Holy Basil Canley Heights - Revisited

The corner site of the original Holy Basil Restaurant continues to thrive in the western Sydney suburb of Canley Heights.  Saturday evening and the buzz can be felt throughout the main strip of the small suburb adding Cabramatta and St. John's Park.  Property values have increased in tandem with the height of business and economic activity in a suburb that has people milling around from morning till late evening.  Visitors to either Canley Heights and the nearby Canley Vale (towards the rail station on the same named Canley Vale Road) love to shop and eat.   There are new cafes and restaurants all within a comfortable walking distance from Holy Basil.  Yet getting table at the HB on a Saturday night is an act of faith, patience and excitement.  Even booking by phone means they get back to you by phone before your seats are confirmed.  Even week nights are perhaps not different?

On this latest sojourn, I can confirm that the green curry gives a kick - peppery, full of flavour, of the most pleasant creamy thickness and with a pleasant feel on the  palate no matter what you accompany the gravy with.  My group of seven persons were also impressed with the delivery of the crackling pork - good texture, tender bites of meat beneath the fat and providing an appetising experience.  I have always liked the Laotian styled Som Tum - this version of the papaya salad with anchovies  is less sweet than that from their Bangkok neighbours down south.   one of my fellow diners so loved the chicken feet salad.  This dish did have a chili hot after taste although it looked all innocence and falsely plain from its benign presentation.

My new discovery is the braised duck marinaded in plum sauce, with a wet concoction  that exodus the best of the clever use of spices to blend in with the otherwise potential gamey aroma of duck.  It went so well with steamed rice  that my table had almost four bowl servings of the carbohydrate.  Oh yes, the rice went well too worth the green curry.   To top up the evening, I was fascinated with the quality of the steamed glutinous red rice served under the name of Black Harbour, neither hard, neither soft but just hitting the right sweet spot.

The staff provided a singing birthday rendition for a young man seated just behind us.  The seating at Holy Basil is really tight, maybe too packed.  Perhaps I have grown fat but it was a challenge to squeeze on to the seats especially on the left and side of the restaurant.   Next door is really an ice cream parlour but I had always mistakenly thought it was part of Holy Basil.  On this latest busy Saturday night visit, we had an 830pm start for our reservation but it was still as busy and crowded even at this late hour.   The dishes ordered are normally quick to be served but this time I could see the kitchen staff so hard pressed in space, time and delivery. Once our first dishes came out, it was very fast with the rest.

I suggest the deep fried chicken wings as a good accompaniment to any cocktails or beer that you care to choose.   The ox tail cuts , which can be found at its nearest rival, the Green Peppercorn, are preferred by some here.  One under performing dish is the Tom Yum Kung; although with large and fresh prawns, the soup lacked something.   We were captivated by a huge snapper being served at another table, but perhaps barramundi would be better.  Vehicle parking was so challenging that evening but in the end the food made it so worthwhile.

Despite the intensity of the evening for the staff, they are mostly pleasant and smiled under the continuing pressure. Occasionally we had to remind the same staff for some small request but it was a really busy place.  One of the friends noticed the presence of many young women coming to dine at Holy Basil, even with different shift seatings.  The sky threatened with passing rain but in the end it was not too wet.   This parent site of Holy Basil may not compare with the modern settings of their branch at Liverpool Street in Sydney CBD upstairs at the Shark Hotel.  However, the food is equally as good, if not better.


The Holy Basil Restaurant is located at 233a Canley Vale Road at the corner with Derby Street, in Canley Heights, Western Sydney between the major hubs of Penrith and Parramatta.
Telephone: 612 9727 7585
Opening hours for lunch every day is from 12 noon to 230pm.
Dinners begin at 5pm every day but finish up at 11pm for Friday and Saturday nights; for tother nights, 10pm.

