my winter holiday 2016: tokyo - new zealand - singapore

Pics from my Winter Holiday 2016

Tokyo - New Zealand - Singapore

Kristi Rohtsalu © February 2016

Part I: Tokyo

Six days in the Land of the Rising Sun

7 January: Arrival

“Can you speak Japanese?” I was first asked in the customs.

“No, not a thing…”

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…But at least there are Burger King, Starbucks and 7-Eleven. So, it should work inany case. … And it did. I found Tokyo one of the most welcoming large cities (if notthe most welcoming) where I have been so far.

8 January: Visiting Tokyo Stock Exchange

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It was so quiet there! Even during the trading hours. Gone are the open-outcry trading and the times when stock prices were written on a blackboard.

Then: Tons of paper work Now: Flashing numbers

9 January: Attending Grand Sumo Tournament Opening Ceremony with Sangenjaya International Meetup

I’m the one with blue

hat

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10 January: Climbing Mt. Takao, about 50 km from the center of Tokyo

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Apparently, it’s very busy there, especially during the weekends. Expect to see and experience quite a bit of Buddhist.

11 January: Lexus International Gallery Aoyama, Sony Building & Sound Planetarium, Tokyo Metropolitan Government Observatory

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12 January:

Walking over 918m long Rainbow Bridge to Odaiba

Discovering a replica of the Statute of Liberty here in Tokyo

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Nicely prepared sushi for lunch to add some color to this grey

and cold day

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Part II: New Zealand

Three weeks in the Land of the Long White Cloud

14 & 15 January: In Auckland (1/2)

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A view from Mount Eden, the highest of the Auckland volcanoes (196m)

14 & 15 January: In Auckland (2/2)

Auckland Art Gallery: a piece of art

The City Neighborhoods

Auckland Domain 11

16-18 January: Queenstown / Arthurs Point (1/3)

12Shotover River and home, sweet home in the Arthurs Point

I stayed by Claire and JP Arrowsmith; it turned out to be a great choice

Just me @ the Ben Lomond saddle; Queenstown and lake Wakatipu in the background 13



Queenstown: Looks like a small town 14

My first glance to Stewart Island:“So this is the jungle I’m about to go!”

Wide streets of InvercargillInterCity bus that transported me from Queenstown to Dunedin… It had a cool driver, btw.

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19-20 January: From Queenstown to Stewart Island via Invercargill

It’s such a small plane to Stewart Island … And the Invercargill Airport has only one gate: Gate 1

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21-23 January: Stewart Island / Rakiura Track, Day 1 of 3

The chain link sculpture at Lee Bay marks the entrance to the Rakiura National Park

Accommodation in Port William Hut before and after hikers moved in for the night: fairly modest

Grey sand and a bit of flora

Maori Beach swing bridge

North Arm: It’s beautiful, isn’t it? 17


Views, historic sites, mud… I did it (despite of the rain)!


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24-26 January: Trip from Stewart Island to Franz Josef (1/2)

One of the last glances to Oban / Halfmoon Bay Morning in the Queens Park in Invercargill

Fantastic collections in the Southland Museum and Art Gallery

Here we go…“Mandatory” stop for photos @ Thunder Creek Falls

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24-26 January: Trip from Stewart Island to Franz Josef (2/2)

Another fairly modest accommodation, this time in Base Queenstown for the “stopover”

Most of the day in the bus behind: it wasn’t that bad after all

27 January: Peters Pool & Franz Josef Glacier(Little walk followed by hot chocolate and Glacier Hot Pools)

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28 January: Walking (climbing) Alex Knob in a cloudy day

Apparently, some found it a good idea to dry their shirts there in the top

On the way

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29 January: Bus trip to Greymouth

Visited the national KIWI Centre in Hokitika, on the way from Franz Josef to Greymouth

It was not allowed to take a pic of the kiwi; so I took a pic of this lovely little blue fish with big bulging eyes instead

InterCity buses in NZ stop for such attractions. This day we had a notably great, funny etc. driver too.“Everybody, listen! He is great,” one of the passengers announced at the end of the trip. I fully agreed.

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30 January: Pancake Rocks in Punakaiki, just on my way

On the background: a view from the bus window while travelling from Nelson to Picton (Note the clouds!)

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31 January: Trip from Nelson to Picton to Wellington

There are many “boats” in Picton

“Don’t cross the Cook Strait , cruise it!” – or so they are saying @ InterIslander

… And this little bird welcomed me to National Park 26

1 February: Trip continues from Wellington to National Park Village

They even have golden houses in Wellington

2 February: Walking the Tongarino Alpine Crossing (1/2)

27Well, walking a world-renowned trek means that you are hardly left alone. They all want to see it…

Illusion of magical stillness

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2 February: Walking the Tongarino Alpine Crossing (2/2)

I was there too

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Part III: Singapore

Six days in the Lion City

I was welcomed by the tropical heat and rainfall. During the next few days, the Rochor Centre showed me the way back to my hotel.

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5 February: Arrival to Singapore

Yeah, it’s clean but not THAT clean here…

Like these guys (or girls?) in the background: the one on the right is weighing nearly 300 kg and is 74-79 years old (or young).

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6 February: In the Singapore Zoo

Zoo and Year of the Monkey

Do you know the bite force of a crocodile?

Like a picture from a Tour Magazine 32

7 February, pic 1: Sentosa Island

Yes, that point is here on Sentosa… And so was I.

On the background: Singapore’s national icon, the mythical Merlion with the head of a lion and the body of a fish

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7 February, pic 2: Singapore Night

Marina Bay Sands: One of the giant shopping centers that is worth a look

Celebrate they can. No wonder that the streets are relatively empty on the daytime(given the population density) if they have such an active night life.

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7 February, pic 3: Festivities of the Chinese New Year, Year of the Monkey

One could almost pretend that there are large forests in Singapore 35

8 February (1/2): In Coney Island Park

Night walk in Chinatown: it’s 3:51 AMLittle India looks always busy.

There will be room for many more people in Punggol

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8 February (2/2): Some more pics

That’s how Malaysia looked from Singapore…

Of course, the Monkey and the Dragon were there. 37

9 February: Festivities continue

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10 February: Observed everyday life of regular people in Singapore

… Where they live … Where they work

… How they spend their spare time

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The End

Let’s get back to work.

my winter holiday 2016: tokyo - new zealand - singapore

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