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!

Temple rests. Bangkok, Thailand

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. . . Explore. Dream. Discover." "Tomorrow is too late..."

Meeting the Orang Asli. Taman Nagara, Malaysia.

The Orang Asli are the minority indigenous peoples of Peninsular Malaysia. They are about 120,000 and distributed unevenly among 19 different linguistic groups. They represent the most marginalized of Malaysian society today. But the Orang Asli were not always the underclass during early modern Malayan history, some Orang Asli groups, especially in Melaka, Johor, and Negri Sembilan, were instrumental in helping to establish and maintain early Malay kingdoms. We spent 3 days trek through the ancient rainforests of Taman Negara. On the last day, we came across the Orang Asli community and we meet the chef of the village. Orang means 'man' in its generic sense – hence 'orang-utan', or 'man of the jungle' – and the Orang Asli are the original inhabitants of the jungle. Evidence of their existence was our boat trip from Kuala Tembleling. We had the chance to see them in the water, having bath with the children or just fishing. We arrive to the village also by boat, and we start see a number of temporary shelters dotted around the place done by woven-leaf. My curiosity implies me to go to these places, but hanging around this simply village, I felt the strange sensation that I was being watched, and I really don’t belong to that place. Our guide assured us that they were used to receive people, and there was no reason to feel as an intruder. Strangely we were received by a group of children’s, simply playing around like other children no matter where in the word. I suddenly left behind my silly feeling of stupid tourist with all the photo gear and self-conscious modern man, and I let myself go by all this modest way of living. They reveal to be great hosts and expressed the same curiosity about me, and my camera, that I express for them and theirs hunting tools. Among all the great photos I took in that day, I chose this home to display for the beauty and simplicity.

Chora, Ios Island. Greece

Ios island in Greece is a famous tourist destination, attracting visitors with its golden beaches and the characteristic Aegean architecture. Ios is well known as the party island with the lively atmosphere and the endless fun. But it isn’t just about parties. Ios means also nice small villages, and astonish beaches. Four of the most beautiful beaches in the Aegean, each one lying next to the other, wait for the visitor to enjoy their peaceful nature in Ios. Don’t miss Chora, the mane village. Exploring Chora means, first of all, walking. Choose a cool morning, wear your most comfortable shoes and get ready to set off. One hour is enough for the ones who just want to have a look at this whitewashed village, perched on the slope of the hill between the port and Mylopotas. The more demanding ones will need the whole morning to discover the hidden beauty of Chora. That's because Chora was built up for the sun and it's the sun that reveals the village to the visitor or hides it from him. To go up to Chora, just follow the wide stone steps of the old ascending road that comes from the port. On your way, right before entering the village, you will come across a part of the walls that once surrounded the ancient town. On your way you will find the modern Orthodox Cathedral of the island, named Evangelismos (Annuciation) and, nearby, a church dedicated to St. Ekaterini, where in 1903 an excavation unearthed the remnants of Byzantine foundations and the ruins of an ancient temple dedicated to Apollo. Above these ruins the Christians built the Byzantine Cathedral. The views are just great from here.

"Orquestra Geração", From Portugal in Brussels.

Sometimes what’s national is really very good. That is the case of "Orquestra Geração". The "Orquestra Geração", a group of enthusiastic young artists, has come all the way from Lisbon to perform in Brussels, in the framework of OPEN DAYS, the European Week of Regions and Cities. The project Generation Orchestra, "Orquestra Geração" in Portuguese, is made up of a group of youngsters from deprived urban areas, which formed a young orchestra with the help of the City of Amadora, Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, National Conservatory's School of Music and other partners. The aim is to involve the kids and youngsters under risk of exclusion and enhance their social and intellectual capacities for the rest of their lives. This pilot project has been co-funded by the Equal initiative, which supports actions in favour of employment and social inclusion. This photo was taken at the small concert by "Orquestra Geração" as at Berlaymont esplanade in Brussels. Even with the rain it was a remarkable moment.

Berlin Wall: 20 years after its fall. Germany

Tourists mill around the Gate; Postsdamer Platz, Berlin's thriving pre-war heartland which spent four decades stranded in no-man's land, is now home to a collection of gleaming new office blocks; the east's long-neglected Friedrichstrasse is lined with upmarket boutiques; and former West Germans have colonised newly trendy eastern districts.