" The Lake & Mountains have become my landscape. My real world "
There is this Chinese saying, tourists always crave to visit places where there are mountains & water ie "You Shan You Shui" simply means got mountain got water ! There is another Chinese saying "People Mountain People Sea" or "Ren Shan Ren Hai" simply means over crowded with people or the place is packed like a can of sardines (packed to capacity) - so being a retiree, I always picked to travel during the off peak season to avoid a madding crowd ! If you happened to be travelling to China during their National Day Celebration or Chinese Lunar New Year, all their touristy places (lakes, mountains, museums, national parks etc) were reported to be full of tourists so much so that you only see "countless of people's heads from far" blocking the views of the tour sites in front of you ! Queuing, long queuing at the ticket counters, food stalls, walking up & down a staircase or footpath .... has become the order of the day & a nightmare ! I would rather stay put at home than put myself in this unpleasant or awkward situation !
I too enjoyed visiting beautiful lakes & it will be a bonus if there is a magnificent waterfall with a rumbling sound greeting you in front ! So far so good, there was no "Mountain People Mountain Sea" in most of my overseas visits to lakes & waterfalls. In the world of travelling, there are many scenic lakes & waterfalls & I was fortunate to visit some of them .... here goes my story on The Lake & I ....
I am pleased to share with you pictures of beautiful & charming waterfalls & lakes I had taken in my visits to overseas countries in recent years ..... those were my Good Old Days !
1) USA - Niagara Falls, New York State (my free & easy visit with my travel buddies to Eastern USA & Canada in May 2019) - Niagara Falls is a city on the Niagara River in New York State, known for the vast Niagara Falls which straddle the Canadian border, in Niagara Falls Stata Park, the Observation Tower, at Prospect Point, juts out over Niagara Gorge for a view of all 3 waterfalls, trails from the Niagara Gorge Discovery Center lead to other viewpoints, the Aquarium of Niagara is home to Humboldt penguins, seals & sea lions, my 2 nights stay here allowed me to see the Falls in day & night environment, magnificent & spectacular scenery ! I had a very good night sleep after seeing the Niagara Falls, fulfilling my childhood dream at last ! Indeed a memorable day for me as this is my 1st time I set foot in Canada when I walked pass the Rainbow Bridge linking Niagara Falls USA to the Ontario City, Canadian side; the start of our groups visit to Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal & Quebec City !
2) Canada - Niagara Falls, Ontario - (my free & easy visit with my travel buddies to Eastern USA & Canada in May 2019) - Niagara Falls, Ontario is a Canadian city at the famous waterfalls of the same name, linked with the USA by the Rainbow Bridge, its sites on the Niagara River's western shore overlooks the Horseshoe Falls, the cascades' most expansive section, Elevators take visitors to a lower, wetter vantage point behind the Falls, a cliffside park features a promenade alongside 520ft high Skylon Tower with an observation deck. It was drizzling when my group walked pass the Rainbow Bridge towards the Canadian side for our immigration clearance, stayed 2 nights in Niagara Falls Ontario & again I had the opportunity to view the Falls by day & night ! A double happiness for me after seeing the Falls on the Canadian side & today is my birthday too !
3) Canada - Montmorency Waterfalls, Quebec City (my free & easy visit with my travel buddies to Eastern USA & Canada in May 2019) - a large waterfall on the Montmorency River in Quebec, Canada, took a city bus to this magnificent waterfall, a side trip for our overnight stay in this city.
4) Slovenia - Lake Bled (package tour with my wife & sister to Balkans in March 2019) - a lake in the Julian Alps of the Upper Carniolan region of northwestern Slovenia, where it adjoins the town of Bled, the lake is 35km from Ljubljana International Airport & 55km from the capital city, Ljubljana, the lake is 4.2km from Lesce-Bled train station
5) Russia - Lake Baikal / Olkhon Island, Siberia (my solo visit to Europe, Russia, Mongolia & China in May 2009) - an ancient massive lake in the mountainous Russian region of Siberia, north of the Mongolian border, the deepest lake in the world, circled by a network of hiking paths called the Great Baikal Trail, the village of Listvyanka on its western shoreline, a popular starting point for summertime wildlife spotting tours, plus wintertime ice-skating & dog sledding, Olkhon is the 3rd largest lake island in the world, by far the largest island in Lake Baikal in eastern Siberia ! My 2 nights homestay in Olkhon island was really a memorable one !
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6) India - Dal Lake, Srinagar (my free & easy visit with Hospitality Club members to Northern India in July 2007) - a lake in Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu & Kashmir, an urban lake & the 2nd largest, it is integral to tourism & recreation in Kashmir & is named the "Lake of Flowers", "Jewel in the crown of Kashmir" or "Srinagar Jewel"
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7) India - Pangong Tso Lake, Himalayas (my free & easy visit with my Hospitality Club members to Northern India in July 2007) - a beautiful lake situated in the Himalayas at the height of approx 4,350m & is 134km long extending from India to China, overnight stay in a camping tent not far from the lake, cold & short of air !
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8) Croatia - Pitvice Lakes National Park (package tour with my wife & sister to Balkans in Nov 2019) - a 295 sq km forest reserve in central Croatia, known for a chain of 16 terraced lakes, joined by waterfalls that extend into a limestone canyon, walkways & hiking trails wind around & across the water, an electric boats links the 12 upper & 4 lower lakes, the latter are the site of Veliki Slap, a 78m high waterfall.
Lake Mashū is an endorheic crater lake formed in the caldera of a potentially active volcano. It is located in Akan Mashu National Park on the island of Hokkaidō, Japan. The lake has been called the clearest lake in the world.
9) Nepal - Phewa Lake, Pokhara (my free & easy solo visit to Nepal in March 2013) - a freshwater lake in the south of Pokhara Valley that includes Pokhara city, parts of Sarangkot & Kaskikot, took a boat ride on the lake, evening stroll & a panoramic view of Phewa Lake from the Sarangkot hilltop.
10) Switzerland - Lake Lucerne (my free & easy visit with my wife & brother-in-law + wife to Europe in May 2012) - a lake in central Switzerland & the 4th largest in the country, the lake has a complicated shape, with several sharp bends & 4 arms.
11) Jordan - Deas Sea (my solo visit to Jordan, Syria, Turkey & Egypt in Oct 2008) - a salt lake bordered by Jordan to the east & Israel & the West Bank to the west, lies in the Jordan Rife Valley, its main tributary is Jordan River, the lake's surface is 430m below sea level, making its shores the lowest land-based elevation on Earth.
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12) Japan - Lake Akan, Akan National Park (package tour with my wife & brother-in-law + wife to Hokkaido in Oct 2015) - a beautiful crater lake in Akan Mashu National Park, home to marimo, a rare algae specie that form itself into beautiful green balls, the lakeside hot spring resort of Akankohan is the only town around the lake.
13) Japan - Lake Machu, Akan Machu National Park (package tour with my wife & brother-in-law + wife to Hokkaido in Oct 2015) - an endorheic crater lake formed in the caldera of a potentially active volcano, the lake has been called the clearest lake in the world
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