Breakfast @ poolside

I took this photo at my hotel's restaurant in Pattaya, Thailand. The hotel was located on Soi 8, and the restaurant was located next to their swimming pool. I had breakfast at the poolside restaurant everyday and took this photo while I was waiting for my breakfast was served. I very much enjoyed that lazy mornings in Pattaya, Thailand and I got itchy feet to go back to Pattaya sometime soon. I started to browsing Booking.com to find something interesting. I believe that half the fun is getting there and Booking.com is a dreamy web site.

The neon signs of Chinatown in Bangkok

I took this photo in Chinatown in Bangkok, Thailand. I think the Chinese neon signs are also one of the must-sees in Chinatown in Bangkok and I always enjoying to see them especially at night. That time, my hotel was right in the middle of Chinatown in Bangkok. I had a very nice dinner at my favorite Thai-Suki place on Soi Texas. After that I went back to my room for a while, then hit the town once again. I walked around the streets with my digital camera in my hand and took a lot of photos of neon signs and everything. It was so much fun.

Vegetable Roti and Sri Lankan Cutlet

The photo shows 2 Sri Lankan Vegetable Roti and 1 Sri Lankan Cutlet which I had in Unawatuna, Sri Lanka. Normally, 2 Vegetable Roti was enough for breakfast, but that morning I was a bit more hungry and wanted to have a Sri Lankan Cutlet as well. If my memory is correct, that was a fish cutlet. The Roti shop was about a kilometer down onto Matara Road from Unawatuna towards Talpe. Vegetable Roti is my favorite Sri Lankan food, so I'm always very happy finding a place for Vegetable Roti and have them at least two.

Angurukaramulla, Negombo Buddhist Temple

I took this photo at a famous Buddhist Temple in Negombo, Sri Lanka. The temple is named Angurukaramulla Temple, but in Negombo, you can say just 'Take me to the Buddhist Temple' to a tuk-tuk driver, then you can reach the temple, it's that famous. I visited the temple more than a decade ago. Inside of the temple was very beautiful and colorful much much more than my imagination. The highlight of my visit was walking into the stunning room of this reclining Buddha statue. It's definitely an unforgettable cultural experience.

Please take off your shoes

I took this photo when I visited Bang Pa-In Royal Palace in Ayutthaya, Thailand. Bang Pa-In Royal Palace is a palace complex and is also known as Bang Pa-In Summer Palace. I went to see beautiful architectures and gardens there and I visited a lot of must-sees at once. This photo is just focused on some details, but you can find a lot of better photos of Bang Pa-In Royal Palace complex on the Internet, I'm sure. Since Bang Pa-In Royal Palace is in Ayutthaya, I went to visit Ayutthaya Historical Park after that, and went back to the capital Bangkok in the evening.

Eat lunch on a train in Thailand

The photo shows a lunch packet which I ordered on a train from the capital Bangkok to Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand. I bought a second class ticket and got on the train to get to Northeastern Thailand. The train departed from Bangkok at 10:05. When the train was running somewhere in between Bangkok and Ayutthaya, Thai staff came into the car to take order for lunch. I ordered Khao Pad Gai (Thai: ข้าวผัดไก่) and paid 35 THB in advance. Khao Pad Gai is like Thai fried rice with chicken. A very good one. Thai staff brought me this lunch packet at the right time. Thanks!

Spanish Fingerpost

I took this photo in Barcelona, Spain. I found this Spanish fingerpost on La Rambla somewhere close to my hotel. When I booked a hotel room through Booking.com, I didn't know how fun walking around La Rambla in Barcelona, Spain was, but it was so much fun, much much more than I expected before. It seemed the street itself was a major tourist attraction, so La Rambla was always very busy except for early morning hours. I took this photo early in the morning after having a nice breakfast and latte at a cafe on La Rambla.

It was built in the heart of Milan, Italy

The photo shows inside of one of the world's oldest shopping malls in Milan, Italy. Its name is the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, and is located right next to Milan Cathedral. The architecture of the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is extremely ornate and looked marvelous from every perspective. The photo shows a view of a barrel-vaulted ceiling and picturesque walls. I was standing in awe seeing the gorgeous architecture. I've read that the mall was completed in the late 19-th century. That is why the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is known as one of the world's oldest shopping malls.

Phla Mu : พล่าหมู

The photo shows one of Thai Phla style salads called Phla Mu (Thai: พล่าหมู). It can be translated as Spicy Pork Salad in English. I'd say the visible difference between Phla style salad and the other Thai style salads is a lot of sliced lemongrass. Phla style salad has quite a lot of sliced lemongrass. I took this photo of Phla Mu at a hotel's restaurant on Soi Buakhao near the Subway junction. The chef has a talent and I love the taste, and also I simply love the atmosphere of the restaurant. So I've had breakfast, lunch, afternoon break, and dinner countless times at the restaurant.

