Jason's Page

Back to Ireland

2010-03-07T05:16:00.000-08:00

It had been a couple of years since I had last been back to Ireland. It felt like I was coming home the moment I stepped out of the airport to grab a cab down to the River Liffey.

First order of business was to get over to Grafton Street and just soak in the scene there.

Felt so great to see the double-decker yellow buses zooming past the old Dublin pubs.

It was getting close to Christmas (yes I'm way behind) and Gaelic signs were sprinkled throughout the city.

Had to make it over to Costa Coffee - a mandatory stop in Europe for me.

And of course, Temple Bar. As I walked in, there was a local acoustic trio banging out "Whiskey in the Jar" from the stage. Goodness.

They do love their spirits.

Also made it out to Howthe, which is about an hour north of Dublin. It's a beautiful little fishing town.

The scenes that play out here are spectacular. The poet W.B. Yeats lived up on this hill for a few years in the late 1800s.

Malahide Castle is a tucked away gem. Parts of this castle date back to the 12th century.

The hikes around Howthe lead to some majestic sites: like this one.

And of course - the Guinness. This stuff will touch your soul fresh off the tap. Really.

The west coast of Ireland is a must see. I stayed in County Mayo, which is an incredible and breathtaking place.

Here's a typical cottage in County Mayo. Wonderful place to go for some peace of mind.

Lots of livestock freely roaming the land. Herder is on the far right.

And tons of sheep. Rumor has it that for every 1 person in Ireland, there are 3 sheep.

Went to visit this abandoned village at Achill Island, where people had settled somewhere between 500 - 1200 AD.

Only a small percentage of the stone houses still remain, and it's estimated that settlers finally left the land between 1850 - 1890 during the great famine.

Despite the only inhabitants being sheep at this point, it was amazing to get an up close look at the village and see where these people used to live for centuries.

It's a pretty wild feeling to stand inside of one of these things and think that people used to live their lives out here. Hundreds of years ago.

Snuck into a pub on the way out of Achill Island (Guinness anyone?), and caught a snapshot of the old Irish currency, pre-Euro.

Could really picture myself retiring out at a spot like this. Then again, that's a ways out. Just speaks to how amazing this place is though.

Despite the fact that it was freezing (even colder than Boston), the cliffs of County Mayo are a sight to behold.

All in all, another incredible trip. Until next time Ireland.

Yunnan & Guangxi Provinces, China

2009-05-22T16:27:00.000-07:00

After landing in Yunnan, I had to take a bus into Lijiang, and was able to see several villages along the way

There was a welcomed sense of serenity here after having been in the city for months; note the religious monument just above the tree line

As soon as I arrived in Lijiang, I saw what an enchanting little city it is, with rivers flowing throughout

Another shot of the interior of the city just before dusk

At night, with red lanterns lit everywhere, the look was spectactular

Just outside of the city was the beautiful Jade Dragon Snow Mountain (behind this lake), which I later hiked (part way)

There was also a Tibetan temple that I was able to make it out to, which required leaving the city again, only to pass through beautiful fields

Some of the local people out farming mid-day

While going through some of the villages on the way out to the temple, one really gets to see just how drastically the income gap is growing between inner-rural China and the east coast port cities

There was quite a hike to get up top of this mountain where the temple sits; here I am taking a breather beneath Tibetan prayer flags

Finally made it up to the temple

Chillin' with a young monk

Here are some of the local women, from the Naxi tribe, wearing spectacular traditional clothing

Later on, went hiking up the Jade Dragon Snow mountain

Heading further up snow mountain with my oxygen tank; approximately 4506 meters above sea level here

Then headed out to Lugu Lake, a peaceful place that's about a six hour bus ride outside of Lijiang

Was able to get more shots of the local Naxi people, which is a matriarchal society, along the long bus ride

As you can probably tell, I was fascinated with the differences in cultural clothing

Also had the chance to see more rural villages along the way

Literally had a place to stay at the shore of the lake - here it is at dusk

After leaving Lijiang, I made my way out to Yangshuo in the Guangxi province

Yangshou is a very friendly little backpacker city - really enjoyed being here

At night, these tiny streets lit up with restaurants and quaint little merchant shops

Managed to jump on a boat sailing down the Li River, passing gorgeous lime stone hills, which reminded me a great deal of being in Halong Bay

I rented a bike and rode through muddy roads stacked with pot holes in the rain; the surrounding visuals were striking

The farming system here is based largely on rice paddies, which one could see as far as the eye could reach

Bikes lined up at one of the local villages I visited along the Li River

Spotted this cool mural while passing along some of the local street shops

Grabbed a glass of coffee in this rainy little town at the shore of the river

Yangshuo is really a stunning place to see

More cool stuff from China

2009-02-05T21:21:00.001-08:00

Went to the Beijing Zoo to hang out with the pandas, these guys are great

This one dude was a total ham. They're a lot of fun to watch

I've heard a lot of stories of people jumping into the enclosures, but you could get pretty close regardless

More fun watching the pandas

I've spent a great deal of time walking around the hutongs while I've been here. They're really cool

Unfortunately a lot of the hutongs are disappearing, as Beijing races to fill out its skylline. Hopefully they save a few of these

Shot of one of the many fruit markets along the hutongs

This is the entrance to the Lama temple, which is definitely worth a visit if you're in Beijing

The Lama temple has a cool surrounding, with lots of shops hawking prayer beads and incense

These buildings are laced throughout the city and have an amazing architecture - cool to stop and look at

I also made it out to Simatai, and got to see more of rural China

The Simatai section of the great wall is by far the best that I've seen yet

The wall is so impressive, especially on a clear day, when you really get to see just how far this thing stretches

You can tell the original glue on portions of the wall (certain sections have been restored many times) by the (very) faded white color of the substance

It's also wild to look over the north side of the wall and see former inner Mongolia sitting down below

It's a looooong climb up on this section of the wall

More cool buildings lining other sections of a hutong

There's also Hohai in Beijing, which is a beautiful lake with a number of great bars along the shore

The lake is actually frozen over now, so you can see hundreds of people skating on it during the weekends

Beihai park is another one of my favorite spots in Beijing - a very peaceful place to spend a Sunday afternoon

You can go anywhere in the park and quietly observe amazing scenery like this

Over the past couple of weeks, fireworks have been going off like clockwork for the lunar new year

It's hard to catch how many fireworks go off at once with a single shot, but this lasts all day and night - scaring away the spirits

It's also a little dangerous, especially when the wind starts to pick up

Things have finally started to come down now that the new year celebrations are over

Vietnam and the Philippines

2009-01-21T01:46:00.001-08:00

After wrapping things up in Singapore and Thailand, had to continue heading east to Vietnam and the Philippines. We first landed in Saigon, and the weather was amazing.

