Walks: Macquarie Light to Hornby Lighthouse

My main purpose of this blog is to share to you the beauty of Sydney and surrounds. And that if you live (or visiting) in this city you don't have to spend much to enjoy and experience the sights. One of those is taking walks... more popular ones are coastal walks... but I'm more for a leisurely, scenic walks. There are many walks that you can do here in Sydney. Here is one... 

☛ By car: drive to Macquarie Light, in Vaucluse. Then drive to Watsons Bay, where you can park your car for free and start the walk to Hornby Lighthouse. You can actually park your car at Macquarie Light and start the walk there but it would be quite daunting to walk back to your car after when the sun is high or when you finish late. Besides, its more fun to hang around Watsons Bay with the thought that your car is just parked nearby, right?

By commute: take the train and get off at Edgecliff. Then walk to Edgecliff bus interchange and look for the 324(City to Watsons Bay) bus bay. Board the 324 bus and get off at the stop near the lighthouse(you can ask the bus driver).. then walk towards the lighthouse. 

Ferry can also take you to Watsons Bay via Circular Quay. 

                                   

            Macquarie Light - Australia's first lighthouse, began operating November 1818

                              

☛ ...follow the walking track towards Gap Park

                                        Don Ritchie - a man known to have saved many people contemplating suicide(jumping off the cliff) 

                                                               by talking to them. 

                                       The Gap - popular not only as a tourist attraction but for many suicides attempts, as well. 

☛ ...walk towards Robertson Park.. to Watsons Bay

 ☛ ...walk towards the end of this paved walk path, follow the small walkway(in between a house & an old building) to Cove St., turn left and walk straight, turn right to Victoria St., turn left to Cliff St., and you will be at Camp Cove Beach.. (Or you can walk along Cliff St from Robertson Park)

                                   

 ☛ ...then walk up the wooden steps...follow the walk path..

       

a nudist beach

a nice view of Sydney CBD

                        

 

lighthouse keeper's lodge

Hornby Lighthouse, active since 1858... you might get lucky to see whales 

in this area during migration season..

✓ the walk takes at least an hour, depending on your pace. For sure you would want to take in the sceneries,  hence, the many photos :D

✓  there are steps/stairs and minor steep sections in this walk that are not suitable for prams and wheelchairs

✓ bring along a bottle of drinking water, you might need a drink or two.

✓ food? you can pack a picnic basket, sandwiches etc. otherwise there is a number     restaurants for you to dine in.. or just buy take-away fish & chips and eat at the park.

✓ last ferry service to Circular Quay is at 6pm(I'm not really sure).. but no worries because there are still buses going to the City.. be sure to check timetables. 

❤︎ hang around for sunset if you can.. the view of the sun setting over Sydney CBD is stunning!

sunset from Watsons Bay 

                                                

                     

                            

Travels: Seoul, South Korea

As I am writing this, my husband and I are back in Sydney from a 3-week holiday to the Philippines and Korea. This is our first visit to Seoul, South Korea, also the first time travelling with three of our college friends/housemates(we used to live together in one apartment). It was so nice to take this trip and catch up with them again, like a mini reunion. Months before this trip, I already did a few research online on the places best to pay a visit to, the food to try, etc. I also made reference to my friend's itinerary when they went to Seoul last April. And our friend, Neyna, also prepared our itinerary. Itinerary/planning ahead saves time, thus, making the most of the holiday. Not included in the plan, though, was the particular places to eat. We took it as part of the adventure. So here goes our Seoul adventure...

19 October 2015 From Manila, we arrived at Incheon International Airport at around 9pm, exchanged   currencies(about 2-day budget since exchange rates at airports are usually low, Myeongdong rates were higher), then immediately looked for a taxi to bring us to Hyundai Residences, our home for the next five days. Taking the train or bus was not an option since our hotel is a 10-15 minute walk from the nearest station (not a good idea when you're dragging along heavy luggages :D).. Since there were 5 of us, it was economical for us to take an avanza rather than take 2 regular size taxis.  We were introduced to a taxi/avanza driver named Mr. Kang, at ₩95,000, he gladly drove us to the hotel. It was roughly about 45-min drive(without traffic) from airport to hotel. And at the same price, he who also agreed to drive us back to the airport after 5 days.  We thought it was a fair deal for didn't have to worry about our ride to the airport anymore. 

