Ten Little....

Gosh, did not realize weeks have passed since my last entry.  There's a reason for that which I hope to update you all in another post.  But in the meantime, I want to tell you about a terrible discovery I made recently.....While fussing with my hair in front of my bathroom mirror, I thought I'd pull out that one little white hair which I had, over a period of the past two years, learnt to accept as an inevitable part of the aging process.  But as I ruffled my fingers through my head looking for that piece of hair, I chanced upon not just one, not two, not even three...but TEN little white hairs!!! Never before since Hideo Nakata's The Ring, was I struck with such overwhelming horror and repulsion!  My immediate reaction was denial...denial that I could have TEN white hairs lurking about on my once pristine head of hair.  Next came fear ...fear of what part of my body would break down next and fear of facing my own mortality...then finally and reluctantly, came acceptance....acceptance that life does indeed run on a fast track and youth was but a fleeting moment in time.  As I come to terms with this latest soul shattering event, for some strange reason, a popular children's song 10 Little Indian Boys kept playing in my head.  Maybe because of the numerical coincidence with my ten white hairs.  So, I now ponder about my deteriorating physical condition aloud to the tune of this song....

One little, two little, three little white hairs,
Four little, five little, six little white hairs,
Seven little, eight little, nine little white hairs,
Ten little snow white hair

When did my eyes get so old and crinkly
When did my cheeks get so soft and flabby
When did my lips get so thin and wrinkly
With ten little snow white hair

When did my knees start to sound so creaky
When did my neck start to feel so achy
When did my back start to fail completely
With ten little snow white hair

When did people start calling me aunty
When did I start wearing pants and ditched the mini
When did my b**bs start to sag so lowly
With TEN LIT-TLE SNOW WHITE HAIRRRRRRRRR!

Just a bit of nonsense to get it off my chest.

Labour of Love - Egg Pasta from Scratch!

It is amazing what conveniences the modern world now offers for cooking. Gone are the days when one had to slave away at the stove making chicken stock with messy bones and carcasses. Gone are the days when one had to grind sambal paste by hammering away with the pestle and mortar. Gone are the days when one actually knew what raw ingredients went into the curry, chopping, dicing and slicing away. All one needs now is a Knorr cube, a packet of Adabi and a bag of Baba's. Easy peasy. But with all this convenience, we are also slowly losing all that wonderful cooking lore. Some of this knowledge has even been handed down through the generations within the family, like some super-secret martial arts which will blow all your enemies away if you execute that last deadly stance ala Buddha’s Palm a.k.a. Yi Loi San Jiong.

Since I started baking and cooking more frequently, it has been quite an enjoyable ride - finding out what actually goes into that cake which I have always loved to eat, learning how certain spices or herbs creates that distinct flavour, exploring the wide variety of cooking techniques out there and realizing that not everything can be produced via stir-frying Chinese style...There just seems to be an endless array of stuff to try out...

So, last Thursday, when I wanted to have some pasta for dinner, I decided that I should try making egg pasta from scratch instead of buying it off the supermarket shelf. The whole recipe seemed sooooooo simple. Flour, eggs and salt - that was it. But the one question that made me doubt whether it would be a successful venture was this - how in the world I was going to shape the dough? Without a pasta maker a.k.a pan mien machine, shaping the actual pasta strands would definitely be a challenge.

Kneading the dough

As I was mixing and kneading the dough, various options came into my mind...
Option 1: Follow the recipe instructions where I had to roll out and flatten the dough paper thin, fold and cut into strips, then unfold the strands.
Option 2: Follow another recipe where I basically take pieces of dough and hand roll it individually into long strands.
Option 3: Pull the dough "la mian" Chinese noodle-style – my own bright idea.

What actually transpired was this. I started with Option 1. Then, because I was too impatient and did not wait for the dough to dry out enough, some of the dough stuck together after I folded it for cutting. Which meant I couldn’t unfold the strands if I continued cutting! After finally managing to undo the disaster and hacking off the lumpy parts, the matter was resolved by cutting the dough into strips individually and skipping the folding step altogether. This took more care and precision, but it got the job done at the expense of an achy back. If Ultraman wasn't around to assist with this tedious process, I think I would have just randomly chopped everything up!  As for the remaining lumpy dough, I tried a combination of Option 2 and 3. My “la mian” technique didn’t quite work out because the dough kept breaking – it just wasn’t elastic enough. I ended up rolling out individual strands, which I then pressed and stretched flat with my fingers. The results were pretty sad-looking....

