posted by Traveller on Oct 17

Seoul is the capital city of South Korea for more than 600 years. Seoul has a mixture of chic shopping districts, traditional markets, historic palaces, towering office building, crowed streets and pulsating nightlife. Below are some of the suggested places you can visit when you are in central Seoul.

Myeongdong. Visit modern Myeongdone which is an area of narrow alleys.  It is lined on both sides with shops that sell chic clothes and accessories such as shoes and handbags, tailor-made suits and custom-made shirts, latest fashion dresses, handcrafted modern jewelry, and cosmetics. In the evening, the alleyways will come alive when it is crowed with after-work strollers doing window shopping.  You can do some shopping here. After which, pay a visit to Myeongdong Cathedral.

Deoksugung Palace.  Deoksugung Palace, the Palace of Virtuous Longevity, is not the oldest surviving palaces and it was built as a villa towards the end of the 15th century.  On the palace ground, you will see a status of Sejong, the great 15th-century king whom officially promulgated the distinctive Korean writing system differing from the traditional Chinese characters in 1446. Visit the Royal Museum where you can see exhibits that were once used by the royal court. If you visit the palace in Autumn, the gingko tress are aflame in gold. You will also have the opportunity witness the Changing of the Palace Gate Guards to the beat of the huge drums and elongated bugles. Do you know, Deoksu Palace is very popular venue for weeding photo sessions!

Changdeokgung Palace. Changdeokgung Palace, the Palace of Illustrious Virtue, was built in 1405, burned down in 1592 and rebuilt in 1609. It was used as the official residence of the various Joseon kings. This palace is considered as one of Seoul’s best preserved palaces. It has a throne room hall, long drafty corridors, and rooms furnished with heavy upholstered European chairs and sofas. Whereas in the private living quarters, you will see traditional Korean furnishing such as low, slatted beds, lacquered chests and tables. 

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posted by Traveller on Oct 11

Los Angeles is California’s biggest and most stimulating city.  If you happen to be in downtown Los Angeles, remember to explore this wonderful city.  Los Angeles has a warm climate. The monthly city temperature range less than twenty degrees C throughout the year. You can experience highest temperature in the month of Jul and Aug of about 28 degrees C. As such, if you are not used to cold weather, Los Angeles, California is a place you can consider to visit.

Some of the places in downtown Los Angeles you can explore are the Bradbury Building, Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, The Geffen Contemporary, The Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), The Music Center, Olvera Street, Union Station, among others.

Bradbury Building. This building was designed in 1893.  This office building had a beautiful lobby boasting some of the best-preserved Victorian décor around. At the interior, it has wrought-iron balconies, open-cage elevators, and is lit by a skylight.

Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels. The cathedral was opened in 2002. It is a massive structure built of concrete, eleven stories tall and capable to hold three thousand people. It has bronze entry doors decorated with multicultural icons and New World images of the Virgin Mary. During the day, sunlight brightens up the sanctuary through translucent curtain walls.

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posted by Traveller on Oct 7

It has been said that Ireland does not have snakes.  If you do not like them, then Ireland will be an ideal destination for you next vacation.  There are no snakes in Ireland. Why is it so that there are no snakes in Ireland?

Ireland’s holy mountain, Croagh Patrick, is one of the best known landmarks in Mayo, Ireland.  The mountain is named after the national saint, St Patrick.  Looking at a distance from the bottom, the mountain looks very much like the shape of a cone.  However, in actual fact, the summit is a flat plain.  It was said that this holy mountain has its holy origin due to pagan worship from 3000 BC.  In AD 441, St Patrick is said to have spent 40 days on the mountain fasting and praying for the Irish.  According to a legend, all of Ireland’s snakes leapt off the cliff to their deaths when he rang his bell at the edge of a cliff. This explains why Ireland has no snakes.

In July, penitents would make their way to the summit in the saint’s honor especially on Garland Friday and Reek Sunday.  Most of them climb the mountain barefooted.  There is a tiny chapel at the summit where Reek Sunday mass is usually celebrated.  It does not matter whether you are a penitent or a visitor, climbing up Croagh Patrick will not fail to give you a wonderful experience.  The trail up the mountain starts at Campbell’s Pub in Murrisk, where the statue of the St Patrick stands. It takes about two hours to climb to the top of the mountain which is about 765m (2510ft) high.  This is indeed a good form of physical exercise and a fine test of your cardio capability.  Furthermore, when you reach the summit, you will be able to enjoy sweeping views of the surroundings and admire the splendid sceneries there.

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