New Year’s Eve: Sydney, Hong Kong, Taiwan

Dec 312011
 

The New Year’s Eve fireworks celebration in Sydney (see below video) might even be more impressive than my last two years of New Year’s.  Last year I kicked off my 5-month trip in Hong Kong for New Year’s Eve, and the year before was in Taiwan. Both of their fireworks celebrations were impressive!  After being out of the country the past two years on New Year’s Eve, I’ll be back in New York City! Videos for all 3 are below

Happy New Year from Hong Kong! 2010-2011

Hong King New Year's Eve 2010-2011, from the Tsim Sha Tsui East Promenade.

Here’s the 2012  New Year’s Eve fireworks celebration in Sydney, Australia. Awesome!

 

That might even be more impressive than my past two years – check out the videos, with fireworks coming from the sides of a building, I was just across the harbor – aka Tsim Sha Tsui East Promenade. The Hong Kong skyline is one of the world’s best. I highlighted some of the Hong Kong architecture here. Happy New Year!

(click the bottom right corner to expand to full screen)

2009-2010 at “Tapei 101” – the largest building in Taiwan. At the time it was the largest in the world, but that lasted less than a month. Check it:  Read more... (243 words, 12 images, estimated 58 secs reading time)

.
 Posted by  Tagged with: , ,

Travel Trivia Challenge – how many world landmarks can you name from this photo?

Sep 082011
 

Below is the view from my hotel room – or at least that’s the view I’d want.  You’ll notice that there’s a series of monuments, landmarks, and icons from countries around the world. How many can you name?

Let’s make it a travel contest to see who can come up with the most – the Travel Trivia Challenge. Try to name every world landmark you see. For each one you correctly identify, you get one point for the landmark name and one point for the city or country where it’s from. For example, if you can identify the Sydney Opera House in the front of the image, and know it’s from Sydney, Australia, you get two points.

world landmarks monument travel trivia game - Visit50.com

How many world landmarks can you name from this image?

How many world landmarks can you name from this image?

Click the image to see a larger version, then right-click it to save as your new desktop image.

Ask me if you need hints for naming any of the buildings, landmarks, or monuments.

Hint: I saw two of these landmarks in the first half of my recent Asia trip – I wrote about both experiences and posted the photos. Which ones?  Read more... (284 words, 11 images, estimated 1:08 mins reading time)

.
 Posted by  Tagged with:

Video: Hong Kong’s NYE countdown to 2011

Mar 052011
 
Hong Kong New Year's Eve 2010/2011, from the lens of Todd Cohen at the prominade/harbour

Hong Kong – Here’s the video clip I took from my New Year’s Eve celebration in Hong Kong -51 seconds. Watch fireworks come from the sides of a building – I’m not typically wowed by fireworks displays, but this was impressive. I shot this video from the Tsim Sha Tsui East Promenade.

Hong Kong New Year's Fireworks

Hong Kong New Year's Eve 2010/2011, Tsim Sha Tsui East Promenade, from the lens of Todd Cohen

 Posted by  Tagged with: , ,

Hong Kong architecture: Bank of China Tower photos

Feb 122011
 
I.M. Pei's Bank of China Tower on the left | Hong Kong skyline & architecture

People rave about the International Financial Centre (IFC), but the skyscraper that stands out the most for me is the Bank of China Tower (78 stories), an architectural wonder.

The Bank of China Tower was designed by American-born Chinese architect Ieoh Ming Pei (aka IM Pei, or Bei Yuming), who’s best known for the modernization of the Louvre museum in Paris, France. He also did the John F. Kennedy Library and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio. In NYC, he did the Jacob Javits Center.

The Bank of China Tower skyscraper might be the most recognisable skyscraper in Central, Hong Kong. When it was completed, the Bank of China Tower was the tallest building in Hong Kong, the tallest in Asia, and the tallest outside the United States. It was the first building outside the United States to break the 1,000 foot mark. The BOC also has two masts reaching 1,200 feet high.