Shot of the street from the lobby of my hotel. Love the palm trees in District 1.

Saigon has a beautiful river running through the city, with cranes saturating the shores.

Saigon produces some of the best beer I've ever had in "333." Unfortunately though, it's not available as an export.

City Hall located at the heart of District 1. Quite a sight in the early evening.

Hit this restaurant where they grill everything right there at the table. Incredibly fresh food too. And more "333" beer. Goodness.

Coffee and scooters - my kind of scene.

Had to get a shot of me next to the statue of Ho Chi Minh.

I'm always on the lookout for buildings steeped in Eastern architecture.

Candid shot of a backstreet early in the morning.

Further down the same street, I saw what looked to be like a small army of scooters getting ready to take off from the light.

After Vietnam, headed east again to the Philippines. There are beautiful islands to be seen in every direction as the plane begins to descend into Manila airport.

Next time I get out to the Philippines, I really need to spend some time out on these islands.

Preparing to land in Manila.

One thing I notice as we were landing was how densely packed certain patches of Manila are.

Once in Manila I saw some interesting "jeepneys." These things look like public cabs straight out of Mad Max.

Had to get a few different shots of these things. Unreal.

It's amazing to me how far 7-11's grasp runs through Southeast Asia.

A couple of kids just kicking it at the bus stop mid-day.

A shot of the business district of Manila, from a few miles outside of the district.

A shot of the mountains while heading down the freeway.

After a long journey, finally made it to the hotel where I proceeded to sleep.....a lot.

Singapore and Thailand

2009-01-12T21:16:00.000-08:00

Back in November, I hit up a tour of SE Asia for work (yes, I'm that behind on posts)

The ports of Singapore are logistical awes - really incredible stuff

Lots of things to be received and shipped - had never seen a port like this before

Singapore continues to build up in order to keep pace with its incredible economic momentum

Singapore Slings on the 74th floor at the New Asia bar

Had to head down to the river in Singapore too; so many great restaurants here

You can pick out your own fish - yup, the food is that "fresh"

There are also numerous food courts spread out across Singapore - great food for a cheap price

Had to pop off a shot with the JPlus

I love this about Asia - the East meets West architecture of the city, and somehow it all works

And notice how clean the streets are in Singapore - you won't find any gum on these sidewalks

I made it out to Bangkok too - I love Thailand, and not just for the hot pink taxis

Coming into the city of Bangkok from Suvarnabhumi airport

Bangkok, despite being a highly populated city, has beautiful pockets of rivers and foliage in the most random spots

View from my room at the Sofitel; highly recommend that hotel if you go through bkk

Another shot of Bangkok's downtown skyline

Beneath these tin roofs are some amazing eating joints

Mango and sticky rice w/ ice cream in Bangkok - don't get better than this

One thing I really like about Bangkok, and Thailand in general, is everywhere you turn there are these small little religious statues

Get the best pad thai you've ever had for less than a buck out here

And of course, a trip to Bangkok would not be complete without grabbing a scotch at the bar on top of the State Tower

Shanghai

2008-12-20T06:51:00.000-08:00

Shanghai is such an incredible city - brimming with energy

The grandiose reminded me of Paris or New York

Nanjing Road is, quite frankly, off the hook

The lights, the energy, the movement - I found myself hanging out here a lot

I also found out that I'm a huge fan of Shanghainese food - delicious restaurants abound

Hanging out a favorite global joint of mine (I'm addicted to coffee)

Afternoon view of Pudong's phenomenal skyline

Despite all of the chaos going on along this river, it's a really peaceful to chill out

A place that's not peaceful - the fake Louis V shops. I almost got stampeded by a gang of old women scrambling for fake Berberi scarves.

Shanghai dumplings - talk about delicious. I ordered this whole pot.

I couldn't stop chuckling about this - I'm sure this is what Marx and company had in mind.

Loved the quaint little alleys and side streets; very European feel

Had to head back down to the Huangpu River when the sun came out

Interesting mix of brands scattered along the river - this section actually reminded me of Dubai

Yet another vantage point of the river

No matter where you go these days, just can't get away from advertising

Chillin out down by The Bund later in the evening

Jumped on a boat to catch the Pudong district lit up at night - what a sight

The Citi and Aurora buildings have massive displays built into the sides of the buildings

The infamous bottle opener building (Shanghai World Financial Center), designed by a Japanese architect

Panoramic view of The Bund at night; taken while cruising down the river in a boat

A second shot from the other end of The Bund

I'm not sure what the deal was with this building - but it sure looked cool

Lots of malls and shopping happening just off Nanjing Road

An older, but equally charming section of Shanghai - amazing architecture

Just down the street is the first McDonald's to hit China (~two decades ago)

More absolutely incredible architecture

Caught this cat drawing out some pretty cool characters with water and a brush

Another area of the city, with a little less traffic

True this - great city!

Eating silk worms in China

2008-10-21T21:54:00.000-07:00

I've eaten some wild stuff in my day, including snake and shark and pig's feet, but eating a silk worm was something new. Did I have the stomach for it? Watch below. :)

Google DevFest kicks off in Shanghai!!

2008-10-13T22:35:00.000-07:00

The next month is going to be pretty crazy:

http://code.google.com/events/apacdevfest/

Beijing, China

2008-09-13T23:18:00.000-07:00

Beijing looked entirely different than I was expecting; then again, I'm not really sure what I was expecting.

Had an adventure by taking a public bus an hour outside of the city to the "Pheonix" mountains. Really cool hedge carving on the side of this mountain.

While hiking up this mountain, ran into a cool pagoda. These things were scattered across the mountain.

Very neat taoist temples nestled midway up the mountain.

Another pagoda further up the mountain. I really like the look and feel of these things.

Went to dinner at this amazing palace of royalty from the Ching Dynasty. It's now a restaurant.

More shots from inside of this incredible palace.

The entire staff of the restaurant dressed in the clothing of that particular period.

Headed out to the Ming Tombs, where I got to see these enormous structures.

There's something so unique and exotic about these buildings; very different than the west.

More shots from inside of the Ming tombs.

Took a bus out to the Great Wall, which really is great.

It was really foggy, so I didn't get the full effect of just how long this thing is. Gonna have to go back a few more times.

I was thinking about those "more bars in more places" mobile carrier commercials when I saw this.

The bird's nest coliseum - very impressive. Home of the '08 olympics.

Made it over to the forbidden city too. Equally impressive and a peaceful place to hang out despite all of the tourists.

