130812 Reno Tahoe

An unexpected last-minute change in my work schedule offered my wife and me an opportunity to extend our visit to Reno, Nevada, and Lake Tahoe.  In the beginning, we planned to spend only a couple of days there.  But then the entire week became available.

Reno, NV, is a small town about 4-hour by car from San Francisco, CA.  At its center is the Wingfield Park, saddling the Truckee River, and surrounded by nice shops and restaurants.

Wingfield Park at center of Reno, NV.

Several resort-casinos are distributed through out the area, instead of being concentrated along a street like in Las Vegas, its bigger sister city.  So the atmosphere here is more mellow.  To us, the main attraction of this region is Lake Tahoe, which is about 1-hour drive to the south of Reno.

Lake Tahoe itself is so beautiful, with its many shades of blue depending on depth.  Its most famous cove , in our mind, is Emerald Bay.  With the perfect weather during our visit, we enjoyed its many other locations and beaches.  And there are so many ways to enjoy this beautiful lake.

Emerald Bay of Lake Tahoe, CA.

On our last full day at Lake Tahoe, we took a sunset dinner cruise on one of the many steamboats.  The meal was served buffet style, and there was live music on board.  The boat captain narrated the history of Lake Tahoe as well as pointed out interesting features such as the Vikingsholm.  Good food, nice music, beautiful scenery, great conversation with my sweetheart.  

Lake Tahoe from paddle steamer Tahoe Queen.

Vikingsholm in Emerald Bay at Lake Tahoe, CA.

Lake Tahoe at sunset.

We thoroughly enjoyed out time in Reno, NV, and at Lake Tahoe, especially the romantic dinner cruise.  The majority of pictures taken during this trip are personal, but those which are shareable can be viewed at https://picasaweb.google.com/108013863525571472697/130812RenoTahoe?noredirect=1#.

Hopefully, you like this little story of our time in Reno, NV, and at Lake Tahoe.  I invite you to critique and comment.  Your visit is appreciated.  Thank you.

Enjoy,
Paul

130628 Kuala Lumpur

My colleagues in the Singapore office gave me an amazing chance to visit Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, at the end of June 2013.  This business trip meant I had to work on the 4th of July - Independence Day of the United States.  But I did not mind at all.  I was appreciative and excited to receive such an opportunity.

My journey from Phoenix to Kuala Lumpur went through Los Angeles and Taipei.  The 3-hour layover in the capital of Taiwan, while not enough to go outside of the airport, afforded me time to stretch after a long trans-Pacific flight and to sample local products on sale at many shops in the terminal building.

Gate at Taipei International Airport with the theme of Hello Kitty.

The capital of Malaysia welcomed me with warm tropical weather.  After a restful night sleep, I met up with my Malay colleagues and visited our customer.  After a quick lunch, our customer introduced me to the Masjid Putra, a magnificent Mosque.  I immediately took note of its location so I could return to photograph it another day.  One of the greeters at the Mosque was enthusiastic in explaining the Muslim faith to me.  My questions laid bare my ignorance of this subject, yet he was very patient in answering them.

After work, my colleague introduced me to the Central Market of Kuala Lumpur, and its street food which was very delicious. I was impressed by the diversity of people of various faiths and ethnics co-mingling and interacting with one another.  The surrounding neighborhood had interesting and colorful buildings with architecture dating back to the colonial time.

Central Market of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Colorful buildings at the Central Market of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Street food for dinner. Chicken rice in clay pot. Very tasty and delicious.

Street food vendor near the Central Market in Kuala Lumpur.

As usual, the week was spent at work with the customer, who was very gracious in providing lunches entirely composed of delectable Malay dishes.  Then my Malay colleagues introduced me to more appetizing local cuisine for dinners.  All dished were exquisitely prepared with the freshest ingredients.  As I indulged, I resigned to my inevitable weight gain.

One evening, my Malay associates took me to the Petronas Towers, the iconic twin skyscrapers of Kuala Lumpur.  At their base is the Kuala Lumpur City Center, also known as KLCC, a very nice shopping mall.  In the outside courtyard is a colorful water fountain, set to music, which entertains guests nightly.

