Vignettes of the World
My Travel Journal
We left Simpson’s Gap in less than an hour and arrived at Standley Chasm soon. The Standley Chasm measures 80 meters in height and 5 meters in width. To the Western Arrernte Aboriginals, who are its original occupiers, Stanley Chasm is known as Angkerle Atwatye, …
I refer to the Outback as a colloquial reference to the part of Australian hinterland that comes with a vast expanse of desert and an enormous diversity in natural endowment. If one must put a finger on the proper names, the Outback is located in …
The Australian Outback has captured my imagination for as long as I remember. Although I have been to a number of the eastern coastal cities in Australia, the Outback remained a place of mystery to me. I had thought of that vast desert region to …
The Guia Fortress would be the final stop for this historic excursion into the roots of Macau’s proud history. After lunch at Wabi Sabi, I made me way up a gentle incline to the Guia Fortress. Guia Hill is the highest point in the Macau …
The Houhai Zhongxinhe Park (Houhai Central River Park) has been showing some spring colors and I took a walk there in February. The date of visit is February 8, 2026. The Houhai Zhongxinhe Park Meaning Houhai Central River Park, the recreational space at Houhai Zhongxinhe …
Fortaleza do Monte in Portuguese, the Monte Fort has great historical significance to Macau. This is the site of the battle between the Dutch and the Macanese during the Dutch Invasion of 1622. The tale is one of heroism at one shot. The Jesuit priest …
Plums do not compete with snow for whiteness; snow, however, pales in comparison in fragrance. ~ Snow Plum, by Lu Meipo The Three Friends of Winter: Pine, Bamboo and Plum Blossom There is Chinese poetry written for almost every flower on …
What I had in my mind for the day is the Monte Fort, but before then, let’s go through the St. Paul’s Ruins and the Na Tcha Temple, both of which are on the way. The St. Paul’s Ruins Originally the St. Paul’s College and …
It is the tail end of the winter foliage season and on this sunny afternoon I went to the Honghu Park to take photographs. The date of visit is January 25, 2026. The Honghu Park is an urban park space spanning an area of approximately …
On the second day of the heritage tour in Macau, I visited the Moorish Barracks first, and then headed over to the Monte Fort and the Guia Lighthouse before going home. It was a very hot October day and the walking did amount to a …