A'roaming

Seaport village

2012-01-08T11:39:00.001-08:00

Seaport village is a little touristy area on the marina just west of downtown. There are a few hotels like the Hyatt (now under new management though still called the Manchester) and the convention center. Along the marina itself are shops and restaurants though in winter they don’t stay open too late, but this time of year are lit up at night…

The Grand Hyatt

Seaport village shops and restaurants

Boats in the marina with the street lights of Coronado Bridge in the distance

You’ll notice the water is pretty calm – the marina itself isn’t directly on the Pacific – Coronado Island (not actually an island, but we’ll come to that later) acts as a huge break.

San Diego

2012-01-07T14:09:00.001-08:00

As much as I like Washington, winter can get a little depressing with the cold and rain. This year I had a plan for a little winter sun down in San Diego…

One of the nice things about San Diego is there’s a lot to do within walking distance or easily accessibly by mass transit. The airport has to be one of the closest for a big city.

View from the hill

2011-09-27T19:52:00.001-07:00

The last time I tried to get up to Larch Mountain (which was in early June), it was a no go – the road was still closed post winter. Only 4000 feet up, the road is masked by trees and only plowed up to where the residential area stops, so it takes a while for a natural melt.

About 16 miles from the Women’s Forum Scenic Viewpoint on the old scenic highway, Larch Mountain is one of the lesser known gems in the area. A short walk from the parking lot (which requires a fee or forest pass) is Sherrard Point – from here you can see up to five of the Cascade volcanoes depending on the weather.

St Helens, Adams and Hood are the closest – you need to try a little harder to spot Rainier and Jefferson.

A little fog floating through the valleys can be quite beautiful…

Why do immigration officials like blank pages

2011-08-20T15:41:00.001-07:00

My passport is filling up. It’s only four years old, but has just three blank pages remaining, at least it did, until yesterday. Now it only has two, thanks to a Korean immigration official stamping one of the empty ones… right opposite a page of Korean stamps that could have fitted a few more, especially if previous officials were a bit less random.

Of course Korean’s aren’t the only offenders, I’ve a few pages with a solitary US stamp, again opposite a page with another one or two US stamps with plenty of room to spare. Japan makes things worse with a sticker on entry that takes up a quarter of a page and then of course (like most Asian immigrations) there is an exit stamp – that’s nearly half a page gone.

Time for me to apply to Global Entry so hopefully I can at least avoid US stamps…

A walk down Market Street

2011-08-06T16:18:00.001-07:00

The day starts a little cloudy but there’s still a lot to see on Market Street if you like architecture. Perhaps like Seattle where the water makes a perfect grid impossible, streets meet at odd angles leading to non rectangular structures. I like the staggered windows on the side of the Golden Gate building.

There’s also some famous buildings like Hearst’s.

The streetcar also runs along Market, they’re not all the same though having been acquired over the years, some from other cities. It’s nice that they avoided painting them all the same way and maintaining some of their original persona.

At the end where Market meets The Embarcadero is the Ferry building, center of a huge farmers market that puts Pike Place to shame – hopefully once the viaduct comes down, the Seattle waterfront could be converted into something like this.

Up in the air

2011-08-06T15:26:00.001-07:00

Couple nice shots on the way to the Bay Area…

Mount St Helens – you can see how the whole northern side collapsed, though hard to make out the dome rebuilding at this angle – it’s contrasting rock in the upper left below the crater wall.

And another volcanic feature – Crater Lake in Oregon – 5 by 6 miles across. The cinder cone here is the little Wizard Island near the top of the lake.

The fussiest airline in the world

2011-06-26T14:55:00.001-07:00

Korean Airlines is the fussiest airline in the world, at least in my book. I will prefix this by saying I like Korean Air, just I wish they’d treat their passengers a bit more like grown ups and less like five-year-olds.

It all starts before the plane has left gate with the first of many announcements, please sit in your assigned seat; place your bags in the overhead or seat in front of you (except in business for some strange reason even though there is a huge cut out under the next seat); fasten your seat belt; please watch the safety video…

Ah yes, the safety video, this is getting to be the part of the journey that doesn’t go fast enough though I’m learning to tune it out now. They really push the limit on laboring a point, like showing the safety buckle being fastened three times (animated and by stoic actors) and rather than ‘approved electronic devices’ it’s ‘mp3 player, cd player, dvd player, computer…’. And if you’re really lucky (say flying between Korea and China) you’ll get to see if twice with a mix of three spoken or subtitled languages (Korean, English and Chinese). I’m sure it makes taxiing slower than any other airline since you can’t take off until it’s ended – it’s really enough to make you want to jump out the exit door there and then.

Sit in an exit row and it gets worse – I was in coach on a 737 once and the flight attendant comes over and forces the safety card into my hands saying ‘it is your duty to assist me in case of an emergency – please read this card to better understand your duties’ – he had a bit of a lisp too which really added to the moment. For the guy next to me (who I guess was Korean) though he just said two words – maybe they think us foreigners aren’t that smart – oh the irony(1)… This guy was particularly funny as when letting me know he had my vege meal announced ‘I have a vegetable meal with some milk products – I will bring it for you’.

Now back to the announcements – these continue ad nauseam throughout the flight. Make sure all your documents are in order; the duty free is now open; the duty free is now closed and the best of all ‘ turbulence’ which I’ll come back to in a moment. What makes this all the worse is of course they interrupt the in flight entertainment and again, on a flight involving Chinese speakers you get an interrupt for the Korean then it starts again, another interrupt for English, then a delay and then an interrupt for the Chinese (which seem to be prerecorded usually). Luckily their entertainment system actually works through take off and landing (so long as you aren’t in a bulkhead) otherwise finishing a movie on a two hour flight would be impossible.

There’s also the occasional pilot announcement of course telling you about flying time, weather and temperature at the destination, why we’re delayed, we’re about to land etc. etc.

Ok, onto turbulence. The slightest bump and on come the seat belt signs. But that’s not enough – there’s then an announcement to say we’re experiencing turbulence, return to your seats, yada, yada, yada. If very bumpy they’ll add stop using the lavatories and really really bumpy and the captain will ask the crew to return to their seats. Given the sometimes transitory nature of turbulence though, it’s often already stopped by the end of the announcements. And if you are in the lavatory they will bang on the door until you come out.

My favorite WTF turbulence moment was when I’d got out of my seat to get something from the overhead. I sat down in an empty seat to work on my case – I’d just got it open when an attendant came by to say you can’t sit there so I had to explain it’s just while I work on my case. A minute or so later and I’d finished as was about to put it up again when – turbulence hits – and the attendants run over and say you must sit down. I was tempted to say ‘shall I just leave the case here in the aisle then to fly around by itself’. By the time I’d got it back up, there were three attendants on me, who did profusely thank me once I’d sat down again and buckled up.

(1) It’s probably obvious but you know how people (ok, Americans mainly) tend to think foreigners are dumb and just speaking loudly in English will somehow get through to them? Well I guess it is a global prejudice…

After the quake

2011-06-24T22:57:00.001-07:00

I’d been due to fly to Japan just hours after the quake hit so needless to say my flight was cancelled. Things sound like they’re starting to get back to normal outside of the devastated area though power is still a problem especially now we’re getting into summer – offices are going casual or shutting down in staggered form to reduce the load for AC. I’d heard in spite of the distance that Tokyo got a pretty bad shaking and did come across a story on how Tokyo Tower had been damaged even.

A lot of fear remains of course about the radiation levels – Korean air (who granted are one fussy airline) have altered flight paths and assure travelers at the start of the flight about ‘taking a safe height and distance’ from the affected area. I did like XKCD’s take on all this.

I’ll probably be getting back to Tokyo in a month or so, my preferred Bar Hermit is still there waiting…

Lake Wenatchee

2011-06-24T18:49:00.001-07:00

Just outside of Leavenworth, Lake Wenatchee is a favorite stop of mine along highway 2 – it always amazes me how few people seem to be there. Normally it’s serene, the still mirror lake enclosed by the sloping mountains, but this time it was a little more wild, waves crashing on the beach thanks to a cold wind blowing through the valley.

Nature had a few surprises though…

Cashmere

2011-06-24T17:58:00.001-07:00

I suspect that most people (assuming they’ve heard of it) would think Cashmere is related in some way to the woolen trade, not that Washington is renowned for goats, but far more likely than being named for Kashmir in India. However, it is the latter which is in fact correct.

Cashmere was originally called Mission, but this was confusing due to there being another Mission not too far away. The local judge decided the area reminiscent of the foothills in Kashmir and so chose the name. Perhaps it’s some kind of prejudice that makes it hard to believe – it sounds remote and harsh doesn’t it – though if you hunt around on the web, you’ll find some pictures of lush meadows with peaks beyond that are indeed Kashmir. Maybe he wasn’t too far off the mark…

So why stop on highway 2, what does Cashmere have to offer? Well it’s perhaps most famous for the museum and pioneer village. Both were closed on my visit, but the village is visible to passers by…

As you can probably guess, the railroad ran along the riverside, though initially there was no stop and the town didn’t see the consequential boom. The waterwheel was actually used for irrigation of an orchard but built from parts that came from a steamboat.

Downtown Cashmere is quaint and sleepy…

Here you’ll find another museum for Cashmere’s Applets and Cotlets – well, you have to do something with all those apples. There’s also a more modern industry springing up thanks to changes in Washington’s liquor laws.

Just outside of Cashmere is the Peshastin Pinnacles – popular with climbers but also interesting to look at – just wish they’d move the cables.