Cut pasta

It didn’t even seem like there would be enough for everyone at dinner. I was beginning to regret not getting that convenient packet of pasta from the supermarket. After letting the pasta rest for about 15 minutes, I collected all the strands together and surprise, surprise....when bunched together, it actually LOOKED like proper pasta, and not just mis-shapen lumps of dough!

Pasta strands collected together

Thus encouraged, I forged bravely ahead to cook the pasta and make my sauce.  Making sure I did not overcook the pasta (handmade ones cook much faster than the store bought packets), I then drained, tossed it in the sauce and grated the parmesan. Voila! 

The final product

The pasta turned out smooth, firm, chewy and pretty darn yummy (blowing my own trumpet here...).  I felt such a strong sense of kinship with those Italian chefs who had been making pasta by hand for centuries that I nearly burst into a rendition of "O Sole Mio".....The masses at dinner got fed, everyone was happy and I was ready to take on the world!

Happy Mid-Autumn Festival!

Mid-Autumn Festival a.k.a Mooncake Festival a.k.a Lantern Festival is here again!  Time really flies - it is already September and there are only 3 months left to the year!  Mid-Autumn Festival was never really a big thing in my family.  We didn't perform any prayers nor did we have any big family dinners.  What we did have, though, were wonderful lanterns and loads of mooncakes. 

My most memorable lantern was an impressive peacock shaped lantern with long tail feathers and glittery powder sprinkled all over.  It was made from a simple wire frame and that thin translucent paper, complete with a bamboo stick handle.  It sucked at keeping the wind out and frustrated me no end when my candle kept blowing out but it was gorgeous when lit.  My siblings and I used to have a field day lighting candles and parading around the garden searching for the darkest corners to shine our beautiful lanterns on.  Not to mention dripping wax everywhere and giving my Mum a massive clean-up job! Nowadays, kids are carrying around sterile, battery-operated Doeramons with Dr. Bombay's Taxi song (which coincidentally was my nephew Na-Na's lantern du jour....) stuck on repeat!  You do remember Dr. Bombay and his "Cal-cu-tta, I am a taxi driver in...Cal-cu-tta!" don't you?  The song is stuck in your head now isn't it?  Ha ha. OK, I admit my nephew Na-Na is about 2 years old, so he can't be lighting up matches and all that.  But you get my drift....having fun used to be REALLY fun!

Mooncakes too used to only come in two basic variations : Tow Sar (Red bean paste) or Lin Yung (Lotus paste).  The only configurable attribute was whether it came with or without yolk.  The Lotus paste with yolk was, and still is, a personal favourite of mine.  I used to be able to fill myself up with quite a fair bit of the stuff - alas, with a declining metabolism and an increasing fear of heart attack, I've cut down quite a bit nowadays.  The variety of mooncakes available these days are astounding.  Jasmine, Durian, Pumpkin, Green Tea, Hazelnut....even savoury ones with Chicken Floss, Mushrooms, Sambal...And you can get it in traditional mooncake skin, snowskin, and even ice-cream versions...Utterly mind-boggling!  I'm still a traditionalist when it comes to mooncakes, so I'm quite happy with my Lotus Paste, thank you.  But when I came across THIS while I was innocently surfing the internet, I have definitely accepted the fact that times have indeed changed!

Happy Mid-Autumn a.k.a Mooncake a.k.a Lantern Festival everyone!

The Chiffon Challenge...

FOREWORD : Since my last posting on Tibet, I just did NOT have time to write anything else!  Was so busy baking Raya cookies for sale and getting called up by my boss for some unexpected work that I just didn't have time to update the blog.  Well, thought I'd post an old entry which I had written some time ago in the mean time...

I have a soft spot for chiffon cake.  It is such a light and fluffy concoction that I can easily finish the whole cake in one big binge.  It really takes a lot of willpower to stop.  I always try to reassure myself that I was not overeating because when I squish the cake between my fingers, it practically vanishes and transforms into this teeny tiny little wedge.  So how can I be over indulging right???  Funnily enough, the idea of making a chiffon cake did not strike me until I came across a chiffon cheesecake recipe by Alex Goh.  It looked easy enough, so I thought I'd try it out....

