Once upon a time in Hong Kong

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I was flipping through our vacation photos from way back when I came across these taken in Hong Kong (HK).This was in 2002, about 5 years after HK became a part of (or was returned by UK to) China.

Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon

Causeway Bay

My wife was living in Sai Wan on Hong Kong island then. I would be traveling to spend the weekend with her about 2-3 times a month. HK is the mecca for Cantonese food. My best memories are of the many local meals in (cigarette-)smokey diners called “cha chan teng” (translates into Tea Restaurant) and dim sum places.

Wonton (Shrimp and pork dumpling) noodle soup

Our favorite thing to do is to take an evening walk on the Kowloon side of Victoria Harbor, gazing at the brightly lit buildings the form the skyline of Hong Kong island. Other favorites off HK include Victoria Peak and Ocean Park. There was great shopping at Causeway Bay on Hong Kong Island, and Tsim Sha Tsui in Kowloon. Great Cantonese food can be found on every street and corner. We also visited HK Disneyland on the day of its opening; just for the heck of it.

HK Disneyland Resort

Panda “Jia-Jia” at Ocean Park

Hong Kong Island from Victoria Peak

Hong Kong Island, Victoria Harbor

Gallery: South Island, New Zealand

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A look back in time … March, 2005.

A 1-week road trip from Christchurch to Milford Sound, on the South Island of New Zealand. We were barely married. Amazing vistas coupled with youthful energy led to bungee-jumping at Kawarau bridge and skydiving at Lake Wakatipu. One of our best vacations!

The Haka!

Road to Mount Cook

Tasman Glacier, Mount Cook

Skydiving Lake Wakatipu, Queenstown

Calm and quiet Milford Sound

Mitre Peak, Milford Sound

A mighty river, red cliffs and dead horses

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Southern Utah is a red rock wonderland. Last spring, we spent a long weekend in Moab. We drove south on I-15 to the Spanish Fork, before taking Route 6 to I-70 East and onto Moab. It took us about 4 hours to reach Moab from Salt Lake City. To be honest, the drive was not very scenic for the most part. The desert-like terrain, seemingly void of life, was flat and dry. Within 20 minutes of Moab, the scenery quite suddenly transformed into red rock canyon lands, waking us up from a sleepy drive.

Red rock mesas, Southern Utah

From Moab, we turned onto the Upper Colorado River Scenic Byway (U-128). This spectacular route along the Colorado River gorge begins at the Colorado River Bridge at the north end of Moab.  The cliffs towered high above us. We made several stops along the banks of the mighty Colorado River. It is almost surreal to stand knee-deep in the Colorado River (the same river that cuts the Grand Canyon) while admiring the surrounding red sandstone cliffs.

The mighty Colorado river, Upper Colorado River Scenic Byway

Nestled in this gorge, along the Colorado River, is the Red Cliffs Lodge. This was our base for exploring Moab, and its surrounding parks. It felt like we were living on a ranch at the base of a canyon. The most unique feature of this lodge is its vineyard and winery. Who could have guessed that Moab had the climate for growing grapes? They were making Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon; quite the treat.

Red Cliff Lodge, Moab

Colorado River, Moab

While southern Utah is known for her national parks (Arches, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef), we spent some time at a lesser known state park – Dead Horse Point. The road to Dead Horse Point, also known as the Dead Horse Point Mesa Byway (SR-313), is another scenic drive in itself. The route starts with a series of hairpin turns to ascend the mesa and continues for about 30 miles to Dead Horse Point. Here, the mesa towers 2000 feet above the Colorado River. We filled our car with food and water, tanked up on gas and spent a great day here strolling along well-trodden paths at the edge of the mesa and taking in the amazing vistas.

Dead Horse Point

Mustang herds used to run wild on the mesas near Dead Horse Point. At the turn of the century, cowboys would drive these horses onto the unique natural corral provided by the promontory. The only escape was through a narrow, 30-yard neck of land controlled by fencing. Mustangs were then roped and broken for personal use or sold. Unwanted horses were left behind to find their way off the Point. The legend goes that these mustangs remained on the point (possibly waiting for their herd to return), dying of thirst within sight of the Colorado River, 2000 feet below. One cannot help but feel injustice and sympathy for these loyal and powerful beasts, while admiring the beauty carved by Mother Nature.

Adios!

