Getaway to Singapore-Part 3

 Clark Quay

Think relaxation is overrated? Are you always burning the candle at both ends? Then Clark Quay is for you. After dinner at Boat Quay, well-heeled party goers stroll towards Clarke Quay. Night live here will keep anyone charged till dawn. Latin, Jazz, and Disco bars give head-spinning options. So, most people choose to go bar hopping here.

This epicenter of nightlife has many themed bars and clubs. Clinic Bar features a hospital ambience complete with hospital wheel chairs, white linen room dividers, and operating room lights. The drinks are served from the dripping intravenous (IV) tube that is attached to a blood bag on a pole. The famous London based Ministry of Sound dance club is located here as well.

New Bridge Road

From Clarke Quay, New Bridge Road leads to Chinatown. Scenes of traditional old Singapore are preserved here. Old colonial small houses dominate the architecture of Chinatown center while large multi story malls occupy the edges.

What’s interesting about this Chinatown, distinguishing itself from other Chinatowns in the world, is the fact that it not only has Buddhist and Confucian places of worship, but also Mosques and Hindu temples. The 1823 Thian Hock Keng temple on Telok Ayer Street is the oldest Chinese template in the country. Gilded and lacquer decorated beams and panels, painted doors, and granite dragon sculptures adorn this south Chinese temple architecture. A few block away from the temple, on South Bridge Road, is the colorful and highly intricate high tower of 1843 Sri Mariamman Hindu temple. If you look closely on its intricate carvings, you will find 72 deities.

At sundown, Smith Street is closed and hawker stalls spring to life. Tables and chairs are setup in the middle of the road. Food vendors are greeting passerby with menus and chanting their specials. This is the best place to find local flavors in a historic ambience.

Sentosa Island

Traffic is getting busy as the day is advancing. We enter Sentosa Island in our navigation system and start driving towards the southern tip of the main island. We also choose the route that includes some highway driving.While other city planners discuss and design how many parks to build in their cities, Singapore’s city planners design and build working and living spaces in the Garden. This is how Singapore got its Garden city status. The highways around the city are lined on both sides with trees with far reaching branches that create continues canopy. The natural canopy protects the people on the road from the scorching heat during the hottest and humid days.

When we arrive at Sentosa Island we are surprised by the massive development effort just as we enter the gateway. Large container and cement trucks are traveling in a formation. We stray off of the navigation map because the road is detoured due to the massive Universal Studio construction After passing the construction site, the serenity of Sentosa Island finally greets us. The lush vegetation makes us feel we are in a tropical forest. With all the windows down and the roof open, we hear hundreds of birds chirping. This 2 by 0.6-mile island offers a variety of activities. Families enjoy the Underwater World’s acrylic tunnel where colorful marine lives swim within touching distance. On weekend nights, young adults party at the bars and dance clubs along the beaches. Couples looking for a quiet and romantic time check into five-star hotels and spas on this island.

We park our car and sit at a café with a view of the ocean. Here, we soak in the relaxing ambience with fresh coconut juice.

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-Andreas. D
Driving Vacation

Getaway to Singapore-Part 2

Esplanade Drive

Today, we walk onto Esplanade Drive. We are entering the Marina Bay area. The Esplanade complex highlights this area with its hard-to-miss architecture. The spiky metallic twin domes resemble twin durian fruit when seen from afar. These twin domes house a state of the art concert hall, theaters, rehearsal studios, and an art exhibition hall. The Singapore Symphony Orchestra plays regularly, often with world renowned guests. The spiky roof is made of variously angled aluminum shades. This technique maximizes the use of natural light and shields the glass roof from the heat of the sun. Not only this creates a visually artful and futuristic appearance but also a purposeful engineering achievement in energy efficiency.

The Esplanade waterfront is another favorite destination. During the weekdays, professionals from the adjacent financial district descend here to do lunch at the trendy bars and restaurants. Tourists do their requisite pose in front of Merlion, the lion-fish Singaporean icon. At night, the view of the lit Merlion in front of the backdrop of the city skyline and its sparkling reflection on the calm sea water provides the perfect ambience for having a formal dinner with business associates or a romantic dinner with the significant one!

Temporary barriers were constructed along the five kilometers of city streets to make up the F-1 circuit. Over 1500 light projectors were used to turn night into day on the track, providing clear views for the drivers and over 100,000 spectators. The route went across the man-made harbor and then went back into the city entertainment district. Like Monte Carlo, the Singapore circuit had many 90 degree turns and a few long stretches with top speed of 300 km/h. The F-1 drivers had to slow down to about 100 km/h at the Fullerton corner and then they accelerated out towards top speed again.

