Xi'an Day 2

Guest Blogger: Fat BF

Hi all, welcome to the 2^nd day of my Xi’an tour. After waking up, we decide to walk to the lane behind our hotel.

We have gotten Rou Mo (肉馍) and walnut drink for our breakfast. Wooh.. Good choice as our body warm up rather quickly after consuming our breakfast.

After studying Xi'an train network in the hotel, we decide to take the train to 五路口站, walk northwards to reach the train station. It’s a rather short walk of approximately 15 mins when we reach. Oh yes, along the way, there will be a lot of people asking if you’re interested to visit the Qin emperor tomb. Just ignore them and look for bus 306 (游5). You will be brought to the tomb directly. I will blog more on this at the next post.

 Upon reaching Xi’an train station, we tried to purchase the train ticket to mount Hua (华山).
Mount Hua is a sacred mount with many legend. Some of them are integrated to the Chinese belief. For me, I view it as a place to revisit some of the scenery written in the Chinese martial art novel by Louis Chia (金庸).

As we approach the counter, to my horror…I left my passport in the hotel. Shucks… no chance of getting the ticket. Never the less, both of us just decide to walk around the area. When walking along the city wall, we realise that it’s actually open for tourist and the entrance is pretty near the train station.

Fat bf @ City Wall

Ticket office

Ticket ( RMB54 each

Battlement Flag which signifies the North

XuanWu = Chinese mystical creature  

During the trip, we learn several facts about the city wall.

1  1)  It was built in the Ming dynasty and not the tang dynasty.

2  2)  It’s 13km+ in total length

3  3)    Last repair was done in the Qing dynasty. 

Directions

Shhhh

If you appreciate military history, you will appreciate this trip. During the trip, we went into the arrow tower and were shown around by the keeper. Pretty thick local slang so don’t really know what he was saying but from what we understand, it seems like the arrow tower was used as a storage to store some of the artefacts before it was moved to the museum.

After this, we decide to go for our lunch and decide to have the local Liang Pi (凉皮)-literally "cold skin") is a noodle-like Chinese dish made from wheat or rice flour-Origin from China Shannxi Province.

My advice.. don’t try this if you can’t take spicy food and yes, they do use a lot of chill oil for this dish.

After lunch, we decide to rest a bit in the hotel before proceeding to 小雁塔. Again, our choice of transport is the local train. We got off at 南梢门 and make our way to Small Wild Goose Pagoda (小雁塔). Think you will be pleasantly surprised to know that they do offer free ticket for visitor when you present your passport. Small Wild Goose Pagoda was a major landmark for Chinese Buddhism as a large number of Buddhism scripture were translated in this temple. 

Small Wild Goose Pagoda (小雁塔) 
 View from the top, next to Xi'an museum.

On the way up to the top

 After the tower, we went to the museum next to it and it’s the 1^st time I drink wine in the museum as I’m having faint spell inside.. haha..                

Fooling around injecting some fun in this trip=P

Xian museum   -rhino by some artist. Looks cute huh??

Imperial Tang City layout

From the museum, it’s pretty interesting to know that several Japanese city follow tang method of city design with their city design like a chess board. Some of the cities includes, Heijokyo(today's Nara) and later Heian-kyo or Kyoto, modelled after Chang'an in a more modest scale yet was never fortified.[9] The modern Kyoto still retains some characteristics of Sui-Tang Chang'an. Similarly, the Korean Silla dynasty modelled their capital of Gyeongju after the Chinese capital. Sanggyeong, one of the five capitals of the state of Balhae, was also laid out like Chang'an (Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chang'an)

Of course, after a long day of walking, we decide to reward ourself with a good dinner.. along the way back, we notice the peking duck restaurant.

Review: there are some difference between the northern and southern Chinese diet. For example, southern Chinese would expect some rice to go along their dinner but not the northern Chinese. Thus, because of this, some message are being lost in the translation

•   Order soup – Since it’s such a cold evening, we decide to warm ourself by ordering soup.. when it arrives, we were stun as it’s such a large bowl.
• Peking duck – after extracting all the meat, they will ask if you would like to make a soup out of the remaining. Since we have ordered soup before hand, we decide not to. Thus, after some recommendation from the waitress, we decide to have duck frame stir fried with cumin. A must try when your in xi’an.

Throughout our trip, most of the food will include cumin (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cumin) as part of the spice. Some how, it will add an exotic taste to the food especially to meat. As for me, I nick name it as the MAGIC POWDER as it has the magical property of transforming the usual cut into something magical... haha… =D

Till Next Time for the rest of Xi'an travelogy =D

Do check out the Day 1 Xi'an here =D

Malacca, Malaysia (5 Apr'14- 7 Apr'14)

Long absence from my blogosphere.. well since this blog is more of travel & food entries, have to try to insert some travel stories.

Fat bf has been "pestering" me to go Malacca for the longest time as its near to SG & good for a short weekend getaway. Well, since we have not been going for our twosome trip, so start with a short trip =P

Initially, we wanted to go a Self-Drive to Malacca but car is not in an optimal condition hence a weekend prior the trip, we headed to Boon Lay Shopping center ( the very old branch) to get our coach tickets.

So, we booked with Grassland which costs $60/pax for a Super VIP coach that seats around 20+ people which is awesome as we can adjust the seats to a low inclination for rest without annoying the passengers behind us=P

Waiting at the Coach Pick Up point=P

Coach tic-Taken while the coach is on the move. hence a bit blur.

