It was in New York where I stayed in the tiniest hotel room ever. And yet, it was the most expensive room that I’ve ever stayed in. The hotel was located in Times Square by the Broadway and along Wall Street.

Nothing can beat this breakfast. Really, what can! There was an actual piano with an actual guy playing it. He played the Godfather theme song Speak Softly, Love and many other classics. But the best part was when he played As Time Goes By…

I highly recommend visiting Moscow. It was said that Moscow is the most unfriendly city in the world. But to my experience, people were not only beautiful and stylish but very kind, friendly, helpful and they care. I saw a very clean and safe Moscow.

Of course, lunch was at Jaime’s Italian. It was so good! And that truffle pizza… I need not say more. Cappuccino and Tiramisu, anyone? Great 70’s music too!

One interesting place was the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts where it is full of plaster cast reproductions.

A huge plaster cast reproduction of David is there. It survived the World War II. Also a plaster cast reproduction of Pietá. I have seen the original one many years ago at St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City.

Then there is the opera. What a great performance of the Phantom of the Opera. I was sat at the

Then lastly, two contrasting photos of Moscow…

Finally at the Munch Museum, I was going back and forth. I might have dizzied the guards just by looking at me. But really, where is the Scream? This can’t be the Scream. It should be in colour. Not this Lithograph in black on thick tan card! How can I explain that to myself?

I was so disappointed. I was about to scold the guard. But then it’s not his fault, is it?. So I spoke to him gently because in a way, I should speak softly in the museum.

I said, “So the Scream is not here.”
He replied, “No.” (That word again!)
I said, “So it is in the National Gallery.”
He answered, “Yes.”
I asked, “How will I get to the National Gallery?”
He replied, “You can goggle it.”

My conclusion, he doesn’t know where the National Gallery is, like the others who don’t know where the Munch Museum is.

And so another adventure began for me. But to make the long adventure short, I did find the National Gallery and sat in front of the Scream for the longest time with a group of people recreating the Scream expression. I must say, I had fun!

And about the coffee. Well, they served it in a bowl.

The last time I was in Tallinn was in 1996. I don’t remember much about it now. But here I was, back into it and enjoying the open sea.

My favourite place in Tallinn is Maiasmokk Kohvik. It’s the oldest cafe in Tallinn, established in 1864. Good coffee and cakes. But best of all, it’s like going back in time.

I also climbed Tallinn’s city wall from 13th century after I bought this red wool beret. Getting ready for the winter, I guess, after being away for many, many years.

The strange thing about Madrid was the heat. It was so hot that the temperature reached up to +49 degrees celsius. More strange still was the fact that I was not sweating. I quite enjoyed the sun pricking through my skin.

Stranger still that people thought I speak Spanish. But I do understand much of what was spoken to me. I never thought I knew the language that much. Knowing Spanish gave me a lot of advantages from ordering food ( I can get what’s on the menu!) to knowing the cost (I can count in Spanish!). I could have just blended in!

But the best part of it all was not the many sales going on at Gran Via but visiting the three best museums in Madrid. I could just get lost at the Museo Nacional del Prado. I was there for 6 hours but I know I haven’t seen all the paintings yet. I love the historical paintings. There was one painting which showed a man who died of a broken heart. It’s true what studies say that a broken heart could caused death! I was also so trilled to see a painting that I remember as a Christmas card from childhood. The Museo National Centro de Arte Reina Sofia was about paintings in bold colours and seeing the most prominent painting of Pablo Picasso, the Guernica. The Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza made me the happiest when I saw and had a photo with Vincent Van Gogh’s Les Vessenots in Auvers, 1890. I love it so much that I got a set of coloured pencils with the same painting on its tin box and even an umbrella with it. I got a bit crazy I guess. People should visit these museums if given a chance and if they are into paintings. The Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza was also having the Vogue Like a Painting exhibition with many amazing photos.

And of course, I’ve tried the tapas, the paella, the sangria and watched that ear wrecking, shoe tapping, full of grace Flamenco performance accompanied by Spanish guitars. Loved it!

Someone once said that my entire life is a coffee break and I eat cake for breakfast. Well, that was not entirely true. Life in Vientiane was much more than coffee and cakes though undeniably, cakes were a huge part of my life in Vientiane. After a hard week, cakes were some sort of solace. They were something to look forward to. Someone even once said that cakes might be bad for my health but good for my emotions.

The best part was the fact that there are a few places to find good cakes in Vientiane. One place has delicious lemon cake – that rich, refreshing citrus taste that never failed to tickle my tastebuds. It was luscious and pungent. Then there was this sophisticated red velvet cake. Though really it was just an ordinary cake layered with cream cheese frosting. But its bright red colour contrasting the white frosting was very dramatic.

The day before I left Vientiane for good after living there for 5 1/2 years, I experienced the strangest feeling. I was sat on my old working desk which was sold to a coffee shop. And guess where was the last place I’ve been before flying off? I was sat at a coffee shop coming into a full circle.

It was not my first time in Vang Vieng but I don’t want to remember the first time I was there. It was such a bad experience staying in a place close to where music blasted all night. The atmosphere was so strange. All the drunk young people clad next to nothing walking around town made the place look so cheap, very low class. Young people partying and taking drugs had caused many accidents including death as they floated on the river on tubes and go diving head first on shallow waters.

But now the party place of Asia has been cleaned up. Not only that, staying in a very nice boutique hotel made it lovely. The combination of mountains and the river as a daily view from the room was breathtaking. I haven’t been in a swimming pool with such a spectacular view. Indeed I never want to leave this place.

And for Roti lovers, a Roti cart can be found in every corner. I can easily call Vang Vieng the real Roti place. And oh, I went on the hot air balloon. It was so worth it!

I didn’t remember Burj Khalifa at all when I was in Dubai. I forgot all about the Tom Cruise’s stunts on this tallest man-made structure in the world. Standing at 2,722 ft., it felt like I was in Gotham city, visiting Batman or something like that. Looking at it from the 30 acres man-made Burj Khalifa Lake, I can say it’s remarkable but not romantic as, let’s say, the Eiffel Tower. 

Burj Khalifa up-close

Burj Khalifa from afar

There is nothing new to this Island Sunset Tour in Krabi. Every travel agency in Krabi is selling this tour. So I would think that everyone who has been to Krabi has done it. But this is no excuse to not experience it. In fact, I was quite convinced that it’s something that must be done. We went swimming in the sunshine, we enjoyed the views and the gorgeous sunset and we got to swim in the dark. But with phosphor in the water, we were emitting light as we moved our bodies. It was amazing. 

Swimming in Poda island

I’ve never seen the sun in Railey Beach but at least they have Roti.

Beautiful Sunset

The last hint of sunlight for the day in Tup Island