Snapshot Saturday: Postcard #11 Golden Gate Bridge

Golden Gate Bridge at Sunrise.
Ola! It's day 179 of our our round-the-world trip, and almost a week since we arrived in Ciudad De Mexico's Distrito Federal. Unfortunately we were only able to see a few of its sights due to work. Tomorrow, we pack our bags and head to the Historic Centre of Puebla to celebrate our daughter's fifteenth month on Earth.

Golden Gate Bridge in Fog seen from another angle.
I got a bunch of postcards to send next week to some of you guys! For now though let me show you the last postcard I mailed before we left California. It's the first (and maybe only) postcard I'm giving away that used lenticular printing technology. Yah know, that awesome kind of printing that makes you see different images from different angles.

Cool, eh?

It's not too late to join! Email your address to gaye.emami@yahoo.com to receive a postcard. Recipients are chosen via Random.org.

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Snapshot Saturday: The Golden Gate Bridge

Is not golden at all. Not even a mere speck. The Golden Gate Bridge is in fact splashed with the hue of international orange, a shade of orange used in engineering and the aerospace industry to make something stand out from its surroundings. This 1.7 mile-long suspension bridge is named so for it's built over the Golden Gate, a strait that links San Francisco Bay to the Pacific Ocean.


Last Saturday, we had the chance to cruise along the bridge when we took our traveling toddler to Bay Kids Museum in Sausalito. Northbound is toll free, while southbound cost us $6. The east sidewalk is open to pedestrians all year round. Creepy fact: The Golden Gate Bridge is the most popular place to commit suicide in the world (second is Japan's Aokigahara Forest).

San Francisco will celebrate the bridge's 75th anniversary next year, if you're visiting the city check out their website for events.

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Snapshot Saturday: Postcard #8 Australia Walkabout Wildlife Park, New South Wales

It's day 144 of our round-the-world trip, and we've finally settled in U.S.A.! We're totally not excited about spending winter in California (after a long Australian winter), but since the hubby's visa approval took ages, we didn't have much choice. It's just been two days since we arrived, and already we're heading out to see what Santa Clara offers.


Today's postcard though is still from Australia, which I mailed a day before we left the country. I purchased it from Australia Walkabout Wildlife Park where we had a shoot for Couchsurfing's promotional video! Will tell you guys all about it on a separate post. Someday.
It's not too late to join! Email your address to gaye.emami@yahoo.com. Recipients are chosen via Random.org.

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Snapshot Saturday: Wild Horses

Batanes... Where horses run free. And run away from Journeying James.
The wind hit us hard. I struggled to keep my balance, and so did everyone. We were merry nonetheless, and making the most out of SEAir's Batanes Winter Bloggers' Tour. We ran around Batan Island's pasture like kids, and shrieked with delight when we caught sight of horses grazing.

We screamed our hearts all the more when James took off his shirt and put on a hat to pose as a haciendero for us. And we didn't have to beg much, he's cool like that.

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Snapshot Saturday: Postcard #5 Tallow Beach, New South Wales

It's day 95 of our our round-the-world trip, and we've finally settled in our abode for six weeks. The artist's home that we're renting is one of the few permanent houses in a caravan park, and the weekly rate is surprisingly cheap (even cheaper than dorm rooms in backpacker hostels). Its location is not exactly in Byron Bay but in a suburb next to it, named Suffolk Park, just a few kilometers away.

What we adore about our place is that Tallow Beach is only a minute stroll from our backyard. And that's where I took a photo of the next postcard for the The Postard Project. This postcard which we absolutely love, basically depicts our current state. Minus the lads. Just me, the hubby, and baby Luna submitting to the sea and soaking up the sun.

Tonight by the way, our Couchsurfing guests (first for this house) from Estonia will arrive. We've never met anyone from there yet, so we're pretty much pumped.

It's not too late to join! Email your address to gaye.emami@yahoo.com. Recipients are chosen via Random.org.

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Snapshot Saturday: Music Of Hope

An enthralling tune lured Erwin (my ol' backpacking buddy) and I to this random spot somewhere in the middle of Angkor Wat's bushland. For a few minutes, this band of Khmer landmine victims made me forget my exhaustion from trudging around the humungous complex (cause you know, we're too cheap to even hire a $1 bike for a day). To me, the music they produced was a glimmer of hope that there's life after affliction.


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Snapshot Saturday: Postcard #4 Blue Mountains, New South Wales

It's day 81 of our our round-the-world trip (already?!), and this morning we'll finally leave Sydney. We've had enough of the cold (plus Shervin's visa for America is taking forever) and just a few days ago we decided to head north. To Byron awesome Bay! We'll be in transit for the next two days and I can't wait to see the artsy, hippie house we're renting for six weeks near the beach.

More on that later.

Meanwhile, the next postcard for the The Postard Project was bought from Katoomba Visitor Information Centre at Echo Point, the main lookout for the Three Sisters in Blue Mountains National Park. Because I spent my birthday there last weekend, the postcard I got is ahem, more than the usual.

It's not too late to join! Email your address to gaye.emami@yahoo.com. Recipients are chosen via Random.org.

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Snapshot Saturday: Blue Birthday

Eagle Hawk Lookout, Blue Mountains, NSW Australia. Behind me, the famous Three Sisters rock formation (left) and Jamison Valley.
I was devouring every dish from the buffet spread, and appeared elated to the small group of merry people on our round table. I was about twenty pounds above my normal weight yet my massiveness was the least of my concerns. In my head, I was trying hard to brush off a horrific thought.

The thought that I may give birth anytime bugged me heaps even though the Chinese restaurant where we had my birthday lunch is just a few meters away from the hospital. It was my 30th by the way, and that was definitely not how I envisioned my big three-O to be... Celebrating with pregnancy blues.

