Thomas Knedlik's Traveling and Diving Blog

Sydney's Vivid Festival

2010-06-12T11:12:00.005+10:00

No other festival in the Southern Hemisphere illuminates a city quite like Vivid Sydney. As the festival of light, music and ideas, Vivid Sydney flicks on the ultimate light switch and ignites the city with spectacular colours. It features the lighting of the Sydney Opera House, which sees Utzon’s iconic sails transformed into a spectacular living canvas. Now in its second year, it’s a harbourside artwork that’s grabbed the world’s attention!

The lighting continues with Macquarie Visions, which sees Macquarie Street and surrounding buildings lit up spectacularly, and the anticipated return of The Rocks Fire Water – a dazzling Bollywood-inspired performance that taps into our history with a cast of tall ships, fire and colourful smoke.

Fiji Islands

2010-05-30T11:01:00.001+10:00

Fiji, officially the Republic of the Fiji Islands is an island nation in the South Pacific Ocean about 2000 km north of New Zealand's North Island. Its immediate neighbors are Vanuatu to the west, New Caledonia to the southwest, New Zealand's Kermadec to the southeast, Tonga to the east, Wallis and Futuna to the northeast and Tuvalu to the north. The country comprises an archipelago of more than 332 islands, of which 110 are permanently inhabited, and more than 500 islets, amounting to a total land area of ca. 18,300 km2. The two major islands, Viti Levu and Vanua Levu, account for 87% of the population of almost 850,000. The former island contains Suva, the capital and biggest city.

LA - City of Angels

2010-05-16T10:45:00.001+10:00

Los Angeles is the second largest city in the United States, the largest city in the state of California and the Western United States, with a population of 3.8 million. The urban area of Los Angeles extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of over 14.8 million, it is the 14th largest urban area in the world, affording it megacity status.

Los Angeles was founded on September 4, 1781, by Spanish governor Felipe de Neve as El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Angeles del Río de Porciúncula (The Village of Our Lady, the Queen of the Angels of the river of Porziuncola). It became a part of Mexico in 1821, following its independence from Spain. In 1848, at the end of the Mexican-American War, Los Angeles and the rest of California were purchased as part of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, thereby becoming part of the United States; Mexico retained the territory of Baja California. Los Angeles was incorporated as a municipality on April 4, 1850, five months before California achieved statehood.

Often known by its initials, L.A., and nicknamed the City of Angels, Los Angeles is a world center of business, international trade, entertainment, culture, media, fashion, science, technology, and education. It is home to renowned institutions covering a broad range of professional and cultural fields, and is one of the most substantial economic engines within the United States.

As the home base of Hollywood, it is known as the "Entertainment Capital of the World", leading the world in the creation of motion pictures, television production, video games, and recorded music. The importance of the entertainment business to the city has led many celebrities to call Los Angeles and its surrounding suburbs home.

Los Angeles enjoys a subtropical climate, with an average of 320 sunshine days and only 35 days with measurable precipitation annually. The summer's season lasts nearly all year round, although during the period from December to April temperatures are alternately - between a fifty several and seventy several degrees Fahrenheit (a dozen or so and twenty-some degrees Celsius) during the day.

Alcatraz - America's most notorious prison

2010-05-14T08:35:00.011+10:00

Alcatraz Island is an island located in the San Francisco Bay, 2.4 km offshore from San Francisco, California. Often referred to as The Rock, the small island early-on served as a lighthouse, a military fortification, a military prison, and federal prison until 1963. Later, in 1972, Alcatraz became a national recreation area and received landmarking designations in 1976 and 1986.

During its 29 years of operation, the penitentiary claimed no prisoners had ever successfully escaped. 36 prisoners were involved in 14 attempts, two men trying twice; 23 were caught, six were shot and killed during their escape, and three were lost at sea and never found. The most violent occurred on May 2, 1946 when a failed escape attempt by six prisoners led to the so-called Battle of Alcatraz.

On June 11, 1962 Frank Morris, John Anglin and Clarence Anglin successfully carried out one of the most intricate escapes ever devised. Behind the prisoners' cells in Cell Block B (where the escapees were interned) was an unguarded 3-foot (0.91 m) wide utility corridor. The prisoners chiseled away the moisture-damaged concrete from around an air vent leading to this corridor, using tools such as a metal spoon soldered with silver from a dime and an electric drill improvised from a stolen vacuum cleaner motor. The noise was disguised by accordions played during music hour, and their progress was concealed by false walls which, in the dark recesses of the cells, fooled the guards.

The escape route then led up through a fan vent; the fan and motor had been removed and replaced with a steel grille, leaving a shaft large enough for a prisoner to climb through. Stealing a carborundum cord from the prison workshop, the prisoners had removed the rivets from the grille and substituted dummy rivets made of soap. The escapees also constructed an inflatable raft from several stolen raincoats for the trip to the mainland. Leaving papier-mâché dummies in their cells with stolen human hair from the Barbershop for hair, they escaped. The prisoners are estimated to have entered San Francisco Bay at 10 p.m. Articles belonging to the prisoners (including plywood paddles and parts of the raincoat raft) were located on nearby Angel Island, and the official report on the escape says the prisoners drowned while trying to reach the mainland in the cold waters of the bay.

Beginning on November 20, 1969, a group of Native Americans from many different tribes (many individual Native Americans relocated to the Bay Area under the Federal Indian Reorganization Act of 1934), occupied the island, and proposed an education center, ecology center and cultural center. According to the occupants, the Treaty of Fort Laramie (1868) between the U.S. and the Sioux returned all retired, abandoned or out-of-use federal land to the Native people from whom it was acquired. In fact, the Sioux Treaty of 1868 stated that all abandoned or unused federal land adjacent to the Sioux Reservation could be reclaimed by descendant of the Sioux Nation. For that reason, the group Indians of All Tribes abandoned the Sioux treaty as the basis of their occupation and claimed Alcatraz Island by Right of Discovery.

If you look careful at the picture below you can actually see the word "FREE", which was writen in the American flag by the Indian Occupants.

While on Alcatraz I had the opportunity to meet one of the former inmates. Darwin E Coon was incarcerated in Alcatraz from 1959 till 1963 and he returned to promote his compelling life story which he worte in the book: "Alcatraz - The true end of the line". A very interesting read!

Getting super-sized in San Francisco

2010-05-12T14:04:00.006+10:00

San Francisco is a major city in California, the centerpiece of the Bay Area, well-known for its liberal community, hilly terrain, Victorian architecture, scenic beauty, summer fog, and great ethnic and cultural diversity. These are only a few of the aspects of the city that make San Francisco one of the most visited cities in the world. I am enjoying my time here and it seems San Fran is a fine city to visit. It has a population of only 800.000, but is the center of a metropolitan area of millions.

Mantas and others

2009-10-09T12:45:00.003+11:00

I was actually hoping to see a Mola Mola (Sunfish) but it seems they were all hiding from me in Bali. Netherless I caught up with about 6 or 7 Manta Rays at Manta Point and lotst of other interesting stuff on the dive sites around Bali. It just feels great to be in the water, not for training, not worrying about anyone else just absorbing the nitrogen and the amazing underwater world. Thanks Minni!

Manado

2009-09-28T18:46:00.003+10:00

Manado is the capital of the North Sulawesi province of Indonesia. It's a bit difficult to get there but Manado and the nearby Bunaken Island and Lembeh Strait are a paradise for scuba divers. Coming here on business I had the chance to stay an extra day and do some diving around the fascinating 600m deep walls of Bunaken Island. Definitely worthwhile with amazing five star dive sites.

Variations of Perth

2009-08-29T15:07:00.008+10:00

Perth is a beautiful city and the capital of the Western Australian State. Not that I was particulary bored but I had quite a nice view from my room so I thought I would share the impression with you. The photos show the Perth CBD from Canning Highway overlooking the breathtaking Swan River.

The photos are taken at 7am, 5pm and 6:30pm.

