悠遊高雄

真幸運！適逢高雄捷運剛通車，乘客可免費任搭。

港鐵也應學習高雄捷運增設夜間婦女候車區
夢時代摩天
七十四樓危危下望

高雄港

六合夜市

台南特產 ---- 又貴又難吃的烏魚子

夜遊愛河

台式Latte????

在高雄機場等候上機的時候，叫了一客薑汁撞奶，卻送來了一杯疑似『Latte』的物體，以為弄錯，怎料女侍應耐心地解釋這杯薑汁撞奶是由半杯薑汁、半杯鮮奶再加泡沫弄成，具驅寒、美容之效云云！哈哈！看來我當了一頭自願被吃的豬了！

牧場旅棧@墾丁

這次高雄墾丁之旅來去匆匆，由籌備至出發不足一星期，田友Johanna極力推介下，决定在墾丁下榻民宿，在網上亂打亂撞下選擇了這間牧場旅棧，旅棧每一角落都畫滿了主人夫婦所親手繪畫的插畫，當中以造型可愛的乳牛為主打。

我選擇了龜龜雙人房，有如置身童話中。

牧棧鄰近墾丁國家公園，值得一去。

民宿老板非常友善，當我們從高雄坐包車抵達旅棧後，便向我們介紹墾丁的景點，由於旅客還未退房，他便建議我們先到國家公園逛逛，回來才替我們租單車，逛了兩個多小時，回到旅棧，正想換一些輕便點的衣服再去踏單車，怎料，不小心弄齗了行李箱的鑰匙，真是晴天霹靂！連忙找老板求救，老板不慌不忙拿了不少工具給我們開箱，我們看着行李箱不知從何入手，心想若把箱子弄破，後果可能更嚴重，於是，就問老板墾丁附近有否行李箱或袋賣，老板卻建議我們回高雄才買，並可暫借旅行袋給我們，心想這方案也不行，便問附近有否開鎖舖接回斷了的鑰匙，老板便說倒不如他駕車送我們到恆春鎮，看看那裏的開鎖師傅能否替我們打開箱子。

等待期間，老板還駕車帶我們在恆春鎮遊覽，下圖是南門。

回到開鎖店時，師傅已弄開了行李箱，還替我們配了一條新鑰匙，非常專業！我們這回真是出路遇貴人了！

回程時，老板還駕車載我們到南灣逛逛！

很多弄潮兒在南灣滑浪

這民宿之所以叫牧場，因其身處墾丁牧場附近。

白色的牛牛

離旅棧不遠的墾丁大街，餐廳、商店林立，十分熱鬧！



周末還有很多不同的攤位遊戲供遊人耍樂。

我在墾丁*天氣晴

台灣人大都懂開機車，我不懂，好不容易在墾丁大街找到一小店租了部殘殘的單車，開始了我們墾丁單車之旅。 (攝於大尖山下)

船帆石

一對情侶在自拍

殘殘的單車@香蕉灣

美麗的砂島

鵝鑾鼻的一頭鵝？？？

國境之南、太陽之西 --- 鵝鑾鼻燈塔

『長九』之爭

攝於高雄市，『長九』之爭鬥到愛河上

攝於車上，墾丁往高雄途中，看來香港有些地方比較落後


攝於墾丁，踏單車途中

My First Photobook Finally Arrived!!

I'm so excited to receive my first self-created photobook "Faces of Iran" on the Christmas Day just before leaving home to Christmas Mass. Thanks, God! It is about my Iran Trip in Oct 2007. It takes me weeks to finish this book. Despite many negative comments given by other customers in Blurb's forum, the quality of the book turns out very good and it's out of my expectation.

Thank you, Blurb! Thank you, UPS! Life is really beautiful!

Vietnam Trip (1) - Mekong Delta

Vietnam's "rice basket" - The Mekong Delta

Merry Christmas

Taken at Equatorial Hotel, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

再上路

世事多變，原本一年一度的滑雪之旅，因多名板友未能請假告吹了，加上康先生來年有新任務，可能須長駐外地一年﹝我可有藉口歐遊了﹞，於是乘聖誕前到越南作幾天消遙遊，算是獎勵自己今年考試的努力，來年的事，來年再算吧！

活在當下嘛！

伊朗行《17》--- Tehran

Tehran is the capital and largest city of Iran.

It is the hub of the country's communication and transport network. The city has numerous large museums, art centers, palace complexes and cultural centers and host 45% of Iran's industries.

