Beijing China September 26-October 3, 2025
Xinjiang China 2 September 1-20, 2025
D10 Tashkurgan – Kashi (300km)
On our way back to Kashi, we would visit the Oytak Glacier Park 奥依塔克冰川公园. We had several photo stops to take photos of the Mt Muztaga and the wetland. After lunch, we drove 30 km to the glacier park through an amazing area with deep red mountains and cliffs. At the visitor centre, we had to take a short ride on another bus. Then we had to walk for 1.5 km to reach a view platform. Unfortunately owing to a landslide, the platform was closed. We could not get a closer look of this glacier. We were back in Kashi after 6 pm.
D11 Kashi
We had another leisure day in Kashi. We first visited the Kashi Old Town喀什老城 which is an ancient city with over 2,000 years of history. It is the historical centre of Uyghur culture, trade, religion and art. I enjoyed looking at the ruins in this old town.
Then we walked across the road to the Kashi old town scenic area 喀什古城景区modeled on the old town. It is all about shopping! After lunch, we walked across the road to reach the mosque 艾提尕尔清真寺and explore the area around it. I walked slowly on my own and had a most refreshing pomegranate juice (15 RMB). I reached the Rainbow Alley彩虹巷 before walking back to the mosque to meet up with the group at 4 pm. We had a quick tour of the mosque which is smaller than I have thought. I wonder whether it is still in use: it looks more like a museum!
Bing, Ellen, Cynthia, Sam, Roger, Masy and I returned to a popular local restaurant for dinner. We ended up having a feast with roast pigeon, grilled fish, mutton, and red wine. There was a wedding banquet and we were delighted to see the beautiful bride and her family.
D12 Kashi – Aksu City 阿克蘇市 (450km)
We had a long drive today with a stop at Dao Lang 刀郎. We arrived before 4 pm just in time to watch a city-gate opening ceremony with dance and music performance. Dolan culture refers to the dance, music and culture of a tribe of the Uyghurs. We entered the gate and stopped at various places that showcase their life style including iron-making, their house etc. Then we had a guided tour to several museums with exhibitions on populus euphratica and sculpture, culture life style and musical instruments, and stones from the region. The area is expansive eco-park with plenty of plants, hundreds of populus euphratica, a lake, an aviary in addition to the museums. I enjoyed the visit and we left about 7 pm. We stayed in Vienna Hotel which is nice and comfortable.
D13 Aksu City – Kucha 庫車市 (400Km)
We set off at 9 am and had two attractions to visit namely Tianshan Tomur Canyon and Kizil Caves, both World Heritage Properties.
Tianshan World Heritage Site comprises four components – Tomur, Kalajun-Kuerdening, Bayinbukuke and Bogda, with a total area of 606,833 hectares. The Tianshan Tomur Scenic Area 托木尔峰大峡谷include the grand canyon, Tagelake Village and Bozidun. This region is described as a “living museum of geological evolution” that displays ancient rock formations and impressive canyons. The Danxia and Yadan landforms feature dramatic red sandstone canyons (Danxia) and unique Yadan geological wonders. It also has rock salt karst landform with salt rivers and 36 giant salt mountains.
The grand canyon is a typical fissure gorge stretching 20km in length and approximately 25 in width. It is composed of three main valleys and 12 tributary valleys. The scenic area visitor centre provides visitors with transportation to visit the canyon. We only had time to visit two valleys. First we went to No 4 Valley (Source of Life) where we stayed for an hour. There are six viewing platforms. I managed to climb up and down some 400 steps to reach three platforms which afford wonderful views of the majestic landscape. Then we took a ride to No. 3 Valley and walked along the wide valley floor with close up views of the canyon. Different perspectives!
We had a wholesome lunch after the visit before driving to the Kizil Caves. The caves have an important role in Central Asia art and in the Silk Road transmission of Buddhism. They are said to be the earliest major Buddhist cave complex in China with development occurring between the 3rd and 8th centuries CE. This complex is associated with the ancient kingdom of Kucha. When the caves were first created, the area of Kucha was following the orthodox Sarvastivadin school of early Buddhism. Other famous sites nearby include the Kizilgaha caves, the Kumtura Caves, Subashi Temple and the Simsim caves.
There are 236 cave temples in the Kizil Cave complex. Caves were carved into the cliff stretching from east to west for about 2km. It is said that 135 caves are still relatively intact. Many of the caves have a central pillar design, whereby pilgrims may cir-cum-ambulate around a central column that often have a niche for a statue of the Buddha. Three other types of caves are also present: square caves, caves “with a colossal image”, and monastic cells. A notable feature of the murals in Kizil is the extensive use of blue pigments. In terms of styles of painting, they are mainly grouped under “Indo-Iranian style I” (delicate tone-on-tone paintings using browns, greens and oranges) and Indo-Iranian Style II”s (strongly contrasted colours and strong line strokes with the use of a vivid lapis-lazuli blue). The art of Kizil Caves is thought to have influenced cave art in Mongao Caves in Dunhuang.
We arrived after 6 pm and had to walk some 700 m to reach the bottom of the cliff. We visited six caves (No. 8, 10, 27, 32, 34 and 38). It is sad to see only fragments of mural paintings remaining in these caves which do not seem to be well preserved. I think the caves in Dunhuang are better preserved. It was a long drive to Kucha and we did not arrive at the hotel till 10 pm.
D14 Kucha – Bayinbukuke 巴音布魯克 (220km)
We departed at 9 pm. After a relative short drive, we arrived at the Mysterious Tianshan Grand Canyon (or Keziliya Grand Canyon) which is spectacular with reddish-brown cliffs formed by millions of years of natural erosion, featuring oddly-shaped rocks, craggy pinnacles, and deep ravines. It contains an ancient A-ai Grottoes (or Kizil Thousand-Buddha Grottoes) of historical significance which is closed. We had two hours and I walked slowly on my own soaking in the atmosphere.The natural wonders are awesome and the narrowest section is only 0.4 metre wide. After exploring all possible sites en route (less than 2 km I guess), I took a ride back (20 RMB)
We set off after lunch around 3:30pm for Bayinbukuke (the grassland), a vast scenic area with three main spots: swan homeland, a Tibetan monastery and the famous “nine turns and eighteen bends”. On the way, we had a photo stop at a small beautiful alpine lake. As we did not have much time, the group decided to go straight to the “nine turns and eighteen bends” where one with good luck, can watch nine suns at sunset. It was cold and windy. When we reached there, things looked promising. Unfortunately it became cloudy and by 8 pm, it was clear there was no chance to watch sunset. We made our own way back to the visitor centre which took one hour on the bus. I was back in the centre after 9:20pm. As a result, we had a late dinner after a long and tiring day.
D15 Bayinbukuke –Nalati (200Km)
We set off leisurely at 10 am and had a scenic drive with a stop at an alpine lake. After lunch, we set off for Nalati Grassland. We had two stops – half an hour at a viewing platform and a hour and a half in the grassland. I confess I do not find anything special about Nalati which has been spoilt by over-tourism.
D16 Nalati – Zhaosu 昭蘇 (400km)
We set off at 8:30 am for the Zhaosu county, which is under the administration of Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture and shares a border with Kazakhstan. Zhaosu region is the home of the famous Heavenly Horse 天馬 that Zhang Qian brought back to Emperor Wu after his mission to Xiyu. I love watching the landscape and topography along the highway. Today, I could see golden wheat along the road side ready for harvest. After lunch, we drove on and arrived at the wetland scenic area around 3pm. There were few birds in the wetland. The show began at 4pm. I took a vantage point watching some 50 majestic Heavenly Horses gathering at the starting point and running in the river. Beautiful animals!
After the show, we drove another half an hour to the Jade Lake, another small alpine lake formed when a dam for a reservoir was built. The lake with an exquisite blue colour, though smaller than Tianchi, is more pleasant with few tourists. We returned to Zhaosu at 6pm. It was a pleasant day without excessively long drive!
D17 Zhaosu – Yining 伊寧市 (110km)
We had a late start at 10am. As it was raining, we could not take the scenic mountain route to Yining. Instead,we had to return via highway which took about two hours to reach Yining. We had a nice lunch in a local restaurant serving delicious baked bun with beef. We also ordered two legs of lamb which was tender and delicious!
After lunch, we visited old Yining with a guide. We went into two traditional Uyghur houses, strolled along a residential area and had a homemade ice-cream. After a guided tour for an hour, we watched a cultural performance in a big house that used to serve as a caravan. We looked at the elegant and well-preserved house of this rich man.
In the evening, we went to a very famous and popular Xinjiang restaurant in the Six Star Street for dinner. The area with Russian and Central Asia atmosphere is lively and full of eateries. We had Russian beer, a roast leg of lamb, ribs of lamb and other special Xinjiang dishes for 480 RMB for six people! It was indeed the best Xinjiang dinner I have had.
D18 Yining – Sayram Lake 賽裡木湖 (150km)
We set off at 10 am and drove along G30 for about two hours. The weather was poor and rained intermittently. We drove on a newly completed and spectacular highway that had taken six years to complete. We had lunch at a fancy modern Xinjiang restaurant with interesting menu and nice presentation. It was wet and cold. Luckily, we were able to have early check in so that we could put on layers of warm clothes.
The programme today was a drive around the Sayram Lake (historically known as the “Clean Lake”) which is an endorheic freshwater lake in the northern Tianshan Mountains at Bortala Mongol Autonomous Prefecture less than 50 km from the border with Kazakhstan. At an elevation of 2070m above sea level, the lake has a surface area of 459 km² and a round-the-lake drive of 100km. We would have four stops including the Commanding Platform Relic Park with Eight Banners and the swan area. We saw plenty of gulls but no swan. Luckily the weather improved slightly: at least it was not raining heavily whenever we stepped off the vehicle.
We finished about 7pm when it started to drizzle again. After a simple dinner, we returned to the hotel ready to pack.
Day 19 Sayram Lake – Urumqi (550km)
We set off at 9am and the whole day was spent on the road. Apart from two toilet stops and a lunch stop, we remained in the vehicle till we got back to Urumqi around 5 pm. We returned to the same restaurant in Red Light Hill for our farewell dinner. Our drivers, Li and Wang joined us. We had a nice dinner to end our South Xinjiang trip.
Day 20 Urumqi – Hong Kong
We departed for the airport at 7:30am. The check in was smooth. But it took a long time to go through security. As Bing had left her power bank in the check-in luggage, she had to go to a special area to have her luggage checked. It took almost half an hour. Then we all had our carry-on bags checked when going through security. So, by the time we reached the gate, it was well after 9:15 am! Incredible. The plane took off as schedule around 10:30am and I was back in HK around 4pm.
Remarks (to add)
Xinjiang China I September 1-20, 2025
Xinjiang China September 1-20, 2025
Xinjiang 新疆 (full name: Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region) with an area of approximately 1.66 million km² and a population of 25.85 million (2020), is China’s largest administrative division, covering about one-sixth of the country’s total landmass. It consists of two main regions geographically separated by the Tianshan Mountains天山: Dzungaria to the north and the Tarim Basin to the south. Its indigenous population is principally Uyghurs 維吾爾族 who are agriculturalists and pastoralists.
Xiyu 西域 (Western Regions), a historic name specified in Ancient chronicles between the 3rd BCE to 8th CE, refers to the vast land mass west of Yumen Pass (land of the Tarim Basin in present day southern Xinjiang) and Central Asia. During the Han dynasty (206 BCE -220 CE), Emperor Wu 漢武帝established a Protectorate over “Xiyu 36 countries” 西域三十六國 which had risen, fallen and eventually vanished during a millennium.
Xiyu is also an emotive term closely associated with Chinese history and territory. Zhang Qian 張騫 (195 -114 BCE), the first Chinese diplomat, was dispatched by Emperor Wu in 138 BC to make contact and build an alliance with Yuezhi 月氏 (modern Tajikistan) against the Xiongnu 匈奴. He was captured by the Xiongnu twice and did not return to report to Emperor Wu till 125 BC. During his extended stay in Central Asia, he was able to learn and bring back first-hand and invaluable information on countries in Central Asia and beyond including Dayuan (the Ferghana Valley in present day Tajikistan), Daxia (Bactria – present day Afghanistan) and Anxi (Parthia). Zhang Qian played an important role in bringing the vast territory in present day Xinjiang under the rule of the Han dynasty and in facilitating the development of the Silk Road. Also Buddhism was brought to China by merchants and missionaries through the Silk Road. Chinese monks including Faxian 法顯 (337-422 CE) and Xuanzang 玄奘 (602 – 664 CE) had travelled to India through Xiyu.
