Min Hian Tee

Photography and travelling

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A panoramic view of the Columbia Icefield from Icefield Center, Jasper National Park, Canada. The field at the middle is Athabasca Glacier, where most visitor will end up at, if following the standard tour.

The glacier is receding year by year due to global warming. Availability of fresh is most impacted due to the retreat of glacier. This directly affects thousands of species depending on this precious fresh water. But one thing for sure: I don’t want this beautiful landscape to change so that our next generation can still see the beautiful Earth we see today!

[mhtee90]

Seeing aurora could be everyone’s lifetime dream. I was so lucky to be able to catch this beautiful aurora in the winter last year in Alaska. Sure, aurora activities may have been increasingly frequent. However, one advice I would still give to people who want to watch this stunning phenomena is that: Choose a place not solely because of aurora but because the place is really worth going!

Chances are you might not be able to see it in such a short trip. Do something worth a lifetime experience there while chasing the aurora!

[mhtee90]

Moraine Lake in summer (August) and in spring (May). Ruby blue water for the lake during summer as glacier starts to melt. In spring, ice on the lake started to crack. Unfortunately, the road to Moraine Lake is inaccessible during winter. Otherwise, I would love to capture her winter beauty!

[mhtee90]

Las Vegas, the city I visited at least once a year while I was in Canada =P

It’s so much fun, so many happenings in this city that never sleeps.

Casino, night (strip) clubs, adult shows, hotel shows, food, girls... everything can get from the Sin City!

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Snowing used to be so much fun. Well, maybe only when the snow is fresh! Photo taken at UBC SUB.

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Another look at the Fairmont Chateau Hotspring Hotel, Banff. This time during winter and from the Surprise Corner. It’s called Surprise Corner because once you pass through the corner, the castle will just appear in front of you.

To get to the Surprise Corner, just drive down Buffalo St. and you definitely won’t miss this view! 

Banff in winter is covered by white snow. It gave a feel like the winter wonderland in Narnia. Yes, there are a lot of attractions and road closed to public due to dangerous winter condition, but there are still tons of activities to do here. Just to give a few example, ice walking at Johnston Canyon, playing ice hockey on Lake Louise and of course, strolling around the whitish Banff town!

[mhtee90]

The Fairmont Chateau Hotspring Hotel at Banff, viewed from the top of Sulphur Mountain, Banff. 

[mhtee90]

Alcatraz Island. The island was used as a prison to imprison some most dangerous criminals. Now, it’s one of the most favorite tourist spots in San Francisco and the prison is open to public to tour. I still felt the eeriness when entering the prison cells!

[mhtee90]

Athabasca Fall at Jasper National Park. Trying to show how strong is the current.

I have been to Canadian Rockies couple times during different seasons. The views are different for all seasons. If you want to see the unique ruby blue of the Rockies, you can bet it on July and August. 

[mhtee90]

UNESCO World Heritage Town, Nikko. There is a Japanese saying that never say kekkou (beautiful) until you see Nikko. Indeed, the moment I reached this small town, I instantly fell in love with it. It's beauty is indescribable until you actually see it. 

There are a lot of famous shrines and temples and sightseeing spots here. One of them would be the most famous Nikko Toshogu (mentioned in my post before). I had a few options to get to these places. By bus, cab or walking. I decided to just take my time to walk and enjoy this beautiful small town. 

It was a 40-minute walk. Along the way, there were a lot souvenir shops and of course, restaurants. You could stop for some snacks or check out their special souvenirs. I did buy the local product - rice bun. Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture of it because I was too busy savoring the buns. And yes, it's delicious! Nonetheless, it's the only shop selling rice buns along the way, so you will never miss it!

[mhtee90]

Kabuki-Cho, Japanese red light district in Tokyo. Being a lone traveler, I was asked n times if I want to have some fun with Japanese girls. Quite tempting but no thanks =P

Entertainment at Kabuki-Cho is more of Japanese styles, so they serve mostly Asian or Japanese. Exact opposite to the entertainment district at Roppongi, where they serve "gaijin" (foreigners). Therefore, in Kabuki-Cho, they can be quite selective on who they want to entertain. If you don't speak Japanese very well, chances are you will be ignored badly.

