tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29164136101475405962024-03-05T16:40:03.023+11:00DignifiableUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger397125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2916413610147540596.post-50538318618027421702021-12-03T15:41:00.001+11:002021-12-03T15:41:07.651+11:00Seals on the South Coast<b>Narooma, NSW</b><div>360km from Sydney</div><div><br />Due to lockdown, our original 1.5 week roadtrip was stripped back to a 3 day long weekend down the coast.<div>
<br />It was the same week where BOM declared La Niña. A week where it rained every single day.</div><div>
<br />Pitstop at Bodalla Dairy with some questionable customer service from the person manning the ice cream section.
<center>
<br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw2GCfJfykY3MDSfYBdM9rED38oL0QufsS4ncvQ6HWvz08jAj8axi4pd1EZhUo-adn1hPc8jFUQCoZDQtfwevmsVHe2_uxZb4bTN3aaBp9d6SE_PiQvJpp_fSz_mhL5Qiq7yOpF0jASm_z/s800/DSC00230.jpg" />
<br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg19NQDhcmalE1AWdZQ1ohKGcWdVANP4VzyeNmhQYTC8_6GLMl4N3tT_tmEeUSuXhAFQi168kfM4qxD79pK5ACb44MW2mC3_GeCjGcSCYlSATfiApOQoq6u_UQWISzIWJ0eQVo08YpvwLpj/s800/DSC00318.jpg" />
<br /><br /><span><a name='more'></a></span><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHY_QmV1GQMKNusVOtHHOyw4sdRxCDbLOvadSy-uO08SRidWYNa84faDJIzV9dSqyLTtMbLq3cnch9XFAQRLcYo8Yq8dHyD2jWvtGfXPeSEP9DReDSa44tPeVxAqAe-irUa2NCFPPgH1at/s800/DSC00294.jpg" />
<br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRPwXe5icCHdju-Q0wam95t5XYsEFbwkeh-1n9jOypW2InHsqZgUOK0a9bWLD2O2H0Brz_CiNckdB9WMxpcWnGypIGMKpfYhpJEHbXmrA2JpyY_zogJyDMsTQ9AwgIvWDeKCoyD29gtdhK/s800/DSC00257.jpg" />
<i>Australia Rock
</i><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih_LIJDPztjzVt79Ohhm07CPrf6M2YVOnodHASdjbcN6Wykyexu5a5FYMCE8FSsH4d29Bup51pUrpkng1RMwTFuSVDR8Joxf-Yl-j9aZnwyETqvtSz5ePdIEp29knITfe8pxE-qc0hXAkN/s800/DSC00254.jpg" />
<br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ6qoYxNqMWelaYy0TsQfu-_RnypDDtMhlC3hwsM7DJbwTLeokKFCuqafyK9651HOg1GcQPHfU06DvH5-Q73aWIjqMeW3-9viJ5Geoz0aqcQhh5lrAXjcgUnCSkjiDSY0DiwzBI8snLu85/s800/DSC00235.jpg" />
<br /><i>Potato Point </i></center><span><!--more--></span><span><!--more--></span>
<br /><br />Snorkelling with seals had been at the top of my "must do" list for a few years now. Despite the dreary sky, the raindrops that felt like pins in the wind snorkelling* with seals was an incredible experience.
<br /><br /><center><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyr3jI4PFNZFFVzK4xIxnSo22UJLF9EyQkZF61SIv51jBpIDnrVnJmDkl52iOzv6hhLj9rRrz6N6reWP8MVGuObDmIvWmTyAuKHnDBUE8OmpQcGMwc6f2WvHlInljXKsJezFI9Kn8X6ZlX/s800/G0300390.jpg" />
<br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieZPtxt3p9eNJWYvLOq_YjijTY4Vm0BjAdzoqjFWsA-t0H9AcsOekBHCG-3ZduDWeSjg01w_nDYr9ck0uagB0CH53UqcwT7ZAAfrZVUYZarbk_bNEiNSI47ubtr-XlHZQXm0RHmXPs0KhY/s800/G0200283.jpg" />
<br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDF5mA6fSYi7cp78ozc8hDcmFFQMsDkrPFhBs_r_XS0_Jnhy4i6TC3ccDzs522CEvr0ZzF0QSgSSoik-IsxxKqOGcuvNRDQVqZWEWOj3oTdmyCFKsQEENx6YH6Uogel5zVz05TxQFYekVt/s800/G0130213.jpg" /></center>
<br />* The wetsuits were so buoyant that treading water wasn't required and I was just floating for the entire duration of the trip. </div><div><br />Pitstop at Bega. The Bega factory was closed due to COVID (and seemingly shut since March 2020), and the town was incredibly underwhelming.
<br /><br />Back in Sydney, the post holiday blues have hit me hard. And the best antidote (well distraction if I'm being honest) is to plan the next trip. Even pre-COVID, we had wanted to explore more of Australia. But with the fickle state borders, the desire to explore the places in NSW, the places that I had marked as "maybe someday", has only strengthened. But let's see what happens and how life unfolds.</div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2916413610147540596.post-21681469731276344612021-07-02T18:19:00.002+10:002021-07-02T18:19:54.413+10:00Roadtrip to Cobar<b>Cobar, NSW</b><div>685km from Sydney</div><div><br /><p>
This town had been on my radar for a while. It popped onto my 'visit-someday' list many many years ago when a blogger friend wrote about her trip to Cobar to see her partner's family. Many years later, I discovered that I had actually visited Cobar on the trip to Uluru. However, I have zero recollections and suspect it was simply a toilet break.</p><p>
<br />There was a lull in COVID cases during the October period which meant that intrastate travel was possible.
</p><p><br /></p><p>First stop, Bathurst. A loop aroud the <a href="https://www.supercars.com/repco-bathurst-1000/">Bathurst 1000</a> course, cruising at <60kmph as it was bucketing.</p><p><br /></p><center><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXICPUOWNYveGCqE0hXIBFMXvzVe9EldHyQyP6j-EGJqbHMJ___ACgG7g0arHGITdOnqpMZk0p1sdmIfcqwZXfQER4d0CGCfZoIbhYUJGKBXffq-fdgXLPCrbhQRW50FCHsrHqXptkxyfy/s800/DSC09777.jpg" /></center>
<p></p><p><br /></p><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a>Second attraction of the day was the <a href="http://www.animalsonbikes.com.au/">Animals on Bikes</a> art sculpture trail. It was a novelty at first, but the sculptures were too far apart to enjoy properly.<p></p><p><br /></p><p>
</p><center><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRcS9ZYwg-T6u-KPySWxkMC8835IZekXiRBWLuUfhvD-T0iVZB2XKMGghBZvoZqYyORb24ldlFiQ4SFqY7N1OMEYNA0BPStjveXxovEwRYzAVP0yNedoTQK19-DRekW6KU57hcOH2yUaHf/s800/DSC09791.jpg" /></center><p>
</p><center><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOrQt5u1dQYf5eyR01Iilg3WiWzmeT1W17dsNja4xkEpnVcXyIW0dXO9lYujOv5avLjgapSXsdGuuyqIsVF5dpY546JUOrk0IYaZGnLs_-hLbiylABYYkph6yx0yuE8nBZdGuPVvHhiKgZ/s16000/DSC09812.jpg" /></center><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhY5XzdVjsW_XcoCq9nWvrFLq6ZsmCAxV77DxqSCN04KLhK5F1wFMnYhrkAiLYkMiEKscXIGDdRXvx8VmP4IjcLoDnPmlGY3-uCwTBF64UlPpYXEc3Bsu6qjMI8cVYQMEoKoP95e-RN4B4/s800/DSC09814.jpg" style="text-align: -webkit-center;" /></div><div><br /></div>
Third stop (although technically it was the second stop) was at Yeoval. Yeoval is a small village and is close to where Banjo Patterson (poet) grew up. We had every intention of spending time at the Banjo Patterson Museum, but once we stepped in it was just so eerie. Instead, we went across the road to The Big Hat before jumping back into the car.</div><div><br /><p>
</p><center><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9u2LlI90b0RGP_0AIFGY74jlXQ0cLfMxB275INVeYJ4btYYN2TeJYp52eiqspJ0AfxQyqo8q8j5QV1YNDnEoCgibqEH4EJiTJ7MEYDx6frGwBj6LNJ_gLUieVX75Hc9nXTmMSav3a-XpN/s800/DSC09817.jpg" /></center><p>
</p><center><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE0oGhGuEc_VZkMC2cps8cQtm4btethw28BSwE9nkPHtScAtxtHIvKiiNA_IN34q4Tm8_sS7sS5T4p-RmJRV8JbTw_mbAaEj6C2l-AE8IiF13dBuyhog4yjNgXGx9E1DDHO5D28AzZ8T0Y/s800/DSC09820.jpg" /></center><p>
</p><center><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwpP2sMHoBDVK5KgMwVYTkMv4YRFQeQ_jyctahw1me5q4szuGZbJFmdtP3cYO5OwhvH6xFuOTtGRa1-s_5rCJbFFJ7kzd9IyrZDa3hrkC2JmInCWot60kxh5MMjfeu9aXJvCKZv55IpkYz/s800/DSC09822.jpg" /></center><p>
</p><center><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_h4d62WUxwoKOrqz-F4uzZmAEFhbEIbT25W1yfPAMAuKzHt1Bzpep1ori-xhk7L_3GKqiexQ8GbT3WuQawkepbs_lBkuiNvKCNzfaRg5bv60HSORbwi0bBLrykavig5x2z4gEoSC8su1T/s800/DSC09823.jpg" /></center><p><br /></p><p>
Next pit stop was at Nyngan! Another chance to stretch the legs and take a look at The Big Bogan. Soon it was back into the car for the final 130KM to Cobar.
