Too Much of Snow Can Prove Fatal

Posted by danielctw On December - 21 - 2011

Sometimes when we are in a hot country at the equator line like Malaysia, we all wish for snow to fall in order for us to have that feeling. I still remembered way back at 2009 where there was snow in Pavilion, Kuala Lumpur. Well, not really snow but actually foam which looked like snow.

Though what if there was actually snow in Malaysia? I believe when there really is snow in Malaysia, we can all start praying that the end of the world is not around. We can also start panicking due to unforeseen weather around the globe. Well that is a big what IF!!

Anyway, that is beside the point, I still cannot believe I did not go and touch the snow when I had the chance in Tibet. Anyway I redeemed myself past week by finally able to achieve the touching of snow.

Daniel Chew in Snow

I was under dress in a snowy place. I should have worn more clothes but then it was an experience I wanted to treasure with lesser clothes. Though by doing so it proved to be a crazy mistake. Just shortly after, I turned out to be this.

Daniel Frozen in Snow

Guessed being in the snow too much can proved to be fatal.

ps: The above are just for illustration purposed only. There were no Daniels injured or harmed in the process of taking the photos.

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[Tibet Trip 19] Midui Glacier Tibet Adventure

Posted by danielctw On September - 19 - 2010

We’re now finally back to Midui Glacier and more and more adventure as we carry on. Surprisingly it’s going to reached almost a year since I last came back from Tibet. Well, actually it took quite a while to draft this whole post and I haven’t even started writing on Bali and Philippines too.

Midui Glacier Tibet 2009

Now this is the journey to the Midui Glacier, Tibet 2009. That’s like a year ago and from this post, I am leaving to Taiwan in awhile.

Midui Glacier

Midui Glacier against the brown sandy stream. Now wait, how did the water came about? The source is the ice that is and still melting.

Midui Glacier Closeup

Then we got a bit closer.

Midui Glacier Super Closeup

Then it was then super close. Alright alright, it’s just the lens doing it’s thing. Of course let’s judge how far is the glacier from the lake.

Human with Midui Glacier

Now that’s what I call far. It looks near but indeed, the ice block the one you see like a small little brown hill is where we will be heading, and that’s like still a mile away from the snow. Of course along the way, there are many things that caught my eye. One of them is something protruding out from the stream.

Midui Glacier Remnants

Something white in the middle of the stream. It’s big.

Big Ice Block

Oh… it’s a piece of the ice that was left all alone there slowly melting but right in the middle of the stream.

Midui Glacier with Ice Block

Remember the brown hill? It’s actually ice covered with mud. Yes, it’s all ice blocks. This is the part where we get to stand on though. Of course, shooting can be done with a different setting. The above shot with a lighter color style.

Ice Block Closeup

To show the ice is really there, I took this shot and you can see that it’s really ice. Of course, nothing would be complete without making my mark that I have been to this place. What’s will all the scenery if I don’t have myself in it too. It shows that I’ve been there. I don’t know about others but that’s what I will do when I reached to another distant land. Maybe I should have done something like Matt? DANCE??

Danielctw at Midui Glacier

Or just pose!! Of course some of my antics were caught by my friend Ek Wei. This I got to show you.

Daniel and Kenny at Midui Shooting Photos

Kenny and me trying to take our best shots of the place there. Of course we didn’t know that the camera was pointed at us. Until…… Ek Wei called my name and Kenny’s.

Pose after Shoot

What else! Pose time. I guessed I can forever do the cool type of pose.

Of course, there were many photos taken, but if all things have to be posted on this blog post, it’s gonna take forever on Midui Glacier.

Important Side Note: I had one of my scary experience here also (besides the night experience). When I took photos of the Glacier, I have been looking at the camera for too long pointing towards the Glacier. Bad move…. after that I had problem with my vision as the Glacier is too bright with the ray of the sun shining on it. I was seeing everything with blurness and whitish all the time. It was hard to adjust. Thank God I was okay after a few minute rest without taking any photos.

Of course, where there’s great photos, there’s also time to depart from the place due to time constraint.

Lake with Ice Block

We went pass a lake which have huge ice blocks in it.

Anyway for those who don’t believe the water was cold when one touches it, believe it. Imagine what will be in the next picture?

Ice Taken from Stream

It’s cold and he got hold of an ice particle in the lake and brought it along. Now imagine how cold his hands were. The whole ice and under the hot sun. His hand is gonna sting. Ouch!!!

By the way, this post is a pre-setted post as I am currently away in Taiwan and that means more photos to come in the coming future blog posts. Of course there are Bali and Vigan photos to be uploaded too. If you would love to see more of the photos, do visit my facebook photo page that I’ve shared. My facebook link is found on the right.

Here are the previous posts in case you just chance upon this post though.