Pinnacle Desert

2009-08-25T20:34:00.005+10:00

Some 250 kilometres north of Perth (The capital city of Western Australia) lays the world-renowned Nambung National Park. And within this biodiversity hot spot you can find the very unique and spectacular Pinnacle Desert. Rising mysteriously from the dune sands are thousands of limestone pillars, a landscape in strange contrast to the surrounding heath. The Pinnacles were sculptured from limestone by wind, rain, vegetation, sun and time for many thousands of years. These limestone formations of varying colours reach up to four metres.

But not only the Pinnacles are a truly fascinating sight, you will certainly enjoy some kangaroos or wallabies and also the beautiful white-sand beach is only a short drive away. This is the perfect day-trip from Perth and to round up your experience ‘on the road’ you should stop in Cervantes for a nice lobster lunch. Make sure you visit the Pinnacle Desert either during sunrise or sunset to ensure you get some nice photographs to remember your trip.

Beautiful Tassie

2009-08-16T20:44:00.004+10:00

Tasmania is a beautiful island in the south-eastern corner of Australia about 250km from the mainland or an two-hour flight from Sydney. The nature is just stunning, some would compare it to the South Island of New Zealand but of cause you should never mention this to the locals here. Diving conditions can be quite beautiful around here, with fantastic visibility and some special creatures like the spotted handfish or the leafy seadragon. In wintertime the visibility is better but of cause the water temperature only around 12 degrees celcius.

I went for a nice drive around the Hobart region from Kingston to Woodbridge, Cygnet and back through the Huon valley. I also tasted some nice Sauvignon Blanc from the Two Bud Spur Vineyard in Gardners Bay. Yummy!

Diving in Bali

2009-08-04T19:52:00.007+10:00

Bali is an Indonesian island lying between Java to the west and Lombok to the east. It is one of the country's 33 provinces with the provincial capital at Denpasar towards the south of the island. The island is surrounded by beautiful coral reefs. Beaches in the south tend to have white sand while those in the north and west have black sand. The beach town of Padangbai in the south east has both and this was the area I choose for some diving.

As you can see on my photos Bali is one of the top diving destinations in the world. Beautiful corals, encounters with Manta Rays and Sharks but also a wealth of macro organism like Pygmy seahorses make any dive trip worthwhile. In the North near Tulamben you can also find the wreck of the USS Liberty. Plan your dive trip around August to October for your best chance to see the fantastic Mola Mola or Sunfish.

Ну, погоди!

2009-07-30T14:01:00.004+10:00

Nu pogodi! which means something like 'You just wait' is a Russian animated series. The series was created in 1969 and became a popular cartoon of the Soviet Union. One I crew up with and a very funny one indeed. The series follows the comical adventures of an artistic and mischievous wolf trying to catch (and presumably eat) a hare. Like Tom and Jerry, the series has additional characters that usually either help the hare or interfere with the wolf's plans.
The Wolf is initially portrayed as a hooligan who eagerly turns to vandalism, abuses minors, breaks laws, and is a heavy smoker. The Hare on the other side is portrayed as a supposedly positive hero. He gets much less screen time and is less developed than the Wolf, and most of his actions are simply reactions to the Wolf's schemes. Therefore, the sympathies of some viewers are more with the Wolf. I just love it and its a great thing to be able to find those episodes on the internet again.

Sanya

2009-06-19T18:49:00.009+10:00

Sanya is the southernmost city in China's island province Hainan. Sanya is renowned for its tropical climate and is a popular tourist destination. The Guanyin Statue of Hainan is one of the main attractions. The 108 meter tall statue of the bodhisattva Guan Yin, has three aspects; one side faces inland and the other two face the South China Sea, to represent blessing and protection by Guan Yin of China and the whole world. This is currently the fourth tallest statue in the world.
The statue took six years to build and was enshrined on April 24, 2005, with the participation of 108 eminent monks from various Buddhist groups in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macao and Mainland China, and tens of thousands of pilgrims.

Koh Tao

2009-05-27T18:25:00.003+10:00

Koh Tao is a tropical island in the Gulf of Thailand and a paradise for scuba divers. It is named 'Turtle Island' after the turtle-like shape of the island. Coincidentally, the island is also an important breeding ground for Hawksbill turtles and Green turtles. You can reach Koh Tao by ferries from Surat Thani (4 hours day boat, 9 hours on overnight boat), Chumphon (1.5 to 3 hours), Koh Samui (approx 2.5 hours) and Koh Phangan (approx 1 hour). The island has quite developed in the last 15 years and the most popular place for tourists is Sairee on the West coast, which has a white sandy beach of 1.7 km interrupted only by a few huge boulders and a scattering of medium budget resorts and restaurants.
Koh Tao is less developed than Koh Samui and Koh Phangan, but has become increasingly popular especially with the mid-20's backpacker crowd in search of relatively inexpensive scuba diving certification. Apart from scuba diving there is also some great hiking, climbing, kayaking and free-diving on offer. Check it out, Koh Tao is definitely worth the visit. The photo shows the view down to Sairee Beach and Koh Nang Yuan.

Puerto Galera

2009-04-10T13:37:00.004+10:00

Puerto Galera is a municipality in the province of Oriental Mindoro, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 21,925 people. Puerto Galera is only three and a half hours away from Manila first by bus to the port at Batangas City and then by boat. This coastal town is well known among tourists for its numerous pocket beaches and many snorkeling and Scuba diving spots. The area was designated a Man and Biosphere Reserve of UNESCO in 1973 and has some of the most diverse coral reef diving in Asia. The marine environment has benefited in recent years from the influx of tourist dollars. This has seen a huge reduction in the number of fishermen in the area, as they gain higher revenue from tourists. A great place to visit and a fantastic area for your next scuba diving holidays.

Nyepi in Bali

2009-03-26T11:54:00.000+11:00

Nyepi is the Balinese "Day of Silence" that falls on Bali's Lunar New Year on 26th of March 2009. Observed from 6 a.m. until 6 a.m. the next morning, Nyepi is a day reserved for self-reflection and as such, anything that might interfere with that purpose is restricted. The main restrictions are: no lighting fires (and lights must be kept low); no working; no entertainment or pleasure; no traveling; and for some, no talking or eating at all. The effect of these prohibitions is that Bali’s usually bustling streets and roads are empty, there is little or no noise from TVs and radios, and few signs of activity are seen even inside homes. The only people to be seen outdoors are the Pecalang, traditional security men who patrol the streets to ensure the prohibitions are being followed.
Even tourists are not exempt; although free to do as they wish inside their hotels, no one is allowed onto the beaches or streets, and the only airport in Bali remains closed for the entire day. The only exceptions granted are for emergency vehicles carrying those with life-threatening conditions and women about to give birth.

Who is BNE?

2009-03-13T00:50:00.005+11:00

Who is BNE? Surely everyone who spends a bit of time in Bangkok these days must have noticed BNE in form of stickers, tags or graffiti plastered all over the city. You can find BNE just everywhere in Bangkok and I mean there must be thousands of those tag-lines around the City of Angels. Now the question which comes to mind is of cause "Who the hell is BNE?".
I have tried to find an answer in the Internet and quite interesting there are few articles about BNE and even some videos. Apparently police noticed the first BNE stickers in San Francisco in May 2005 and since then BNE has gone worldwide. Sticker appeared on phone booths, post boxes, street signs, walls, vending machines and parking meters around the world from Prague to New York, from Tokyo to Hong Kong and now in Bangkok.
The B-N-E mystery remains unsolved so what could the acronym mean? Well, BNE is the three-letter airport code for Brisbane (Australia), some suggest it might mean 'Breaking 'N Entering' or 'Be Nowhere Else'. To be honest I have no idea so if you come up with something better please let me know. Sometimes the letters BNE are accompanied by the words 'was here' or as in the picture taken at the Queens Park on Sukhumvit with some Japanese symbols.