Wenatchee sunset

2011-06-24T17:29:00.001-07:00

Clouds can sometimes be pretty…

A new view of Coulee dam

2011-06-24T17:17:00.001-07:00

I wrote about Coulee dam a few years back. On a damp May afternoon, I managed to get back and explore a bit more. The visitor center is a little sterile but provides more of the history – it seems a desire for cheap power wasn’t the main driving force but more a response to the great depression, generating thousands of jobs.

Of course a project of this size had it’s casualties – The town of Keller was moved as the dam backed up water in the valley. In the visitor center the Colville Indian Reservation had a little booth with a lone occupant looking a little out of place and isolated… maybe a token effort at remorse over the impact on their community, but hopefully a learning experience for the visitors.

One thing I’d noticed before on satellite views was what appeared to be a lookout from the hills above, but no signs from the dam seem to provide any guidance to get there. Well there is a lookout – Crown Point Vista – just take the 174 out of town and turn on to Crown Point Road.

From here you get a different view of the dam and the surrounding area.

The vista was also a stop off for a Porsche club showing off their shiny cars.

The curious case of Korean bidet accidents

2011-06-24T16:45:00.001-07:00

I’m discovering an unusual trend in Korean airport restrooms – puddles under the cubicle’s door. I don’t mean near the toilet itself, but right under the door several feet away.

The clue to solving this problem was one very large puddle and on the inside of the door itself streams of water running down and dripping onto the floor. No broken pipes above cubicle so how did it get there?

Well it seems some folk get confused between the toilet flush and the start button on the bidet. Perhaps Korea is the melting pot for folk who have no knowledge of bidets and hence the high incidence. I can only imagine the surprise when they ‘flush’ and a fountain of water jumps out at them – perhaps the size of the puddle is indicative of how lucky or agile they were…

You guessed it

2011-03-08T19:56:00.001-08:00

Yep, back blogged again. I have Cambridge, London, Beijing and the return to Shanghai. Las Vegas too for good measure…

A tale of two cities (or three?)

2011-01-28T04:14:00.001-08:00

Some views of Shanghai’s Pudong from the Bund and the Forbidden City in Beijing…

More later…

Signs you travel too much #9

2010-12-06T01:41:00.001-08:00

The last few weeks have been more of a whirlwind than usual for me – Seattle, Beijing, Seoul/Suwon, Taipei, Seoul/Suwon, Beijing, Tokyo (thanks to another plane diversion) and finally back to Seattle.

There were times when I woke up in a hotel bed or found myself in taxi and I really had to think for a few seconds, where am I? Where will I be tomorrow? Would be nice to stay in one place for a bit…

It’s an Il wind that blows no one any good…

2010-11-27T18:08:00.001-08:00

If you travel enough, world events will catch up with you it seems…

Tuesday afternoon, I was leaving Beijing from the old Terminal 2. Check in only opened certain times and we couldn’t find an Internet kiosk (they log who is using it so you need your passport before you can connect) so we were cut off from the world – the only TVs showing the monotonous airport channel.

Consequently it was only when I got to the hotel in Seoul around 1am and turned on the news that I discovered what had been unfolding during the day… Of course, Seoul is still here and it’s life as usual. The locals seem un-phased even though this is a development more serious than the many which have preceded it. When pushed, some say that the north doesn’t stand a chance – maybe hope of reunification has gone.

The pundits are asking why and it seems this could be part of a power struggle rather than provocation of the south – maybe the military doesn’t accept Kim Jong-un as heir apparent. With war games beginning today though, things could still make a turn for the worse.

Back to more mundane matters – this time I stayed near Namsan park which is north of the river and near the old city center. Much of the architecture round here is old and low built, so quite a start contrast with the south side climbing high.

The tower is the N Seoul Tower on Namsan mountain and can be reached by a cable car – more on that another time. I was staying at the Grand Hyatt which as usual in this part of the world has a high degree of opulence. The fake awards seem to indicate a table reservation.

The day I left was bitterly cold and we had thundersnow. Let’s hope this is one storm which blows through quickly…

Return to the i.Land

2010-10-27T19:28:00.001-07:00

I guess I start getting less adventurous when I find somewhere I like, at least until I bore of it. I had another look at the i.Land Patio (I’m certainly getting bored with the name) for dinner – the clock is really interesting and that circle where the trees dance has some more detail on closer inspection.

Is it implying that the spire forms a sundial? I wonder what days of the year the sun can actually get through between or above the towers to cast a shadow.

For food I tried Mediterranean – ok, but kind of so-so. Again though some décor to make you feel at home.

Finally they say imitation is a form of flattery – if so, then Starbucks must be pretty happy – all over Asia, you get the signature green letters or logo, just they don’t say Starbucks

Of bikes and men

2010-10-24T03:54:00.001-07:00

Couple of crazy ones for you…

What do you think? Maybe ‘I am not a bicycle’ or perhaps ‘No cycling over my back’ – I don’t think he was anti cycling in general as several folk cycled right past him…

This one was at a snack venue in Meiji, mmmm delicious, but sounds like it comes from another continent.

And finally, they really do seem to have a problem with bikes – seems they make hats fly off, heads vibrate and cause perspiration.

Dinner in the clouds

2010-10-24T03:27:00.001-07:00

If your budget won’t go to the Park Hyatt in Tokyo, but you still want to experience ‘high dining’ then there are a few other places to try – just like the eateries in basements, many tower blocks have restaurants on the top floors too. One place to try is the Metropolitan Government Towers.

As mentioned previously, these have free access observatories on the 45th floor. There’s also La Terrazza which is a small café/bar/restaurant. As you can probably guess from the name, it has an Italian angle (there are so many Italian restaurants in Tokyo – no idea why) with plattinis for 500 yen, pastas from 1000 and a selection of beer wine and cocktails.

Of an evening, there’s also live music (piano and violin for me) which was actually pretty good! Of course, you also have the view which even on a rainy night is still rather nice.

Wherever you end up, remember there may be a cover charge if staying after 7-8pm depending on venue.

Meiji Jingu

2010-10-23T23:02:00.001-07:00

Meiji Jingu is the shrine to emperor Meiji, credited with modernizing Japan around the start of the 20th century – Japanese Sprit and Western Knowledge. You might recall islands of green visible from the Park Hyatt and one of these is the 175 acre sacred forest surrounding the shrine. Just down the hill from Yoyogi station is the north gate followed by a dense Ginkgo tree-lined walk.

Along here you’ll get a first sight and sound of the 3BNB or Bloody Big Black Nosey Birds, which are probably rooks or ravens or large crows.

Further along the path are some lanterns and what seem to be barrels.

Closer inspection reveals they are indeed barrels – wine barrels! It’s quite a nice story really described in the panel beside them. Emperor Meiji as part of reaching out had acquired a taste for wine and to this day a good relationship exists with Burgundy Wine industry. It’s really quite amazing that just 27 years after the death of a man who so admired western achievements, violence and repugnance would be center stage.

The shrine itself is in the middle of forest, but before you get there, you’ll pass through some large, really large, gates made from Japanese Cypress. Along the walk some plants were on show including some delicate Bonsai. Then more gates or Torri, the font that worshipers wash at and the main courtyard.

I wondered what this guy had done to deserve sitting around on show…

In the square is an area where you can leave a message of hope and wishes.

As I arrived, the ceremonial recital of poems (Waka) was beginning with the Shinto priests headed off to the main shrine – they seem pretty revered, led and followed by numerous security guards. They didn’t like photos being taken here (even with no flash) though I thought it was a little hypocritical as there were several ‘official photographers’ with large flash cameras inside taking snaps.

The shrine seems to be the place to get married too. I came across this family getting ready and having photos taken in an outer courtyard, fairly oblivious to the attention they were getting from a mass of strangers. Precision and perfection were the words of the day – first the bride to be was expertly shaped, followed by her family. The two matriarchs had their gowns held as they sat so that the creases would be in the right places. I loved the lady on the right scowling as her hair was pulled and tweaked into place – either that or the growing audience…

The wedding party was later led off by the monks – the whole process must have taken hours. Having finished, the monks marched back to their living quarters again with security fore and aft.

In the north end of the forest is a more peaceful setting, meadows and small bridges over a narrow lake… and more 3BNB.

Aside from the pleasant outlook, the main reason to be here is the Treasure Museum. It’s not very substantial, but the 500 yen entrance fee (the rest of the shrine is free) goes to maintenance and also gets you into the museum annex on the east side.

The main role of the museum is to show pieces owned by Meiji and Empress Shoken who was something of a philanthropist creating a fund for the Red Cross.

The walls are also lined with the 123 other emperors – you could be forgiven for thinking there are several repeats as multiple emperors maintained the same facial hair and head wear of their forebears. There are also phases when the emperors seem very young when they were painted.

The notable exceptions are the last two in the south-west corner – Taisho (Meiji’s son) who is dressed like a European nobleman and Showa (more commonly known in the west as Hirohito) who looked like he’d be at home in the upper echelons of 1930s New York society.

The annex looks like it has evolving exhibits, currently work by Yokoyama Taikan is on show.

Meiji is definitely worth a look and close to Shinjuku – the web site is pretty good with more info. I’ll end with one of Meiji’s Wakas.

