Hanoi traffic

Below is a video of me trying to cross a street in the Old Quarter of Hanoi, Vietnam.  This shows how crazy traffic intersections work in developing nations.  As you watch, wonder if you could brave this traffic day after day just as a tourist, let alone as a citizen.

Hong Kong

A typical park on Hennessy Road in Hong Kong Island.

A view of Hong Kong from Victoria Peak.  Kowloon is in the distance and Hong Kong Island is in the foreground.  Victoria Harbor is the body of water separating the two.

Chinese lanterns dangle above the Sik Sik Yuen Temple in Kowloon, Hong Kong.

A view of Hong Kong Island from the iconic Victoria Harbor ferry.

The Tian Tian Buddha sits above the tourism area below on Lantau Island, Hong Kong.

Lantau Island is a gorgeous mountainous place that also holds the Tian Tian Buddha (on the right) and the airport.

The city is loosely translated in Cantonese as “fragrant harbor,” but it is commonly referred to all foreigners as Hong Kong.  However, Hong Kong is not just a city but a deepwater harbor consisting of over 200 islands, 426 square miles of land, and vast areas of open space ripe for hiking.  Furthermore, Hong Kong is not just a city in China but officially known as the Special Administrative Region (SAR) of Hong Kong.  This classification gives the Hong Kong SAR complete autonomy in all governance aspects except foreign affairs and defense.  Hong Kong citizens have a Hong Kong passport, not a Chinese passport.  The Hong Kong SAR has borders, visa regulations, and a currency.  Example: American citizens can obtain a 30 day visa upon arrival, but are required to obtain a visa prior to entrance to mainland China.

This special jurisdictional classification has given Hong Kong a unique free market fast moving a-la-Manhattan feel while infusing Chinese culture.  The food and local language are all entirely Cantonese, yet all signs are in English along with most citizens having a high level of fluency.  You’ll feel a banking center with people walking and filling the sidewalks on all streets, yet if you are savvy enough you can figure out how to walk around Hong Kong using sky walks and underground tunnels (especially in Hong Kong Island).  There are markets serving local food next to gorgeous malls like the IFC where every high end western store is available and connected to a Four Seasons Hotel. 

Lantau Island is the largest and farthest island from the mainland but one of the most important.  The new high end airport is located there along with Disneyland Hong Kong and the highly popular Tian Tian Buddha.  Hong Kong Island is the most famous section and well known part of Hong Kong due to its famous skyline.  Victoria’s Peak, the new amazing Hong Kong Convention Center, and the International Finance Center are all on the iconic island.  Separating Hong Kong Island from the peninsula is Victoria Harbor and the ferries giving amazing views of the city.  The most famous area of the peninsula is the southern section of Kowloon.  Hosting a night market, temples, and a main commerce section, this area is lively at all times. 

The city can be explored in a few days, but you can add a day or two to take the hour long ferry to Macau.  Public transportation is fantastic but very crowded, yet is catered to foreigners for ease of access.  You’ll benefit from great food, lively atmosphere, and great weather in winter.

The Korean DMZ

The Freedom Bridge.  POWs and South Korean prisoners would walk across this bridge to South Korea once realeased by North Korean authorities. 

Observation Point is where you can see Propoganda Village, Kaesong (a North-South industrial complex agreement), the tallest flag pole in the world (North Korean), and a long section of the DMZ. 

The Dorasan train station was the last stop in South Korea on the formerly used North-South railroad line.  Since North Korea has terminated trains from entering, this station is now just a glorified bathroom.  I'm standing next to a South Korean DMZ soldier.

A soldier stands guard inside the meeting room in Panmunjeom.  The North/South border goes directly through the middle of this building and has been the center for many North/South talks in the past.  Photo courtesy of theworld.org.

An excellent map of the current North/South border and DMZ.  Photo courtesy of jcs-group.com.

A diagram of the Joint Security Area in the DMZ.  The area below the blue buildings is the South Korean side, and buildings above are part of the North Korean side of the JSA.  The blue buildings in the middle are the meeting rooms (see the photo above).  This is the only section of the DMZ where firearms are not allowed and where the famous tree cutting incident of 1976 that resulted in the death of two American officers.  Photo courtesy of johngonglewski.com.

