Katoomba, Australia

February 24, 2026

I was back in Sydney. My mother mentioned she’d like to visit Katoomba, an internationally famous place near Sydney, in the Blue Mountains region.

The Google Map above shows Katoomba, around 110 km west of Sydney. The train from Sydney Central Station to Katoomba takes roughly 2 hours.

Our 8:25am train, at Central Station. The weather that day was around 23 degrees Centigrade and humid.

Just before our train left, I tried to buy train tickets for Katoomba and return. The woman at the Transport NSW counter was apologetic: I had already ordered my disabled pensioner Opal card a day ago but it hadn’t arrived yet, so they couldn’t do anything until that Opal card arrived. I ended up paying full price on my Katoomba return train tickets. On the bright side, the tickets cost only $AUD 10 (NTD 200) or so.

My mother on the train, heading for the Blue Mountains.

By the way, there is no “Blue Mountain” peak in the Blue Mountains. The blue colour “derived from the blue tinge the range takes on when viewed from a distance … imparting a blue-greyish colour to any distant objects, including mountains and clouds. Volatile terpenoids emitted in large quantities by the abundant eucalyptus trees in the Blue Mountains may cause Mie scattering and thus the blue haze for which the mountains were named”, Wikipedia said.

We crossed the Nepean River near Penrith. This photo was taken by my mother.

Wikipedia said “The original name for the Blue Mountains in the language of the Dharug and Gundungurra peoples is Colomatta (more accurately pronounced Gulu-mada). The meaning of the name is “koala place” from colo + matta”.

Emu Plains Station, just beyond the river. Emu Plains is redolent of the Australian bush, though in reality, there is a large car park just next to the station (above).

Entering the Blue Mountains near Lapstone.

Wikipedia said “The Greater Blue Mountains Area was unanimously listed as a World Heritage Area by UNESCO on 29 November 2000 …  The area totals roughly 10,000 square kilometres (3,900 sq mi), including the Blue Mountains, Kanangra-Boyd, Wollemi, Gardens of Stone, Yengo, Nattai and Thirlmere Lakes National Parks, plus the Jenolan Caves Karst Conservation Reserve.”

Wikipedia said in the early days of the colony, in the belief of many convicts, China lay just beyond the Blue Mountains.

We climbed up the ranges, following a watercourse, through tunnels and cuttings, with an intermittent view of escarpments (above).

Wikipedia said “The Gundungurra creation story of the Blue Mountains tells that Dreaming creatures Mirigan and Garangatch, half fish and half reptile, fought an epic battle which scarred the landscape into the Jamison Valley.”

Valley Heights Rail Museum, built on a depot. “The depot at Valley Heights was a crucial piece of infrastructure, vital to the operation of the Blue Mountains railway and the movement of trains across the mountains. It consisted of a locomotive yard, 10 bay roundhouse, 18 metre (60ft) turntable, an elevated coal stage, water tanks and columns and provided pilot (assistant) engines for trains travelling to Katoomba and beyond. … The engines at Valley Heights not only piloted over the longest distance in NSW, but also had the envious distinction of having to operate over the longest continual and most steeply graded mainline in Australasia. The section from Valley Heights to Katoomba, a distance of 20 miles 16 chains (32.7 km) has a ruling grade of 1 in 33 (3.33%), rose a total of 2,200 ft (670 m), the gradients varying from 1 in 60 (1.67%) to the steepest of 1 in 31 (3.23%).”

Sir Henry Parkes’ grave, taken from the window of our train. Monument Australia said “Sir Henry Parkes, GCMG (27 May 1815 – 27 April 1896) was an Australian politician and businessman who served as a Premier of New South Wales. He has been referred to as the ‘Father of Federation’ as he was one of the most influential advocates of the Federation of Australia.”

Typically Australian sclerophyll forest on sandstone. “Sclerophyll forests are a typically Australian vegetation type having plants (typically eucalypts, wattles and banksias) with hard, short and often spiky leaves, which is a condition closely associated with low soil fertility (rather than rainfall/soil moisture). Low fertility also makes soils undesirable for agriculture and native vegetation has, therefore, remained relatively intact”, according to the NSW government Office of Environment and Heritage.

After two hours, our train arrived in Katoomba Station (above).

The air was cooler than in Central Station, around 20 degrees Centigrade. Wikipedia said “At Katoomba, (1,010 m or 3,314 ft) the summer average maximum temperature is around 22 °C with a few days extending into the 30s (80s–90s °F) although it is quite common to see maximum temperatures stay in the teens when east coast troughs persist. … The Blue Mountains is not known for particularly cold mornings compared to other areas on the Central Tablelands, such as Oberon, Bathurst and Orange. There are two to three snowfalls per year.”

The Google Map above showed our way, from Katoomba Station, to the Three Sisters at Echo Point, then Scenic World, then taking the train home from Leura.

The Blue Mountains Explorer shop, next to the train station. My mother and I had decided to take the combined Blue Mountains Explorer bus ticket ($AUD 25, NTD 500) and the Scenic World discount pass ($AUD 52, NTD 1040). This proved a mistake. We didn’t need the Blue Mountains Explorer bus ticket, because the government buses were going to Echo Point and Scenic World. My mother very kindly paid for both our tickets.

The Blue Mountains Explorer shop gives you a little book with many maps, timetables, and information about the route. Above is one I downloaded giving the Blue Mountains Explorer bus route.

One of the Blue Mountains Explorer buses. We ran for the bus just as it was pulling out. It was fortunate – the next bus was in an hour.

On the bus. I snapped a picture of this old Blue Mountains cottage.

We stepped off the bus at Echo Point bus stop. In the photo above my mother is staring at the splendid scenery.

The Dictionary of Sydney said “Situated in Gundungurra and Darug country, and emerging as a major tourist destination in the 1920s, Echo Point now attracts around 1.4 million visitors a year. Because of its popularity (almost ‘loved to death’ in the words of one newspaper) … it is an uncanny site which for almost a century has combined a ‘holiday playground’ … atmosphere with the sublime.”

There was a spectacular view from Echo Point, only partially captured by my mobile phone.

The Dictionary of Sydney said “The question of whether there is, in fact, an echo at Echo Point also remains unsettled, the subject of humorous debate in newspaper letters pages throughout the last century. Some locals claim a ‘cooee’ from the suspended lookout will echo from the left of the Three Sisters while others have suggested it will return, with a long time delay, from the Kanimbla Valley beyond Narrow Neck; though, as local historian Jim Smith observed, ‘two minutes is an awfully long time to the impatient tourist of today.’”

Below the viewpoint is another viewpoint (above) suspended on a cliff high above the valley. You can look over the fence to see a drop vertically several hundred metres to the valley floor.

And, of course, the Three Sisters. The Dictionary of Sydney said “It was only around the turn of the century, as Katoomba boomed as a tourist destination, that the Three Sisters became the dominant sight that they remain today. “

A close-up of the Three Sisters. This formation is absolutely awe-inspiring.

The Dictionary of Sydney said the story goes “the ‘sorcerer’ of the Katoomba tribe turned the three beautiful sisters Weemala, Meenie and Gunedoo into stone in order to save them from being carried away by young men of the Nepean tribe. Dying in the subsequent battle, he was unable to change them back, so that they remain petrified on the valley’s edge. Historians have expressed great skepticism about this legend which has become central to the charisma of Echo Point. … the Gundungurra identify the Three Sisters as the remnants of an original seven stone pagodas and that they are an intimate part of the Muggadah, or ‘Seven Sisters Dreaming’, linked to the Seven Sisters of the Pleiades star cluster.”

I walked to the further lookout, among some fine Australian bush (above).

I saw another lookout above a high cliff.

After an hour, my mother and I boarded the next Explorer bus for Scenic World.

The entrance to Scenic World, taken only steps from the bus.

Scenic World said “Established in 1945, Scenic World began when Harry Hammon, a local entrepreneur, had the vision to transform a former coal mine into an iconic tourist attraction. When the Katoomba Colliery closed in 1945, Harry recognised an opportunity to innovate – he converted the old coal skips and existing rail track into a passenger train, creating what is still the world’s steepest passenger train. Today, Scenic World continues to be owned and operated by the Hammon Family, offering award-winning experiences to over a million visitors a year, and it is one of the largest employers in the Blue Mountains.”

Above is a diagram of the operations of Scenic World, modified from this map. We were at the Scenic World building marked with a pink circle. We went on:

  • the Scenic Railway in red running from the Scenic World building;
  • the Scenic Walkway in green on the Jameson Valley floor;
  • the Scenic Cableway in blue terminating at the Scenic World building.

We didn’t visit the Scenic Skyway in yellow.

Inside the Scenic World building there was a queue for tickets (above).

Just along from the ticket counter was the entrance to the Scenic Railway.

On our way to the Scenic Railway we passed the Scenic Skyway (above). Scenic World gushes “Glide between cliff tops 270 metres above a World Heritage-listed rainforest”. Maybe next time I visit.

We descended to the upper station of the Scenic Railway. The cable-car was away in this photo; the cables on the right-hand side show its usual position.

Wikipedia said “The Scenic Railway is an incline railway now used for tourism. The steepest section of track is on an incline of 52 degrees (128% gradient) contained within a total distance of 310 metres (1,020 ft)… It was originally constructed for a coal and oil shale mining operation in the Jamison Valley in the 1880s, in order to haul the coal and shale from the valley floor up to the escarpment above. From 1928 to 1945, it carried coal during the week and passengers at weekends. The coal mine was closed in 1945 after which it remained as a tourist attraction. … The Scenic Railway has been promoted as the world’s steepest passenger railway, but it is technically an inclined lift, not a funicular … In the broader category of cable cars, the Scenic Railway was surpassed in steepness in 2024 by the new Schilthorn cable car in Switzerland, which has a gradient of 159.4%.”

Soon the cables drew the Scenic Railway cable-car upward to the inclined platform. The doors opened upward, the tourists scrambled out, and new tourists took their place. I took this photo just before the doors closed downwards and the Scenic Railway cars hurtled downwards.

Then it was our turn. I took this photo as we were about to depart.

Then we rushed at 52 degrees to the horizontal, 310 meters over about 125 seconds. Quite a ride.

There are many YouTube clips of the Scenic Railway from start to finish such as the one above, as befits a world-famous site.

We disembarked at the bottom station on the Scenic Railway (above).

Looking up from the bottom station on the Scenic Railway.

We were now at the Scenic Walkway (in green on the diagram).

The Dictionary of Sydney said there used to be a system of tramways, crossing valleys on suspension bridges and wooden trestles. Tourists posed (above) on a reconstruction of a tippler. But “Almost a century after the closure of the tramway, few relics remain. The bridges, railway and other structures associated with the tramway have disappeared, leaving only a small number of yellowing photographs in libraries, archives and personal photographic collections.”