Raffles Place

Today, we are in the Central Business District (CBD). This packed urban jungle is filled with the world’s most powerful financial houses and banks. Looking up through my car’s panoramic tilting roof, I can see the reflections of the buildings. Inside this shadowy urban concrete jungle, we lose our sense of direction immediately. Singapore roads are not in grid. There is no convention to the road naming or the road construction. Roads meander and cross other meandering roads. To top that, most narrow streets in CBD are one way.

Boat Quay

After many turns, the concrete urban jungle thins out. The view of Singapore River emerges in front of us. We arrive at an area called Boat Quay. This place is known for its riverfront outdoor restaurants, bars, and traditional restored shophouses with colorful shutter windows.On weekday evenings, people descend from the CBD skyscrapers and they follow aromatic smells of world cuisines at Boat Quay.

Foodies find Singapore to be a culinary goldmine. The ensemble of homegrown delights and traditional dishes of Chinese, Indian, and Malay origin, can easily be found throughout the city. Some favorite dishes include chicken rice, laksa (lemon grass vermicelli soup), char kway teow (stir-fried rice flat noodle), yong tau fu (stuffed tofu), roti prata (pancake bread) , satay (sliced barbequed meat on skewer), and nasi lemak (coconut rice with accompaniments). They are not only delicious but also very inexpensive. On the opposite spectrum, restaurants offering haute cuisines from nearly every corner of the world complete the Singaporean menus. From unpretentious hole-in-the-wall places to grand palaces with bird’s-eye panoramic views, restaurant designs are just as diverse as the menus...

Story still continues: Part 3
Full story: DV-Singapore
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Multimedia Map trip

-Andreas. D
Driving Vacation

Getaway to Singapore-Part 1

Singapore

Orchard Road

Singapore traffic is heavily congested during commute hours. To discourage drivers from driving into congested areas, Singapore government deployed an automatic variable toll system. Cars in Singapore are equipped with standardized wireless toll collectors. Depending on the hour of day, money is deducted from the account linked to the transponder in a car at different rates as the car travels through heavily congested areas.

Glittering and colorfully-lit holiday ornaments adorn this opulent mile-long Orchard Road. This road is the Singapore version of Fifth Avenue in New York, Avenue Montaigne and Avenue des Champs-Elysées in Paris, and Oxford Street and Bond Street in London. It attracts not only shopaholics but also architecture buffs. Gleaming malls featuring the most sophisticated and leading edge structures are lining this street. Not only do the boutiques refresh their window displays more than a dozen times a year with the latest trend from all over the world, but the building themselves get face-lifts or rebuilds every few years!

Orchard Street

This constant change ensures that this place here is, arguably, the epicenter of retail therapy in Asia Pacific! This is a shopaholics’ heaven. Once they check in, they will never want to check out.And if  shopping is not your passion, a vast number of cinemas, restaurants, cafes, and bars will keep you entertained.

Brash Basah Road

Orchard Road turns into Brash Basah Road. We are entering the Civic District where the past and the present converge harmoniously. Colonial buildings hosting government offices are surrounded by sleek glass and steel skyscrapers housing luxury hotels. This duality is highlighted by the two contrasting structures standing almost side by side - the white stone with red roof colonial Parliament building and the UFO-shaped glass structure on the top of the Supreme Court office.

Victoria Street crosses Brash Basah Road. Chijmes on Victoria Street is a unique complex that should not be missed. It is both a national monument and a complex of restaurants, pubs, and shops. This large neo-Gothic architecture structure was the Convent of Holy Infant Jesus; a girls school for 131 years. On weekend nights, live Jazz and dance music can be heard from the street...

Story still continues: Part 2
Full story: DV-Singapore
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Multimedia Map trip

-Andreas. D
Driving Vacation

Driving in Australia

Mount Wilson

Mount Wilson

Driving through the deserted lush Mt.Wilson rain forest, just 120 km northwest of Sydney of Route 40, I fall madly in love with this land. Mt. Wilson is a mountain range that spans for five kilometers north of the World Heritage Blue Mountains National Park. The rich volcanic basalt soil makes this region a perfect location for many natural-appearing large scale English gardens. Many not only feature symmetrical shrubberies with graveled walks, tree-lined plantations, and vibrant and contrast perennial blooms but also grottoes, temples, tea-houses, belvederes, pavilions, sham ruins, bridges, and statues. The Australia's unique tall eucalyptus trees create continuous canopy over the stringing zigzags, sweeping bends, and straights. It is summer time and the temperature is mild and perfect for Cabrio driving. There are not much of drastic elevation changes or hairpins. Instead, Mt. Wilson road steadily climbs and zigzags.