[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

[Tibet 13] Namtso Lake Scene

[Tibet 14] Return to Lhasa from Mountains

[Tibet 15] Lhasa Town Free and Easy

[Tibet 16] Beginning the Journey to Chengdu in Jeep

[Tibet 17] The Giant Tree and Tibet Tradition Wear

[Tibet 18] Journey towards Midui Glacier, Tibet

Simple post this time. It’s more towards scenery.

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Tibet Journey to Mount Everest

Posted by danielctw On April - 13 - 2010

It was our final place to visit. The base camp of Mt Everest. I am one of the few who get to spent like 20+ days overseas and get to visit the base camp of Mount Everest or to the locals here, it’s called Mt Qomolangma. Before we even reached the base camp, we were given a sneak preview of what we’re going to visit. Mind you, even the sneak preview, we still got to pay. That’s like RMB40 again. Darn….

Various Peak of Various Mountains in Nepal

Now imagine for a sneak preview, it’s 40 Yuan. Well, in order to do that though, we wanted a better view, so we climbed up the smaller peak and boy~~~ it was superbly tiring. Must have been the thin air I guess. Well, it was tiring and guessed what, there are a few motorbikes going up and down that peak to ask us whether we want to hop on their bike to go up.

Since we were dead tired, it was a good offer. Only to be asked to pay 30 Yuan which we bargained to get it at 20 Yuan. Money suckers. Every thing is payment here and there. At least though we reached the peak to catch a glimpse of the Mount Everest. Also I get to sit on a local’s bike. Bumpy ride but an experience but then to pay that much, suddenly it felt not so worth it.

The top is a breath of fresh air. I get to see the top unlike others who are below being bothered by peddlers trying to sell their fossils being dugged out from the mountain. Yes, prehistoric fossils. Those shells.

From then onwards, I took out my gear, trying to capture the top of the mountain only to be blocked by a massive cloud. After waiting for 10 minutes, the cloud cleared and there it was, the tip of Mount Everest or Mount Qomolongma.

The mountain only to be blocked by a gravel of dirt. It feels so near, but the peak is 8000m+ above sea level. So after getting the great view, we’re on our journey once more. To go onwards to the Everest Base Camp, situated about 5000m+ above sea level. To think that I was able to stand cold on highlands, the cold here is crazy. My hand was frozen if I don’t have proper gloves.

When we reached the base camp, it was already getting dark, around 6pm, and with nightfall, the cold is getting crazier. It’s approximately 0 degrees Celsius. Early in the morning, Ek Wei woke up and showed us the thermometer he brought along. It’s below 0 degrees Celsius. Wahhhh~~~ and it’s about 530am. It’s time to wake up to reach the starting point of the track towards Mt Everest.

A proof that I was there.

The sight was splendid. It seems so near. If only I could have more time and tracked there. But I was feeling superbly cold and if I don’t get myself warm enough, my fingers could go frozen. What with when my gloves tore around the palm area. Wore 3 pieces of clothing to keep myself from cold, but it’s still not warm enough.

Cold until I can’t pose properly. It’s 5200m above sea level. This is still just below the rocks. Having trouble climbing up the cliff which is a mere 100 meters.

When we finally reached there, the sun came up and a Tibetan does his ritual there. See the peak covered behind by the clouds, that’s Mount Everest.

So fascinated by the beauty of it, I didn’t want to go back down, but being frozen is a far worst experience. So time to do some simple photoshoot before going down.

It was so cold. At least you can see the peak behind . Luckily the sun was a bit out so it was a bit warm.It’s WEIRD ME and Ek Wei.

Kenny came up later, so we didn’t get his photos. Well, group photo was done by ekwei as I brought my zoom lens and hands are too cold to change the lens.

After doing our shots here in Mount Everest, it’s time to go back down, and back to Lhasa Town, Tibet. Of course, one can go back with a souvenir to certify that you’ve been up there and it only cost 70 Yuan. Money again. ARGH~~~~

I was running out of RMB (Yuan) so didn’t want to spent it on unnecessary expenditures.

While on our way back sitting in the van, we stopped for a last time view on the splendid architecture of God’s and capture the scenic view of the Mount Everest bask in sunlight. The view was splendid, I wondered if I could actually one day go there again.

It’s time to go down, and after going down like 20 minutes, it seems that one of the people in the same van left his mobile phone at the base camp. Thus a call was made up there and someone brought the phone down. Of course, not all things are done for free and it’s 100 Yuan. What an expensive carrier. While waiting for the person to come down with the mobile phone, an exciting view comes into my focus, and I got this next shot.

Too much of foreground maybe, wasn’t prepared. Well, could have cropped it though, but I love to picture my photos thru the viewfinder and not by cropping photos. It takes practice. I ain’t a professional yet and I am hoping to take nicer photos in the coming future.

I guessed that wraps up the Mount Everest Base Camp trip. At least it was an experience worth having.

Ek Wei and Kenny wondering, is that all? Darn… can we go there again. I wished for it too.

Until then adios and good time reading.

ps: Upcoming post, a little bit about Malaysia instead. Too many overseas trip. Let’s talk about Beautiful Malaysia in the Land of Kuching.