We walked along the Scenic Walkway for about 10 minutes to get to the Scenic Cableway. The walk was through rainforest, amongst the tall shady eucalypts, the rough cool rock, and the birds singing just out of sight. There was high humidity. I highly recommend this walk. The photo above doesn’t do it justice.

We came to the bottom station of the Scenic Cableway.

Wikipedia said “In 2000, Scenic World installed the Sceniscender, it is now called Scenic Cableway, 84-passenger cable car from Doppelmayr that passes over a 25-metre-high (82 ft) tower on the edge of the cliff, and then 510 metres (1,673 feet) to the Botton Station in the Jamison Valley 200 m (656 ft) below”.

We waited in line to board the Scenic Cableway. A fine water spray (above) was produced by overhead nozzles to keep the patrons cool.

After a few minutes we boarded the Scenic Cableway and started upwards. There were spectacular views as we ascended.

What a view! This was my favourite part of the trip.

We ascended into the same Scenic World building, right alongside the Scenic Railway and the Scenic Skyway.

While walking through the gift shop, I saw these slippers, made out of kangaroo fur….

… and kangaroo purses, made from the animals’ skin. Australians are not sentimental about such things.

While we waited for the Blue Mountains Explorer bus, my mother and I had lunch in the cafeteria (above). I think my hamburger cost around $AUD 23 (NTD 460).

On the bus we went a circuitous route, with occasional magnificent scenery. This was a view of Narrowneck with the Megalong Valley.

The bus dropped us off directly outside Leura Station (above), where we caught a train to Central Station and home.

Pondering Pilchards: Cambodia, by Gordon

January 7-18, 2026

Gordon and I went to Cambodia.

The Google Maps above show the route.  We flew into Siem Reap, toured the Angkor Archeological Site, then travelled by boat to Battambang, then by train to Phnom Penh.

Gordon has very kindly offered to write up our trip! Over to him:

Richard has invited me to post about our journey in Cambodia.

When I landed in Siem Reap mid-morning—from Hobart to Sydney to Singapore—I’d only managed a couple of hours sleep. Richard had arrived the previous day, which was very handy for me.

Travel tips!

Always be met at the airport by someone who is conscious and well rested and who knows their way around. Preferably they should have cake. 

Good to see Richard anyway, regardless of his utilitarian value. 

He’d arranged a car from the airport—mad extravagance! I reached for my seatbelt and felt a nanosecond of stress, but the gendarmes at the airport are not concerned with seatbelts and six people on a scooter is legal as long as one of them has a firm hold on the piglet. 

I checked into the hotel and caught a couple of hours sleep. By 3pm, I was feeling somewhat functional and coherent, so we decided to visit Angkor Wat—7 or 8 kilometres from the centre of Siem Reap.

We took a tuk-tuk. I like the music of that sentence, but actually it was a moto-remorque—a two-wheeled trailer pulled by a motorbike. Tuk-tuks are three-wheelers with an integrated cabin enclosing the driver and passengers. Further nuances of differentiation can be found in the Big Bumper Book of Vehicle Identification so there’s no point in me going on about them here.

First to Angkor Enterprise, to the northeast of the city centre, to get our tickets. One day is US$35; three, $62; and seven, $72. We took the middle way, because we are deeply spiritual like that.

Angkor means city, and wat is temple. To build it, you get enough stone to make a pyramid and arrange it into a quincunx  ⁙ and bung on spires and sun-filled colonnades and similar architectural terminology and carve almost every exposed surface into episodes from the Hindu epics and 37 versions of heaven (but just 32 of hell) and bas reliefs of gods, demon kings and apsaras, etc.

The Hindu-ness of it all is because Cambodia was created from the union of an Indian prince and a princess of the Naga—snake—people.

Khmer script is a descendant of the Brahmi script used for Sanskrit with extra curliness added for writing on banana leaves—I kid you not. Sadly, banana leaves don’t last down the centuries, but they also used it to inscribe stuff all over the surfaces of Angkor, so that’s good.

It’s all about the water and engineering really. The wat is the fruiting body of a mycelium of canals and man-made lakes that take advantage of the unique natural hydrology of this place, including the amazing expandable Tonle Sap Lake and the wonderful reversing Tonle Sap River. 

More travel tips!

Learn all the stuff about all the things before you get there by listening to podcasts as you fall asleep. As this tends to blur the line between reality and the wonderful world of dreams / brain farts, always travel with a polymath who actually knows the geomorphology and myth and religion and history to get the story straight.

This is the view from the top if you get all the photo editing knobs and turn them up to eleven. Note divine presence emanating from upper left

Angkor Wat

★★★★★

Five stars!

Wat a Wat!

Cambodia uses US dollars and Cambodian riels interchangeably. There are 4000 riels to the US dollar—that is, 144 Australian cents. A thousand riel is like an American quarter—or about 36c Australian. No one uses Australian money, though—I just added that in for needless confusion. It’s quite simple once you get used to it, like most things. 

That night we went to pub street. It’s a street with pubs! You can drink, you can eat, you can have your feet nibbled on by itty bitty fishes in a tank for one dollar an hour. We didn’t, but we could have, which is pretty good! Five stars for everyone.

Pub street

★★★★★

Nibbles!

Pubs!

That first night we ate at the riverside night market and nearby street vendors. 

You can get a fruit juice or smoothie for 3 to 4 thousand riel. A plate of veggies, protein and noodles or rice for 5 or 6. Stuff cooked on a stick—pork, beef, itty bitty sausages, mystery chicken—are 1 to 4 thousand. Sometimes there are frogs’ legs if you want them—also there even if you don’t. You can get pancakes with banana, chocolate, and condensed milk for 3 thousand—5 thousand if you add all the things: cheese, egg, Nutella. 

Market and street Food

★★★★★

Stuffed for 20 thousand riel!

The Sovann bakery and coffee shop on the night market street is a great place for breakfast. Local-friendly prices. Croissants or a mighty slab of banana bread or a muffin for two to four thousand. Coffee somewhere around whatever goes with that. Simple, elegant, friendly vibe.

General Vibe 

★★★★★

Angkor Wat, including its moat, is about 1.5 x 1.3 km and was built between 1113 and 1150 – fast work. In 1177 the Cham sacked the city – faster work – but by 1181 a Khmer king was back on the throne, launching construction at a cracking pace on a new walled capital a kilometre and a half to the north: Angkor ‘Big City’ Thom.

The walls of Angkor Thom rise about 8 metres and enclose a 3-by-3-kilometre square, surrounded by a 100-metre-wide moat. 

We arrived early at the South Gate – the ancient ceremonial entrance.

The causeway across the moat shows devas and asuras hauling on a naga to churn the Ocean of Milk – the same wacky cast, the same cosmic tug-of-war you meet at Angkor Wat. But here there are new faces: the Bodhisattva of Compassion gazing in quadruplicate – one toward each compass point – from the 23-metre gate tower. 

After a quick squiz, we drove around to the eastern wall and the Gate of the Dead. It was cool and green, and we got there along an unpaved forest trail, which is exactly what you want in a Gate of the Dead. Unlike the South Gate, which was already getting busy, we had it to ourselves. Some say this is where bodies left the city on their way to the cremation grounds.

It’s just as grand as the South Gate, but a little quieter about it. 

All the gates feature the same four faces. Some say they represent the king’s face, rather than the Bodhisattca of C. The smart money is on it being a subtle mash-up of both. In any case, the sculptor got a promotion. Probably.

Even more additional top travel tips!

  • It’s good to set out at sunup, rest for the hottest three hours, then set out again for the late afternoon. This rhythm worked for us. 
  • You can use your days non-consecutively. This is very handy because who the heck wants to spend all day every day looking at a bunch of old ruins? 

It’s a short drive from Siem Reap to the shores of Tonlé Sap Lake where we caught the Battambang Ferry. It took us across the northern end of the lake and then up the Sangker River for a few hours. Every couple of kilometres we’d go through a village, sometimes stopping for a few seconds to pick up or drop off a parcel or local passenger.

We stopped at a food/aluminium cup/mosquito net/plumbing supply shop for lunch. The river became narrower and shallower toward the end, and we passed people in the water, tending to fish traps and nets.

Headphones are good to block out the engine noise, but I recommend purging your playlist of anything from 1968 or 69. Journeys upriver, snaking deep into the heart of etcetera can make you go a bit Conrad & Coppola if you’re not careful. Deep into the heart of orangeness according to DFAT’s travel advice at the time. Trouble at the Thai border.

Battambang’s Lonesome Tree Café has a wonderful atmosphere, excellent food, great prices, and this cat.

We checked out the bat cave on the western outskirts of the city. Around sundown, they fly out of their cave in their gazillions (or whatever number is in Wikipedia). On the other side is a cave where Pol Pot’s idiots did Pol Pot stuff.

Richard and I sat and drank coconut juice and watched the bats head out for the evening. Coconut juice straight from the coconut is a glorious thing and should get all the stars, but I went crazy dispensing stars earlier and the currency is sadly debased. 

On our last day in Battambang, I went a short way into the countryside southeast of town to ride the bamboo railway. Decades of war destroyed the locomotives, but the rail lines were still functioning – and so people created bamboo trains. 

Two axels topped by a lightweight removable platform and powered by a motorbike engine.

Bamboo trains are on the way out, apparently. They run real trains along these lines now, and a tamed tribute version has been developed somewhere called bamboo-train-experience-land or something. 

We were early to the station to take the non-bamboo train to Phnom Penh later that day, and I chatted to a remorque driver. He had sound opinions on Henry Kissinger and other topics and was born in 1951, two years before independence. They learnt French in primary school back then, so he could parlez vous like a champion. I can’t, so I had to take his word for that.

Tuk-tuk – in its more general sense – is a perfectly cromulent word for all kinds of vehicles inhabiting the zone between two-wheelers and cars, despite what those sticklers at the Big Bumper Book of Vehicle Identification say. The word remorque, however, lets you explore the rich comedic potential of rue de remorques, but I didn’t think of that till I got home, so poor Richard missed out on me making that joke every time we looked for transport. 

The Battambang to Phnom Penh train is great for watching rusticated vistas of everyday life if you’re in the mood, and who isn’t? Women spreading rice on tarps to dry, barefoot children waving at the train, men leading water buffaloes to wherever water buffaloes are led to.

Pondering pilchards 

A woman carrying plastic jerry cans joined our carriage. A couple of hour later, the people in the surrounding seats started hooting and yelling at something moving around on the floor. A fish had escaped from one of the containers, and I only tell this tale so I could say pondering pilchards. 