Our 20-day journey designed by Roger (leader) and Zennon (deputy leader) with six members (Bing, Cynthia, Ellen, Masy, Sam and I) would take us through South Xinjiang passing through the Taklamakan Desert, driving along the north side of the Kunlun Mountains, skirting the Pamir Plateau and transversing Tianshan with stops at archaeological sites of some of the legendary nations, ancient towns and major attractions.
Day 1 Hong Kong – Urumqi烏魯木齊市
I departed Hong Kong with Bing, Cynthia, Ellen and Sam on Cathay Pacific at 1:30 am and had a smooth flight. I watched three films and arrived in Urumqi at 7 am. I was surprised to find an enormous new airport on arrival. I later learned that it has a designed capacity for 90 million passengers a year and had a soft opening since May. We waited a long time for our luggage and were met by our guide Li after 8:30 am. Though the hotel is not too far away, we spent well over an hour because of horrific traffic jam. On arrival, we met our group leader Roger who had led a group of eight to visit North Xinjiang from 20 to 30 August. Since the hotel kindly arranged early checked in for us, we were able to freshen up. I even had a nap before the afternoon trip to Tianshan.
I travelled with friends along the Silk Road in early 1990s. This was my fourth visit to Urumqi: the city has changed remarkably with better infrastructure, numerous high-rise buildings, more modern shopping malls and hotels since my last visit in 2018. At 1:30pm, we set off for Tianshan which is about 150km from Urumqi. Located north and west of the Taklamakan Desert and directly north of Tarim Basin, the mountain range extends eastwards for about 2,900km from Tashkent Uzbekistan to Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Xinjiang. Its highest peak Jengish Chokusu (Victory Peak) at 7,439m which I saw while in Kyrgyzstan, is shared by Kyrgyzstan and China.
I was glad to meet up with Masy and Jenny whom I met on the Shikoku Pilgrimage in 2012 and 2023 respectively. I also met a monastic whose name I have heard before. Good karma! I visited Tianshan during my first visit to Urumqi when we rode a horse to reach Tianchi 天池 (Heavenly Lake), an alpine lake with an area of 4.9 km² located at 1,907m above sea level. Today, Tianchi is a top attraction with a fleet of buses taking visitors from the visitor centre for a 30-min ride up the mountain. Then we walked for another 10 -15 minutes to reach the lakeside. Li arranged us to take a boat ride followed by an hour’s free time to explore on our own. I walked along the lake and saw the thousand-year old elm tree (the only elm tree in the lake area). I was amazed by the beautiful coniferous forests comprising primarily the Schrenk’s spruce, and the geology of the area. We departed at 6 pm and had a simple dinner next to the hotel.
Day 2 Urumqi
We had a leisure day and visited a temple in the Red Light Hill 紅光山. The temple was constructed during the Qing dynasty but destroyed in 1933. Reconstruction began in 1989, and the temple was completed in 2010. A standing golden Buddha at a height of 40.8m is a landmark. After a tour, we went to an excellent Xinjiang restaurant 吉尔花园生态餐厅 for lunch.
In the afternoon we spent two hours in the enormous Xinjiang Museum that boosts 381 national first-grade cultural relics. We had a guided tour to see the ancient mummies of Xinjiang. I find the illustrations and interactive presentations impressive! But it was too crowded as there was much room for visitors to move around.
These days, I find it tiring to stand and walk in a museum. After the mummies, I only had time to take a glimpse of Hall 7 and 8 that showcase historical relics in Xinjiang. I now have a better idea where the mummies were discovered and the locations of the legendary Xiyu 36 Countries. The exhibits are well-preserved and presented.
We then visited the Grand Bazaar. I bought camel milk power which is supposed to be nutritious (though expensive), several kilos of dried fruits and four cute Labubu!
D3– Urumqi – Korla 庫爾勒 (550km)
This was our first long travel day. We travelled in two 7-seater vehicles, and I was with Ellen, Zennon and Sam. Normally we stopped every two hours so that the driver could take a break and we could go to the toilet. Toilet facility along the highway has improved a lot: as I cannot swat, I have to look for toilet for families and disabled. Most of the time, I had no problem in finding one in large service areas along the highway.
After a late lunch, we drove to Bosten Lake 博斯腾湖. It is China’s largest inland freshwater lake with an area of 1,019km² and an important wetland supporting some 300 species of birds. We saw lots of lotus though the season had gone. We then drove half an hour to another scenic area with weeds. The weather was not good and there were few birds. We did not stop and drove to Korla, the second largest city by population in Xinjiang and is the seat of Bayingolin Mongol Autonomous Prefecture (the largest prefecture of China).
Our hotel was close to the famous Kongque River (Peacock River). Bing, Ellen, Cynthia, Sam and I went out for dinner. Afterwards, we walked to the river and found a small night market with a dozen of food stalls. We could have come here for dinner. It was a pity that we had no time to visit any of the attractions in the area including ruins, mosque, and ancient city. It wound be wonderful to visit the Minlan Ruins 米蘭遺址with the world famous mural painting of winged angel of the 3rd century, eight stupas, three monasteries and ancient city ruins.
D4 Korla – Kuqa 庫車市 (540 km)
We had a smooth drive and arrived in Kuqa a county-level city in the Aksu Prefecture for lunch. It was the homeland of Kucha (Quici龜茲 ), an important ancient country on the Silk Road and an ancient Buddhist Kingdom where Xuanzang had visited in the 7th century. Though it is one of the historically significant places, it is often overlooked. Kuqu is also the end of the famous Duku Highway 獨庫公路 (G217) running through the Tianshan range with a length 561 km.
After lunch and a rest, we visited Kuqa Palace to learn more about naan (a traditional flatbread). In Xinjiang, naan is not just food, it is a link connecting daily life and cultural heritage. Among the more than 200 types of naans in Xinjiang, Kuqa naan is regarded as the “king” with an average diameter of over half a meter.
I am interested in history and archaeology. When I caught sight of the Kuqa Wei Jin Ancient Tomb Museum on a notice board at the exit of the naan palace, I asked Li to take us to the museum. The Wei Jin dynasties 魏晉朝 ran from 220 to 420 CE . This archaeological site with some 2,000 tombs was discovered in 2007 and the museum was formally opened in July 2024. Our driver Huang found his way to the Kuqa Museum instead. This museum was formally opened in May this year. We paid for a guide for 100 RMB and had a good tour for an hour visiting two exhibition halls. I learned more about Quici, the motherland of Kumarajiva鳩摩羅什 (344 – 413CE), a Buddhist monk, scholar, missionary and one of the four greatest translators of Chinese Buddhism.
We then spent over an hour in the famous Restan Street filled with local eateries and shops, a mosque, royal palace and many old houses. I did not join the group to go shopping. Instead I strolled aimlessly around the colourful side streets decorated with street art and musical instruments. The old houses with colourful doors and windows are beautiful. I planned to visit the mosque. But it was too far to walk. Instead, I went to an old house where a dozen of elderly artists performed for a small group of tourists. I paid 20 RMB for a cup of tea and set down to enjoy the performance. I find this a wonderful way to soak in the relaxing atmosphere and enjoy the local culture. I met up with the group in the car park at 7:30 pm. Ellen and I found a Cantonese restaurant near the hotel where we shared a hot-pot rice (30RMB for two!).
I left Kuqa feeling a bit lost. I have been been fascinated by Quici as a result of my Buddhist studies and reading about Kumarajiva. But I was not been able to visit the notable cultural and archaeological sites such as the Haradun site, and Subashi Buddhist Temple Relics.
D5 Kuqa – Alar 阿拉爾市 (430km)
We spent two hours in the Kizilya Scenic Spot located in a salt water river canyon area with unique landscape: distinctive Danxia landform featuring colourful, layered rock formations and dramatic canyon terrain. We had three stops. At the first stop, Li, Roger and I even explored a newly developed path and got lost. At the end of a small canyon, we arrived at an open air temple! At the second stop, we climbed up a sandy slope to reach a flat top named Harry Potter Fortress! We had a nice lunch in a new restaurant nearby where we had delicious steamed fish and fish soup. A nice surprise! We were back on the road at 3 pm driving 300km to reach Alar. On the way, we began to see the desert populus euphratica 胡楊 which had not turned yellow yet. We reached the hotel after 8 pm.
D6 Alar – Hotian 和田 (450km) The Taklamakan Desert Road
Alar marks the beginning of the desert road through the Taklamakan Desert to Hotian. Today, we set off at 9 am with a couple of toilet stops on the way. I watched the desert with fascination. Through China’s determination and successful efforts to fight desertification since 1978, the Taklamakan Desert, the world’s second largest shifting sand desert with an area of 330,000 km², has been tamed with grasses, shrubs and trees. Crops, cotton and sunflowers are grown wherever possible.
Hotian was the centre of the ancient Iranian Saka Buddhist Kingdom of Khotan 于闐 (56-1006CE). It has been famous for its jade, silk and carpets. We checked in the Mecure Hotel before 4pm. As we had no programme till 7:45pm, I decided to visit the Hotian Museum. Bing, Ellen, Cynthia and Sam went with me but left after an hour. I spent almost two hours at this relatively small museum where I found some interesting mural paintings and exhibits displaying Gandhara, Persian, and Central Asia influences. I took a taxi back to the hotel (8 RMB).
At 7:45 pm, Li took us to the Yotkan 約特干Old City built on the site of ruins about 11 km west of Hotian. The buildings were modeled on descriptions of the palace, architectures of the palace, streets and city walls of the Khotan Kingdom. Li said 500 millions RMB were spent in constructing this attraction. There is a daily show from 9:30 to 11 pm that showcases the history of Khotan with reference to its royal family, Zhang Qian and Ban Chao 班迢 (32-102 CE) both were closely associated with the expansion of the Han Dynasty territory to Xiyu and eventual development of the so-called “Silk Road”. Tourists would follow the performers walking through the entire site. Unfortunately with my hip problem, I can’t walk for hours. Instead, I found a comfortable place, sat down and watched a full blue moon rising. Cool! Sam was tired and joined me. We watched the finale in front of where we sat before joining others to return to the hotel. The show actually finished at 11:15pm and we were back to hotel around midnight! Once again, it is a pity I had no chance to visit some famous Buddhist temple ruins including the Andir Ancient City, Niya, Balawaste, and Rawak.
D7 Hotian – Kashi 喀什 (250km)
We departed at 9 am and had lunch before heading to the Xiyu Lost City 西域迷城 at Ye Cheng 葉城. It is a new tourist attraction built next to an expansive archaeological site. We took a horse ride and spent an hour and a half looking at rustic mud houses, a palace and city walls. I climbed up the walls and saw a desolate desert with expansive ruins close by. I think the archaeologists are still trying to unearth the secrets below. I like this place much more than the tourist Disney-like Yotkan Old City. It was so hot that I did not attempt to walk along a trail with the names of the legendary Xiyu 36 Countries.
On our way to Kashi, we visited two villages. One is specialized in knife-making and the other in pottery. I like the pottery village and we met a pottery master. We arrived in the hotel after 8:30pm. Tonight a total lunar eclipse could be visible provided we had a clear sky from about 1 to 3 am. I started watching the beginning of the lunar eclipse till 1 am. Then I could not see anymore as it became cloudy. I got out of the bed from time to time to look up the sky but failed to see anything. At the end, I had a sleepless night.
D8 Kashi – Tashkurgan 塔縣 (300km)
We set off at 9:20 am and had to go to the border control office to get a permit. Poor Li had to get here to queue up at 7:10am. The office opened at 10am. It was chaotic with probably about 100 people applying for permits. When the office opened, Li got ticket No 1. Today, there was only one officer handling the issuance of permits. Each of us had to present oneself in front of the officer to take a photo. Luckily we were done by 10:20am and could set off.
We drove along G314 (the China-Pakistan Highway). Our first stop was the White Sand Lake 白沙湖 (elevation:3100m). Unfortunately, we were stuck for almost an hour before we could pass through the check-point for Tashkurgan. It was almost 3 pm when we had a quick lunch by the lake. The weather was not good with poor visibility: we could hardly see the snow-cladded mountain range surrounding the lake and the White Sand Mountain. Anyway, we had an hour free time. I strolled along the lake and watched the Mainland Chinese taking photos with white yaks. ，
The stop at the Karakul Lake 卞拉庫勒湖 (elevation 3600m) with a surface area of 4.8 km², was much more enjoyable. The weather had improved with blue sky and reflections of the snow-capped Mt Muztaga 慕士塔格峰 (7546m), Kongur Tagh 公格尔峰 (7649m) and Kongur Tiube 公格尔九别峰 (7530m).
We arrived in Tashkurgan around 8pm for a hot-pot dinner. This was my second visit to Tashkurgan: I was here after visiting Pakistan in 2018. The town has grown a lot with more hotels and eateries! We had hot-pot for dinner.
