Photography – Home & Abroad

Bali – hello again!

Caroline — Sun, 30 Apr 2017 23:26:44 +0000

April 2017

Shortly after our Taiwan holiday we went for another family trip. This time however to an already familiar place: Ubud, Bali.
We spent a few relaxing days with my sister-in-law and her partner in a beautiful villa situated in a lush green environment, only a few minutes from the centre, from where we went to explore the whereabouts of the Monkey Forest, the rice paddies as well as the temples at Gunung Kawi and Tirta Empul.

European Winter

Caroline — Sun, 06 Mar 2016 08:36:23 +0000

February 2016

Whereas I love to go back to Europe in summer to enjoy the long days, I also quite like to go back in winter. There is definitely less chance for sun, but it offers a welcome change from the ever same temperatures we have here in the tropics.
This year’s two-week trip was actually a busy business trip to Zurich, Geneva and Luxembourg that left a few days off work at the end. I wondered what to do and finally decided to stay in Luxembourg as this would not only minimize the travels but also allow for some new discoveries. Some of my work colleagues in Switzerland called me nuts for spending extra time in Luxembourg … and I did not really know what to expect.
However, I liked it from the beginning. It was a great change of perspective from the daily life in bustling Asia. The people are very friendly and open and due to the short distances it was easy to get around by foot. Albeit small, the town is very diverse and offers lots of history, something I am missing here in Singapore. To spice things up, we also went for a day trip to two nearby highlights. Trier, the oldest city in Germany, and Vianden, a small village with an impressive castle in the north of Luxembourg.

Muddy Waters

Caroline — Sun, 23 Aug 2015 11:12:30 +0000

Today, we visited the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve , a place I wanted to see for a while already. I don’t know why we did not made it there earlier … maybe because I considered it too far?! (I mean not really far, but as far as it gets within this tiny place called Singapore ;).)

We coordinated our timing to reach at low tide which allowed us to walk the numerous trails and boardwalks, to discover the mangrove forests and get close to the life in the muddy waters.

The Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve is Singapore’s first ASEAN Heritage Park and has been labelled as a nature park since 1993. It is an ecological jewel and home (or temporary home) to many animals.

Migratory birds come from as far north as Russia and make it their home from September to March. Native animals such as mudskippers, crabs, mud worms, monitor lizards, birds or dragonflies can be seen year round. We heard that it is also the habitat of some estuarine (saltwater) crocodiles but were not lucky enough to spot one. Maybe next time!

Cityscapes of China’s northeast

Caroline — Sun, 19 Jul 2015 14:11:30 +0000

For our recent trip to Tianjin and Dalian in China’s northeast I did not leave with the expectation of taking pictures with a deep blue sky as China’s cities are known for their high level of air pollution. And I was proven right: Although the pollution was not terrible, the sky was mostly rather white than blue.

As a consequence, I often opted for black and white photography which was – in my opinion – a great choice as fortunately both Tianjin and Dalian offer very interesting and distinctive architecture with lots of contrasts. In comparison with other Chinese cities, they seem very European.

Tianjin is China’s third biggest city and has a rich history, impacted by foreign trade in the late 1800s. You find plenty of buildings with British, German, French, Italian or Japanese influence and it seems that the Italian concession houses the biggest cluster of old Italian architecture outside of Italy.

Dalian is China’s northernmost sea port and due to its ice-free location has ever since been a very strategic harbour town. For long, Russian or Japanese occupied the city and it was only in 1955 that it was returned to China. Still today, you see the influence of both countries and I was surprised to find that many Russian still spend their holidays there. The architecture with its old buildings and numerous squares, restaurants and even souvenirs stalls clearly show this influence.

Tianjin

Dalian

Island-hopping in the Singapore Straits

Caroline — Sat, 09 May 2015 02:12:15 +0000

Last week’s Labour Day (1st May Holiday) blessed us not only with a day off from work but also with beautiful weather. We profited to discover a new corner of Singapore and made our way by ferry to the Southern Islands. After a short boat ride we arrived on St. John’s Island, an excellent picnic place for those who do not wish to walk too far from the jetty. Part of the island is still fenced off and a look at the island’s history reveals some interesting facts. It was formerly used as a quarantine station for immigrants, a drug rehabilitation centre and as prison island. Not surprisingly, Singaporean believe that the island is haunted.
Although we did not care much, we left St. John’s quickly and made our way by foot to the more tranquil Lazarus Island. I was impressed by the beauty and serenity of this small island. The lagoon, large sandy beach and pristine waters are definitely not something I expected to find in Singapore. If it were not for the city’s skyline in the distance, you would believe to be stranded on a far-off island paradise.
On the way back the ferry stopped at Kusu Island. Although we were tired, it was the right decision to get off the boat. We would not have wanted to miss out on the (n)ice cold drink that we bought from the super-friendly Uncle at the prominent Chinese temple, the temple itself and the yellow coloured Malay shrine hidden in the thick bushes on top of a small hill.

