Sigiriya or La Piedra

Sigiriya and La Piedra are two of the most intriguing rocks in the world. These rocks can be seen standing proudly from afar as one approaches the sites. 

Sigiriya in Sri Lanka was built by King Kasyapa as his new capital. After his death, it was used as a Buddhist monastery. Reaching the top means clambering up a series of grooves cut into the rock with the assistance of the  handrail. On top of the rock is the ruins of an upper palace with a view of its surroundings stretching as far as the eyes could see.

La Piedra in Guatape Colombia may not have any historical significance as Sigiriya but it is the pride of its residents. There’s a huge long crack which is conveniently wedged with a 650-step bricked staircase all the way up. At the top, visitors are welcomed with vendors selling snacks, fresh fruits and cold drinks. And the view is fantastic.

It is a long way up on either rock, but once you are up there you’ll feel a sense of accomplishment that is satisfying.

Better days ahead

2014 was not a good year for me. I had to go to Malaysia in the beginning of the year as there was a death in the family. The day I arrived, my sister drove me to the Buddhist funeral home where our dad would spent his last three days on earth for families and friends to pay their final respects before burial.

I rested, and took a step backward to reflect the life of my late father. He actually had a pretty good life. May he rest in peace.

I had a chance to visit two of Malaysia’s popular destinations, Ipoh and Penang.

Ipoh today has totally blossomed into a beautiful cityscape that marries old-world charm with modern facilities. Known for its local fare, Ipoh offers an endless lists of street food for the diehard foodies coming from all over the world. ‘Bean sprout chicken noodles”, “Chee cheong fun (flat noodles) with curry”, and “white coffee” are just some of the few originated from this once sleepy colonial town. A good friend of mine, Michelle opened a floral shop a couple of years ago in the part of town which is still occupied by rows of old shophouses with hidden treasures for the adventure seeking individuals. 

"The Pearl of the Orient" or simply Penang has a unique architectural and cultural landscape without parallel anywhere in Southeast Asia. It is also the most livable city in Malaysia and it has the lowest crime rate in the country. I spent the weekend with a few of my closest friends, and it was really nice to do catch up with them. The architecture in Penang is a durable testament of her history - outstanding colonial buildings include the Municipal Council and Town Hall buildings, Penang Museum, the Eastern and Oriental Hotel, St George's Anglican Church, and buildings in the old commercial district - all of which are part of the UNESCO Heritage Site. Certain old walls within the city have been given a new lease of life with beautiful wall painting of children all across historical Georgetown. These are the works of Lithuanian artist, Ernest Zacharevic, and the artworks are one of the main draws to the island these days.

I stayed in London for a few days on my flight back to New York. I met with a friend, Chin for a day. I helped her moved to her new apartment which is located near the Eventim Apollo where Kate Bush had her ‘Before The Dawn’ performances late August last year. “Come and stay with me on your next trip, Herman”, she said. I promised I would just do not know when. 

I took a day trip to Stonehenge, Salisbury and Bath. Stonehenge is one of the most famous sites in the world. It is the remains of a ring of standing stones set within earthworks located in Wiltshire, England. The site and its surrounding were added to the UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites in 1986. Unfortunately, I find its historical facts and believes are much more interesting that the sight itself. Salisbury Cathedral has the tallest church spire in the United Kingdom.The cathedral was beautiful although I hate to admit that I missed the opportunity to view the Magna Carta. Bath is well-known for its Roman baths and Temple but it was the Royal Crescent which is a row of 30 terraced housed laid out in a sweeping crescent in the city that is really beautiful and breathtaking. My only complaint about the tour is there was just not enough time. 

This was my year in travel for 2014. Where would I go in 2015? Right now I’m still debating whether I should go to Medellin, Colombia for a friend’s wedding happening in 3 weeks time. I will be heading back to Malaysia in February. I will fly to Cambodia to see the Angkor Wat, the 7th Wonder of the World in March. As for the rest of the year, I hope to reinvent myself for a better year ahead and beyond.

Helsinki

There are a few ferry operators that run between Tallinn and Helsinki. Prices may vary depending on the time of travel as well as ferry but the crossing would probably takes a little more than 2 hours. 

I had less than 2 days in Helsinki so I decided to see a few attractions in Helsinki. 

Temppeliaukio Church is naturally quarried out of a natural bedrock. The church hall is like a dome lined with copper and supported on the rock walls by reinforced concrete beams. Due to its design and shape, the church gives an excellent acoustics sound as it bounces from one end to the other during a choir session there.

Helsinki was chosen to be the World Design Capital 2012, and I could see why. The city is filled with beautiful buildings with architectures from Art Nouveau to Romanticism. 

The Helsinki Cathedral is symbolic to Helsinki. There are steps leading to the main entrance of the Cathedral. As I stood watching from the top, I could see rows of stalls with decorative lightings reveling for the coming Christmas celebration. It was truly magical. Kiasma is contemporary art museum designed by American architect Steven Holl. The building curves to one end intertwining with the geometry of the city and landscape. The museum housed Finnish and foreign art, particularly from the Nordic and Baltic States. 