Bang Saen Beach

2009-03-09T23:49:00.004+11:00

Bang Saen is a beach in the province of Chonburi. The small village is situated in south-east direction about half way between Bangkok and Pattaya on the gulf of Thailand. Bang Saen is especially popular amongst Thais from Bangkok and on weekends hundreds take out their cars, bikes or girlfriends and then occupy on of the thousands of beach chairs nestled along the 2.5km palm tree beach. Bang Saen is also famous for fresh seafood and you will find oysters, prawns and fresh fish on countless BBQ stalls along the beach road.

It's not much frequented by tourists, the only 'farangs' you will find here are expats from Bangkok. It's definitely a nice place to hang out for a few days and indulge in some delicious sea food. However the down side is that the beach and the surrounding waters are full of rubbish and no one seems to mind to swim or sit on a beautiful beach covered with plastic trash.

Perth's City Beach

2009-02-22T19:56:00.001+11:00

Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. With a population of 1,554,769 (2007), Perth ranks fourth amongst the nation's cities, with a growth rate consistently above the national average. One of the city's beaches is the town of Cottesloe and a fantastic place to relax and unwind. Bring your family and spend a day playing in the waves. Think beach, think Norfolk Island pines, think Western Suburbs lifestyle - that's Cottesloe. Just 15 minutes west of Perth, Cottesloe is internationally famous for its superb beach and terraced lawns overlooking the Indian Ocean. Whether you're a local or a visitor, the village atmosphere and seaside heritage demands further exploration.

Khao Lak National Park

2009-01-18T19:49:00.003+11:00

Khao Lak is a seaside resort area in Thailand, located 80 km north of Phuket International Airport and popular as a departure point for liveaboard scuba diving trips to the Similan Islands.

The pristine coastline is synonymous with beauty. Nearby rubber and palm plantations dot the coastal region and most nearby inland areas. The major national Highway 4 runs north and south and mostly parallel to the coastline. Khao Lak is a thriving tourist destination for backpackers, up-scale tourists, adventure tourists and seasoned scuba enthusiasts. Local peoples are mostly Thai often with some Chinese ancestry. The diversity of ethnic groups and cultural influences within and surrounding Khao Lak makes this region rich in agricultural, fishing and dry good products. Tourism is Khao Lak's revenue generating entity, becoming Thailand's most popular jumping-off point for the world renowned Similan Islands.

Khao Lak was one of the areas of Thailand hardest hit by the tsunami resulting from the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. Many people died including many foreign tourists. The final death toll was over 4000, with local unofficial estimates topping 10,000 due to the lack of accurate censuses and the mere fact that the Burmese population was not recognized as residents. Most of the coastal landscape, i.e., beaches, resorts and vegetation, was completely stripped back by the power of the tsunami. Some replanting programmes have been initiated and a great deal has been accomplished in the rejuvenation of surrounding foliage.

Jim Thompson House

2009-01-06T20:17:00.003+11:00

The Jim Thompson House is a museum in Bangkok. It is a complex of various old Thai structures that the American businessman Jim Thompson collected in from all parts of Thailand in the 1950's and 60's. It is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Thailand.

As Thompson was building his silk company, he also became a major collector of Southeast Asian art, which at the time was not well-known internationally. He built a large collection of Buddhist and secular art not only from Thailand but from Burma, Cambodia and Laos, frequently travelling to those countries on buying trips.

In 1958 he began what was to be the pinnacle of his architectural achievement, a new home to showcase his art collection. Formed from parts of six antique Thai houses, his home (completed in 1959) sits on a klong (canal) across from Bangkrua, where his weavers were then located. Most of the 19th century houses were dismantled and moved from Ayutthaya, but the largest - a weaver's house (now the living room) - came from Bangkrua.

I find it amazing to see the Thai architecture on a very nice display and just leaving the dust and noise of Bangkok and relax in a beautiful tropical garden is already an experience on its own.

Ayutthaya

2009-01-04T00:43:00.001+11:00

Ayutthaya (full name Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya) city is the capital of Ayutthaya province in Thailand. The city was founded in 1350 by King U-Thong, who came here to escape a smallpox outbreak in Lop Buri, and proclaimed it the capital of his kingdom, often referred to as the Ayutthaya kingdom or Siam. Ayutthaya was named after the city of Ayodhya in India, the birthplace of Rama in the Ramayana (Thai, Ramakien). In 1767 the city was destroyed by the Burmese army, and the ruins of the old city now form the Ayutthaya historical park, which is recognized internationally as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city was refounded a few kilometers to the east.

It is estimated that Ayutthaya around ca. 1600 had a population of ca. 300,000, and even 1,000,000 around 1700, making it one of the world's largest cities.

This was my second visit to Ayutthaya and I still enjoy to wander along the old ruins and to take photos of this fantastic historical and spiritual site.

Chang Erawan

2009-01-02T00:33:00.001+11:00

'Chang Erawan Museum' is a museum in Samut Prakan. It is well known for its giant three-headed elephant art display. The three storeys inside the elephant contain antiquities and priceless collections of ancient religious objects belonging to Khun Lek Viriyapant who is the museum owner.

Already during the construction, the building attracted people who came to worship. Thus it fulfilled Khun Lek Viriyapant's wish to preserve sacred objects for the country. Although both Khun Lek and Khun Pagpean passed away before the construction was completed, their heirs continued their wish to create a place where ceremonies and festivals of Thai traditions might be held, and that would also serve as a museum to keep the memory of Khun Lek Viriyapant's life and work alive for future generations.

It a very beautiful place to spend a few hours and I especially like the Buddha statue collection in the belly of the elephant. Very nice!

Koh Chang

2008-12-31T00:21:00.003+11:00

This was my second visit to Koh Chang and as I wrote in April during my last visit Koh Chang is a beautiful island in the Gulf of Thailand about a 5 hours drive from Bangkok. I stayed there for the New Years Celebrations and had a bit more time to explore the island both on land and underwater.

This time I especially enjoyed the east coast of Koh Chang which is less inhabited and has a lot of fantastic nature. There are several waterfalls, mangrove forests and even an island crossing trek. But the western side of Koh Chang is also very beautiful and especially the sunsets are just mind blowing.

Rama IX Royal Park

2008-12-25T00:01:00.000+11:00

The 200-acre Rama IX Park, or Suan Luang Ror Kaow, is located in east Bangkok on Sukhumvit Soi 103 (Soi Udomsuk). Opened in 1987 to commemorate the fifth-cycle birth anniversary of His Majesty the King, the park comprises extensive landscaped gardens, botanical gardens and a water park. At the center of the park is an eye-pleasing crown-shaped building that houses an exhibition of His Majesty's life and works. Rama IX Park is a popular weekend getaway for the city residents. Just watch out for the green mini-buses that congregate at the end of Soi 103 to get to the park.

Rama IX Park is open everyday from 6.00 am to 6.00 pm. The admission fee is 10 baht.

I enjoy most the beautiful 'Royal Sala' near the entrance of the park. It's always great to get away from all the hectic in Bangkok and enjoy a day in the park.

Big Buddha Phuket

2008-12-14T23:43:00.002+11:00

As reported earlier the 'Big Buddha' in Phuket on top of Nakkerd Hill will be the largest free-standing Buddha image in Thailand. Building is now almost completed with only the lotus seat needed to be cover with marble. The future tourist attraction and spiritual site has been build over the last few years and attract thousands of visitors each year. My favorite sight in Phuket and a great place to relax and unwind.

Beijing National Stadium

2008-12-04T23:29:00.000+11:00

Beijing National Stadium, also known as the "Bird's Nest" is a stadium in Beijing, China. The stadium was designed for use throughout the 2008 Summer Olympics and Paralympics.

Located in the Olympic Green, the US$423 million stadium is the world's largest steel structure. The design was awarded to a submission from the Swiss architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron in April 2003, after a bidding process that included 13 final submissions. The design, which originated from the study of Chinese ceramics, implemented steel beams in order to hide supports for the retractable roof; giving the stadium the appearance of a "Bird's nest". Ironically, the retractable roof was later removed from the design after inspiring the stadium's most recognizable aspect. Ground was broken in December 2003 and the stadium officially opened in June 2008. A shopping mall and a hotel are planned to be constructed to increase use of the stadium, which will host football events after the Olympics.

