At times it’s just good to relax and to not think about the worries of the world. Living in the city of Kuala Lumpur where in Malaysia it’s a city that never sleeps at night, life has been hectic. People challenge each another to be well known, earn money and be amongst the elite.

That’s why it’s just good if one can just relax and say, let bygones be bygones. I am tired too, but that doesn’t give me a reason to not blog. Well, actually it’s a reason to blog such a short blog.

The Weird One DanielCtw will be right back with his tendency to start blogging actively. Tonight is the makeover of his travel blog too.

Popularity: 1% [?]

Finally the 12th installment is here and the continuation of the Tibet adventures at Namtso Lake. How long more will this post be? Beats me… I try to finish all this in a jiffy okay?

Clicking the links below will open a new tab or page.
[Tibet 1] Hello from Lhasa, Tibet
[Tibet 2] The Rough Journey Tibet
[Tibet 3] Another Day in Lhasa
[Tibet 4] Visiting Drepung Monastery Tibet
[Tibet 5] Monastery Visitation Tibet
[Tibet 6] Moving Around Lhasa Tibet
[Tibet 7] The Day I Visited Temples at Lhasa
[Tibet 8] Weird Blue Lake Tibet
[Tibet 9] Randomness at China and Tibet
[Tibet 10] More Monasteries and Mt Everest
[Tibet 11] Journey to Mt Everest
[Tibet 12] Journey to Namtso Lake

So let’s get on with what can one view here at Namtso Lake?

Now surprisingly some people wondered why did I use a logo instead of a url in the photos. Well, maybe after awhile I find that without a url, it feels hard to associate some photos back. Anyway let’s get back to the Tibet thingy. It’s clear blue sky there and this is what one could view at La Ken La. Refer previous Tibet post to understand where it is.

A different view as I go a little bit higher and this time without those flags. Far towards the left of this photo, you can see the NAMTSO LAKE.

Anyway, after arriving in Namtso Lake, it’s time to put our luggage into the inn we’re supposed to stay. This is the place we stayed.

Holy Lake Namtso Guest House, since it’s 5000m+ above sea level, the temperature could drop very low and mind you, there are wools around the building to keep the place warm. Lucky there’s the sun. Have a look in the inside.

The roof is just cloth or rather wool and the place looks comfortable enough. Just wait till you have a look at the room we are sleeping.

3 beds. This was the only time where we were glad that we had only 3 of us going to Tibet. Shot with ISO of 1200, still ain’t so bad. Now enough of what’s in the inn. We’re not here to look at the inn right?

Finall the view of Namtso Lake from higher ground. We climbed up a hill to get this shot. The wind was blowing, and yes, that’s an eagle flying. Settings were set to vivid, makes a lot of things super blue. Seeing that you’ve made it this far, here’s a background of why is Namtso Lake a salt water lake.

As history mentioned, during the ice age, or rather many many years ago, the ocean covered a lot of ground on the Earth. Then the water recede, which what makes the salt water which is part of the ocean unable to move out of it’s location due to a mountain like enclosure trapping water above it. This was then how the Namtso Lake came about.

The small figures you see below on the bottom left are actually human beings. Just imagine how big this lake is. There’s also a festival once in every year where pilgrims would come over here to walk across the dry land that you see in this photo. Too bad we missed it as it was a month ago before we arrived here.

As always, being in Tibet or Nepal, there’s always this familiar arrangement of stones. It’s also here in Namtso Lake where climbing up the hill, we also get to see them.

Just how high it is. If you think you saw snow capped mountain at the background, yes, you’re right. Too bad I didn’t bring my wide up the hill. Kinda loss of breath due to high altitude and the cold wind. We stayed up there for nearly 3 hours. Imagine the strong wind blowing, I needed to find shelter behind rocks at times.

But why?? Why do we have to stay for 3 hours up there? The next photo would reveal something.

Ahhhh!!! Looks like the sun will set soon. When we took this photo, it was already 4pm or 5pm in the evening. We know that we could actually catch the sunset from here. The problem is when the sun starts to set, the air became cooler, my hand starts to shake and I was chilly all over. I couldn’t wait any longer, so we walked back towards the inn. Only for me to get one last shot of the so called sunset.

TA DAH~~~ That’s the best I can do.

After reaching the inn, this is what we all did. You’re right, we didn’t have dinner. Too cold to eat.

Kenny in his sleeping bag.

and the so serious Ek Wei in his own sleeping bag. XD XD… while I took photos.

ps: They requested to help them take this photo actually.

The next morning though, both me and Kenny couldn’t wake up at all. Or rather we were just too lazy to get up. Ek Wei got up on his own and walked at the lake. (Though I wished I had) He called both of us LAZY after that.

Well, I should have learnt my lesson after that. That’s because is not everytime one will visit the place again. By the way, by forgetting to bring one’s razor up here as we left some of our luggage back down at the town, I am sure some of you can’t wait to see how I looked. Maybe you can, but anyhow I am still gonna show it.