The eight-story pagoda in Chee Chin Khor Temple

The photo shows a view from a rooftop restaurant in deep inside of Chinatown, Bangkok, Thailand. The view from the restaurant was just amazing. Lack of a better word, but just say amazing. That's the best word I have to describe that amazing rooftop restaurant. You can enjoy panoramic view from there. The eight-story pagoda in Chee Chin Khor Temple could be seen from the rooftop restaurant. The opposite side of the Chao Phraya river from Bangkok is named Thonburi, by the way, and the eight story pagoda and Chee Chin Khor is in Thonburi district.

LONDON STREET W2

The photo shows a street sign that I frequently saw in the city of Westminster in London, England, the United Kingdom. My hotel was on London Street and I saw this sign quite a lot of times, so this sign is also one of my fond memories of my holiday in London, England. The sign of LONDON STREET W2 reminds me of two fabulous British pubs, nice restaurants and a tourist-friendly corner shop and then some. I love them all. The pubs on this street served London Pride at the right temperature and I became a fan of English Ale.

Melt-in-your-mouth Francesinha

The photo shows Francesinha. This is one of the best known local food in Porto, Portugal. I should have taken a photo after I cut Francesinha to show its inside, but that Francesinha melted in my mouth and I totally forgotten to take a photo or something. It was just out of this world. I mean really really yummy. My long-lost acquaintance had recommended to me to have Francesinha in Porto. When I saw a menu board and name of Francesinha Especial at a restraint near Trindade station, I decided to take her advice and ordered it for lunch. Soon I knew that she was totally right.

Land on a land of native speakers

I took this photo right in front of PRADA in Las Vegas, Nevada, the United States of America. Everything was much taller than me in Vegas... I was looking up something very tall almost all the time in Vegas. Everything looked so cool just like America. Last time, I flew into McCaran airport directly from Frankfurt in Germany. When I was asked 'Where are you from?' at passport control, I answered 'I'm from Japan, but today I'm from Germany'. The officer said that 'So you're from Japan and today you came from Germany'. That's right, sir. That's exactly what I wanted to say.

Someone has something I don't

I took this photo in Tel Aviv, Israel. I found this beach wall when I was walking onto the main beach road and then turned onto a steep lane to get on the beach somewhere behind Shraton Tel Aviv Hotel. I found my self that I was walking down next to a large beach wall with art. Someone has a talent that I don't have. By the way, I saw this wall and its art for the first time in October 2010. Time went by, and I revisited Tel Aviv in November 2013. The wall and its art was still there. The photo shows only a part of the wall and its art. The real one was much longer and was really enchanting.

Thai Boiled Rice: ข้าวต้มหมูสับกับไข่ต้มครึ่ง

The photo shows Thai Boiled Rice with minced pork and a half-boiled egg (Thai: ข้าวต้มหมูสับกับไข่ต้มครึ่ง) which I had as a breakfast at my hotel in Pattaya, Thailand. Breakfast was included in the room charge, and I could choose my breakfast daily from a variety of their breakfast menu. Normally, breakfast was served with some Thai fruits and a pot of tea or coffee. That morning I chose Thai signature meal Khao Tom (English: Boiled Rice, Thai: ข้าวต้ม) with minced pork (Thai: หมูสับ) and a half-boiled egg (Thai: ไข่ต้มครึ่ง). It was absolutely nice breakfast and of course it was very yummy.

It's already 11:10

I took this photo at a Thai restaurant on Soi Rambuttri in Bangkok, Thailand while I was awaiting my Khao Tom Moo (Thai: ข้าวต้มหมู) was served. Khao Tom Moo is like Boiled Rice with Pork of Thai style. My favorite one. Oh by the way, in Thailand, drinking alcohol is legally banned between midnight to 11:00, plus 14:00 to 17:00. After I ate my Khao Tom Moo all up, the time was like ten past eleven. I was just sitting next to a large sun umbrella with Beer Chang logos, on top of that, I was on vacation. Why not just grab some beer? So I ordered a bottle of Beer Chang and fired away my happy hour, legally.

You haven't changed a bit

I took this photo at a very nice Thai place in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand. If my memory is correct, I found this place nearly a decade ago. It was my second visit to Nakhon Ratchasima and it was in the morning of my departure. My hotel was in the heart of the city, near the statue of Thao Suranari. I walked around the area for a breakfast place and found this place. I had nice Thai breakfast there, and also bought a pack of Thai food for lunch that I was going to have on a train to the capital Bangkok. Last last year, I revisited Nakhon Ratchasima for the third time, and had lunch at this Thai place more than once. Always yummy, always lovely.

Sip coffee with a view of tropical Asian plant

I took this photo in my hotel's balcony in Pattaya, Thailand. That morning, I had very yummy Thai breakfast at a little Thai place on the next Soi from my hotel, and after that dropped by Seven Eleven on the way back to my hotel just to buy a cup of coffee. My hotel's cafe opens at 9:30, and it was around 9:00, so I needed to get some coffee at a convenience Seven Eleven nearby my hotel. Well, where should I sip my coffee, then? Luckily my hotel's backyard was like beautiful Southeast Asian tropical garden. So I enjoyed sipping my coffee in the hotel's balcony with a view of tropical Asian plant.