Phnom Penh 

Phnom Penh means Penh’s Hill, and the wat on that hill, sensibly enough, is called Phnom Wat.

Security Prison 21, where thousands were killed, is now Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum. I met Chum Mey, who survived by fixing a typewriter, followed by other equipment his captors brought him. His book – Survivor – is for sale at the museum. I would have gone with Scheherazade with a Screwdriver, but nobody asked me. He was one of 12 prisoners left when the place was liberated in 1979. I talked to two others, brothers Ly and Phal, who were six and nine at the time. Their story is told in Norng Chan Phal: The Mystery of the Boy at S-21. They hid from their evacuating captors by hiding under a pile of filthy blood-soaked clothes.

There are walls displaying the photos of those who didn’t make it. I noticed a couple of white faces in the sea of brown – New Zealander Kerry Hamill and Englishman John Dewhirst, who were on a yacht that drifted into Cambodian waters. Kerry’s confession included details of his CIA handler Colonel Sanders. I like to think he was having a laugh.

Evening harbour cruises start at $10 or so. More if you want to consume lots of Krud, but we didn’t.

The next day we tried a cheaper harbour cruise – the vehicle ferry. Passenger fares are about 10c each way. Much the same route, same glorious views, but to get there we had to navigate rush hour traffic. Round here major highways intersect without anyone stopping, traffic lights are mainly decorative, and everyone drives with calm good humour and lots of honking.

This is the end

Sorry. I drifted into heart of etcetera territory again on account of my next adventure being a boat trip into the Mekong delta. I said goodbye to Richard, who was spending a few more days in Cambodia, in a place modelled on the dining salons of the Titanic—which might have been disturbing but for the lack icebergs at this latitude.

Nong Khai, Thailand

February 2-9, 2026

I was in Thailand for two weeks at the end of my trip to Thailand and Cambodia. I wanted to see the Northeast (Isaan) again, so I planned to visit Nong Khai.

The Google Map above gives an approximation of this train route: from Bangkok through Korat (Nakhon Ratchasima), then Khon Kaen, Udon Thani, and finally to Nong Khai, on the banks of the Mekong River about 16 kilometers from Vientiane, and 624 kilometers from Bangkok. The scheduled duration was almost 9 hours.

I caught a train from Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal Station (previously known as Bang Sue Grand Station). The Number 75 train to Nong Khai (above) left at 8:45am.

The inside of the (fairly average) carriage (above).

The train rolled past northern Bangkok.

Soon we were deep in the countryside, rattling past early rice-plants (above).

We stopped at a station.

At first there were many vendors on the train, selling water, soft drinks, and snacks (above). A vendor put their basket on the seat beside me; I photographed it, causing the vendor some displeasure.

We passed a wat (Buddhist temple) so quickly I just managed to photograph it.

The countryside is stunning (above). Note the reflection caused by me photographing through the closed window.

Alongside the railway track there was work building (I think) an elevated railway. Could this be the Thailand-China high speed railway?

Mountains started to appear.

The train crossed the Pasak Chonlasit Dam:

“This trip is nicknamed ‘The Floating Train’ as the highlight is going across a series of viaducts above Pasak Chonlasit Reservoir. At this time of the year, the water is very high, and as you can only see water out of the windows on both sides, it gives the impression that you are floating on water.”

I nodded off in my seat, waking to find we had already passed the Phetchabun Mountains, the primary mountain range bordering the central plains and the Khorat Plateau. We passed some wind turbines (above). The countryside in this place is drier than on the central plains.

We stopped in a city – I think it was Khon Kaen (entering the city above).

After 9 hours, Nong Khai, at last, in the late afternoon.

I took a tuk-tuk from the station. It cost me THB 80 ($AUD 4, NTD 80). The tuk-tuks here are of a different type to the ones in Bangkok (above); they have rails running down both sides, and you get into them through the rear.

I checked in at The Rim Riverside guest house. My room is set back from the front, up an external flight of steps to the first floor (second floor to the Taiwanese). I took the photo standing on the promenade, the Mekong River behind me.

My room. The ensuite is in the middle of the photo, and the air-conditioner was just out of the picture to the left. It was around NTD 625 ($AUD 31 , NTD 625) per night – a bargain!

This is the reason I booked the room: the Mekong River. I get an emotional reaction looking at the wide olive-brown stream. I’m standing in my room looking out the big window. On the other side of the river is Laos, the outskirts of Vientiane (pronounced “Weng Chan” or “Vee-ang-jun”).

At dusk, looking westwards. The snake-like figures are naga:

“As one of the most significant creatures in Thai culture and Buddhism, the Naga is deeply rooted in folklore, religion, and art. … The stories and beliefs surrounding the creature appear to have originated in India and have since merged with local folklore, becoming well-known Naga in Thailand…. These mythical creatures are serpent-like beings, and they are often depicted as a dragon-like creature, with long bodies, intricate scales, and sometimes, multiple heads.”

A slightly later photo showing the sunset. The bridge crossing the Mekong River is the First Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge:

“Opened on 8 April 1994, it was the first bridge across the lower Mekong, and the second on the full course of the Mekong. … The cost was about A$42 million, funded by the Government of Australia as development aid for Laos…. The bridge was designed and built by Australian companies as a demonstration of their ability to complete major infrastructure projects in Southeast Asia.”

The following morning I was up early and taking photos. In the above photo there is corn growing. In the distance on the far left of the photo is a white temple. It marks where the Sunken Temple stood before sliding into the expanding Mekong River:

“Phra That Klang Nam is believed to have been constructed around 700 years ago on what was then the banks of the river. However, it toppled into the Mekong in 1847 and was submerged completely as the river changed course over the years.”

The Sunken Temple still partially exists in the middle of the river, occasionally coming into view in the dry season when the water is exceptionally low.

That day there was mist along the river (above). There was a peculiar set of chairs in the form of zebras.

Unfortunately, I had bad food on the train, resulting in me getting diarrhea and feeling off-colour for a few days.

I ended up eating at Mut Mee Garden Guest House (above), a long-running institution. When I first came to Nong Khai in the 1990’s I stayed there. Mut Mee has a website that is full of information, although things have changed since it was set up; the river cruise no longer runs, and the menu has reduced. In the 30 years since I first visited Nong Khai has become a popular place for holidaying Thais, as well as Westerners.

A photo of breakfast: full English, yogurt with fruit, fruit salad, bread with butter and jam, iced coffee, and a pot of tea. It was expensive, but worth it after eating Thai food day after day.

Mut Mee has very extensive information about things to do. There is a map (above) showing sights of interest. Other maps show things around Nong Khai.

There is a YouTube influencer, ปรางค์ไปคนเดียว Pranggoalone, who I subscribed to. It’s very Thai, but I use the auto-translate subtitles to convert her Thai to English. In one episode she took the 3rd-class train to Nong Khai, like me, and stayed in Mut Mee Guest House. It was very interesting getting a Thai lens on travel.

A narrow street near the river.

There is the “Nong Khai Pier Customs Boundary Post” on the bank. Presumably Thais can check out of Thailand here, board a boat, and cross the river to Laos. I did a cursory Internet check on whether non-Thais and non-Laos can do the same, but I didn’t find any information on that. Of course foreigners can just use the international crossing at the First Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge just upstream.

Directly opposite there is Wat Hai Sok. According to Lonely Planet, “It contains the ‘Two Princesses Shrine’ and is a popular place to make offerings before and after crossing the river.”

I visited Tha Sadet Market, a long arcade just back from the river. A somewhat dirty sign advertises its presence.

Tha Sadet Market is mostly undercover (above). TripAdvisor advises “Its stalls mainly sell cheap men’s, women’s and children’s clothing and shoes. But there are also stalls selling electronics, tools, household utensils, watches, cameras, glasses and sunglasses, herbs and spices, and ticky-tacky tourist souvenirs. Most of the offerings are pirated, as reflected in the cheap prices. So if you want a Gucci handbag, get one here, but do not pretend it is the Real Mccoy.”

On Meechai Road there was a shop selling donations to monks, amongst other things. Instead of giving food and personal items to monks at the morning alms round, you can buy a bucket of food and give it to the monks instead.

Wanderlog said: “Nestled in the heart of the city, Wat Thung Sawang stands out as a gem among temples. Its charmingly small chapel is adorned with intricate sculptures and detailed porticos that evoke a whimsical atmosphere reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland. The temple features an array of Buddhist deities, each sheltered under their own unique roofs, adding to its enchanting allure. Visitors will find it to be a serene escape from the bustling surroundings, complete with quiet spots perfect for meditation and reflection.”

Mut Mee said: “The prize for the prettiest temple would probably go to Wat Tung Sawang. Its tiny but immaculately sculptured chapel with highly detailed porticos, and its collection of Buddhist deities outside, each under its own fanciful little roof, gives it an Alice in Wonderland bizarreness. Even if you’ve seen a lot of temples it’s worth visiting…”

An ancient chedi, and on top, a tree growing upwards. An odd sight.

Directly across the street is the Nong Khai Museum, over (as the sign above says) the first governor’s house who founded Nong Khai in 1827.

Wanderlog said “Nong Khai Historical Museum may not be the most lavish, but it is conveniently located in the main tourist area. The museum showcases photographs and artifacts that depict the history of Nong Khai. It’s an old museum that provides insight into the city’s past prosperity. Visitors are recommended to explore this place to learn about Nong Khai’s history, making it a nice addition to their travel itinerary.” I didn’t go in.

On weekends there is a night market (above) set up near the customs post.

I estimate there are a hundred food stalls, selling everything Isaan.

There are stalls selling deep-fried insects (above). On the right there are grubs, on the left deep-fried grasshoppers and crickets.

There are two bands with separate stages, allowing them to play different music simultaneously. One stage was a school performance, and one (above) was for adults.

My dinner, eaten with the glow of twilight. The crepe thing was like the Vietnamese Bánh Xèo, with pork and bean sprouts. They were all delicious.

Another morning I went to Sala Kaew Koo. I took the photo at the entrance.

Lonely Planet said “One of Thailand’s most enigmatic attractions, Sala Kaew Ku can’t fail to impress. Built over 20 years by Luang Pu Boun Leua Sourirat, a mystic who died in 1996, the park features a wonderful smorgasbord of bizarre cement statues of Buddha, Shiva, Vishnu and other deities.”

Lonely Planet continued, “As he told his own story, Luang Pu tumbled into a hole as a child and met an ascetic named Kaewkoo who introduced him to the manifold mysteries of the underworld and set him on course to become a Brahmanic-yogi-priest-shaman. Shaking up his own unique blend of Hindu and Buddhist philosophy, Luang Pu developed a large following on both sides of the Mekong in this region. In fact, his original project was on the Lao side of the river, where he had been living until the 1975 communist takeover in Laos.”