Okay, peace out.

Popularity: 1% [?]

ROARS!!!!! Oh no…. what am I turning into. It seems like I am getting more and more absent minded. These few days I have been forgetting certain things and forgetting to do certain things. Until at times I felt that I am getting blur and more blur than usual. Take this email which I have received from Nuffnang regarding their tickets that they have reserved for me on Tuesday 18th May 2010.

This was my entry to get the tickets.

“For someone like me who likes to walk outside in the dark during the kampung days, not much to be afraid of. Though in the deep dark cave, I will be afraid when I see Timothy Tiah in there without his clothes. ARGHHHHHH be afraid be very afraid. He’ll ask you what you’re doing here? GO get your invites to descent 2.”

The thing is I won! I got the tickets for Descent 2. Problem is I forgot to do something important which is to confirm it because I forgotten that I’ve gotten the email from them.

Here was the email they sent.

Dear Nuffnanger,

We would like to inform you that your invitations to the Nuffnang screening of The Descent 2 have been revoked as you did not confirm your attendance within the stipulated time. As such, they will be passed to other bloggers who didn’t make it in the initial list.

Kindly take note.

Now you can see me all sad and feel dejected. So I wonder if I can get the Prince of Persia screening tickets instead. Then my face will go from sad to happy. =D

Side note: I know many people have seen me acting the cool pose and can’t seem to smile. Wanna know why? Here let me show you a recent shot (okay it was month’s back) and me trying to smile directly in front of a camera. That’s why I can never smile properly. Just look at the proof.

See see! I don’t know how to smile right? Weird me.

ARGHHHH!!!!!!!! It’s my first time missing a movie invite like that. To whoever that was lucky to get my pair of tickets, you guys are lucky for having someone as blur as me. *cries* I felt like want to release my power inside me and maybe blast a KAME HAME HA!

Note: This photo was taken from an old post about Nuffnang screening on Dragonball.

So next time someone please remind me not to be so forgetful.

Popularity: 1% [?]

It’s time to recap. It’s now the 11th post in the Tibet category and there are more to come. If you haven’t read the rest before that, you may refer to the list below.

Clicking the links below will open a new tab or page.
[Tibet 1] Hello from Lhasa, Tibet
[Tibet 2] The Rough Journey Tibet
[Tibet 3] Another Day in Lhasa
[Tibet 4] Visiting Drepung Monastery Tibet
[Tibet 5] Monastery Visitation Tibet
[Tibet 6] Moving Around Lhasa Tibet
[Tibet 7] The Day I Visited Temples at Lhasa
[Tibet 8] Weird Blue Lake Tibet
[Tibet 9] Randomness at China and Tibet
[Tibet 10] More Monasteries and Mt Everest
[Tibet 11] Journey to Mt Everest

Finally after descending Mount Everest base camp, it’s time to go on to our next destination which is the Namtso Lake. The world’s highest salt water lake. Yes, SALT WATER! Unbelievable? Well, how can there be a salt water lake high up the mountains?Anyway along the way down, there are lots of crazy roads we have to go through.  From roads that are such cramp in between rocks and hills.

Roads that are in the middle of the mountain are also experienced. We heard a story, just a month ago, there was a cave in and the rock collapsed on the road. We did witness a part of what had happened. Rather it was the history of it.

Here’s another so called hole in the mountain that we had to go through too. Now look at how wide the road is, and how ‘big‘ is that hole compared to the road. What a way to carry on our journey. Still all of us like so called prayed that the driver that is ferrying us in his van would drive safely and that we reached our destination in one piece.

We were in the van for hours, and considering that a few of us are photographers, we needed some stretching done and with beautiful scenery around in this land of Nepal + Tibet, we make sure we stopped for some shots. Most of us won’t be coming back again, so it’s either you shoot now or you won’t be able to shoot another photo in the coming future.

The stream, the splendid mountain. These kind of scenery, what a sight to behold. Of course along the way, we could see herdsmen driving the buffaloes and what another view other than just scenery.

Photos taken from inside the van. Not very good composition as we’re in a moving vehicle and I just shoot with my previous settings.

After what seemed to be a long journey, it’s time to move on, and finally a spot to rest and flex our legs.

Buffaloes roam the place around here. Something funny happened here though, there was this local guy who was basically walking towards us asking for money for shooting the area here. The funny thing was not that, but more of he was practically following Kenny all the way until he tailed him back to the van. I can’t stop laughing. Seems like he’s a local Tibetan magnet.

The snow capped mountains at the background seems so near but yet so far. Well, I was only able to view only and never did I get to touch them yet.

Remember I said there was a guy who kept following Kenny all the way. Well basically he was behind this offering structure and then he suddenly stood up and kept going near to us. Kept asking for 50 Yuan. Practically I was using a zoom lens, so I stood kind of far away. He only came near to me once and I just walked the other way.

Finally it’s time to push forward and this time we stopped at another amazing location. Most photos shot are practically taken straight from the camera with their settings.