That which expresses

The true and sincere heart

Of an honest man

Most clearly and directly

Is indeed his poetry

Blog salad

2010-10-23T21:55:00.001-07:00

Ok, I finally have a bit of time on my hands for blogging so they’re coming in all directions right now – lot of catching up to do…

Redmond town hall

2010-10-23T16:56:00.001-07:00

I had to kill some time in Redmond the other day and so spent some time taking a closer look at the town hall which was built a few years ago. It’s an interesting building and that morning the sun and spider-webs made it more interesting…

The G20, dusty streets and exploding pets

2010-10-23T16:40:00.001-07:00

Getting a hotel in Korea this month is challenging thanks to the G20 summit – officially the summit is mid November but that’s just when the leaders arrive to sign the deals and get their photos taken – the real work is going on now. The Park Hyatt where I normally stay was sold out aside from the presidential suite which at five million Won (about $5000) a night was a little out of my pay grade.

Most of Seoul was in a similar state – either completely sold out or just the suites remaining so I ended up in Song-Do Incheon about 20 minutes from the airport. Song-Do is to put it mildly under construction, it’s a new city that looks like it’s built on reclaimed land. Totally flat and surrounded by water, the streets are dusty thanks to all the construction.

There are a few hotels and several office blocks, but not much else. Communications are good though with wide streets and nearby freeways along with a metro and bus station. I got the feeling though my hotel has had some problematic guests given the highly specific notice in the guide…

I guess exploding pets that urinate inappropriately are right out…

i.Land

2010-10-23T16:27:00.001-07:00

I have to wonder whether Apple will ever regret naming their products iThis, iThat… It seems the world has gone mad with the prefix 'i' and eventually it will become redundant. One example is i.Land in Shinjuku featuring the i.Land Hall and i.Land Patio. The truth is they don’t need a faddy name as they’re already pretty cool starting with the architecture and lighting…

I particularly like the patio which is lit by the clock tower at night – when the wind is blowing the trees dance on the central marble circle…

As seems to be common round here, the patio which is below ground, is home to a number of restaurants – If you’re wandering around looking for somewhere to eat, just check out the basement of a tower block – there’s a good chance you will find a dozen or more. I checked out the Spice Road which from the outside seems fairly generic.

On the inside though you are transported to India or Lebanon or the Mediterranean….

I can recommend the food at Maharaja, though the Lebanese section seemed a little more lively…

Getting around in Tokyo

2010-09-04T17:45:00.001-07:00

As you’d imagine for a big city, for a visitor the best way to get around Tokyo is by public transport. No doubt you can hire a car but I’ve no idea what the experience is like, how easy it is to park etc. I do know it can get congested at times and of course the Japanese drive on the left like the UK.

Taxis are good but not all take credit cards, which given they’re expensive (minimum fare is around $8) means you should have plenty of cash with you. When congested the driver should ask if you want to take the (toll) freeway which could add several more dollars to the fare.

For the airports the best bet is a limo bus (which may even go door to door depending on your hotel) ranging from $15 for Haneda to Shinjuku up to $35 from Narita. There’s also the Narita express train at around $40 which stops at the major stations like Tokyo and Shinjuku though depending on traffic it may be no quicker than the bus. Haneda is served by the monorail but you’ll probably have to navigate the metro to get to where you are going which could be a pain with luggage.

Although Haneda is closer to the city, it has few international routes, though in October a new international terminal opens and multiple international cities will fly direct.

The metro itself covers the city well and can be a little intimidating at first given all the lines and stations. Avoid the rush hour as you will be unceremoniously crammed into the cars. Pricing is a little confusing as it’s run by multiple companies – on one line 160 yen might take you half a dozen stations while on the other, it will cost 170 yen to go a single station. Luckily they do cooperate when changing lines and they wont charge you the full rate on each. Get a Suica smart card to avoid buying tickets for each journey.

Going further afield the Shinkansen – the bullet trains – are perhaps the best bet. Tickets can be bought from machines in the station just like an ordinary train so more convenient than air travel, while covering most of the country. Cities hundreds of kilometers away can be reached in less than 2 hours from Tokyo station.

Finally when you get to where you want to be, Tokyo is very pedestrian friendly. There are frequent road crossings and drivers actually stop for you unlike most of Asia.

Why does it always rain on me–update!

2010-09-01T06:45:00.001-07:00

August and September can be bad times to travel in SE Asia. At best it will be hot and humid and at worst… a typhoon can hit. I landed in a typhoon during September in Shanghai a few years back and it wasn’t fun. Looks like one is headed straight for Seoul though luckily (I hope) there is no need for me to leave the hotel. Hope all the glass stands up to the test.

Update: well Kompasu hit Seoul before 4am local time on 9/2. I was awoken by howls of wind and looking out the window, rain was moving horizontally and occasionally upwards. Small bits of tree were being deposited on the glass of my 9th floor window and the A/C was fritzing out periodically as no doubt it fought against the pressure outside the building.

Around 5am I heard sirens and someone on a tannoy, maybe trying to clear the streets. By 7am though it seemed business as usual and vehicles seemed to be going about their usual day in spite of the trees still being lopsided by heavy wind.

As it happens, things were worse than they seemed. Across the city power cables were down and windows had been blown out, indeed an 8’ by 10’ pane of glass in the hotel lobby had shattered after being blown in – a sight repeated across Seoul leading to lengthy repair times as glaziers became highly in demand. On the highway to the airport which is more open, entire trees had been dumped on the road.

Sadly, it seems three people lost their lives too.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-11161376

We have another coming in next week, though it’s been veering west towards China and running out of steam so will hopefully be less serious.

Tokyo Tower

2010-08-29T17:30:00.001-07:00

Clearly inspired by Eifel, Tokyo Tower is visible from much of the city, at least high up. Frankly I find it a little ugly, especially the base which holds gift shops; food court; an aquarium; wax works and Guinness world records Tokyo. The area around is a little hit and miss too, but then its primary purpose is a radio and TV mast so location wasn’t driven by beauty.

It’s really a tourist trap with no photos allowed of the exhibits and a combo ticket will set an adult back $25 though if you just want to see from the observatory, it’s about half that. There’s also a curious dog sculpture.

For me, the still active Zojoji Temple across the road was more interesting, it’s also the last resting place of several Shoguns.

It’s actually quite modern for the most part (think about it), but they kept up the traditional designs and integrated some detailed carving. You can also get some tea if you are lucky to find the tea house open.

The main building is where the ceremonies take place – lots of gold inside and statues and monks chanting…

Towards the far gate are some more sculptures and a water bath.

There’s also a tree left by George HW Bush when he was VP – looks a little worse for wear…

Finally an interesting lantern on the gate.

A little further down the road was another gate with some intricate detail…

My lost in translation moment

2010-08-29T04:39:00.001-07:00

Director [in Japanese, to the interpreter]: The translation is very important, O.K.? The translation.

Interpreter [in Japanese, to the director]: Yes, of course. I understand.

Director [in Japanese, to Bob]: Mr. Bob. You are sitting quietly in your study. And then there is a bottle of Suntory whisky on top of the table. You understand, right? With wholehearted feeling, slowly, look at the camera, tenderly, and as if you are meeting old friends, say the words. As if you are Bogie in Casablanca, saying, "Here's looking at you, kid," -- Suntory time!

Interpreter [In English, to Bob]: He wants you to turn, look in camera. O.K.?

Bob: Is that all he said?

Lost in Translation is one of my favorite movies, perhaps thanks to having lived or worked in Asia for the last six years and seeing it as a partial reflection of my time here. So of course, in Tokyo I needed to take a pilgrimage to the Park Hyatt where much of it was filmed. From the outside it’s kind of unassuming but clearly a tall building – a little different in that it’s not a single tower, more staggered…

Inside it starts to take on a grander style – first with the shared lobby (it’s part office block with the hotel on top) and then the elevators up to the hotel featuring dog heads or masks depending on which one you take.

From the 41st floor lobby, aside from the café view, there’s some upscale décor…

But of course, the destination I was headed for was the New York Bar on the 52nd floor – looks a little different from how I remember it so will have to get out the DVD when I get back.

And of course the great view – surprising how much green there is in a city that is thought of as being crowed with no room to move.

Finally after a $65 meal (well two drinks and a salad – it would be another $24 if you stay after 7pm on Sunday or 8pm on other days thanks to a 2000 yen cover charge) I headed down to watch the sunset behind the distant mountains from the 41st floor…

Outside again you can see a fountain, the tower in a mirror ball or from the metropolitan tower observatory.

Is that Bob Harris I see?

Nightlife, Tokyo style

2010-08-29T04:03:00.001-07:00

If you enjoy a bit of nightlife, then Tokyo will fit you like a glove. So much choice, so much variation, wacky to offbeat and of course, Karaoke.

Golden Gai (or Golden Street) consists of over 200 bars crammed into a few streets behind Shinjuku station. Open from late to the early hours and seating literally a handful of people at a time, each with their own style and character. It’s kind of like the Beijing Hutongs, though their history is interesting and their very existence challenged over the years.

Speaking of wacky, on our way to our first bar, we passed the power rangers, dressed head to toe, complete with colored fabric face masks. No cameras in sight, so I guess it was just some folk out for the night.

First stop which we knew as ‘mama san's bar’ was a little uneasy at first – just for locals – until one of our Japanese friends explained that one of our crew had been there before and had played guitar for the 80yr old chain smoking owner. Her face lit up and we were welcome (we also got hugs and kisses on departing). Beer (or Jack Daniels) was served with ice cut from a foot square block out of the freezer.

The ceiling was adorned by a (Monty) Pythonesque cat of dubious proportions and walls covered with posters for the local comedy circuit including some which paid tribute to the owner with her bright lipstick and signature cigarette.