D9 Tashkurgan (100km)
We had a leisure day with a scenic ride along the 36-km winding Dragon Old Road 盤龍古道. Li thought given our age and my hip problem, we should not walk uphill to reach the highest lookout platform at 4216m. I assured him I would be fine: I walked slowly and had no problem to reach the lookout point. Great views! We had two more photo stops on the way down.
We continued the scenic drive back to Tashkurgan for lunch with a stop at the Bandir Blue Lake 班迪爾藍湖 which is described as the bluest lake in the Pamir Plateau. The lake was formed as a result of the construction of a reservoir.
After lunch we visited the historic Stone City石頭城 which I did not have time to visit in 2018. This ancient stone castle located in the north of the city, is a famous heritage along the ancient Silk Road which dates back to the Jin Dynasty. Archaeologists believe the city was the site of the ancient Heptanese Kingdom in the Tang Dynasty. We spent over an hour wandering through the stone city walls, gates, watch towers, etc. There is a temple ruin in the Outer City while the Inner City mainly comprised the royal palace, government offices, official residences and temples. There is a platform which is supposed where Xuanzang had preached during his stay in the city on his way back to China.
After a quick tour of the Inner City of the Stone City, I spent half an hour enjoying the grassland nearby. I still remembered my time in the grassland in an early September morning in 2018.
Australia 2025 (3): Darwin – Sydney
Darwin – Adelaide on The Ghan 2-5/8/2025
The Ghan is an iconic passenger train taking about 53 hours to travel 2,979 km between Darwin, Northern Territory and Adelaide, South Australia with three stops at Katherine, Alice Springs and Manguri. As early as the 1800s, discussions began around building a rail line stretching from the south to north of Australia. The first Ghan departed Adelaide in 1929 en route to Alice Springs and it was not until 2004 that a new, modern rail line was built stretching all the way from Adelaide to Darwin. It has been considered one of the world’s greatest passenger trains.
I love train journeys and my longest train journey was from London to Hong Kong in 2010. Owing to good luck and conditions, my agent booked me a Gold Single cabin on The Ghan on 2 August (right after the Kimberley Coast expedition) followed by three nights’ hotel stay in Adelaide including a day trip to Barossa Valley. What a perfect fit!
Day 1 Darwin – Katherine
I got up before 6am after a sleepless night and walked to Hilton Darwin to board a bus at 6:45 am to the train terminal. I was excited to step onto Carriage A of The Ghan shortly after 8 am and walk into my cabin (No 3) which is compact, simple and clean with a sofa turned into a bed in the evening. There are 16 single cabins, four toilets and two showers for shared use in Carriage A. I had to walk through Carriages B, C and D to reach the lounge and dining car. Many passengers would spend most of the time in the lounge enjoying full views and unlimited supply of drink (tea/coffee/wine/beer etc).
Life on the train is well-organised. Most of the staff I met are young, energetic, friendly and efficient. All passengers were given a daily activity sheet and a card showing the off-train activity they had signed up. Today, the highlight was the Nitmiluk Gorge. I was assigned to take brunch at 10:45 am and would join the Nitmiluk Rock Art Cruise as I expected to see precious aboriginal rock art. By the time we got off the train at Katherine, it was after 1:30pm. We spent an hour driving to the Nitmiluk National Park to board a boat. For the rock art group, we were put on the last boat and travelled a short distance up the river before getting off at the first gorge. We walked less than 100m to see a couple of clusters of rock art of the Jawoyn People before boarding the boat back to the starting point. We spent more time waiting on the boat for landing! The rock art at this location is much younger than those I have seen at Jar Island and Swift River.
I should have joined the Two Gorge Cruise (2-hour) which requires passengers to get off at the first gorge, walk about 500 metres to take another boat to see the second gorge. I was told the magnificent scenery of the gorge is at its best (where many postcard photos were taken). Anyway, I did see some wildlife during the cruise i.e. sea eagle, heron, dart and crocodile. I was back on the train before 6pm and had a drink in the lounge before having dinner. I sat with two nice Australian ladies of my age. Most passengers on the train were over 60s. As I was tired, I retired to my cabin after having a nice hot shower. Unfortunately, the loud noise and movements of the train kept me awake. It was the first time I could not sleep on a train. I finally managed to a deep but short sleep when the train came to a stop around 2-3 am.
Day 2 Alice Springs
I woke up just before sunrise and had breakfast while watching sunrise. I was in Alice Springs in 2001 on my way to Uluru. Located at the geographical centre of Australia, Alice Springs sits in the shadow of the great MacDonnell Rangers, ancient geological formations in Central Australia that stretch 220km across the Red Centre. This area is home to the Arrernte people. We had a full programme today with a visit to the Simpsons Gap in the morning and the Standley Chasm in the afternoon. At each place, I followed a guide walk and learnt something about the culture of the people, flora and fauna of the area.
Located 18 km west of Alice Springs, Simpsons Gap is an important spiritual place for the Arrernte people. It was visited by surveyor Gilbert Rotherdale McMinn in 1871 while searching for a better route for the Overland Telegraph Line. The gap with towering red rock, a waterhole, spiritual significance and magnificent landscape are very impressive. I was glad we had a picnic lunch in this special location.
After lunch, we drove about 40 km to Standley Chasm, a cultural site fully owned and operated by traditional owners – Angkerle Aboriginal Corporation. We followed a 1.2 km path along a ravine lined with indigenous gum trees before reaching a most impressive and atmospheric 80-m-high chasm. The narrowest point is just three metres wide. The ambience and spiritual feel cannot be described fully: one has to be present and sit in silence to fully appreciate its beauty, soul and significance. I took my time and stayed behind to soak in the atmosphere. On my way out, I was lucky to spot a colourful parrot that spent a couple of minutes on a branch not far from me. It was an amazing experience!
Once I was back on the train, I put on warm clothes and jumped into a coach heading to the historic Telegraph Station for an outback dinner under the star. The sun was setting and I found it atmospheric. I had a short camel ride, a whirlwind tour of the Station, met new friends and enjoyed a wonderful dinner with music. After dinner, we had a star-gazing session looking for the Southern Cross. It was fairly cold and we were all provided a fleece poncho to keep us warm. I left shortly after 8:30pm as I was tired. Tonight, I had the best sleep of the entire journey!
Day 3 Manguri Experience – Coober Pedy
I woke up before 6am and lay on my bed to watch sunrise. After a lovely breakfast, we arrived at Manguri where there was nothing except half a dozen of coaches by the trek. I joined the “Discover the Majestic Breakaways” tour which was fantastic. We had a scenic drive over expansive flat arid land to the Breakaways Reserve with surreal colours, numerous blower trucks and countless man-made mounts with earth dug up from opal mining. We spent over an hour exploring the Breakaways Reserve which is a natural wonder of colourful low hills that seem to have broken away from the high ground. The guide explained that the area was once part of an ancient inland sea and the striking landscape have evolved over time. I found the panorama of ochre, rust, green, brown, white, black mesmerizing. We stopped at three locations for photos and were offered tea/coffee/wine at the second stop. This reminded me of the service on a luxurious cruise.
Our next stop was Coober Pady, which is 846 km north of Adelaide. Often referred to as the “opal capital of the world”, it is also known for its below-ground dwellings that are called “dugouts” built due to the scorching daytime heat. Wille Hutchison discovered the first opal in the area on 1 February 1915 and opal mining soon developed. Mechanized opal mining became more common since 1970s. By 1999, there were more than 250,000 mine shafts entrances in the area. Today, Coober Pedy with a population of about 1,500, supplies most of the world’s gem-quality opal from over 70 opal fields.
We first had a lovely lunch inside the Quest Mine which was no longer in use. After lunch, we toured the mine wandering through the tunnels. I followed a former miner who explained how opal was mined while other guests went to another location to try their luck. One got a large piece of unpolished opal as a souvenir. The final stop was the Umoona Opal Mine and Museum. This was my first visit to an opal mine and I now understand opal is also mined in NSW and Queensland. The guided tour took us through the original underground dugout homes and tunnels. The dugout homes are lovely and cool but they are definitely not my choice: I like fresh air, blue sky and nature.
South Australia
Back in Manguri around 5pm, we were invited to have a drink outdoor while watching sunset. It was so windy and cold outside that most guests retreated to the lounge for a drink. Tonight my dining time was 7pm. I was on put on a table with a Turkish couple who have settled in Woolongong for over 30 years and have 11 grandchildren living in Sydney. As it was the lady’s birthday, the captain of the train who happens to be a Turk presented her with a birthday cake, and we sang her the happy birthday song. Really wonderful!
I had most delicious Australian lamb for dinner. Perhaps, I had too much and could not sleep. Another sleepless night!
August 5 – 7 Adelaide
August 5. I woke up and watched sunrise from my bed for the last time. The landscape had changed with green pasture and farmland. I took some lovely sunrise pictures. We passed by the Snowtown Windfarm, the largest single wind farm in South Australia around 8:20 am. I had my last breakfast in the nostalgic dining car – Queen Adelaide Restaurant. The train pulled into the terminal around 10 am ending my first long distance train journey in Australia.
I had a transfer to Pullman Hotel where I stayed for three nights. I was tired after many sleepless nights since leaving Le Soleal on August 1. I felt happy when settling down in my comfortable and spacious room (after having spent three nights in a compact cabin with an estimated area of about 30 sq ft.). I washed my dirty clothes, went out to buy a mouse (as the writing pad of my computer was dead), and booked a tour for the following day. I spent the afternoon writing travel notes, and was excited to meet up with Iwona and Alex whom I met at the pilgrimage in India organised by Plum Village from 8 to 22 February this year. They took me to a lovely Spanish restaurant and we spent the whole evening chanting about our amazing journey and experience, Buddhist practices and travel. I slept like a baby without cracking noises and constant movements of the train.
Barrage System
August 6. On my first visit to Adelaide some ten years ago, I took a trip to visit Hahndorf (Australia’s oldest German settlement) and the Barossa Valley. This time I picked a different tour to visit Victor Harbour and Fleurieu Peninsula. We had a small group of six with a nice driver-guide. After a casual scenic drive through the picturesque Adelaide Hills, we arrived at the historic Scottish town of Strathalbyn where we had 30 minutes to wander around.
We followed the scenic route to the Murray Mouth to Goolwa Barrage which is part of a dynamic system influenced by the flow of the 2,530km-long River Murray water from Lake Alexandrina via barrage releases and tidal movement from the Southern Ocean. We walked along a barrage and watched wildlife including seals, terns, ducks, pelicans and darts etc.
We continued along the main coastal road passing through Middleton and Port Elliot before reaching Victor Harbour around 12 noon. During the two hours’ free time, I walked across the Causeway to Granite Island and followed the Kaiki Trail – a circuit of the island. The coastal scenery with rocks eroded by wind and powerful waves is magnificent. Originally I planned to take a horse-drawn tram back to town. Unfortunately I missed it and had to cross the Causeway on foot again. I was glad I still had time to go the best fish and chips shop in Victor Harbour for lunch. I had barra fish (but no chips!) before meeting up with the group at 2 pm. I must say deep fried fish with batter is not my cup of tea. But here, I had the best fish with paper thin batter.
We stopped at The Bluff for a panoramic view of the famous Encounter Bay where Matthew Flinders in 1802 met French explorer Nicolas Baudin when both were charting the coast of Australia. The area has rich cultural, historic and trading history. It had also been a significant site for the whaling industry. Today, this area is a popular spot for whale watching.
Next, we stopped at a viewing platform above Kings Beach for both the beautiful view and whale watching. Two whales were spotted earlier in the day. But we had no luck with the whales. On the way back, we went through the popular wine region of McLaren Vale with a brief stop at The d’Arenberg Cube – a quirky 5-level structure shaped like a cube puzzle with art exhibits and a wine-tasting room. We only looked at some open-air art installation without getting a ticket to go inside. I was back in my hotel before 5 pm. A very nice day trip!
August 7. The train package included a full day wine and food tour to Barossa Valley. I met two couples on this tour and all of us were on The Ghan. On the way to the valley, we stopped at famous Maggie Beer’s Farm Shop for half an hour. I had a quick walk around the scenic pond with crystal clear spring water. I also had time to look at a dozen of pheasants and peacocks.
We drove through Seppeltsfield and arrived at Chateau Tanunda which was purchased by John Geber in 1999. He and his Swiss wife renovated the derelict buildings turning them into a charming beautiful chateau. We tasted half a dozen wine by the bar and I bought a tawny port as a birthday gift for Alan, my brother in Sydney. Then we visited Melba’s Chocolates Adelaide Hills shop where I bought some chocolates for Thomas and Asher, boys of my niece Shirley. Then we had a sumptuous 3-course lunch followed by a cheese tasting session. Our guide suggested me try kangeroo steak. Well I am not impressed though the meat is mild and tender. I was also too full to enjoy the cheese board with four different types of cheese for tasting.