Lonely Planet continued, “Some of the sculptures are quite amusing. If you’re travelling with kids, they’ll enjoy the serene elephant wading through a pack of anthropomorphic dogs (which teaches people to not be bothered by gossip). The tallest sculpture, a Buddha seated on a coiled naga (serpent deity) [above] with a spectacular seven-headed hood, is 25m high. Also not to be missed is the Wheel of Life, which you enter through a giant ‘mouth’. An explanation is available on the back side of the handy map of the sculpture park provided by Mut Mee Garden Guesthouse.”

I climbed the stairs of the main shrine building, to take a photo from the 2nd floor (3rd floor to Taiwanese people).

Lonely Planet said “The main shrine building is packed with hundreds of smaller sculptures of various description and provenance, photos of Luang Pu at various stages throughout his life, and his corpse under a glass dome ringed by flashing lights.” That’s his body above. The room was locked, but I took a photo through the glass doors.

Then I visited Wat Po Chai. “This royal temple is the most important and most sacred of Nong Khai” according to Thailandee.

I carefully photographed a chedi (above) under the misapprehension that this is Luang Phra Sai Po. Turns out that it’s a sitting Buddha.

This is the real Luang Phra Sai Po. Lonely Planet said “Luang Po Phra Sai, a large Lan Xang–era Buddha image awash with gold, bronze and precious stones, sits at the hub of Nong Khai’s holiest temple. The head of the image is pure gold, the body is bronze and the ùt·sà·nít (flame-shaped head ornament) is set with rubies. Due to the great number of miracles attributed to it, this royal temple is a mandatory stop for most visiting Thais. Luang Po Phra Sai was one of three similar statues made for each of the daughters of Lao king Setthathirat, and they were taken as bounty after King Rama I sacked Vientiane in 1778. The awesome murals in the hall housing the Buddha image depict their travels from the interior of Laos to the banks of the Mekong, where they were put on rafts. A storm sent one of the statues to the bottom of the river, where it remains today. It was never recovered because, according to one monk at the temple, the naga (which live in the river) wanted to keep it. The third statue, Phra Soem, is at Wat Pathum Wanaram, next to Siam Paragon in Bangkok. Phra Sai was supposed to accompany it, but, as the murals show, the cart carrying it broke down here and so this was taken as a sign that it wished to remain in Nong Khai.”

I really enjoyed my time in Nong Khai, lazing by the Mekong River, eating great meals, and soaking up Isaan culture. I’m going back to Bangkok by the night train.

Koh Rong, Cambodia

January 21-24, 2026

I visited Koh Rong, an island off the coast of Cambodia near Sihanoukville.

The Google map above shows the route I took.

I arrived in Sihanoukville by train, the daily service from Phnom Penh. I was whisked to the port by taxi, paid the return fare of $US 25 (about $AUD 38, NTD 750), and was the last one to board the speedboat, the boat immediately departing. On the Google map it’s marked as a blue line. I had not had my lunch, and was quite hungry.

The photo above shows the boat at the pier. I took this when coming back to the same pier, so the circumstances are different, but the speedboat (GTVC Speedboat) is a similar model.

Inside the speedboat.

Sihanoukville from the water. Sihanoukville has developed a sinister reputation:

“Scam centers in Cambodia are clandestine fraud operations, controlled by international and organized criminal networks specializing in online fraud and operating in Cambodia. Policy analysis has characterized Cambodia as a global nexus and among the global epicenters of trafficking-linked transnational cyber-fraud, with scam networks recruiting coerced and voluntary workers from dozens of countries and targeting victims worldwide…. The operations of organized crime in the country is a serious regional issue, and their activities are estimated to generate between $12.5 and $19 billion annually, a figure that could represent up to 60% of Cambodia’s gross domestic product (GDP). … This environment of corruption and political patronage has created fertile ground for the expansion of transnational criminal networks, including Chinese triads that have fled increased crackdowns in China since 2018. Many of these groups have established operations in special economic zones such as Sihanoukville, where lax regulation and political protection have enabled them to thrive.”

Sihanoukville is connected to Koh Puos (“Snake Island’) by the Techo Morakat Bridge.

When I got off the boat, there was no gangway to walk down; instead you leapt down to the pier from the side of the boat. I couldn’t leap, but fortunately half-a-dozen men carried me to the pier. Success! I walked off the pier and went looking for my hotel.

The area I was in seemed quite different to the local area – quite right too, as I soon found out that I had got off at the wrong stop. Fortunately, the distance wasn’t far, and a tuk-tuk driver carried me for $US 10 ($AUS 15, NTD 300). On the Google map above it’s marked as a yellow line. There is a dirt road around the island though dense tropical forest, quite spectacular. The road is in the process of being rapidly upgraded, with a grader working and detour signs, the tuk-tuk rattling over corrugated dirt.

We turned off the road to plunge down towards the sea in a narrow passage, then drove right along the shore among ramshackle buildings. The area is known as Koh Touch (above).

The driver dropped me right outside my hotel, Vagabonds (left). I checked in, which consisted of paying $US 60 in cash to two French women, one of whom did not speak English at all. I was led to a stairway, really a ladder, which I climbed with my left hand helping on the rungs.

My room. No air-con, just a fan, but it did have an en-suite with a hot shower and a temperamental toilet. Cost $US 20 ($AUD 30, NTD 600) a night, not too bad.

Exhausted by my trip, I grabbed a quick bite to eat and rested. When I emerged from the hostel, proprietors were setting up chairs and tables right next to the sea.

And why not? People don’t worry about rules that specify a minimum distance from the sea, nor boats that are swamped by sand on the beach (above centre of the photo).

The swamped speedboat, filled with sand, the next day. The following day some men were digging the boat out, presumably to float her off.

The next day in the early morning I went out to photograph.

Travelfish said “Cambodia’s second largest island, Koh Rong boasts arguably the most beautiful beaches in the country. If you’re a beach-bum at heart, this island belongs on your ‘must visit in Cambodia’ list.”

It was a photographer’s dream. Wikivoyage said “Until few years ago, Koh Rong used to be an undiscovered Island with only a few local families living from what the sea provided. There are about four small villages. Tourism slowly started around 2008”.

I took a shot of tourists waiting for a boat.

The sun was climbing out of the sea as the tourists’ boarded.

The above photo shows a speedboat (not mine) approaching the pier, the other islands in the background. I was reminded of Koh Pha Nga in Thailand, 30 years ago.

A view looking back to the beach from the pier. In Koh Touch the development is only along the shore; the rest is tropical jungle.

Another view of the beach. Wikivoyage said “Unfortunately almost all places seem solely interested in short-term profits: garbage and unfiltered wastewater are routed to the sea and one can watch the island getting dirtier every month.”

Above is a short clip giving you a sense of place

I stopped at a barber shop that was temporarily converted into a small restaurant. I had pork, omelet, and rice, with soup and tea (above). The food was delicious, and cost me around 8,000 riel, about $US 2 ($AUS 3, NTD 60).

There was a path running perpendicular to the beach.

Up the hill there was a contrast to the beach life (above).

Quite beautiful scenes. Travel fish said “Looking to make a difference? Friends of Koh Rong was established in 2013 and works to help the local communities on Koh Rong adapt to the tourism industry that is changing their way of life forever.”

Back on the beach, in the White Rose restaurant. In the photo above, note the “Khmer Food / Chinese Food / Western Food” but the “Thai Food” was airbrushed out. Cambodia and Thailand were fighting at the borders, so I assume this is why. I overheard a tourist asking for “Pad Thai”, only to be corrected by the waiter calling the dish “Pad Khmer”.

This restaurant accepted all comers, including Khmers (the menu started with traditional Cambodian cuisine) but also Chinese, and Westerners like me.

The road along the beach. I think the inhabitants have heard of motorcycle riders protected by a helmet, but most of them don’t do it.

The above photo shows a hotel catering to the Chinese; there were signs in both Chinese and Khmer (at extreme left). I took this photo because there was an off-road buggy parked outside the apartments.

In contrast, there was more traditional transportation, like this motorcycle and trailer.

There were odd fashion choices, like some Western young women in bikinis paired with short skirts, and this man in underwear (above), sunglasses, and Crocs, and nothing else.

At the end of the day the restaurants set up again on the beach.

I had fruit salad and yogurt. This is the life!

My three days were up. The photo shows an GTVC boat coming to take me away from Koh Rong.

Koh Laan, Thailand

December 18, 2025

I went to Koh Laan (above) on a day trip.

On that day I caught a sawngthaew (สองแถว) from my hotel near the Runway Market to Bali Hai wharf, then a boat to Tawaen beach on Koh Laan, and then returned the way I came.

At the coffeeshop near my hotel, about 8:30am. The temperature was in the mid-20s; it’s the coolest time of the year, and the dry season. There were a few coffeeshops together, but tourists always gathered at one coffeeshop – I don’t know why. The tourists preferred fresh coffee, delicious but expensive, about THB 60 ($AUD 3, NTD 60).

However, most of the Thais preferred ancient coffee (Thai:กาแฟ โบราณ), “which is in general not to the taste of westerners. It is brewed coffee with sweet condensed milk. The preparation of this ‘ancient coffee’ is interesting. It is brewed coffee that they pour through something that looks like a giant, brown old sock.” It is about half the price.

After breakfast – fresh iced coffee and an omelette without rice, about THB 100 ($AUD 5, NTD 100) – I looked for a songthaew. The songthaews have fixed loops, some travelling south down Beach Road until Walking Street, then back north again one street over.

A note about names transliterated from Thai. when I use a Thai word like “สองแถว”, I could transliterate it “songthaew”, or “sawngthaeo”, or “sawngthaew”. The English spelling is different, even though the Thai word is the same. There is a system for rendering Thai words in the Latin alphabet, the Royal Thai General System of Transcription, “the closest method to a standard of transcription for Thai, but its use, even by the government, is inconsistent.”

The above picture is looking out the back of a songthaew.

I believe the procedure for traveling by songthaew is as follows. You stand by the side of the road, and when the songthaew comes (above) you signal towards it by scooping horizontally with your hand. The songthaew stops, and you go immediately to the back of the songthaew and climb up without speaking to the driver. The songthaew then starts moving. When you want to get off, there are buzzers in the back which you press. The songthaew then stops, and you get out the back, walk to the front passenger’s side, and pay THB 10 ($AUD 0.50, NTD 10).

I got off at the northern end of Walking Street.

“Stretching from Pattaya Beach Road to Bali Hai Plaza, Walking Street is the epicenter of Pattaya’s notorious red-light district, with pubs, nightclubs, and go-go bars galore. Experience the electric atmosphere, catch a free Muay Thai match, and enjoy the live bands and cabarets. When the sensory overload gets too much, take a breather at Pattaya Pier—an iconic landmark in the city. Food-wise, there are a plethora of stalls, casual eateries, and restaurants that stay open to accommodate late-night revelers. Stay safe, and if you feel uncomfortable, look for tourist police stationed in the area.”