I.M. Pei's Bank of China Tower on the left | Hong Kong skyline & architecture

I.M. Pei's Bank of China Tower on the left

The Bank of China Tower (BOC) is now the fourth tallest skyscraper in Hong Kong, after International Commerce Centre, Two International Finance Centre and Central Plaza.

It’s 72 stories high and the design is supposed to resemble growing bamboo shoots, supposedly symbolizing livelihood and prosperity.  Read more... (250 words, 12 images, estimated 1:00 mins reading time)

.
 Posted by  Tagged with: ,

Goodbye HK, Hello Bali!

Jan 052011
 

In HK I was up nearly 22 hours for 3 days in a row, staying out late, then taking a nap, and exploring the city. It’s caught up to me.  I flew into DPS and just crashed at my hotel.  My first day in Bali was nearly a lost day – - lots of sleep.  While typically try to see and experience as much as possible in a short 5-9 day vacay, this trip is set up to allow a much slower pace.

Hong Kong was tons of fun, but it’s a modern city, and I’m looking forward to getting to the beach and going diving.  Read more... (231 words, 13 images, estimated 55 secs reading time)

.
 Posted by  Tagged with:

Hong Kong -NYE light show & fireworks

Jan 042011
 

Photos of Hong Kong from the Tsim Sha Tsui Prominade on New Year’s Eve – light show and fireworks. Slideshow gallery  Read more... (294 words, 10 images, estimated 1:11 mins reading time)

.
 Posted by  Tagged with:

Traveling solo

Jan 042011
 
IMG_0360

I was a little nervous about traveling on my own, but everyone I speak with that’s done it has had such wonderful things to say about that aspect so I’m ready to go.  To ease the transition I’m staying in a hostel in Hong Kong and I’ve met such wonderful people at every turn.

Update: That experience in Hong Kong turned out to be the rule, not the exception. I quickly learned how easy it is to make friends when you’re traveling -shared experiences, cultural interests, intellectual curiosity, diverse perspectives from around the world. Sign me up!  Read more... (158 words, 27 images, estimated 38 secs reading time)

.
 Posted by

Victoria Peak – view of the HK skyline

Jan 042011
 

Victoria Peak, (traditional Chinese: 太平山), which locals just refer to as The Peak, is a mountain in Hong Kong with outstanding views of the Hong Kong skyline.

View from Victoria Peak

View from Victoria Peak

 

The view from 1800 feet above sea level at Victoria Peak, the highest point in Hong Kong.


To get to Victoria Peak, most tourists take the Peak Tram, a scenic ride in a 100 year old train as they ascend up the mountain. At the top is a building that looks like a ship with all kinds of tourist traps - Madame Tussauds Hong Kong, Odditorium, Ripley’s Believe It or Not! and the Peak Explorer Motion Simulator. I’d head straight to the many viewing areas – they’re spectacular!  Read more... (197 words, 40 images, estimated 47 secs reading time)

.
 Posted by  Tagged with: ,

Wax Apples in HK

Jan 032011
 
Photo: Wax Apples in Hong Kong, 1024 x 679

I tried all kinds of new fruits in Hong Kong, including these wax apples. Wax apples do not taste like apples – they’re juicy like a watermelon.

Official name of wax apples: Syzygium samarangense

Photo: Wax Apples in Hong Kong, 1024 x 679

bell-shaped wax apples in Hong Kong

 

In Taiwan and China, they are known as lianwu (simplified Chinese: 莲雾; traditional Chinese: 蓮霧; pinyin: lián wù). Other names include love apple, java apple, bellfruit. water apple, mountain apple and rose apple.

These wax apples were red like typical apples but I read that some have colors ranging from white, pale green, green, red, purple, to deep purple or even black. The reddest fruits are the sweetest.


 Posted by  Tagged with:
Page 1 of 212