After two weeks of non-spicy food, I had the desire to eat something real spicy on my last night before heading back to New York the next morning. I decided to go for Indian. The food was pretty good but unfortunately, it was not spicy at all. I was disappointed but also felt sad that I had to leave. 

There are so much in Helsinki that I had yet to discover. I am hoping to visit the place again but hopefully in a warmer weather next time.

The Baltic States: Tallinn

My last stop in the Baltics was Tallinn. A 4-hour bus ride from Riga, Tallinn has one of the best well-preserved Old Medieval Towns in the world. I stayed at a Fat Margaret's hostel which is less than 2 minutes walk to the gate of Tallinn's Old Town. It is an old house with steps that squeak as I walked up to my room on the second floor. The sky was already dark by 3PM as I ventured out to Old Town. I was impressed with it. 

The fortified walls and towers with cobblestones streets and narrow lanes within the medieval houses is a joy to walk. I think Tallinn is the best among the three capitals in the Baltics. Since it is so close to Helsinki, the city gives a modern European vibes to the city as well as an old European charm to it. Once I'm outside the Old Town, the city is filled with modern buildings and shops.

The Kohtuotsa viewing platform situated on top of Toompea hill has a beautiful view of the Medieval neighborhood against the backdrop of the city's modern district. I was told that the platform is the most famous picture point by the tour guide. The tour took me to the St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral which is the main Russian Orthodox cathedral. This onion-domed structure is richly decorated to symbolize the Russian dominance in Estonia. The cathedral does hold marriage ceremony but it would never closed to the public. Thus, the wedding couple may have a hard time knowing who their guests really are during the ceremony as people would come and go at any time. 

The Freedom Square has an interesting story too. The Monument to the War of Independence is constructed to commemorate all those who had fought for freedom and independence. It consists of glass plates and a Czech Republic company was awarded to build the monument. Unfortunately, the monument was poorly done that a court case was filed against the company. Finally, the company had to return 600,000 Euro to the city of Tallinn in early 2014. The monument is brightly lit at night, and it stands directly opposite St John's Church, a Lutheran parish church contrasting the new and the old in the city.

Rotermann Quarter is a collection of dilapidated buildings some years ago, and they are now turning into commercial and cultural center with a taste of avant-garde architecture. The place is home to local designers, as well as Kalev, probably the best-known chocolate brand in Estonia. 

The Baltic States: Riga

Riga is the capital of Latvia. It's a 4-hour bus ride from Vilnius. I was greeted with heavy snow and cold wind when I arrived at the main bus terminal in Riga. I managed to drag my luggage to the hostel I was staying, and thankfully, it is not that far from the station. I told myself I need to take pictures of the city in snow. Braving the icy cold weather, I ventured out and took as many pictures as I possibly could in the least amount of time. I am glad I did, and looking back at the shots I took, they are gorgeous.  

The Freedom Monument is located in the center of Freedom Boulevard near Old Town Riga. It is probably the best location to begin your walk in Riga. The city has impressive Art-Nouveau architecture which spread across its Old Town of which the building of the Brotherhood of Blackheads is the most impressive. The buildings have been reconstructed and expanded a number of times, with elements added to the facade's pediments each time. I went up the tower of St Peter's Church for a panoramic view of the city. As I reached the observation deck, 124 meters in height, I was overwhelmed with bitter cold wind but looking down I saw the city covered with snow. I told myself,"Okay, 10 minutes is all I need" and my fingers were numb by the time I snapped the last picture. The church hall is large, and there are exhibitions detailing the past and present traditions in architecture and arts in the church. I wandered outside and walked along the Daugava River. I saw a row of pavilions, and decided to head toward them. They turned out to be Riga Central Market with each pavilion selling different type of products. I could spend all day going from one to another. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the pavilions were built using old German Zeppelin hangars with Neoclassicism and Art Deco styles.

The Holiday Market near the Riga Cathedral was kind of disappointment. There were not too many stands, and the crowd was almost no where in sight. Was it the weather, or was it just one of those quiet days? I wondered. I went back there again at a different time, and I was met with the same disappointment. 

I joined a walking tour in Riga. It was a very interesting 2-hour tour. Some amazing architectures from the Soviet-era were included in the tour. The most impressive building is an apartment building used by the KGB as a place of tortured and imprisonment of civilians during the Soviet Union occupation in Latvia. Today it is a memorial building with no access to the building. The Latvian Academy of Sciences or popularly known as Stalin's birthday cake is another interesting architecture. The initial idea was to build a collective farm house but the idea was never implemented. The building looks pretty imposing with its natural and artificial stone plates, which were individually ordered from Russia.  

Other places covered in the tour include Riga Central Market and Black Market, which sells nothing but old scrapes of metals from automobiles and other machineries. You can find old mobile phones, old batteries and other old stuff. I do recommend the tour. It begins at noon in front of St Peter's Church. Look out for the lady with a yellow suitcase!

Hill of Crosses

Trakai Island Castle