Tianamen Square

2008-12-04T23:11:00.004+11:00

Tiananmen Square is the large plaza near the center of Beijing, China, named after the Tiananmen (literally, Gate of Heavenly Peace) which sits to its north, separating it from the Forbidden City.

It has great cultural significance as a symbol because it was the site of several key events in Chinese history.

The square covers 40.5 hectares (100 acres), which makes it the largest open-urban square in the world.The Tiananmen Gate was first built in the 1420s in the Ming Dynasty. During the demise of the Ming Dynasty, heavy fighting between Li Zicheng and the early Qing emperors damaged (or perhaps destroyed) the gate. The Tiananmen square was originally designed and built in Beijing in 1651. It was enlarged to its present size (four times its original size) and cemented over in 1958.

Used as a massive gathering place since its inception, its flatness is broken only by the 38-metre (125 ft) high Monument to the People's Heroes completed in 1958, and the Mausoleum of Mao Zedong completed in 1977. The square lies between two ancient, massive gates: the Tian'anmen to the north and the Zhengyangmen, better known as Qianmen to the south. Along the west side of the Square is the Great Hall of the People. Along the east side is the National Museum of China (dedicated to Chinese history predating 1919). Chang'an Avenue, which is used for parades, lies between the Tian'anmen and the Square. Trees line the east and west edges of the Square, but the square itself is open, with neither trees nor benches. The Square is lit with huge lampposts which also sport video cameras. It is heavily monitored by uniformed and plain clothes policemen.

A once in a lifetime experience is to watch the soldiers raise the chinese flag at sunrise. Even if that means you have to stand in an ice cold wind by around minus ten degrees celcius. Thanks to all my friends how help me to get there!

The Great Wall of China

2008-12-02T23:02:00.002+11:00

The Great Wall of China is a series of stone and earthen fortifications in China, built, rebuilt, and maintained between the 5th century BC and the 16th century to protect the northern borders of the Chinese Empire from Xiongnu attacks during the rule of successive dynasties. Several walls, referred to as the Great Wall of China, were built since the 5th century BC. One of the most famous is the wall built between 220–206 BC by the first Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang; little of it remains; it was much farther north than the current wall, which was built during the Ming Dynasty.

The Great Wall stretches over approximately 6,400 km (4,000 miles)from Shanhaiguan in the east to Lop Nur in the west, along an arc that roughly delineates the southern edge of Inner Mongolia, but stretches to over 6,700 km (4,160 miles) in total. At its peak, the Ming Wall was guarded by more than one million men. It has been estimated that somewhere in the range of 2 to 3 million Chinese died as part of the centuries-long project of building the wall.

And just for those Australians the Great Wall of China was not built to keep the rabbits out.

Great Ocean Road

2008-10-27T22:54:00.002+11:00

The Great Ocean Road is a 243 km stretch of road along the south-eastern coast of Australia between the Victorian cities of Torquay and Warrnambool. The road was constructed to provide work for returning soldiers and dedicated as a Memorial to those killed in the First World War. It is one of Australia's great scenic coastline drives and the "Twelve Apostles" an Australian icon. What a beautiful drive . . .

Wilson Prom

2008-10-25T22:47:00.000+11:00

The southernmost point of the Australian mainland, Wilsons Promontory (affectionately known to Victorians as 'the Prom') is arguably the most loved national park in Victoria. Its 130 km coastline is framed by granite headlands, mountains, forests and fern gullies. Tidal River, 30 km inside the park boundary, is the focus for tourism and recreation. The park contains the largest coastal wilderness area in Victoria.
If you think about staying here you will need to know what you are up to a few years down the road because this is how long it takes to get a booking for one of the cottages in the park. However camping spots are more readily available but even with camping consider a reservation. The Prom offers some of the most spectacular walks i have done and it is definitely worth a visit.

Sculpture by the Sea

2008-10-17T22:37:00.004+11:00

'Sculpture by The Sea' is an annual event held along the coastal walk from Bondi to Tunnamurara in Sydney. For three weeks sculpture by the sea features sculpture designed by artists from around the world.
There is no entrance fee and so it definitely makes for a great day out with the family. The exhibition moves around the Globe and the Australian part in 2009 will be held in Perth.

Monet and the Impressionists

2008-10-13T09:21:00.003+11:00

Another great exhibition currently at the NSW Art Gallery in Sydney is 'Monet and the Impressionists'.

The Art Gallery of New South Wales is the only Australian venue for this superb exhibition from the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, which has one of the world's finest and most famous collections of impressionist paintings.

29 of the finest paintings by the master of impressionism, Claude Monet, will be accompanied by superlative paintings by his contemporaries including Cézanne, Manet, Degas, Pissarro, Renoir and Sisley.

This selection will highlight the breadth of Monet's interests, his influences and the influence he exerted on his contemporaries, from his beginnings in the 1860s until the summit of his fame in the 1900s.

For me the most interesting thing about Monet is to see his work 'life'. It's like going to a concert to see your favorite musicians play their repertoire. It's fantastic to see the techniques and the strokes he used to produce those fantastic paintings we all know from photographs. Definitely worth to see.

The Lost Buddhas

2008-10-13T09:16:00.003+11:00

The Lost Buddhas exhibition which is currently to be seen in Sydney's NSW Art Galery is one of its kind and definitelly worth the visit.

In 1996 one of the most significant archaeological finds of the 20th century was discovered when construction workers in the Chinese town of Qingzhou were levelling a sports field. Found by accident, like the terracotta warriors discovered at Xi’an in 1974, this extraordinary discovery brought to light a cache of some 400 stone Buddhist sculptures on the site of the long-destroyed Longxing (Dragon Rise) Temple in Qingzhou in Shandong province in eastern China, one of the cradles of ancient Chinese civilisation.

Created in the 6th century, these remarkable sculptures were carefully wrapped and buried in a purpose-built pit during the 12th century for reasons that still remain unclear. They are a stunning reflection of the Buddhist beliefs which permeated many levels of local life, and of the dramatic stylistic changes in sculpture that occurred during a time when Buddhist art in China reached its apogee.

On loan from the Qingzhou Municipal Museum, 35 of the best preserved and most exquisite sculptures from the Qingzhou discovery will be on display at the Art Gallery of New South Wales from 29 August to 23 November. Seven have not been seen outside China before and indeed all will be seen in Australia for the first time.

Blue Mountains

2008-08-31T17:06:00.004+10:00

The Blue Mountains, located in New South Wales, Australia, is a mountainous region located approximately 48 kilometres west of the City of Sydney. The area is a sandstone plateau dissected by gorges of up to 760 metres in depth with the highest point being 1,190 metres above sea level. A large part of the Blue Mountains is incorporated in the Greater Blue Mountains Area World Heritage Site and its constituent seven national parks and a conservation reserve.

The Blue Mountains have been known to the Indigenous Australians for generations, and although the mountains were for many years thought to be impassable by white folk, the view that there was bound to be productive land beyond the barrier of these mountains eventually prevailed.

Why are the called Blue Mountains? The name derives from the bluish tinge the range takes on when viewed at a distance, which is caused by a process known as Mie Scattering. Mie Scattering occurs when incoming uv radiation is scattered by particles within the atmosphere. When Mie Scattering occurs incoming radiation lengths mix as no wave length is predominant over another (unlike Rayleigh Scattering where shortwave length radiation is predominant during the day and long at sunset, hence blue skies and red sunsets) creating a blue-greyish colour to any distant objects (such as mountain ranges or even clouds). It is widely believed that the blue colouring of the mountains is created by light reflecting of eucalyptus leaves and although this is a romantic idea, unfortunately it is just folklore.

When you visit the Blue Mountains don't forget your trekking boots. Some of the best bush walks Australia has to offer are in this area. And as it is only a 90 min drive from Sydney you definitely have to make a stop there and if it is only for the nice picture of the 'three sisters'.