As soon as I got into the forbidden city, I was totally in awe of how articulately designed all of these buildings were.

And just when you think that you're about to reach the perimeter of the forbidden city, you walk into yet another sprawl.

I want to get one of these for my front porch back home.

I haven't seen "the last emperor", but apparently this is where they filmed it.

Coming out from the southern gate of the complex.

The one and only.......

Walked across the street to Tiananmen Square.

The People's Republic government buildings just off in the distance.

Went exploring at the temple of heaven, which was a beautiful and peaceful little spot.

This thing is actually huge - notice the little specs for context in the lower left region.

Spent some time walking around the summer palace too. Really pretty place where the kings used to hang out back in the day.

The interior of this place is really calming, but I did miss the blue skies.

All and all, I'm definitely digging being here. Looking forward to some more travel soon.

Angkor Wat (Siem Reap), Cambodia

2008-06-03T23:21:00.000-07:00

After Phnom Penh, I went to go see the temples in Siem Reap. Below is Angkor Thom.

This place was really amazing - it looked like a full on movie set, elephants and all

I was sweating like crazy: it's really humid in these forests

This was the first temple I got to see, and it was incredible - the detail as I got closer was pretty inspiring

Once you get inside of these you start to quickly get a feel for how big they are, I suddenly felt like I was in a maze

Faces of the Buddha were carved into the stones every way you turned

Caught this scene as I was passing through a corridor

Many of the tombs have been standing on these grounds since the beginning of the 12 century

Those who come for worship leave small gifts and incense for the Buddha

The temple Ta Prohm had this amazing jungle overgrowth, yet the structure remained intact

The roots of these massive fig trees found their home on the roofs of Ta Prohm

More maze like features spanning the inside of a given temple

Down there in the distance is the Mekong - if you've ever seen Apocolypse Now, that's the river

Stopped off at Phnom Bakheng to watch the sun set with the monks

Caught this fiery sunset from the roof of the aforementioned temple

Got up at the crack of dawn one morning to catch Angkor Wat at sunrise

It was really amazing to see the sun come up over this thing. I'd seen the pictures, but much like the Eiffel Tower and the Taj Mahal, the pics just don't do it justice.

I stood in awe all morning of this massive three-tiered pyramid and its five towers

Just as the sun was coming up.....

Side view of the wat from the inside (left-wing)

The river surrounding all four corner of Angkor Wat

The detail of the carvings in these temples is astonishing. Below is a depiction of good versus evil.

Coming back down through the jungles of Siem Reap

As I usually feel, it's always bitter-sweet to leave these amazing places. Bye for now Cambodia.

Phnom Penh, Cambodia

2008-05-26T23:18:00.000-07:00

Landed in Phnom Penh, promptly greeted by the standrard array of tuk-tuks

There was a flurry of activity in the streets, despite it being quite early in the morning

On the way to my hotel, caught this monk chillin outside of a cafe

Saw this fantastic monument in the center of the city while in route

After lunch I headed out to the killing fields, first stopping by this high-school, which was converted to a torture house during the terror of the khmer rouge

This was one of the former classrooms where educated citizens were routinely tortured

Mugshot photographs of the many citizens that were killed in this very complex; the rows of shots spanned for as far as you could see

Inside another torture chamber - needless to say, it was hard walking around inside of these walls

After that exhausting experience, I went out to the killing fields - got a photo of this monk posting it on his porch

The first monument I saw here was a tower filled with rows of skulls belonging to the victims

Shot of that same monument above but from a distance

These large divots in the ground are mass graves, often times with up to 70 or 80 bodies inside

There was a chilling feeling in the air here - there's something absolutely terrifying about standing on the very grounds where a recent mass genocide has taken place

After paying my respects out in the fields, I headed back into town to soak in some of the sights of progress and re-building in this amazing place

Ventured into a market area where tons of trading and bargaining were going on

Also rolled over to Wat Phnom, the largest temple in Phnom Penh

I met Sambo here, who's the sole resident elephant living here on the grounds of Wat Phnom

There were also tons of monkeys running around this place

The temple up top of Wat Phnom on a beautiful sunny day

Needless to say, the look and feel of this place was very fascinating to me (similar to Thailand)

Koh Samui, Thailand

2008-05-01T22:59:00.000-07:00

The other spot that expats kept telling me to hit was an island off the coast of Thailand called Koh Samui

As soon as I got there, I was immediately feeling decompressed. The place is gorgeous, and it's less touristy than a lot of the other islands surrounding Thailand.

Did some boating out into the ocean

Landed on a deserted island with absolutely no one else there - was great!

There were some really amazing views out here

Did some snorkling just off the coast of the island, saw so many fish I felt like I was in the middle of Finding Nemo

Also made it out to a remote village for lunch, was cool to chop it up with the locals there

Eventually we had to split from the village and get back to the main island since it was starting to get a little late

Since we were on an island, I knew there had to be great seafood

Dinner was incredible - had an absolute seafood feast

The chef even brought out the shark's head to put on display

The area was nice at night, with bars opening up right on the water and subtly lit

It was nice because tourist season was fairly low, yet there were enough people out to make things lively

Despite being full from the meal earlier, we managed to find an Irish bar on the island, which was so clutch

There were so many Irish folks at this place, for a minute.......I started to feel like I was back living in Dublin again.

And of course, 2 Guinnesses is always better than 1

At the end of the night, we set off a night lantern from the beach. It was a nice ending to a great trip.

Penang & Langkawi, Malaysia

2008-04-09T23:26:00.001-07:00

Penang is an absolutely beautiful island, just off the coast of West Malaysia

I came out here with high expectations after hearing other expats raving about this place, and I was not let down

Went to check out Kek Lok Si, a traditional Chinese Buddhist temple

This place was amazing - situated on the top of a foothill with really great views of the island

The entrance gate to Kek Lok Si, just outside of which I ran into a monster lizard (this thing was huge)

Here is that beautiful view that I was talking about above

There's lush green everywhere you look on this island

Inside of Kek Lok Si temple is an amazing array of Buddha statues

Heading up to the main pagoda area, the sights were unique to say the least

There was also a sense of calm here, and I was shocked by the lack of visitors (though I was told it was low season)

A far-reaching row of Buddahs; this was a little trippy (man I'm starting to sound like a hippie, been kicking it with too many backpackers)

I'm not too sure what these dangling balloon type of things are, but they're really cool

After reaching the top of the temple, I was so impressed with the above array of balloons (that's how I'll refer to them for now, forgive my cultural ignorance)

Construction of the largest bronze buddah in all of Asia

Up top on the temple, standing next to the pagoda and viewing the beautiful mountains

