Kristin Loong

Went to see some sea stacks and rocks more than a month ago at Bako National Park, Sarawak. We first took a boat to the other jetty. There isn't much of a story to tell about but mostly pictures.

The view from the main jetty.

The view from the other jetty with the famous Mount Santubong looking like a person laying down in the background.

We then took another boat ride around the sea stacks. There is also an option to hike and the option to choose different routes. Each route has a different distance that leads to a different area/beach.

As we were nearing Teluk Pandan Kecil, I saw hikers completing their climb up the peak.

The boat driver pointed out that this rock formation looked like a seahorse.

The famous cobra head rock formation.

Our boat back to the main jetty ran out of gas midway. It would've been more of a laugh except that there were warnings of a crocodile spotted by the river not to mention the boat was rocking from side to side. We were saved, of course, by another boat which brought the gas.

Ended up in Muara Tebas for lunch.

Ending this post with a picture of a rabbit-looking cloud.

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Our travels continued from Switzerland to no other than Paris, the city of love! From Geneva, our train took 3 hours before pulling up at Gare de Lyon.

We followed another free walking tour which was great because not only was it easier for us to make our way around ourselves after that but we did learn many things about Paris! From the many kings and the famous emperor Napoleon Bonaparte to different types and meaning of Equestrian statues (statues of the famous person on a horse), it was all very interesting.

Before I left for this trip, I found out that they were going to remove all the locks from Pont des Arts, the famous love lock bridge. I was so so disappointed!

This picture is taken at Pont Neuf and according to the tour guide this was the 'new love lock bridge'.

It isn't as full of locks as the other one yet but it sure would be as time goes.

From the bridge we walked to Musée du Louvre / The Louvre or better known as the museum that houses the Mona Lisa painting. Entrance tickets were £15 each which we got from the tour guide's manager so that we didn't have to join the ridiculously long queue!

The Luxor Obelisk at Place de la Concorde.

It was a gift from Egypt to France and has a twin which presently stands at the entrance of Luxor Temple in Egypt.

Place de la Concorde used to be where people were punished by guillotine. If you don't know what a guillotine is, it is an apparatus designed for carrying out executions by beheading.

Queen Marie Antoinette were one of the famous people to be punished by this painful way.

Also, according to the tour guide he said that the last person to be executed by guillotine was the inventor himself.

Stood in the middle of the road to take a picture of the Arc de Triomphe and I turned my back for a second and this shot happened.

Arc de Triomphe with the sun setting behind.

It is situated at one end of the famous Avenue des Champ-Élysées and next to Charles de Gaulle – Etoile metro station.

This is Jardin des Tuileries, the famous public park between The Louvre and Place de la Concorde.

It got its name from where tile factories used to stand on that site.

Personally I dreaded walking through the park for the second time because although it was nice, it was so so sandy which resulted in turning my shoes white. My shoes were dark blue, mind you.

The famous chunk of metal, Eiffel Tower.

It isn't a trip to Paris without this shot right?

This tower was actually built to be placed at the entrance of the 1889 World's Fair (since they didn't have the internet, the world met at a place once every few years). At that time, many Parisians found it to be an eyesore. After the World's Fair, they planned to scrap it but in the end opted to save it after recognising it as a radiotelegraph station. Today, it is still used as a radiotelegraph station and every year, the surface of this whole structure is coated with anti-corrosion coating.

The view from the 'first floor' which consist of 328 steps up. Youth price was €4 and adults €5.

To go up using the elevator was no less than €15 so we opted to walk.

Bird's eye view of the city.

Lights.

A night shot of the Eiffel Tower.

The Notre-Dame Cathedral.

This cathedral was where the coronation of kings took place, one of which was the famous Napoleon Bonaparte. He was given the title 'Emperor' instead of 'King' simply because he crowned himself.

The coronation process was simple; walk down the church aisle, kneel before the Pope only then the Pope will bless and crown the next king. Only that Napoleon refused to kneel and instead he took the crown from the Pope and plopped it straight onto his head. Everyone in the church was shocked of course and expected the Pope to punish Napoleon but he was given the title 'Emperor' instead.

There was also talks of this cathedral close to being destroyed but Victor Hugo's 'The Hunchback of Notre-Dame' book managed to sway the decision. Apparently, Victor disguised the cathedral as the 'hunchback' character where even though he was not so handsome outside, he was beautiful inside.