As "red" as Kabuki-Cho is, female travelers and lone travelers would still feel safe walking on the street. Besides, there are a lot of nice shops and restaurants along the street. So, you shouldn't feel hesitated to come here!

[mhtee90]

Being a Japanese anime and manga super fan, Akihabara (short form Akiba) is like a paradise for an otaku like myself. Famous for its many electronic stores and otaku cultures, Akiba is undoubtedly a must-go place for all tourists.

There are a lot to do in Akiba. Visiting maid cafe, strolling in one of the biggest otaku shop in the world - Mandarake, window shopping at electronic stores, being wowed by the vast selections of photography equipment at Yodobashi and so-on, so-on. 

One thing that I regretted so much was not visiting the Gundam cafe. The queue was extraordinary long during my visit and I was too lazy to join the crowd. Well, on the flip side, this will be another good reason for me to plan another visit to Tokyo!

[mhtee90]

Meiji Jingu Inner Garden. Meiji Jingu (shrine) is located north of Yoyogi Park. Unfortunately, we can't get to the shrine through the park. So after getting off from the train station, you can choose to go either left for Yoyogi Park or right for Meiji Jingu. 

It's a long walk to reach the main shrine. After staying in Japan for a few days and visiting a few shrines, I don't find this shrine special anymore. Nonetheless, it is still worth a visit and the walk was quiet, calm and relaxing. 

On my way to the main shrine, I passed through this garden and decided to pay a visit. The view was totally stunning! I could imagine how beautiful it will be in the spring and fall. Now, I have yet another reason to visit Japan once again!

[mhtee90]

Tokyo Toshogu Shrine at Ueno Park.

There are a lot of Toshogu shrines in Japan. The most one is located at Nikko, where Tokugawa Ieyasu was entombed there. This Toshogu at Ueno Park is pretty famous as well. A lot of tourists visited the shrine and pray for good luck.

Ueno Park is very big. I could spend 3 to 5 hours to go to all the sightseeing spots. The shrine itself is hidden in middle of the park. Be prepared to have a lot walking!

[mhtee90]

You can’t say you have been to Japan without eating Japanese sushi. By that I mean the sushi in Japan, not anyone you can find wherever else in the world. Near Tsukiji Market, I had these delicious sushi bowls. It was early in the morning, but well, I was very hungry due to the time zone different. So without hesitation, I ordered two of the most appetizing looking sushi bowls! Tsukiji Market is where they bid for fresh Tuna. Unfortunately, they don’t allow visitor in the bidding area when it is going on. However, no doubt, they have the freshest seafood at the market and the most delicious sushi. So Tsukiji is a must-go place for the must-eat sushi!

[mhtee90]

Go caving was one thing that I wanted to try so badly. Malaysia has lots of natural caves and I am pretty embarrass to say that not once had I done caving until few months ago.

The most famous cave in Peninsula Malaysia is none other than Gua Tempurung due to its beautiful, natural stones formation. Hiring a tour guide is compulsory to explore the cave. There are four tour options leading the visitors to various parts of the cave. Of course it gets more challenging and be prepared to get wet with option three and four. 

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Man-made lighting is located at the first half of the cave. It gets completely pitch dark at the second half, so bringing a torch light helps a lot, otherwise, you will have to depend on the tour guide for the whole trip.

If your goal is only to be awed by the stone formation in the cave, taking option one and two would be very sufficient to fulfill the purpose. However, if you love challenges, taking the full caving tour will definitely not disappoint you. Just make sure that you go early and make half of your day available for the challenge!

[mhtee90]

Life size Gundam RX78 at Odaiba. Since this Gundam was built years ago, it had always stayed at the top of my travel checklist. Until recently, I had the chance to see it with my own eyes. 

RX78 is located at DiverCity Tokyo Plaza, Odaiba. Interestingly, Odaiba was originally a man-made island. Now, it’s filled with giant shopping malls, a lot of them. It’s definitely a paradise for all the ladies. For guys, well, don’t worry, sofa/chairs for rest are available in all the malls!

Being a Gundam and robots superfan. I was very excited to see this life-size Gundam with my own eyes. Although I wasn’t able to touch it, I have a sense that the model was pretty rugged, just like the one in the animation. Certainly it wasn’t tiring at all to stroll around the Gundam and enjoy it from all angles!