Beautiful day for Hot Air Balloon

Goldcoast - We woke up at 3:30am for a Hot Air tour to pick us up at 4:30am.  It was more than an hr before we reach the launch site.

My family waiting for lift off

It was cold and dark at the hot air balloon launch site.  We had our jacket and hoodie up as it was very cold.

Susan getting into the basket

As the flame heats up the air of the balloon, we lifted off and it was surreal and it went higher and higher and eventually we could see the horizon and the houses look so small just specs on the vast Australian landscape.

Up we go

The sun coming up from the horizon

we are in the hot air balloon basket

my family

the deflated hot air balloon

Hot air balloon deflating slowing

We had to help deflate the Hot Air Balloon and it was a mammoth task as we had to squeeze the air out of the balloon.

helping to deflate the balloon

length of the Hot Air balloon

So after deflating the balloon we have to put it into a big bag.

walking in the fields

piggy back on the truck

We had to hitch a ride on the truck to the road where our tour bus is.  From there we arrive for our sumptuous buffet and champagne breakfast.

Quin birthday cake

The vineyard was so beautiful...

From there the tour bus brought us back to our hotel

Glow worms tour @ Mt Tamborine

Goldcoast - Around 6:15pm, our tour guide from Southern Cross Tours pick us up @ our apartments and brought us up the bumping trail to the peak of Mt Tamborine.  We had our supper of hot chocolate or coffee and a slice of cakes.

Hot cup of chocolate

After which it was a walk through the rain forest to see the glow worms, each of us had a torch light to guide our way through the dark trail.   Doug the guide would stop along the way to show us spiders, possum and rotting tree trunks eating by termites.

Quin in the termite eaten tree trunk

It was too dark to take any of the glow worms but in the cold and rainy night, it was an awesome sight to see the luminous sight of glow worms.  It was a 4hrs tour and back to our apartment at around 10pm.

28th SEA Games Opening Ceremony

Singapore - The SEA Games return to Singapore after a 22 years hiatus and also this will be our 50 years of nationhood.   I booked the tickets to attend the show with Donny, Edward and Lesley.  The crowd control was in full force, with batches making their way up the stairs towards the National Stadium.  Security screening was tighten as many high level delegates from around ASEAN was attending the opening ceremony.

SEA Games Mascot

National Stadium

One of the light spectacular

Glitter falling from the Stadium's ceiling

Human map of Singapore

SEA Games torch brightly lit

The torch will stay lit until the close of the SEA Games...

Lost.sg - escape room theme

Singapore -  Together with my channel partners, we went to Lost, one of Singapore's many escape theme rooms.    Donny, Edward, Lesley and myself took the CASTIGLIONE whilst PT Virtus team took ALCATRAZ.  We had to buzz a couple of times for help as it was nerve wreaking beating the time.  In the end, we could not escape after the time ran out.  It was a fun one hour of cracking every nerve of our brains to solve the puzzles.

the 'winners' lol

the whole team

Overall, I think this was not one of the best escape rooms as some of the clues given could not be solve by the attendants that came to help us too.   Next times, elsewhere....if you dare!

Jump Musical Performance

Seoul - One of Korea's top dance performance act in Seoul - The 'Jump".   It tells about a family of martial art exponents fending off robbers with many comical antics and the show was very entertaining,   The whole performance is non-verbal with many interactions from the audience.

Arrive Seoul - dinner with Young Jin

Seoul - Arrive around 5.30pm and it took around 1.5hrs from Inchon airport to Best Western Guro Hotel.   The weather is a bit chilly and nice around 15 degrees.  Today is a public holiday in Korea but Young Jin came to bring me out for dinner to a new building with nice eateries.

It is so true that 'humans are creatures of habit' - we went to the same restaurant and sat at the same table.   I only recalled this restaurant when the waiter took some of my eel and put it into a bowl to make soup   Well! Youngjin forgotten that he brought me here the last time.

Grill eel set

Fortunately, the food was good as last time.   This meal made up for the 'lousy' SQ flight dinner.

nice leafy salad

After dinner, we walked around looking for coffee cafe but ended up at a Korean desert stall.  This was a craze in Singapore long time ago but only recently caught up in Korea,

Mango with cheese and ice cream

This is their creation and it tasted really nice and wasn't too sweet.

One night in Tokyo

Tokyo - This was the fastest trip to Tokyo, just one night stay and back to Singapore on the 'red eye'. Tiring but it had to be done on work commitment.   Nevertheless, the food was memorable.

Dinner was a quaint restaurant and we were the only guest in front of the sushi table, so literally having the whole restaurant to ourselves - both Terry and me.

Raw Ice Goby Fish

This is what I found out on Ice Goby fish

Delicious plate of sashimi

Baked Oyster

This baked Oyster still retain its succulent texture and it was moist

expensive Japanese prawn

Nakasuke

Nakasuke are a type of pickle made by fermenting vegetable with rice bran.  This is a fermented egg plant.

Tuna sushi

Oops! I ate one piece of the sushi and realize I have not taken a nice pic of it.

Maguro Nigiri