Unfortunately, the nightlife is absent at 9am.

But I did find a moto-sai driver (above). He whisked me to Bali Hai for THB 60 ($AUD 3, NTD 60). I disregarded a helmet, and then had a vision of a newspaper recording my death in a traffic accident.

In front of Bali Hai. In the photo there is a sign advertising island tours for several thousand baht (centre right), but I ignored that.

This is just below the famous PATTAYA CITY sign, which is visible for kilometers.

I walked up a passageway filled with tourists.

Then I looked for the boat (above).

A close-up look. I paid THB 30 ($AUD 1.50, NTD 30) for passage; the server took my cash and waved me onwards.

At the entrance to the boat. The boat was resting on old tires at the edge of the pier; no gangway, you scrambled aboard. It’s not apparent in the photo, but the gunwale is maybe a meter high. By holding on to that knob in the lower left in the photo I managed to lift my legs over that obstruction and got onboard, helped by the boatman.

I climbed up the stairs and took this photo of passengers still boarding.

Under weigh at last.

Nice view of the harbour.

The boat passed a similar boat .

Wikipedia says “Ko Lan lies 7.5 km from the nearest shore, Pattaya. ‘Ko Lan’ is the name of the island in the Royal Thai General System of Transcription. It is also known as ‘Koh Larn’ and ‘Ko Laan’. … About four kilometres long and two kilometres wide … It is an island of hills covered with low tropical forest. A Buddhist shrine is located at its highest point, 180 metres above sea level.” It is also called Coral Island.

The boat curved around the northernmost point of the island and headed south.

Pretty soon we were heading towards Tawaen Beach (above centre on the shore) and the ferry wharf.

Coming in to dock.

There were a few ferries, all doing the run from Pattaya to Tawaen Beach.

The passengers get off.

A view of the walkway.

Moving along the walkway.

There was a portrait of King Rama X set up prominently at the entrance.

According to a TripAdvisor review, Tawaen Beach is “very scenic. Blue water and white sand. !! It’s like a giant swimming pool. And the boat ride itself is worth it. Only the locals need to be more tourist friendly”. On the other hand, another review stated “Dirty water, overcrowded, hundreds of the speed boats and water scooters make air unbreathable and create unbearable noise. Food and services are overpriced comparing to other places in Thailand. Try going to the Monkey beach, same island.”

I bought some food from the 7-11, then suddenly had to use the bathroom. Fortunately there was one close by, though I had to pay THB 20 ($AUD 1, NTD 20).

There was another beach just to the south of Tawaen Beach.

This was more photogenic.

There were many Chinese tourists here on an organized tour. I heard snatches of Chinese.

I found a webpage, Notes on Koh Larn, one traveler’s opinion. “Koh Larn was a surprise for me. It has a nice beach and I liked the town vibe. It’s just too bad it is too small and too close to Bangkok and Pattaya. If it was anywhere else in Thailand it would probably be famous as an island with few visitors.”

Back on Tawaen wharf, watching another boat pull up.

The crew were securing the lines…

… then helping passengers on to the wharf.

This was the boat I took.

Off we go!

I got a beautiful view of Pattaya.

Getting close now.

Back to where we docked before, with the PATTAYA CITY sign in the background. I waited until all the passengers had disembarked, then tried to get over the gunwale. But I couldn’t do it! I was stuck, hanging on precariously; I could see the sea way down below my feet. Then a boatman reached up, lifted me clear, and set me down on the pier.

I walked a long way to the northern entrance to Walking Street, reflecting that it was a good thing finding the motor-sai guy before. After that it was a short songthaew ride to my hotel.

Train to Pattaya

December 13, 2025

I’m in Thailand.

Above is my view from my balcony on the 7th floor of the Krungkasem Srikrung Hotel, around 7am. The Bangkok (Hua Lamphong) railway station is on the extreme left.

Another view of the canal, the Khlong Phadung Krung Kasem. According to Wikipedia in order to serve as a new outer moat for the growing city, the canal was excavated in 1851.

The Hua Lamphong Train Station. It is the “former central passenger terminal in Bangkok and the former railway hub of Thailand. … Long distance trains moved to the new central station at Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal in 2023.” The railway station opened in 1916.

My room in the Krungkasem Srikrung Hotel, at $AUD 50 (NTD 1000) a night including a substantial breakfast.

I decided months ago to take the train from Bangkok to Pattaya.

There is a third-class train leaving at 6:55am. The distance is around 150 kilometers, but the train takes around 4 hours.

The hotel buffet opens at 6:30am, just enough for me to scoff enough food. The photo above is of a different day, where I took a leisurely breakfast of salad, red curry, fruit, and hot coffee.

I dashed across the road to the train station, passing tuk-tuks. “The humble Thai tuk tuk is an icon of Thailand … There’s something about the buzz of spinning around Bangkok in one of these open-air, three-wheeled vehicles. … Tuk Tuks are unmetered, so the key is to always agree the price of your ride before you get in. The driver will likely quote an initially overpriced fare, anticipating that you will knock him or her down to at least some degree. In general, will be a little more expensive than a taxi.”

There is a portrait of King Rama V (I checked in Google Gemini) above the entrance-way to the platforms.

The platforms. I was running late, but fortunately I snapped the above photo the day before.

I took my seat on the blue-covered benches, and soon the train was moving slowly out of the station. The photo above is of a roving vendor selling food to some passengers.

The above is a Dancing Bacon clip. where they eat snacks on a train going from Bangkok (sadly, not to Pattaya). The content creator lives in Singapore, but regularly travels to neighbouring countries, in this case Thailand, to eat.

We trundled gently though Bangkok.

This was a contrast with the shabby low-rise buildings by the side of the tracks and the smart skyscrapers in the background.

The train went through some slums (above) close to the railway line. The building with the Thai flag is a little shop; outside there is a man standing on a small path inches away from the train.

The train went through a level crossing (above).

At Khlong Tan train station.

The train passed over the Khlong Saen Saep. “Did you know that Bangkok was once known as the ‘Venice of the East’? With over 1,500 kilometers of canals crisscrossing the city, These waterways tell a story that’s often overlooked by the average visitor. … These waterways offer a unique perspective, allowing you to travel through the city and avoid traffic, while observing the communities that live along its banks.” When I lived in Bangkok I used to take the rapid canal-boat every weekday morning on my way to lectures.

The train entered the outskirts of Bangkok. The above photo is of a little restaurant by the side of the tracks.

Some people watching the train go by.

At a stop I saw some people stepping over the railway and along the path.

Now the train was in the countryside.

There were many rice-fields (above)…

…and little stations.

Now the train was close to Chachoengsao.

The terminus of the Khlong Saen Saep.

The train went over the Bang Pakong River. According to Wikipedia, there are alternate theories for the name of this river, but these solely are concerned with fishing, whether catfish, prawn, or barramundi.

The train turned southwards. The above photo is of mountains rising abruptly from the plain.

Pattaya, at last.

A view of passengers disembarking…

… and boarding a couple of red songthaews. “Songthaews are covered pickup trucks with rows of seats in the back that transport people along set routes in Thailand, and they are a common way to get around. The word ‘songthaew’ literally means ‘two rows’ in Thai. You’ll see songthaews in almost all urban areas and lots of beach areas, too. Once you know their routes and how to pay for the ride, you will likely find them to be a convenient way to reach your destination. They are popular among locals as well as travelers and typically are the cheapest kind of transportation available, except for using your own two feet.”

I didn’t catch a songthaew, instead hopping on a motosai. “One of the unique experiences in Bangkok is hopping on the back of a motorcycle taxi – called moto-sai by Thais. Motorcycle taxis are useful for short trips; you know – a distance that is too long to walk in the Bangkok heat, but too short to bother with a taxi or risk getting stuck in traffic. The moto-sai is convenient because the driver can weave in & out of traffic, unaffected by gridlock, and deliver you to your destination in a matter of minutes.” Cost was THB 100 ($AUD 5, NTD 100). The motosai dropped me across the road from the street where I was staying (above).

I walked a short distance down the street to my hotel, the Queen Victoria Inn (above). The cost is approximately again $AUD 500 (NTD 1000) per night.

There was a motorcycle cart in front of the hotel. Google Gemini says the motorcycle carts are in effect mobile kitchens on a motorbike, offering low-cost food and drink, everywhere from city streets to rural areas – an authentic slice of Thai life. 

Inside the Queen Victoria Inn. The hotel looked as if somehow transported from southern England, complete with obese older English men propping up the bar.

One word of warning – the Queen Victoria Inn is right in the heart of a red-light district; it is very blatant. Women especially should be wary of the road outside the hotel, especially at night.

At the end of the street is Pattaya Beach. Photo facing northwards…

… and southwards.

There was a tourist market, the Runway Market.

Among the stalls there was a booth selling crocodile meat. That’s part of a crocodile revolving slowly on a horizontal spit in the above photo. Apparently there is a stall selling insects, a common sight in Thailand, but I didn’t see it.

Towering over the market is a Boeing 747!

It’s quite a sight. That aircraft is massive. Jet Photos says the Boeing 747-200B was in service with CP Air, PIA and Orange Air.

There are tables under the aircraft. I ate dinner there directly under the Boeing 747.

A close-up view of the nose-wheel. My walking-stick is propped against the landing gear.

More to come.

Sydney Fish Markets

December 7, 2025

On Sunday, I made a last-minute decision to visit the Sydney Fish Markets, as part of my plan to go to sites very popular with tourists.

The itinerary is superimposed over the Google Map above. From Circular Quay, I took the ferry to Pyrmont Bay wharf; caught the light rail to the Fish Markets; then walked to the city to catch the bus home.

At Circular Quay. The previous day was a scorcher, 38 degrees, though very dry. In contrast this day was relatively cool, around 20 degrees. The clouds helped.

Passengers getting off our ferry.

Our ferry reversed giving me a look at the wharf.

There were many ferries in Circular Quay.

There is docking for cruise liners right next door.

The Sydney Opera House. I went there.

Another view of the Sydney Opera House.

The Sydney Harbour Bridge. I also commented on this.

Close-up of the north side.

Milson’s Point Wharf, with Luna Park beyond.

“Built in the 1930s, Luna Park is a harbour-side amusement park that still contains traditional midway games and rides.” (TripAdvisor)

Passengers disembarking, the Sydney Harbour Bridge in the background.

That’s Lavender Bay.

A close-up.

This is Blues Point. The previous ferry was just leaving.

That ferry crossed our bows.

