THE SECOND DINNER SESSION IN BANDUNG

   23RD FEBRUARY 2025    ~ The second dinner session in Bandung took place in one restaurant named Solaria located in a mall, King's Shopping Centre, in the city centre. We were the last diners to get into the restaurant and many items on the menu list were not available at that time.

We both settled for Nasi Goreng Kambing [Mutton Fried Rice].

Food was good and I had no issues at all after eating, unlike the first dinner which I had the night before [READ HERE], and I thanked God for that. Solaria is an Indonesian based food chain restaurants and there are many branches all around the country. That should wrap my gastronomic adventure in Bandung, Indonesia, this time.

[MY JAKARTA/BANDUNG TRIP 2025 MAIN PAGE]

LAMPWORK GLASS MUSEUM IN KOBE

   23RD JULY 2024    ~ The very last museum visited during my Kobe trip was the Lampwork Glass Museum. I was not actually sure what lampwork glass was all about but this was one museum that was accessible during my walk around the city and was chosen randomly.

"Lampworking is a type of glasswork that uses a torch to melt and shape glass. Once the glass is heated tolten state, it is form by blowing and shaping."

SOURCE: thecrucible.org

What you could see in the museum were different objects made of glass which were beautifully and colourfully shaped, mostly in small sizes. They were all put in glass display cabinets under bright lights that made it sparkled and shone, which enhanced its beauty.

Unfortunately, cameras were not allowed inside the [small] main exhibition hall. I only managed to get some samples of the work of art in one section where people could take photos of the exhibits freely.

Visitors could also come to the museum to experience some hands on sessions. I think they could produce their own jewellery by using the glass beads provided.

It was a small museum actually located on the second floor of a huge building. I had to ask someone how to get there on the ground floor of the premise.

That should wrap up my travelogue to Japan this time. By that time, I was so ready to fly back home, and praying that my flight would not be rescheduled again.

[MY KOBE TRIP MAIN PAGE]

CROSSING OVER THE BORDER INTO THAILAND VIA WANG KELIAN/WANG PRACHAN IMMIGRATION CHECKPONTS

   21st NOVEMBER 2024    ~ This was our first road trip into Thailand, with Mr. Ridwan Wahid driving accompanied by his wife and daughter, Puan Suhaila Sulong and Miss Reihana, respectively, and me.

Mr. Ridwan proposed to me to join his family on the trip 2 weeks prior to the date. We started doing our homework - finding information on the Internet as well as getting reliable tips and advise from three friends staying up north in Kedah and Penang who are seasoned travelers into Thailand.

Even though we had had all the essential information and documents, we still had some doubts and fear to get through the Thai Immigration, as this was our first time. The weather that day was also not that helping.

First of all, when we arrived at Malaysian checkpoint in Wang Kelian at about 5:00 p.m., there were no other visitors except us, which was a huge relief. This could probably because it was a working day and we arrived quite late actually. We were afraid there would be a long queue and the border gate would be closed by 6:00 p.m. As for Thai side known as Wang Prachan, surprisingly everything went smoothly and we were permitted into the country in a breeze.

Once outside the checkpoint, there were two rows of stalls/shops on the left and right side of the road. We stopped for a while to get That Baht and to get sim cards for the mobiles. Fortunately, the shopping activity had not yet started.

We then continued our journey to our first destination - Pakbara.

PROLOGUE

The Gathering in Changlun
Blogging from Pakbara
Blogging from Hatyai

Crossing over the Border

Nurul Huda Mosque in Satun

Having Dinner at Pakbara, Thailand

The First 7-Eleven Visited in Pakbara

La Ngu Morning Market near Pakbara
Pakbara Viewpoint
Having Breakfast at the Hotel

The Second 7-Eleven Store Visited in Pakbara

Bara Bara Budget Satun Hotel in Pakbara

Satun National Museum

Lunch at Paktam in Tanyung Po

Khlong Hae Floating Market in Hatyai
Central Hatyai Mall
Having Supper at After You Cafe

Bang Han Restaurant in Hatyai

Kim Yong Market

Songkhla Zoo
Ban Na Korn Nai Museum in Songkhla

The Gastronomic Adventure at Samila Beach

ASEAN Night Bazaar
Breakfast at Marita Dim Sum
Sakom Beach Market

Buying Roasted Chicken by the Roadside in Sakom
Coco One Beach Hotel and Restaurant in Sakom
The Last Gastronomic Adventure of the Southern Thai Road Trip
PM Residence in Hatyai

EPILOGUE
Blogging from Bayan Lepas
Dinner in Bayan Lepas

STOPPING BY AT KOBE MOSQUE

   18TH JULY 2024    ~ One of the prominent landmarks in Kobe, especially among Muslims, would be Kobe Mosque.The holy building was significant as it was the oldest mosque in Japan, built in 1935. The mosque had miraculously survived a few disasters that struck Japan like World War ll and the Great Hanshin Earthquake.

I was expecting the mosque to be bigger in size, like the one visited in Seoul. However, the building was just a small one but it was excellently taken care of. Just by looking at its front facade outside, it looked brand new and majestic.

the front desk

the ablution area

When we arrived, it was past the afternoon prayer time for "jemaah" [praying together in a group with a leader called "imam"] so the place was empty.

There were two Japanese visitors when we were in the main hall and they were entertained by the Imam of the mosque [I think].

Glad we made it to Kobe Mosque. Not sure whether there would be another chance to visit this place again, but you would never know. Surprise happens.

[MY KOBE TRIP MAIN PAGE]