% of China’s electricity at the time of completion.

Central and Western China Travel: From Chongqing 重庆, Yangtze River Cruise 长江游轮, Zhangjiajie 张家界, To Chengdu 成都

Sights and Scenes, Travels and Destinations / /

Is it feasible to visit Chongqing 重庆, Three Gorges 三峡, Zhangjiajie 张家界, and Chengdu 成都 in Sichuan 四川, all in a short single trip? That was my motivation for planning independent travel in China to include these 4 destinations in Central and Western China.

Central and Western China Travel: From Chongqing 重庆, Yangtze River Cruise 长江游轮, Zhangjiajie 张家界, To Chengdu 成都 Read More »

From a distance, Chongqing’s 重庆 Chaotianmen Square 朝天门广场 and Raffles City Chongqing 重庆来福士 with the crystal corridor structure together look like a giant ship with a sail that is about to sail away in the night.

Central and Western China Travel: Chongqing 重庆

Sights and Scenes, Travels and Destinations / /

Chongqing 重庆 city is a financial centre, manufacturing hub, and transportation centre in central and western China. Chongqing city’s downtown centre is located on the Chongqing peninsula surrounded by Yangtze River 长江 and its branch Jialing River 嘉陵江. Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport 重庆江北国际机场 is a major aviation hub serving this region and is one of the top 50 busiest airports in the world. Chongqing city is well-connected to other major Chinese cities via China High-Speed Railway (HSR) Network 中国高铁网.

Central and Western China Travel: Chongqing 重庆 Read More »

Without capturing any giant panda from the wild and using technological innovation, Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding Research Base 成都大熊猫繁育研究基地 has bred and raised more than 200 panda babies since 1997.

Central and Western China Travel: Chengdu 成都

Sights and Scenes, Travels and Destinations / /

Chengdu is located in the central part of the Sichuan Province 四川省 in southwest China and is the capital of the Sichuan Province. With a population of around 14 million, Chengdu is the fifth largest city in China, after Shanghai 上海, Beijing 北京, Shenzhen 深圳, and Guangzhou 广州.
Chengdu is famous for being the home of giant pandas 大熊猫 that are immensely popular and well-loved around the world. Giant pandas are protected under Category 1 of the Chinese Wildlife Conservation Law of 1988 and are considered the national treasure of China.

Central and Western China Travel: Chengdu 成都 Read More »

Elizabeth Quay continues to develop with new high-rise buildings being added.

Walk by The Swan River: Elizabeth Quay <-> The Old Swan Brewery

By The Waters, Free (or Almost) and Easy, Sights and Scenes / /

The 2 km one-way walk between Elizabeth Quay and the Old Swan Brewery by the Swam River foreshore takes you through the well-landscaped David Carr Memorial Park. You will walk underneath the Narrows Bridge where you can have a close-up look at the Narrows Bridge’s structural details from underneath.
You will enjoy seeing people doing all kinds of sea sports, and boats and ferries moored or on the move on the Swan River. South Perth foreshore is on the other side of the Swan River connected to the Perth city via Narrows Bridge.

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David Carr Memorial Park extends to the Swan River foreshore and has stunning views of the Swan River and South Perth foreshore on the other side of the river connected by Narrows Bridge.

Walk by the Waters: John Oldham Park <-> David Carr Memorial Park

By The Waters, Free (or Almost) and Easy, Sights and Scenes / /

John Oldham Park and David Carr Memorial Park are located just a stone’s throw from Perth CBD and right next to the very busy Narrows Interchange but when you are in the parks, you don’t feel like you are next to high-traffic roads. These parks seem to be able to shield their visitors from traffic noise.
John Oldham Park and David Carr Memorial Park are part of Narrows Interchange parklands which were constructed on reclaimed land from Mounts Bay more than 60 years ago to build Narrows Bridge and Interchange to connect South Perth to Perth city centre.

Walk by the Waters: John Oldham Park David Carr Memorial Park Read More »

Perth’s iconic landmark Blue Boat House by the Swan River. Perth's city skyline can be seen from afar.

Walk by The Swan River: Forrest Hall <-> The Old Swan Brewery

By The Waters, Free (or Almost) and Easy, Sights and Scenes / /

The walk between Forrest Hall and the Old Swan Brewery, with a one-way distance of 2.1 km, allows walkers to walk on flat riverbank walking paths alongside Mounts Bay Road and the Swan River, and visit three of Perth city’s iconic landmarks – Blue Boat House, the Eliza Sculpture, and the Old Swan Brewery.

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COVID-19 Endemic – Are We There Yet? (Graphics created using free tools on Canva.com)

COVID-19 Endemic – Are We There Yet?