1. Attempt number 1...I didn't even bother to take pictures cause it turned out so bad.  At that time, I attributed it to the fact that I did not have a REAL chiffon cake pan.  As a substitute, I had used a springform tin with a tube bottom, hoping to achieve the same look and feel.  DISASTROUS - Enough said.

2. Attempt number 2...I was so sure that my first cake turned out like a squished doughnut because I did not use the right pan, that I went out and invested in the real deal - a 9inch chiffon cake pan.  Nothing could go wrong then right?....How absolutely wrong I was.  The cake came out of the oven looking extremely promising.  I was so proud, I even stopped to take photos, thinking that I could post my success story on the blog and gleefully announce that I succeeded in making one of my favourite cakes. 

Attempt no. 2 - Looking promising in the beginning....

Alas, it was just a fleeting moment of triumph as the cake started deflating almost immediately.   Again, I ended up with a squished doughnut... 

The sad looking results....

This time however, I told myself to suck it up and documented the results anyway.  So my friends, this is how the cake is NOT supposed to look like....I was eating humble pie by then but was now doubly determined to get the darn cake baked right.  As advocated by Ultraman, staunch Google supporter, I googled for tips and tricks in making a chiffon cake.

3. Attempt number 3...After consolidating all the data I managed to find via Google, I was ready for my third attempt.  Since I was fearful of having to consume yet another squished cake, I decided that I will attempt a different recipe this time - a pandan chiffon cake recipe by Amy Beh.  At least, I get to eat a new flavour of doughnut if things turned out badly.  Repeatedly muttering the Google how-tos and not-tos under my breath, I made the batter and popped it into the oven.  The cake came out looking like good - I was excited.  But I had learnt my lesson in the last two attempts - you never know with a chiffon until it has been completely cooled and removed from its mould. 

Attempt no. 3 - Cooling and looking good...

So, it was with some anxiety when several hours later, I attempted to remove the cake....Mum hovered about, dishing out remarks like "Aiya, not so easy to make la...it'll probably deflate again....".  Now before you think that my Mum was not very encouraging, let me put things in perspective.  She felt it was better to lower expectations so that if things turned out badly, you were ready for it!  And if things turned out good, why then, it is a bonus!  And so.... TA DA!!

Looks good!

Yay! A chiffon cake which looked like one!  There was still a bit of problem with too much moisture on the top of the cake (which after overturning the mould, became the bottom of the cake), which I suspected was due to condensation.  But the cake was soft and fluffy, and tasted good enough.  In less than a minute, half the cake was gone! Yummy!

While I don't quite know exactly which troubleshooting tip actually helped, I am narrowing it down the following how-tos and not-tos....which, if you ever attempt a chiffon cake, you could keep in mind...

1.  Chiffons usually consist of a batter made with the egg yolks, after which whisked egg whites are added.  Always whip up the eqq yolk batter FIRST, then whisk the egg whites.  This is because whisked egg whites cannot retain the structure for long, so it makes sense to get your egg yolk batter ready so that you could just add the whites once it is whisked.

2.  Always make sure you whisk the egg whites till you get stiff peaks.  What are stiff peaks?  When you dip a spoon or knife or even your beater hooks into the whisked whites and pull upwards, they should form AND retain the shape of little pointy peaks.  BUT be careful not to overdo the whisking either as the whites may separate.  So, this is a really delicate operation here....

3.  Use a bit of cream of tartar to help stabilize the whisked egg whites - there is a scientific reason for this but since I suck at chemistry, just go with this explanation, ok?

4. Once whisked, start by folding only 1/3 of the egg whites into your yolk mixture.  This way, you could introduce and mix the batter first without worrying about deflating all the whites because you still have 2/3 left to add volume to the mixture.  So, after folding in the 1st third, you can add the remaining whites and fold in deftly.

5. Don't use too high a temperature for baking as the cake expands too quickly and could collapse easily.  You could follow the oven settings listed in the recipe but be prepared to adjust as oven settings can vary.

Wow, I think this is the most technical posting I have ever made regarding baking or cooking.  But thought you might find it useful if you even remotely think of making a chiffon cake.  Of course, you could save all the hassle and just go buy it at the store!  I ask myself why I bother too.  Guess it is the satisfaction of being able to actually produce it myself  - and it is nice to be able to experiment with my own variants next time.  How does Durian chiffon cake sound? Yum Yum!

Travel Memoirs - Let's do the Tsampa!