Zambezi River - Twilight

In the local Tonga language, the river simply means  "great".  And so it is, meandering through most of the southern part of Africa  but never meeting the Atlantic Ocean.  I was fortunate to see a part of this natural icon in the north-western corner of Zimbabwe, on board a safari that took in sightings mainly of elephant herds, but also included reptiles, bird life and giraffes.   I highly recommend boat cruises that can come near river banks, stop at whim and provide a calming pace of timelessness.  The Zambezi is the longest east flowing river in Africa and goes through various stages of character in its rather lengthy course.  It hosts several tributaries of its own and has had various bridges of different sizes built across.

Our leisure boats await us.

Two sizeable dams already exist along the Zambezi, the Kariba in Zimbabwe and the Cahora Bassa in Mozambique.  The upper stretches of this magnificent water course flow south-west first to Zambia and then into the neighbouring state of Angola.  From here the Zambezi courses its way to Naimbia, back to Zambia, then to Zimbabwe and Mozambique before it meets the Indian Ocean.  The Zambezi is measured as 2594 kilometres.

The source arises at around 1500 metres high, where three countries converge with their borders - the Congo, Zambia and Angola - in the region known as the Mwinilunga.  Existing dams provide much needed hydro-electric power to three nations - South Africa, Zimbabwe and Zambia.

Wild animals were returning home after a day at watering holes, gathering in groups and feeding on grass.   It can be a delicate and ambient moment watching such animals roam freely on the banks of the Zambezi as the sun sets in a tropical setting.  Our cruise experience included a party like atmosphere on board with free flowing drinks, quality tea time snacks and good company.  The wild life must be each wondering who we are - do they see us as whole boat vessels or can they discern individual human beings inside the floating vessels?   The part of the Zambezi we were at was calm and had a flat topography.

With such a long course and mostly benign waters, there is continuing talk and planning about utilising the Zambezi further for human benefits, whether in constructing another dam near the Victoria Falls or in developing a mature seaway to transport goods and more.  The catchment basin of the Zambezi is half that of the Nile in northern Africa and this great river is the fourth longest on the African continent, after the Nile, Congo and Niger Rivers.

 The Zambezi passes by grasslands, forests, reserves of wild animals and near hubs of human villages.    It is spectacular at the Victoria Falls and this is where most outsiders get to appreciate the river.  Many outdoor activities like whitewater rafting, bungee jumping, kayaking, canoeing and helicopter rides are available.

The Zambezi does meet with the Chobe River in Botswana  - both rivers are pristine here.  Cultural beliefs speak of the Nyami Nyami, a significant spirit respected by locals and which help them in making the Zambezi a true giver of life, by supplying viable water supplies for farming and nurturing fish.

The Zambezi has its very own delta when through the Shire River, its water volume is boosted from Lake Malawi.  Uniquely, many sections of this river are uninhabited, probably due to the seasonal flooding that occurs.  Bull sharks come into its mouth from the Indian Ocean in Mozambique.

Kids may have come across the animated movie "Zambezia".  Any one who has stepped on to its shores and soaked in its environment would not forget the Zambezi, to me, it is like Mother Nature having me in embrace, quietly, and into the night.

Sungei Buloh Wetlands Reserve - Singapore

The Bridge over a river intense wetlands area.

We were already most conscious of the potential presence of salt water crocodiles as the well posted signs did emphasise this.   Mona had driven us across Singapore Island to reach this rather hitherto unknown site, past near the Tuas Causeway on the north-eastern side of the Republic but arriving closer to Woodlands.  We had gone past scenery that is reminiscent of most peninsular towns to the north in the sixties - the dust from trucks, the shop houses in a style that had been frozen in time and the smells of a light industrial area.

These wetlands have been preserved to attract a variety of bird life - like the Chinese Egrets, Greater Spotted Terns, Greater Spotted Eagles,  Marsh Sandpipers, Cinnamon Bitterns, Pacific Golden Plovers, Whimbrels, Common Redshanks and Common Greenshanks.   Harder to spot are the otters, Whistling Ducks and Milky Storks.  There is a user friendly track between the banks of the water but our eyes and ears were alert to any possible sudden movement from the marshes.  It was a cloudy afternoon and yes there were already some visitors even on a week day!  Easier to come across are mud lobsters, crabs, Plantain Squirrels, the Malayan Water Monitor and mud skippers prancing around the calm waters of the mangrove swamps.

