Hello everyone,
It’s the last day of 2012. For today, I am recapping the journeys I made in 2012, along with a few related entries.
(Some of the cities do not have related blog posts because I am working on a really limited internet connection back home in Sabah. I’ll follow up with the posts once I reach the land of high speed internet–Singapore.)
In case you find this entry a little TL;DR, I want to wish you a happy 2013. May the new year be filled with (productive) travels.
Ciao!
-Yun Qing
January 2012
Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia
In a nutshell: The Seremban which D and I visited was sleepy. There wasn’t much going around as it seems like most of the people prefer to look for a living in Kuala Lumpur.
Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia
In a nutshell: The reason I dragged D along to PD was to wash my feet in the ocean. My family has a ritual of stepping into the ocean when the new year comes to “wash away the bad luck”. PD wasn’t as fantastic as what my primary school sample compositions tell me. I much prefer the beaches in Sabah.
Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
In a nutshell: Back home for Chinese New Year which is the most important festival for my family. I didn’t visit any new places while in Sabah.
February 2012
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
In a nutshell: Impromptu trip to meet up with Nguyen in KL. It was great fun meeting her again after my trip to Saigon after graduation.
March + April 2012
Yogyakarta + Solo, Indonesia
In a nutshell: Back in Indonesia after D and my first trip back in 2009. It was great seeing the ancient monuments in Borobudur and Prambanan.
In a nutshell: The side trip to Solo was fun too since we visited Candi Sukuh and watched Orang Wayang.
- A trip to erotic temple Candi Sukuh: Part 1
- A trip to erotic temple Candi Sukuh: Part 2
- A trip to erotic temple Candi Sukuh: Part 3
Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia
In a nutshell: Finally back to crossing Malaysian states off my list. Ipoh will forever be remembered as the town with great food (almost as good as Penang) and a “castle” that is not really a castle.
May 2012
San Jose, California, USA
In a nutshell: On a business trip to cover an event in San Jose. I had the chance to visit Cupertino and see the Winchester Mystery House. I didn’t get to see much of the city because I was stuck in the convention centers getting my bills paid.
San Francisco, California, USA
In a nutshell: Side trip from San Jose after the business trip. I had planned to visit Napa Valley for a night but decided to stay in SF for the whole week. I saw two great shows, visited many fine museums and cycled a little.
- Falling in love…with San Francisco
- Money saving tips for San Francisco
- Stayed: Pacific Tradewinds Backpacker Hostel, San Francisco review
- Stayed: San Francisco Fisherman’s Wharf Hostel review
June 2012
Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
In a nutshell: Back home for a classmate’s wedding. didn’t get to visit other areas since I was back for only the weekend.
July 2012
Hoi An, Vietnam
In a nutshell: A 5-day trip to central Vietnam. I had planned to visit another historical town, Hue, but decided to spend all the time in Hoi An. I ate a lot, drank a lot of coffee and cycled a lot.
- How did the motorcycle cross the river?
- Party signs in Hoi An
- #FoodFri Glutton in Hoi An part 1
- #FoodFri Glutton in Hoi An part 2: Restaurants
- The ride to My Son which never came
August 2012
Jakarta, Indonesia
In a nutshell: A short weekend trip to the capital of Indonesia. We weren’t caught in traffic jams as we took the TransJakarta public bus. I didn’t do a lot of research so we ended up walking aimlessly.
September 2012
Tokyo + Kamakura Japan
In a nutshell: A day trip to historical Kamakura on the day I reached Tokyo. I love the little town with its little big Buddha and quaint streets.
In a nutshell: A 4-day business trip but I pre-extended the weekend before work. I had the chance to overnight in Ooedo Onsen Monogatari and catch Gintama Land before it was over.
- An overnight’s stay at Ooedo Onsen Monogatari
- Exploring Tokyo’s red light district at night
- Money saving tips for Tokyo: Accommodation and sightseeing
- Money saving tips for Tokyo: Food and drink
- Money saving tips for Tokyo: Transportation
- Stayed Hotel Maruchu, Tokyo review
- #FoodFri Glutton in Tokyo 2
- #FoodFri Omurice at Taimeiken in Tokyo
Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia
In a nutshell: Returned to Kuching. Trip wasn’t as great but I got to meet J the night before.
October 2012
Bangkok, Thailand
In a nutshell: My first visit to Thailand. I narrowed down my to-do list to a few sites and spent a productive weekend.
- First impression of Bangkok
- #FoodFri Glutton in Bangkok
- Bangkok’s Grand Palace is the Versailles of the East
- Review: Tune Hotel Asoke, Bangkok
- Non shopper’s visit to Platinum Mall, Bangkok
- Visited: Cabbages & Condoms, Bangkok, Thailand
- Getting a fake identity at Khaoshan Road, Bangkok
Alor Setar, Kedah, Malaysia
In a nutshell: State 9 of my Visit Malaysia project. A small town where our fourth prime minister, Dr Tun Mahathir, was born. Visited the Alor Setar tower, the second tallest TV tower in Malaysia, and saw a bird’s eye view of the town.
Padang Besar, Perlis, Malaysia
In a nutshell: State 10 of my Visit Malaysia project. Went to the market bordering Thailand. I was a little disappointed that the market didn’t straddle the border with stall owners on one side accepting ringgit while the other baht.
November 2012
No major travelling for the month. It wasn’t as bad as I expected because I had other things to busy myself with during the weekend. For example, reading Web comics, watching Youtube, eating, reading things online etc.
December 2012
Kudat, Sabah, Malaysia
In a nutshell: Back home for the Christmas holiday because of forced leave implemented by the company. Went on a roadtrip with Mom to the north of Sabah. We read a lot, ate a lot of fruits while at the hotel. Also visited the “Tip of Borneo”.
YQtravelling 