COVID-19 Living and Life, My Dream Technology Breakthrough / /

We are, by April 2022, 25 months into the global COVID-19 pandemic which was declared officially by the World Health Organization (WHO) on 11 Mar 2020.
In many parts of the world, lives have come back to almost like the pre-pandemic normal. People have gone back to offices to work at least for some workdays instead of working from home. Students have gone back to schools for face-to-face learning. International borders are open in many countries.
So, are we in the COVID-19 endemic yet?

COVID-19 Endemic – Are We There Yet? Read More »

A 1-week Central Canada road trip itinerary in Central Canada may start from Toronto and may include Niagara Falls and major cities such as Ottawa, Montreal, and Quebec City, as well as other cities Gatineau, Hamilton, Kingston on the road trip route without too much detour.

Central Canada Road Trip: 7 Major Canadian Cities in 7 Days plus Niagara Falls

Sights and Scenes, Travels and Destinations / /

A 1-week Central Canada road trip itinerary in Central Canada may start from Toronto and may include Niagara Falls and major cities such as Ottawa, Montreal, and Quebec City, as well as other cities Gatineau, Hamilton, Kingston on the road trip route without too much detour.

Central Canada Road Trip: 7 Major Canadian Cities in 7 Days plus Niagara Falls Read More »

Toronto’s important landmark CN Tower always stands out in the Toronto city skyline.

Central Canada Road Trip: Toronto

Sights and Scenes, Travels and Destinations / /

Canada’s largest city Toronto, like Canada’s capital Ottawa, is in Ontario Province where a third of Canada’s population lives. Toronto is located by the coast of the massive Lake Ontario. Niagara Falls is a 2-hour drive along the coast in the eastern direction. Ottawa is a 4-hour drive northeast of Toronto. Its central location makes Toronto a good base to start a road trip in Central Canada.

Central Canada Road Trip: Toronto Read More »

Belvedere Jacques Cartier Bridge over St Lawrence River can be seen from Montreal Old Port – Montreal, Canada.

Central Canada Road Trip: Montreal and Quebec City

Sights and Scenes, Travels and Destinations / /

From Ottawa, a 3-day road trip to Montreal and Quebec City may include picking your own apple during apple harvest season at Verger Labonté on Perrot Island, which is a 30-minute drive southwest of Montreal, then Montreal downtown Underground City, Old Montreal, and the nearby Montreal Old Port waterfront, Mount Royal Park, Jean-Talon Market, and finally an evening visit to Montreal Botanical Gardens for “Gardens of Light” held at the time of my road trip. You may use Montreal as a base and have a day-trip driving to Quebec City, 3-hour away from Montreal, and back to Montreal on the same day. The Quebec City day-trip may include Plains of Abraham, Old Quebec, Quebec Old Port, and Montmorency Falls.

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Ottawa is the capital city of Canada and is Canada's sixth-largest city.

Central Canada Road Trip: Kingston, Ottawa, and Gatineau

Sights and Scenes, Travels and Destinations / /

Ottawa is the capital city of Canada and is Canada’s sixth-largest city. While Ottawa is a city in Ontario Province and Gatineau is a city in Quebec Province, the 2 cities are really just separated by the Ottawa River, on the 2 sides of the riverbank. The total metro area population of Ottawa-Gatineau is about 1.4 million and Gatineau’s population constitutes about 25% of the total population. Gatineau is often considered part of “Greater Ottawa”.

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Lotus Pond (莲池潭), where Dragon Tiger Pagodas (龙虎塔) are located, is one of the most traditional scenic spots in Kaohsiung (高雄).

Kaohsiung (高雄) and Southern Taiwan (南台湾)

Sights and Scenes, Travels and Destinations / /

Kaohsiung (高雄) is a hidden gem for travellers. It is a coastal city in southern Taiwan that has mild tropical weather and because of that, there is an abundant supply of good quality local tropical fruits. The city’s affordable and efficient mass rapid trains (which started operations in 2008) and light rail trains (which started operations in 2016) have made many tourist attractions in the city a lot more accessible. Food prices were very affordable in 2019. Visitors can have a reasonable lunch or dinner meal at less than 200 Taiwan Doller (~A$10 or ~US$7) in 2019. Be sure to visit the night markets (夜市) while in Kaohsiung where you can find many delicious Taiwan snack or small dishes (台湾小吃).

Kaohsiung (高雄) and Southern Taiwan (南台湾) Read More »

Denham Recreational Jetty where you can see distinctive shallow and deep waters leading out to the Indian Ocean.