</p><p><br /></p><p></p><p>
</p><center><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw7ohtlm_5KVY1DkGY53j2603cshGRCnwq7krCfH6khIoA68uJ-gtOgYVcwplcAUncM-IMnnwUPxrURd6c2Ul9Eq72R_HvU8w092Xiu_r4ugUofnMp1HL0Btm_s6mtmN1LXuWaiycmobCM/s800/DSC09837.jpg" /></center><p>
</p><center><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUZ2uwzsJApZ3Y5E8piYGKCxKMkg2UXBM1KcsZEVW4JG5N6fituOAe17MrpN52GhvsNpEqTD64CF8UiHkovZwHDU4RHJGbPPctqjqoXBXdcVQBOaXUEicG1bN4WN3ZzcVUYRTksaJTmnp5/s800/DSC09845.jpg" /></center><div><br /></div><div>The landscape changed quite significantly between Nyngan and Cobar. The quintessential red dirt, synonymous with the Australian outback. The fields were also covered in stunning purple flowers. However, I discovered after the trip that they are in fact a noxious weed, <a href="https://weeds.dpi.nsw.gov.au/Weeds/Details/102">Paterson's curse</a>.</div></div><div>
<center><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbnmuP2_zIOWfQJdMccD0FgjkipTawBxZAjXlbRXfRfYhInM0iDR6Jg2HMp9veaimev6HGDzghGqqPCfhG7zRTXAOMVKJ46iC_NxmjPhkbWYypB3tnY76IITeEnlxPoc_hcvU7jhbOZp_7/s800/DSC09798.jpg" /></center><p>
</p><p><br /></p><p>Cobar at last!</p><p><br /></p><center><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhftps6cnWUyhVup_aNQFaHHlL6pT4BE2SSmfEPlvwXzn_VDYG2WfDc9Wt3MIf9JhN_Rw0sG5nQ60qMiG0Wu9uKPoStdkWVdNqhQcWJV5wnH9AlUYc5m3BuzB_onI8rYLJmIgv6EtPBykAF/s800/DSC09858.jpg" /></center><p>
</p><center><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-BAErn2ugv4PtfqGr90zxM5E2zuM0cZQn0_652JlFdfZpEIceFVljpeRFHCsZLBquf8FKS9FJ6Qa9pYwvqj4z6TGI_0Wgsk8H38eb1POCp9ElFRXkuT-vPiLEt_zzFtyZfgUlXGRMzEzF/s800/DSC09861.jpg" /></center><p>
</p><center><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKIGDJRtr8I9JYvBolHSPeacKV7sis8-fXuT2PoFG_bXiMDALYYzD-5ma3MYnK3kjQTRpRVoSNLmtiy_vR6Y4FzCrhQsoEHfNIoekit2ZrnXSG8RkYhMVIuOIxCwqrvvP2rvvy0AllcTe8/s800/DSC09887.jpg" /></center><p>
</p><center><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD8GV3VT2BN5BAAj1CmXxPb7Oy8HYrfJgJAQ1XcqRiJt2RaqAIbBK87Oza5mYW-up2CnqNLgwjwUeL4iY7nZxaKArQpVLwYfLfxr9iQ3rCNRwyq069zWcC4QrnlHnSU91K-il1ozjF2O9k/s800/DSC09898.jpg" /></center><p>
</p><p></p><p><br /></p><p>We had our sunset dinner in the Newey Reserve by the water. I had forgotten how peaceful it can get, without the distant thrums of cars. Just birdsong instead; the warbling of the magpies. </p><p><br /></p><p>I can't visit regional NSW without taking photos of the stars. So here are those photos:</p><p><br /></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p></div>
<center><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivAwovvVt_mGCiNY6D8Ved0j8o_s0jR-OWrZGWCfckvpmHAeXE7qWNMqkpV7Fvh1KVEH5uWeY0uisSwve95FweiCWyDSSjXAvyRKVaNzqp6ymEEGORS7H5sLojmARmAi3O7QtqpY1exU_G/s800/DSC09916.jpg" /></center><p>
</p><center><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF4rYse9zVv2G57Hwo6UuEbyQ11hamnxgoIDXEsx1oi5bSWVMk2CE5ozqc7WrdZnQ1glSfD85lcpku44zOLxa6NNcaXDgK6aa_qvAz_UkVgl8cb40AhNXFSgTqBB50OWBaYROrE5t_6ln3/s800/DSC09918.jpg" /></center><p></p><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2916413610147540596.post-12261652959384952312020-05-22T19:00:00.000+10:002020-05-22T19:00:14.385+10:00Pączki<center>
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid-aNuJLn32U0cSyNwEM4bRz9XiGN94rNLvVF7zxYfq_XWaYCdpNnVQf0AOHmcYEX4BAX5BKszIfT1Zw_zIybbUdAwUO8uBxeGqD0C6ciUYC0QfldYn_CxhZNLCSIYWvLbl8cJijcOBKGq/s1600/IMG_20200509_095356.jpg" /></center>
<br />
Guys, the search is over. I finally found (well, ate) pączki in Sydney.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>I first learnt about pączki a few years ago from a YouTuber from Michigan. This sparked a - somewhat ridiculous - search for it in Sydney. Although there are European delis / shops scattered around Sydney, (with the keyword being scattered) they tend to be German, Dutch or Italian. Oh, and I was adamant about not visiting the Polish cafe in the inner west because the prices were ridiculous. A quick Google search unearthed a few Polish shops and I began my search for the Polish filled doughnut.<br />
<br />
My attempts have been as follows: <a href="https://www.dignifiable.com/2017/04/searching-for-paczki.html" target="_blank">Liverpool</a>, <a href="https://www.dignifiable.com/2017/04/celebratory-day.html" target="_blank">Ashfield</a> and then Liverpool (again, although undocumented, because I didn't think I needed another post about my failure).<br />
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Alas, a trip to Riverwood led me to the elusive item.<br />
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7nWe1L7xOUQQwLrdXEqFp-ZS2rbIb8SjPr6QKfcsr6MtzNgI25eGKltXdxViy1QffiUcKkcGQYCwxW4EeZlZvbmYu5L8qlI9mqjcWdfC0OM8kT23brfJYVjA2ujvRHgqdECytcD2GRV8s/s1600/IMG_20200509_100120.jpg" /></center>
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<center>
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg83sXL5brpW1fwCNHgfd0e7w2ylcYOqIxxLtzyrsBxsIAMLaDM-gahDx_GCoCZUs_Csysg1qdLXp7E9enJhp1dySZ-n5HSZB0g16APLq7ZjTX90DypKPGWNjQsE9oy27Ner_0mmfs5SfSV/s1600/IMG_20200509_100223.jpg" /><br />
<i>$3.50 @ <a href="https://www.riverwooddeli.com.au/" target="_blank">Taste of Poland</a> || filled with plum jam, topped with icing glaze</i></center>
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And it was great.<br />
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My next quest is to determine the difference between a Berliner, bismark and pączki.<br />
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<center>
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhznNFb6MWFMp8TtV6PcMqliUpNmLKuJHttkPJHY5dGC6mvFJI0Uyb0ay9ej_ceNmXvRvt_oRsk51BeGvwwSewgifAJD2oLbKuCGJtjITQWth12SiIL49qxeUuSqqhv4kPrwXlZsbZ_MEB1/s1600/IMG_20200509_102953.jpg" /></center>
<center>
<i>A local park</i></center>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2916413610147540596.post-16324156187985374942020-05-07T02:00:00.000+10:002020-05-07T02:00:08.910+10:00Easter Lunch<center>
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0ceBqm6wjIH6ZQZ2tSphicTmLRcceCDk_pvPWadGBHcG5oWDlSwqjjeKWDzrMwMuOLz454i0jxKuFpyMWtiB287-dZuhHP1dZoOdyW-zaBWM6lQHBT6f0dR15HiaQtxpSWH1KqLqNZFKR/s1600/DSC09718.jpg" /></center>
<br />
This year, we had our first Easter meal at our place.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>Roast lamb. Couscous salad. Yorkshire. Peach cobbler. No-bake cheesecake.<br />
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJFbLq-vh7ITfl7OYpz7lQDFBPidIRzyOb2ajRfGz5svXZesOXpNnY3KL3Mp4FhHPO1dEDaHdxiWEIE0pE7ZaxiM7eNZBkT_vsxOsrXAic7LGE51a_c40sGUtZXRbOosv8XbsuPpOV1_JZ/s1600/DSC09735.jpg" /></center>
<br />
Peach cobbler is turning out to be my go-to dessert. Especially as we still have so many peaches that we purchased from the fruit market over a month ago.<br />
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<center>
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0spemSio7ZtxB084MdVF4NI58JXiu3YLsT8GLu4YeGU8x13xNF792FZP1MU_PSIK-TsrDs0ZlY7Td0_-E960XbcREkamz7mz_BWdJoDD_iRy85mwv-BopHEH5Wbkxrqvdlk6MJlAa4Kz0/s1600/DSC09738.jpg" /></center>
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<center>
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipk1GL8ZrM5LNDnrFDMgVo58LQHGqR3qBQ0aajnDAMDjY-e8w6O5cYZeNkyo4DeSNN_-flcvhiUmpjTyZXZGs23ZEGax66prYICfN9IwrtixM7FRVj436gb-amW1EH4OzeSuEiVieCYLm6/s1600/DSC09739.jpg" /></center>
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It was also the first time in forever that I actually put on makeup and got dressed up.<br />
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<center>
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Hkdh-4VfrHYvYVgTDQfSElL2JTmEsxRXdiStjYNB9GYUkL7hoUXRZTw8SrVh98XYNVT90bfgQUw89Imo-vTYdAQZrmtHI-3pHYyPc8pRoMByRGlbu3V_XdWnFBfmhmFqWgYEbv_ssCY_/s1600/DSC09719.jpg" /><br /><i>
HCB from earlier in the month</i></center>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2916413610147540596.post-84862578630065658342020-04-07T02:00:00.000+10:002020-04-07T02:00:01.463+10:00Snapshots from Animal Kingdom (Walt Disney World)<center>
<img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49646591292_6295d06251_c.jpg" /></center>
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<a name='more'></a><b>Rides</b><br />
<ul>
<li>Avatar Flight of Passage ♥♥♥</li>
<li>DINOSAUR</li>
<li>Expedition Everest - Legend of the Forbidden Mountain ♥♥♥</li>
<li>Kilimanjaro Safaris</li>
<li>Na'vi River Journey</li>
<li>TriceraTop Spin</li>
</ul>
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<center>
<img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49645781363_490c51fb52_c.jpg" /><br />
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<img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49646592377_175f2bf535_c.jpg" /><br />
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<img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49646592767_98e38fd621_c.jpg" /><br />
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<img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49645783338_f75cd87e04_c.jpg" /><br />
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<img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49645783988_f60f4a5778_c.jpg" /><br />