The Path

This road has many tentacles reaching out to the most remote areas of this mountain range. Exploring this region my visual cortex is filled with the images from the Garden of Eden. The voices of Australian wildlife and birds provide the soundtrack of this beautiful scenery.Passing the Kangaroo and Koala crossing road sign and coming into a blind chicane, I downshift the S-tronic to third and second, and my Audi Cabrio burbles exotically. On accelerations, the blow off valve sound reverberates through my spine and bounces of the trees. To top this exhilarating acoustic experience, the 200 HP and 207 lbs-ft engine produces a face-bending acceleration that pushes my organs to the back seat. Loose leaves on the road are sucked spirally up by the vacuum trail this car generates.Heading back towards Sydney at night, I pass the jagged rocky Mt. Tomah on route 40, Bells Line of Road. With the top and windows down, the pristine mountain air brushes my hair. This serene ambiance must be soaked in. The sun has set many minutes ago. The southern sky stars are appearing quickly. Cocooned in a magma red leather sport seat, I recline and enjoy the open sky and the galactic light show that’s about to begin. The white and red glow of the dashboard instruments produces the sense of space flight. No planetarium in the world can match this celestial experience.

Katoomba Town

Earlier this morning on the way to Mt. Wilson, I stopped by the Blue Mountain National Park visitor center in Katoomba town on route 32, Great Western Highway. The panoramic view of the famous Three Sister rock formation and the lush rolling mountains stretches far into the horizon. Blue Mountain is a favorite weekend gateway spot for Sydneysiders. There are hundreds of hiking trails descending down towards the deep lush valleys with electrifying views of the interior of the rain forests. Visiting Katoomba would not be complete without staying at The Carrington Hotel. Stepping into the lobby of this hotel was like riding on a time machine and arriving in the year 1882. The interior of this hotel featured the 19th century Victorian orderliness, ornamentation, wallpaper, and woodwork. Gothic, Tudor, Elizabethan, English Rococo, and Neoclassical furniture filled the corridors, the parlor, the dining room, and the saloon. Absorbing this time capsule, I daydreamed of being surrounded by gentlemen wearing black double breasted black frock coats with silk vests, top hats and contrasting pants. The women stood by their men equipped with pantalets, chemises with embroiled hems, shapely corsets, petticoats, and umbrella-shape hoop skirts.

Street of Sidney

The View

I commute to work through George St. from my hotel in Darling Harbor neighborhood. It is one of my favorite streets in Sydney downtown. It has multiple personalities. On the south end, it starts in Chinatown where the Asian immigrant settled in the second half of 19th century. In the north end, it concludes at the historic Rock district where the first Australian settlers came and established residence.Next to Chinatown, George St. crosses Liverpool St. where several ambrosial Tapas restaurants create a little Spain. In the middle, it crosses Druitt St. It is one of the liveliest pedestrian crossings in Sydney with the backdrop of the majestic 19th century Queen Victoria shopping center, St Andrews Cathedral, the oldest cathedral in Sydney, and the equally historic sandstone Sydney Town Hall. It is fun to just stroll around this particular intersection at around 5 o’clock A sea of people descending from skyscrapers fills the scene. They are all merrily walking to hip ethnic and fusion restaurants and lively eclectic bars to wash the day-stress away. This Audi Cabrio allows the stimuli to enter my eyes, my ears and my nose uncensored. It makes the George St. experience very vivid. Surrounding me, Romanesque historic and ornate buildings featuring stained glass windows, arched skylights, domes, intricate colonnades, balustrades, cupolas, cast-iron railings and gates are intermingled with the modern contemporary steel and glass office skyscrapers. Many reflections of the historic buildings on the glass towers create a unique blend of the past and the now. 

The Street with Amazing Building

Arriving at the Rock neighborhood, I am greeted by sandstone houses with vibrant flowers adorning the windows and the ornate cast-iron gates. Many historic restaurants and English pubs have been serving the patrons since the earliest history of the settlement. Most of them are almost in their original themes. The Rock also features the panoramic view the Sydney harbor bridge, the north Sydney city skyline, and the postcard famous shell-shape Opera House. When I use or hear a word often, the word starts to have less meaning to me. Then occasionally there comes a life experience that reminds me of the deep meaning of that particular word. Tucked across from the Rock over the harbor and under the Harbor Bridge is the quaint Milsons Point urban village. From Olympic Dr. vantage point, the other perspective of 

Sydney panoramic view is hypnotizing. I lose my thoughts looking at the view. This moment reminds me of the deep meaning of the simple word: Beauty. 