Rooftop of the mall at the Kuala Lumpur City Center.

The fountains at the Kuala Lumpur City Center entertain visitors every night with colorful water show set to music.

Menara Berkembar Petronas (Petronas Twin Towers), the iconic buildings of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The majority of my time in the capital city of Malaysia was taken up by work.  My interactions with Malay people left me impressed with their gentleness, the strength of their faith and their curiosity about other cultures and beliefs.

Before leaving Kuala Lumpur, I took a bit of time to explore.  I began with a tour of the Petronas Towers, which included a walk across the sky bridge in between the two skyscrapers and a visit to a room at the top of one of these skyscrapers.

Masjid Negara: the National Mosque of Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur.

Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad: A corner of the main train station of Kuala Lumpur

A view from the sky bridge between the Menara Berkembar Petronas (Petronas Twin Towers) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

My last evening in Kuala Lumpur, I asked a taxi driver to take me to the Majid Putra.  We agreed on a fare.  He became excited when he learned that my goal was to photograph this majestic Mosque at sunset.  Without additional charge, he offered to drive me to various locations in Putrajaya, the administrative center of Malaysia, filled with many grand buildings, bridges and parks.  By the time we arrived at the Masjid Putra, there was no sunlight left.  I should have insisted on going directly to this Mosque first.  But I did appreciate the driver's enthusiasm in wanting to show me the very best of Kuala Lumpur.

Masjid (Mosque) Putra & the office of the Prime Minister of Malaysia.

Seri Wawasan Bridge.
A color-changing bridge in the Putrajaya area of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The next morning, instead of taking a taxi to the airport as usual, I decided to try the train from the main station.  The train to the airport was very modern and comfortable.  The rest of my trip home was uneventful.

A few more pictures of my journey to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, can be seen at https://picasaweb.google.com/108013863525571472697/130628KualaLumpur.

And as always, I solicit your critique and comments on this blog and these pictures in my continuing effort to improve my skills.  Thank you for visiting.

Enjoy,
Paul

130615 Dresden

The hard work of my colleagues resulted in another chance for me to return to the beautiful city of Dresden, Germany.  This time, my visit was barely one week after a devastating flood.  So it was with some uneasiness that I landed in this charming city.  Luckily, the weather Dresden greeted me with was wonderful.

The citizens of Dresden learned from past calamities and dealt with this year's flood well.  Very few damages were visible by the time I was there.  Much, if not all, of the city was cleaned up and back to normal.  Flocks of tourists had returned and were enjoying the city's many sites and delicious cuisines.  A few restaurants around the iconic Dresden Frauenkirche had bands playing catchy tunes to the delights of customers.

Double-deck horse-drawn carriage in Dresden, Germany.

Charming street performer in Dresden, Germany.

The iconic Dresdner Frauenkirche.

View of Dresden from the top of the dome of the Dresdner Frauenkirche.

Delicious "Black" beer @ restaurant in central Dresden.

Most of my week in Dresden was spent at work.  Before I flew home, I took the chance to visit Königstein.  It is a small town about 35 km (20 miles) southeast of Dresden, with an impressive fortress at the top of a nearby hill, which was never been conquered.  The train to Königstein ran much slower than I remembered from past trips, possibly because of concerns for the softness of the grounds underneath the tracks.

The damages of the flood were still visible in the town of Königstein.  Around the main square, shops, restaurants and offices were closed for repair.  But the Festung (Fortress) Königstein was open to visitors. 

The "train" taking tourists to the Festung Königstein.

Barracks at the top of the Festung Königstein.

Festung Königstein overlooking the Elbe river.

More pictures of my wonderful week in Dresden, Germany, can be viewed at https://picasaweb.google.com/108013863525571472697/130615Dresden.  And as always, I thank you for visiting and appreciate any critique and comment you care to make about my pictures or blogs.

Enjoy.
Paul