Left: Golestan Palace Right: Holy Shrine of Imam Khomeini

伊朗行《16》--- Kashan

Kashan is a desert oasis situated in an historic region that dates back to pre-historic times. There are hundreds of once-grand traditional houses. in Kashan. Most have long since been carved up or are literally turning to dust, but recently a few have been restored and many others are being slowly and meticulously revived.

Originally built as a private residence in the early 19th century, the Khan-e Borujerdi has a lovely courtyard flanked by summer and winter houses.

At the southern end of the courtyard, the splendid motifs above the arched entrance to the summer house indicate this was the home of a rich merchant of handicrafts.

As you wander around the narrow streets of Kashan, look carefully at the doors.

Most have two knockers, one round and fat, the other long and thin.

These were designed to give off different sounds so that whoever was in the house would be able to tell whether a man or woman was knocking and so decide who should open the door to them; vital in a society where women lived in purdah (in seclusion or behind a veil).

Designed for Shah Abbas I, Bagh-e Tarikhi-ye Fin is a classical Persian vision of paradise. It has always been prized for its natural springs and still contains the remains of the Shah's two-storey palace.

Bagh-e Tarikhi-ye Fin is also infamous for being the site of the murder in 1851 of the revered Mirza Taghi Khan, commonly known as Amir Kabir.

Source: Lonely Planet

伊朗行《15》--- Isfahan

Isfahan, located about 340 km south of Tehran, is the capital of Isfahan Province and Iran's third largest city.

The Imam (Naghsh-e Jahan) Square in Isfahan has been designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. The city also contains a wide variety of Islamic architectural sites ranging from the eleventh to the nineteenth century. Its stunning architecture, tree-lined boulevards with relaxed, tree-shaded sidewalks and its architectural variety make it the undisputed highlight of Iran's cities.

Vank Cathedral is the historic focal point of the Armenian Church in Iran.

伊朗行《14》--- Naqsh-e Rustam

Naqsh-e Rustam is an archaeological site located about 12 km northwest of Persepolis, in Fars province, Iran. It lies a few hundred meters from Naqsh-e Rajab.

Four tombs belonging to Achaemenid kings are carved out of the rock face. They are all at a considerable height above the ground.

One of the tombs is explicitly identified by an accompanying inscription to be the tomb of Darius I. The other three tombs are believed to be those of Xerxes I, Artaxerxes I and Darius II respectively.

Tomb of Darius the Great, Naqsh-e Rostam

伊朗行《13》--- Shiraz

Shiraz is the capital of Fārs Province and is located in the foothills of the Zagros Mountains. It is known as the city of poetry, wine and carpet production and flowers (such as roses). It is also famous for its importance in the history of Iran. It has a moderate climate and has been a regional trade center for more than a thousand years.

Left: Arg of Karim Khan
Top Right: Bagh-e Eram
Middle & Bottom Right: Qor'an Gate

伊朗行《12》--- Persepolis

Persepolis is a historical site near Shiraz, in Fars Province.

It is an ancient capital city of the Persian Empire and one of the greatest cities in the Middle East at the height of the empire. It was sacked by Alexander The Great.

Xerxes' Gateway

Persepolis which originally covered more than 125,000 square metres, was built over a 150 year period commencing about 512 BC during the reigns of the Achaemenian dynasty kings Darius I (Darius the Great), Xerxes I and II, and Artaxerxes I, II, and III.

The name "Persepolis" is that given to the city by Alexander, who sacked the city and burned it to the ground in 331 BC. Understandably, you'll rarely hear Alexander deemed "the Great" in these parts.

The original name in Achaemenian times was "Parsa". Today, most Iranians refer to the site as Takht-é Jamshid, or "Throne of Jamshid", a mythical king of ancient Persia.

Above is a birdeye view of the central part of Persepolis, taken from the tomb of Artaxerxes II (404 - 358 BC), carved into a mountainside above the city. Xerxes' gateway is at the very right of the image.

At the front are stables and encampments for troops, behind which lie the ruins of the Palace of 100 Columns (only the bases of which remain). The columns of the Central Hall of Apadana Palace, to the left of which lie Darius' Palace, with Artaxerxes' palace at the very left of the frame. Little remains of Xerxes' Palace, which lies in front of Artaxerxes' from this vantage point. The tree-shaded area to the left is the Persepolis Museum in front of which is what's left (nothing) of Darius' large treasury. The original city extends well to either side of this view.