Rain or Shine

Caroline — Mon, 27 Apr 2015 15:30:06 +0000

After a rainy and lazy Saturday I left home on Sunday with the plan to cycle along the Northern Coast of Singapore. First, we stopped for a fresh seafood lunch at Pasir Ris Town Park … and had to stay put as we were trapped by heavy rain showers… (again)!
Once they cleared we made our way to Pasir Ris Park and switched from our initial idea of riding a bike to a leisurely walk through the mangrove forest and along the coast. This allowed us to enjoy the greenery and have a lookout for birds, snakes, crabs and clams hidden high in the trees or in the mud.
It was no big escape, but Pasir Ris made a nice afternoon outing – before, during and especially after the rain.

Colours of Old Town Bangkok

Caroline — Sun, 12 Apr 2015 08:07:58 +0000

We spent this year’s long Easter weekend in Bangkok. Returning to a place I have been before always feels special; however Bangkok being so vast and diverse, I did not cover much of what I have previously seen and almost none of the usual tourist sites. We spent most of our time in Old Town Bangkok, not far from the river and wandering the lanes off from Samsen Road. It felt a bit like a trip back to old times and into a much more colourful world!

We took our time to join a cooking class, to wander the narrow streets and lanes, to roam local markets, to stop at street stalls and enjoy the little delights of Old Town Bangkok.

We also included a day trip to Kanchanaburi, a small and historic-rich town where we visited the famous bridge over the River Kwai, the impressive WWII cemetery and an excellent museum before we walked the short but beautiful heritage street, still intact with houses dating back more than 100 years and showcasing the diverse influences that the town witnessed over the past century (Chinese, Indian, Portuguese, Japanese).

At the end of each day, delicious, fresh and spicy Thai food and replenishing Thai massages helped us gain back our much needed energy!

Along the Green Rail Corridor

Caroline — Sun, 15 Mar 2015 10:35:38 +0000

Last Sunday I took part in the Green Corridor Run, a unique and beautiful 10.5km run that starts at the historic Tanjong Pagar Rail Station and winds its way along the green corridor to finish at the old Bukit Timah Rail Station.

The Green Corridor is a stretch of greenery along the former rail tracks which have been removed shortly after the train service across Singapore has stopped in 2011. By now, four years later, it has developed into a habitat for wildlife and a picturesque recreational area for runners and bikers.

During the run I got a first impression of the beautiful nature and discovered some interesting sights, well worth further exploring. That’s why I headed back this weekend for a second encounter. This time I followed the trail in the opposite direction, at a much slower pace and with my camera.

The Bukit Timah Rail Station is accessible and is the only part which still showcases a short stretch of railway tracks. The Tanjong Pagar Rail Station and the surrounding railway yard, which comprises staff quarters and a signal station, is however fenced off. Maybe this is on purpose to encourage me to participate again in next year’s race …

Eerily beautiful and abandoned

Caroline — Sun, 01 Mar 2015 15:48:12 +0000

The setting of a book I have recently read (“Crazy Rich Asians”) is a huge and extravagant palace in the middle of Singapore. After some searches on Internet I found that the author must have got his inspiration from an indeed existing place! It is Istana Woodneuk, a mansion that was built by the Sultan of Johor more than 120 years ago. In the history of the “palace” lots of royalties and important people must have visited and walked the impressive staircase.

For unknown reasons, the place has been left abandoned sometimes in the 1950s. In the 60 years since, Mother Nature has taken over and the mansion now lies hidden in the jungle.

As I love such discoveries, I got friends and camera ready and we went on the search of this hidden and abandoned place. What we found is eerily beautiful and lets one imagine its former glory!

Back to square one

Caroline — Fri, 20 Feb 2015 08:32:30 +0000

Hong Kong is the place I have first set foot in Asia. Almost five years ago, my partner and I have spent two days and one sleepless night in Hong Kong. It was my very first experience on the Asian continent and I was instantly fascinated from this whole new world. Back at that time, we were living in Switzerland and yearning to move abroad. However, Asia has never been a consideration until suddenly during this evening in Hong Kong we realised that Asia would indeed be our direction to go. Following a sleepless night and some three weeks of traveling in China we headed back to Switzerland with the plan to come back soon. A year later we started to pack our bags and moved to Singapore…

Our trip to Hong Kong in February 2015 was thus very much a walk down memory lane. Comparing our experience with how it has been the first time, I realised how many new things I have learned over the past years and how much I got accustomed to and fond of Asia. While five years ago I was overwhelmed and fascinated with all new things, now it is different. It feels a bit less exciting for sure, but it still feels very good.