The Ashokan Pillar in Lumbini, Nepal

I took this photo in Lumbini, Nepal. Since Lumbini is considering the place where Gautama Buddha was born according to Buddhist tradition, there are a lot to see relate to Gautama Buddha. A UNESCO World Heritage Site. The photo shows the Ashokan Pillar. I rotated my digital camera to take a photo of the pillar, but thinking back now, it wasn't enough. You may find a better photo on the Internet to view the whole Ashokan Pillar in Lumbini, Nepal. Bt the way, Nepal was my third country that I decided to travel around. Back when I wasn't really into taking pictures, I didn't take so may photos like I do recent years. I can't believe that there aren't any photo of Nepali food, beer, tea, coffee and everything. Back then I went into a restaurant, I was just hungry or thirsty, and had no idea to take photos before I ate or drank. What a shame...

Pay an extra fee for something I really wanna do

I took this photo at Rosenborg Castle (Danish: Rosenborg Slot) in Copenhagen, Denmark. I took this photo when I was viewing the street from the area near the ticket office. I was about to leave the castle at that moment, but before that I found a look nice restaurant near the gates, and decided to have lunch there. It was a nice decision for my fond memory of Rosenborg Castle and Copenhagen, Denmark. Oh, I visited a museum of Royal Collections as well. Extra fee was required to take pictures there, but I think it was worth paying.

Welcome to Chinatown in Bangkok

I took this photo at my hotel in Chinatown, Bangkok, Thailand and the photo shows elevator doors on the ground floor. I've stayed three hotels in Chinatown, Bangkok, and was always a pleasure being in the middle of a foodie's town. There are so many good and delicious food places in Chinatown, Bangkok. If I chose to stay at a hotel in Chinatown, Bangkok, I don't need to waste my precious vacation time over getting involved in the notorious traffic jam in the capital of Thailand. So when time is limited, I love to choose to stay at a hotel right in Chinatown, Bangkok.

Horseshoe wine rack

I took this photo at my hostel's restaurant in Zagreb, Croatia. There, bottles of wine were displayed along a wall. When I paid attention on the bottle holders, I realized that all of the wine racks were made out of metal horseshoe. Cool, aren't they? Speaking of wine, I visited Croatia in December, so I enjoyed having Croatian mulled wine a lot int the city of Zagreb. It's called Kuhano Vino and was really delicious. The locals said that Kuhano Vino was only for that season, not on all year long. If so, I visited Croatia at the time of the year. I'm happy about that.

TG660 BKK - HND; Sep 2015; Red wine

The photo shows a glass of red wine which was served with an in-flight meal of Thai Airways International flight TG660 Bangkok, Thailand to Haneda, Tokyo (BKK - HND). It was about a five and a half-hour flight. The main dish was delicious Thai Massaman Curry with Chicken (Thai: แกงมัสมั่นไก่) served with rice and boiled veggies. When the delicious Thai Massaman Curry melted in my mouth, cabin crew came along with a bottles of wine and asked me if I would care for a drink. I asked her a glass of red wine. Thai's Royal Orchid butter and the glass of red wine looked cute together, so I took this photo.

Wai (Thai: ไหว้)

I took this photo in Pattaya, Thailand. There are some Mickey D's in the city, and took this photo in front of Royal Garden Plaza in South Pattaya. There, Ronald McDonald was gesturing exactly like the Thai greeting what is called wai (Thai: ไหว้). As the photo shows, Ronald MacDonald was giving a little bow and putting his palms together in front of his heart to welcome their guests. You might see this gesture many times during your trip in Thailand. Oh, the cain crew of Thai Airways International always welcomes their guests with beautiful wai at the door.

Sri Lankan porcupine

I took this photo in Pinnawala, Sri Lanka. That day, I took a car trip from Negombo to Kandy. Also, I visited Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage and Royal Botanical Gardens on the way. Before I visited Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage, a couple of villagers showed me their couple of porcupines. The photo shows one of them. It seemed they are herbivorous rodent, and I happened to visit them at their mealtime. Was I interrupting? Anyway, I can't tell you where exactly it was, but it was somewhere close to Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage.

Full English Breakfast @ London Luton Airport

The photo shows a full English breakfast served at at a cozy food and drink place in London Luton Airport, the United Kingdom. That day, I checked out my hotel early in the morning, and headed for Baker Street to catch a Easybus to get to London Luton Airport. My ELAL flight to Tel Aviv, Israel was scheduled to take off at noon. So I planned to have a breakfast at London Luton Airport and saved a crispy 10 British pound bill and some coins to do so. Traditional breakfast with fried egg cost 7.99 GBP, a cup of regular-sized Latte cost 2.49 GBP. When my last-minute spending had been done, 3 pence left.