The last stop was at Kies Family Wines which I visited on my first visit to Barossa Valley. We again tried half a dozen types of wine! I did not buy any as my small suitcase did not allow me to stuff in another bottle. I had a full day and was back in the hotel around 5 pm.
August 8 -18 Sydney
After a pleasant and relaxing stay in Adelaide, I took a 9:30am-flight to Sydney. I landed in Sydney around noon, took a train to Central and then T9 to Epping where Vicki, my sister-in-law, picked me up. Sydney’s train and metro services have improved so much since my first visit in 1987. I was in Alan’s house in Cherrybrook before 1:30pm. Despite a four weeks’ stay in hospital after a recent operation, Alan looked good despite loss of weight.
I came to Australia primarily to celebrate Alan’s birthday. I managed by luck to add a Kimberley Coast expedition, a ride on The Ghan and a short tour of Adelaide before coming to Sydney. Things had worked out beautifully and smoothly. I was glad to see Alan in good spirits despite his constant physical pain. Vicki has taken great care of Alan for the past three years making sure he has nutritious food everyday. Despite his poor appetite, Alan has a balanced diet with plenty of vitamins.
During my stay in Sydney, I went out only a few times to meet Shirley, Lee and their boys, Karen and family, Adelaide, June (who had handled my booking with Silversea), and Stephaine (who is handling my booking now). My nephew Choi arrived on August 14 with Kieran his 7-year-old son. The house was suddenly very lively with a playful happy kid running around. Alan was happy when surrounded by his family (Vicki, Shirley and family, Choi and Kieran, and I) and good old friends in his favourate Chinese restaurant in Carlingford Village for a sumptuous dinner on August 17 with steamed fish, crabs, chicken, mutton hot pot, vegetables and good wine. We had three tables in a nice spacious room and we ended the party with a big birthday cake and traditional steamed peach birthday buns. Alan thanked everyone for coming and hoped to meet again next year.
As my flight to Hong Kong would depart at 11:30 am on August 18, I said good-bye to Alan and Vicki at 8am. With efficient train service, I arrived at the airport by 9:30am. My plane departed on schedule at 11:30am and I was back in Hong Kong around 7pm. I had a good flight and watched four films! I like day flight as I can be home to sleep in my own bed the same day!
Remarks (to add)
Australia(2): Kimberley Coast 2025
July 22 – 31, 2025 Australia’s Iconic Kimberley onboard Le Soleal
Day 1 (22/7) Darwin Boarding at 4pm
As boarding would start at 4 pm, Kylie and I spent the day leisurely at the hotel. I continued with my writing. After getting onboard, we were ushered to stateroom 325. As a Grand Amiral member, I am entitled to seek an upgrade depending on room availability. I made a request and was pleased to move to stateroom 528 which has a better configuration and a balcony with better view. All passengers were greeted by Captain Antoine Paquet and Giuseppe, Cruise Director. We had a mandatory life boat drill before dinner. We were tired and had a nice sleep.
Day 2 (23/7) Sea Day
I joined aquagym at 8:30am. The pool of Le Soleal is small and not user-friendly as compared with those in Silver Wind. I attended two lectures namely “Pearling in the Kimberley” and “Introduction to the Kimberley”. We had a welcome gala cocktail by the pool. Captain Paquet introduced his senior officers while we watched sunset. We were honoured to be invited to have dinner with the Captain tonight. After dinner, we went to the theatre to watch a show “Beatle Mania”.
Day 3 (24/7) Jar Island Vansittart Bay
Jar Island is home to the ancient Gwion Gwion-style rock art galleries unique to the Kimberley region. Estimated to be over 17,000 years old, these paintings some of which are highly ornamented human figures, are considered the oldest known detailed representations of human figures in Australia. Our group (Blue Group) was the first group to depart at 7:40 am. We spent over an hour appreciating these paintings at two different locations. Once we were back on the boat, we watched a documentary “Riddle of the bradshaws”which examines the mystery and intrigue of the Bradshaw rock art paintings in the Kimberley region. I found this documentary informative and thought-provocative. At 2pm, we had zodiac cruising for an hour and saw a few species of birds including a shrike, two oystercatchers and two ospreys. We were kept busy and attended a lecture “Welcome to Crocodile Country”. This evening, the entertainers paid tribute to ABBA at the main lounge inviting guests to sing and dance. I was too tired and stayed only for five minutes.
Day 4 (25/7) Hunter River
Prince Frederick Harbour and the Hunter River are lined with ancient rainforest pockets, pristine mangroves and mosaic cliffs. The mangrove forests contain up to 18 different species supporting a rich and diverse fauna including the iconic saltwater crocodile.
We got up early in order to watch scenic navigation of this iconic coastline at sunrise. We had two zodiac cruises today: a 2-hour zodiac cruise along the Hunter River in the morning and an afternoon cruise in the Porosus Creek. During the morning cruise, we saw more wildlife including a Jaburi, an osprey, crabs, and several crocodiles. In between the two cruises, I attended a lecture on ‘Ecology of Mangroves” which enhances our knowledge about the importance of mangroves in the ecosystem. The sunset in Kimberley is iconic and the cruise director arranged a show “Goldenswing” and Sunset on Deck 6.
Day 5 (26/7) Talbot Bay Horizontal Fall
We had a coastal scenic navigation at sunrise. Talbot Bay is known for its large tidal range especially the Horizontal Falls which are a result of the extreme tides. Today we had spring tides i.e. higher high tides and lower low tides, as the new moon occurred around July 20. We had two hours of zodiac cruise in the Talbot Bay where we learned more about the amazing geology of the region.
The highlight was to watch water flowing towards the sea through the narrow channel at the end of the Talbot Bay. In order to better appreciate the forces of the tides, we returned to the same spot after 4:30pm for half an hour to watch the reverse tidal flow i.e. totally calm water flowing inland. As many as 56 passengers took a 20-minute scenic flight on a seaplane to see the Horizontal Falls. Unfortunately owing to the smoke coming from burning some found the viewing affected by the smoke.
Day 6 (27/7) Collier Bay Montgomery Reef
Collier Bay which landscape have been shaped by massive tidal movements is renowned for an unique phenomena occurring nowhere else in the world. Montgomery Reef is the world’s largest inshore reef system covering an estimated area of some 400 sq km. We had a zodiac cruise to watch turbulent “rivers” and mini waterfalls and were treated with a cocktail on a sandy island that would be under water during high tide!
Once back on the boat, I watched a documentary “Master of Poe Rava” who is associated with the development of cultured Black Pearl of Tahiti. In the afternoon, I joined a short walk in Freshwater Cove to see local fora and fauna (I decided not to take a 3.7km – walk to see rock art in this location). At the Officers’ Dinner tonight, Kylie and I joined the table hosted by Guiseppe, the Cruise Director who has spent 14 years in cruise business. He is funny and knowledgeable and does a great job.
Day 7 (28/7) Lacepede Islands
The Lacepede Islands, a group of four low-lying islands (West Island, Middle Island, Sandy Island and East Island) lying 120 km from Broome, are Western Australia’s most important breeding habitat for Green Turtles and recognised as an Important Bird Area with possibly the world’s largest breeding colony of Brown Boobies. Up to 20,000 Roseate Terns have also been recorded here. Other birds breeding here include Masked Boobies, Australian Pelicans, Lesser Frigatebirds, Eastern Reef Egrets, Silver Gulls, Crested Bridled and Lesser Crested Terns, Common Noddies, Pied and Sooty Oystercatchers.
In the morning, I attended a workshop on “Bird Identification” and watched a documentary “Penguin Baywatch Antarctica”. We all set off in zodiac after lunch cruising over two hours around the West and Middle Islands and in the calm water of the lagoon. I had the best bird watching of this expedition.
Once onboard, I attended another lecture “Sea Turtles Dinosaurs Fighting for a Future”. Before dinner, we had caviar in the main lounge while watching sunset! After dinner, we all went to the theatre to enjoy a talent show with seven performances including two by guests! The best three performance was by two Filipino staff, and Laura and Arron from the Expedition Team.
Day 8 (29/7) Careening Bay
As usual, I started the day by watching a Kimberley sunrise. I attended an interesting talk by Zac on “50 Shades of Nature”. Kylie and I along with a few passengers had the rare chance to watch the Captain and his officers sailing through a very shallow and not fully chartered channel around midday. The shallowest part was just 6-7 meters. The name Careening Bay was a result of a historic event: Lieutenant Philip Parker King sailing his ship HMC Mermaid was careened here during his third voyage of discovery in 1820. King surveyed the western coast to complete the map initiated by Flinders 20 years earlier. The Mermaid had been leaking badly and the shallow sandy bay where he could careen the boat to undertake repairs. After ten days’ work, the boat crew refloated the vessel. Here they left a carving on a boab tree which is estimated to be about 500 years old.
The Le Jacques Cartier a sister ship of Le Soleal, was already anchored in the bay when we arrived. Their captain came over in a zodiac to greet our boat. In return, Captain Paquet went over to meet its crew. After lunch, our group went ashore to see the boab tree with carved wording of HMC Mermaid 1820, a bower nest, and other fauna. I saw a bower nest for the first time in Indonesia. After Le Jacques Cartier departed, another ship arrived. We finished the day with a sunset zodiac cruise for an hour. When I sailed close to the other boat, I discovered it was Heritage Adventurer that I had sailed from Bali to Vanuatu! Tonight, we had a fun White Evening at 9:15 pm with music and dance and some guests stayed on dancing under the star till 11 pm. I was tired and returned to my room before 10 pm!
Day 9 (30/7) Swift Bay Bonaparte Archipelago
This archipelago is a stunningly rugged maze of islands stretching almost 150km along the remote Kimberley coast. Philip Parker King named “Swift’s bay” after Jonathon Swift (1667-1745) who wrote Gulliver’s travels. We had a wonderful zodiac cruise after breakfast when it was still nice and cool.
At noon, the blue group went ashore to view Wandjina and Gwion Gwion style rock art estimated to be about 4,000 years old. We could see wonderful and remarkable red/white figures, birds, crocodile, hands, turtles, etc in two galleries. Back on the boat, we had a lecture on rock art titled “the Oldest Science in the World: Place Based Knowledge”. Very appropriate! We then had a fun Runaway Fashion Show (showing the items of shorts, shirts, dress, bags, sunglasses etc. on sale in the boutique), Captain’s Farewell followed by a Gala Dinner with 6 course!
Day 10 (31/7) King George River
Today’s highlight was a 3-hour zodiac cruise on the King George river which is 112km in length. We had an early breakfast and set off at 7:30am travelling some 12 km upriver from its mouth to see the Twin Falls, Western Australia’s highest twin waterfalls at an elevation of 85m above sea level. The river is of high cultural significance to the Balanggarra people who regard the falls as the male and female Wunkurr (Rainbow Serpents).
We had a good start and soon spotted a short-eared rock wallaby. We spent over 15 minutes watching its movements! It was the first rock wallaby I encountered during this expedition. We were amazed by the spectacular sandstone cliffs, the beautiful hanging garden, the lust mangroves, and watched ripples on the river surface hoping to see a dugong or a shark or a crocodile. We did not see any of them. But we saw plenty of garfish (needlefish) jumping out of the water.
We all had a busy afternoon getting ready for disembarkation the following morning. Still the expedition team was keen to ensure we learned something about the history of exploration. I attended the lecture on the “European Explorers” getting to know the exploration by the Dutch, James Cook (1728-1779), Nicolas Baudin (1754-1803), Matthew Flinders (1774-1814), and Philip Parker King (1791-1856). The expedition team invited passengers to take part in a photo competition. I submitted a few photos and was taken by surprise when my photo taken at sunrise won the landscape category. Kylie and I had a casual dinner at deck 6 before finishing our packing. All passengers were advised to leave their luggage outside their door that night.
The journey came to an end when Le Soleal reached the pier in Darwin before sunrise on August 1. All passengers had to vacate their room before 8 am. As Kylie and I were not in a rush, we were the last batch of passengers to disembark at 9am. END of EXPEDITION!