                                                                    (at Incheon airport)

Late dinner, consisted of cup noodles & some packed meals from 7eleven next to the hotel, was not that bad actually. Banana milk drink & gimbap were my favourite. Then it was time to hit the sack and recharge for the next day's start of the adventure.                           

20 October 2015 We left the hotel at around 9am, just after breakfast at Steiff Cafe..We head out to Changdeokgung Palace and joined in the Huwon(Secret Garden) tour, which lasted more than an hour. Taking so many photos, we basically were left behind by the group and we would just catch up on them.

For lunch, we asked the locals as to where the nearest restaurants are. Then our tired feet and hungry tummy directed us to Yongsusan, Biwon Branch.  We didn't have any idea about this resto since we didn't have mobile internet. The place looks so fancy & classy to us, though. The food was amazingly delicious! We didn't even thought of taking a sexy food photo :) It was the most expensive meal we had in this entire trip @ ₩81,000 but it was totally worth it!

 impatiently waiting for our lunch :)

Next stop of the day was N Seoul Tower. I think the best time to be here is right before sunset so that you can get a panoramic view of Seoul and observe how the city below slowly transforms from day to night. What really draws the crowd up here are the lovelocks, aside from the view of course.

We took Namsan Oreumi, a free outdoor inclined elevator, to & from Namsan Cable Car. From here, it's just about 10-15 minute walk to Myeongdong.

Last stop of the day was Myeongdong shopping strip for a little bit of cosmetics shopping and dinner.

 busy shopping strip of Myeongdong

bibimbap for dinner

21 October 2015 a day of full fun at Everland! I was, personally, a little skeptical about Everland because i thought it would just be like another theme park. I was proven wrong. The place was huge! Our eyes feasted on all of the halloween displays and autumn colours, the gardens, the different architectural replicas, taking no notice of the thrill rides at all. Ahh well, except for the steep slope of the roller coaster and that other crazy swinging 360 degree ride. You just can't help but stare & wonder if i'll ever get the courage to ride one. We enjoyed watching the parade too. And yeah, special thanks to the lady at the ticket booth for giving us 50% discount on entrance fee. She had a soft spot for Filipinos(I'm guessing).. 

 

In getting there: from Gangnam station we took the 5002 bus then boarded the Everland free shuttle bus. 

In going back: we took the train(Jeondae-Everland Station) for there were no buses anymore. It was quite a long ride with  a couple of transfers that got us to Hoehyeon Station(Namdaemun Market) for we planned to do a little bit of market shopping but unfortunately shops close at 7pm (we got there past 10pm). Special thank you to the train staff who helped us with directions.

22 October 2015 Gyeongbokgung Royal Palace we agreed not to enter the palace, instead, we just waited for the scheduled changing of the guards. Killed time by taking photos, people watching and doing silly time-lapses..

...then took a stroll towards Gwanghwamun Square

...then to Cheonggye Plaza, the starting point of the Cheonggyecheon Stream. It's so amazing to see the transformation of this stream from what used to be a concrete elevated highway. 

...had lunch at the nearby Tom N Tom's Cafe

...then took a taxi to Bukchon Hanok Village (Korean traditional houses) but it is still being used as a residential area so as courtesy to the occupants we have to walk around in minimal noise. 

...then took a taxi to Namdaemun Market for a bit of night market shopping, though not much because it was nearly closing time.

23 October 2015 Nami Island is spectacular during Autumn. It is when every leaf becomes a flower(i think i've read that somewhere).. with a slightly cool breeze it became even more mesmerising for us who grew up in the tropical & humid part of the world.

one last mouthful

selfie by Tina (with us doing our silly time-lapse dance)

In getting there: we had quite a bad luck because the initial plan was to take a tour bus at Insadong but it was already fully booked. We didn't realise that there was a reservation. And it was just that one bus that goes to Nami port. So pressed with time, we took a taxi to Sangbong Train Station.. then get off at Gapyeong Station.. then took a taxi to Nami port..then board the ferry to Nami Island.