Kek Lok Si lit up at night

Also took a ferry out to Langkawi, which is just underneath Phuket (meaning beautiful beaches)

Stayed in this hotel/cottage that was nestled away in a sanctuary

This was the view from the balcony of my room

With your feet planted in the ocean, you turn around and see rain forests.....amazing

Gorgeous sunsets here.......I wonder if the locals ever take this for granted

Had to get one more, I hadn't seen a sunset like this since Dubai (but it was still really different - beach vs. desert, you get the picture)

As the sun went down, fishing boats started to appear everywhere

The next day I went out exploring; it was literally like I had the beach to myself

Eventually I had to leave this private paradise and get back on the ferry back to Penang

On the way back to Penang, I caught a quick shot of a school of fish following the boat

Back to paradise, but slightly a bit more crowded - Malaysia is great

Chiang Mai, Part Deux

2008-04-08T05:16:00.000-07:00

Chiang Mai was such a cool spot in Thailand, that when some of the expats mentioned that they wanted to head out there I jumped at the chance to go again

I did more things outside of the city this time around, like visiting an elephant sanctuary

I hadn't seen elephants this close up before, but they really are amazing

I had to ride one of these things; when would I get the chance to casually ride an elephant again?

Up close and personal with my new friends

The jungles and forests of Chiang Mai (and northern Thailand in general) are really a sight to see

Decided to roll out to Chiang Rai too, which was a fairly long drive. Stopped to grab coffee at this cool little spot along a river.

Caught some beautiful farms along the way to Chiang Rai

Chiang Rai was equally beautiful, with lots of color. And just on the other side of that mountain lies the border for Burma

Fisherman out for a coast down the river. It was so peaceful here.

Also went to check out the long-neck tribal villages, which was an interesting experience.

While much of their existence relies on tourism at this point, it felt really intrusive to be there once we'd arrived

All that said though, I was still very intrigued and couldn't snapping shots (what a tourist I've become)

Before leaving, I had to see one of the temples I had previously visited (a beautiful, quiet spot)

And of course, what would a visit to Chiang Mai be without swinging by Monk Chat?

Goa & Kerala, India

2008-03-31T06:03:00.001-07:00

There were two places in India that everyone kept telling me to check out: Goa & Kerala. Below is my trip out to Goa; definitely some beautiful beaches there.

I had actually been told by some Australian backpackers in Vietnam that Goa was a "must-visit" on the Hippie Trail

When I made it out far enough at sea, I sat back and watched families of dolphins swimming through the open waters (but couldn't get any good pics of them)

More dolphins swimming in the distance, this guy kinda looked like jaws coming at us

Once back on the shore, it was great to finally sit down and enjoy the dollar beers

I was shocked at the volume of tourism in this town; tons of Europeans in particular. Cool place.

I was really impressed with Kerala. Jumped on a boat to sail down a river that runs right into the Arabian Sea.

This area was really peaceful, and the houseboats were very cool.

And so we made our way out towards the Arabian Sea, sailing down the backwaters.

At certain points along the river, there was nothing but silence and palm trees.

There was a heavy Christian influence in both Goa & Kerala, as I saw many churches in both places. This orange church sitting off the river bank was really nice.

Kerala, I've been told, is the only Communist run county in India

And yet, as I noted above, there is a heavy religious (Christian) presence in Kerala......interesting.

Nepal!

2008-03-26T03:12:00.000-07:00

Nepal is an absolutely amazing and enchanting place, and it was really incredible to fly in over the Himalayas (peaking out from the clouds below)

I got into Kathmandu really early in the morning and was shocked by how many people were already out and about; it was particularly cold too

One thing that really stuck out to me in this country was the architecture of the buildings

The buddhist stupas spread out across the city are the coolest I've seen yet

On my way out from the Kathmandu airport and into the city I paused to watch so many intersections as I passed - it's crazy to think that these scenes play out every morning, and here I was unaware of it until this moment

The other great thing about Kathmandu is the various temples all throughout the city: it's like an easter-egg hunt. I was strolling past an area just down the street from my hotel when I randomly stumbled into this temple.

Early that next morning I got up at the break of dawn to catch the "Everest flight" which flies parallel to the Himalayas at sunrise. I highly recommend this if you make it to Nepal

That high peak in the center is Mt. Everest - it was one of those moments I said to myself "I can't believe I'm seeing this."

And of course, I'm always on the lookout for monkeys! These guys were roaming freely throughout Kathmandu

Made a visit over to Pashupatinath Temple, the Holiest Hindu temple in the world

I got to watch one of the processions from the doorstep; Hindus make a pilgrimage to this temple from all over the world

Strolling down one of the market areas situated in a back alley

Also made it up to Swayambhunath Temple (Monkey Temple)

As soon as I walked in I caught this monkey jacking some dude's cotton candy

The views of Kathmandu valley from this Stupa were so cool

Interesting Buddhist relics all throughout the temple

I watched this monk feeding pidgeons with a little girl - the Tibetan monks have a really calming effect

I talked with so many Tibetan monks while I was in Nepal about so many things. Gave me a really interesting perspective on (Tibetan) Buddhism.

Patan Square - these squares were immaculately preserved

Bhaktapur Square, which is where they filmed "The Little Buddha"

More scenes from inside of Bhaktapur Square - it really felt like I was on a movie set here

Shot from up top of Nargarkot Hill Station, notice Everest in the background

And probably my favorite spot in Nepal - Boudanath Stupa - the world's largest Stupa

This Stupa could be seen from so many spots in Kathmandu

I stayed here for hours watching the Tibetan Monks circle the Stupa; there were so many of them.......a really amazing experience.

Halong Bay and Hanoi, Vietnam

2008-03-25T09:25:00.001-07:00

Flew into Hanoi from Saigon before cruising out to take a boat across Halong Bay

Halong Bay is absolutely beautiful, there were boats and massive limestones as far as I could see

I was posting it on the Phoenix cruiser - straight up baller

It was bright and early when this was taken; just getting ready to have my coffee before setting out for the open sea

The sights from the top deck of the boat were absolutely incredible - gigantic limestones shooting out from the ocean

Took a little journey out to see the floating villages

I gotta get me one of these houses right on the water

It was so peaceful being out here in the middle of the ocean

Stopped on one of the really massive limestones to venture into a cave

Coming out from the cave, caught one of these cruisers just between the trees

Stopped by a fish farm just off the coast of Halong Bay too, which was really neat to see

When we parked just off the coast of Cat Ba Island, I was amazed at the number of cruisers I saw

Shot from the balcony of my hotel on the coast of Cat Ba Island

More floating villages that I got to check out on the way back to Hanoi; I loved the glassy turquoise color of the water

Shot of Hanoi as I got back into town - Saigon and Hanoi are like night and day

Went to check out a really cool little pagoda in the middle of a lake in Hanoi

It's funny to see the stares that I get in some of these places

Of course, when I was heading back to Saigon while waiting at the airport, I ran into some monks and had to take advantage of the photo-op

Saigon!