The crucial question on every Malaysian's mind during travel is - "How's the food??"  Unfortunately, Tibet is not known to be a gourmet's paradise for good reason.  The variety, quality and taste of food is often dictated by the fertilility and resources of the land of origin.  And Tibet, being the dry, arid, mountainous, province that it is, would hardly stand out as a food haven.  Yaks, Tibet's essential beasts of burdens, and more recently Tzors, the product of lust between yaks and cows, feature as the main meat dishes while root vegetables such as potatoes and carrots make their star appearances regularly.  And the grain of choice?  Barley, a hardy and enduring crop which can withstand the harsh weather of Tibet.  For processed foods, the ubiquitous yak butter, yoghurt and yak cheese are integral to the daily diets of the locals...

Yak butter sold by weight and yoghurt in pots....The stringy things are cheeses (which by the way, are rock hard and nearly broke my tooth!)

It is strange to now note that we really did not try that many Tibetan dishes during the trip.  I think all the AMS issues ensured that most of us stuck to "safer" choices of Chinese and Nepali cuisine, which was in abundance.  So, we ended up with only one major Tibetan meal, which took place on our very first day in Lhasa.  The theme for the day was Momos.  Momos are basically dumplings, very similar to the Chinese "wo tip".  They are usually prepared either steamed or fried, and come with various vegetable or meat fillings.  I found the momos adequate, though not particularly outstanding.  However, the sauce that they were served with was quite delicious and made all the difference - it was a little spicy and tangy, which made the dumplings really tasty....

Fried momo and the magic sauce

A more unusual dish was the fried cheese, which reminded me of the breaded mozarella sticks you sometimes find in restaurants.  It was pretty good stuff. 

Cheesy goodness!

Another dish that stood out was a murtabak-like pancake which was stuffed with meat.  By the time we were done with the momo madness, everyone seemed to have sworn off the stuff for good.  "No More MoMo" became the tagline for our meals for the rest of the trip - and we really did not ingest anymore!  So, the rest of our time in Tibet was a haze of noodles and fried rice, with some interludes of Chinese dishes with rice....

A foray into Tibetan cuisine, however, would never be complete if I didn't try a key dish which was a firm favourite with our local guide, Tseten.  He claimed that he wouldn't feel good the whole day if he skipped it for breakfast.  This was Tsampa, a concoction of roasted barley flour, yak butter, cheese, tea and sugar...

Roasted barley - which has a smoky aromatic flavour

Grinding the roasted barley into flour - the grinder is powered by a water wheel below the floor, which is fed by a rushing stream

Making the Tsampa is simple enough - just throw everything into a bowl and with your fingers, mix away.  Tseten did show how he could get an even paste by doing little deft turns of the bowl while mixing....

Tseten, mixing Tsampa

I tried the version without cheese.  Surprisingly, this humble little staple dish, which at first glance did not promise much, tasted pretty good.  As one of our group members put it, it reminded one of the almond cookies that you get for Chinese New Year.  Tseten claims Tsampa tasted like chocolate and espoused all the benefits of daily doses of the stuff - Vitamins C, B and a sunny, healthy disposition.  Just the thing everyone needs....

Back from the Roof of the World....In One Piece!

It is now Day 4 since I came back from my trip to Tibet.  And I still feel tired!  It is amazing how altitude and the lack of oxygen can affect the body.  A week prior to departure, I was starting to get mixed feelings about Tibet...no thanks to all the horror stories from "well-meaning" friends and family about terrible afflictions of Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) which resulted in comatose, or worst, dead, unsuspecting tourists who thought they could take on the thin air with their weak, sea-level adjusted lungs.  It got to the point where I seriously contemplated drawing up a quick and dirty will to ensure my meagre assets are at least distributed to my loved ones should anything happen to me.  Well, even the prospect of imminent death couldn't shake me out of my usual procrastinating self - so, I ended up not doing anything about a will.  But I DID leave the key to all my bank books and deposits in an accessible location in the event my family had to make a quick trip to the ATM.....

Anyway, I hated the anxiety and decided to shove it aside.  I had trekked in places over 3000m before and I had grand dreams of doing more multi-day mountain treks in the mountains.  So I just HAD to see how I would cope with higher altitudes.  As my wise friend Rex said..."If you never never never go, you would never never never know!".  Humming to John Denver's evergreen tune, I packed my bags and got ready to go.  With one of the most complete medicinal kit I have ever assembled for my holidays.