Gangwon-do

2008-08-26T17:00:00.004+10:00

Gangwon-do is a province of South Korea, with its capital at Chuncheon. Before the division of Korea in 1945, Gangwon and its North Korean neighbour Kangwŏn formed a single province.

Gangwon-do is bounded on the west by Gyeonggi-do province, on the south by the provinces of Chungcheongbuk-do and Gyeongsangbuk-do, and on the east by the Sea of Japan. To the north lies the province's North Korean counterpart, Kangwŏn province. The province's landscape is dominated by the Taebaek Mountains (Taebaek Sanmaek) which almost reach the sea. As a consequence the coast is steep.

It's a beatuiful place to visit, the scenery quite amazing and well the food just mouth-watering. Definitely worthwhile even though the drive from Seoul can be, due to traffic jams, quite frustrating. But an oustanding landscape makes more then up for it.

Waitomo Caves

2008-07-28T13:32:00.003+10:00

The Waitomo Caves are a village and cave system forming a major tourist attraction in the southern Waikato region of the North Island of New Zealand, 12 kilometres northwest of Te Kuiti. The community of Waitomo Caves itself is very small, though the village has many temporary service workers living there as well. The word Waitomo comes from the Māori language wai meaning water and tomo meaning a doline or sinkhole; it can thus be translated to be water passing through a hole. These Caves are believed to be over two million years old.

You have the option of visiting several caves in this region. We visited the famous Waitomo Gloworm Cave and the Ruakuri Cave. It's one of the things you have to do when you visit New Zealand and I definitelly wasn't disappointed. Good fun.

Skiing on Mt Ruapehu

2008-07-26T15:46:00.004+10:00

Mount Ruapehu, or just Ruapehu, is an active volcano at the southern end of the Taupo Volcanic Zone in New Zealand. It is 23 kilometres northeast of Ohakune and 40 kilometres southwest of the southern shore of Lake Taupo, within Tongariro National Park. The North Island's major skifields and only glaciers are on its slopes. Ruapehu is one of the world's most active volcanoes and the largest active volcano in New Zealand. It is the highest point in the North Island and includes three major peaks: Tahurangi (2,797 m), Te Heuheu (2,755 m) and Paretetaitonga (2,751 m). The deep, active crater is between the peaks and fills with a crater lake between major eruptions.

We decided to go skiing on the day New Zealand Authorities release a storm warning for the North Island and so we made it only for half day. Wind picked up quickly and now we are hiding inside hoping the roof is not blown off. Anyway great fun and if you know me you know that New Zealand is my favorite country. The nature here is just stunning. Thanks for a great day George!

Diving in Lake Rotoma

2008-07-25T16:08:00.001+10:00

Lake Rotoma is the easternmost in a chain of three lakes to the northeast of Lake Rotorua in New Zealand's North Island. Like the others, it lies within the Okataina caldera. It is located exactly half-way between the city of Rotorua and town of Whakatane.

Lake Rotoma has a high water quality with visibility up to around 13 metres deep. The lake has a maximum depth of 83 metres in the northern part and 73.5 metres in the southern part. During the 1987 Edgecumbe Earthquake the lake level dropped by approximately 10m, leaving homes that were previously on the lakeside some distance from the lake.

It's been my first dive (!) in New Zealand and even though the water temperature was only 11 degrees it was still quite pleasant and nice. I just love Kiwi Country.

Rarotonga Island Crossing

2008-07-19T06:19:00.004+10:00

Rarotonga is the main island in the Cook Islands and where almost 90% of tourists spend their entire holiday. Rarotonga has lush tropical mountains, pretty coastal scenes, sandy beaches and a very slow pace of life. The island takes just 45 minutes to go around by bus. A much nicer way to get across the island is the cross island trek which is the most popular . The trail literally crosses from the north side of Rarotonga to the south side passing Te Rua Manga (or the 'Needle') at 413 metres. It's a fairly challenging trek through tropical rain forest but one that can quite easily be done on your own if you are a confident hiker and the rains haven't been heavy. The walk is best approached from the north coast from Avarua Town, which I found out only afterwards. The trek takes about 3 hours and finishes at Papua Waterfall where you can take a refreshing swim in season (waterfall usually dries out from July to October). If you want to visit the waterfall without doing the strenuous trek over the mountains, approach from the south side along a dirt trail for about half an hour.

The views near the needle are just magnificent and this trek definitely makes a very nice day away from the beaches.

Cook Islands

2008-07-17T06:15:00.001+10:00

The Cook Islands (Cook Islands Māori: Kūki 'Āirani) are a self-governing parliamentary democracy in free association with New Zealand. The fifteen small islands in this South Pacific Ocean country have a total land area of 240 square kilometres (92.7 sq mi), but the Cook Islands Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) covers 1.8 million square kilometres (0.7 million sq mi) of ocean.

The main population centres are on the island of Rarotonga (c.10,000), where there is an international airport. There is also a much larger population of Cook Islanders in New Zealand, particularly the North Island; in the 2006 census, 58,008 self-identified as being of ethnic Cook Island Māori descent.

With over 90,000 visitors travelling to the islands in 2006, tourism is the country's number one industry, and the leading element of the economy, far ahead of offshore banking, pearls, marine and fruit exports.

Defence is the responsibility of New Zealand, in consultation with the Cook Islands and at its request. In recent times, the Cook Islands have adopted an increasingly independent foreign policy.

Phuket's Big Buddha

2008-07-11T06:00:00.000+10:00

Phuket's Big Buddha is still under construction but is already worth a visit as over 80% have now been completed. At 45 meters high, this will be the biggest Buddha image in Thailand. It is perched atop Nakkerd Hills and can be seen from much of southern Phuket and the views are just magnificient.

At the top of the hill is a Buddhist Shrine so you should dress appropriately (not singlets, sport shorts or short skirts). Beyond this you can climb the steps to the base of the Big Buddha. There is also a 5.5 meter high brass Buddha here.

There are absolutely magnificent views across southern Phuket. You can see across Chalong Bay and beyond Cape Panwa. You have great views of the islands in Chalong Bay. From the other side, you can see Rawai and Laem Promthep. Looking inland, you can see that Phuket does still have plenty of undeveloped hills and forest.

To get there, drive to Chalong Circle and take the road towards Wat Chalong. Approx 1kilometer from Chalong Circle is the left hand turn for the long climb up the hill to the Big Buddha.

Inside Sydney's Opera House

2008-07-05T06:37:00.000+10:00

The Sydney Opera House is located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site on June 28, 2007. Based on the competition winning entry by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, the Sydney Opera House is one of the world's most distinctive 20th century buildings, and one of the most famous performing arts venues in the world. It was among the 20 selected finalists in the 2007 New Seven Wonders of the World project.

The Sydney Opera House is situated on Bennelong Point in Sydney Harbour, close to the Sydney Harbour Bridge. The building and its surroundings are one of the best known icons of Australia.

The Concert Hall and Opera Theatre are each contained in the two largest groups of shells, and the other theatres are located on the sides of the shell groupings. The form of the shells is chosen to reflect the internal height requirements, rising from the low entrance spaces, over the seating areas and up to the high stage towers.

I was lucky to see the world famous James Morrison. He is an Australian jazz musician who plays numerous instruments, but is best known for his trumpet playing. He is a multi-instrumentalist, having performed on the trombone, euphonium, saxophone, flugelhorn, tuba, and piano. He is also a composer, writing jazz charts for ensembles of various sizes and proficiency levels. He performed the opening fanfare at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, and is usually regarded as one of Australia's finest jazz musicians.

What a fantastic feeling to be inside the Sydney Opera House. Well worth a visit.

Chiufen Town

2008-05-06T00:54:00.003+10:00

Chiufen is a mountain town in the Rueifang Township of Taipei County near Keelung, Taiwan. Chiufen was only an isolated village until 1893, when gold was discovered in the area. The resulting gold rush hastened the village's development into a town, and reached its peak during the Japanese rule. Many present features of Chiufen reflect the era under Japanese colonization, with many Japanese inns surviving to this day. During World War II, a POW camp named Kinkaseki was set up in the village, holding Allied soldiers captured in Singapore (including many British) who worked in the nearby gold mines. Gold mining activities declined after World War II, and the mine was shut off in 1971. Chiufen quickly went into decline, and for a while the town was mostly forgotten.