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Never in my life had I seen so many people powerwalking. Ever. The gates opened and everyone powerwalked to the Flight of Passage ride. We waited for ~30 mins and once we finished, the estimated wait time for standby was at 4 hours. Four hours. The ride was incredible and I was amazed by all the little vibrations (including the breathing!) that made it seem that yes, you were riding a banshee. I am intrigued by what attractions will be like in another 10 years.<br />
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I also thoroughly enjoyed the Everest ride; going backwards in the dark was exhilarating. We went on it twice as the lines were so short.<br />
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By the end of the trip I was exhausted. Four and a half days to visit all 4 Disney Parks. But truly a once in a life time experience.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2916413610147540596.post-49550690074161918592020-03-25T02:30:00.000+11:002020-03-25T02:30:04.202+11:00Snapshots from Magic Kingdom (Walt Disney World)<center>
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<li>Big Thunder Mountain Railroad</li>
<li>Haunted Mansion</li>
<li>Magic Carpets of Aladdin</li>
<li>Seven Dwarfs Mine Train </li>
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Funnel Cake, will we meet again soon?</i><br />
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Dinner at Narcoose's, the restaurant that my sister worked at when she was on a cultural exchange to WDW over a decade ago. The food was incredible. <br />
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Magic Kingdom might have been my favourite Disney Park at WDW. Although we didn't manage to ride on many of the attractions due to the wait times. And also because we waited for a ridiculous amount of time at Big Thunder Mountain Railroad since the cast member was allowing 1 standby person for every ~40 fast pass people. Not even kidding. An actual joke.<br />
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But fireworks at Cinderella's castle? Really can't beat that.<br />
<img src="" />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2916413610147540596.post-10814921401371876982020-03-18T04:30:00.000+11:002020-03-18T04:30:02.867+11:00Snapshots from Hollywood Studios (Walt Disney World)<center>
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<li>Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run</li>
<li>Star Tours - The Adventures Continue</li>
<li>Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance</li>
<li>Rock 'n' Roller Coaster </li>
<li>Toy Story Mania ♥♥</li>
<li>Slinky Dog Dash</li>
<li>Lightning McQueen's Racing Academy</li>
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Lunch at <a href="https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/dining/hollywood-studios/50s-prime-time-cafe/" target="_blank">50's Prime Time Cafe</a>. A WTF moment when the waitress (not our waitress) came to our table and asked: "<i>Can you sing 'It's a Small World' in your language?"</i>. After being informed that we speak English, she still asked if we know the song in another language. Hmm okay. Is that question in the cast member handbook? Definitely put a damper on the mood.</div>
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Despite not being a Star Wars fan, I was fascinated by the Star Wars area. The tiny details, the painted Dyson hand dryers that blended in with the Star Wars themed toilets. Perhaps also knowing that the area (inclusive of the rides) cost <b>1 billion dollars</b> to construct. One. Billion.<br />
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We also managed to snag a ticket for the popular '<i>Rise of the Resistance</i>' ride. Yes, it did involve a 5am wake up to arrive at the park and considerable stress about the online standby tickets. Was the ride worth it? Undecided. Glad that we went; the ride was very cool and unique. But life changingly amazing? Don't think so.<br />
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I also froze whilst waiting for and watching Fantasmic. A memorable moment was when the fires erupted from the water, resulting in momentary warmth, and a person in the row in front said: <i>'yes have the fire closer to us please</i>'.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2916413610147540596.post-74197021613882789092020-03-13T03:30:00.000+11:002020-03-13T03:30:09.055+11:00Snapshots from EPCOT (Walt Disney World)<center>
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<li>Soarin' Around the World</li>
<li>Mission: Space</li>
<li>Gran Fiesta Tour </li>
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<i> The giant turkey leg that actually just tasted like ham?!</i><br />
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<i> We meet again, Funnel Cake.</i><br />
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Our 'Morrocan' meal.</div>
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<i> The driest tagine ever.</i><br />
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<i>Epcot forver</i></center>
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This was the first park we visited and I was still coming to terms with the fact that I was on a holiday, in the USA again and at a Disney park.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2916413610147540596.post-18739363889801702902020-03-11T21:00:00.000+11:002020-03-11T21:00:16.429+11:00Walt Disney World <center>
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A short overview of a once in a lifetime trip.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>A free family trip to Walt Disney World. We stayed at the Animal Kingdom Lodge (Jambo House) and visited each park, arriving when the park opened and leaving when it closed. <br />
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The unexpectedly cold weather (highs of 13 and lows of 3) that I had not prepared for. Layering all my t-shirts, long sleeves and dresses whilst trying to still look "cute" for all the family photos.<br />
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I used to be a massive Disney fan and like so many others, wanted to visit Disneyland and Disneyworld. But with the passing of time, I stopped being as interested.<br />
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I was surprised by how enthralled I became with the place, how quickly I drank the kool-aid and enjoyed being in such a magical <strike>place</strike> bubble. Watching the "Ever After" firework show at Magic Kingdom and feeling that warmth and belief that yes, really <b>I can do anything and all I need to do is to dream and believe</b>. It is kind of crazy (and scary) how effective the messaging is. <br />
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Yes, I am aware that Disney Corporation basically owns everything. But all that was forgotten upon seeing the characters (I know that these are staff earning minimum wage wearing a costume, but can someone explain to me why I felt so excited to see them?), being greeted by all the cast members with a smile, including security (firstly, never in my life has Security been friendly and secondly, never had anyone check my bag so thoroughly!). The customer service at Disney parks is impeccable.<br />
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This was also my first trip back to the US after my exchange semester many, many moons ago. It was surreal. And strange. A massive shop at the local Walmart, buying all the items that I was too poor to afford on my previous trip.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2916413610147540596.post-30364958956795712212020-02-05T02:30:00.000+11:002020-02-05T02:30:08.096+11:00Wild Pear Cafe<center>
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The act of hating on the state of Sydney's public transport seems to be a popular pastime, especially on r/Sydney. Perhaps I am in the minority, but I genuinely don't believe it is as terrible as it is made out. Sure, there are cities with a better transportation system. But is it the worst? Far from it. And so off I went to catch public transport to <a href="https://www.wildpearcafe.com/">Wild Pear Cafe</a>. Yes, it took me 3 different transfers (bus - metro - bus) and understandably a lot simpler to drive to the cafe.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>This cafe had been on my radar for years; back when I was more interested in the brunch scene and was more willing to part with $20+ for a dish.<br />
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I ordered a <b>chai latte</b> ($3.80) and<b> sweet pea falafel</b> ($23.90). I had contemplated ordering the signature milkshake - Rosewater milkshake topped with Persian fairy floss - but at $7.90 it was a little expensive.<br />
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<i>poached eggs, grilled halloumi, avocado, fennel, fresh herbs & lemony yoghurt</i></div>
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My dish was really good and I am glad that I finally visited the cafe. Despite being in a salaried job, I still struggle to accept prices for brunch places. How do people afford this on a weekly basis?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2916413610147540596.post-58861976917553283842020-01-29T22:00:00.000+11:002020-01-29T22:00:02.454+11:00Central Coast<center>
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Despite the Central Coast's proximity to Sydney, it's an area that I have rarely ventured to. <br />