How was Tibet?  Stark, desolate, arid, harsh.  But also beautiful - a mountainous dry land of beautiful blue blue skies decorated with clouds of various shapes and sizes.  And surprisingly full of gorgeous clear lakes too....

Yamdrotso Lake - one of Tibet's 3 holy lakes

Lhasa and Shigatse, the two major cities of the province, were surprisingly well developed. 

Bustling square in Lhasa

Square in front of Jokhang Temple, Lhasa - see the Potala Palace in the distance?

The smaller towns though, were reminiscent of the little one-street places you see on spaghetti westerns.  The locals were generally friendly - and extremely weather beaten!  The cosmetics giants would make a killing selling anti-wrinkle creams to these people.  Having to eke out their living under an intensely UV-saturated, sunshine filled land, it is no wonder they turn out as dark and deeply lined as they are.

Old and young - get the face creams early girls!

The main roads between key cities were generally good.  However, we did have to endure a bone shaking ride of nearly 8 hours when we veered off the main road to get to Mt. Everest base camp.  Toilet stops meant looking for a suitably big rock or tree - which was not really the problem.  The real challenge was the exhausting walk from the bus to the suitably big rock or tree.  Never has answering nature's call been such an exercise of willpower and effort.  Oxygen is everthing my friend.....I'm extremely glad to say my sea-level lungs braved the onslaught of dust and oxygen deprivation pretty admirably.  Despite suffering from insomnia and a mean headache or two while trying to sleep at altitudes over 4000m, I maintained a healthy appetitite and had enough energy to make it through the day.  Do fat cells store oxygen I wonder?  Hmmm... should look it up in Google - that might be what saved me.  On a more serious note, I did think perhaps my efforts at trying to build up my stamina jogging before the trip helped somewhat....It is with some glee that I now declare my altitude record  at 5248m - a height we achieved while going through one of the passes to get to the Mt. Everest base camp. 

Tibet is a place that have been romanticised somewhat by the media and the Western world, a place where most people harbour a certain curiousity, a place which seemed such a challenge to visit being THE roof of the world.  It was not an easy trip - most of my group members had to deal with one AMS symptom or another and we were not our usual chatty selves.   In restrospect (and cocooned in the safety of home), I am glad for the experience.  I hope to share more specific stories on some of the places we visited in Tibet in my next few posts - so, do watch this space!

The Next JK Rowling???

I suck at contests. I just can't seem to win anything, not even measly consolation prizes like coupons. All those mind-numbing nights I slaved over the Star Crossword Puzzle contest, dreaming of winning big bucks and brand new cars....All those painful hours I pored over articles for answers to questions in the Star Power of 9 contest.... All those brain-draining decisions I had to make to select the right photos for the MAS Let's Go Now contest....My blood relations have laughed at my futile efforts before. Mum even said that I was not destined to have any "wang choy" - the kind of luck where riches literally just fall into your lap. Instead, I would have to slog hard for my money. It really does takes a strong woman to soldier on in the contest arena....

So, you can imagine my shock and disbelief when I received a sms from my sister proclaiming that we had actually WON a children's picture book contest!! My sister, who was even more pessimistic than me on our chances, told me to check my email and see if it was a hoax. But it wasn't!! The publisher's website, OneRedFlower Press, carried the same announcement as the email! http://1redflower.wordpress.com/

It was a long bout of "Ka..Ka..Ka.." and "Oh My Gods" between my sister and I. She asked me if she was in the Matrix and whether Morpheus would soon turn up with the red and blue pills, while I was couldn’t help thinking of the dreamworld in Inception. What if Leonardo was just messing with my head??? I think part of the shock was due to how innocently the whole thing started, how the idea for the story came about and how we ended up submitting the entries. Never in a million years did we expect to win! Life certainly works in mysterious ways....

I am now really excited and looking forward to what's going to happen next. Our winning story is to be published and we are now initiating discussions with the publisher. I am already being propositioned by wannabe agents who think we’re going to be as big as JK Rowlings. Personally, I am happy if the book even gets made!  Getting published will be one of the best prizes ever – of course, if it turned out to be the only contest I ever win in this lifetime, then it becomes THE best prize ever. An important lesson I’ve learnt from this is to always give things a try - you really never know what can happen!  Onwards to the next contest!!

