Thursday, 24th January 2013 I decided to devote my final day in Okinawa within the confines of Naha City since I had covered the main places of interests that I've allowed for in my travel plans over the past few days. Starting from my hotel in the morning, I took a walk towards the direction of Naha Bus Station passing by the massive Prefectural Government Building. From there, the Kokusaidori Street was another 5 minutes walk. The Kokusai Street was lined with colourful souvenir shops on both sides and there was even one with a replicate facade of the Shuri Castle. Along the same street sits the Mitsukoshi Departmental store as well as the OPA Mall with a branch of Tower Records. There were numerous steak houses along the street as well as a huge store ... read more

Wednesday, 23rd January 2013 Okinawa Prefectural Museum >> Mihama American Village As a history buff, I always made it a point to include a visit to the museum that truly represents the city I'm visiting. This was probably the best way for me to get acquainted with a city's past and present within a short period of time. I found my way to the Okinawa Prefectural Museum this morning after reading some nice reviews online. The building itself wasn't architecturally pleasing on the exterior. But it certainly pride itself with a very well-planned interior that came with a very bright and airy lobby that greeted all visitors. I probably spent more than an hour going through the exhibits which provided great insights on Okinawa's history as well as the natural environment. As usual, of particular interest ... read more

Monday, 21st January 2013 The Former Japanese Navy Underground Headquarters (旧海軍司令部壕) >> Yui Rail Museum >> Okinawa Outlet Mall Ashibinaa >> Kokusaidori Street To brace myself for the long walk this morning, I ate a hearty buffet breakfast at the hotel's cafe (1,200 yen). The service was great and the Japanese salads and croissants were fantastic. All in all, this was a happy meal to start my day rolling. I took the monorail and dropped off at the Onoyama-koen Station where I started my long long walk to the Former Japanese Navy Underground Headquarters. Located at Tomigusuku City, the site boasted a great vantage point on top of a hill where grand vistas of Naha city and the sea could be had. This was probably going to be one of the longest walks for my trip. ... read more

Saturday, 19th January 2013 Tsim Sha Tsui >> Tsuen Wan >> Star Ferry I started my nine-day vacation from Changi Airport by first taking a Tiger Airways flight to Hong Kong. The plan was to have a one-day layover in the city before catching a different flight to Okinawa the next morning. Connecting flights with two different airlines remained a tricky business and I would rather not risked my travel plans. My flight arrived at 3pm in the afternoon and within the next one and a half hours, I had reached my accomodation at the url=http://www.tripadvisor.com.sg/ShowUserReviews-g294217-d305913-r151000081-The_Salisbury_YMCA_of_Hong_Kong-Hong_Kong.htmlSalisbury YMCA, at the heart of Tsim Sha Tsui District. I opted for a four-person dormitory given that I just needed a bed to crash before my early morning flight the next day. It was fortunate tha... read more

Friday, 21st December 2012 Compared to the many lavish weddings which I had attended in the past, S & K's unison was a simple, hush-hush affair involving only a few people that mattered most to them. "You don't look like you are getting married," I once lamented to her. She could be one of the most idle brides I had ever come across in my life-time. However, credit must be given to them for their pre-wedding shoots (which turned out great) and they would be flying off to the Land of Smiles for their simple honeymoon. I was their nominated photographer to cover the event. Not that I mind actually. On the contrary, I was glad that they had full confidence with my photography skills. Some 15 of us were present for their private event comprising ... read more