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<a name='more'></a>An early morning journey on a train carriage that I associate with the Blue Mountains line (the purple seats!). It followed the Hawkesbury River, a more scenic journey in comparison to the car travel on Pacific Highway.<br />
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The subsequent bus ride took me towards Forresters Beach where I had intended to visit Wyrrablong Lookout. However, with the humidity, I decided to head down towards the beach instead. <br />
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Dogs running down the beach; I also saw a pod of dolphins!<br />
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Next stop was Wamberal Beach, the beach south of Forresters. It became a little less overcast and the aqua / blue in the water was more prominent.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2916413610147540596.post-8265296040656336972019-12-26T03:00:00.000+11:002020-03-11T14:59:31.453+11:00Beijing ii<center>
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One overnight train from Harbin and we were back in Beijing.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>I wasn't a big fan of Beijing. I acknowledge that we stayed and explored the general vicinity of the Forbidden City. Blocks after blocks of ... well, not a whole lot, to be quite frank.<br />
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<i> Tiananmen Square</i></center>
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We reached the entrance of Jingshan Park however realised we were 2RMB short. Cue the search for an ATM. A search that took us approximately 40 minutes.<br />
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<i> Final meal. It was okay. </i></center>
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Our flight from Beijing to Sydney was at 1am and we naively thought that we could kill time at the airport by using the free airport internet or by eating. Oddly enough, the terminal only had 4 eateries (!!) (quite expensive) and sadly, we couldn't connect to the WiFi as we did not have a functioning mobile number. Many hours spent reading ebooks that I did not enjoy *cough* An Ember in the Ashes series *cough*<br />
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Our flight path followed the Queensland coast which was absolutely stunning. Look at the turquoise coloured water!<br />
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<i>For an overview of my China trip refer to <a href="https://www.dignifiable.com/2019/11/china-overview.html" target="_blank">this post</a>.</i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2916413610147540596.post-40912527576856302292019-12-23T04:30:00.000+11:002019-12-23T04:30:04.826+11:00Harbin<center>
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Harbin, the capital of Heilongjiang, is famous for the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harbin_International_Ice_and_Snow_Sculpture_Festival">International Ice Festival</a> held in January every year. <br />
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We caught the overnight train from Beijing to a) save on accommodation costs and b) for the experience. We had never been on a sleeper train before and were a bit apprehensive initially. But it was pretty great and the beds were comfortable. <br />
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<i> Soft sleeper</i></center>
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Harbin is S's colleague's (let's refer to him as Y) hometown and his trip back home coincided with ours! It was ultra lovely to have someone take us around and - quite importantly - someone who was able to speak Mandarin. <br />
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Compared to other cities we visited, Harbin was refreshing, psychologically and literally as it was 3 degrees when we arrived! There were significantly fewer people and interestingly, an absence of ride-share bikes. <br />
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<i>Saint Sophia Cathedral - built-in 1907. Unfortunately, it was closed and we couldn't have a look inside.</i></div>
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The city owes its origin to the construction of the Chinese Eastern Railway through Manchuria (Northeast China) by the Russians at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century. It became a haven for refugees from Russia after the Revolution of 1917 and for a time had the largest Russian population of any city outside the Soviet Union.<br />
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In 1921, Harbin had a population of 300 000, including 100 000 Russians. However, by the 1950s, the majority of Russians had emigrated to other countries or expatriated to their home countries.</blockquote>
Russian influence is evident in the buildings and the cuisine. In fact, Y told us he had to learn Russian when he was in school.<br />
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Zhongyang Dajie is the main tourist thoroughfare; it is the city's historic quarter where the densest cluster of Harbin’s old restored buildings can be found.<br />
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Next stop was Lao Dao Wai, an old district of Harbin and where Y's father grew up. There were two roads rebuilt with 'Chinese Baroque' style 2 storey stone houses. I originally thought the buildings had been restored, but Y told us they were simply reconstructions and the original buildings were demolished. We didn't visit Harbin in its peak season (aka winter), but the streets were eerily quiet. We ducked into an information centre for warmth and stumbled upon some of the local vodkas, with a casual alcohol content of 85% ?!?!<br />
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Further away, there were entire blocks of dilapidated buildings fenced off. I wonder if they will all eventually get a facelift or - as Y said - if they will simply just get a new 'skin' once the area is "restored" for tourism. In some respects, it reminded me of my visit to <a href="https://www.dignifiable.com/search/label/neworleans" target="_blank">New Orleans</a> many years ago where the French Quarter was polished and pristine. And yet a mere stones through away from the tourist thoroughfare, it was almost as though there was another city, less polished and quite tired. <br />
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We stopped at a bakery that Y visited as a kid and tried traditional cookies and ice cream. This was the only building that was open and everything else was fenced off. <br />
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Lunch was at <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com.au/Restaurant_Review-g297433-d3430868-Reviews-Hua_Mei_Western_Restaurant_ZhongYang_Main_Street-Harbin_Heilongjiang.html" target="_blank">Huamei</a>, a restaurant that serves Russian (or "Russian") food. We had the Chinese version of borscht and some other dishes that were probably not particularly Russian. When in Harbin.<br />
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After lunch, we went across the road for the second ice cream for the day. Oddly enough - for a city that is bitterly cold for the majority of the year - Harbin is known for its ice cream. In fact the stall, Madieer, first opened in 1911! Similar to the first ice cream, it was incredibly tasty and what I imagine real ice cream should taste like (<a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/2017/01/16/the-great-ice-cream-lie-weve-all-been-living-and-eating_a_21647932/">most of the "ice cream" in the supermarket is not actually ice cream</a>)<br />
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For dinner we went looking for street food.<br />
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<i> Guo Bao Rou - the original sweet and sour pork. It is not very sweet and has a stronger emphasis on the sour (vinegar). Incredibly tasty.</i><br />
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The next day we headed back to Zhongyang Dajie for some breakfast before visiting the <a href="https://unit731.org/" target="_blank">Unit 731 museum</a>. <br />
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Harbin is also known for red sausage, commonly referred to as Churin's sausage. <br />
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In March 1909, a Russian immigrant, Ivan Yakovlevich Churin established “Churin’s Sausage Factory and started production of northeastern style sausages employing Lithuanian staff. Harbin Red sausage is a typical cured and smoked pork sausage as they were made in Poland or Lithuania.</blockquote>
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<i>Finally some non-sweet bread!!!</i></div>
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There is something that could be said about what we are taught in highschool during history classes, but - embarrassingly- it was only a few years ago when I learnt about Unit 731. If you don't know anything about it, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unit_731" target="_blank">read here</a>. It is pretty grim. Especially the immunity provided by the US. The museum is located on the grounds of the original Unit 731 and is well designed and thoughtfully planned; the exhibits illustrate the full picture, of how the unit came to fruition and how it ended.<br />