2008-03-25T05:12:00.000-07:00

Saigon is amazing - there is so much electricity (literally and figuratively) running through this city

Every corner I turned there was a ton of activity going on; I can't imagine ever getting bored in this place

Entry to one of the main streets downtown

Another amazing thing I loved about Vietnam: the coffee. It was delicious (lasting French influence), and it had been a while since I'd had good coffee. Here's what a cool coffee shop looks like:

The Opera House located in the heart of the city

Cute little old ladies walking in their traditional wear and rice hats

This is city hall, a really beautiful (and very loooong) building at the end of the strip

I didn't realize it until I saw the back of it, but this church is actually a replica of Notre Dame (built by the French during occupation)

It's a really cool feeling when you start seeing these things in different parts of the world, and can put the pieces together like this.....it makes things feel a lot smaller.

The Happy New Year signs were out in full effect; definitely a rad place to ring it in.

As I was saying above, there are more motor bikes in this city than I've ever seen. It's incredible to watch an oncoming wave of these things during rush hour.

I also tried eating snake (deep-fried) for the very first time here

As soon as you get out of the city, there are water buffaloes all over the place, trolling the rice fields

I also went to check out one of the jungles where a lot of fighting during the war happened, below is a communist bunker

I also climbed through a series of the underground tunnels that were set up during the war against the French, and later used during the US war

I gotta say - after seeing everything from Platoon to Apacolypse Now, seeing this stuff really made my stomach turn

Back in the downtown area, here is a massive statue of Ho Chi Minh in front of city hall

Starting out on the main strip at night, I really loved all of the different lights - it really gave a ton of character to the downtown area (not to mention all the people!)

City hall at night: I definitely will be coming back to Saigon at some point

Taj Mahal

2008-02-20T10:06:00.000-08:00

The drive from Delhi is really long, about five hours from the airport down a two-lane freeway

There were monkeys in the city, but they were on leashes....which was pretty lame.

Finally made it into the city where the Taj is located, first checked out the "red fort."

This thing was pretty cool, and stretched for as long as I could see.

While I try my hardest not to compare, none of these forts stack up to the Edinburgh castle

Walked into the area where the Taj is, and this place is so damn nice.

When I walked through the door of the building above, I couldn't believe it. It was like the first time I saw the Eiffel Tower.

All the pictures and footage just don't do this place justice. You really are in awe when you see it.

I took about 100 shots of this building, but I'm only gonna put up a few.

Shot taken of the other end, standing on the steps of the Taj.

The level of detail in the marble is very impressive

There's a river that runs behind the Taj Mahal; caught these cats fishing out back

There are lots of mini Taj's that were built at a later date, all surrounding the Taj Mahal

On the road back to the airport, caught the gate of India.

Also checked out the President of India's pad - pretty nice. Right in this area were the ministry buildings and embassies for as far as you could see; the road and buildings stretched for miles.

And on that road, tons and tons of monkeys. I really love seeing these guys just running around like they own the place.

Chiang Mai, Thailand

2008-02-05T22:54:00.001-08:00

Chiang Mai is such a friggin cool city in Thailand. It's the 2nd largest (behind Bangkok), but has a completely different feel

One similarity to Bangkok is the pictures of the king everywhere; this dude is seriously loved in this country

I dig the architectural styles here

There are a ton of really cool temples in this city; I walked around the corner from the much smaller and more modern temple above and stumbled into this one

Inside the temple above was a massive gold Bhuddah, this thing was huge.

There were also really cool elephant statues surrounding the temple

The monks' robes hanging out to dry

Inside another Bhuddist temple, with another really cool huge Bhuddah

Strolling down one of the back streets in Chiang Mai - a lot of cool little shops (no I didn't try any food that looked like it had been left out for a while)

These were particularly favorite spots for me. The areas with lots of foliage here are just beautiful.

Had to head up to Doi Suthep to check out the views.....it was a long walk

When I finally got to the top and saw this, plus the view of the city, made it all worth it.

More gorgeous sights of trees and foliage....I miss this stuff

Shot of Doi Suthep from just outside of the main area for prayer

I stayed at this temple (Doi Suthep) for a really long time, it felt so comfortable and peaceful there.

Also made it up to the highest spot in Thailand.....Doi Inthanon.

Up on Doi Inthanon, there are all kinds of cool forest pockets that you can just walk right into

On the way back down from the peak, caught this amazing waterfall - I stood there in awe for over an hour

As I was walking through the night market, I saw all of these lights up in the sky (look closely) - apparently this is a religious tradition here. Pretty cool.

Dubai

2008-01-23T10:40:00.000-08:00

Had to roll out to Dubai to see what all the hype was about, below is the Burj Al Arab - the world's only 7-star hotel.

In the airport, these guys even had Rolex clocks. Pretty pimp.

The hotels in Dubai are really nice......it's a trip too, because you walk out of the door and it's like you're in the desert, but then you walk a little further and there are beautiful beaches.

I was really impressed with the beaches here too - for all of the tourism that comes through this place, they keep the beaches really clean. It was cool to go swimming in the Persian Gulf.

Shot of the city from the beach. Off in the distance is the world's tallest building: the Al Burj.

The thin white stripe behind the boat below is the "world islands" - a series of man made islands, which they're now starting to building structures on.

Picking up sand to move further out into the ocean, making extensions to the islands. These things are so big that they actually affect the general current miles away.

This was the cleanest bus-stop I have ever seen. And yet no one uses the buses in Dubai.

The malls here all look spectacular - rivers, palm trees, and a very middle-eastern feel in the architecture (makes sense right?).

I hadn't seen Costa Coffee since I had left the UK many months ago. These guys are all over the EU, so I was a little surprised to see them all the way over here.

I particularly dug the rivers running through these massive complexes. Little gondolas could take you anywhere you needed to be.

I was impressed with the way the buildings looked here. And everywhere, new ones were being erected.

The world's largest (seeing a theme here?) indoor ski slope. This thing was huge.

I gotta admit, I never thought I'd be posting it in the middle east, looking up at a McDonald's sign in Arabic.

I had been told before arriving in Dubai that this place was an architect's dream. I could empathize.

Hit up a night cruise down the river. This place was tight - a lot of electricity and buzz in this part of the "old" city.