Inside Hatten Hotel- Nice Coach

The Refreshment area

Really love the Clean Toilet

Hatten Hotel- Highly Recommended!
Well connected to 3 malls- Best to go back hotel on and off while we felt tired.
Best to offload shopping bags too=P

Too Hungry hence went Mahkota to have a quick Lunch

My fried seafood udon - Salty & small serving

Fat bf's cold soba.. serving size pathetically small.
Fat bf did not eat to his fill, haa

Mackerel.. I dun feel it nice at all
The one that serves at West Coast Fish Mart is very good =D

 After the quick lunch, we headed to Jonker street.
Its like forever hot and scorchy hence we bought a "egg looking " popsicle (RM$3).
Sour plum flavour is nice
Anyway, we saw alot of people holding to this "egg" popsicle

Chendol.. yah.. another hot favourite food item in Malacca,
Fat bf has been harping on his Chendol as its up to individual to top up the Gula Melaka (Sweet Palm Sugar)
After adding the liquefied palm sugar, I feel the whole chendol has more "burnt" taste though it smells very nice.
Anyway, we ate this at Bibik House which Fat bf went before.

Adding more liquidfied Gula Melaka into Chendol

Jonker Street is too hot, after a quick exploration
Too hot to drag myself to lug food stuff from San Shu Gong for the local Snack Delicacy.. hence only got the cold drinks and left for the shopping malls

I must pay great credit to Hatten hotel for its marvellous Strategic location as moving from any one the 3 malls, we were able to navigate ourselves very easily back to our room for a good rest =P

Fat bf  feels high!! Taken on the way from Jonker to Shopping mall

After a good rest back at our room , we headed out around 7pm for dinner.
Walked around Mahkota just because of Nadeje's  Mille Crepe cakes=P
Hence, dropped by Nano's Chicken for our dinner =P

Soup with garlic bread=> Nice

Half Chicken for myself

Fat bf's order=> Can rem -> some chicken top up with Spicy rice & Coleslaw
Never like the spicy rice as the spice taste is too strong, killing the expected "fragrance" that we should be having

Over-eat for Dinner and hence can only take away
The highly Raved Crepe cake

Bought Strawberry Crepe cake @ RM$6.90 - it tastes marvellous.
If not for the full stomach, I will like to have a few slices there =P
Anyway, love their kind gesture to include a small ice pack in the cake box to better preserve the freshness of the cake.

Loots on Day1: Popcorn from Planet Popcorn also from Mahkota Parade Mall
And some spices

 Day 1 ended with food that is not authentically Malaaca , maybe except for the Chendol @ Joker Street in the day=P

Day 2: Visit the historical remains and Refusing to walk back to Jonker because of the unbearable heat=P
Let the pictures do the historical quick tour=P

Me with fat bf..

Making fat bgf to do the jump pose but fail as my phone camera's shutter speed was way too slow-hence gave up at 3rd try.. haha

Oh yah.. the breakfast buffet spread at Hatten Hotel is super wide and ate far too much for the Breakfast that we were full till 3PM to finally eat something authentic, that is, Peranakan Food
Alot of people may comment its not going Malacca if one do not try their Peranakan food =P

We dropped by Nonya Suan as it looks good , address as stated below

Nice crackers, where I can eat non -stop=P

We have the Pedai with prawns. Im not a Pedai person but still went along with it
Verdict: Surprisingly good  and it encourages me to try Pedai again=D

Chap Chai-->Nicely done=D

Chicken Curry with Keluwak
This dish is awesome, spicy and sour and fragrant at the same time.
Very Appetising

If you are wondering what is Keluwak, its the black fruit in the picture
A clear image of the poisonous black fruit if did not handle with care before cooking

Bought Ochado from Mahkota-
Lime juice with Sour plum =P
Cold & refreshing at the same time

Back to hotel for a rest before Dinner time
Took the pictures from our hotel room view while fat bf was napping away












After Fat bf woke up from his slumber land around 730pm, we walked to Jonker Street
Oh well, Jonker Street in the evening is really a different feel from its daytime=P

Its also cooler in the evening and more mobile stall sprouted out along the street as car traffic is not allowed to be in the vicinity
This makes sense as this provides more space for these mobile vendors to sell their food and more gluttons like us to have better choice to try too =D 2ndly, its also safer for the people over there, be it, eating or shopping

Our 1st Dinner stop: Chicken rice in ball form=> A must have in Malacca
Its a challenge to find this gem in Singapore ( or rather I should say, its hard to find as there are very few)

At some random Chicken rice stall- Did not go to the very famous one
Read a lot of review its only so-so
Well, for this stall, I only like the rice balls and not the chicken itself

Cold and a bit "bloody"

Taste So-so

Nice chicken balls with 5 balls as the minimum ordering size
We ordered 5 to share=P

Well, poor bf had  a bad stomach on the 2nd day hence soon after the 1st stop, he had to run for loo

Hence, leaving me roaming around a bit to look for more food hunt

Had a "Dim Sum take away where you can randomly choose 5 pieces of different dim sum and just pay for RM$3 which is super cheap

Fat bf took one and I ate the remaining 4.

My verdict,: Am cheated by the appearance , it taste very normal, wasted my stomach space 

Especially that fat bf cant help to eat much

As fat bf was worried he may have the runs again hence we walked back to the shopping mall

Lucky that we left earlier as we felt light drizzle soon after that

Remember that Hatten is super conveniently linked from the malls

Getting back without getting drench in the rain is such a blessing

Great choice for a hotel like this=D

3rd day: Last day in Malacca

Frankly speaking nothing much to do to while our time away

We chanced upon a archery place

Since we have loads of time and fat bf never try archery before, we went ahead with the game

Fat bf is super excited with his 1st time trial

Obvious with that happy look from his face =P

Aim & shoot

Still full from morning breakfast at Hatten
Hence shared a plate of fried rice from Station Cafe
Nice and yummy & cheap =D

K, got to log off soon.
Its 2:32am in Singapore now
Long weekend, cant bear to waste time like this=D

Hence best time & mood to blog

Till next time =D