At present, Chiufen is a renowned tourist attraction representative of Taiwan. It draws many tourists from Taipei during the weekends.

I was really lucky to be part of the 1st of April celebrations (according to the lunar calendar). These celbrations give you a fantastic insight into the history and religion of Taiwan. Thanks Peppi for showing me around!

Taipei 101

2008-05-04T00:45:00.000+10:00

Taipei 101 is a 101-floor landmark skyscraper located in Taipei, Taiwan. The building, designed by C.Y. Lee & Partners and constructed from May 1995 to March 2005 primarily by the South Korean multinational Samsung Engineering & Construction is one of the world's tallest completed skyscrapers. Taipei 101 received the Emporis Skyscraper Award in 2004. It has been hailed as one of the Seven New Wonders of the World (Newsweek magazine, 2006) and Seven Wonders of Engineering (Discovery Channel, 2005).

The building stands as an icon of Taipei and Taiwan as a whole. Its postmodern style combines tradition and modernity in ways that make it Asian and international both at once. Its safety features enable it to withstand typhoons and earthquakes. A multi-level shopping mall adjoining the tower houses hundreds of fashionable stores, restaurants and clubs. Fireworks launched from Taipei 101 feature prominently in international New Year's Eve broadcasts, and the landmark appears frequently in films, television shows, print publications, anime media, games, and other elements of popular culture.

The name of the tower reflects its location in Taipei's 101 business district and its floor count. The number is pronounced in English simply as One Oh One and in Mandarin by the equivalent.

Taipei 101 was overtaken in height on July 21, 2007 by the Burj Dubai in Dubai, UAE, upon the completion of that building's 141st floor. The title of "world's tallest building" still rests with Taipei 101, though, as international architectural standards define a "building" as a structure capable of being fully occupied. The Burj Dubai is on course to claim the title once its construction is finished.

Victoria Peak

2008-05-04T00:32:00.000+10:00

On my third visit to Hong Kong it was only the first time I made it to Victoria Peak. And what a spectacular view you have from up there. It's fantastic and if you ever make it to Hong Kong don't miss out on it. Victoria Peak (traditional Chinese: 太平山頂) is a mountain in Hong Kong. It is also documented as The Peak locally, and Mount Austin. The mountain is located in the western half of the Hong Kong Island. With an altitude of 552 m (1,810 ft), it is the highest mountain on the island, although far from the highest Tai Mo Shan in the territory. It is also known to have the highest land value in the world, with many of the Super-Rich residing here. Because of its view, history and spectacular location Victoria Peak is strongly attached with an air of prestige.

The actual summit of Victoria Peak is occupied by a radio telecommunications facility and is closed to the public. However the surrounding area comprises a mixture of publicly accessible parkland, and high value residential land, and it is this area that is normally meant by the name The Peak. The Peak offers spectacular views over central Hong Kong, the harbor and surrounding islands, and is a major tourist attraction.

Tian Tan Buddha

2008-05-03T00:38:00.001+10:00

Tian Tan Buddha (traditional Chinese: 天壇大佛; simplified Chinese: 天坛大佛) is a large bronze statue of the Buddha, completed in 1993, and located at Ngong Ping, Lantau Island, in Hong Kong. Also known as the Big Buddha, it is the world's tallest outdoor seated bronze Buddha. The statue is located near Po Lin Monastery and symbolizes the harmonious relationship between man and nature, people and religion. It is a major center of Buddhism in Hong Kong, and is also a popular tourist attraction. A beautiful place to visit and to relax. Check out the nearby 'Wisdom Path'.

Koh Chang

2008-04-08T14:03:00.002+10:00

It's my first time to visit Koh Chang and I'm quite impressed. Koh Chang (Thai: เกาะช้าง) is the second largest island of Thailand, located on the Thai east coast 310 km away from Bangkok near the border to Cambodia in the Gulf of Thailand. The name means Elephant Island. It is a mountainous island with several waterfalls and rainforest. The island is part of the Mu Ko Chang Marine National Park. During World War II, Ko Chang was the scene of a naval battle between the Royal Thai Navy and a Vichy France squadron, in which the Thais were decisively beaten.

Until the mid-1980s the infrastructure on the island was undeveloped, but tourism has increased significantly since then. Around the year 2000, malaria was eradicated, the area became a national park (and began charging entry fees). The island now receives 655,000 visitors annually, about two thirds of them Thai. The Chang islands are one of the few places with virgin forest, but the mad rush to cash in on tourism has had a heavy toll on its virgin forests. Land prices have skyrocketed, there are also beautiful if not high end resorts now popping up all over the island.

Lumpini Park

2008-04-07T13:53:00.001+10:00

If you want to get away from the hectic Bangkok life go to the Lumpini Park and relax there. It's a heaven within the chaotic capital city. Lumpini Park (Thai: สวนลุมพินี) is a 140-acre (0.57 km²) park in Bangkok, Thailand. This park offers rare open space and grass in the Thai capital and contains an artificial lake where visitors can rent boats. A track around the lake is a popular area for bicycling.

Lumpini Park was created in the 1920s by King Rama VI on royal property. A statue of the king stands at the southwestern entrance to the park. It was named for Lumbini, the birthplace of the Buddha in Nepal, and at the time of its creation stood on the outskirts of the city.

Today it lies in the heart of the main business district and is in the Lumphini sub-district, on the north side of Rama IV Road, between Ratchadamri Road and Witthayu Road.

Lumphini Park is one of the very few areas of the Thai capital that is still patrolled by mounted policemen. It has the city's first public library and dance hall. During winter time, the Palm Garden of Lumphini Park becomes the site for the annual Concert in the Park festival featuring classical music by the Bangkok Symphony Orchestra and other bands.

Penguins in South America

2008-04-01T15:22:00.005+11:00

Isn't that amazing. What a fantastic video that is.
Have a great April.

Feeling B

2008-03-24T18:22:00.004+11:00

I found this video on the web after reading the new book from Flake Lorenz (Feeling B: Gruen und Blau). It's a nice trip back to the past. I have seen Feeling B live a few times in the Ilmenauer Studentenclub BC. What a party that was! Nice memories!
Feeling B was one of the first punk bands in the former German Democratic Republic (East Germany).

The band was founded in Berlin in 1983 and started out firmly grounded in the underground punk scene. Over time, Feeling B's popularity grew greatly and at the end of the German Democratic Republic, it was one of the most respected and influential Eastern German bands despite their underground status.

Feeling B concerts were improvised.

Frontman Aljoscha Rompe, a Swiss living in East Berlin, supplied the vocals to the band's restless, enduring punk anthems. His accompanying keyboardist and guitarist, then universally referred to as "Flake" and "Paulchen", have since found fame as keyboardist Christian "Flake" Lorenz and rhythm-guitarist Paul H. Landers of Rammstein. Rammstein's singer, Till Lindemann, also participated once with Feeling B for the song Lied von der unruhevollen Jugend, for which he is credited on the album Hea Hoa Hoa Hea Hea Hoa. Rammstein twice played this song live in St. Peterburg and Moscow in 2001, during the Mutter tour.

The group disbanded mid-1990's. On special occasions, the band members would get together for individual concerts at punk festivals, until Rompe died in November 2000.

Manly Beach

2008-03-24T10:23:00.003+11:00

Manly is a suburb of northern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Manly is located 17 kilometres north-east of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre of the local government area of Manly Council, in the Northern Beaches region. Manly was named by Capt. Arthur Phillip for the indigenous people living there, "their confidence and manly behaviour made me give the name of Manly Cove to this place".These men were of the Kay-ye-my clan (of the Guringai people). While scouting for fresh water in the area, Phillip encountered members of the clan, and after a misunderstanding he was speared in the shoulder by one of the clan; to his lasting credit, the progressively-minded Phillip ordered his men not to retaliate. Today Manly is a popular holiday destination and a nice spot for photography. The picture above is from my new friend Grrr (alias Joe, Paul etc.). Thanks for the nice day ScubaNinja and NaiveZebra.