Gallery: Little Cottonwood Canyon

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The Little Cottonwood Canyon, a short 25 miles from Salt Lake City, is home to Utah’s two world-class ski resorts: Alta and Snowbird. It runs parallel to the Big Cottonwood Canyon. In the summer, after all the snow has melted away, this canyon is a hiker’s and biker’s paradise – our little mountain escape. Interesting factoid: The early Mormon settlers built the Salt Lake Temple from the granite at the mouth of this canyon. Another interesting factoid: Claire hiked to Cecret Lake, aka Secret Lake (see below), when she was in her third trimester.

Little Cottonwood Canyon

Wildflowers in the canyon

S(C)ecret Lake

The Big Cottonwood canyon ‘playground’

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Of all the canyons close to Salt Lake City, the Big Cottonwood is our favorite. We spend many spring, summer and autumn Saturdays in this canyon. Hiking to a waterfall or alpine lake is our favorite weekend thing-to-do, possibly an obsession with natural water features!  Our hikes have mostly been on easy to moderate trails as our little boy always comes along, and he wants/needs to be carried. Without any major hiking gear, it is simply us and our trusty track shoes and a camera-cum-food-and- diaper pack. We enjoy our hikes while filling our lungs with the crisp mountain air. The Big Cottonwood canyon has become quite the playground for us.

Big Cottonwood Canyon

Below are some of the places we have visited in the canyon.

Silver Lake in autumn

Silver Lake is one of our most frequented destinations in the canyon. Situated at the top of the canyon, it is a great place for a morning stroll or trout fishing. The lake reflects the mountains like a mirror, of which we have countless photos.  It is an extremely mild hike (it’s more like a walk!) suitable for all ages.  In fact, it was just over a month after Claire gave birth to our little boy when we first visited the lake. We had no trouble walking the entire perimeter of the lake while pushing our baby in his stroller. The lake has its resident birds that are a delight to spot. During summer, the lake is a popular spot for boating by families and lovebirds.  The only thing stopping us from boating there is having to bring our own boat.

Fly fishing at Silver Lake

From Silver Lake, we have hiked (2.5 miles) uphill to Twin Lakes once. The directions along the trail are not very clear. We simply kept on our path through pure faith and an occasional confirmation from fellow trail hikers coming from the opposite direction. We were fortunate enough to be the only ones up there. It was a pretty sight, slightly marred by a concrete dam built against one of the Twin Lakes. Ignoring the concrete dam, Twin Lakes has a charming feel, with big rocks on one side of the lake where one can sit on and enjoy lunch while taking in the alpine scenery.   Lake Solitude (3 miles from Silver Lake, and together with Twin Lakes, form the trio of lakes) is on our “to-hike” list, at least once before we leave Salt Lake City.

Hidden Falls

Downstream from the Hidden Falls

Hidden Falls is another nice stop on the drive up the Big Cottonwood Canyon. A short walk from Mill B Trailhead, one crosses a small stream and the waterfall comes into view after a few minutes’ walk. This is a small 40-feet waterfall, tucked away at the end of a small box canyon. At the base of the falls is a shallow pool, which is a great for dipping on warm days.  During the fall, there is only a thin veil of water such that we could stand at the bottom of the falls and stay dry.  This is a great contrast with summer when the waterfall is torrential and we feel safe only when perched on a large rock several meters away.

Dog Lake

Dog Lake is for dogs, literally. There were at least 10 dogs swimming in the water on our day there. We had approached Dog Lake from the Big Cottonwood Canyon (Mill D Trailhead), which is approximately 2.5miles long. We were totally unprepared for this hike. It involved a rather steep climb uphill near the end, which was quite difficult with us taking turns holding our son. (We later learned that there is a shorter trail to Dog Lake from Millcreek Canyon.) Claire was wearing her sandals, and her toes were badly bruised when we got back down! Overall, Dog Lake is a nice place if you have a dog, otherwise, there are quieter waterholes in the canyon.

Donut Falls was a wasted trip for us. We actually attempted to see the falls twice! Once during early spring where most part of the trail was still very slippery and icy – we gave up after trudging in the ice for almost an hour and we have not even reached the actual trail! Our second attempt was during summer. The first 0.75 mile hike to the base of the falls was easy. It comes to a wide stream of icy cold water that one has to cross, at the base of the falls. There isn’t great foothold, and our feet were painfully frozen within minutes. However, the final climb to actually view the falls is impossibly steep as we were holding our boy.  We were watching closely how the others got up to the falls, and realized that not many did. Those who did had to scale the slippery rocks on all fours. So, no, we did not actually see the falls.  It was a great disappointment.

