Jiuzhaigou Valley 九寨溝 (2) --- 5-color lake

Five-color lake

The local people believe that
the 5-color lake is a spiritual lake.
Trees and plants flourish at the
vicinity of the lake

The lake is names the five-color lake because of the different colors of the water in the lake.

A long bridge with a roof is built adjoining the lake and the peacock river. The surface of the lake resembles the tail of a peacock while the meandering river is like the neck of the bird; three old trees in that area are like the sprouting growth on the head of a peacock.

The view of the whole of the lake from higher ground is like a peacock spreading its colorful tail and that is the reason the adjoining river is named the peacock river.

Mirror like shadow

The bridge adjoining the lake and the
peacock river

Crystal clear water surface

Another view of the bridge

A closer view of the bridge

The other edge of the lake

View from higher ground

One of the many local newly wed couples
taking photo shots at the scenic spot

Multi-color

Fairy-land

Jiuzhaigou Valley 九寨沟 (1) --- Arrow Bamboo Lake

The surrounding mountains covered by mist
seen from the car park at the entrance
of the valley

Snow-capped mountain covered by mist

Jiuzhaigou in mandarin means the valley with nine settlements or villages.

Jiuzhaigou is a valley situated in the Minshan mountain range. It is in the North Eastern part of the Tibetan plateau.

The ancient name of Jiuzhaigou was ' Turquoise Sea ' due to the colour of the water in the lakes which is caused by the different types of minerals in this region.

The four things which Jiuzhaigou has in abundance are (i) mountains (ii) lakes and waterfalls
(iii) plants and animals and (iv) different types of minerals and soil.

The month of October is autumn and it is the time where the scenery in the valley is most beautiful. The leaves of trees begin to turn yellow, golden yellow and then red.

Images of the mountains
reflected in the crystal clear
water in the lake

Colour of leaves turning
yellow

Water weeds grow on the surface
of the lake

Wild duck



A bridge at the far end
linking different sections
of the lake

Dali, China 大理

We posed in front of the
entrance to the old city of
Dali with the local tourist guide

The first time i heard of the Kingdom of Dali was from the set of ancient warriors story books ' Tien Long Ba Poh '. The Kingdom of Dali was a small kingdom in South West of China in the present province of Yunnan during the period of Tang and Sung dynasty. Buddhism was the main religion of the small kingdom. Several emperors of the kingdom sacrificed their right to the throne and devoted their time in the Buddhist monastery.

Dali today is one of the popular tourist destinations in the province of Yunnan. It is a few hours bus journey from Kunming, the capital of Yunnan. The inhabitants of the city are mainly the minority tribes, Bai, Yi and Hui.

Dali ancient city

Lookout tower of the city

Stream of tourists in and out
of the ancient city

Tunnel like entrance

Entering the ancient city

Local gold smith

All sorts of tea leaves

Good riddance

On the Wednesday night when Manchester United thrashed AC Milan 4 - 0 and Real Madrid was knocked out of the Champions League by Lyon, those who predicted Man Utd would have been reduced to a mediocre side as a result of the transfer of Cristiano Ronaldo from Old Traford to the Bernabeu would have to reassess their believes. In fact, the departure of Ronaldo has given more space for the development of the other youngsters in the team. Nani for one has benefited from the extra focus given to him and he flourishes this season though he is still not as consistent as the manager would wish. The arrival of Antonio Valencia at a meagre chip from the 80 million pounds derived from the offload of Ronaldo has enriched the club with a half polished raw gem and this gem has started to glitter more as the season moves on. Many have felt that Wayne Ronnie would have eventually evolved into an all-round footballer that he is today but there is no denying that the departure of Ronaldo has given him more room to execute his basic instinct of scoring. He was too often shifted from his centre role to accommodate Ronaldo. The 30 goals he scored to date this season is testimony that he has almost realised his full potential and no one would bet against it that he will reach the 42-goal record set by Ronaldo himself. At the end of the season we might just see Wayne Ronny and company hoisting the Champions League trophy at the Bernabeu.

Kuwait

A shopping mall

Last October we took on a trip to Kuwait, the most unlikely destination to visit a year before. never in my wildest dream i would have embarked on such a journey. But it was a trip i would not have traded for any other. We were there to visit my grand children, my elder daughter and son-in-law who are residing there due to work.

Kuwait was the country under siege and attack during the Gulf war. Once a war torn city state, Kuwait had nothing to offer except its richness in oil reserve. The country was rebuilt after the war and it can now boast of the adequate modern infrastructure linking all the short-distance-away cities. Multiple lanes motorways are a common feature of this modern desert city state. Modern shopping malls with most popular international brands available are common sights in each city.

its currency, the Kuwaiti dinar, is probably the highest valued denomination compared to equivalent basic currency denomination of any other country. At the time we visited the country, one Kuwaiti dinar was worth RM 12. As it is a rich oil state, cost of living is naturally high.

Kuwait has a small population of around 3.5 million people of which more than half are non-nationals.Foreign expatriates and foreign workers are essential for sustaining the various fields of work and activity. Most locals are rich enough not to be involved in any real form of work.

The interior of the shopping mall

Pool side restaurant at the shopping mall

Second hand treasure aplenty
at the fleece market

Inside a Kuwaiti restaurant

The Kuwait towers

Entrance to a shopping mall

Sea side