The Harbor Bridge

After crossing back the Harbor Bridge from the North Sydney, I drive through Prince Albert Road off the Circular Quay’s Macquarie St. This road takes me to the entrance of the Sydney Botanical garden. Many couples had their wedding vows performed here. It is one of the most pictorial and romantic gardens in the world featuring radiant flowers, lush vegetations, and the view of the Opera house and the Harbor Bridge. Hosting over one million specimens, this garden sits on the side of an undulating piece of land giving superb downtown skyline and harbor views through the greeneries. Many locals have picnics under the large shady trees over weekends and holidays. Others use the energizing walkway to have lunchtime walks, or jogs. This garden is also a perfect refuge from the city buzz.Darlinghurst St. in King Cross is the place to be on Thursday night for anyone to experience a very lively night life. Dance music can be heard from different part of the street. Long lines of people dressed to impress are common scene just around midnight. Aromas of ethnic foods from hole-in-the-wall and street vendors bait the energetic but hungry party goers. Another great nightlife spot in Sydney is Darling Harbor. This is a place full of Sydney socialites. Tumbalong is the original name for Darling Harbor, an Aboriginal word for 'meeting place'. The florescent view of the night city skyline is sure to get you in the mood for a roistering night out. Strolling by Latin and Jazz clubs, outdoor seafood restaurants, terrace cafes, cocktail lounges, bars, casinos, and entertainment complex is the best way to sample the innumerable avenues. 

Royal National Park

Driving around Sydney could be very expensive had I not have a portable GPS with speed and traffic light radar data. This Cabrio is not equipped with the Sat Nav option. Police is barely seen on the highways or roads around or outside town. But my GPS warns me almost at every two blocks about the existence of such devices. They are everywhere like Starbucks in Seattle. No wonder, Australians are law abiding citizens when they are on the roads. There are barely any SUV’s in Australia. Instead, UTE’s are everywhere. It is a sedan married to a pickup bed. Australians love their tricked out cars. Ford and Holden are in fierce rivalry in producing muscle 
UTE’s and sedans. Where can Australians enjoy their modified UTE’s and sedans given so many speed traps around? 

I may have found the answer. The 132 square kilometers Royal National Park is 30 kilometers south of Sydney, of the Princes Highway South toward Wollongong.  It is a relatively unspoiled hilly bush land hosting rainforest, heath, waterfalls, and creeks. Australian Cedar and the larger Eucalypt species dominate this park. Tree height reaches up to 30 meters or more. And, rich ferns, wattles, and other medium-size plants cloak the grounds. At one of the highest vista points, rolling bush land spans all the way to the horizon. Greenery is not the only thing that this park has. Many twisty roads can be found here. Cutting through the lush hilly bush land, these snaky roads connect the inlands with the secluded beaches that dot the eastern shoreline. The best of all about this park is the fact that there is not single speed radar! I had a prejudice about any convertible because my experiences before this Cabrio were limited to the convertible from Hertz. It didn’t take long for me to start disliking convertibles. They twisted like pretzel on the highway cloverleaf interchanges. They horribly understeered over tight turns. Even worse on zigzags, they wobbled like a sail boat in a hurricane. Utterly numb and joyless! So it is a stark revelation for me to experience this Cabrio. Because the experience this car gives is nothing like the other convertibles do. A tricked-out Yamaha motorbike appears very fast on my rearview mirror I figure the best way to enjoy these foreign roads is by following the rollercoaster pace of a local rider. So, we switch the pole position. With the top and windows down, the gear shift pattern of the rider can easily be heard as the bike’s exhaust produces the popping sound. We devour the zigzags and a few hairpins together at tingling speeds. A few sinuous rubber marks proof that we are not the first to discover this driving nirvana. On a short straight stretch, he looks back to gauge the distance and gives a friendly wave. Then, he accelerates fast again inviting me to follow. The exciting chase continues. 

 Coming out of the lush part of the bush land, we arrive at Bald Hill vista point. The glistening ocean beacons many riders and drivers to sit and relish the breathtaking sweeping view of the crescent shoreline and sharp cliffs. A mother and a father with their small daughter are sitting on the manicured lawn holding each other hands watching surfers in a distance riding forceful waves. Steve, the rider, is from a nearby town Engadine. His ride is a Yamaha WR450F with motord kit. Over some green tea and snacks we exchange our driving and riding stories. He recommends me to climb the nearby Mt. Kiera. Among travelers, we don’t say “good-bye”, we say, “see you when I see you.” We shake hands and part.

The Enjoyment of Driving Vacation in Australia!

When I visit a place, an impression is formed inside me. Often time, the impression can’t be explained logically. It can’t be broken into different categories nor be assigned weighted values. It is just is. In this regard, Sydney is very inviting and welcoming. 180 nationalities now call Sydney home. Undulating landscapes, artful gardens, history-telling structures, modern skyscrapers, charming urban villages, delicious ethnic foods, lively night life, and friendly people are framed in an endearing postcard setting. And together they provide kaleidoscopic life and culture that are unique to this place. Driving through Blue Mountain World Heritage Park, Mt. Wilson, Sydney downtown streets, and the Royal National Park was truly unforgettable enjoyment of driving!

- Andreas. D

Andreas@driving-vacation.com

www.driving-vacation.com

More stories in Australia, visit: DV-Australia

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One Day at San Francisco

Blooming Morning

Back in 2009, I remembered when I had one day in San Francisco. I woke up earlier and rented a great car, Audi. I always love this car because they have a great machine, perfomance, and the stability. Because driving traveler should have a right car before they tarvel far and in order for their own safety, that's why I trused myself to Audi! 