Remarks
This was my second expedition with Ponant. The iconic Kimberley Coast has been on my radar screen for a long time. I was ready to take an expedition when planning my August trip to Sydney. Luckily Kylie, who happened to be touring in Australia in July, was able to join. I had a wonderful voyage enjoying nice warm weather, impressive rock art, history, natural scenery, landscape and wildlife. Interestingly, out of the 120 passengers on the boat, some 70 were solo travelers who had booked without single supplement! Most passengers we met are single ladies: they are mostly over 60s, friendly and outgoing. Guiseppe, the Crew Director, was instrumental in creating a joyful and amicable atmosphere on the boat and all had a great cruise expedition. I have spent over 360 days at sea on a dozen of ships so far. It was the first time I experienced such an intimate ambience on a boat. There are a few things worth mentioning.
First, I watched the Kimberley sunrise and sunset everyday. If possible, I took a photo of the setting sun with the cocktail of the day!
Second, time passed most quickly as we had daily programme with zodiac cruising/landing as well as lectures on the boat. The landscape and rock art are most impressive. It was the first time I saw topography/land formation like the Montogomery Reef and Horizontal Falls. King George River and the Twin Falls, and Lacepede Islands are outstanding sites.
Third, we were fortunate to have Captain Paquet and his crew, Guiseppe and the expedition team under the leadership of Dain. The talent show with four performances by the crew members from the bar, housekeeping, engineering department and restaurant was excellent.
Fourth, I am not a foodie and have to limit my intake of both food and alcohol for health reasons. But I enjoyed the food, especially the grill at lunch. I fully appreciate the hard work and smile of restaurant and bar staff. They made me feel at home.
The only thing I am not satisfied with is the toilet. As expected, the toilet system uses a vacuum system. Unfortunately, it made horrible and loud noises in my cabin while toilets in public areas were much quieter. I would wake up my cabin mate whenever I used it. As I was a solo traveler on Le Boreal during the NW Passage last year, the toilet noise was not an issue. I hope a solution can be found with improved technology.
Malaysia & Australia (1) 14/7-18/8/2025
Background
I planned to go to Sydney in August to celebrate the birthday of Alan, my elder brother. By chance, I was able to add three side trips including a brief visit to Melaka, Malaysia on my way to Darwin, an expedition to the iconic Kimberley coast on Le Soleal (Darwin-Darwin), and a journey on The Ghan from Darwin to Adelaide.
Melaka – Darwin July 14 – 21, 2025
July 14 – 17 Melaka (Malacca) Malaysia
My first visit to Malaysia was in the summer of 1978 when I travelled from Penang to Melaka (used to be called Malacca). Melaka, the oldest Malaysian city on the Strait of Malacca, is my favourite Malaysian city. Melaka has been an important port along the maritime silk road: the first official Chinese trade envoy arrived in 1403 followed by Ming Admiral Zheng He (1371-1433) who visited Melaka five times. It has been culturally diverse, influenced by a history of ethnic, cultural and religious intermixing. It is home to ethnic communities such as Chinese, Malays, Indians and Peranakan Chinese. The old town has prominent Buddhist, Hindu, Islamic, Catholic and Protestant religious buildings. Rulers from the Sultanate, Portuguese, Dutch and British have all left their marks on the urban landscape. Today, the historical core of the old town along both sides of the Melaka River and centred around St Paul’s Hill which reflects the historical significance of the 15th century Malacca Sultanate as well as the subsequent Portuguese and Dutch Colonial periods with numerous landmark buildings/structures is a UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
July 14. I was able to revisit it when I discovered the most direct way to reach Darwin from Hong Kong was via Kuala Lumpur (KL). Then my brother Lawrence and his family (Sally, my sister-in-law, their son and daughter-in-law, Leuk and Isabel) were also planning a visit to Malaysia from July 5 to 17. A friend from Taiwan also joined our family trip: we ended up having a party of six. Lawrence hired a local driver, met me on arrival and we proceeded to Melaka which is about 150km south of KL. Unfortunately, there was a bad traffic accident on the highway and we were stuck for over an hour. We did not reach Melaka till 6pm. We were very hungry and went to the Wild Coriander, one of the most popular restaurants known for its food and ambience. We sampled six local dishes and had a most delicious dinner. We walked along the river enjoying the night scene before going to an AirBnB outside the old town where we stayed for two nights.
July 15. We spent the morning exploring the Melaka Hill which has a cluster of attractions including the Church of St. Francis Xavier and A Famosa (fortress). There are several museums but we did not have time to visit. We walked along the Jonker Street and had the famous Hainan Chicken rice balls for lunch. In the afternoon, we joined a guided tour to visit the Christ Church, the Dutch Graveyard and the ruin of St. Francis Xavier Church. We left the guided tour and visited a Portuguese village and a beach instead. We ended up having dinner in a Portuguese restaurant by the seaside.
July 16. We drove outside the city and found many unfinished buildings. It was too hot and we decided to have brunch in The Baboon Houses, which is a beautifully restored traditional house. I shared spaghetti and a full English breakfast with Leuk and Isabel. The food was delicious and beautifully presented. Around 1 pm, Lawrence, Sally, Leuk and Isabel left for Johor Bahru to visit friends while I preferred to spend one more night in Melaka. I moved to a hotel by the river and had a wonderful time exploring the old town leisurely.
July 17. I slept for 12 hour in a windowless and quiet room. In the morning, I wandered aimlessly in the old town visiting the Chinese, Islamic and Hindu temples, and tombs, looking at street art and the different architectural styles. Melaka is a living museum. At 3 pm, Lawrence and Sally returned to pick me up and we headed to the airport (Leuk and Isabel went to Singapore). They would leave for Kunming around 9 pm while I would depart at 6 am the following day for Darwin. I stayed at a hotel next to the airport till 3:30 am after a sleepless night. The Air Asia flight departed on time and I had a 5-hour flight to Darwin.
Remarks
I like Melaka for its authenticity, history and multi-culture. It has expanded a lot since my first visit in 1978 and spoilt as a result of over-tourism and commercialization. Nonetheless, I am glad to see tourists have revitalized the town with many old gorgeous charming traditional houses restored. Some of them are boutique hotels/guesthouses and eateries: I visited a few old houses, sat down to enjoy the ambience, sipped local coffee and sampled local cuisine for two days. It was a wonderful experience indeed. Melaka is a place worth spending a couple of days for visitors to Malaysia.
July 18 – August 18 Australia
July 18-21 Darwin
I visited Darwin three times while studying at the Griffith University in 2000-2001. I took this opportunity to visit the Kakadu National Park, Alice Spring, Uluru and Bungle Bungle. As the expedition on Ponant to the Kimberley coast would begin in Darwin, I returned for the fourth time. However it did not bother me as there was always things to do. Kylie, my cabinmate had never been to this part of Australia. Luckily we found a reasonable package with four nights’ accommodation in Hilton Double Tree, two day trips and a dinner at a waterfront restaurant.
July 18. I arrived in Darwin around 12:30pm. Kylie who flied in from Melbourne arrived shortly after 1 pm. We shared a taxi to Hilton Double Tree with an elderly coupon who were on the same flight from Melbourne. We had a leisure afternoon walking to the waterfront for dinner before having an early night.
July 19. We had a day trip to Litchfield National Park known for its waterfalls and waterholes. It is about an hour’s drive from Darwin. We stopped to look at enormous cathedral and magnetic termite mounts and had a nice simple lunch. I swam twice: in the Florence Falls in the morning and the Wangi Falls in the afternoon.
July 20 (Sunday). I had a lazy day spending most of the time in the hotel room writing travel notes and sorting out photos. In the late afternoon, we took a taxi to Mindil Beach to visit the Sunday market and watch sunset. It was atmospheric with hundreds of people watching the red sun dropping below the horizon. People clapped their hands at the end of the show! We also had a lovely dinner with roast duck and rice and were surprised by the high standard of the roast!
July 21. We had a 12-hour day trip to the Kakadu National Park with an early start at 6:15am! It is a long drive to reach our first stop at Ubirr where we saw rock art estimated to be 20,000 years old. We followed a trail and walked for about an hour to see rock art at two different sites. I thought I had been to this site before. After a quick lunch, we headed to the Yellow Water for a two-hour cruise where we saw plenty of wildlife: crocodiles, Jabiru, Wandering Whistle Duck, Ibis, White-bellied Sea Eagles, Jacuna etc. Kylie took a scenic flight after the cruise as well. We indeed had an exhausting day and arrived in Darwin after 7:30 pm.
Cape Town to London 2025 Part 6- France & UK
May 22 – 29 Bordeaux France
Why Bordeaux Again?
During my first retreat in Plum Village last winter, I felt at home and wanted to return. When I learned about a hiking retreat from 23 to 30 May 2025, I immediately signed up as I would anyway be in Europe after a 40-day voyage. I know hiking might be too demanding given my hip problem. But it does not matter as it would be time for retreat!
May 22. I arrived in Bordeaux France after 9:30pm. As the last direct bus to Gare St Jean had gone and a taxi would cost about 80 euro, I decided to take my first tram ride in Bordeaux though it required a transfer by bus (2 euro). My hotel is close to the station. A sweet young lady on the bus told me to follow her: I ended up getting off two stops before the station. As I was still about 1.5km from the hotel, I went into a lux hotel and asked the receptionist to help me find a taxi. I did not want to wander around in the dark. After waiting for some 20 minutes to no avail, he got me an Uber instead. The nice driver made sure I got into the hotel as it was after midnight! I was moved by the good will and kindness of these three young French who all speak good English. An eventful journey with sweet memories.
May 23 – 29 Hiking Retreat at Plum Village
May 23. This was my second visit to Plum Village and everything went smoothly. I took a train to Ste Foy Le Grande around noon, had lunch near the station before taking a transfer with Mr Jardini. I arrived at the Lower Hamlet shortly after 2 pm and was greeted by many familiar faces: I felt at home. This time, I stayed in a neighbour’s house opposite the hamlet and shared a room with a Canadian young lady.
This first ever hiking-themed retreat was apparently very popular attracting some 120 participants including many were not followers of Plum Village. All participants had to join a family: I was with the Playful Frogs. The group had 20 participants coming from Australia, France, Germany, HK (Jessica, Kenny and I), the Netherlands, Slovakia, Spain, UK and US. (I met three more persons from HK from another family later). Sr. Sang Nghiem was the Facilitator and Sr Tam Duc accompanied the group. At our first family dinner, we sat under the tree and introduced ourselves in beautiful warm late spring afternoon. The sun did not set till almost 9 pm.
During the entire retreat, we maintained a daily routine with a standard sitting at 6 am, a service meditation in the afternoon, and a sitting and slow walking meditation at 8pm. Light was off at 10pm and the golden silence lasted from 8pm to after 7 am the following morning. For the service meditation, our group were divided into two: one worked on the plants and the other in the vegetable farm. As I am not too mobile, I joined the vegetable group. We had a visit to the New Hamlet on Sunday (25/5) and a Lazy Day on Monday. Lower Hamlet received others on Thursday (29/5). As the special theme was hiking, five meditation hikes with different level of difficulty were arranged: each lasted from one to three hours.
May 24. Today we had our first hike. Led by Sr. Sang Nghiem, we set off with a packed breakfast at 7:30am. As it had been raining heavily, the paths were muddy. We had to cross a stream before reaching a field on a higher ground for breakfast. Sr. Hien Nghiem who walked in the front and a few group members had a magical moment when sighting a deer in the field. We crossed the field and walked along a road before taking another path through the field. As I walked very slowly, I decided to leave the group when we reached Rte Du Chateau (a paved road). I followed the road uphill, walked past Chateau Theobon and reached a small halmet Loubes-Bernac before taking D313 back to the Lower Hamlet. I was back in time for the family sharing at 11 am. I enjoyed my first meditation hike on my own.
May 25. We took a bus ride to the New Hamlet after breakfast. The ride through the green countryside in spring was a joy. We had a dharma talk on the mind and store consciousness, mental states and mind training, and the “four diligence”. They are four types of effort or energy that are essential for spiritual development (i.e. preventing unwholesome states from arising, abandoning unwholesome states that have already arisen, developing wholesome states that have already arisen, and maintaining and increasing wholesome states that have already arisen). This is all about actively cultivating positive mental states and eliminating negative ones.
After the talk, we had a meditation walk (longer than the one I had last December). There must be 150-200 people walking in silence. It was Pure Land with a blue sky, white cloud, green trees, wild flowers and fresh air …. Here I met a sister from Hong Kong and the other three persons from Hong Kong (a mom with her son and her friend). We left after lunch. On the way back, many got off at Loubes-Bernac and strolled through the field. I thought I had done a similar walk the day before and decided to skip. It was a mistake: I should have joined the group on this easy downhill walk through the field.