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After the museum, we met up with Y and had an amazing lunch (Shandong pancakes) at LaoChang ChunBing, followed by the final ice cream.<br />
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Harbin was one of my favourite cities on the trip. A city steeped with such an interesting and amazing history. Definitely not a city on people's radar outside of the Ice Festival, but still worth visiting outside peak season. I am interested to see what the city will look like in another 10 years. Will the Russian architecture and history be preserved or will everything get knocked down for new developments.<br />
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Interesting articles:<br />
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<li><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/04/world/asia/harbin-china-russia-architecture.html" target="_blank">Chinese City With a Russian Past Struggles to Preserve Its Legacy</a></li>
<li><a href="http://the%20grueling%20work%20behind%20china%27s%20renowned%20harbin%20ice%20festival/" target="_blank">Gruelling work behind China's renowned Harbin ice festival</a></li>
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<b>Note:</b> My camera randomly decided to work again on the second / final day in Harbin.<br />
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<i>For an overview of my China trip refer to <a href="https://www.dignifiable.com/2019/11/china-overview.html" target="_blank">this post</a>.</i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2916413610147540596.post-48100793559536063892019-12-20T15:41:00.000+11:002019-12-20T15:41:53.716+11:00The Great Wall: Jinshanling<center>
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A trip to China would be incomplete without a visit to the Great Wall. During the planning stages, I knew that we didn't want to go to Badaling or Mutianyu which can get quite crowded with the tour groups. However, due to time restrictions, we could only visit a section that was accessible as a day trip. Jinshanling met all our requirements, including being accessible with local transportation (aka without a driver or taxi).<br />
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Jinshanling is located 125 km northeast of Beijing. This stretch of the wall contains both restored and unrestored sections.<br />
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There is a direct tourist bus from Dongzhimen to Jingshaling however it only runs for a portion of the year (information on when it stops running is not available online). An alternative method (with 2 buses) is also available, refer to <a href="http://www.beijinghikers.com/hike-in-beijing/view/353/jinshanling-great-wall/">this post</a>. Thankfully the direct tourist bus was running on 21st October! <br />
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When we got off the bus, the air was considering colder and fresher than Beijing (~10C).<br />
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The views were breathtaking, especially with the autumn colours. <br />
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<i> My attempt at an artsy photo ft the most disappointingly bland donut shaped cookie. The photo didn't turn out as well as what I thought it would. Maybe I need to crop the sides. </i><br />
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We walked from Zhuanduokou Pass to East Gate, a distance of 7km. Seven kilometres isn't a great distance, however, it took us ~ 4 hours (with breaks). I had underestimated how strenuous the hike would be. Whilst I was aware that the wall followed the curves of the landscape, I had not expected that some of the inclines would be so bloody steep. <br />
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There was a section where my shoes were slipping whilst walking up the incline (honestly must have been at least 40 degrees). And there were other sections where each step was 30cm high. It also didn't help that I was sick and I was casually hacking up my lung.<br />
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<i> The section where my shoes were slipping is at the top of the hill (I think that was the section...)</i><br />
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But I made it to the end! Truth be told, I was worried that I wouldn't make it to the end and I was stressed about it as that was where the bus would be. <br />
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<i> Food always tastes better after a hike. </i><br />
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<i>For an overview of my China trip refer to <a href="https://www.dignifiable.com/2019/11/china-overview.html" target="_blank">this post</a>.</i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2916413610147540596.post-11379609003622553522019-12-13T02:30:00.000+11:002019-12-13T02:30:09.612+11:00Beijing i<center>
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Beijing - the capital of the People's Republic of China.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>Shortly after we arrived in the city, we headed out to Siji Minfu for Peking duck. As expected, there was a wait (~30 min) but there were snacks!<br />
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I hadn't expected that it would take over 50 mins after we ordered for the duck to arrive.<br />
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<i> Complimentary jujubes. I didn't realise that this was the fresh form of the red dates!</i></center>
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Finally the duck! We ordered the "whole duck" ergo, we got both breast pieces. It did hurt my soul a little when they took the rest of the duck away, knowing that it would be used for another dish for someone else's order. Seems a bit like double-dipping. <br />
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The duck had almost no fat, however, I had expected the skin to be crispy (it wasn't). It was also a bit of an odd experience; we had started to eat and the waitress came over to demonstrate how to wrap the pancake. But we had already started doing it ourselves...<br />
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Nonetheless, I am glad that we went. The cost of the meal (whole duck, 2 x condiments and 2 x pancake) was 246 RMB. When in Beijing. <br />
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Beijing is also known for the Forbidden City and we had intended on visiting. However, after walking against the stream of tour groups and witnessing the sheer number of people at the exit, we gave it a pass. If you want to read about the Forbidden City, <a href="https://www.icepandora.com/2019/10/the-forbidden-city-peking-duck.html" target="_blank">Ice Pandora wrote about her visit</a>! <br />
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<i> Gotta love the larger sized Yakult</i><br />
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<i>One of many instances where we had to walk against the crowd.</i><br />
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<i> After the group passed.</i><br />
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We found it quite difficult to find food and even those generic souvenir shops selling magnets, mugs, etc. Perhaps it was simply one of those instances where if you are actively searching for something, all the shops seemingly disappear. <br />
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<i> Zhajiangmian. As I write this post, only now do I notice those stray pieces of celery and carrot in the bowl ...</i><br />
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Our trip to Beijing was punctuated by a visit to Harbin in-between.<br />
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<i>For an overview of my China trip refer to <a href="https://www.dignifiable.com/2019/11/china-overview.html" target="_blank">this post</a>.</i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2916413610147540596.post-83883893132525037262019-12-09T02:30:00.000+11:002019-12-10T06:51:56.264+11:00Shanghai<center>
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Is it embarrassing to admit that I didn't know much about Shanghai apart from pan fried pork buns, xiao long baos, the Bund and the fact it is a financial hub? <br />
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<a name='more'></a>The older I get, the more I realise that I actually know so little about a lot of things.<br />
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<i> 7 hour train journey from Xi'an</i> </center>
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During my pre-holiday research, I learnt about the international settlements as well as the influx of European Jewish refugees during the 1930s The latter was something that I had absolutely no knowledge about.<br />
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In Shanghai we:<br />
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→ Ate lots of panfried buns.<br />
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→ Ate xiao long baos from <a href="http://www.smartshanghai.com/venue/6080/Lin_Long_Fang_" target="_blank">Lin Long Fang</a>.<br />
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→ Walked around the Bund.<br />