Barron Falls

2008-02-29T22:15:00.002+11:00

Tired of walking around to look for yet another waterfall? Well I usually feel exactly the same way and don't visit all the waterfalls I can find on my travels. However going to the Barron Falls Lookout near Kuranda especially in rainy season is just a spectacular thing to do. The Barron Falls is where the Barron River makes its descent from the Atherton Tablelands to the Cairns coastal plain, in Queensland, Australia. Protected within the Barron Gorge National Park, the volume of water seen in the upper photo only happens after substantial rainfall during the wet season. For much of the rest of the year little more than a trickle is evident, due in part to the presence of a weir behind the head of the falls that exists to supply the Barron Gorge Hydroelectric Power Station located downstream in the gorge proper.

Tropical North Queensland

2008-02-27T16:22:00.014+11:00

After a weekend of work up here in Cairns I had a few days off and spend them with my friends. I know both of them from Thailand and now they have a little family up here. We did lots of fun stuff and went for bungy jumping for a few times. It's only five bugs for locals to jump after your initial jump. Good fun and nice to see my friends again. Thanks to Naomi, Ed and Johan.

Finally SS Yongala

2008-02-15T16:47:00.007+11:00

Finally I managed to dive the SS Yongala which is supposed to be one of the best wreck dives in the world. The ship sunk in 1911 and was only discovered in 1958. Now almost a hundred years later it is covered with hundreds of soft and hard corals and an enormous amount of fish call it their home. It must be one of the best dives I have ever done. For more information check out the news on my website.

Australia's Gold Coast

2008-02-10T16:30:00.003+11:00

I traveled to Australia's Gold Coast on business and the town where I stayed is Surfers Paradise about one hour drive from Brisbane. I thought first it's a nice and small town; according to the name but once I got there I found a pulsating and very much alive metropolis. It's a great place and somehow I like big cities on the water. Definitely worth a visit and I hope I could go back there soon.

Rock climbing

2008-01-24T11:09:00.000+11:00

I decided to take a day off to do some rock climbing on the far end of the Northern Beaches in Palm Beach at Barrenjoey. The weather was great and we had some fantastic views up there. I have to admit you do get a bit scared when you just hang on two fingers somewhere on a vertical wall. But of cause you have all safety devices in place so that even if you would fall you not getting hurt too much. A great day out. Thanks Anja!

Trip to Laos

2008-01-08T17:13:00.000+11:00

I left Chiang Mai and went with a mini van to Huay Kon to cross the boarder to Laos. With a 30 day visa I would have more then enough time to spend in this beautiful country. After staying for one night in Hongsa I traveled down the Mekong River to Luang Prabang. This amazing city is nestled along the famous river and orange-wrapped Buddhist monks are to be seen everywhere. The influence from the era of French colonisation gives the small city its unique touch. After leaving Luang Prabang I took the bus back down to Vientiane to spend a few days before crossing back to Thailand. Probably one of the smallest and most peaceful capital in the world. You can visit the sacred Pha Trat Luang or the Patuxai a large monument reminiscent of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.

Karen People

2008-01-03T17:02:00.000+11:00

The Karen People (or Longneck People as some call them) are an ethnic group living mostly in Burma and Northern Thailand. There ancestors came from Tibet as refugees and the Karen People have been fighting long for their independence. Today they are the largest hill tribe group in Thailand and some are living from tourism. So I decided to pay them a visit to see how they live. A very interesting trip you can easily combine with a visit at an elephant camp, orchid farm or a water rafting adventure.

Chiang Mai

2007-12-31T16:44:00.000+11:00

After living in Thailand for almost three years and returning on my business trips on a monthly base it was actually a shame I had never made it to Northern Thailand and to Chiang Mai. So with a bit time off over the Christmas and New Years period I decided to take the chance and travel to Chiang Mai and Laos. Chiang Mai is a great place, a nice city with lots of culture and the surrounding hills are just beautiful. The climate is more moderate than Southern Thailand and the evenings can be quite cool. Definitely worth the trip. I especially liked to drive up the hill to visit the 1383 built Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep. The New Years party was great and it was actually nice to start the new year without the typical routine. From here I went on to visit the Longneck people in the North and then I went to Laos.

Avalon Cliff and Cave

2007-12-24T15:45:00.001+11:00

What a nice idea Alex had to spend the morning of Christmas eve. We (Alex, Junya, Adrian and I) went to Avalon and decided to discover some local cave there. It was a bit of an adventure and we had to climb down the Avalon cliffs before jumping in the water and snorkeling down a small stream leading us into the cave. The water was about 7m deep and we managed to swim all the way to the end of the cave. I will post some more photos later. A great adventure to start the Christmas period. I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year.

HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand 80th Birthday

2007-12-05T00:45:00.000+11:00

After the 60th Anniversary Celebrations of His Majesty the King's Accession to the Throne in 2006; Thailand commenced the year-long celebrations of HM King Bhumibol's 80th birthday. On HM Kings Birthday many Thais dressed in the traditional yellow colors showing there respect to the monarch in the streets of Bangkok. He is immensely popular in Thailand, and is revered as a semi-divine figure by many Thais. HM King Bhumibol was born in the USA and educated primarily in Switzerland. HM King Bhumibol is also an accomplished musician, artist, and sailor.

Loi Krathong

2007-11-24T00:32:00.000+11:00

Loy Krathong (or Loi Kratong, Thai ลอยกระทง) is a festival celebrated annually throughout Thailand. It is held on the full moon of the 12th month in the traditional Thai lunar calendar, in the western calendar this usually falls into November and this year on the 24th.
“Loi” means “to float”. “Krathong” is a raft about a handspan in diameter traditionally made from a section of Banana tree trunk (although modern-day versions use specially made bread 'flowers' and may use styrofoam), decorated with elaborately-folded banana leaves, flowers, candles, incense sticks etc. During the night of the full moon, many people will release a small raft like this on a river and they will sent there wishes along.

Elephant Fair in Surin

2007-11-16T23:49:00.000+11:00

Many tourists from all over the world arrived in Surin on the 16th and 17th of November to visit the yearly Elephant Fair and Show. Surin is in the North-East of Thailand closed to the Cambodian border. Over 200 Elephants walk the streets of Surin with only one goal: a giant vegetable buffet. On day two you can see Elephants in a amazing shows or you can go on a hike with one of those smooth giants. Definitely worth-while, Surin is only a short 7 hour trip from Bangkok and you can travel either by train or bus.

LINKIN PARK - Live in Bangkok

2007-11-11T16:18:00.000+11:00

After missing out on seeing Linking Park live in Sydney I had the chance to see their newest show live in Bangkok. Following the release of their new album 'Minutes to midnight' the American band is on a world tour around the globe. If you get the chance don't miss out on a fantastic performance and just some great music. That was awesome!