May 26: Lazy Day. I spent the morning walking through a vineyard nearby. We had our second hike at 4:30pm, walking for about 3km through a lovely woodland (a nature reserve) and passing by Son Ha (a hamlet for brothers) before walking uphill to reach Puyguilhem (7km from the Lower Halmet). We visited an old church on top of the hill with commanding views of the surrounding area. We sat on the grass and had dinner in silence. I visited Ben and Dorte (a lovely Dutch couple from the US) who stayed in a gorgeous AirBnB nearby. Dorte gave me a lift to Lower Hamlet while the rest of the group had a long walk back to the Lower Hamlet.
May 27. I joined the Playful Frogs walking only for a short distance before taking a shortcut through a forest back to the Lower Hamlet. I caught up with them again at 11am to walk to a most beautiful and hidden part by a stream where we had a “Touch the Earth” ceremony. It was a powerful and moving moment when I touched with earth with my head and whole body. This was the highlight of the day and a very special experience of the retreat.
May 28. When Playful Frogs departed for a long walk, I walked back to the spot where we had the “Touch the Earth” ceremony the day before. This time, I had the place by myself. I walked slowly ten times along the stream before sitting under a tree for a long time. Before lunch, I met up with the group and we had a circle sharing. Each shared his/her feelings and a few members were very emotional and in tears. In the afternoon we had a communication workshop. I then had my fourth as well as the last service meditation in the vegetable garden doing weed removal.
May 29. Today was my last day as I had to catch a 7-am flight to London on May 30. After breakfast, we quickly got the place ready to receive others from the New and Upper Hamlet. When they arrived, we had a wonderful Dharma talk by Sr. Hien Nghiem who gave a profound talk on perception and behaviour. At 11:30am, I had my last walking meditation through the beautiful and expansive daisy field before returning to the same spot by the stream where I visited twice.
After 3pm, we gathered at the main hall where a Transmission of Five Mindfulness Training Ceremony would take place. I had taken this ritual in Sravasti during the pilgrimage in India in February. But as I had to leave at 3:30pm, I could only stay for a short time before the commencement of the formal ceremony. I learned from a friend from Hong Kong who took the transmission that the whole ceremony was beautiful and very moving. In the evening, they had a wonderful farewell party and the Playful Frogs gave an excellent performance. For me, I spent a quiet evening in a hotel next to the airport. At 7am on 30 May, I was on my way to London.
May 30- June 1 London, UK
My brief visit to London was to visit a couple of friends. I landed at Gatwick and took a train to Ealing Broadway. I spent the whole day catching up with Emily and her son. On June 1, I took a bus to Oxford to visit my former boss Steuart who has mobility problem. I had lunch with his family in his lovely house by a canal in Oxford and had a sunset drink with Carrie and Mandy (Steuart’s daughters) whom I have not seen for half a century. Heathrow is only 20 minutes by train on the Elisabeth Line from Ealing Broadway. So I made my way to the airport after an excellent brunch with Emily. My plane departed after 5pm and I was back in HK around 1 pm on June 2.
Remarks (to add)
Cape Town to London 2025 Part 5- Portugal & Spain
May 14 day Evora & Monsaraz
Elaine and I travelled together in September 2017 from Lisbon to Santiago de Compostela, Spain. I tried to find places that we had not visited before. At the end, we booked a small group guided day tour to Evora and Monsaraz. Located about 130km from east of Lisbon, Evora has a history dating back more than five millennia. The Roman conquered the town in 57 BC and expanded it into a walled city. It is the historic capital of the Alentejo region. Owing to its well-preserved old town centre, and numerous monuments dating from various historical periods, Evora is declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Along with Liepaja, Lativa, Evora will be the European Capital of Culture in 2027.
Upon arrival in Evora, I wandered on my own into the St Francis Church which was built between the end of the 15th century and the early 16th century in mixed Gothetic-Manueline styles. It contains many chapels decorated Baroque style including the world famous Chapel of Bones which interior walls are fully covered and decorated with human skulls and bones – a reminder of impermanence. Completed by Franciscan friars in 1816, this chapel with an estimated 5,000 corpses were exhumed to decorate the walls. There are many memorable phrases and poems on mortality and impermanence which are similar to Buddhist thoughts. Then we walked through narrow alleys to the upper town square before reaching the Roman Temple next to the Pousada Convento de Evora (which was a convent before). We had an hour to wander around and I walked on my own to the Cathedral. But as I would not have enough time to visit it, I did not bother to pay for a brief visit. Anyway, I enjoyed strolling aimlessly in old towns. We drove for an hour (over 50 km) to reach our second destination.
I find Monsaraz perching on a small hilltop on the right margin of the Guadiana River in the Portuguese Alentejo region, near its border with Spain mesmerizing. It is a most picturesque, monumental and museum village with a magical ambience: made of lime and schist, this historic fortified village is one of the oldest in Portugal. It has always had strong military and religious influences and has been impeccably preserved. Elaine and I had a most delicious lunch with a fantastic view of the river border with Spain before walking along the main street. There are four big doors. The main one – Village Door is protected by two semi-cylindrical towers. I paid a small sum for a ticket to enter a 16th century church. As we had to join a wine tasting tour, I did not have time to visit the castle. Around 3 pm, we had to leave to return to Lisbon. I love this iconic village and would hope to return and stay overnight. Elaine and I were both tired and too full to have dinner. We packed and ready to leave Portugal the next day.
May 15 Lisbon, Portugal – Sevilla, Spain Travel Day
After breakfast, I bid farewell to Elaine who would be returning to Hong Kong via Madrid. I took a 7-hour bus ride to Seville via Faro: the journey was comfortable and cheap (26 euros). I arrived in the bus terminal at Plaza de Armas Sevilla around 6 pm and stayed in a pension within walking distance. After settling down, I went to Flamenco Andalusi at C. Arenal, Casco Antiguo and watched an excellent performance by a dancer accompanied by three musicians for a small audience of around 30 in an intimate setting. Her voice is coarse, emotional and sad. Though I did not know what she was singing, I felt enchanted by her body movements, facial expressions and singing. The performance lasted for an hour and I even took a photo with her. Then I had a most delicious main course of small portion and a nice glass of wine for just over 20 euro. It was incredibly cheap for the quality of the food and wine. I was tired and had a good sleep.
May 16 & 17 Merida
I left my suitcase in Seville and took a bus to Merida. The town was founded in 25 BC under the name Emerita Augusta, by order of Roman emperor Augustus to settle discharged soldiers and to guard a strategic pass and the Guadiana river bridge. It quickly became one of the most important cities in Roman Hispana. In the 4th century, it served as the capital of the Diocese of Hispana. In 713, it was conquered by the Umayyad Caliphate and remained under Arab control. It returned to Christian rule in 1230 when Alfonso IX of Leon defeated the Arab ruler. In 1983, Merida became the capital of the autonomous community of Extremadura and the archaeological ensemble comprising 22 well-preserved remains ranging from public buildings to private architecture, religious buildings and engineering work, was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993.
I spent two days in this lovely well-preserved Roman town of significant historical importance. I bought a day pass (16 euro) that provides entry to eight attractions. At the end I was too tired and only visited five namely Roman theatre (a capacity for 6,000) and Amphitheatre, Temple of Diana, Casa del Mitreo, and Alcazaba dating 835 CE (Arab Citadel – the oldest surviving Moorish fortress in Spain with an outstanding Moorish cistern). I walked around the small town and visited for free the National Museum of Roman Arts. Many attractions are free: the impressive 800m-long Roman bridge built in the 1st century BC over the Guadiana, the 15m-high Trajan’s Arch, Portico del Foro, Visigoth Museum, and Plaza de Espana. As I could not walk long distance these days, I took a tourist train with explanations and saw the San Lazaro Aqueduct and Milagros Aqueduct (stretching for almost 1000m) from a distance.
May 18 & 19 Caceres
The bus from Merida to Caceres took less than an hour. It is a World Heritage Site with well-preserved remains and buildings from its Prehistoric and medieval times, the Roman and Moorish occupation and the golden age of Jewish culture in Spain (till its expulsion from Spain in 1492). The bus terminal is far from the old city and I had to take a taxi (over 30 euro) to get to NH Collection Hotel Palacio de Oquendo dating back to the 16th century whichh is located near one of the entrances to the walled city.
On Sunday, I had a sumptuous lunch at Borona Bistro serving traditional Extremaduran cuisine. My visit to Caceres was one of the highlights of the whole journey. During my luxurious two nights’ stay in this monumental city, I strolled leisurely in the walled city climbing the city wall, soaking in the atmosphere at sunset, after dark and early in the morning by wandering aimlessly and looking up at the soaring towers of surrounding buildings and the intact city walls from the 16th century. There are some 25 cathedrals, churches, convents and monasteries; some 30 palaces and stately houses; four museums and nine castles.
What I enjoyed most was the ambience, a retreat feel inside the walled city with few tourists, and an eternal atmosphere created by solid and timeless stone architecture, narrow alleys and cobbled streets. I sat several times of the day in the Plaza Mayor with full views of the Bujaco tower and the Pulpitos tower and the Herb tower and the Town Hall, in the Plaza de Santa Maria and Plaza de San Mateo.
I wandered around the intimate Jewish quarters twice to look at the houses covering with flourishing flowers and green plants. I walked up the Bujaco tower and along the wall to the Pulpitos tower. I paid to visit the Santa Maria Cathedral and San Francisco Javier Church (18th century church with a baroque facade rising above the Plaza de San Jorge) and climbed their spiral staircases to reach the top to see the mesmerizing skyline with turrets, spires, gargoyles and storks’ nests. But I could not visit the Church of San Mateo (with the highest spot of the city at 458m), and the Museum of Caceres (which is closed on Mondays).
May 20 – 22 Seville
Seville, the capital and the largest city of Andalusia, is the fourth largest city in Spain. Its old town with an area of 4 sq km contains a World Heritage Site comprising three building complex namely the Alcazar palace complex, the Cathedral, and the General Archive of the Indies. My original plan was to visit two World Heritage Sites i.e. Seville and the Donana National Park. I would travel around Seville using a 24-hour sight-seeing bus pass with 14 stops beginning at the Colon, going through the Plaza de Espana, crossing the river to Triana and World Expo site before crossing the river to see the Torres de Los Perdigones and Macarena (with old city walls) and before returning to the Plaza Duque and ending at Plaza de Armes.
May 20. I took a direct bus back to Seville and stayed in another pension next to the Plaza de Armes. I spent the afternoon visiting the Museum of Fine Arts that contains important art collections with numerous master pieces by Murillo and Zurbaran. Established in 1835 in the former Convent of La Merced, the museum stands behind the Gardens of Murillo.
After the museum, I watched the 5:30pm show “Pasion” at Teatro Flamenco Sevilla at C.Cuna. The theatre is fairly large with 16 rows of seats (possibly with over 250-300 seats). I was late and was arranged to sit in the front row (so that I would not disturb others)! What a treat! I watched four pairs of dancers performing with passions and colourful costume. A lead dancer was male who is slim and handsome! It was a totally different experience (I planned to watch another performance in Triana the following day. But when I arrived at the venue, I discovered there was no show that evening).
After the performance, I strolled aimlessly in the old town. Soon I found myself at the buzzling Plaza de San Salvador. I went into the Church of San Salvador, the second largest church in Seville. Originally converted from the city’s oldest mosque, it was rebuilt in Baorque form in the 17th century. I also visited the Church of Magdalena before dinner.
May 21. I joined a full day trip (12 hours) to the Donana National Park, a World Heritage Site. Occupying the right bank of the Guadalquivir river at its estuary on the Atlantic Ocean, the Park covers an area of 543 sq km, of which 135 sq km are a protected area. The park itself and surrounding protected buffer zone amount to over 1,300 sq km in the provinces of Huelva, Sevilla and Cadiz. It is notable for the great diversity of its biotopes and different ecosystems: lagoons, marshlands, pine groves, aloe veras, fixed and mobile dunes, cliffs, scrub woodland, maquis and 30km of unspoilt white beaches. It is one of the largest heronries in the Mediterranean region and is the wintering site for more than 500,000 water fowl each year.
I met four tourists on the bus and we had a young and enthusiastic guide-driver. We spent time driving through pine forests and saw hares, black kites and hundreds of flamingos in a pond. While the two young people from Belgium went for horse-riding, our guide took us bird-watching nearby where we saw Ibis and Grey Heron. After picking up the riders, we proceeded to the famous white village of El Rocio which has a wild West feel: there is no paved road and children are taught to ride a horse at a young age. It was hot and I had a plate of fresh sardines and a pint of beer for lunch.
Then we had a lovely short hike on a boardwalk through the woodland before reaching Palacio Acebron, a beautiful stately 19th– century building which is now a museum under restoration! Our final stop was Matalascanas, known for its unique blend of natural beauty with semi-fossil dunes and cultural heritage. The beautiful shore is made of fine grain light golden sand with a green leafy belt with pine tree, juniper, rockrose, crowberry, lavender etc.