Next stop was a Harley Davidson theme bar called ‘Twin’ or maybe above ‘Twin’ - it wasn’t clear. By theme, I mean to take it with a little salt – there were certainly some references, though some were more tenuous like license plates and some were tacky like those proverbial route 66 signs. There were also bobble heads on the bar and figures from the crypt.

There was also Karaoke – it’s so much easier to take part when the bar only seats six people.

On another night I discovered what is now my ‘local’ in Tokyo – the Bar Hermit.

It actually seems to be a small chain, but I’ve been trying the one just off the main road to the station behind the Soccer Shop – about 5 blocks from the metropolitan buildings. If you like Scotch, this is the place for you with over a 100 different malts to choose from starting at around $10. Open till 4am it’s a nice way to round off the evening. Depending on when you get there, there may be a 500 yen cover charge (about $6 at today’s exchange rate) so doesn’t make sense for just one drink.

Curiously a beer is the same price as a single malt where as in the US, a good malt is probably in the same ballpark as here – $10 and up. The strengthening yen is making it more expensive – for so many years it was 100-110 to the USD but it’s now closer to 84. One big difference is the lack of tipping and tax is usually included so comparing menu prices needs to take that into account.

Another thing to do at night is head up the observatory in the metropolitan building – it’s free and open till 11pm (check as it may be seasonal). Aside from the views you can get a cocktail or dinner from the little bistro.

Risky Roppongi?

2010-08-29T00:23:00.001-07:00

Tokyo has a rep for being one of, if not the safest large city on the planet. It feels it, even walking around at 3am (more on that later) seems safer than many cities during daylight. Culturally, crime is a such a big no-no. So perhaps it’s not surprising that foreigners seem to be behind the biggest issues right now.

Wandering round the busier nightlife areas, if you’re a guy, there’s every chance that a tout (though I think of them more as pimps) will take you by the arm, maybe call you ‘brotha’ to break the ice and try and lead you off to a bar. Obviously there’s a cost involved and the US embassy is warning ex-pats to avoid Roppongi after some drink spiking and huge charges appearing on credit cards…

So as usual, if it sounds to good to be true it probably is – take care out there…

http://articles.latimes.com/2010/jan/26/world/la-fg-japan-roppongi26-2010jan26

A little information… can be really frustrating

2010-08-28T16:24:00.001-07:00

A common trend I see in this part of the world is a sprinkling of the English language. I don’t mean an English sign here, a Chinese one there, but the odd English word inserted into an ocean of Japanese. Like being in a subway station and the map might say ‘subway map’ but everything else will be in the local lingo – you know, it being a map and being located in a subway, that’s one thing I was already certain of.

Here’s another example…

It get’s you hooked in with ‘first of all’ and then what? Does it say first of all in Japanese too? Or are the locals required to understand this smattering of English?

Should I be concerned, is it a warning of potential consequences to my health if consumed? It is after all chili sauce.

While we’re on food, I visited a place called Trattoria Volontiers for dinner. Inside I was offered a drinks menu which was both English and Japanese – great! It seems to be the custom that you are first offered the drinks menu and only then given the food menu when you order a drink.

The food menu was back to exhibit A – each section was titles in English – Antipasto; Risotto etc. but then the dishes were only in Japanese. Having had an English drinks menu I enquired about the equivalent for food – no we don’t have one of those was the reply. The irony is the drinks menu was much bigger – just one page of food.

But is doesn’t end with food, transport is another area.

This is clearly telling me something interesting about the Shinkansen (bullet train), maybe a great deal about somewhere I might want to go, but the only English is right at the bottom.

It’s a warning about hazardous items – so you think we’re still reading at this point? Well ok, I am, but that’s simply to prove a point.

With this one, I’m on the fence – there does seem to be more Japanese than just ‘Don’t stay here’ so is it saying ‘this isn’t somewhere to stay overnight’ or something like ‘this is Godzilla’s favorite hang out, so probably a good idea to move on’.

Or maybe it’s all just a big joke to keep us ignorant foreigners frustrated…

Sunny in Seattle

2010-08-15T16:17:00.001-07:00

Hottest weekend of the year… about 95 degrees. Little relief even on the banks of Puget Sound… but great views.

Quiz time

2010-07-24T13:50:00.001-07:00

Ok, been a while since a sign of the week, so here are three really useful signs – you need to identify the city or cities where I found them… I wonder what was visible through the temporary window too…

Moshi Moshi

2010-07-24T13:44:00.001-07:00

After Korea, I headed to Tokyo flying into Haneda (the old airport that’s a little closer to the city) before heading back from Narita the next day. I stayed at one of the numerous Hyatts, this one in Shinjuku, not the most grand since they are super expensive in Tokyo. It’s a little weird – they clearly spent a lot of energy and probably money on the stained glass and chandeliers…

and glass elevators looking first down the foyer and then out to the world at large…

but the rest is somewhat drab – the brown brick continues outside…

Shinjuku is a busy place like most of Tokyo …

… though seems to be home to many of the skyscrapers as well as the Tokyo government. The latter are especially generous in letting visitors observe the city from 200 meters up, free of charge. The cocoon shaped building is an education facility which is kind of appropriate if you think about it.

Spot Mt Fuji? it’s there, really, look hard! It’s pretty amazing how flat the area seems to be for the most part when you consider Japan is the result of massive plate shifts.

The base of the towers also has tourist information though I wonder if the gift shop has Lucasfilm’s approval for these…

The outside of the building is interesting too, I liked these ‘parasols’ which on closer inspection seem to be radio antenna.

And of course, you’ll find some art…

Behind the government complex is the Shinjuku Chuo park – Chuo seems to have the same symbol as Zhong in Chinese so I guess it' means center or middle too. The park is home to a water feature, turtles (that I thought were bronze at first given their lack of movement) and some tropical plant life – it certainly rains a lot in Tokyo and it’s pretty warm most of the year.

Oh Bear!

2010-07-17T09:49:00.001-07:00

I’m used to wildlife in my own back yard, and I mean literally. I have a few fruit trees that have suffered the consequences of a visit from a black bear, though usually it’s late in the year as they get ready to hibernate through winter. So I was a little surprised to see a cub (yes, the momma is way bigger) wandering around mid summer and going after any food that might be in the compost.

Of course, there’s also the less destructive kind like the black tails that seem to like eating the weeds…

Welcome to my Seoul

2010-06-23T15:13:00.001-07:00

Yup, been a while again, but I figured you would be bored by now with Taipei 101…

This week has me on a whistle-stop tour of Korea and Japan. I got in to Korea Monday night, flew to Japan Wednesday morning and head back to Seattle Thursday afternoon. Need less to say haven’t had a chance to take in much in the way of sights, but it’s been an interesting week thanks to the World Cup.

In Korea I stayed at the Park Hyatt in Seoul – pretty nice place complete with bamboo garden outside my window – I was only the fourth floor so I guess I need to stay there more often to graduate to the higher levels.

Didn’t find too much in the vicinity though this gallery looked interesting, maybe jumping on the Apple bandwagon though?

Being pretty jetlagged, I was in bed by 8 on Tuesday and this turned out to be a very good thing. At midnight I was awoken by what sounded like a party, a very large party. Booming bass and shouts and roars. I got back to sleep but was woken several times and eventually got up about 3:30am. Putting on the TV, I saw Korea playing Nigeria. Maybe there was a connection to the noise?

As dawn broke and I could see what was going on outside, it became clear, yes there was a connection. Just across the street, the road was cordoned off and a sea of red shirts were facing what I presume to be a large display relaying the game. I muted the Korean commentary and sure enough as action closed in on the goal, the crowd outside raised its voices.

As the light improved, I got a better view, until finally, 2-2 and Korea were through.

It took about 30 minutes for the happy crowd, now setting off fireworks, to disperse. I’m guessing there were tens of thousands there, enough to fill their own stadium.

As I checked out, the staff didn’t seem to be looking forward to the weekend when a repeat would be on the cards as Korea play in the last sixteen.

Shooting the past

2009-11-20T10:56:00.001-08:00

Apologies to fans of Stephen Poliakoff for the obvious reference :)

In L.A. this week, staying at the Biltmore in downtown. They had their opening banquet and ball 86 years ago – commemorated by this photo in the grand hall.

At first sight, it’s a bunch of folk eating and milling around, but wait, look closer.

Click.

From the docks to old town

2009-10-07T20:33:00.001-07:00

From the glass museum, there’s a boardwalk north along the bay, though you have to get back on the road in some places. If you’re lucky there might be an event on like the maritime festival.

The further north you go, the city starts to rise above the bay.

from the 4th street bridge, you can take Pacific Avenue north and follow the bay around with the growing wooded hills separating you from the city above. Towards the north end, it gets more industrial.

Finally around North 30th street is old town…

From here it’s mainly residential and you can start heading south again through the city streets.

a nice break in the middle is Wright Park

surrounded by some interesting properties…

Beyond Seattle… Tacoma!

2009-10-07T20:17:00.001-07:00

Tacoma is Seattle’s sometimes maligned little sibling. Named after Mt Tacoma before its name was changed to Rainier, it shares a lot with the mountain – the last time the volcano blew, mud flows made it all the way to Commencement Bay.

Depending on what you’re after though, it may have something to offer you… Only 40-50 minutes outside of Seattle, it’s worthy of a day trip.

Heading down the I5, the first noticeable landmark is the Tacoma dome,

though unless there’s an event on, the first stop is usually the docks. Here you can find the Glass Museum (more on that later) and Union Station.