The swamps on each side attract migratory birds from northern Asia.

An identified resource for education, conservation and research,  the Ministry of Education in Singapore has teamed up with other parties like iCell Network, the British Council and the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore to make plans for further improving this site.  The migratory season runs from September to March.   Visitors will find at least two hours is required for a leisurely stroll to cover the size of the wetlands.   Photography is encouraged.  One of the best blog write ups on flora and fauna in this Wetlands Reserve is joyloh.com.

http://joyloh.com/blog/?p=3222

Signs of built up areas are not that far away though.

The Sungei Buloh Wetlands Reserve is located at 301 Neo Tiew Crescent and is around 15 minutes by bus from the nearest MRT station at Kranji.  The Visitor centre is at 60 Kranji Way.   It is a declared ASEAN water heritage site and is included in the network of Australasian Shorebird Sites.

Elephant Valley Lodge - Kasane Forest Reserve, Botswana

You have your own ensuite.  Bedding is comfortable and spacious.  Insect screens surround you and one need to be mindful not to leave your shoe ear outside on the veranda - a pack of other wise baboons do room to take things out of curiosity.  The ceiling is as high a Mongolian tent to be in sync with the tropical heat.  You are provided with standing electrical fans, ample storage space and a working torch light.

Guests can draw down flaps if requiring privacy.   The cabins are located under grown trees as if in a natural park.  Not far way, near the dining area, is a natural watering hole, where various game gather, especially in the dark hours.  Breakfasts, lunch and dining can be arranged in the main eating area.  My group and I visited in the dry season, so we were delighted that there was no mosquito nuisance.
I heard the natural calls of insects, birds and other fauna at dawn.   Late one night, a water pipe burst occurred outside and this was quickly attended to.  Obviously there is no telephone or television provided in a each cabin but wi-fi is accessible int he central reception area.  I loved the small lit lamps along the pathways in the evenings.

A room with a view.

Barbecued wild hog.

Refuge in the enchanting forest!

Visitor, late night.

Changi Point - Singapore

The wharf at Changi Point, with idyllic waters on a lazy afternoon.

There are hidden places and insights into Singapore that most visitors and perhaps residents as well do not see or venture into.  I am fortunate to have been able recently to be on such a site when Mona took me and my friends a long drive to soak our mindset, feet and awareness into Changi Point, at the  north eastern tip of the island Republic.  To me, it was like travelling back in time, when the rural areas resonated with a pace so lacking in today's modern and over built societies.  Life is about harmony and moderation -  and in today's Singapore, Changi Point cannot be under estimated as a national treasure.

True, the Singaporeans cannot help themselves by ensuring facilities like a ferry terminal, hawker centres, hotels and shopping, even in the quiet serenity of the Changi Point area.  These are all hubbed at Changi Village,  which started life naturally as an old styled village but now has been modernised.

More fascinating to me are all the Government run bungalows from British colonial days, together with the sprawling training College for the French bank Paribas.  There is also the Changi Coast Track for some outdoor fun and exercise nearby.  Pulau Ubin is not far away and another place to earmark for an out-of-Singapore experience.

The sea waters have a shallow tropical hue, echoing quiet bays with the Straits of Johor and gentle laps of water current.  The sandy beaches have undisturbed yellow coloured sand.  Modern yachts do not change the character of some thing that has been left natural for a long time.   A sleepy setting?  Maybe, but I feel reinvigorated with the salty fresh air, the slightly warm embrace of what has been left much untouched and a lack of sense of rush and time.   Several individuals hang around the pier to wait for fish and fishing.

There were groups of youth seen in organised excursions visiting the Changi point area.  The colonial concept of bungalows, accessible to the public or families of its administrative or military service, has long gone - Singapore people gather at hotels, resorts of city spots instead of living for a few days together in more natural surroundings.  At times, I recollect the best times of my adolescence at such bungalow stays but always within the vicinity of camping, camp fire singing and trail walking possibilities.