I had a wonderful day driving through pine forests, watching Black Kites hoovering around, wild horses galloping, flamingos in an expansive lagoon, Egrets and Grey Herons in a bush, walking in the forest and having a relaxing time at El Rocio.
When I was back in Seville, I hopped off near Triana so that I could stroll the picturesque river bank. Then I activated the 24-hour bus pass to take a ride with commentary on the history of areas and the monumental buildings in particular the group related to the Expo ‘29 (Plaza Espana and Americas, Pavilion of Brazil, Mexico, Argentina Guatemala Peru etc.). Because of my hip problem, I had to find ways to explore a place within my disability and found the sightseeing bus a good way to look around!
May 22. As my flight to Bordeaux would be leaving after 7 pm, I had almost a full day in Seville. My original plan was to visit the Alcazar Palace and the Cathedral. The palace is a former site of the Islamic-era citedal which contruction began in the 10th century and later developed into a palace complex from the 11th –to 13th century under Islamic rulers. It is a preeminent example of Mudejar style in the Iberian Peninsula including sections with Gothic and Renaissance elements. The Cathedral which construction began after 1401 and finished in 1506, is considered the largest Gothic cathedral in the world and one of the largest cathedrals in the world. World Heritage Properties in Seville. It contains a number of important tombs including one of the two claimed burial places of Christopher Columbus. The Palace and the Cathedral together with the General Archive of the Indies (the repository of valuable archival documents relating to the Spanish Empire in the Americas and the Philippines up to 1760), are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
As I had not purchased tickets online well in advance, I was unable to visit the Palace and Cathedral. Instead, I had time to stroll leisurely along the river, enjoy the purple jacaranda lining the boulevards and squares, stop in a local cafe for coffee and breakfast, and wandering aimlessly through the narrow alleys. The buildings and architectures including the Palace, the Cathedral, Plaza de Toros, the Theatre, the University, are colourful and beautiful. I joined a free walking tour with some 20 tourists at noon to visit the impressive and iconic Plaza de Espana, the monumental square. Our guide walked so quickly that I could not catch up. Eventually I decided to walk at my own pace and hopped back on the sightseeing bus at 1 pm to continue with my carefree bus tour.
I hopped off at Plaza Duque and had a light vegetarian lunch in a local eatery where there was no tourist! It was hot and I had no more energy to explore the old town after lunch. Instead, I headed back to Hostal Joshof to pick up my suitcase and took a taxi to the airport (30 euro). I could have taken the airport bus for 5 euro if I could walk 200m with a 20-kg suitcase to the nearest bus stop. But I was getting too old and weak. It was a short flight of an hour and a half. I arrived in Bordeaux France after 9:30pm.
Cape Town to London 2025 Part 4
Day 31 – 32 Cape Verde
I first arrived in Praia on April 28, 2015 at the end of a 36-day voyage on Ortelius from Ushuaia, Argentina to Cape Verde. I stayed for 18 days and visited six (Santiago, Fogo, Brava, Sao Vicente, Santo Antao and Sal) out of the ten islands. I had fond memories and was delighted to return.
May 3 Santiago Island
During my 3-day stay in Satiago Island in 2015, I visited Cidade Velha, a World Heritage Site. Founded in 1462, it was the first European town in the tropics where Vasco da Gama, Christopher Columbus and Francis Drake had all left their marks. Today, I joined a 3-hour guided tour to Cidada Velha where I revisited the imposing royal fortress, the atmospheric old quarter with white-washed stone houses, the cathedral (which is a ruin) and the iconic Nossa Senhora Rosario Church. I spent a while by the black sand beach watching fishermen coming in with their catch and a young boy mending the net.
After lunch, I tried to join the Santiago Island Drive. Unfortunately, the bus was full though some 15 last-minute guests were still in the queue. Jonathan, the expedition leader of APEX, realised our great disappointment jumped to our rescue: he asked the expedition team for an extra minibus and took us to look for the national bird of the island – Grey-headed Kingfisher and the other five endemic birds. We saw a dozen of the Grey-headed Kingfisher perching on power lines and trees. They remained motionless and were fantastic objects for photography. We were also lucky to spot an Eurasian Kestrel, several Cape Verde Swifts in addition to Quinea fowl, Glossy Ibis, Western Cattle Egret etc. I indeed had a 3-hour fun drive and enjoyed bird-watching with keen and knowledgeable birders.
May 4 Sao Antonio Island
The ship arrived at Porto Novo early in the morning. After breakfast, we took the zodiac and landed at the terminal which has since been expanded and modernized. I love this rugged island with awesome landscape including mountain ranges, a large crater that has been turned into agricultural fields, pine forests, terraced sugar cane farming, picturesque villages, and beautiful coastline. I hiked and spent three wonderful days exploring the island using local minibuses.
Owing to my hip problem, I am no longer able to do what I did ten years ago. Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed a fantastic 5-hour drive on the island: I could still remember the spectacular winding cobbled roads, topography, vegetation and villages. Instead of returning to the boat for lunch, I spent an hour strolling in Porto Novo. Unfortunately, as it was Sunday, there was hardly any soul in town. It was also too hot. I therefore returned to the boat and even managed to have a quick lunch before the restaurant closed at 3pm.
Day 33-34 At Sea Lecture Day
May 5. I had four wonderful lectures. Manu talked about the geology of Cape Verde and the Canary Islands, both are land of fire formed by volcanic activities. Ingrid, a fantastic story-teller, introduced me to Mary Kingsley (1862-1900), a remarkable English lady explorer in Africa and writer. I also learned more about fish in West Africa and Darwin as an adventurous young man.
May 6. Today, I learned more about the rich wildlife of Macaronesia (the four island groups in the North Atlantic namely the Canary Islands, the Azores, Madeira and Cape Verde). I am lucky and have visited all of them. I love these enchanting islands and always long to return. Roddy continued with the story of Darwin to his last days. Jonathan talked about the birds of Macaronesia. I also heard about the intricate life of dolphins in the Atlantic.
Day 35 – 37 Canary Islands
The Canary Islands (or Canaries) are an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean located in the northwest of Africa. I was in the Canaries (after Cape Verde) from 15 to 27 May visiting four out of the seven main islands (namely Gran Canaria, Tenerife, La Gomera and Lanzarote). Each island is different with interesting hiking trails. After having spent 12 days in the islands, I had little expectation on my whirlwind visit this time.
May 7 Gran Canaria
We docked after 8 am at Las Palmas which was founded in 1478 and is now the capital of the Canaries. As I had explored the old town in Las Palmas, sand dunes near Maspalomas, Tejeda, and Teror in 2015, I took a 4-hour Bandama hike. The Bandama Natural Monument (the caldera of Bandama) is geologically a maar rather than a caldera, which reaches 569m above sea level at its highest point on its rim, about 1,000 wide and 200m deep. The crater was developed during the last heavy eruptions 2,000 years ago. The bottom of the caldera contains volcanic ash of different colours. We followed a good maintained but slippery trail to the bottom. Fortunately I had my walking poles and had only slipped once without hurting. Before returning to the boat, we were treated in a tapas lunch near the port.
May 8 La Gomera
Gomera, the second smallest island of the Canarias, is a top destination for nature lovers and hiker. In 2015, I spent three amazing days in this paradise: I had two hikes (a 13-km trail through the Garajoy National Park to El Convento and another 14-km trail from Chipude to Vallehermoso) and visited Valle Gran Rey. Today, I just joined a relaxing 4-hour “La Gomera Views and Walk in San Sebastian” tour. We followed the main road with stops at several magnificent view points over the Valley of La Gomera, the iconic Rock of Agando, soaring rock walls and a short drive through the Garajonay with a quick glimpse of the Laurisilva forest. We ended the scenic ride in San Sebastian with aleisure guided tour. This town has not changed much since my last visit: I remember the house where Columbus stayed before crossing the Atlantic Ocean to the New World, Asuncion Church, Torre del Conde and the iconic dragon tree. I did not feel energetic and returned to the boat for lunch instead of having a cup of cafe in the main square.
May 9 Lanzarote
I love Lanzarote with its uniquely white dwellings, hellish black lava fields in all strange shapes, grey-black as well as colourful volcanic soil, and manicured vineyard landscape. I spent three wonderful days in 2015 exploring its awesome volcanoes and craters, vineyards and La Graciosa. Here I was introduced to the most famous man of Lanzarote – Cesar Manrique (1919-1992) who upon his return to the native island in 1966 influenced art, architecture, culture and sustainable tourism development on the island.
Today, I joined a 5-hour trip to visit the National Park of Timanfaya and Salinas Del Janubio. Though I had taken the same guided tour to the national park, I enjoyed the visit just the same. Last time I passed by the Salinas without stopping. This time we had time to stroll around this impressive salt pan and learned about its history and sampled wine and cheese. We sat sailed for Morocco at 1:30pm. Once on boat, we had a lecture on wildlife in the Sahara Desert and the Sahel and an art class.
Day 38-39 Morocco
My first visit to Morocco was in the 1990s and have returned once to climb Mt Toubkal (4,167m). I like the country and am always happy to return. This time Silver Wind brought me to two new destinations.
May 10 Agadir. We docked before 7 am in Agadir, Morocco’s premier holiday resort that boosts 300 days of sun a year and a 10km long beach. Two earthquakes in 1960 virtually destroyed the city including its fabled 1540 Kasbah (Oufla Fort which was built in the mid-16th century by Saadian Sultan Mohammed ech Cheikh) killing 15,000 in 13 seconds and leaving 35,000 homeless. Today, Agadir is a busy port and tourist destination with modern architecture, wide, tree-lined avenues, open squares and pedestrian precincts.
I joined a “True Colour of Agadir City” tour. We were taken to visit a cooperation run by women that produces argan oil where we saw the laborious process in producing the highly priced oil. Then we were taken to another shop selling all sorts of oil and skin products from Morocco. Our final stop was the souq. I am not a shopper and find this tour the most boring one for the whole voyage. I should have joined the “Discovering the Paradise Valley” tour to see nature (I did not join as the hike up and down a gorge might be too stressful for my hip).
After lunch, I took a free shuttle to the city centre and was joined by a lady from America. As both of us had no interest in the beach, we went to a nearby casino which was empty. Then we walked to a small mall where only a few shops were open. Fortunately, my friend found and bought a few souvenirs for her three daughters. The ship set sailed for the last destination of this voyage at 6pm.
May 11 Safi. The ship docked at Safi around 6am. Then guests on a 12-hour “Magical Marrakech” tour immediately departed. As I have been to Marrakech twice, I joined a 9-hour tour to discover Essaouira, a World Heritage Site instead. Though this was the first visit to Morocco for Elaine, she preferred a shorter trip and chose Essaouira over Marrakech. The journey took three hours (over 170km) with a stop at an argan oil factory. It was raining hard when we arrived in Essaouira. Most of us had not brought an umbrella with us: we were caught in the rain feeling cold and wet.
Essaouira has long been considered one of the best anchorages of the Moroccan coast where the Carthaginian established a trading post back in the 5th century BCE. The present city was built in 1760 by Sultan Mohammed bin Abdallah and it became Morocco’s most important commercial port and diplomatic capital between the end of the 18th century and the first half of the 19th century. Mohammed III encouraged Moroccan Jews to settle in Essaouira and handle the trade with Europe: Jews once comprised the majority of the population. The Jewish quarter therefore contains many old synagogues. However, following changes in trade, the founding of Israel in 1948, the independence of Morocco in 1956 and tension between Israel and Arab states, Sephardic Jews left the country. Today, only a few Jews remain in Essaouira.
We had a wonderful walk in the rain in the medina (a walled city) with a maze of narrow alleys. I love the picturesque gates, clock tower, architecture, colours and designs of doors and windows. We went to a workshop to learn wood engraving and designs. We visited the imposing fortress (kasbah) and fortifications by the port with awesome views of sand dunes and rocks. The last stop was the Bayt Dakira (Jewish Museum). We had almost an hour to stroll on our own and I ventured outside the port. I was overwhelmed by the port teeming with fishing boats and a bustling fish market. I would like to spend a day or two in this old town.
We had a nice lunch in a five-star hotel by the beach. Then we headed back to Safi. As the ship would not be leaving till 10 pm, I took a free shuttle and had a most enjoyable whirlwind tour of Safi which is the main fishing port for Morocco’s sardine industry. Pottery has also been a mainstay of Safi’s economy. I find the city wall imposing and the winding alleys and local shops much more interesting and authentic than the souq in Agadir.