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→ Went to the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shanghai_Jewish_Refugees_Museum" target="_blank">Jewish Refugees Museum</a>. The museum is housed in the former synagogue. It is quite small and the exhibits consist predominately of items donated by Jewish individuals who had lived in Shanghai temporarily before moving to USA, / Australia / Canada etc.<br />
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→ Wandered around the residential areas. There was a development site on almost every "block".<br />
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→ Visited a former <a href="https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/1933-slaughterhouse" target="_blank">abattoir 1933</a>.<br />
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→ Meandered around the French Concession.<br />
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<i> Jiangbing</i> <br />
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<i> Lined up for scallion pancakes but abandoned the line after 20mins</i></center>
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→ Strolled through the Marriage Market in People's Park<br />
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→ Chuckled at the Woolworths private label pancake mix.<br />
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<i>For an overview of my China trip refer to <a href="https://www.dignifiable.com/2019/11/china-overview.html" target="_blank">this post</a>.</i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2916413610147540596.post-18645981561338384942019-12-05T02:30:00.000+11:002019-12-05T02:30:01.202+11:00Terracotta Army<center><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz5-jsxR3cmMAGDOE6OSuo9YaMLyAIpKccmC1jQGrF4pGLHF14nvTmnUR4aKp1_67HyuG095vsPw64tJhX-3jagFF1ujPQbRuElN-BkUatICZmV-FdRU0KdaUnyXoneMmhMcwNbheN6Lry/s1600/TA.jpg" /></center><br />
The main drawcard for Xi'an is the famous Terracotta Army.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>My camera decided to not turn on on my second day in Xi'an. This was the second time this had happened; the first time was on my <a href="https://www.dignifiable.com/search/label/tasmania" target="_blank">Tasmania</a> trip and I, sadly, had to use my Nexus S for photos. The incident was actually the catalyst for my desire to upgrade my 5-year-old phone last year as I didn't want to get caught out again. Fortunately / unfortunately, the situation happened again. (And just like before it magically resolved itself a week later).<br />
<blockquote><b>How to get there by public transport - Oct '19</b><br />
<ul><li>Catch the Tourist Bus 5 (306) bus from Xi'an Railway Station. The railway station at the north gate and not Xi'an North Railway Station (high speed trains).</li>
<li>There is a blue sign near the bus and the bus itself is grey. Apart from the number in the window, there isn't any verbiage on the side indicating it is going to the Terracotta Army. Ticket cost = 7 RMB</li>
<li>The bus journey is approximately 70 mins and, as expected, once outside the city limits the traffic thins and the ride is fairly fast.<br />
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<li>Note: The bus will drop you off at a secondary car park and naturally, there are people there who can take you to the attraction for a fee. It isn't necessary as it is a simple 5 min walk to ticket office. Just look for the main carpark full of coaches. </li>
</ul></blockquote>On the way to the attraction, we passed numerous pomegranate orchards and roadside stalls. Despite the crowds at the entrance, there was no one lining up for tickets at the ticket office (presumably because they were part of a tour with pre-organised tickets). Ticket cost = 120 RMB.<br />
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The site houses a collection of terracotta sculptures - warriors and non-military figures - that were created to join Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China (210-209 BCE), in the afterlife. The sculptures were discovered in 1974 by farmers who were digging a well. The sculptures were originally painted however the paint flaked off over time / during excavation. <br />
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The sheer age and number (8000+!?) of sculptures is mind-boggling. There are 3 pits so far, however with more areas that have not been excavated yet. <br />
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It was an incredible place and glad I ticked this off my bucket list.<br />
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<i>For an overview of my China trip refer to <a href="https://www.dignifiable.com/2019/11/china-overview.html" target="_blank">this post</a>.</i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2916413610147540596.post-25831369120690996192019-11-27T03:00:00.000+11:002019-12-04T14:45:00.904+11:00Xi'an<center>
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Xi'an - the capital of Shaanxi province and known for the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor or the Terracotta Warriors.<br />
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I'll be frank. I didn't enjoy my visit to Xi'an. <br />
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I always feel a little guilty when I don't like a place. And I know I shouldn't! <br />
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Perhaps my displeasure with the accommodation and the fact that my camera decided to not turn on influenced my overall thoughts. But I'm inclined to think that they weren't contributing factors.<br />
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I was overwhelmed by the fact that shopping centres were on every single corner. Every. Few. Metres. I thought the price of admission to the city wall was quite expensive. As a reviewer on TripAdvisor mentioned, it is almost the same price as the Great Wall!<br />
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Plus, we walked almost 6km in the rain to visit a museum that we couldn't enter as it required prior reservation through WeChat only. My own mistake as I didn't do enough research. Although I'm sure I did see information previously that you could line up as a foreigner at the ticket office. Live and learn.<br />
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Although the highlights of the city centred around the food! On the first night, we visited the famous Muslim street (Huimin Jie) and tried traditional Xi'an street food.<br />
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<i> Zeng Gao - glutinous rice with red jujube. I was expecting it to be a lot sweeter.</i></center>
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On a side street away from the main area, we stumbled upon a group of people crowded around a table. We watched as the stall owner skilly made the meat-filled flatbread, stretching out the dough so thin to create the flakey layers. Incredible! I am not entirely sure it is is called but it was very tasty. It was similar to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B%C3%B6rek" target="_blank">börek</a>.<br />
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I also didn't realise that pomegranate was such a popular and plentiful fruit in the region!<br />
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<img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49123661911_8ba4b40c66_c.jpg" /><br />
<i> There was this super cheap bao place near our hostel</i></center>
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Unsure what this was, but there was a long line and we decided to try it. Some kind of roll with fermented vegetables and crackers.<br />
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Overall, I was quite underwhelmed by the city and, with the benefit of hindsight, should have spent a day less. <br />
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<i>For an overview of my China trip refer to <a href="https://www.dignifiable.com/2019/11/china-overview.html" target="_blank">this post</a>.</i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2916413610147540596.post-24730414159568605252019-11-23T03:30:00.000+11:002019-11-23T03:30:03.375+11:00Giant Pandas<center>
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When I was a kid, I watched a Cantonese dubbed movie about a panda cub that was captured by humans, taken to a zoo and then he became depressed and died alone in a zoo. To say that the movie was sad would be an understatement - the final scene where he was remembering his mum (who was killed when he was captured) was utterly heartbreaking. Years later and many obscure Google searches later (i.e. panda movie capture Cantonese) finally led me to the name of the movie - a 1981 Japanese film called <a href="http://shochikufilms.com/product/tao-tao-the-story-of-panda">Tao Tao: The Story of Panda.</a><br />
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<a name='more'></a><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49053064718_acfc014ba0_c.jpg" /><br />
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The giant panda is native to central China, specifically the Sichuan province. The most accessible place to visit the pandas in Chengdu is the <a href="http://www.panda.org.cn/english/">Research Base for Giant Panda Breeding</a>. It is a non-profit research and breeding facility and there are approximately 120 pandas.<br />
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As every review online states, go early! We arrived at 6.30am (1 hour before opening) and the line was already insanely long! I had attempted to purchase tickets via Klook however they never confirmed my tickets... Nonetheless, it was fairly straightforward to purchase tickets at the gate.<br />