Scenic drive, Big Cottonwood Canyon

Our favorite thing to do in Big Cottonwood is probably driving along the Big Cottonwood Canyon scenic byway, over Guardsman Pass, and head down the other side into Park City for breakfast. There are lmany picturesque vistas throughout the drive – from the mountain peaks to alpine forests with wildflowers. It is approximately an hour’s drive. Our favorite views are from Guardsman Pass (see Introduction to the Mormon City). The downhill portion of the drive is unpaved and can be challenging on a wet day. The warm breakfast in Park City, at the bottom of the road, makes up for any hard work.  This is highly recommended for any visitor during the warmer months of the year.

Introducing the Mormon city

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Flying into Salt Lake City (SLC) for the first time, my impression of the Mormon city is one that has snow covered walkways, surrounded by white (Wasatch) mountains and covered with a blue sky. This was January a few years ago. The city has been home for more than a year, and has gradually grown on me.

Reflections at Temple Square

Like many first time visitors to SLC, the Temple Square was one of the first places we visited. SLC was founded in 1847 by Brigham Young and his Mormon followers, and Temple Square is the headquarters of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS Church).  Arriving at the square, my family and I were warmly greeted by LDS volunteers from around the world, fluent in their native language. They were eager to show us around the square, including the visitor’s center and the Tabernacle. Yet surprisingly, they made no attempt to convert us.

“Here we will build a temple to our God”, proclaimed Brigham Young. The Salt Lake Temple is an ivory fort-like structure, dominating Temple Square. We were disappointed that the temple is out of bounds to non-Mormons. Instead, we were able to attend the live performance by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. It was the best choir performance I had attended. I highly recommend it to everyone and it is free of charge!

Salt Lake Temple during Christmas

I will also take this opportunity to dispel a few urban myths about SLC. For the thirsty, alcohol can be bought in grocery and liquor stores, and do not have to be smuggled into the city. Polygamy is illegal. Not everyone in SLC is Mormon. In fact, less than half the population of Salt Lake City proper is Mormon today (wikipedia). To the contrary, SLC was ranked #1 gayest city in America by the LGBT magazine, The Advocate.

Utah State Capitol

For me, the best thing about living in Salt Lake City is its proximity (less than half-hour drive) to the 160-miles long Wasatch mountain range. This mountain range at the western edge of the greater Rocky Mountains is our playground. The color of the mountains changes with the seasons – green, yellow, red and white. During the warmer half of the year, we spend almost every weekend in the mountains. The Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons have been simply awesome for trout fishing and scenic drives. We have hiked to various alpine lakes which are also great picnic destinations. The hiking trails are covered with wildflowers in the summer. Wild animals like elk and moose roam around the mountains, but I’ve yet to have the luck to see a wild moose.

Guardsman Pass, Big Cottonwood Canyon
Silver Lake, Wasatch mountains

In winter, these same canyons are also home to world-class ski resorts (Brighton, Solitude, Alta, Snowbird). I am embarrassed to say I don’t know how to ski yet. The keyword is ‘yet’. I will be taking my first lessons this year. I have heard repeatedly that Utah has the best snow on earth.

Bisons, Antelope Island State Park

 Our list of favorites in SLC (so far):

1. Driving across Guardsman Pass into Park City

2. Driving / walking along Mario Capecchi Drive (at the University of Utah) for a panoramic of the Wasatch mountains and the valley below

3. Strolling in Sugarhouse Park, with the Wasatch mountains in the background

4. Hiking or running along the Lake Bonneville shoreline trail, overlooking the city

5. Spotting bisons at Antelope Island State Park

The nomadic lust

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Wanderlust

“The world is flat” – Thomas L. Friedman.

In his book, Thomas describe how globalization and digitization has made flattened the world at the turn of the millennium; equalizing and empowering individuals from greater parts of the world.

For me, the world has changed in a simpler way. The world is now a smaller place; cities are better connected with more affordable flights and other forms of transportation. This is the age of the global traveler, even the global citizen. While nations continue to protect and fight over physical boundaries, the individual faces less restriction to explore foreign lands. One can fly across the world in less than 2 days.

The internet powered by search engines (like Google) and social media (like Facebook) continues to physically shrink this world. Individuals are able to share their travel experiences conveniently and to a wider audience. People can thoroughly research a destination without physically traveling to a place. Increased virtual exposure to exotic, mindblowing and breathtaking destinations through the world wide web are infusing more people with the nomadic spirit. The world, ironically, expands in our minds. There is a heightened awareness of a bigger world (out there) and a stronger desire to experience (see, taste, smell, hear and feel) this greater world. Home becomes less clearly defined.

The nomad in me has been awoken by wanderlust.

“Not all those who wander are lost.” – J.R.R. Tolkien.