Back in Sydney

2007-11-05T10:10:00.000+11:00

Spending a bit this time back in 'the place where I pay my rent' - Sydney. The weather here is getting better and at least sometimes the sun is shining through. I did a bit of diving on Shelly Beach and went on a nice kayak trip last Sunday. There are always lots of things to do here it's just all quite expensive. The photo is of a nice sunset looking over downtown Sydney from Manly's Northhead. Next week I will be leaving to Thailand again. Had some nice food here too: http://worldrestaurantreview.blogspot.com/2007/11/fujiya.html

Koh Tao

2007-10-20T14:25:00.000+10:00

Koh Tao (Turtle Island) is a nice tropical island in the Gulf of Thailand and a relaxing place. Visited by lots and lots of European backpackers it is the diving destination in the area. Lots of diving schools offer their services here. Most visitors are in their twenties but you can still find some nice restaurants on Koh Tao. If you want to read about the once I have visited go to http://www.worldrestaurantreview.blogspot.com/

Manila Airport

2007-10-11T15:33:00.000+10:00

Travelling by air in the Philippines is not easy. Today I arrived on a plane from Caticlan to connect to my flight to Bangkok. Once I picked up my luggage, checking through to my destination was of cause not possible, I had problems finding my luggage tags. Since I never had been asked for those tags before it took me a while to locate them but I managed. My next adventure was to find out which airport to go to. Yes you heard right here in Manila there are not three different terminals but three different airports. Getting in a taxi for about 15 minutes I arrived on the correct airport trying to check-in. Once I stripped almost naked to clear security, which I can understand, I tried to locate my check-in counter. I was told I had arrived to early to check in and that I had to wait for three hours before check-in opens. I thought I go a bit shopping or might have a coffee while checking my emails. But no you are in Manila and there is not even a bench to sit down. No coffee shop, no post office, I had to send some documents too, no restaurant, basically no nothing. So I sit on my luggage trolley waiting for the time to pass and I filled in a suggestions card from the airport authorities. My suggestions was: Build a new airport.

Boracay Island

2007-10-08T18:39:00.000+10:00

Boracay Island is one of those place which seem to be made just for holiday. The white sand, crystal clear water and blue sky invites not only hundred of honeymoon makers from Korea. It is the perfect spot to hang-out and relax for a few day. And you don't have to miss out on anything here. There is a huge shopping mall, the local food is delicious and wireless Internet connection widely available. Definitely a spot to visit. To read about some of the restaurants I can recommend in Boracay go to http://www.worldrestaurantreview.blogspot.com/

Manila

2007-10-04T18:33:00.000+10:00

The Philippines are a great place to visit and the people here are friendly and helpful. But staying in Makati or better getting there is almost a nightmare. Especially during rush-hour you just wish you could sit on a nice relaxed beach without any traffic. But there are some good places to visit and the nightlife in Makati is not bad at all. But as always for me after too much time in the big city it's time to move on.

Kurnell Steps

2007-10-01T10:39:00.000+10:00

Another diving adventure here in Sydney just before I'm leaving to the Philippines. I did one dive in Kurnell before and it's always an adventure to get wet here in Sydney. If you ever come over here enjoy a nice dive. It's a bit cold (17C) but you will definitely enjoy the marine life here including the sea dragon which is endemic to Australian waters. For more information on the dive go to http://www.goproaustralia.com/ and check out the news.

Dream World

2007-09-25T17:07:00.000+10:00

If you have a day to spare and you are looking for some fun then make your way to the Dream World Fun Park in Bangkok. Not only the 'usual' stuff like roller coaster and action show but the highlight is the snow room. A huge freezer with temperatures around zero degrees Celsius and real snow makes the park an unique experience in tropical Thailand. Go down the slides and experience an unforgettable thrill. Definitely worth a visit.

Hainich National Park

2007-09-06T22:55:00.000+10:00

Situated in central Germany not far from Eisenach and the Wartburg castle lies the Hainich National Park. With its over 7600 hectares of wood land it is one the oldest forests in Germany. To have a great look from above visit the 'Baumkronenpfad' in the 'Jungle in the middle of Germany'. Here the government has decided to let the forest grow without any human interuption. For more information check out http://www.nationalpark-hainich.de/

Japanese Garden - KOFUKU NO NIWA

2007-09-05T22:44:00.000+10:00

The japanese garden 'konfuku no niwa' is situated in the romantic town of Bad Langensalza in Germany. Build in traditional japanese style with lots of glass and wood elements it is the perfect place to relax. Check out the live webcam at http://www.badlangensalza.de/index.php?id=24&L=1

Back in good old Germany

2007-09-01T22:41:00.000+10:00

After three years on the road it was about time to see my friends and family again so I went on a two weeks holiday to Germany. My hometown Ilmenau is one of the most beautiful places I know in this world with lots of nature all around. It is the getaway to the Thuringian Forest, the green heart of Germany. If you ever make it there Ilmenau is definitely worth a visit. It's a small town with a University and it has its own flair. For more information visit http://www.ilmenau.de/

Bangkok at night

2007-08-24T19:40:00.000+10:00

What a surprise I thought when I walk through the streets of Bangkok finding an elephant in front of a few bars on Sukhomvit Soi 23. You could buy some sugar cane off the owner and feet the elephant. I'm still not sure if I think this is nice or just a poor example of someone exploiting animals to make some money. The elephant was about two years old and her name was Linda. It's definitely nice to take a picture of this cute animal but I'm not sure if it really belongs to a busy bar street at twelve o'clock at night. Feel free to leave some comments!

Restaurants in Pattaya

2007-08-22T19:28:00.000+10:00

Finding a nice restaurant in Pattaya shouldn't be too difficult we thought when we went out for dinner. Our taxi driver recommended the lobster pot on Walking Street and we thought we will give it a go. But the food was rather disappointing and the price very expensive. So all together not a place I would recommend. If you want to try something special go to the tower in the Pattaya Park in Jomtien and have a buffet dinner in the revolving restaurant on the 52nd floor. If you crazy enough you can jump of the tower just holding on to some bars and being secured by a thin rope. Definitely worth a try. Enjoy.

Miss Thailand

2007-08-14T00:06:00.000+10:00

Bangkok is a vibrant city and many things can happen to you here. But I was still surprised to run into Miss Thailand World when I came to Siam Paragon Shopping Complex. It definitely was a nice enhancement to my day there. In the same shopping complex you can find the Siam Ocean World Bangkok which is definitely worth a visit. See sharks and other marine life swimming in there natural habitat. You can also go for a dive there. If you want to learn more about diving check out my website at http://www.goproaustralia.com/

One night in Bangkok . . .

2007-08-13T23:58:00.000+10:00

After the nice dinner you might need to get rid of those extra
calories by dancing the night away. Try the Bed Bar on
Sukhumvit Soi 11. It's not the cheapest but a great place with some nice music. As they say: "One night in Bangkok and the world is your oyster."

Some delicious Thai food in Bangkok

2007-08-13T23:33:00.000+10:00

Usually coming to Thailand means you will have to try some good Thai food. Now I always recommend to try some food from one of the many food stalls on the street but if you want to go for something a little more fancy and romantic try the Kinnaree Thai Restaurant and Bar on Sukhumvit Soi 8. And it's not just great food but as well a fantastic setting and a nice Thai Dancing Show. Take your favorite person there and enjoy a special night out.

Wedding Cake Island

2007-08-06T15:02:00.000+10:00

On a beautiful sunday morning it was time to go on a local trip down to Wedding Cake Island near Randwick. The weather was beautiful and the conditions are just fantastic at the moment so we decided it's a good time to get in the water and do some diving. We jumped in the water from the main land and went on a 40 minutes underwater swim to the island. Great fun and perfect conditions with about 25 meters visibility. To read more about the dive go to http://www.knedlik.net/news.426.0.html?&cHash=53929250df&tx_ttnews[backPid]=391&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=43

Back in Sydney!

2007-07-31T11:39:00.000+10:00

Just arrived back to Sydney on Saturday afternoon and it was actually a nice day though still pretty cold. The nights especially are really cold and it takes a while to get used to it again. Just spending some time in the office now but looking forward to do some diving on the weekend. I guess we will go down to Cornell and enjoy some 15 degrees water temperature. But it looks like the visibility is great at the moment so should be plenty of fun. For current news on my diving please visit http://www.goproaustralia.com/. On Friday next week I'm leaving again to Thailand staying in Koh Tao, Phuket and Pattaya before flying over to Germany to visit friends and family. Looking forward to get there but not really to the trip.

2007-07-27T21:23:00.000+10:00

I'm trying to set up this blog so I can let you take part in my travels around the world. I will try to post some interesting stories from around the globe as they happen to me. I'm basically always 'on the road' and therefore I should have quite some interesting stories to tell.

I'm not just talking about diving here but if you want to find out about the beautiful world hidden beneath the surface just have a look at my homepage at goproaustralia.com.

Any questions or comments are welcome. See you out there, somewhere 'on the road'.