If you have a bit of stamina, you can do the loop up the docks to old town, then back through the City to the theater and commercial districts – you have to make your mind up early though due to a curious feature of Tacoma – downtown is a good 100ft or so above the waterway with few connecting routes – after the 4th street bridge, you’re pretty much committed.

Why doesn’t 101 sway?

2009-07-13T17:47:00.001-07:00

Now is probably a good moment to talk about an important design feature of 101. The higher up a building, the more it sways laterally in a quake. Again on the 18th floor, I felt a fair bit of movement, so another 80 floors up you’d expect even more.

To address this problem, the designers of 101 built a huge, and I mean huge, ball of metal.

IIRC it’s about 650 tons and connected to the building – when the building shakes, it transfers the energy to the ball or in physics terms, acts as a damper. Not only an attraction inside the building, it’s spawned a child’s toy - ‘Damper Baby’ that you can buy all over the place…

Earthquake!

2009-07-13T17:13:00.001-07:00

Just after 2am this morning I was rattled out of bed. The room was shaking as I fumbled for the light and attempted to get dressed. Was it an earthquake or was I dreaming? I was pretty sure of the former as it wasn’t just me shaking – coat-hangers were knocking against the closet and the front door was vibrating in its frame.

I was expecting to hear a siren and people rushing the corridor, though nothing and after 20 or 30 seconds it had died down. It later occurred to me that staying in ones room was probably the best thing to do anyway – if it were really bad, would you really have any better luck going down 18 flights of stairs?

Looking out the window, 101 didn’t appear to be swaying and not much else was happening. Eventually an ambulance or police van drove by lights flashing and siren wailing. I went back to bed with a feeling of motion sickness, a bit like turbulence except it was side to side rather than up and down shaking.

Needless to say I didn’t sleep much after that. After four I felt a milder aftershock. Time to get on the net and find out what was happening… The red circles on the right are recent quakes – the bigger the circle, the bigger the size. Taiwan is obscured by the two red, one yellow and lots of purple (old quakes).

The 2:05am event was a 6.3 about 100 miles away from Taipei, though closer to the eastern coast. No news yet of damage or Tsunami in the area.

Seismographs are also available for those that are interested…

Event on 13-JUL-2009 18-05-02

Trouble in threes… or fours

2009-07-11T00:45:00.001-07:00

Travel, especially flying, can be pretty frustrating at times. So much so that it doesn’t take much to push you over the edge and your alter ego gets to the see the light of day.

I’ve been getting my fair share, more than my fair share of frustration lately, perhaps due to a lot of travel, though something seems to be going wrong on the majority of trips of late.

It all began on the last day of May, flying back from London. We’d been going five or six hours – it’s hard to tell without a watch and always seems less than what you think it should be – when I noticed my ears were popping – even on a good day that’s far too early to be getting ready to land.

Sure enough, it was too good to be true. My ears popped as we had dropped to 23,000 feet rather than the usual 35,000+. We were also it seems headed for Detroit according to the display – not where I expected to be…

After a bit the captain came on and explained the cockpit windshield had suffered a failure – one of the layers (windows on a plane are made up of three sheets) was ‘bubbling’ – not good. So we were flying lower as a precaution, but that meant burning more fuel and that meant… Detroit.

They actually handled it pretty well – we waited for a bit a Detroit and then they shuffled us off and onto another plane – guarded by security and terminal staff since we technically still had non ‘landed’ in the USA. Amusingly this also meant we were supposed to not use cellphones, something most people seemed to ignore.

About three hours late, we finally landed in Minneapolis – too late for most to make their connecting flights (and fuming since they weren’t let off at Detroit). Luckily for me my connecting flight still hadn’t departed…

So what could beat a windshield failure? How about a Volcano. This one:

Thanks to Sarychev Peek in rural Russia, well north of Japan, our flight had to divert to Honolulu. The flight path from Seattle to Tokyo is normally pretty northerly – up the coast of Alaska and then across the Pacific before heading south to Japan.

The volcano meant the northern route was off limits – not sure it was the ash itself, but the side effects – storms and unstable weather patterns. So we headed way south to refuel on Hawaii before heading north again. One little known fact about Hawaii: you can’t dump trash that didn’t originate there.

The cleaners came onto the plane (and of course we weren’t let off) but then all the trash bags had to be re-stowed somewhere on the plane to take somewhere else….

Finally we made it to Tokyo, but my connecting flight was long gone. This was where the fun began. Everyone we spoke to was clueless about what was going on. We didn’t know what was happening to our luggage, where we were staying or when we’d be flying out.

Eventually we were given hotel vouchers but getting to the hotel (5 minutes away) also proved a challenge – I gave up waiting for the bus and tried to get a taxi only to be told ‘10 minutes’. As I stood in disbelief, looking at a row of taxis waiting to get passengers, or so I thought, I trudged back to the bus.

Eventually we got to the hotel, still no one knowing what was going on… I guess it used to be a nice place.

The next day I rose early and headed back to the airport. I’d been rebooked with JAL which was in a different terminal from the one I’m most used to. I should have remembered that Japanese efficiency works both ways. I got there about 6:40am – lines were starting to form around the check in desks.

Over time, the staff themselves started to arrive. Busying themselves behind the desks… we’re waiting here you know? 6:58 and they get up from behind the desk. Finally. Not quite. They stand around to attention, the announcement comes over the PA, they bow and *then* they let us check in.

Curiously security didn’t open until 7:30am – they really expect the first check ins to take that long?

My gate was on the satellite so I took the people mover. I was kind of worried seeing another train coming straight towards us.

Of course, looking closer and you’ll notice the ‘track’ widens in the middle allowing two perfectly timed carriages to pass one another. By now you should be wondering why I’ve called it a people mover, train and carriage. Well I’m not sure what it is really since it seems to levitate – does that mean it’s still a train?

At the gate was more bowing – as the flight crew arrived, they would turn and bow towards the waiting passengers though not for anyone in particular. The captain seemed exempt from this ritual though. You have to admire how a culture can take something as modern and as boring as an airport and spin a bit of tradition on it…

Finally on my plane and I discover JAL 747s have a cool feature – a nose cam! During taxi, we got to see the captain’s view of the tarmac. Once up in the air the VOD systems let you choose between a few angles. Lots of clouds needless to say. It was pretty cool though when you saw the shadow being cast by the plane or the curvature of the earth…

Another kind of natural event beckoned for my return. Typhoon Lintha was due to strike. It largely missed Taiwan, hitting southern China, but causing a lot of wind still as it blew through the straits.

Getting back was delayed of course – at Tokyo we sat at the gate for 90 minutes or so as engineers worked on a ‘technical problem’. I read in the news the following day that the NTSB was investigating a flight from Hong Kong To Tokyo (the first leg before heading to Seattle).

Seems it had one of those airspeed problems that’s in the news a lot right now.

After all that, I’m left thinking (as I type this in an airport lounge), what’s next?

Back blogged

2009-07-03T14:10:00.001-07:00

Since I’ve been living out of a suitcase for the last few months, I’m a little behind on updates. Normal service will be resumed…

Howling 101

2009-05-06T18:21:00.001-07:00

Taipei 101 has an outside observation deck which is open to visitors when it’s not too windy… Still at 500m up, it’s always a little windy. The anti-jumping fence erected around the deck behaves like a giant musical instrument as the air whistles between the struts…

There’s a bit of wind noise, but if you turn up the volume, you should hear the whistling.

Waiting for the color of spring…

2009-05-06T17:48:00.001-07:00

May 1st was a holiday in Taiwan. Things got a little out of hand near the parliament with reports of unionists trying to get in – like pretty much everywhere right now, there are concerns around the economy and folk want change, with or without the current leadership…

Back at the hotel, I was hearing a drumming sound – On the 18th floor I wasn’t really expecting such noises and doubly surprised when I looked out the window…

Spot the cow…

Not to be left out, the street fountain by the tower joined in with the color.

A closer look

2009-05-06T17:20:00.001-07:00

With the scale of 101, it’s easy to miss some of the detail. The design was inspired by bamboo with each segment growing up from within the lower one. The less charitable suggest its more like a pile of take out boxes.

If you look closer though, there are some more intricate details. On previous photos you’ll have noticed the retail area at the bottom which makes the tower asymmetrical, but the segments themselves are adorned with little twists of traditional design.

Higher up, you can get an even closer look…

and at night, the irregular shapes add an extra dimension through illumination.

Sign of the week

2009-05-01T01:20:00.001-07:00

Where did all the cows go?

2009-04-30T03:57:00.001-07:00

If you were thinking of visiting Taipei to see the cows, it seems you have missed your chance. The only one left is the big daddy…

Red sky in the morning…

2009-04-28T15:06:00.001-07:00

I tend to be up early when traveling, especially when I have an east facing room…

Night and day

2009-04-27T16:03:00.001-07:00

I promise, you will get bored of the 101 by the time I’ve finished…

Please wait while your seat reboots

2009-04-27T15:34:00.001-07:00

Perhaps not the most assuring message to get at 39,000 feet. I now know that NWA in seat entertainment is a linux system, thanks to the little penguin that popped up a minute or so after my movie was interrupted with the aforementioned warning.

Thankfully nothing out of the ordinary occurred and I was back watching my films – I managed to get through four this time on a painfully long flight to Tokyo thanks to headwinds.

Which means I’m now back in Taipei – I’ll be around for the public holiday, so if the weather holds, we’ll see what that brings…

Seattle Center

2009-03-23T20:49:00.001-07:00

Built in 1962 for the Century 21 Exposition, the Seattle Center features some of the cities top attractions. A fairground, the EMP, various exhibition halls, museums, the monorail and of course, the Space Needle.