Wikipedia says “Blues Point was named after Billy Blue, a convict who arrived in Sydney on the Minorca on 14 December 1801, transported for stealing a bag of sugar…. Physically imposing, he was described as a ‘strapping Jamaican Negro ‘a very Hercules in proportion’ with a bright eye and a jocular wit’…. He claimed to have served with the British Army in the American War of Independence. When he arrived in 1801 he only had two years of his sentence left and he was soon working on the harbour with boats and selling oysters. His friendly manner and humorous conversation made him popular and he became a notable local character. He married English-born convict Elizabeth Williams in 1805, and in 1807, was the only person licensed to ply a ferry across the harbour.… Governor Macquarie named him “The Old Commodore” and he ran his ferry dressed in a blue naval officers coat and top hat. His ferry service grew to a fleet of 11 vessels, and in 1817, Governor Macquarie granted Billy Blue 80 acres (320,000 m2) at what is now Blues Point.… He died in 1834 at his North Sydney home.” My ancestors knew Billy Blue.

Blues Point Reserve, on the tip of Blues Point.

Heading for Balmain East Wharf (on left), the Central Business District (known as the CBD) of Sydney on the far right.

Balmain, seen from Balmain East Wharf.

“Traditionally blue collar, Balmain was where the industrial roots of the trade unionist movement began. It has become established in Australian working-class culture and history, due to being the place where the Australian Labor Party formed in 1891 and its social history and status is of high cultural significance to both Sydney and New South Wales. … In the 21st century however, Balmain is often considered to be an affluent area. … a 2021 article on the Domain website described Balmain as a Harbourside version and cheaper version of Eastern Suburb Paddington” (Wikipedia)

Crown Sydney, the tallest building in Sydney, contains a hotel.

The same boat as in the last photo. In the distance you can see the Anzac Bridge.

Barangaroo Wharf, under the curved roof next to the ferry, dwarfed by the International Towers. Next to it is the Crown Sydney Hotel.

Passengers getting off the ferry at Barangaroo Wharf.

The Barangaroo website says “Barangaroo, the Cammeraygal woman from whom Barangaroo the place takes its name, was a considerable influence in the days of the early European colony. From the Eora language group, she was one of the Cammeraygal clan who lived in and around the north harbour and Manly. Independent and strong, she had her own way of dealing with the early settlers.”

Approaching the National Maritime Museum. The antiquated ship on the left of the above photo is actually a modern replica of the HMV Endeavour.

“The Endeavour’s voyage was the first British scientific expedition to the Pacific. … When the ship left England in 1768 under James Cook’s command, the Endeavour carried 94 people, including 71 officers and crew and 12 marines. Also on board were Joseph Banks and his party of scientists and artists, including fellow botanist Daniel Solander … They lived alongside each other for nearly three years. When the ship returned to England in 1771, the products of the voyagers’ work — maps, art, specimens, artefacts — captivated Europe’s imagination and changed scientific knowledge.” (National Museum Australia)

The National Maritime Museum says “HMAS Vampire [centre of photo], Australia’s largest museum vessel, is the last of the country’s big gun ships. After this, Australia’s fighting ships were equipped with missile weaponry. The Daring class were the largest destroyers built in Australia. Their strong, light construction combined high speed with maximum armament. Vampire served in the Royal Australian Navy from 1959 to 1986.”

I put this photo here even though chronologically I took it while walking back up on the Pyrmont Bridge.

I disembarked at Pyrmont Bay Wharf, along with most of the passengers (above).

Out the front of the museum is the Welcome Wall, officially known as the National Monument to Migration: “Today’s Australia has been shaped by migration. We’ve come from all the lands on earth to build this great country.  The museum collects the stories of migrants to Australia, and the National Monument is one of our most important and visible ways of recognising the people behind these stories. ” (National Maritime Museum)

Examples of migrants on the Welcome Wall.

I walked around the corner to the light rail stop.

The Pyrmont Bay light rail stop, on the Dulwich Hill Line. The stop is under a building. A tram is at the left of the photo, partially hidden behind some columns.

A photo of the inside of the light rail carriage.

The light rail tracks were in cuttings and tunnels the whole way to the Fish Markets. Wikipedia says “Most of the alignment of the Dulwich Hill Line had its origins as the Rozelle–Darling Harbour Goods Line. … This line was extended to Dulwich Hill via the John Street tunnel, the Glebe tunnel, and Lilyfield in 1922. …With widespread use as a freight line throughout the early 20th century, the use of containers and the decentralisation of freight terminals in Sydney to places such as Port Botany and Chullora, Darling Harbour traffic was reduced considerably. The port closed and the area was redeveloped in the 1980s.”

I got off at Fish Market light rail stop (above).

There was only a short walk to the Sydney Fish Markets, through a car park (above).

The entrance to the Sydney Fish Markets. In 1966, “Sydney Fish Market was built as a wholesale fish market, operated by the Fish Marketing Authority.  Sydney Fish Market moved from the Haymarket area of Sydney to its current location at Blackwattle Bay, Pyrmont.” The auctions were held in the early morning. By the time I visited, the auctions were over, and multitudes of tourists had arrived.

It was Sunday, so the place was very busy.

Pyrmont History Group says “Sydney Fish Market attracts more tourists than any other Sydney site except the Opera House. It is the largest market of its kind in the southern hemisphere and trades over 13,500 tonnes of seafood annually. The Authority organises the weekday wholesale auctions when 1,000 crates or 20,000 kg of seafood are sold every hour. It has also operated the Sydney Seafood School since 1989. The market accommodates six seafood retailers, and several other shops and restaurants.”

It was too crowded in the Fish Market building, so I came outside. The Fish Market was right near the water (above).

Of course, there were ibis. I’ve written about ibis before.

An ibis making a move.

There was another species of bird…

A pelican!

The Australian Museum says they are the “Australian Pelican. Scientific name: Pelecanus conspicillatus. The most characteristic feature of pelicans is the elongated bill with its massive throat pouch. The Australian Pelican’s bill is 40 cm – 50 cm long and is larger in males than females. … Pelicans mainly eat fish, but they are opportunistic feeders and eat a variety of aquatic animals including crustaceans, tadpoles and turtles. They readily accept ‘handouts’ from humans, and a number of unusual items have been recorded in their diet. During periods of starvation, pelicans have been reported capturing and eating seagulls and ducklings. The gulls are held under water and drowned before being eaten head first.”

Google AI says pelicans are ubiquitous at the Sydney Fish Market, begging for scraps and sneaking into buildings, but you don’t want to feed them as they are wild animals.

Outside the Sydney Fish Markets there is Wentworth Park (above), with an elevated light rail running across it. There are also some banners put there by Fǎlún dàfǎ (法輪大法). One of their operations is the famous dance troup Shen Yun. Wikipedia says “They are known for their opposition to the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP), espousing anti-evolutionary views, opposition to homosexuality and feminism, and rejection of modern medicine, among other views described as ‘ultra-conservative’”.

I felt hungry, but the Sydney Fish Markets were so crowded. So I walked along Pyrmont Bridge Road to Harris Street and went into a grand pub, The Dunkirk (above).

The interior of the pub: dark, a bar along one side, and overhead televisions tuned to different sports channels.

I ordered Chicken Parmigiana. Despite its Italian name it’s an Australian dish. I paid just under $AUD 30, a bit expensive.

Resuming my journey, I came across these placards memorializing old Sydney (above). My father used to work at the Government Printers office just down the road, and remembers Pyrmont as lively with the nearby port and railways.

I was going to take the light rail again, but I discovered Pyrmont Bridge (above), which is a short-cut to the city, so I took that.

On Pyrmont Bridge.

The Pyrmont History Group says “Pyrmont Bridge is one of the world’s oldest surviving electrically operated swingspan bridges. It cost £112,500 to build, and opened in 1902, replacing the first bridge (that had been carrying traffic since 1857), allowing tall vessels to access southern Darling Harbour. … Almost all previous swingspan bridges were operated by winches, steam or hydraulic power. In this case Ultimo Power House was nearby, and modified tram motors drove the swingspan. This innovation won acclaim as a marvel of modern engineering at the international conference of the Institution of Civil Engineers (London) in 1907. As container ships came to dominate trade, freight moved to Botany Bay, the railway goods yards closed and in 1981 Pyrmont Bridge closed to traffic. When Darling Harbour was redeveloped, the swingspan was restored and a monorail built. The monorail was dismantled in 2013 but the bridge still opens for demonstrations on weekends and public holidays, and whenever a tall vessel needs to pass through.”

The control cabin (above) over Pyrmont Bridge. The swingspan extended to the metal line in the foreground.

The Pyrmont History Group article mentioned a monorail; this was a station on said monorail.

The Sydney monorail was very controversial. The Dictionary of Sydney says “Apart from being considered a general eyesore and an intrusion on heritage and architectural values of the CBD streetscape, the Monorail was impractical because it didn’t actually connect with any of the major transport hubs in the city. Nor did the investment make economic sense, critics pointed out the construction of Light rail would have been $20 million cheaper to build, service more passengers per hour and cost 40% less for a ticket.”

The bus was only a short distance from Pyrmont Bridge; I didn’t have long to wait.

Bathurst, Australia

November 26, 2025

I’m back in Sydney. My 2-year visa had expired, and the Mandarin Training Center refused to give me another. However, I discovered that I can go back to Taiwan without a visa and study Chinese, though I have to depart in 90 days. I’ll be doing this for, hopefully, some years.

But for you, my audience, if you wondered if you can go to South-East Asia with me, I urge you to do it. A friend has already met me in Taipei, and another friend will be travelling with me in Cambodia in January. Come to South-East Asia with me!

My mother suggested I travel with her by train to Bathurst, where we will meet with my aunt and uncle-in-law who live there, coming back the next day. After exploring options, it turned out that we had to go the next day. My aunt encouraged us, naming two hotels that we could stay at. The first hotel was booked out, but the second (Victoria Hotel) was available. I quickly booked that and the train tickets online.

Above is the map. According to 12Go, “Travelling by train, the distance from Bathurst to Sydney is 109 miles” or 175 kilometers. Going by train takes 3 1/2 hours. First we go through Sydney to Penrith, then go up over the Blue Mountains to Lithgow, then finally go through the Western tablelands to Bathurst.

My mother and I set off from Northbridge at around 6am. The sun was just over the horizon, and the air was refreshingly cool, temperature around the high teens.

Central Station. Wikipedia said “The station is Australia’s largest and busiest railway station, and is a major transport interchange for NSW TrainLink inter-city rail services, Sydney Trains commuter rail services, Sydney Metro services, Sydney Light Rail services, bus services, and private coach transport services. The station is also known as Sydney Terminal (Platforms 1 to 12). The property was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999. … It recorded 85.4 million passenger movements in 2018 and serves over 250,000 people daily.”