Travel Memoirs - Sentierone Trail, Valle Verzasca, Switzerland Part 2

...CONTINUATION FROM PART 1....

When we reached the village of Brione Verzasca, T2 unfortunately had to abandon the trail as she was stressing out her knee a wee bit too much. So, both my trail buddies took the bus home from there. Since I was determined to make it to Lavertezzo to view my double arch bridge, I soldiered on. The sign to Lavertezzo showed the distance at another 2 hours and 15 minutes. Now, I cannot explain why the trail signages in Switzerland never displays the distance but the duration instead. One of these days, I will write to the Board of Walkers or whatever association they have governing this to ask them why. Previous experience doing walks in Switzerland taught me to always factor at least twice as much time than what the sign says. These times were adapted for super fit, tall, long-legged, mountain men and ladies, descendants of yodelling herdsmen who could leap over boulders in a single bound. Believe me, twice is the minimum factor – 3 times as much would be better suited for us unfit, relatively short, bandy-legged, city folks from Asia.

Now, the second last bus from Lavertezzo to Berzona was scheduled to depart at about 5pm. After that, the last bus for the day would leave at around 6pm. Since it was about 2.15 pm when I started off from Brione, that meant I had about 2 hours and 45 minutes to make it to Lavertezzo. I wanted to catch the 5pm bus so that I could make it back while there was still daylight. The thought of having to make my way back to the apartment from the bus stop in Berzona in the dark was not at all appealing - there were no street lights in these little villages and it was a good 15-20 minutes walk from the bus stop. So, I had to morph from short Asian city dweller to Swiss mountain lady in record time. Personally, I really wanted to test whether it was humanly possible to reach Lavertezzo in the signage-stipulated time of 2 hours and 15 minutes. So I set off from Brione at a really brisk pace.

All went well initially as the path kept relatively level. But after about 15 minutes, it started climbing. There was not much climbing thus far on the trail but it just HAD to start going uphill when I was in a rush. So, with super human strength, I kept up my pace and bounded up gnarled roots and muddy steps. Now, let me put things into perspective by saying that I had already done 3-4 days of walks and treks in Zermatt before this, so I was not really in my prime unfit condition. Everything passed by in a daze and a blur. How the heck do these Swiss people enjoy their walks when everything just whizzes past??? I am strangely proud to say I even embarked on overtaking some of the mountain people who were on the trail in my haste to make it on time for the bus.

Then, I entered the part of the trail that was called Sentiero Per L’Árte. The Board of Walkers decided that it would be nice to spice things up a little on the trail by letting various artists set up their art installations. I kept checking my watch and checking the times on the signages. So far, I was able to keep up decently – so I thought I would slack off my pace just a tad to enjoy the art pieces....

Did I mention there were waterfalls along the trail too? About an hour away from Lavertezzo, the trail became a couple of boardwalks placed across boulders to cross a crashing waterfall and stream which joined up to the river.

It seemed easy enough until the boardwalks ended at the water with no way across. The yellow marks on the boulder pointed the way forward but there were no board walks – just rushing water over rocks. Here, I spent a harassed couple of minutes back-tracking and trying to figure out if I took a wrong turn. Finally, I came to the inevitable conclusion that I had to walk across on the slippery boulders, in the water, forging through rushing, thunderously loud rapids to get across. Visions of my dead lifeless body floating down the Verzasca river came to mind. Slipping was NOT an option. I didn’t even think of taking off my shoes as I treaded my way on the boulders, praying fervently I would keep my footing.

Since I am here writing this, guess you figured out that I made it relatively injury free. But precious minutes had vanished and I was down to my last half hour to make it back in time to Lavertezzo. Squishing and squelching noisily in my shoes, I raced across the last part of the trail. Which was not fun as it was really muddy due to the rain.  While preparing myself for the worst case scenario – basically having to wait another hour for the last bus and find my way back to the apartment in the dark – the adrenalin kept me going at breakneck pace. At last, I turned the corner and spotted the Ponte del Salti – the lovely double arch stone bridge of Lavertezzo. Yippeee! I was down to my last 5 minutes to get to the bus stop but I still couldn’t stop myself taking time for photos. I still had to enjoy the views right? Amazingly, I made it to the bus stop where groups of walkers were already waiting for the bus. And it was another 5 minutes before the bus arrived. The Swiss were notoriously precise but I was glad they were a little off this time, allowing me to take a breather and to enjoy the scene at the bridge.