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The Weird Blue Lake at Tibet

Posted by danielctw On February - 26 - 2010

Finally it’s the day to leave Lhasa town for a while and go on my way to the Base camp of Mount Everest. Yes, I will be traveling to a peak higher than Mount Kinabalu and the place I am going is nearly 6000m above sea level. It’s so gonna be cold up there.

Upon driving on the way, we made a stop on a site for photography, but amazingly we are also charged for stopping there. Each person was charged 30 Yuan (that’s RM15 in Malaysia). Just because there’s a lake which is so blue, it looks so fake. Yes, the blue makes it so fake  but what they mentioned was it was natural color and it’s not because of the sky, it’s due to some chemical in the lake. Amazing right. If you were to see it by yourself. Since I’ve already paid 30 Yuan, I just need to pose with the lake in the background.

Jeng Jeng Jeng. I love the solid background. No humans… darn red thingy at the side. Supporter of Liverpool FC all the way. Even in Tibet. Of course, I can’t get enough of just standing in front of the background. What about a JUMP????

I am here… woo hoo~~~ LOL.. Though it seems that everywhere I go, everyone is doing the jump. So not unique, I don’t want to be like everyone else. Why not do something else with the lake pose. Hmm… let’s do what Daniel does best. WEIRD POSE.

Hahaha… don’t know what I am doing. Not special but just want to do something different. Mission PHAILED. Ok done about this part.

Let’s see how it was before we (that’s me and the other 2 friends with me) got to the lake. We went on a jeep and below you can see the roads that were used to travel up.

A view from the jeep’s window

The road is so long and winding. Sometimes it can be very near the edge, the whole lot of us are praying the driver is driving safely. So anyway since the blue lake is there, we thought of going there nearer and nearer. So to see whether it’s really blue.

Here’s my friend here, Ek Wei with the so called dog of Lhasa, Tibet and with a local man. Now no alteration in the photo and yes, the lake is super blue even upclose. This is crazily weird. First time seeing a blue lake and it’s not an optical illusion.

So here’s another proof of the blue blue lake of Tibet. I just love the surroundings of Tibet. Superb sceneries, not many places you can find these kind of view and perfect sky.

Next this is the place we had our next stop. OMG, look at the height of the place.

5560m above sea level and we can actually see a snow mountain up close. Wooots… White white, something which I don’t get to see in Malaysia. What a way to play around and look at the clear white snow.

The surrounding area of Kharola Snow Peak which have the snow and yes, it’s just a 5 minutes walk there. Hmmm.. did some mini HDR technique on the clouds to avoid having just white background on the sky. Not so appealing but I just want to show you how the mountain looks like.

This is finally the end of the Kharola Glacier and Blue Lake of Tibet. The view is superb. I really love the view, oh my goodness, I wanna go there once again. What a day up 5000m above sea level. Who’s game for the next Tibet trip??

ps: What’s next? Food review? Bali travels? Kuching Travels? or more Tibet Travels? The decision is yours.

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Snowing in Malaysia

Posted by danielctw On December - 19 - 2009

Do you wish that one day you can actually see snow in other parts of the world where there isn’t snow at all? What I meant by that is natural snow caused by the weather. Now imagine Malaysia, the country I live in and it snows. Bet that lots of people would be wow… it’s snowing wheee~~~~ but then, if you were to think it further and carefully doesn’t it mean something like this

Oh SHIT!!! It’s snowing. Something is happening. #2012

This is some thing I thought up but yes, nowadays when there is something out of the extraordinary we twit about it with the hashtag #2012 and it became viral to a few people. All credits to Satkuru who started this for me. If you haven’t followed my twitter, here’s the page http://twitter.com/danielctw.

The latest entry by Satkuru complaining about his facebook thingy.

RT @hongaun: My facebook interface keep on changing (switching between old and new one) what’s going on??? #facebook #2012

Somehow I got a feeling that someone’s name almost same with me I just had to do this

OMG almost same name RT @bryanhoo @danielctw his name is danieltwc. similar with u. that’s why i confuse haha #2012

So let’s go back to snow in Malaysia. Apparently people wanted snow to drop in Malaysia that some shopping complex in Kuala Lumpur is doing just that for the public. For instance Pavilion shopping mall. There’s snow.

HTC HERO USERBAR

Snow In Malaysia Pavilion

Oh my snow in Malaysia at Pavilion Kuala Lumpur

Snow In Pavilion Malaysia

The people are panicking NOT.

Snow turned out to be bubble foam. Really really weird people. Why in a crowd waiting for snowy FOAMS. Seriously this could be tag as #2012.

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Daniel Chew

Hello there. My name is Daniel Chew or known in the blogosphere as DanielCtw.

Well, I love to take photos and to write things so that you guys/gals will enjoy.the life stories here. I travel a lot and that's why this blog's a travel log and sometimes personal stories thrown into it. Wanna know more about me? Do read more about me at the ABOUT ME PAGE!

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