A foundation stone. According to the Dictionary of Sydney, “The first stage of the new station was opened in August 1906… The position of the station at the southern end of the city and its scale made it an instant landmark, with the clock in the tower being used by surrounding neighbourhoods as well as commuters. The station remains the gateway to the Sydney and regional rail system.”

A view under Eddy Avenue, showing the stonework. The escalator to the first floor is just visible to the right.

One level up via the escalator. The entrance to Central Station is the ornate entrance-way to the right. We arrived as a tram (technically, light rail) was just departing.

“The Sydney light rail network … has four passenger routes, the L1 Dulwich Hill, L2 Randwick, L3 Kingsford and L4 Westmead & Carlingford lines. It comprises 58 stops and a system length of approximately 36.7 km (22.8 mi), making it the second largest light rail network in Australia behind the tram system in Melbourne, Victoria.” (Wikipedia)

In the station. The departures noticeboard is centre right. Wikipedia notes “The train shed roof was to be designed to have a central span of 198 ft (60 m) with two sides spans of 78 ft (24 m)…. The roof was to be continuous. This truss and roof configuration was to be based on that of the Union Station, St Louis, visited by Deane in 1894. Such a roof would have rivalled those of the major metropolitan termini in Europe and America. “

A close-up view of the departures noticeboard. Our train was scheduled to depart at 7:19am, terminating at Dubbo (lower screens, three from right).

There was a memorial to John Witton.

“Upon his arrival to Sydney and appointment as Engineer-in-Chief of NSW Railways in 1856, English railway engineer John Whitton was effectively handed the responsibility of taking a NSW rail network in its infancy and expanding it across NSW. It was Whitton who first conceived of the idea of the Eveleigh Railway Workshops in the 1870s as the centre for the construction and development of the NSW railway system. Despite constant issues with government committees throughout his 35-year career with NSW railways (1856-1890), Whitton successfully implemented several significant and fundamental elements to the expansion and improvement of the NSW rail network and administration, earning him the place in NSW rail memory as the ‘Father of NSW Railways’. Under Whitton’s tenure, the NSW rail network expanded from 37km of track in 1856, to over 3500km by his retirement in 1890. Whitton was also responsible for adoption of a uniform railway track gauge throughout NSW, conversion of locomotive fuel from wood fire to coal to reduce emissions that damaged passenger clothing and property along the rail line, construction of the Blue Mountains line and the Zig Zag Railway at Lithgow, and expansion of the NSW rail to the Queensland and Victorian borders.” (South Everleigh)

Some people sleeping in the station. Guardian Australia has an article on rough sleepers who use Central Station; they are mostly women, as its CCTV cameras and public position means the location is safer than usual.

My mother bought some coffee and snacks from the coffee stall, while I bought it from a shop in the station. She said the coffee was not bad, while mine was too bitter.

An artistic shot from the buffers. Our train, an XPT, was to the left.

From Wikipedia, “New South Wales XPT (short for eXpress Passenger Train)… Based on the British Rail-designed High Speed Train, each XPT set comprises two XP power cars in a push-pull configuration and, between them, from four to seven passenger carriages. … The XPT was procured … in March 1980. The design of the InterCity 125 was substantially modified.  … The XPTs are operated under NSW TrainLink, running on long-distance regional and interstate North Coast, Main Western and Main Southern line services throughout New South Wales and interstate into Victoria and Queensland.”

We paid $AUS 22 from Sydney to Bathurst, travelling 2nd class, and concession due to my mother’s age and my disability.

The above clip is a train trip from Sydney to Dubbo, past Bathurst. I recommend you stop viewing the clip when you get to Bathurst, about two-thirds of the way through.

Our train left on time. Here is a photo of Strathfield Station shortly after departing. I photographed the scene sitting at my seat from inside a window, hence the reflection on the glass.

The train went rumbling west, through suburb after suburb, under an immense cloudless sky.

After an hour and a half we crossed the Nepean River at Penrith. The Aboriginal name is Yandhai – I had to look it up.

The river changes its name to the Hawkesbury downstream of the confluence of the Grose River because “When the British colony was established at Sydney in 1788, the Governor, Captain Arthur Phillip, charted the coast 50 km north to the mouth of the Hawkesbury and around 32 km upstream till they were stopped by a waterfall, most likely at Hawkesbury Heights. Phillip named the river after Lord Hawkesbury. ..Meanwhile, Lieutenant Watkin Tench set off to walk inland, west of Sydney. About 60 kilometres (37 mi) inland, at the foot of the Blue Mountains, he discovered a large river which he named Nepean … It took about three years to realise that the Nepean flowed into the Hawkesbury.” (Wikipedia)

Getting close to the Sydney border. The photo was taken around Emu Plains.

According to Wikipedia, “Near Penrith, since 1971 numerous Aboriginal stone tools were found in Cranebrook Terraces gravel sediments deposited by the Nepean River 40,000 to 50,000 years ago, according to repeated, revised and corroborated radiocarbon and thermoluminescence dating. At first when these results were new they were controversial. More recently in 1987 and 2003 dating of the same sediments strata has revised and corroborated these dates”.

We could see the Blue Mountains as a barrier (above). My father told me this is the Lapstone Monocline.

“During the construction of the Great Western Railway it appeared almost impossible to construct a railway line over the Blue Mountains. It was eventually achieved by constructing a line with gradients as steep as 1 in 30 (3.33%), with curves of 8 chain (160 m) radius and the use of a zig-zag at Lapstone.” (Valley Heighs Railway Museum)

The landscape changed to thick bush (above). The trees are mostly eucalyptus, with a dense understorey.

We went through a series of cuttings (above) and tunnels.

The railway and the motorway, the Great Western Highway, runs parallel through this stretch of the Blue Mountains.

The vegetation changed as we ascended. This was taken near 1000 meters in altitude.

A fine view outside the windows. I think this was the Megalong Valley.

And this maybe is the view towards Little Hartley?

I don’t know what view this is – except it’s majestic.

Coming off the western edge of the Blue Mountains, we went through ten tunnels and numerous defiles, like the one above.

We passed through Lithgow, and the country opened up to hills and rolling plains (above). We were in the western tablelands.

Beautiful scenery in this part of the trip.

This was a photographer’s delight.

I was reminded of a painting I saw in my parents’ home in Sydney, drawing from life.

At last, Bathurst Railway Station.

A photo from outside Bathurst Railway Station.

“On 7 May 1815, Governor Macquarie at the terminus of Cox’s Road raised the flag, ordered a ceremonial volley to be fired and proclaimed and named the future town of Bathurst after the Secretary of State for War and the Colonies, Henry Bathurst, 3rd Earl Bathurst. This made Bathurst the first inland settlement in colonial Australia.” (Bathurst Region)

A plaque in Bathurst Railway Station. It reads in part, “The line from Kelso to Bathurst including the station, was officially opened by the Governor of New South Wales, Sir Hercules Robinson, on 4 April, 1876. The occasion was celebrated by the people of Bathurst with a procession, dinner, ball and children’s treat.” At that time, New South Wales was a colony of Britain, not yet a State in the future Australia.

In an open-sided pergola there was a steam train.

A grain mill next to the station.

According to the National Museum Australia, “Bathurst was initially planned as an administrative centre for government officials, soldiers and convicts stationed on the plains west of the Blue Mountains, and as a service centre for the colony’s growing pastoral enterprises. However, as news of the quality of the land spread in Sydney, pastoralists flooded inland and for the next decade a state of armed conflict existed in the region as the Wiradjuri people, led by the warrior Windradyne, resisted the loss of their lands to the settlers. The steady growth of the town was given a tremendous boost in the 1850s when gold was discovered 20 kilometres away at Ophir. The discovery began the Australian gold rushes and Bathurst prospered in the following decades. Today it is still one of the most important inland cities in New South Wales, famous for motor racing, agriculture and as the birthplace of one of Australia’s greatest prime ministers Ben Chifley.”

My mother walking towards the Victoria Hotel, just visible above her, behind the coach.

My room at the Victoria Hotel, photographed with my back against the door. The bathrooms were down the hall. My mother had an identical room. At first I considered my room only a bare step up from a prison cell, but the bed was snug, the air-con worked, the station was convenient, and it was only $AUS 87 a night. I think I would stay there again if I had to do something early in the morning.

We met my aunt and uncle-in-law, and went to their house, which is a lovely single-story terrace over a large block. This house, the wide streets, and the setting of the town, created a favourable impression on me. Bathurst has a population of around 45,000 people, but it has a university (Charles Sturt University), Mount Panorama motor racing circuit, and is a regional centre for health, as well as agriculture.

My uncle-in-law took me briefly to see Mount Panorama. On the way we passed an entrance to Charles Sturt University (above).

Then we drove under the Mount Panorama motor racing circuit. Bathurst Region stated, “It is situated on a hill with the dual official names of Mount Panorama and Wahluu and is best known as the home of the Bathurst 1000 motor race held each October, and the Bathurst 12 Hour event held each February.”

We actually went on the motor racing track!

Unfortunately, an official stopped us from going around the entire track, but I took a great photo including the marvellous view from Mount Panorama, and the caravan park in the foreground.

After spending a night in the Victoria Hotel, which wasn’t as bad as I anticipated, and spending an agreeable day with my aunt and uncle-in-law, we caught the train back to Sydney. I paid for my 2nd-class tickets, though – there was an Aboriginal man sitting a few seats away cursing almost the entire trip.

Manly, Australia

August 26, 2025

I’m in Sydney for a week, in between my MTC classes. I’ve been doing the classic tourist sightseeing in Sydney. This journey I decided to go to Manly.

I started at Circular Quay (pronounced “Key’) in the Central Business District, took a ferry to Manly Wharf on the harbour side of Manly, then walked to Manly beach.

Tuesday was a brilliant day: clear sky, a little cold in the morning (16 degrees Centigrade) but warming up to the low 20’s. It felt like spring, even though we were in the last week of winter. (A few days later, it was back to winter again, with big falls of snow in the Snowy Mountains.)

Circular Quay, the walking-only promenade next to the harbour. In the above photo the Quay actually juts out into the harbour – beneath those people is deep water. To the left, a restaurant with sky-high prices (but it’s on Circular Quay!)

A close-up of some ferries.

Another view of some ferries. Incidently, why is it called “Circular Quay”? Wikipedia says “The harbour was originally known as ‘Semi-Circular Quay’, this being the actual shape of the quay. The name was shortened for convenience.”

The Sydney Harbour Bridge. I did a post covering this.

The Sydney Fast Ferry was leaving in a few minutes. I just had time to snap a picture above.