One balmy morning, I got up with a craving for some wood fire brick oven baked bread. And the only place I know is the Wild Flour Bread Bakery near Sebastopol in Marin. 

I am sure there are other specialty bakeries closer to San Francisco. But then, what is the point of driving one mile to get a loaf of bread when I can drive 72 miles through scenic northern California Highway 1? 

Fellow enthusiasts

The Golden Gate

So, I called my friend to accompany me. We met at Crissy Field in San Francisco Marina district. Crissy Field was originally the Presidio US Army airfield. After some restoration effort, the airfield was replaced by charming landscapes of native vegetation, tidal marshes, and a lagoon. Water sparkled like diamonds in the lagoon, long-legged wading birds dug through the mud feasting on tiny crabs, and pelicans flew over the waves. 

In a distance, wind surfers dotted the foreground of the radiant Golden Gate Bridge. On the other side, the famous Alcatraz Island stood courageously. After a while we engaged in coversation while enjoy the beautiful view, we decided to go Northern California Back Roads.

Northern California Back Roads

We followed the California Highway 1 sign just north of Golden Gate Bridge. We joined the Shoreline Highway and it took us through Muir Beach and Stinson Beach. Our first exciting treats were waiting for us as soon as we entered the Mountain Tamalpais State Park. Zigzags, hairpins, elevation changes, and mesmerizing views of jagged cliffs and rocks protruding from the choppy Pacific Ocean coast line elevated our enjoyment of driving. I will never forget this experience! 

We decided to make a pit stop at Point Reyes Station. This sleepy little town, founded by Northern Italian and Italian speaking Swiss immigrants, features small quaint craft shops, a cozy farmer’s market, and aromatic Californian cuisine restaurants and sandwich stores. 

Cyclists in Tour-de-France outfits, Harley Davidson bikers wearing colorful tattoos, and Ducati riders in colorful leather body suits fill this sleepy town most weekends for refreshments and foods during their pit stop. 

Times went really fast, when we passed the Tomales Bay oldest shellfish farm. And the thought of crustacean made us hungry. Luckily, Tony’s Seafood was not too far ahead. The over half a century old family-run quaint restaurant is famous for its mouth watering BBQ oysters, creamy warm clam chowder, and fresh generous crab salad. 

Enjoyed the View

After the delicious late lunch, we continued on to complete our mission. Staying on Shoreline 
Highway towards Sebastopol, we were greeted by pastoral landscapes. Thin clouds scattered really high, and the late afternoon sun was providing very crisp visibility and contrast in the postcard scenery before us. I could see a herd of cows grazing on the far side of the hills. Curvy roads with fluorescence green rolling hills filled our windshield. So, I fasten the seatbelt and pulled up the car fast. 

Going fast through the zigzags and followed by hair pins, we didn’t feel any understeer. Instead, the steering was very confident and precise. We consistently hit car of every hairpin and accelerated out toward more fun. We took turned driving with stops for pictures and absorbing the beautiful sceneries. 

The Enjoyment of Driving! 

We had some much fun and realized the sun was setting when we turned into the parking lot of the Wild Flour Bread Bakery. We could smell the aroma of baking flours with the scents of cheese, mushroom, rosemary, garlic, peach, and cinnamon as we walked into the store. Behind the counter, friendly bakers were mixing dough, pulling steamy loafs of bread out of the brick oven, and attending customers 

Anybody can bake breads by following various recipes. But these bakers pour their passion for baking their special recipes and utilizing their unique wood fire brick oven technique. This passion fuses into the rest of the organic ingredients and makes these sourdough breads heavenly and delectable. We ended our journey at Wild Flour Bread Bakery, but the driving experiences challenges me to try another zigzag in Germany. I enjoyed the delicious food along the way in San Francisco and the togetherness brought me powerful positive emotions within us that make me happy. 

-Andreas.D 

www.driving-vacation.com 

More stories, visit: DV-San Francisco 
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Driving in Dreamland Hawaii

 Many people romanticize a vacation destination after seeing Rick Steves' Europe on PBS. I, on the other hand, dreamed about driving in Hawaii since I watched Jack Lord playing Lieutenant Steve McGarrett in the original Hawaii Five-O in the 70's. Back then, Steve was driving stately black Mercury Marquis and Mercury Park Lane. This dream was forgotten for a while as I got busy with elementary school, high school, college, first job, and so on. Fast forward to the 21st century, the remake of Hawaii Five-O brought my dream back from the medial temporal lobe of my brain.

The opening scene and the theme song of Hawaii Five-O always wash away my day's stresses and tiredness. The scenes of Waikiki beach and marina, surfers, outrigger canoes, clear emerald ocean water, rolling waves, lush green hills and mountains, crowded city skyline, and people going about their daily lives remind me that paradise and daily livings can co-exist. So, I no longer could put my dream off any longer.