Boats were moving back and forth. And the buildings look equally cool in the night.

Also made it out to the desert. This was the first time I had seen a desert, and I wasn't expecting much, but it was really beautiful. Definitely the finest sand I've ever felt.

Hit up the dune-bashing in the middle of the desert. This was awesome - felt like I was on a roller-coaster in the sand.

Caught the sunset out here - absolutely beautiful. It looked like the sky was on fire.

Just seconds before they brought the hookahs out I had to throw out a little west-side love for all my homies caught up in the struggle with open cases back in Cali, coming at ya from the (far...........actually, middle) east-side.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

2007-12-16T09:37:00.000-08:00

The KL baby! This spot is so tight; I'm a big fan after hitting Malaysia

Had to hit up Chinatown, which was quite a bustling area

I really dug the various buildings in this area, and you could walk freely inside

After walking inside one of the temples, I can honestly say I didn't want to leave, but then I got hungry

Walked into this hole in the wall restaurant (literally) and took a big step to order some food; for as nervous as I was it turned out to be really good (the brown stuff is water...........kidding, it's tea)

Headed back out to the market area, but couldn't find anything worth exercising my bargaining skills on

I had been waiting all day for it to rain, but damn when it did it was like a monsoon

After heading outside of the city, there were awesome palm tree forests for as far as the eye could see

Stumbled upon this really really old Chinese cemetery just underneath one of the forests

Eventually ventured into one section of a palm tree forest: fresh air, peace and quiet.

I hit up a monkey sanctuary too, which was so baller. I really was this close, no zoom.

This guy was my favorite; I was ready to pack him up and take him home with me

Spent some time feeding this mama monkey and her little baby

This dude straight up tried to jack my wallet (or the green beans I had in my pocket)

I really want a pet monkey - it was so cool being so close to these guys

Went to a little crab shack down on the river, and the food was banging

Pimp view of the river while I was stuffing my face

From the top of this mountain I could see where the sky met the water met the forest, Malaysia is beautiful like this everywhere you go

Also went up to the top of the KL Tower

There was quite a nice 360* view of the city from up top

Shot of the Petronas Towers from the top of the KL Tower, these things looked so cool at night

One more shot from just out front of the Petronas Towers

And as fate would have it: found an A&W just as I was leaving. Beautiful.

Golconda Fort and the Tombs

2007-12-15T08:40:00.000-08:00

These tombs were close to 700 years old, so I'm told

Just to give some scale as to how big these things were, and they were deep in a forest area

Really cool architecture, the closer you got the more detail that appeared

The deeper I got into this forest, the more this place started to look like something straight out of an Indiana Jones movie

The sky was a bizarre color here, but for some reason my camera made it look really weird

Same thing in this picture, I think maybe my camera is starting to feel it's age

It also seemed that the deeper I got, the more elaborate the designs for each tomb became

Inside of the above tomb, where some of the royal families are buried

Golconda Fort off in the distance. I know I shouldn't be comparing, but seeing this really made me miss Scotland......a lot.

Headed up to the fort from the tombs, this thing was like a thousand years old.

Really cool religious paintings within the fort

Ariel view of one section of the fort left in ruins. Needless to say, this place was big

Just outside the walls of the fort, the sun disappearing in the distance

There were actually layers of outer walls for additional defense when this place was functional

When I finally got to the very top of the fort, the call for 6:30pm prayer began and I could hear it from all angles of the city. While it was not in sync, it was pretty amazing to witness.

Highest point from within the fort, lookout area for approaching enemies

Nightfall coming over the fort, this place looked really cool lit up at night

From inside the bottom of the fort at night

Bangkok, Thailand

2007-11-30T03:02:00.000-08:00

The Buddhist temples here are so cool to just stare at, I took many pics of these

The statues all throughout these places were awesome

Amazing - it was so peaceful here

The various poses of the Buddha

Just to give a little scale to how big the inside of these temples were

View from one end of a city street; the area I was staying in was a nice, slower part of Bangkok

As I was wandering one of the neighborhoods, I kept hearing this "whoop! whoop!" sound. When I went to investigate, I found that someone had a pet monkey!

There are lots of cool little bars and outdoor patio areas like this to kick it at

There are friggin 7-11s everywhere throughout Bangkok.....seriously......everywhere

This is the public transportation system in Bangkok: an open-bed truck with a tarp over the top.......they call it a bus - I almost got killed on one of these.

There are also hot pink taxis everywhere. It's really hard to be cool in one of these.

Backstreet to one of the neighborhoods I wandered into.

Yet another humongous temple that I strolled past. I couldn't stay here too long though cuz there was a pack of wild dogs just mugging me and for some reason my Dog Whisperer trick wouldn't work.

Caught a shot of this kid feeding these gigantic fish in the river

Also headed up to the top of the state towers, which had such an amazing view of the city

What a view, and the scotch was so cheap here!

Charmenar, India

2007-11-28T02:29:00.000-08:00

Made it out to Charmenar to see the palace, the mosque, and the Hindu temple.....palace is below

View from the roof of the palace - yes, there really are that many people on a given street here

I strolled down on of these back streets to see what was going on and I got mobbed by a swarm of people asking me for everything from money to getting a picture taken with me........crazy shit.

The local hospital just behind the open market

The buses here drive like they're competing at Le Mans or something

And I damn sure ain't getting on one of these tuk-tuks; these things are powered by lawn mower engines....sometimes I see like 15 people crowded into one of these!

Also hit up the largest mosque in India; over ten thousand people gather here for prayer on Friday afternoons

Ventured inside of the mosque - I had to take my shoes off (what a risk taker huh?)

The locals actually let me inside of the temple to take a pic (that's not me on the left though). I got blessed too, which was pretty cool. Glad I did that.

The size of this place was really impressive.

Then made it out to a Hindu temple. This place was so beautiful - made entirely out of Italian and German marble.

Unfortunately they wouldn't let any cameras or cell phones inside, so I only got a few shots from the outside. This temple was so peaceful, I could have stayed there for hours.

Shot of the temple at night.

And of course, I've been hitting up the buffets at the Marriott, the Sheraton, the Taj Krishna; this is the entrance to the Sheraton.

Nice little view of the pool while eating out on the patio.

I didn't even bother with getting the regular food - had to cut straight to the good stuff.

The calm before the storm, things are seconds away from getting serious

Singapore (back at it again)

2007-11-17T04:43:00.000-08:00

As most know, I'm out on my next adventure....first off, there's no other way to fly than Singapore Airlines - talk about service. These guys know how to treat passengers right, and the airbuses are really spacious.