We’re off! Well, no – this photo was taken coming back to Circular Quay after visiting Manly, but I didn’t have a photo capturing this period going out.

It’s a beautiful day, the air is fresh and clear, Sydney sparkles.

The Sydney Opera House. I did a post on this. Actually when I took this photo I was on my way back to Circular Quay.

Here is a photo when I was going out to Manly.

A fine view of the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge in bright sunlight.

Admiralty House ” is the Sydney residence of the Governor-General and one of the most historic and important residences on Sydney Harbour. The iconic property is used by the Governor-General as both a residence (when they are not at Government House, Canberra) and to host thousands of people every year … It was renamed Admiralty House in 1885 when the colonial government purchased it as a residence for the Admiral of the Royal Navy’s Australian Squadron. … Admiralty House was handed to the Commonwealth Government in October 1913 and became the official residence of the Governor-General.”

There were other people snapping photos as well.

Fort Denison. I wrote about it on this page.

A fine view of the foreshore.

Shark Island, “an attractive and picturesque island of shady trees, sandstone grottoes, grassy slopes and small sandy beaches. It gets its name from the fact that its outline is vaguely similar to that of a shark. ‘Boambilly’ was its Aboriginal name. … With views stretching towards the Harbour Bridge and the white sails of the Opera House in one direction, and over to Manly and the Heads in the other, Shark Island is quite possibly the most precious jewel in the crown of the harbour.”

The ferry turned to head north, and the headland cut off my view of Sydney.

South Head. Beyond is the Pacific Ocean, until South America.

On the other shore it’s all wild bush. Google says “Residential development has impacted a significant amount of the harbour foreshores over many years. Much of what remained was preserved partly due to the presence of military bases, and partly because of the work of conservationists … The Sydney Harbour National Park was finally gazetted in 1975 … the historically important quarantine station at Manly was added in 1984.”

The Quarantine Station. “Between the 1830s and 1984 every migrant ship entering Sydney Harbour was required to be cleared of infectious diseases before the passengers were able to land. If disease was suspected on board both the sick and the healthy were sent to the quarantine station. Some … spent only a few days there, some spent many months and others, more than 500 in all, died. They died of terrible diseases, the mere names of which conjure up images of suffering and desolation – diseases such as smallpox, bubonic plague, typhus and Spanish flu. The healthy were segregated from the sick which meant that those who died often did so alone without the comfort of family or friends. … Q Station has a reputation as the most haunted place in Sydney.”

Coming into Manly.

Almost at Manly Wharf.

Manly Wharf.

People walking off the ferry, including a cyclist

Manly Wharf is built out over the harbour (as is Circular Quay). The photo above looks down into the green murky waters.

I rushed to get on the Manly Fast Ferry so I didn’t have a photograph. Here’s one as I was leaving.

The entrance to Manly Wharf.

There are many, many clips on YouTube about the Circular Quay – Manly route, but there are not many clips that don’t show the influencers. Here is one.

Outside Manly Wharf there was quite a pretty view.

Not far away is Manly Beach (600 meters according to Google Maps) along the Corso.

This section of the Corso is partly pedestrianized. There is a huge fig (above) which spreads out above filling the road.

ManlyAustralia.com says “The Manly Corso was laid out in 1854-55 by Henry Gilbert Smith, originally built as a boardwalk for early tourists across Manly’s sand spit between the harbour pier and the beach. The Corso remains the focal point of Manly as a part-pedestrian mall lined with popular surf shops, pubs, cafes, galleries, and street entertainment. Most of this street has no vehicular traffic making it a broad pedestrian precinct for shoppers and visitors and the quickest route from the Manly Ferry to Manly Beach.”

The Vietnamese bánh mì, Sydney’s unofficial favourite meal.

The easternmost end of the Corso.

Manly Beach.

Looking to the right on Manly Beach. Those signs say “Beach Closed”, due to the heavy waves, but two female surfers are heading out regardless. In the upper left of the photo is Cabbage Tree Bay and Shelly Beach.

Looking to the left. It’s all beach to the headland, then beaches and beaches for thousands of kilometers.

I ate at a nearby hotel, full English breakfast for $AUS 35 (NTD 700). Sydney may be gorgeous, but it’s also expensive. Then I took the ferry back to Circular Quay.

For Yíyún (宜芸) from a tourist shop in Circular Quay I bought a plushy platypus, “a small amphibious Australian mammal noted for its odd combination of primitive features and special adaptations, especially the flat, almost comical bill that early observers thought was that of a duck sewn onto the body of a mammal.” I’m told that in London a preserved platypus has incisions around its bill – a scientist was trying to find the stitches.

While waiting for my bus back to Northbridge I had a quick snack at a cafe in Clarence St in the CBD. While waiting for my meal I watched as an ibis fished out a paper bag using its beak (above). An alternative name for the ibis is “bin chicken”, quite appropriate.

My meal, a chicken sandwich and a long black coffee. Total cost $AUD 20 (NTD 400), cheap for Sydney.

Datong District, Taipei

Note: I will be travelling to Thailand and Cambodia in February 2026. If you are interested in meeting there, even if only for a week or two, respond in the comments below.

August 10, 2025

Jenny is coming to Taipei.

I met Jenny 35 years ago, when we were both undergraduates at Sydney University. She is the sister of Danny, of the Pathologically Polymathic website.

She will be staying in Datong, just north of the terminus of the Airport Line (above), beyond the northern edge of the old city walls. I’ve never explored that area, so I wanted to check it out.

Above is a Google Maps plan of the area. Starting from the Airport Line gates, I planned to walk north to find Jenny’s hotel, “CHECK inn Express – Taipei Station” (雀客快捷 – 台北車站). I was interested to find a market, Jiancheng Market (建成市場) just near the hotel, so I planned to check that out. Google Maps recommended a vegetarian restaurant, 珍巧麻辣臭豆腐(素食 (no English name) which serves stinky tofu, so I wanted to eat that as well.

On Sunday I heard there was a typhoon approaching, but there’s no evidence of it. This morning there were blue skies turning cloudy, temperature in the high 20s Celsuis, increasing to low 30’s as the morning progressed, and quite humid; there would be a shower in the late afternoon.

Eating my breakfast from the 7-11 in a bus shelter outside the Qizhang MRT station (above). I ate strong Americano coffee (the closest I could come to a long black) in my reusable plastic bottle, a minced fish sandwich, and a mixed salad with nuts.

I took the MRT from Qizhang to Beimen MRT stations. Beimen means “north gate”, and nearby there’s the original North Gate still standing in a traffic circle.

From the Beimen MRT station I walked eastwards around 500 meters underground, paralleling the Taipei City Mall. I came to some check-in desks for some of the airlines at Taoyuan Airport (above). The airlines let you check in here rather than the airport.

There was a large screen showing the departure and arrival times of the aircraft.

Across the concourse there was a taxi rank, convenient for anyone emerging from the Airport Line.

Passengers arriving on the Airport Line in the basement can come up the lift or the escalators (upper far left in the photo above), pass the gates (lower far left) leading out of the Airport Line, and turn left into the Taipei City Mall (far right).

They then walk down this long corridor above, and turn left where the “Y16” arrow is.

They then walk down another passage and exit through Y16.

They cross a long corridor with shops to the Y13 exit with escalators.

Riding the escalators brings them to the Y13 exit above. The street through the windows is Taiyuan Road (太原路）.

They walk down the stairs, or in the case of someone with luggage, the sloped path.

Taiyuan Road (太原路）- the hotel is a few hundred meters away, on the left.

They walk through the colonnaded shops, cross a large intersection…

… and the hotel (above) is only a few meters along. There is a reception area by the front door. The total distance is 530 meters.

Another view of the Check-inn Express hotel, by Google Maps. The rooms look very small and there’s no attached restaurant, but it’s got good reviews, and it’s cheap – about 1350元 / $AUD68 / GPB34.

I wanted to check out Jiancheng Market (建成市場) close by. I walked the short distance to the cross-street and turned right. The market is in the centre of the photo, almost hidden.

This is the market. It’s in the narrow lane running parallel to Taiyuan Road, but the market goes quite a long way back.

A different photo showing the narrow path. Only a few shops were open. Where is everybody? I expected the market to be bustling. Google says it’s a morning market, and these photos were taken around 10:30am on a Sunday, but it’s very quiet.

The few shops that were open looked appetising, like this one…

…and this one.

I went to YouTube to find a clip of Jiancheng Market, but I found only this clip above. It’s all in Chinese. It looks like a segment of a TV show, primarily concerned with dish after dish of delicious food. Maybe readers could enlighten us further.

From the Jiancheng Market I walked along Chang’an West Road to the intersection of Chengde Road. I was looking forward to stinky tofu.

“Legend has it that a failed scholar from Anhui province invented stinky tofu by accident in Beijing. One day, the tofu vendor had some leftovers. After storing the pieces of tofu in an earthen jar, he found that they had gone bad but tasted strangely delicious. The dish caught on and even made its way into the Qing dynasty court. Over time, it spread to different corners of China. Eventually, migrants from Fujian province brought stinky tofu to Taiwan, where it remains very popular to this day. …  [One version] is the deep-fried variety. …After being fried to perfection, they’ll typically be served in a paper bowl with a splash of sauce and topped with Taiwanese pickled vegetables (mostly cabbage and a bit of carrot).”

I walked up Chengde Road, looking for Lane 77. The restaurant was number 23 in the narrow lane above, amid bars and other restaurants. Unfortunately the restaurant was closed – what a pity.

There was one interesting old building, Rixin Elementary School (in Chinese):

“Over a hundred years ago, the current site of Rixin Elementary School in Dadaocheng, Taipei, was a low-lying swampland. During the rainy season, the pond often overflowed. In 1917, the Japanese colonial government reclaimed the paddy fields and part of the swampland to create a school, named ‘Dadaocheng Second Public School.’ … In 1945, it was renamed ‘Taipei Rixin Elementary School.’” … The Red Building, the founding commemorative building of Rissin Elementary School, is constructed primarily of red brick. At the time, the school enrolled Taiwanese students. While its scale and grandeur are not as impressive as those of Jiancheng Elementary School, which primarily enrolled Japanese students, the rustic red bricks and arched corridors, set against the elegant lines of the building, imbue the school with a humanistic and classical atmosphere. … The Red Building is an irreplaceable cultural asset and historical building for [Rixin] Elementary School. Constructed of lime, sandstone, and red brick, it has been meticulously maintained, making it a rare sight among Taipei school buildings. In 1999, during the devastating 921 earthquake in Taiwan, the Red Building, a major concern for everyone, remained unscathed, a testament to its structural strength.”

By this time I was starving, so I found a Louisa cafe near Zhongshan MRT station and had lunch there, before going home.