Waikiki Beach

After checking into Hilton Waikiki Beach Hotel in the morning, we didn't waste time to get started with our paradise living. Given Savannah climate with the average temperature in mid-eighty degrees Fahrenheit, Waikiki is always busy with visitors from all around the world all year around.



We were warned to make an extra effort to leave Waikiki and see other parts of the island to experience Hawaii. After strolling on the white sand beach with the soft winds giving Swedish massage-like rub on our skin, breathing the refreshing pacific ocean air, watching surfers catching long rolling breaks, browsing so many interesting stores and restaurants featuring various ethnic foods, watching a Hula Dance show at an outdoor stage, exploring hundreds of small local vendors selling Hawaiian crafts, we took the warning seriously. Waikiki is indeed a place where you can check in at anytime and you do not ever want to leave.

The historic 19th century Moana Hotel, also known as the First Lady of Waikiki, is a must-see stop in
Waikiki. It is located on the main street of Waikiki, Kalakaua Avenue. The building has Beaux Arts-style architecture, the same architectural style as Lourve in Paris and Vienna Opera House. The grand front fascia features tall petite columns, arches, and intricate carvings. The hotel interior is open and airy allowing the natural breeze to regulate the interior temperature of the building. The back of the hotel has a courtyard that leads to white sand beach with the expansive view of the bay. In the center of the courtyard, an enigmatic 75 feet high and 150 feet across Banyan tree provided a very nice UV protection. Under this Banyan tree, we enjoyed the afternoon English tea time tradition while watching the beach live before us.

Diamond Head
Our first destination outside Waikiki was the iconic tuna's-dorsal-fin-shape Diamond Head. This dormant volcanic tuff cone got its name because of the diamond-like calcite crystals embedded in the rocks. Visitors who do one-hour hike to the crater's rim will be rewarded with panoramic areal view of Honolulu. We drove with the roof open and side windows down. From the climate control console, we activated the fans in our perforated Milano leather seats, so nice cool air ensured that our backs were always comfortable despite the humidity. The drive was through local roads and residential neighborhoods with minor stop and go traffic.

On the way to Diamond Head, we stopped at Leonard's Bakery on Kapahulu Avenue. This bakery was mentioned more than once in the new Hawaii Five-O. It is famous for its Malasadas; Portuguese donuts. Unlike American donuts, it doesn't have holes in the middle. Malasadas come plain or with fillings. Their special technique and ingredients ensure the inside of this golden brown crusted donuts is very fluffy, chewy, and light. This is the heavenly donuts from the tropical paradise.


Hanauma Bay

Volcanic eruption is always violent and its destructive forces must not ever be underestimated. However, what comes after the devastation is another story. And at Hanauma Bay, which was formed by a series of volcanic activities, ocean life is thriving. Over 400 colorful and shapely species inhibit the bay. The expansive coral formations that provide food and protection from the ocean waves can easily be seen through the clear emerald water. Everyone comes here to snorkel and swim with many schools for colorful fishes and green sea turtles, and to look for starfish and other small creatures on the ocean floors. Snorkeling here reminded me of The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau Documentary.  We unloaded our snorkeling gears, picnic basket, and enjoyed the sunshine!

Polynesian Cultural Center
Located in the north shore, this large center offers unique participatory ways to experience various Polynesian Cultures from Fiji, Hawaii, Rap Nui, Samoa, Tahiti, Tonga, and many others. To get here from Waikiki, we took Kalanianaole Highway / Route 72 East. This 2-lane-on-each-direction road is mostly straight with a few bends and gradual incline. The 3.2 liter engine producing arousing 270 hp / 243 lb-ft torque gave us exciting acceleration.

Route 72 turned into one-lane-on-each-direction twisty and scenic road that hugs the coastline just after Hanauma Bay. There are so many vista points along this path. We stopped to see the Halona Blow Hole. Later, we picked up coastal Route 83 / Kamehameha Highway heading to the North Shore. This road is mostly flat but it features many beautiful vista points looking out to Pacific Ocean, white sand beaches, and many interesting rock formations on the east side. On the west side at Kahana Valley State Park, the view was filled with gigantic mountains raising vertically with sharp jagged ridge lines.
 
At Polynesian Cultural Center, visitors can join wood and Tiki carving, enjoy signature foods from many different islands, watch Voyage of Discovery show, join cooking lesson, learn about fire making, practice spear throwing, take canoe tours, practice tree climbing and many others. Given the breath of activities and the time required to fully enjoy the center, and the fact that we still more places to drive to, we decided to only study the map of the complex and browse the gift shop. We made a mental note to come back here on our next visit to Hawaii.