Singapore International Airport is friggin huge! There's a mall, food courts, a hotel, a movie theater, bars, a massage parlor, and armed military men walking around with big ass machine guns (I opted not to take a picture of them).

There's a lot of foliage in Singapore, which makes this place really easy on the eyes.

I was told that the government looks at Singapore as a country within a garden. It looked like this everywhere I went.

Singapore has an "Eye of Singapore," which they clearly ripped from my homies in London - c'mon guys - strive to be original.

The skyline here is phenomenal though; I understand this whole "four tigers of the east" deal now.

This place is so clean it's crazy - I started feeling guilty just walking around and leaving footprints behind me.

It's highly impressive how developed this country is. I didn't realize there was such economic momentum here.

Took a stroll through the city, a really safe place. And of course, more trees.

The downtown is particularly impressive. There are literally towers in all directions.......and there's a statue of some random Brit on the right......brilliant!

Jumped on a little boat and started out on a cruise down the river.

Singapore is ultra humid. For a hot minute I thought I was gonna jump in the water, but as you can see by the color, I decided against that.

There's a really cool little "on the river" culture here (kind of reminded me of Amsterdam). All those tents in the distance are little bar/chill areas.

A shot of downtown from the river.

More shots of the river front life - nice place to have a cold brew.

I was drenched from the humidity at this point. Had to step out and have a Foster's, which is clearly the beer of choice in the east.

Shot from across the way of the Government Assembly building.

There was development happening all over the place here; I haven't seen this many cranes since I was in Dublin!

A picture of the MerLion, which is the "mascot" of Singapore. Top half is a lion, bottom half is a mermaid.........I didn't ask.

All in all, Singapore is pretty tight.

Newgrange Tombs

2007-05-19T16:03:00.000-07:00

I took a bus out to Newgrange to go see the "Newgrange Tombs"

Got to see more of the Ireland countryside, which is truly beautiful to look at

This tomb was built in 3200 BC.......seeing this monument (even older than the pyramids!) was quite a humbling experience

The entrance of the tomb, which was designed to flood with sunlight each morning for about twenty minutes during the winter and the summer solstices

The entrance stone with spiral engravings - crazy to think that these were carved out 5000 years ago

Coming through the entrance - coming down this long, very small passage way is not for the claustrophobic. Notice the sunbox just below the quartz - this lets the sunlight in during the solstice

Inside of the tomb, similar carvings on the wall

These stone basins are where the ashes of the dead would sit: when the sunlight came through during the solstice a theory suggests a belief that the sunlight would take the souls of the dead away......if this is true it's the first recorded instance of human belief in the after life

The spiral, stone-stacked ceiling of the tomb.......rain has not come through this ceiling in over 5000 years: the exhibition of trigonometry, astronomy, and engineering in this tomb is amazing. I wonder if they looked, felt and thought just like us?

The original foundation of another, long sinced destroyed tomb

More shots of the beautiful countryside - damn that's a lot of sheep

The Boine River, which sits just about 1000 yards from the tomb

I also stopped by the ruins of a monastery from the 8th century AD

An incredible celtic cross: monks had carved out scenes from both the old & new testament on these crosses in order to educate the pagan population

This will be my last post for a while - this whole thing has been an amazing experience, one I will not soon forget

The Netherlands

2007-05-18T09:47:00.000-07:00

I had to head out to the Netherlands at some point

Amsterdam just has a very cool look and feel to it

Lots of horse carriages in this city, almost got run over a couple of times

Churches here have very tall, epic-looking steeples

Lots of little farmer's markets going on in the various squares located throughout the city

Rivers and canals run throughout the entire city

The Amsterdam Royal Palace, which sits in the middle of a massive city square

Amazing Dutch panckes - talk about a friggin' big pancake

Another cool little city square - lots of hustle & bustle in these squares

The tram can get you to just about anywhere in the city

Spent several hours in the Van Gogh museum: absolutely amazing place to get your Van Gogh fix

Also managed to make it over to the Heineken Factory - had to sneak in just as they were closing

Wandering around the factory

While I'm not personally a big fan of Heineken, the beer tasted pretty damn good straight from the factory

Another really cool looking building: the general designs were really eye-catching here

Best damn pancakes in the city here in this little pancake house on the 1st floor

Took a tour of Anne Frank's house as well: this was intense

Anne Frank's real diary

Just outside of Anne Frank's house. I was really far-removed from this whole thing when I read the book in high-school, but there was an indescribable impact to seeing just how "real" this all was by physically being there.

Another beautiful little canal running through the city

Also stopped by the Rembrandt house

The detail of these original sketches was amazing to look at, I could have stared at these for hours

France and Scotland, Part 2

2007-05-16T12:48:00.001-07:00

Went out to France and Scotland for a few days each

Saw the Mona Lisa, definitely cool to see the real thing

Checked out the inside of Notre Dame: the interior is beautiful

The alter of Notre Dame

A shot taken just across the river from Notre Dame

Having a glass of wine in Montmarte, watching the painters work their magic

The weather was incredible during the entire stay in France

Chillin just outside of Concorde Square

Sacre Couer off in the distance

Standing next to a real Monet is amazing!......

Had to get a pic of the signature -> authentic

Yes - that is a real, authentic Van Gogh - bad ass.

Also got to see a real Renoir, all seen at the Musée d'Orsay

And of course, I had to make it back out to Scotland

Shot of the castle where Monty Python was filmed, just at the end of the river

The weather was so great in Scotland....beautiful the entire time

In front of the British Commando Memorial

Got to sail down the loch ness, where two F-18 fighters suddently flew down the river overhead; needless to say, I got pretty excited when I saw that

Just past the trees is the Speyside River. The Speyside River is where the MacAllan, Glen Livet, and Glen Fiddich distilleries all sit

The Firth of Fourth bridge in Edinburgh

Standing out from of the Edinburgh Castle

The Scotch just seems to taste even better in Scotland: took a Scotch tasting tour

Shot from the side of the castle, getting close to sunset

Still can't believe how nice the weather was

Been A While

2007-05-16T11:43:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted in so long, I was shocked when I saw the date of my last post (doesn't feel like a month has passed already)

Went to a couple of the Dublin "hotspots" like the Guinness Factory (these vats hold thousands of gallons of delicious Guinness)

The Guinness tastes so good out here because of the Irish water, which the company has a 9,000 year lease on a direct water line in the mountains (for cheap too!)

The SkyBar at the end was awesome; amazing panoramic view of the city

Also hit up the Jameson Whiskey Distillery

A Coffee still and a Pot still, holding the spirits till maturity

The Jameson bar had a really nice (expensive) private collection

Good stuff........