Walk by the Indian Ocean: Denham on the Coral Coast

By The Waters, Sights and Scenes, Travels and Destinations / /

Denham is the westernmost town in Australia. Located on the western shore of Peron Peninsula in the UNESCO Shark Bay World Heritage Area, Denham is within Western Australia’s 1,100 km breathtaking Coral Coast which stretches from Cervantes, a 2-hour drive north of Perth, to the World Heritage-listed Ningaloo Reef.

Walk by the Indian Ocean: Denham on the Coral Coast Read More »

Sunset at Monkey Mia

Walk by the Indian Ocean: Monkey Mia on the Coral Coast

By The Waters, Sights and Scenes, Travels and Destinations / /

Monkey Mia, a 9-hour drive north of Perth or a 4.5-hour drive if you drive north from Geraldton, is not a town but a huge Conservation Park located on the eastern shore of the Peron Peninsula in the UNESCO Shark Bay World Heritage Area.
Monkey Mia is famous for its RAC Monkey Mia Resort, located right within Monkey Mia Conservation Park, and its wild dolphin experience.

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Financial Freedom (Graphics created using free tools on Canva.com)

Living Expenses and Financial freedom

Financial Freedom / /

Imagine it is you who reach financial freedom. You will be able to choose to travel more. You can choose to go on cruises more. You can choose to spend more quality time with your family and loved ones. You can choose to do more volunteering work. You can choose to spend more time on your passions and hobbies. You can choose to put more focus on your personal projects that you were not able to work on if you are engaged in active work. You can even choose to start a new career which you truly love to do, not for financial consideration.
Without a doubt, not having to worry about finances is so important. The freedom of choice is so powerful.
Reaching financial freedom does not mean retirement. If you love the active work you are engaged in, you can choose to continue to do so. It is entirely your choice.
Financial freedom empowers you and gives you the freedom to choose.

Living Expenses and Financial freedom Read More »

White sand and big waves along with lifeguards all year round make Scarborough Beach a favourite location for surfing, swimming, and water sports.

Walk by The Indian Ocean: Scarborough Beach

By The Waters, Free (or Almost) and Easy, Sights and Scenes / /

White sand and big waves along with lifeguards all year round make Scarborough Beach a favourite location for surfing, swimming, and water sports. The revitalised Scarborough foreshore has added a beachfront swimming complex (Scarborough Beach Pool), an amphitheatre (Scarborough Amphitheatre), a skate and BMX facility (“Snake Pit”), a bouldering wall, a new playground and play space for families (Whale Playground), huge grassed areas including Sunset Hill where visitors can enjoy watching the sun setting into the Indian Ocean, lookout platforms to look out over the Indian Ocean and Scarborough Beach, a new square ideal for markets and public events (Scarborough Square, where the Clock Tower is located), public toilets, showers, drinking fountains, picnic shelters, public BBQ’s, fitness/exercise equipment, plenty of car parks, and a new transit hub.

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The Ocean Reef waterfront will be dramatically transformed by the Ocean Reef Marina project. The photo shows the 2 new breakwaters nearly completed construction.

Walk by The Indian Ocean: Ocean Reef waterfront

By The Waters, Free (or Almost) and Easy, Sights and Scenes / /

By the end of 2023, the Ocean Reef waterfront will be dramatically transformed by the Ocean Reef Marina project which is now in progress of construction. Ocean Reef Marina project will create a waterfront precinct consisting of a mix of waterfront cafes and restaurants, retail, hotel, and short-stay accommodation, as well as Perth’s first coastal pool, new protected beach, and community parklands.

Walk by The Indian Ocean: Ocean Reef waterfront Read More »

The Carnarvon Fascine waterfront area is a great spot for a relaxing evening walk

Walk by The Water: The Carnarvon Fascine waterfront

By The Waters, Sights and Scenes, Travels and Destinations / /

The Carnarvon Fascine refers to Carnarvon’s central waterway linking the Carnarvon community to the Indian Ocean coast. The name “Fascine” comes from a flood protection method using a pile of sticks to hold back floodwater.
The Carnarvon Fascine waterfront area is a great spot for a relaxing evening walk.

Walk by The Water: The Carnarvon Fascine waterfront Read More »

End of Pandemic in 2022?

End of Pandemic in 2022?

COVID-19 Living and Life, Spirit-Uplifting Moments / /

When will WHO declare the end of pandemic? It has to be when the severity of COVID-19 infections is similar to that of seasonal flu, which has a commonly quoted mortality rate in the range of 0.1%. Based on the most recent reported global infection cases and deaths, COVID-19 infections still have a mortality rate of well above 1%. We have to bring down the global mortality rate down from 1% to 0.1%. It is a big gap…….

End of Pandemic in 2022? Read More »