Kahuku
There are probably many reasons to visit Kahuku in the North Shore. But for us, the reason why we came to this small town of 2614 was to experience the Hawaii Shrimp Truck phenomenon popularized recently, again, by the new Hawaii Five-0. Using Google, we were able to find the most famous Shrimp Truck: Giovanni's, located right off the Kamehameha Highway in Kahuku. Thanks to Facebook and Yelp and the obsession of our X and Y generations to share things online with their friends and their friends' friends, Giovanni's Shrimp Truck story has gone viral through the internet. We heard people speaking Dutch, Russian, Japanese, and Korean while waiting on a long line to place our order.

Due to its daily sales volume, the owner built a permanent tent so visitors can enjoy the delicious garlic shrimp without worrying about the daily tropical passing rains. The truck itself is now placed on a concrete floor. While they still cook the shrimp in the truck, the truck is no longer drivable. If we didn't know about Giovanni's reputation, and we saw this graffiti covered truck, we would not stop because we would not think good food could come out of that truck. We did confirm that the delicious Shrimp Scampi and the non-refundable Hot and Spicy Shrimp are definitely worth the internet sensation. Shrimp, butter, garlic, flour, paprika, cayenne pepper, white wine, sea salt, lemon, and probably some secret ingredients created an amazing culinary fanfare. The sticky rice added a distinct flavor to the delightful ensemble. 

Banzai Pipeline
Before we started heading south towards Honolulu, we made our last stop in the North Shore. Unlike Waikiki, that features long rolling breaks good for learning to surf, Banzai Pipeline is notorious for forming large, hollow, thick curls waves. They are not only exciting to avid and adrenaline-crazed surfers but they can also be deadly. The Billabong Pipeline Masters event is held annually since 1970 attracting many world famous surfers.


Tropical rain poured intermittently with varying degree of intensity during the drive. The rain sensing feature came very handy and it worked beautifully. It adjusted the speed and the frequency of the wipers depending on the intensity of the rain.
We parked our Q5 and took out our binoculars, a camera with a very long lens, and a large golf umbrella. We walked to a high ground and from there we watched surfers riding curls waves for a while.

Dole Plantation
Plantation is no longer Hawaii largest industry, tourism is. Located almost in the center of Oahu Island, Dole Plantation is a nice half-way stop between the North Shore and Honolulu on Kamehameha Highway. The main attraction here is 2.5 mile botanical maze consisting of over 14,000 Hawaiian plants. We stopped here to browse the everything-made-of-pineapple gift shop and to get a couple of cups of afternoon pick-me-up coffee.


  
Mount Tantalus
For car and motorcycle enthusiasts in Oahu, Mount Tantalus is a regular hang out. Due to its location nearby Honolulu, this mountain has the breathtaking panoramic view of Diamond Head, Punchbowl Crater, Waikiki, and Honolulu. The road to top is full of switchbacks, hairpins, and elevation changes. To top that, the road is actually cutting through a large tropical forest. The vegetation is very lush and tall trees make canopies over this exhilarating road.


 'Iolani Palace and Aliiolani Hale Because this driving vacation had been inspired by Hawaii Five-O, we had to visit downtown Honolulu and the fictional Hawaii Five-O headquarters for our last stop. Driving towards downtown on Interstate H-1 turned out to be more challenging that I had thought. Some articles mentioned that traffic jams in Hawaiian Interstate system is worse than the ones in Los Angeles. After sitting for close to one hour in a snail-pace traffic, I tended to believe that assessment.

Finally, we arrived at South King Street downtown Honolulu. 'Iolani Palace, which represented Hawaii Five-O headquarters in the original series, is one of its kind. Its unique architecture is known as American Florentine. It is a blend of traditional Roman and Hawaiian architectures featuring petite columns, wide verandas, crinkled walls, and many ornamentation. This palace was the official residence of Hawaii's monarchy. Today, this National Historic Landmark is open to public showcasing Hawaii’s royal heritage.

The new Hawaii Five-O uses Aliiolan Hale building for its headquarters. This building is located exactly across the street from Iolani Palace. In real life, Aliiolani Hale hosts the Supreme Court of Hawaii. Many tour buses drop visitors here so they can take their pictures in front of the iconic gold-leaf statue of Kamehameha the Great. I, on the other hand, wished that Steve McGarret, Danny Williams, Chin Ho Kelly, and Kono Kalakaua were around.  Goodbye Hawaii 'till we meet again...

-Andreas
driving-vacation

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Serrania de Ronda and Sierra de Grazalema

Serrania de Ronda and Sierra de Grazalema
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I am driving on route A-376 leaving Sevilla, aiming towards Ronda in the Serrania de Ronda region. The road is twisty 2-lane 2-way undivided highway with ample emergency lanes on both sides. The mountain tops in this region reach around 1500 meter. When the climb is long, the climbing side has an additional 2 to 5 km, that would be my guess, passing lane, plenty of road to pass many turtles I come across. I am soaking in the mesmerizing panoramic view of the mountains and valleys before me.