In going back: we queued for a taxi at Nami port(in front of 7eleven) to Gapyeong Station.. then boarded an express train (it just took 3 stops) & we got off at Cheongnyangni Station & we transferred to Line 1(purple line) back to Jonggak Station where we had samgyeopsal for dinner. (Sorry, Self Bar, we kept looking for you but we can't find you. Apparently, it was closed down).

24 October 2015 Flight back to Manila was at 9pm.. Pick up time by Mr. Kang (the taxi driver) was at 5pm.. so we still had basically the whole day to spare to do some shopping for pasalubong(gifts) and side trips..Hubby & i went to visit Myeongdong Cathedral, Myeongdong shopping strip & Namdaemun markets.. while the three ladies went to Han River and Namdaemun Markets as well.

Myeongdong Cathedral

All-in-all it was a fun-filled, light, easy, no-dramas kind of short holiday with friends. The food! Yes, I'm going to miss the food! We have many Korean restaurants here in Sydney but nothing beats eating Korean food in Korea. And we we're blessed with good weather during the five days that we were there. I really hope that we'd get the chance to do it again in another country.. soon!

A few things i took from this trip that are surely applicable in future [trips]:
1. have an itinerary...be flexible..have other options (ask from friends who have been there)
2. do the research..there are so many references nowadays like what you find in the internet, blogs, youtube etc     
3. when travelling to non-English speaking country, be sure to ask the hotel reception to write down the name, address and 
    contact number of the hotel in the local language so that it would be easier to get home when taking a taxi 
4. don't be scared to ask the locals (but just be mindful, double check, coz they might point you to the wrong direction)
5. have a medical kit for headache, upset stomach, nausea etc.. (coz for this trip i didn't bring one)
6. don't stray too far from your budget (i know its tempting but do you really need to buy more stuff that may not need once
     you get home?)
7. when travelling in a group, have a common fund, for common expenses like food and fares.. splitting bill is boring and
      oftentimes a bit of a hassle
8. Maps do come in handy (train maps, city maps etc).. don't rely too much on the internet(what if you go offline or you've 
    come to a blind spot?)

Seoul train map..though an old copy but still very useful

prepaid ticket & refund ticket machines

at Lotte mart, there is an area for diy boxing your groceries free of charge

Cooks: Paksiw na Salmon (Salmon in Tamarind Base Soup)

I have been getting a few heartwarming compliments about this recipe. Even kids love it! Living abroad, I always miss Filipino home cooked dishes (lutong-bahay goodness, hmmm!). This recipe is one of my comfort foods. So I thought why not share it to through blog :).. This was first posted on our Facebook page Simpleng Pinoy_Sydney. I hope that you can get the same response as I always do. :D

What you need:
1 kg Salmon chunk, cut in quarters
1 Salmon head, cut in half
1 whole garlic, crushed
1 medium onion, sliced
a knob of ginger, sliced
1 tsp ground black pepper
2 medium size eggplant, sliced
8 pcs okra(ladies' fingers), ends trimmed
1 small ampalaya(bitter melon), sliced
4 siling haba(green chilli) or 1 green capsicum (sliced)
Salt or Patis(fish sauce) to taste
1 sachet Knorr Tamarind Soup Base, dissolved in 2 cups of
water (you may not use the whole contents of the
sachet, adjust the portion according to your taste)  

How to cook:
1. In a large cooking pot, put onions, garlic & ginger evenly at the bottom.
2. Put in the salmon.
3. Add the ground black pepper & asin/patis (according to desired taste).
4. Pour in the dissolved tamarind soup base.
5. Cover the pot. Under medium heat, cook for about 10-12 minutes or until the salmon is cooked.
6. Add in all the vegetables. Cover until cooked and the liquid is reduced.
--- Serve! Share! Enjoy! ---

Note: - Instead of vinegar, i use tamarind base soup. it's not quite a sinigang since it has less liquid (sabaw), and  

            a bit more tangy or salty.

         - I'm not claiming this as my original recipe. I'm simply sharing my home cooking. 

          - Be sure to follow proper hygiene in preparing food. And don't forget to turn off the stove. :D