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<i>Red panda</i><br />
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It is recommended to visit early (before 10am) as this is when the pandas are most active. They reminded me a lot of koalas actually, possibly because of how they sleep in the tree.<br />
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<i>Sleeping</i><br />
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<i> So cute</i></center>
<blockquote>
<b>How to get there via public transport</b><br />
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<ol>
<li>Catch the metro to Panda Avenue (Line 3)</li>
<li>Exit the station via Exit B and ignore the people there who will hassle you.</li>
<li>The bus stop should be directly in front. Wait for bus 198 or 198A (2 RMB). Ensure you have exact money. </li>
</ol>
</blockquote>
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Back in the city centre we purchased freshly made fried glutinous rice balls, a traditional Sichuan snack. <br />
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What would a trip to Sichuan be without trying the famous dan dan noodles!<br />
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<i> Wontons in chilli oil</i><br />
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<img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49053794602_542d5be604_c.jpg" /><br />
<i> Cow pea noodles</i><br />
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<i> Dan dan noodles</i></center>
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<i>For an overview of my China trip refer to <a href="https://www.dignifiable.com/2019/11/china-overview.html" target="_blank">this post</a>.</i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2916413610147540596.post-41570878778797804572019-11-20T03:00:00.000+11:002019-12-04T14:45:00.918+11:00Chengdu<center>
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Chengdu - the capital of Sichuan province and home to the famous giant pandas.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>This city had not been on my radar initially. However, after a prompt from S's colleague and discovering that we could get a relatively cheap direct flight to Chengdu, we decided it would be the perfect first city for our trip.<br />
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My first impression at 8am on a weekday was that the streets (including the footpaths) were so wide. Subsequently, there were a lot of pedestrian bridges; never fun with luggage.<br />
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The first visit was People's Park!<br />
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<i>To commemorate the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Railway_Protection_Movement" target="_blank">1911 Movement</a>.</i><br />
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We eventually wandered over to 'Wide and Narrow Alley' aka <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g297463-d1832089-Reviews-Kuanzhai_Alley-Chengdu_Sichuan.html" target="_blank">Kuanzhai Alley</a> for some snacks. This street is a microcosm of the city’s history - the street dates back to the Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911 AD). This was our first tourist location and, as I was soon to discover on the trip, there were more Chinese tourists in tour groups than non-tour group tourists. This was interesting as it wasn't something that I had noticed / experienced on other travelling trips.<br />
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Our first food on the trip, sān dàpào or 'three big cannons', sweetened sticky rice covered in toasted soy and ground sesame. Very tasty and more-ish.<br />
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<i>Lunch - our first of many experiences of pointing to the pictures on the menu (picture menus are great).</i></div>
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The following day, we went to Chengdu Museum which had free admission. Enroute we picked up some steamed pork buns.<br />
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The museum was absolutely fascinating; viewing all the artefacts from the province and the age of some of the items was incredible (over 2000 years ago!).<br />
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Next stop <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g297463-d1832090-Reviews-Jinli_Pedestrian_Street-Chengdu_Sichuan.html" target="_blank">Jingli Street</a>. The street was recorded as early as the Qin Dynasty (221 BC - 206 BC) and was restored in 2004. The street is quite picturesque with traditional buildings and bridges. <br />
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<i>Hello camera</i></center>
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<i>The savoury version of tau foo fah. It is spicy soft bean curd topped with roasted soybeans, pickled vegetables and Sichuan chilli oil.<br />
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There were also many stalls in central Chengdu selling Uighur flatbread (nángbĭng) covered with sesame seeds.<br />
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<i>Very tasty as it was still hot!</i><br />
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<i> A lamb pocket - it was okay but meat was a little tough.</i></center>
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<i>For an overview of my China trip refer to <a href="https://www.dignifiable.com/2019/11/china-overview.html" target="_blank">this post</a>.</i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2916413610147540596.post-11279847199934829352019-11-16T03:30:00.000+11:002019-12-04T14:44:20.557+11:00China: Overview<center>
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China was a lot different from what I had expected and in a good way! I had heard quite polarising views from people who had previously visited and, admittedly, was a little apprehensive on what to expect.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
The common complaints centred around air pollution, the dirtiness of the cities and the behaviour of individuals. Yes, the air quality is not the best in some cities (i.e. Beijing) however I feel that it is a bit of unfair criticism. I've also commonly heard about the brusque nature of the people, however, that wasn't something I noticed. More importantly, it's all down to culture. This was something I was, and have always been, fully aware of; the traits I possess are purely a product of growing up in a specific environment and how I interact is not better than others, it's just different.<br />
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Things that I noticed:<br />
<ul>
<li>As expected, cameras are everywhere. </li>
<li>People are on their phones. All. The. Time.</li>
<li>At each train / subway station, there is security and your bags need to be x-rayed, similar to the airport. Although I am unsure of what they are checking exactly since no one seems to be paying attention.</li>
<li>There are so many people on the streets cleaning, including people who are sweeping leaves which is such a never-ending task in autumn.</li>
<li>The trains are awesome and it is incredible to think the high-speed network was built over the last 12 years. Um, Australia... where is that Sydney → Canberra train that has been harped on about for the last 50,000 years?</li>
<li>There are so many high rise apartment blocks in the middle of nowhere.</li>
<li>Cheap and tasty baos! </li>
<li>As expected, Alipay and WeChat pay is everywhere, but cash is still used. Albeit, sometimes a little inconvenient when queuing at the 1 lone register at the supermarket whilst everyone is using self-service.</li>
</ul>
<h2>
<br />
General Overview</h2>
<b>When: </b>Friday 11th October 2019 - Sunday 27th October 2019<br />
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<b>Transportation:</b> Air China from SYD - CTU and PEK - SYD. All internal travel was via high-speed trains. Train tickets were purchased using <a en="" href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=2916413610147540596" https:="" www.china-diy-travel.com="">China DIY</a> with the code "Seat61". This reduced the agent fee from $10USD per ticket to $5USD. In addition, they had an Australian bank account therefore I didn't need to pay any other additional fees (i.e. credit card or Paypal).<br />
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<b>Weather:</b> October marks the transition into cooler weather for most parts of China. We intentionally picked this period (and post the National holiday) to avoid the hot and humid weather as well as the peak travel season. As expected, Shanghai had the warmest weather whilst Harbin had the coolest.<br />
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<b>Itinerary:</b> Map of our journey. Detailed posts are linked below.<br />
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Chengdu (<a href="https://www.dignifiable.com/2019/11/chengdu.html" target="_blank">i</a>) (<a href="https://www.dignifiable.com/2019/11/giant-pandas.html" target="_blank">ii</a>) ▻ Xi'an (<a href="https://www.dignifiable.com/2019/11/xian.html" target="_blank">i</a>) (<a href="https://www.dignifiable.com/2019/12/terracotta-army.html" target="_blank">ii</a>) ▻ <a href="https://www.dignifiable.com/2019/12/shanghai.html" target="_blank">Shanghai</a> ▻ Beijing (<a href="https://www.dignifiable.com/2019/12/beijing.html" target="_blank">i</a>) (ii) ▻ <a href="https://www.dignifiable.com/2019/12/harbin.html" target="_blank">Harbin</a></div>