I am driving on route A-376 leaving Sevilla, aiming towards Ronda in the Serrania de Ronda region. The road is twisty 2-lane 2-way undivided highway with ample emergency lanes on both sides. The mountain tops in this region reach around 1500 meter. When the climb is long, the climbing side has an additional 2 to 5 km, that would be my guess, passing lane, plenty of road to pass many turtles I come across. I am soaking in the mesmerizing panoramic view of the mountains and valleys before me.

As the elevation gets higher, the views on my left and beyond blind turns are rather scary. An Empire State building would fit nicely in this abysmal cliff. On the right side is the mountain wall. No guard rail on the cliff side. They use blocks of concrete spaced evenly painted in white giving the look of the zipper teeth...

The Las Alpujarras

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The most awe-inspiring, spine-tingling, and hair-raising roads of Andalusian, in my opinion, is the A-4130 in Las Alpujarras. To find this road, look for a village named Travelez in Las Alpujarras. Head east from that village on the only main road, A-4129. The A-4130 will be on the right hand side not too far from the village.

If you are a roller coaster junkie, you know about the Boulder Dash, Raven, Shivering Timbers, GhostRider, and Cyclone. Those are in the top 10 best roller coasters list compiled by the junkies. I am not a roller coaster junkie, but I think the experience I have on this road is equivalent to riding those roller coasters. Every hairpin, zig zag, switchback, and blind curve on this road are G-force producing turns.

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The road is safe at regular posted speeds but it can be treacherous at any higher speed as it has very narrow mountain passes and ridges with salivating bends, hairpins, zig zags, and blind curves. Going downhill is an even more nerve wracking experience because I can see the panoramic unobstructed view of how far I would plunge into the canyon if I understeer the car.

Fortunately again, there is barely any traffic on this road since it doesn't have any village along it. It is more a connecting road between two arteries. At seven at night I pass only one car in the 10 km stretch of the purest form of joy of driving. As the sun is setting, it plays shadow with the mountains and valleys accentuating the already breathtaking landscape.Getting to A-4130 from A-4129 may not be as fun even though A-4129 has similar characteristics as A-4130 with a lot less scary parts. There are several villages along A-4129 so the traffic can be heavy at times...

The Place called Marbella

Famous historic place
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Marbella has the remains of the old Muslim walls, Marbella's casco antiguo. The old town has a maze of picturesque winding streets and charming little plazas, with plenty of outdoor bars where you can sample typical Andalusian cuisine. At the center of this intricate pattern of alleyways is Plaza de los Naranjos, with the 3 to 4 century old town hall and fountain. Getting lost in this maze is the best way to experience this historic town.

Luxurious car and yatch
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Marbella also has the modern and opulent section called Puerto Banus, where all kinds of multi-million dollar yachts are docked along with the accompanying rows of parked Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Bentleys, Rolls Royces, Porsches, and Aston Martins. Elegance and glamor are everywhere in this section. The coast from Puerto Banus to Malaga is gorgous, filled with rolling hills and the long stretches of Mediterranean sandy beaches with the cobalt blue, clear ocean water. I can't swallow, breath, and soak in fast enough.

Adios Spain!

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Another road worth driving on, in this region, is the road that leads to Sierra Nevada from Granada, A-395. I climb all the way to 2500 meter where I arrive at a rest stop with restaurants where bus loads of tourists are enjoying the 280 degree sweeping view of the pastoral beauty of rolling mountains and valleys. At 3000 m, there is an observatory and a mountain pass that would take me to the Las Alpujarras, but the pass is closed when I get there. This road is similar to the A-376 from Sevilla to Ronda and Marbella as far the beauty and the technicality.

It is not the car, but the Autovia A-4 from Cadiz to Sevilla. After two days of resting and relaxing at the beautiful coastal and port city of Cadiz, I am driving back to Sevilla to catch a 27-hour train rides to Nice (France), a stop over for my long train journey to Ingolstadt. I find it hard to drive at the speed of the flow of sparse traffic. Autovia A-4 is relatively brand new toll road with Autobahn quality.

As my train leaves the station, I can't help reflecting on my driving vacation. After days driving in Andalusian, I feel refreshed and satisfied. It was a great way to finish my one month stay in Spain providing the frosting to my fulfilling time in Madrid and Barcelona. I met many kind and fun loving travelers and residents, drivers and non-drivers, during my last 30 days. Memories I will treasure greatly, friends I will keep in touch...

I have not learned much in life, but I know one think about myself. When I drive through exciting, exhilarating roads, I find a sense of place. I arrive at a non-artificial state where I see ever so clearly how the here and now is so much more meaningful than any other mental fabricated experiences. The pure joy of driving! Now, I am off to Ingolstadts to visit what some consider the place as their mecca

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