On a March afternoon, not surprisingly, it’s a little cloudy, but there are still some unique views thanks to the EMP.

Elsewhere in the park is the international fountain and of course many views up. And yes, there were kids in swimming costumes running through the water in spite of it being about 50 degrees F.

Even on a cloudy day though, you can still get some good views from the top – the Olympics, Quest Field, The PI (which just closed) and downtown.. oh and the EMP :)

On a better day, you can see Rainier too, but that will have to be another time… About a mile from downtown, you can walk to the needle, but the tourist way is on the monorail which cuts through the EMP and provides some different views of the city.

Chiang Kai Shek Memorial

2009-03-13T14:51:00.001-07:00

Just east of CKS metro is the Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Park, also featuring the national theater and concert hall.

The theater and hall are of the traditional design…

With intricate details.

The memorial hall has some resemblance to an Egyptian pyramid which may not be a coincidence.

Inside is a huge statue of the man in question and honor guards.

There’s also some nice views of the park.

They don’t let just anyone inside though.

Though once inside, there are multiple museums of old and new.

Including some of the opulence the KMT was criticized for.

Things to do when jetlagged #7

2009-03-10T03:43:00.001-07:00

Take photos of the full moon…

The Botanical Gardens

2009-03-07T20:08:00.001-08:00

Just west of CKS Metro is Nanhai Road (btw, on the metro road map, it appears on top which logically suggests it’s to the north – the maps are oriented to major roads though so don’t assume this).

Along here you’ll find a few museums like the National History Museum and Art Museum. Just round the corner from where it meets the elevated 1st Boulevard is the entrance to the Botanical Gardens.

Mainly green this time of year, there are still some interesting things to see…

Outside the east gate are a few interesting buildings which have seen better days and a pond.

Sign of the week

2009-03-07T12:57:00.001-08:00

I really have no idea what to make of this one…

Center of the Cowniverse

2009-03-07T10:36:00.001-08:00

Amongst the malls, this seems to be the hub of cowland. These ones seem more commercial on the whole, perhaps being sponsored…

The daddy of all cows?

A most peculiar shopping experience

2009-03-06T21:51:00.001-08:00

Xinyi district (the area around 101 and the Taipei City Hall) seems to be the main up-market shopping area – lots of high end stores (recession? what recession?) and many many malls.

There are so many malls, some are simply numbered - A1 to A11. I had discovered yet more cows (more on this later) as I got to A8 as it was about to open. I’ve been in a few of the As now and so was not surprised to see the door ladies bowing dressed in their airlinesque outfits.

However, once inside I encountered the shopping assistants lined up in the aisles, or waiting by the escalators five at a time, and as I passed, they too bowed welcoming me to the store.

I went up the escalators, more assistants bowing, it was becoming hard to make out the assistants from the mannequins and I was starting to wonder if I could hide somewhere to avoid the attention.

Up to the next floor, more of the same, even at the coffee stand, and I was starting to freak out a bit wondering what the hell would happen if I actually wanted to look at or buy something. I needed to get out of this bizarre reality. I toyed with them a little as walked towards an area and then away.

Finally at 11:05, I noticed them stretch and walk to their stations. It was over… for now.

National Palace Museum

2009-03-05T05:13:00.001-08:00

The National Palace Museum in Taipei has its roots in Beijing, specifically the forbidden city. Artifacts were first moved out of Beijing amid fears of capture by the invading Japanese. Chiang Kai Shek later moved many of the pieces to Taiwan as he and his followers evacuated from the mainland.

Some describe his actions as looting, though the irony is that if they had remained, the cultural revolution would no doubt have resulted in their destruction. The museum now boasts one of the largest collections in the world, though with the ability to show just a small fraction at a time, rotates much of the collection.

The pieces are of high quality though sadly I only got the couple of pictures above – all kinds of photography are banned in the museum. I get banning flash photography, but not flashless – banning that just tells me the museum wants you to buy stuff from their shop.

The other thing which spoils the museum is the group tours – snaking, or sometimes swarming to the exhibits to the exclusion of others. I recommend going at a quiet time…

Outside there is more room to breathe. It’s amazing this construction is a little over 40 years old – tradition still plays a big part in architecture for this part of the world.

And of course, some Fu Lions are ever present – the totem poll perhaps being influenced by the indigenous population…

Off to the side is the Chih Shan garden. For the most part, not too interesting, though the ponds sport some wildlife.

Best view of the 101?

2009-03-04T22:52:00.001-08:00

I snapped this walking through the park around the SunYat Sen Memorial Hall – I think it might be my favorite view of the 101 so far.

Numerology

2009-03-04T22:50:00.001-08:00

A quick glance at the elevator in the Hyatt suggests opulence, but nothing out of the ordinary.

A slightly longer glance and you’ll notice the 4th floor is missing. Number are often important in Chinese culture – 8’s are lucky (the Olympics began on 8:8:08) though in the PRC, 12 and 13 are sometimes missing from the list of floors in a tall building – 13 I believe due to western ideas that 13 is unlucky rather than local beliefs.

In Taiwan, 4 takes that honor. That’s because the Chinese for 4 is Si which is similar to Si, meaning shrine or temple. Some larger homes have their own shrines on the 4th floor and are only visited when paying reverence. So, having rooms on a 4th floor would not be appropriate…

Huiji Temple

2009-03-01T04:16:00.001-08:00

I took a ride out to Zhishan on the metro (get an ‘EasyCard’ from a vending machine if you’re going to use the metro a fair bit) and then walked about half a mile to Zhishan Hill (Yuanshanzai – which I’m guessing means something like garden mountain). This is the home of Huiji Si (Huiji Temple). On the way are a few signs to note (is that the Taiwanese Colonel Sanders?).

One thing many do not realize about temples is that they aren’t generic sites of deity worship, but often built to revere a specific hero from times gone by like a general or scholar. For Huiji that is one Kaizhang Sheng Wang, the sage founding king of Chnag region.

At the base of the hill, you can find goats (in the same sense as the cows), a gate (complete with LED message board), some immortals and Fu Lions.

Next, climb some stairs – 226 steps (you don’t need to count – the numbers are carved) but on the way you can’t fail to notice a few things. Each side is made up of segments depicting different scenes and more Fu Lions…

Near the bottom, off to the right is a scene that might remind westerners of the Virgin Mary and Fairies at the bottom of the garden. A slow dripping fountain and curious little men in various poses ranging from tiredness to anger.

At the top is another gate, before the temple courtyard, more Fu Lions and the garden at the top of the hill.

The front of the temple is incredibly ornate. It’s common for dragons and immortals to adorn the roofs.

The courtyard has a few other noteworthy items.

No the Nazis didn’t make it here – The Swastika (though note the arms point the other way compared to the 3rd Reich) is an ancient Hindu/Buddhist symbol. Into the garden and there are more outbuildings and the odd dog (curiously I’ve found a number of dogs roaming seemingly wild, though they don’t bother people and better still, do not appear to be rabid).

There are also a few fireplaces where requests may be offered up.

Another significant shrine outside the main temple.

The little metal table is for offerings – inside the main temple I saw chips and fruit, though I didn’t see any monks so not sure this is a working temple. BTW, the locals seemed fine taking photos outside, but I always avoid inside photos as a mark of respect – I sometimes feel a little intrusive just being there.

Finally, take in the view of the distant hilltops from this highpoint.

Agora Garden Hotel

2009-03-01T01:47:00.001-08:00

If you want to stay somewhere a little unique in Taipei, the Agora Garden could be a good choice (click the travelocity ad on the left for rates). Something I haven’t seen before in a hotel (on the 2nd floor in case you want to take a look) is a Cuban cigar lounge, which is a little odd given Taiwan passed a no smoking law (which is now in force for public areas).

What makes it a little different though is outside…

I’ll try and get some better quality photos if I get back there – these were taken though the tinted windows.

In ancient Greek times, the Agora were forums or meeting places, hence agoraphobia being a fear of crowds. They often had colonnades between which market stalls would be set.

Stampede!

2009-03-01T00:40:00.001-08:00

We seem to have a bit of bull problem in Taipei right now. They’re everywhere (107! Count ‘em!), some cunningly disguised as other things…

My fave is probably the keyboard cow.

I found this one at the Palace Museum.

More info here. I’d hate to be the one to tell them though that bulls don’t have udders.

Sign of the week

2009-03-01T00:33:00.001-08:00

I’ve a theory that signs can tell you a lot about a culture… or maybe not. At first this (given the severed hand) had me thinking piranha maybe or strong currents…

… but then I saw the pool.

Is that an inch or two of water?

What's in a name

2009-02-27T16:14:00.000-08:00

One of the things that confuses me about Taipei is why it's called Taipei. It's not just us, all the road signs and buildings have 'Taipei' on them.

So why is this a mystery? Well, take a look at the second symbol of the name (remember each symbol has a single sound, so Tai is one symbol and Pei is the other) 臺北. That second one should look familiar as it's the same one starts Beijing or 北京.

So one would think we'd be saying Taibei instead (BTW, Bei means north - Beijing being the north capital). Aparently it all stems from the different romanizations in use over time - Wade-Giles was popular originally which lead to names like Peking and Taipei. They're moving to Hanyu pinyin here now, but looks like Taipei will stay as is...

