Scenic River. Taman Negara, Malaysia

Taman Negara. Two words in Bahasa Melayu, the national language of Malaysia, which conjure images of giant green garden filled with exotic flowers and creatures. The word 'taman' means both 'park' and 'garden' in malay while 'negara' means 'nations'-together they translate simply as 'National Park'. Even though there are certainly many other national parks elsewhere in Malaysia, Taman Negara remains the patriarch of them all, with the pedigree to back it up. Taman Negara is indeed one the oldest rainforests in the entire world, estimated at 130 million years old. The abundance and diversity of nature is phenomenal in Taman Negara, one of the world's most complex and rich ecosystems. A veritable treasure of the planet! But, for me, the best part is to get there! The departure point to the park is the tinny village of Kuala Tembeling. Upon arrival at Kuala Tembeling Jetty, proceed to Wildlife Department counter for Park Entry Permit and Camera License registrations. Then you can buy a boat ticket to Taman Negara from authorized counter. I advice you to have a light lunch while waiting for your boat departure. There are some fruits shops. The boat journey will takes 2 1/2 to 3 hours and NO toilet break!! Make sure you go to the restroom before boarding the boat. After 2 1/2-3 hours scenic river view journey, you get to your last boat stop over. Make sure you left nothing because mostly the boat will return back to Kuala Tembeling. There's no bellman or porter service at the arrival point, so make sure you have proper backpack to carry your luggage. The river banks are made of big stones and we have to pass true difficult path ways from the jetty to land. Probably you have also to "climb-walk-climb-walk" start from the river bank until to the resort pick up point, or even walk direct to chosen resort. Some tips from who already experienced it.

Who like’s sushi? Tokyo, Japan.

I’m not writing in Tricky Traveler for a long time! Maybe because is winter and my traveling as been sleepy for the time. But the spring will arrive, and we will change it soon with some new projects. Today I remembered Tsukiji (pronounced tsu-kee-jee), the world's largest fish market in Tokyo Japan. Tsukiji is also the world's finest fish theater and a daily drama that you can witness for free. At 5 a.m., a few tourists were already ahead of us, squeezed into a roped-off aisle and surrounded by more than a hundred frozen tuna. The fish were laid out in neat rows on the floor of the chilly warehouse, giving off a faint frozen mist under the fluorescent lighting. We jostled for position and milled about excitedly, waiting for Tokyo's famous tuna auction to begin, and hoping for some good shots. Men in work shirts and rubber boots bent over the solid carcasses, inspecting them by lifting a three-inch flap of skin that had been neatly cut open on each one, or peering at the cut-off tail end with a flashlight. The weight of each fish was written in kilograms and at the same label we can read where it was fished, and how much it can cost. Even if you have only one day in Tokyo, you should spend part of the morning here. (It is closed on Sundays and some Wednesdays.) Seafood is at the heart of Japanese cuisine, and Tsukiji anchors a vast distribution system that delivers more than 2,200 tons of it every night. The immense bounty turns into daintily wrapped supermarket packages of two or three slices of perfect salmon or arrives at restaurant sushi counters by lunchtime. The market's operations are staggering. Throughout the night, the seafood arrives from all over the world, delivered by tankers and trucks from other ports and the airport. It is just fantastic! Can you now worth a bit more the sushi you have at the sushi bar at the corner!