Day 40 At Sea Lecture Day
The lecture programme went on even it was the last day of the voyage. I attended four lectures: “The Human Story”, “Marine Megafauna of West Africa”, “The Azores Current” and “The Demise of the Portuguese Empire”. All those attending the art class were invited to display three of their works. Though I have no talent in painting (or actually anything at all), I happily shared three paintings I like. At 5 pm, we had Captain’s farewell with a Crew Parade followed by the final recap of this wonderful journey. We packed our bags and got ready for disembarkation.
May 13 Lisbon, Portugal – END of SAILING
We bid farewell to friends with whom we had travelled for 40 days. We disembarked after 9:30am and took Uber to Casa de Sao Mamede Hotel on Rue da Escola Politecnica where we stayed for two nights.
Remarks (to add)
Cape Town to London 2025 Part 3
Day 22 April 24 Abidjan, Ivory Coast
Ivory Coast with an area of 322,460 km² and a population of 31.5 million (2024 estimate), is the third-most populous country in West Africa. The area became a protectorate of France in 1843 and was consolidated as a French colony in 1893. It gained independence under the leadership of Felix Houphouet-Boigny in 1960. Since independence, it has endeavored to develop close political-economic ties with its neighbours while maintaining close relations with the West including France. Its relative political stability was disrupted by a coup d’etat in 1999 and two civil wars (between 2002 and 2007 and in 2010- 2011). A new constitution was adopted in 2016. The country is the world’s largest exporter of cocoa beans and its economy relies heavily on agriculture with smallholder cash-crop production. It has experienced high economic growth since the return of stability in 2011: the GDP(PPP) for 2024 is estimated to be around US$2,700. Yamoussoukro is the capital while Abidjan with a port is the largest city and economic centre. French is the official language while many indigenous languages are also widely used.
It was my first visit to Ivory Coast. The smooth sailing into the harbour at sunrise was beautiful. I joined a full day tour to visit Grand-Bassam and Abidjan. In the morning, we visited the historical centre of Grand–Bassam, the old colonial capital in the late 19th century, which is a World Heritage Site because of its outstanding examples of colonial architecture and town-planning, and the juxtaposition of colonial town with a traditional Nzema village. We first went to a large indoor market selling artifacts and clothes. Though I love the vibrant African colours and patterns, I can no longer afford to accumulate more junks in my tiny apartment in Hong Kong. The second stop was the National Museum of Costume housed in a beautiful colonial mansion. Our enthusiastic guide explained in great details important artifacts including the costumes of different tribes, the culture and heritage, and the bathroom that was built a century ago. We drove around before dropping off at a resort by the beach where we had a nice lunch.
After lunch, we proceeded to Abidjan, the capital from 1933 to 1983 and the biggest and most important city of Ivory Coast. Lying amid canals and waterways, Abidjan often referred to as “Paris of West-Africa” is the second largest city in West Africa after Lagos, Nigeria and looks pleasant, modern and organised with good infrastructures (bridges, roads and water transportation). I saw numerous restaurants, hotels and shops along the roads. We first went to the iconic St Paul’s Cathedral designed by Aldo Spirito, an Italian architect. Pope John Paul II consecrated the first stone of the cathedral in 1980 and dedicated the building upon completion in August 1985. It is one of the largest cathedrals in the world: it is modern and unique with an enormous Cross outdoor and an exterior face covered by 14 panels made in terracotta ceramics with the Cross and the story of Christ as the main theme. The interior is remarkable with six colourful stained glass windows covering an area of 370 metres. The themes for each panel are related to the life of St Paul.
Next we visited the Museum of Civilisation of Ivory Coast nearby. I was impressed by the wooden sculptures and pillars. Unfortunately only one hall was open. . Here we watched a dance performance before rushing off to a large souvenir market. Once we were back on the boat, we attended Captain’s welcome cocktail reception when the Captain introduced his senior officers.
Day 23-24 At Sea Lecture Days
April 25 – 26. I attended four interesting lectures on the first day and learned more about the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, birds of West Africa by Jonathan (who is a most passionate experts and a wonderful speaker on birds), insects of West Africa and sugarcane – the grass that changed the world. On the second day, I again spent most of the day in the show lounge to hear Clifford talking about “Abolition and the Return of Africans”, Manu on “Blood Diamond” by and an “Introduction to Sierra Leone”.
These talks prepared us for our next destination – Sierra Leone. The country’s current territory was established in two phases: in 1808, the coastal Sierra Leone Colony was founded as a place to resettle returning Africans after the abolition of the slave trade; and in 1896 an inland Protectorate was created following the Berlin Conference of 1884-85. Sierra Leone with an area of 73,252 sq km, attained independence from the UK in 1961. A protracted civil war broke out in 1991 between the government and the Revolutionary United Front rebel group. The conflict partly funded by the trade in illicit “blood diamond” with participation of child soldiers, lasted for 11 years before the rebel group was defeated. Relative stability has gradually returned and it has experienced substantial economic growth in recent years. It has rich mineral resources including diamond, gold, bauxite and rutile. Today, it has a GDP(PPP) of USD916 (2025 est) and a population of about 8.5 million with a life expectancy of 58.
Day 25 – 26 Sierra Leone
April 27 Tokeh
This was my first visit to Sierre Leone. Around 9 am, we landed in Tokeh a coastal town nestled outside Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone, that is surrounded by mountains, forests and beautiful beaches. The Tokeh Beach is considered one of the largest and the most attractive beaches in West Africa. I spent two delightful hours bird watching with expert birders. We saw Yellow-billed (Black) Kite, Common Sandpiper, African Green Pigeon, Black-and-white Shrike Flycatcher, Little Swift, African Palm Swift, African Gray Woodpacker, White-throated Bee Eater, several types of Tern (West African Crested tern and Sandwich Tern), Dove (Laughing, Red-eye and Blue-spotted Wood-Dove), Swallow, Kingfisher (Blue-breasted, Malachite, Giant and Pied Kingfisher), Weaver, and Sunbird, Violet-backed Starling, and Bulbul etc.
As I had not put on proper footwear, I felt extremely tired after two hours’ walk and standing. I felt pain on my right hip. Though I was supposed to take a village walk after bird watching, I gave up and sat down to rest: I had reached my limit. Around 11 am, we gathered in front of the beach where villagers greeted us with traditional dance and music before returning to the boat for lunch. After 2 pm, I joined other guests to return to the beach to watch soccer organised by the “Flying Stars Amputee Football Organisation” for an hour. The tragic civil war has displaced millions, killed hundreds of thousands and left tens of thousands disabled from brutal amputations. This organisation was formed to support the amputees in bettering their quality of life by creating jobs for those living with amputations and ensuring them means to improve themselves. Very inspiring! Because of bad traffic, they were late for some 45 minutes. While waiting, I got into the water for aquarobics: the water was warm and beautiful. I thoroughly enjoyed the game: they are heroes and professional playing an incredible game. We got very excited and cheered them on. We returned to boat before 5pm.
Day 26 April 28 Aberdeen
The ship sailed into Aberdeen at sunrise. Guests were offered four tours and I joined a 6-hour “Birding Tacaguma Wetlands and Chimpanzee Sanctuary”. Elaine felt tired and did not join. Tacugama is an eco-tourism hub nestled in a forest outside Freetown. We were expected to walk about 2 km to the wetland. Given my hip problem, I took a ride in a minibus to the destination. We spent less than an hour at the reservoir and wetland: I only saw two grebe. Then I took another ride to the chimp sanctuary established in 1995. In the sanctuary there are over 100 critically endangered Western chimpanzees. As only 20 visitors were admitted at a time, our group had to wait for almost an hour till 10am before we could go in with a guide. Evidence from fossils and DNA sequencing shows chimpanzee is humans’ closest living relative. Four subspecies have been recognised: Central, Western, Nigeria-Cameroon and Eastern chimpanzee. While some chimps were left outdoor, I watched 20-30 confined in a few concrete cells. They were screaming and watched us behind bars! I was not impressed by the overall conditions and did not feel comfortable watching these poor animals behind bars.
We departed at 11 am and were back on the boat around 12 noon. It was a great pity that I did not have a chance to visit Freetown. The ship set sail shortly after 1 pm. I enjoyed Clifford’s talk on “Masks, Masquerades and Militias” in the afternoon.
Day 27 – 29 Bijagos Archipelago, Guinea-Bissau
Bijagos Archipelago the largest archipelago in Africa spanning an area of almost 13,000 sq km, is a group of about 88 islands and islets located in the Atlantic Ocean approximately 40 miles off-shore off the coast of Guinea-Bissau. Twenty islands are populated with some 30,000 inhabitants year-round. Bolama is the administrative capital while the most populated island is Babaque. The area has a high diversity of ecosystems: mangroves with inter-tidal zones, palm forests, coastal savanna, sand banks and aquatic zones, thus attracting long-legged migrating birds and exotic wildlife including saltwater hippos and sea turtles. It is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and an Important Bird Area.
April 29 Bolama
Bolama was uninhabited when European colonists arrived in 1792. In 1879, it became the first capital of Portuguese Guinea and later a logistical centre for seaplane transport. A seaplane crash in 1931 is commemorated by a statute in the town. However as a result of shortage of fresh water on the island, its importance ceased in December 1941 when Bissau replaced it as the capital. Colonial buildings including the Governor’s Palace, were abandoned and fell into decay. Today the island with a population of about 5,000, is surrounded by mangrove swamps and is mostly known for its production of cashew nuts.
I joined a 3-hour guided bird walk and disembarked after 8 am. The broad main street lined with colonial buildings has a derelict and somewhat eerie feel. Not many locals were in sight: it felt so empty! We wandered through the deserted main road before turning off after the church. We spotted different bird species on the roofs, power lines and trees. We walked into a dry forest before reaching the swamp I was excited to find and be able to watch a colourful Lilac-breasted Roller, Red-throated Bee-Eater, Green Pigeon, Purple Glossy Starling and Sunbird. On the way back, we walked through ruins with gigantic trees with thousands of fruit bats. Very atmospheric!
In the afternoon we had an enrichment lecture with Joao-Wellfound who operates in remote villages across the islands and mainland of Guinea-Bassau providing critical access to water, food and continuous support aiming at improving the well-being of indigenous communities. His work is admirable. At 5:30pm we had a sunset zodiac cruise where we saw lots of shorebirds feeding on the mudflats.
April 30 Canhabaque
We had a sunrise zodiac cruise at 6:30am. It was atmospheric and excellent. After breakfast, Elaine and I joined a guided traditional village walk. Canhabaque Island is matriarchal headed by Queen Mother and leans heavily on ancient rituals. The village is located about 2.5km from the beach. I was slow taking my time to enjoy nature and the atmosphere. By the time I arrived at the centre of the village, the locals (all men) were performing the welcome dancing with hundreds of villagers gathering around. The dancers were all men covered with leaves. There was one man wearing cow horns on his head and blowing the horn occasionally.I found the dance powerful full of energy. Some ladies and young girls also danced on the side.
The highlight was to meet the Queen Mother who did not smile: her face was expressionless. After filing in the her hut to pay respect, she sat outside for us to take photos. It was delightful to walk with Clifford back to the beach and I learned more about the way of their way life on the island. The villagers seem to be well-built: I suppose they have a decent diet with meat from chicken, goat, pig and cow, seafood from the sea and vegetables and crops from the field. I got back to the boat after 11:30am. After lunch, I went back to the beach to enjoy the lovely warm water. The wonderful day ended with another fantastic zodiac sunset cruise at 5:30pm.
May 1 Rubane
I had the best sunrise zodiac cruise of the entire voyage. We saw Great Flamingo, Pink-backed Pelican, Cormoront, Plover, Whimbrel, Gull, Tern, African Sacred Ibis, Palm Nut Vulture and Hooded Vulture, Yellow-billed Kite etc on mud-flats. When we were approaching the main town and port of Bubaque Island, the archipelago’s administrative capital which lies just across the strait from Rubane Island, we could see many buildings and locals. The island with a population of over 6,000 was bubbling and lively with a weekly ferry running to Bissau on the main land. We were thrilled to find hundreds (if not thousands) of Village Weaver. I have never seen so many weavers and their nests in my life.
After a wholesome breakfast on the boat, we joined a guided beach nature walk with three dance performances at three different locations. Then we had a wonderful seafood buffet at Ponta Anchaco Resort, a beautiful and comfortable resort run by a French lady. After lunch, I went to the beach for aquarobics. A few kids joined me and I tried to teach two girls to swim. I had a great day!
Day 30 May 2 At Sea Lecture Day
After five days of activities, I enjoyed a leisure day at sea. I attended three interesting lectures on crocodiles, Cape Verde and the Pano-Trade (when Clifford talked about the Portuguese and Lancado Traders).