I started deflating on the bus. Exhaustion started kicking in as I realized I had walked really fast, practically non-stop for the past 2.5 hours. And that doesn’t even include the first half of the trail from Sonogno. I still had to make it up nearly 300 steps to get to the apartment. But it was a sweet feeling when I finally rested my butt on the little stone bench in my apartment's garden and breathed in the sweet evening air of Berzona.

Sunset view from the apartment
Conclusion – Valle Verzasca ROCKS and ALWAYS factor in twice the amount of time stated on the signages, if not thrice the amount. You will get to actually enjoy the scenery and your short, Asian bandy legs will thank you for it!

Travel Memoirs - Sentierone Trail, Valle Verzasca, Switzerland Part 1

FOREWORD : It surprises me a little that I have not blogged about anything related to travel so far. Must be because of the fact that I have been marooned in Malaysia for the past 7 months since starting work again. But I am getting a little excited now because in just two weeks, I am finally taking my first trip for 2010! Yay! To get my travel juices flowing again, I thought I'd start reliving some of my previous travel experiences...Since I love going for walks when I travel, I'd start by sharing some lovely treks I have taken...

Sentierone Trail, Switzerland
Apparently, the scene where James Bond bungy-jumped off the dam in the movie Goldeneye was filmed at the dam in Valle Verzasca, in the Italian speaking region of Ticino, Switzerland. So, when I found myself staying in Valle Verzasca a couple of days, I did consider trying it out. But thoughts of me splattered against the dam wall like a swatted fly and not being able to enjoy the rest of my vacation put a full stop to that possibility. Instead, I proposed to my travel companions, T1 and T2, a nice, leisurely, walk along the River Verzasca following the Sentierone Trail. The trail actually stretches about 25km from the Tenero, situated at the river mouth, all the way to Sonogno, the last village at the end of the valley.

Since there was no way we could do 25km over unfamiliar territory in one day, we decided to take the local postbus from Berzona where we stayed, all the way to Sonogno, and start the walk back from there. Then, when we’ve walked till we can’t walk anymore, we could always crawl our way back to the nearest bus stop and ride back to Berzona. Brilliant plan! Our target though, if our legs could carry us that far, was to end at Lavertezzo, about 14 km from Sonogno, where we would bus back to Berzona. There was supposed to be a beautiful double arch stone bridge at Lavertezzo to admire and I was looking forward to that.

Map of Sentierone Trail

Though it had been raining intermittently since our arrival in the valley, we were greeted by some sunshine on the day of our walk.

View of Valle Verzasca from Berzona

Timing was everything as the postbuses were not that frequent in view of the tourist season winding down at the end of September. We managed to catch the bus from Berzona without a hitch and soon found ourselves at Sonogno. It was a pretty little village with well maintained stone cottages typical of the Ticino region.

Sonogno

Several photos and a bakery stop later, we were on our way out from Sonogno. The yellow signs pointed the way to the next village along the trail as we traipsed along the fairly level path in the forest next to the river. The air was fresh and the sound of the river crashing noisily onto the rocks next to us was invigorating. The Verzasca river was definitely not the peaceful, slow, meandering type. The clear waters which reflected the sun in tinges of blue and emerald rushed by furiously over large boulders and rocks. These powerful natural forces probably made the valley the perfect spot for that James Bond dam.  We took out time on the trail and enjoyed the views, stopping for photos at every little strange plant we came across...

While the sky looked a little cloudy, the sun blazed strongly. We hoped the weather would hold out for us to continue the walk as long as possible. We crossed the river once or twice as our path took us zig-zagging through the little stone villages along the way. We couldn’t resist taking loads of the photos of the quaint stone cottages and the lovely gardens...and stealing bites from the apple trees....

The valley, once deemed a harsh and wild land, was home to hardworking farmers and their sheep. But that was a long time ago. Though there were still sheep to be found, the valley was now more of a summer getaway and tourist destination. There were a lot of abandoned cottages scattered across the valley, sadly begging for attention...

But we found the perfect spot for our picnic lunch, which we gobbled down hungrily.

And we found the perfect spot for a pee stop too...

Though I have to admit, it was pretty stressful trying to let it all out while whirling your head around like a frantic owl, keeping a lookout for passers-by....

...TO BE CONTINUED...