Google Checkout UK Launched!!

2007-04-15T08:29:00.000-07:00

A lot of people have wondered what the hell I'm doing over here in Europe:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6549643.stm

Edinburgh!

2007-04-09T12:29:00.000-07:00

Jumped on a plane to Edinburgh this weekend. You will not see any pics of me (nice change of pace huh?) as I went by myself........which was a hugely rewarding learning experience.

Edinburgh is an amazing city, as soon as I stepped off the bus there was all kinds of activity going on. The bus system in Scotland is ultra efficient.

This was the view of the Edinburgh Castle from my hotel room. Each morning I spent an hour drinking coffee on a chair in front of this window. I opened the window and heard bagpipes in the distance..........goosebumps.

Front view of the Castle; this thing was massive!

As I was coming back down the Royal Mile, I heard bagpipes. I turned the corner and saw this scene playing out: bagpipes, statue of Scottish philosopher David Hume, Scottish flags, and a massive church in the background. Amazing.

I don't know what it is about the bagpipes, but those sounds send shivers through me. I have no Scottish heritage running through my veins, but I want bagpipes to play at my funeral.

The Scottish/British Natural Museum, set against a skyline backdrop.

There was this amazing park with all of these archaic monuments about 500 yards away from my hotel. David Hume is buried in a cemetery across the street.

The different colored washes of light make Edinburgh look spectacular at night

The Castle from afar at night.

The William Wallace (BraveHeart) Monument on the left side of the hill. The field below is where he and his army fought their final battle against the English.

I backpacked all the way up through Northern Scotland (Inverness), back down through Loch Ness, and finally back into Edinburgh. The Scottish country side is truly breathtaking.

Went out on a boat and sailed across the Loch Ness. I was looking for the Loch Ness Monster (Nessy) the entire time....no luck though

This is the house of Aleister Crowley. It was owned by the one and only Jimmy Page during the 1970s. Rumor has it that Stairway to Heaven and much of the 4th album was written here: fuck yeah!

A castle in ruins just off the coast of Loch Ness

Absolutely beautiful. There was definitely something special about this country that resonated really loudly with me.

Then again, that could have just been the Scotch talking. Hallelujah!!! I took a "Scotch Experience Tour", which was well worth it.

Now, I'm no Ansel Adams, but I was particularly proud of how cool this pic turned out. This kid was a G

View from on top of the castle. I have a feeling I'll be back to this country many times over the course of my lifetime.

Barcelona

2007-04-04T12:32:00.000-07:00

After some delay, I hit the road again this past weekend

Much like Paris, great coffee and nice cafes can be found at every corner

Having cafe con leche early in the morning, notice la croissant: sophisticated

The weather was so nice when I first got there

Chillin with the mermaids. The Spaniards are really into the whole quasi-human statues (these are all over the city)

Super cool architecture in this city

Went to the Sagrada Church, which was breathtaking

You had to see it to believe how big this thing is; Gaudi spent 43 years of his life trying to complete this church -- they're still working on it

Took the Gondola lift up to this Museum on the other side of Barcelona

Got some really cool aerial shots (yes it started to rain at this point)

Came back from the soccer stadium, and stumbled upon this view

Took a stroll over to the Museu D'art: hands down the coolest building I've seen yet........friggin waterfalls!

This part of the city had a really cool vibe. Needless to say, I was awed by this museum.

When in Spain, gotta grab some Tapas and Estrella (which actually was a nice change of pace from Guinness since that's all I've been having -- can't complain though)

Stopped by another Gaudi-designed house; Barcelona is definitely Gaudi's city

Checked out this park up on a hill, the view from this park was spectacular

It was cool to see the way the mountains interweave with the housing complexes all throughout the city

After a long hike up, finally made it to this park, which was designed by? You guessed it: Gaudi

Just soaking in Barcelona.......

A nice little view from the rooftops. Stained glass is another common theme over here.

London

2007-03-13T15:10:00.000-07:00

Went out to London this weekend, Kensington Palace (Gardens dedicated to Princess Diana) in the background

Statue of William the 3rd who founded this royal home in 1689

The red tele-booths....soooooo cool

And of course, the double decker red buses

Buckingham Palace, which sat across the street from St. James park, had a beautiful view of the city

The dudes with the furry hats; these cats seriously did not move

Saw the Westminster Abbey, the attention to detail on this church was incredible

Head on shot of the front door of the Westminster Abbey

Big Ben!!!

Checked out the House of Parliament where Tony Blair and Ali G handle business

Shot of the east end of the House of Parliament, this building is huge!

Really cool statue of Winston Churchill

Posting it out front of the Tower of London

Shot of the London Tower, otherwise known in the US as the London Bridge (which is actually down the road -- couldn't understand why people kept correcting me over there)

London has this interesting mix of the old school architecture (Tower of London, foreground) and newer buildings (The "Rotating" Building, background -- it seriously spins)

Picadilly Circus -- infamous scene from Austin Powers

Saint James Cathedral in the distance. Winston Churchill asked everyday if this building was still standing during the final year of World War 2

Big Ben was pretty amazing to see at night. You could see it from virtually anywhere in the city.

Howthe, Ireland

2007-03-04T06:39:00.001-08:00

Headed out to Howthe, Ireland this weekend.

Charming little fishing town sitting on the Atlantic.

Headed straight for the water. Ocean view was amazing.

Sea Lions came within 5 ft of the shore; I'd never seen them that close.

The mountains are pretty striking here. Notice the rainbow.

Shot of an old church steeple in the distance. The churches in Ireland have an amazing archaic look to them.

Stopped by a cool little pub to watch the Liverpool vs Manchester soccer game. Soccer & Rugby are huge over here.

Undoubtedly the best beer I've ever had.

Saw an old lighthouse, since converted into a museuem.

Some killer views from the lighthouse summit.

This is the oldest church in Howthe: erected in 1042.

It was pretty cool standing next to a structure that's almost a 1,000 yrs old.

All the green you could expect to see in Ireland.

Paris!

2007-02-28T13:42:00.000-08:00

Opening shot of the city

Where Napolean is buried (Center of Defense)

The botanical gardens

Soaking in the view of the riverfront

The Mayor's Office

Interesting Architecture everywhere

Just outside the Louvre

Went to several Cafes like this one

Sacre Coeur

A scene from the Da Vinci Code (Concorde Square)

Random shot of the city

Eiffel Tower at night time

Me out front of the Eiffel Tower

Notre Dame

Me out front of Notre Dame

Out front the the Louvre Museum

Arc De Triumphe!

Another scene out of the Da Vinci Code

The Eiffel Tower (once more)