The view from here (updated)

2009-02-24T21:20:00.001-08:00

So far the days seem to follow the same course, low cloud first thing, then the sun breaks through for a bit before the cloud returns. No rain yet during the day, just some overnight. I’m staying on the 23rd floor of the Hyatt so getting some good views of the city… and of course a 7/11 (which you can find everywhere here).

In the foyer of the Hyatt is the most amazing floral display – it took four people most of a morning to put this together. The smell of fresh flowers radiates across the space…

The outside & over the road…

But it’s Taipei 101 that dominates…

A Bob Harris moment in Taipei

2009-02-22T15:48:00.001-08:00

First off, apologies for not posting as promised – I had my day job to worry about :)

Secondly, it’s probably apparent by now I’m a big fan of Lost in Translation. Trust me, if you ever travel like I do, you’ll get it too. Not that I do photo shoots for Whiskey adverts, but I wouldn’t mind the job if anyone is looking.

So this time, I find myself in Taipei. Arriving at the hotel about 11:30pm after a very long day (about 11hrs to Tokyo then a couple of hours wait and finally 3 and half hours to the island) I was initially too tired to sleep (not that I got any on the journey). I did manage to get about 4hrs uninterrupted sleep before giving in and heading down to breakfast as the sun was coming up.

Not a bad start, breakfast overlooking the low mountains to the South of the city and Taipei 101 right next to the hotel, well not quite overlooking…

Travel hiatus

2008-10-27T18:07:00.001-07:00

As winter approaches, I won’t be roaming much… I will post some retrospectives from time to time though.

One final funny

2008-09-30T21:34:00.001-07:00

Just had to share this poster I saw in the hotel.

Yes, it seems golf can help your hunting ability. I also liked the ‘Photos are for reference only’ subtitle.

The bridges of Japan

2008-09-30T21:27:00.001-07:00

Flying back was in daylight and less cloudy than the way out. As you all know, Japan is made up of many islands, so not surprisingly it has a lot of bridges. Some look pretty big too…

Getting back

2008-09-30T21:14:00.001-07:00

So long as your flight isn’t too early, the tourist thing to do is to take the maglev to the airport. Unfortunately its terminal is out of downtown at Long Yang Lu (though rumors persist about bringing another terminal closer in). So get a taxi or take the metro if you’re feeling brave.

Then, you can take a photo like this.

Not that it stays at 431km/h (269 mph) for very long – the entire journey lasting about 7 minutes. It’s also a bargain at 50RMB – some people take a round trip to the airport even if they aren’t flying.

At the airport, Pudong now has two terminals. The new one is a lot more streamlined, though no doubt as more airlines come online it will get busier and the more distant gates will come into play.

As always it provided a few laughs too (yes airports can be funny)…

I never worked out quite how the lounge was ‘dedicated’ and it also reminded me of the line in ‘Lost in Translation’ where Bob is surprised at how short his interpreter’s translation is compared to the Japanese spoken by the director. Ok, he said it better than me. And no the ‘L’ hadn’t fallen off, it’s a brand new sign – I felt it too, it was never there.

Just in case anyone is thinking I’m being a little cruel, just take it from me that Chinese (even my colleagues who have the utmost respect for me) have no qualms about laughing at foreigners and how funny they seem trying to make their way with Mandarin.

At a new year’s party I was once taken on stage and made to sing Chinese pop songs that were playing through some headphones. And yes, the audience had to guess what I was singing. I have to say I did remarkably well.

… but I digress. I also had a good laugh at these floor arrows:

At first I thought they were an attempt to keep people walking in the same direction and avoid collisions. Except their placement seemed inconsistent and indeed conflicting (e.g. opposite direction to the moving walkway). And why illuminated rather than permanent?

Eventually I realized they were directing people to ‘something’. The something being the exit or stairs or a restroom or an elevator… And here lies the flaw in the plan – you don’t know in advance what the something is.

If you ever make it to Pudong airport, have a look and tell me if you have a better explanation :)

Shanghai Science Museum

2008-09-30T20:34:00.001-07:00

In Pudong, just on from Century Park is the Science Museum.

If you’re not into science, you might still want to go here to buy clothes – a sizeable underground mall with dozens of vendors hangs off the metro.

Assuming you are into science, don’t go on a Monday as it’s closed, except national holidays, except some of those… maybe just don’t go on a Monday is the best bet.

Inside you can choose from theater attractions (spaceflights and the like) on the museum proper. If you’re lucky there might be a special exhibition like this one…

Impressively they also had this one, barely seen in the US I believe…

Downstairs are some shops – take a look just in case there’s something of interest as it will cost 10 times as much at the airport.

Where to eat

2008-09-25T00:33:00.001-07:00

A really good resource for Shanghai in general is www.smartshanghai.com. On here you'll find maps, reviews and more importantly Chinese Taxi instructions to print. Most drivers don't understand English (look for the 'stars' on their ID sign) and pinyin (the romanization of Mandarin) isn't pronounced the way most English speakers would pronounce it :)

If you don't believe me, pinyin 'xie' (xie xie being thank you) is pronounced something like 'sheer', rather than, well, whatever you think it might be pronounced as. Ever wondered why Chinese spell Ping Pong as Ping Pang? Don't get me started on tones...

For foreigners who don't want to eat Chinese cuisine (a gross over simplification since Shanghainese food is very different from that of Sichuan or Tibet) go to Hengshan Rd. Just go there...

On Hengshan itself are hotels (like the Regal) or pretty good TexMex (Zapatas) or reasonably authentic Italian (Pasta Fresca da Salvatore - nice traditional pizzas). Be careful with some of the bars as you may be expected to buy the wait-people a drink or more. Just say no if it gets uncomfortable...

Off Hengshan are some gems IMHO. Vedas on Jianguo Xi Lu is the best Indian Restaurant on the planet. Going to Vedas is one of the highlights of going to Shanghai for me. I would go to Shanghai just to get a good Indian meal at Vedas... so long as someone else is paying for the airline ticket.

The ambience is understated, yet the large window to the kitchen lets you watch your Naan get needed and stretched. The food is good too of course, a perfect balance of spices... try the Samosas and the Shahi Paneer and the Malai Kofta.

North of Hengshan, just off Huahai is Arch. A little pretentious in some peoples' opinions, now a little quieter as they have another outlet. I like Arch as the food it varied, reliable, good staff and they have a good cocktail menu :)

In XuJiaHui (Metro City, the domed thingy - Meilo Cheng, pronounced May-low-chung) you'll also find Starbucks and L'arbre de Provence (varied vegetarian).

A taxi ride from Hengshan is XianTianDi, a tourist hangout and has good Thai food, French and Cantonese. Shanghai Center (Portman-Ritz) has California Pizza Kitchen and Element Fresh.

Where to stay

2008-09-24T23:38:00.001-07:00

Perhaps before diving into what to do, I should have said something about options on where to stay...

In the luxury range ($250 and up) you have a few options (check out one of the links on the left for actual rates). In Pudong, there's the new SWFC or the Grand Hyatt in the Jin Mao - not sure it still is, but it's claim to fame was the world's highest hotel atrium. Reminds me a little of the Death Star.

Around People's Square is the JW Marriott.

And at the Shanghai Center (Nanjing Xi Lu, not far from the Jing An Temple) is the Ritz Carlton. Around $150 you can find some pretty good hotels around XuJiaHui - I tend to end up at the Regal on Hengshan, but watch out for the $25 breakfast!

Driving in China

2008-09-21T18:47:00.001-07:00

Don't.

Don't do it.

Don't let it enter your mind for the merest millisecond of a possibility.

One of the things I noticed this time in Shanghai was more traffic. This seems to have had the beneficial impact of slowing people down on the roads. I say beneficial as many, especially those in the thousands of taxis think they are racing drivers. Or in one of those adverts with 'Do not attempt' splashed as a subtitle...

Aside from the speed, it's the aquaplaning, last minute breaking and trying to shove fellow drivers into the wall which are most worrisome.

I don't always fear for my life though, after all, there is very little evidence of accidents. I put it down to ESP which probably means the interview for taxi drivers involves reading cards. That and stamina as many drivers work very long shifts.

Out of the cities, it can be worse. I was on a minibus in rural China - we drove at a constant 80km/h. This was irrespective of conditions, straights, corners, blind corners. To achieve this the driver would often cross to the other side of the road.

As I often explain to first time visitors, lanes, signs and traffic lights are purely advisory.

A new record

2008-09-21T18:13:00.001-07:00

The Shanghai World Financial Center is finally complete. China's tallest building, overtaking its neighbor, the Jin Mao by 70 meters. Though in this photo the older pagoda looks a little taller.

The SWFC was supposed to have a circular hole at the top, but it was felt to be 'too Japanese' at a time when China was remembering the painful recent history of occupation. I was in Shanghai in 2005 when Japanese restaurants were being attacked and eaters being shouted at to leave.

Here's some earlier photos, first no tower, then under construction...

LuJiaZui in Pudong (the new side of Shanghai, much of it being farms and fields 20 years ago) is home to much of Shanghai's financial horsepower. Lots of skyscrapers, though perhaps the most famous structure is the Pearl, which somehow follows you around...

Getting there

2008-09-21T17:50:00.001-07:00

A side effect of the modern economy, there are now many ways to reach China. I took NWA first to Tokyo and then on to Shanghai's Pudong airport. Next year, we'll have direct flights to both Shanghai and Beijing from Seattle.

First traveling north over Lake Washington with Bellevue to the east and Mount Baker to the north.

We then headed west over the sound and past the Olympics where there is still some traces of snow on the peaks.

Around Japan, there was the inevitable cloud and turbulence.