Yesterday, to make up for that doleful event last year, I partied like 31 is the new 21 (and by "partied" I mean chugged, then bushwalked until we were bushed). From one blue birthday to another: Pregnancy blues last year, Blue Mountains (Australia) birthday this year - Now ain't that cool?

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Snapshot(s) Saturday: Postcard #3 Manly Beach, Sydney

G'day from Sydney (yes, we're still here)! We're on the 67th day of our round-the-world trip, and we'll be sticking around longer than planned because of a visa issue. Now I ain't complaining as much as I was a couple of weeks ago because Sydney's finally warming up!


Warm enough for us to do a quick stroll along Manly Beach the other day, where this next postcard for the The Postard Project was bought from (and where Luna wore her first flip flops!). Captain Arthur Phillip named the beach so after being impressed by the aborigines living there who got "confidence and manly behaviour". For some reason, the name just cracks me up.

It's not too late to join! Email your address to gaye.emami@yahoo.com. Recipients are chosen via Random.org.

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Snapshot Saturday: Bantayan The Beautiful

Serene stretch of pearly white beach. View from Sta. Fe Beach Club, Bantayan Island (Cebu, Philippines). Today's glum weather in Sydney made us long for anything tropical. We're on the 60th day of our homelessness and currently battling a visa matter. Once we've surpassed that, we're off to our next destination!

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Snapshot Saturday: Underground Mosque

Because we almost always map our own walking tours, getting lost is a regular occurrence for us. And getting lost is an awesome way to find underrated gems such as this underground mosque which we stumbled upon whilst searching for Taman Sari Castle in Yogyakarta. Reminds me of Tunisia, where some scenes of the Star Wars flick were shot.

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Snapshot Saturday: Postcard #2 Luna Park, Sydney

G'day from Sydney! We're on the 46th day of our round-the-world trip, and in a couple of weeks we might fly out of Australia to move on to the next country.

The next postcard that will be mailed for The Postard Project was bought from Luna Park, an amusement park built in 1935 on the northern shore of Sydney Harbour. That's 70+ years of existence! Printed on the postcard, the 8 distinct faces (1935, 1938, 1939, 1946, 1950, 1973, 1982, and 1994) installed at the entrance. Hope the recipient's not coulrophobic.

It's not too late to join! Email your address to gaye.emami@yahoo.com. Recipients are chosen via Random.org.

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Snapshot Saturday: The Tourist

Crashing a pictorial.
We were covered in sweat, panting. Wandering around Sri Lanka's Galle Fort with our heavy luggage was a terrible idea. I checked my watch. We got an hour left before our train departs for Colombo. On a distant grassy patch of the fort, a bunch of Sri Lankans were having a ball taking photos.

I dropped my backpack, handed the camera to Shervin, sprinted to the group and joined their snapshot session. To describe the outcome as 'rowdy' is an understatement.

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Snapshot Saturday: Boys On The Bridge

These Indian boys huddled with me for a photo while their mums on the balcony look on.
We walked about five kilometers, and were on our way to the bus stop from Gandhi Memorial Museum when a group of boys ran toward us asking for a pen. We replied we don't have any. Shervin and I didn't question what it's for and I asked for a photo with them instead.

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Snapshot Saturday: Cure-Dillera

Have you been to Cure-Dillera?
A pharmacy near Dangwa Station, Baguio City. Cure-Dillera is a phonetic play on the name Cordillera, a mountainous region, north of the Philippines.

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Snapshot Saturday: Morning Monkey Business

Man, ain't that the cutest nose ever?!
I shrieked as we chanced upon a bunch of proboscis monkeys, freely wandering and having brekkie by the beach. We were then striding towards our chosen forest trail for a morning hike in Bako National Park, Sarawak's oldest national park, Borneo.

I shrieked some more, and jumped, and sobbed (but not as much as when I saw a panda for the first time), and pinched Shervin to know I wasn't dreaming (okay, I shoulda pinched my own self but what the heck!). So yeah, I'm obsessed with those creatures!

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Snapshot Saturday: Bali Bust

Kuta Beach, one lazy early afternoon.
If you ask me about the best beaches I have seen here and abroad, off the top of my head, Kuta Beach ain't on the list. However, the island's cult following clad in rash guards, is such an amusing bunch. They can easily make you linger for a while.

Our three-day stay in Bali about two years ago was phenomenal, sans surfing... Thanks to our Couchsurfing hosts. But it wasn't for two Filipinas who were recently suspected of being "drug mules" by immigration officers at Ngurah Rai International Airport (Denpasar International Airport).

Bless their courageous souls for sharing via blog post and the social network their ordeal. That should teach 'em unreasonable beings.

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Snapshot Saturday: Bluer Than Blue

Road closed? With this view, I'd be more than happy to do a detour any day!
It's bluer than blue, and we're not sadder than sad to backtrack about 150 miles... because this gorgeous view unfolded before us whilst cruising along the Pacific Coast. How did we get here? We were on Highway 1 to San Francisco from Los Angeles and found out that part of it was closed when we passed Cambria. Our turning point, Ragged Point Inn in San Simeon, has a backdrop that will make you step on the brakes!

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Snapshot Saturday: Morning View

Look who's peeking!
We checked in late night at Great Pacific Inn, Legazpi City and didn't know we had this view 'til the next morn when I opened our window for a drag. Whatta fantastic P250 room!

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Snapshot Saturday: Brilliant Nest

Beijing's National Stadium
Also known as the Bird's Nest, is the world's largest steel structure. Strolled around this brilliant work of art and architectural genius, one fine winter morning.

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