I must have set this to vivid. The sky is so blue but I love them. But isn’t it strange to have the mountain being cut in half from the photo. So feast your eyes on a panoramic shot then.

Click on the photo to get it in 1280 x 501 resolution joined together using Adobe Photoshop CS3 by using this technique to merge the photos.

How to do it? This is the tutorial page.

Well, after what seemed like a hard long journey, took like 6 hours, we’ve finally reached a location that somehow mentioned about the Namtso Lake. Did I mentioned that it was salt water? I guessed I did.

Finally the Big Stone wall to welcome us to the entrance to Namtso Lake. Again we have to pay 100 Yuan to go pass the guard house. Everything is money here. Well, the stone wall reads The Highest Lake in the World – Namtso (世界之 ? – 纳木 ? ) . Someone please help me fill in the blanks. I can’t find the han yu pin ying, nor do I know what it reads for the ones with the question mark. Anyone can help?

Now you must be wondering, since we’ve descended from Mount Everest, how high is it right now? The next photo should explained it. It’s 5190m above sea level.

Now don’t you love the way we all jumped. Beyond the horizon is the Namtso Lake and we had a jump before arriving our destination. What a great place to do all our jumping.

Popularity: 1% [?]

Scary right the title? Imagine the destruction of Earth, the place we live on. With so many new shows few months back all mentioning about the end of Earth coming one by one.

Though here’s a thought or two for everyone. We all know that sooner or later something big is gonna happen, maybe some kind of destruction that is way serious that we can’t fathom the greatness of it. Well, not something to be in awe though if it really comes. It’s a scary thought or two, but movies like End of Days, Armageddon and the recent one, 2012 brings back into self reality as to what if that day hits us smack right into our face? So what are we going to do then?

Of course, there was a recent series of documentary based on the Mayan calendar that sort of stopped at the year 2012, which scientist and archaeologist predicts it’s the last days and the end of times. So then now we have freaking 2 years more to live. What now? Some secret society is doing some project somewhere to so called save humanity? Problem is what is that disaster that would come?

For religions like Christians, they will know it won’t come by flood as depicted by the movie 2012 as there was a covenant from God to Noah that there won’t be anymore days like this (The Great Flood during the times of Noah). But what will it be then? Meteor strikes? Nuclear? World War 3?

Well, that aside, let’s think about it. Do we have a part to play in this? Yes, first of all, we have to be aware of the things we can do to play a part in helping Earth. How does the Earth live, basically do you know what actually holds the earth crust together? Isn’t it strange that the Earth is like a ball engulfing boiling lavas waiting to burst out anytime? Seemingly scientist has theorized everything and anything to explain how the Earth formed, but what about the other planets? Why were they formed the way it is? Besides why is it that Earth has got us humans to be on it and living on the planet. Strange isn’t it, if you think far beyond what we usually do as in our everyday life chores. Most people would say, if it doesn’t affect me then why think about it?

Ahh…. That’s what most people say about when it comes to politics. What happened there won’t affect me, yes, but if you don’t even bother to know what is happening around the world, your country, basically then, what are you living for? For yourself right? Plain ignorance of the things around you won’t get you anywhere but your own self satisfaction.

Nowadays we see NGO doing a small bit in anyway to help save Earth. Be it, recycling campaign, save our Trees, our forest or save the Animals. Go green, don’t use plastic. These are the current things that people discuss. There was this Earth Day which encouraged users to go off their lights to help save Earth. Basically it won’t save Earth but what it does is that it’s to ensure people know that sometimes it’s not about whether it can actually save our Earth, it’s just part of a small act of gesture to show how much one cares. Besides what have you got to lose, other than you living in darkness for 1 hour. You don’t even need to spend any money unlike other celebrations or some other auspicious days.

Daniel has theorized that somehow or surely something is holding the Core of the Earth intact. But what is it? Up till now, all are just theories. What is holding the Atom in our body in tact? Basically many are theories, since our body is made of molecules which could be break up into atoms, what about it? What holds the atom then? Strange isn’t it? Maybe some scientist can tell us, how did atoms come together by itself unlike those artificial fusing?

Sometimes certain things are unexplainable and as humans, we are afraid of things that can’t be explained.

I once watched a movie, where this guy tries to explain every phenomenon with his theories and came up with Mathematical calculations. But in all things, how do you calculate the sun? I meant how does the Sun started burning? Some theorize that it was star that kept burning and burning until there will come a day when the Sun will stop burning. So what does that Sun does? Somehow the solar system here, seems like the Sun is the Nucleus of it. Oh, confusing eh?

Fuhhh… you have read through this article and you still survived it? Kudos then to you. So what message do I want to portray here now? Basically it’s just one of those days with my long long posts, and what I am thinking on my mind right now.

Imagine me asking someone this?

danielctw: Have I gone mad?
Someone: I’m afraid so. You’re entirely bonkers. But I’ll tell you a secret. All the best people are.

Fuiyoh, I must be the best. XD

Popularity: 1% [?]