Aside from the visa shenanigans, entering China has actually got a little easier - just an entry card (like the US I94) and that's it. There used to be a health form (do you have anything contagious - answer yes and you'll be quarantined) and a customs form.

Return to the middle kingdom

2008-09-18T16:24:00.000-07:00

So I finally did manage to get a China Visa and spend a week in Shanghai. Mainly business, but I have few posts to write still...

NWA at it again

2008-09-05T11:23:00.001-07:00

Another bonus mileage promotion:

http://www.nwa.com/offers/mountainsofmiles/

No games this time to earn extras though.

The road home

2008-08-19T20:13:00.001-07:00

From Coulee, I headed south again to Soap Lake, but then veered west through Ephrata. This route passes by George, close to the Gorge Amphitheatre home of many outdoor concerts due to the reliable weather.

Before reaching Vantage is the Wild Horses Viewpoint. This overlooks the Columbia from the east side.

While there I noticed an odd rustling sound which seemed to be coming from these paperlike plants.

From here I took the road west... One oddity (for mid August) was the severe fog that hit Snoqualmie Pass, as if night had overtaken day by several hours...

Drive carefully!

Grand Coulee Dam

2008-08-19T19:40:00.001-07:00

Nearly a mile long. 550 feet high, the Grand Coulee Dam is the fourth largest hydroelectricity producer on the planet. It's also the largest concrete structure in the United States. Again scale on the photos was an issue - it wasn't easy to fit the full dam into the pictures.

Being summer I guess, not much water was flowing...

If you're there at night, expect a laser show which may have something to do with this contraption.

A note on driving

2008-08-19T19:18:00.001-07:00

Well a few...

I'm a little concerned about the driving skills around here (and I suspect this is the visitors and not the locals)

On my journey from Ellensburg to Vantage I saw a tire bouncing down the westbound I90 at a good 60-70 miles per hour. Luckily the median was pretty wide but I was worried for more than a few moments that it might cross over.
A lot of the RV drivers seem to be weekend ones. i.e. they forget that
1. They're towing a big thing that makes them longer
2. They're towing a big thing that makes them slower

The number of times someone cut across me on a left turn from a stop sign... Even better when they wait, then cut across me.

The other problems were more natural, lumps of wood that came from I know not where. Tumbleweeds assaulting the car and finally dust storms.

One afternoon the dust was so bad that near visibility was severely diminished - mini twisters were forming off the road - and it looked like fog was rising over the lakes.

Steamboat Rock

2008-08-19T18:52:00.001-07:00

North of the dry falls (2 east, then 155 north) the Corridor continues, now along Banks Lake.

Again, there are plenty of stops though perhaps the most interesting is around Steamboat Rock. The park itself is the largest and best equipped (including an espresso/ice cream retailer) though some of the smaller ones further north are more peaceful.

Dry Falls

2008-08-19T18:21:00.001-07:00

At the top end of Lenore Lake (still on the Coulee Corridor/Highway 17) is Dry Falls. This is double whammy. Make a stop at the State Park (also known as Sun Lakes which has picnics, boating, camping and trails).

yet within a few miles, more desolate landscapes...

Continue on the highway another mile or so and you'll find the Dry Falls visitor center overlook. A 400 foot drop and 3.5 mile width, they were 10 times the size of Niagara at their peak.

These cows (or are they buffalo?) should give an idea of scale (this is at 12x zoom of the top left or closest part of the falls).

... what appears to be an un-flooded pothole... and maybe a salt lake.

The Coulee Corridor

2008-08-19T18:00:00.001-07:00

If you take highway 17 north from Moses Lake, you'll eventually get to Soap Lake. This is a sleepy little town and a good place to stop if you need to stretch.

Before you get there, if you're paying attention, you'll notice the rocks littering the plains the highway cuts through. Not just the odd rock here and there, but thousands and thousands seemingly dropped out of the sky.

They were actually dumped by the flood from many miles 'upstream' and now the area is known as the Ephrata Fan, with the city of Ephrata a few miles to the west.

North of Soap Lake is where it gets interesting though. Almost every time I turned a corner, my jaw dropped and I had to be disciplined about not stopping at every opportunity. What the pictures won't do justice to is the scale - just remember the floods peaked at 2000 feet of water.

Moses Lake

2008-08-19T17:34:00.001-07:00

I made Moses Lake my base this time around.

As seems to be the way with Best Western's, the hotel was very accessible, just off the I90. However, as the city is sprawling, this was several miles from the center, so nowhere really to walk to. On the plus side, it's right on the lake and has it's own lounge and restaurant.

South of the I90 is the Potholes Reservoir of the Scablands. First formed by the great flood, the water level was then raised by the O'Sullivan Dam. Nearly 10 miles from north to south, it starts to look more like a bay than a lake.

Just east of here is the nature reserve where there is more boating and trails into the Scablands. You also get to see how stark the landscape can be and what it takes for vegetation to survive, even close to the waterside.

The Washington Columbia

2008-08-18T21:00:00.001-07:00

Not far from Ellensburg, the 90 crosses the Columbia. Just before the bridge is the small settlement of Vantage. I'm wondering if the name stems from 'vantage point' or similar phrase since views abound up and down the river as well as to the East.

Vantage is also home to the Ginkgo Petrified Forest. Don't go expecting a mass of trees though - the visitor center has a few samples.

There are some trails a few miles to the west, though given the 100 degree highs you'll forgive me for not exploring... There is some wildlife at the center though, some I saw and some I didn't want to.

Water-sports are obviously popular around here - there are launches in Vantage and further south - the Wanapum recreational area being one example, though on busy days expect to see people just parked up by the side of the road.

Also to the south is a dam

... which led to rising waters, luckily some Petroglyphs were saved.

Finally, if you want your very own petrified wood, don't steal it, get it from the gift shop which of course is marked by...

A tale of three cities

2008-08-18T20:18:00.001-07:00

Two hour's drive from Seattle, just off the I90, is the university city of Ellensburg. Take the first exit and you'll find yourself on 8th/University Way and north of here is the Central Washington University.

Take the 2nd exit from the 90 and you'll be in 'new Ellensburg' where you'll find the big stores and chain motels.

IMHO what is most interesting is between the two - the historic downtown - though this is comparatively modern after the fire of 1889 leveled much of the city. It's perhaps no surprise that much of the rebuilding was to use brick. This also explains the phoenix atop the Davidson building.

There's also old meets new, though sadly what appears to have been a cinema is now a gift store.

In spite of the short life, the Masons still found a place to be.

And some of the more interesting styles of architecture...

In terms of visitor amenities, perhaps due to the university, there are many cafes, bars and restaurants, so all in all, not a bad place to stop.

Back from the Scablands

2008-08-18T19:31:00.001-07:00

Just sorting out a few hundred photos from my recent jaunt to Central/Eastern Washington. A whistlestop tour that began in Ellensburg, but the highlight of which was the unique canyons channeled by the Missoula Floods, known as the Scablands.

What's more remarkable, is that these floods are linked to Multnomah Falls as well, a topic of a previous entry, hundreds of miles away. PBS Nova recently had a show covering Scablands and the fight for the scientific community to accept the evidence.

Watch this space...

Find your own Fossils

2008-07-17T20:56:00.001-07:00

If you happen to be in North East Washington, perhaps on the way to the border, Republic could be an interesting place to stop.

Stonerose Interpretive Center lets you chip away at slate from a former lake bed for a few bucks. So long as you don't find something rare, they'll let you take away up to three fossils for yourself to keep.

Who the hell is Matt?

2008-07-09T19:40:00.001-07:00

You have to admire someone who says, to hell with work, my life, my home and just sets out to explore the world. You have to admire them even more (or maybe pity) when they do a nerdy dance (which seems to be a cross between running man and riverdance) wherever they go and post it on YouTube for all to see.

That's exactly what Matt Harding did... several times it seems. Dancing 2006 has had over ten million views. Dancing 2008 which is only two weeks old has over five million.

With the 2008 version, he's joined by his fans from all over the globe, culminating in an event at Gasworks Park here in Seattle...

I did think the Gurgaon bit was very clever and the Tokyo one, very disturbing :)

Google Street View

2008-07-06T19:35:00.001-07:00

Here's an interesting twist for map based search. Google has added street level photos to it's maps. Compared to the Live maps birds eye view, it's much easier to follow the road.

Icons take you forward or backward, yet you can also pan left and right, as if you were looking out the window of a car. Below is the hotel at Cascade Locks. (There seem to be some glitches - if there's a white area below and no picture - click the 'view larger map' link)

View Larger Map

However, it may be too good - there's a chance of it being banned in the UK due to privacy concerns.

Bye bye bridge

2008-07-01T20:54:00.001-07:00

The Tolt bridge has crossed the Snoqualmie for over eighty years. From Tolt McDonald Park, it looked like this:

However, as this link explains, the old bridge wasn't in the best condition... So a new bridge was built - as you can see it dwarfs the original.

And now it seems the old bridge will be demolished...

Wallace Falls

2008-06-17T20:22:00.001-07:00

A couple of miles north of Gold Bar (on the US 2) is Wallace Falls State Park. It's pretty popular, even on week days so get there early.

Hiking up to the falls themselves is largely upward (at least the lower sections) - I always prefer that to up and down since it means on the way back it's most downhill :)

Before you reach the falls themselves, you'll come across some 'min falls' and rapids.

Depending on how long you have, you can take in just the lower falls, or go right to the top, or even on to Wallace lake itself.

On a clear day, you can also see the mountains and maybe some wildlife.