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<b>Language:</b> Although I have been to many countries where I don't speak the local language, I was quite nervous about not knowing Mandarin (apart from numbers and a few phrases). This was largely attributable to my colleagues who gave the impression that I would struggle. Cue the stress. And I did struggle. However, I wouldn't say it was more challenging than in other countries. Navigating transportation was relatively straightforward however the language barrier was only most evident when visiting small eateries as we couldn't read the menu. Picture menus are the best or simply pointing at someone else's meal.<br />
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<b>Expenses:</b> I have always struggled to answer when people ask me whether X country is expensive to travel around. Well, the exception is Switzerland because yes it is bloody expensive. China is arguably cheap but only because of the currency I am converting from. <br />
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Everyone spends their money differently and overall cost depends on a myriad of personal choices. This includes airline, accommodation, getting around the city (taxi, public transport, rideshare) and choosing where to eat.<br />
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I am fairly frugal in my everyday life and this shapes my travelling style. I am quite selective about which paid attractions I visit, I always catch public transport or walk (free!) and try to eat at small local eateries. For this trip, we stayed at private rooms in hostels (bar the last night). Note: hostels in China are completely different from my experiences of hostels in North America and Europe. <br />
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Perhaps some might find this useful or you may be a little bit of a sticky beak (I definitely am one at times) but my rough expenses for the trip broken down:<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<u>Flights: </u>$750<br />
<u>Visa + travel insurance:</u> $150<br />
<u>Intercity travel</u>: $500<br />
<u>Accommodation:</u> $300 ($40 pp/night)<br />
<u>Spending money</u>: $270<br />
<b>Total: ~$2000 AUD</b></blockquote>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2916413610147540596.post-78434776765685710192019-10-17T06:00:00.000+11:002019-10-17T06:00:00.995+11:00I'm on holiday!<center>
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I am currently on my long-awaited holiday! It has been a long year and - yes I know this is such a privileged thing to say- I am thankful that I am able to take some time off.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>Truth be told, China was never on my list of countries that I wanted to visit. My early twenties self simply didn't have an interest and I was more excited about visiting the USA and "Europe". But when I was learning about <a href="http://www.dignifiable.com/search/label/mongolia" target="_blank">Mongolia</a> (as part of my pre-trip preparations), I became intrigued about China. Specifically the western half - Xinjiang- and its historical importance during the Silk Road.<br />
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Even a few years ago, there were some political issues that made me feel a little hesitant to visit. And there was also a part of me that was quite nervous about visiting alone. Fast forward a few years and that unease haven't dissipated. Nonetheless, as I began to educate myself on the country I became more enthralled with the culture and history. <br />
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I have loaded my Kindle with quite a few books; it's always good to have lots of options. This is actually my "new" Kindle as I thought I lost my other Kindle*. Instead of purchasing a brand new Kindle and to save some money, I took the plunge and purchased a second-hand Kindle from eBay. There are a few scratches on the bezel (which pains my soul), but apart from that, it's been great! I was initially tossing up between a Kindle Paperwhite or a Kobo Clara; a Kobo is compatible with Overdrive, therefore, I wouldn't need to read library ebooks on my phone anymore. But alas, I thought it was a bit pricey and the power button felt so flimsy! Here's hoping that Kindles outside of the US can use Overdrive one day... <br />
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* I actually found my old Kindle, oddly enough in my box where I store my travel gear. I will need to sell one of them as I don't need two. I have absolutely no idea how that Kindle ended up in that box ...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2916413610147540596.post-16865005972182824822019-10-10T05:30:00.000+11:002019-10-10T05:30:00.327+11:00Lady AntebellumEver since I got my first "adult" job, music has taken a backseat in my life. Sure, I listen to music whilst I'm at work. However, it is to simply tune out my colleagues' chatter when I need to concentrate (ah the joys of an open plan office). I almost exclusively listen to audiobooks on my commute and haven't really connected to an artist for a quite a while.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>It is fitting that the music that I have fallen back in love is from the same artist I was obsessed with right before I started my full-time job.<br />
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American Honey and Heart of the World were the defining songs of my <a href="https://www.dignifiable.com/search/label/south%20australia" target="_blank">South Australia</a> road trip.<br />
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I have been obsessed with all three songs that Lady Antebellum have released from their new album. As they have mentioned, it is more similar to the style of their earlier albums (I wasn't a fan of their last album... at all).<br />
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This acoustic version ♥ </i></center>
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There is a part of me that is bummed that I never saw them at their first and only show in Sydney; my then-boyfriend bought tickets and we broke up before the show. In hindsight, I also have no idea why I didn't just buy a ticket for myself... I suspect the cost was the deterrent (tbh even now I find concert tickets to be quite pricey).Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2916413610147540596.post-26098848693475965452019-09-15T13:10:00.001+10:002021-07-02T10:09:36.849+10:00Adventures in Sydney: Hidden 2019<center>
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It is that time of the year. The yearly tradition of wandering around Sydney's largest cemetery as part of HIDDEN.<br />
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It was crazily windy on opening day and it also didn't help that I was feeling quite unwell.<br />
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Well, I only knew once I got home that I actually had a fever. And then proceeded to spend the next 2 days in bed. Whoops. <br />
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Perhaps it boils down to changing tastes and interests, but I didn't enjoy it as much as previous years. Similar to Vivid, I don't foresee another visit in the near future. <br />
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Below is an attempt to create something ~artistic~ using my Sony camera. Please excuse the shakiness (I can't simply blame it on being ill); trying to focus using a manual focus lens is difficult.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2916413610147540596.post-36413062048769426072019-08-07T23:00:00.000+10:002019-08-08T11:12:45.963+10:00Adventures in Sydney: Coastal Walk<center>
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The Bondi to Coogee coastal walk is on quite a few listicles - The Top X Things you MUST Do in Sydney. However, Coogee isn't the terminus for the coastal walk as you can continue to Malabar (and eventually to La Perouse when they finish the construction).<br />
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On an early Sunday morning, I commenced the walk from Coogee with the intention of going south until I was bored (or when S' breakfast engagement finished).<br />
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I have been experimenting with my newest <a href="https://www.dignifiable.com/2017/09/shooting-with-russian-lens.html" target="_blank">Russian lens</a>, Helios 44- 58mm, that I acquired when I bought my latest film SLR. It is always a little difficult to get the focus right (manual) but when I do, I am amazed by the photo.<br />
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I didn't end up at Malabar and stopped my walk at Maroubra Beach, one of many beaches on the Eastern Suburbs that I had never been to.<br />
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Side note: Although the stretch between Bondi to Coogee is picturesque, I always thought it was a little overrated compared to some spots on the Northern Beaches.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0