The Korean War had come to a general standstill when an armistice agreement signed on July 27, 1953 created a 240 kilometer long military buffer to be known as the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ).  The agreement required both countries to move their infrastructure and weaponry two kilometers from the border, thereby creating a four kilometer swath of untouched land.  Only a couple notable exceptions to this rule are in effect: a tightly controlled farming village and the peace village famously known as Panmunjom. 

The village of Panmunjom sits inside the DMZ and is split between both countries.  This area is commonly referred to as the Joint Security Area, a special area where North and South Korean troops patrol without any firearms.  Important North/South talks and diplomatic developments have occurred in the famous meeting room that literally sits in the middle of both countries.  Famous incidents have taken place inside the JSA, most notably the August 18, 1976 Axe Murder incident in which two American officers were axed to death while trying to remove a tree inside the JSA. 

The DMZ is still subject to high tension with skirmishes taking place along the border in addition to areas being heavily mined.  During our tour we were not allowed to walk around in many areas that were cordoned off with the explicit message that mines were still present.  Furthermore, South Korea has discovered four major tunnels the North Koreans have dug in the past sixty years.  While small, these tunnels were designed to make a surprise attack on Seoul.  There are rumors of possibly twenty tunnels in total in the DMZ (all by North Korea), and the South Korean government has placed several different types of technology in the area in hopes of finding all possible security leaks. 

Due to the lack of development in this swath of tension, an unlikely benefit has arisen from what Bill Clinton called, “The scariest place on earth.”  No human encroachment has resulted in a nature haven from birds to leopards.  One desire for environmentalists is to someday establish the DMZ as an environmental sanctuary. 

DMZ tours are in high demand and can be easily accessed via Seoul.  Visitors get to see the Freedom Bridge, Panmunjom, an observation post, and a walk through the one of the tunnels discovered by the South Koreans (Tunnel No. 3). 

Sumo wrestling

The sumo wrestler (also known as the rikishi) has a handler to carry all his things and walks behind him at all times.

The match begins at any point, but just because they line up to wrestle doesn't mean it will immediately happen.

A ring entering ceremony (dohyo-iri) signals the beginning of the sumo matches for the day.

The sword ceremony takes place during the dohyo-iri, and is usually conducted by the best sumo wrestler in the tournament.

The judge (gyoji) wears a black hat similar the the Shinto priest's hats.  This role has a hierarchy usually delineated by their footwear.  Low level gyojis are bare foot while the highest gyojis will wear socks or straw sandals.

Sumo wrestlers stomp to rid the evil of the sumo ring.  

The raising of the arms and placing the palms upwards is a gesture showing the gods that the wrestlers are not carrying any weapons.

Throwing a wrestler out of the ring is one of the many ways to win a match.

The roof of the ring is intended to look like a Shinto shrine, and the four tassels represent the four seasons of the year.  

Usually the wrestlers will conduct the rituals prior to a match in tandem.  Throwing the salt, washing the face, and stomping the ground are almost always done together at the same time.  

Matches can last over a minute or sometimes just a couple seconds.  This one was locked up and even for a while and went on for about 30 seconds.  

Nearly 1500 years ago the ancient art of sumo was founded for ceremonies promoting peace and bountiful harvests.  These matches were manifested into plays and rituals thus making them part of the ancient Shinto religion of Japan.  Once the Imperial Court in the 8^th century brought in sumo for an annual festival, the sport would become an institution in Japanese culture up to modern times.

Sumo matches are two week events where each wrestler will have one match per day for fifteen days straight.  This round robin style tournament gives the tournament cup (AKA Emperor’s Cup) to the wrestler with the best overall record.  Tournaments are held six times per year with a champion declared at the end of each tournament (Osaka, Nagoya, Fukuoka, and three in Tokyo).

              During a typical match day there are several different ceremonies taking place.  Matches begin around 8:30 in the morning with the lowest class of wrestlers beginning first.  The top level wrestlers introduce themselves around 2:30 in a ring entering ceremony followed by a sword bearing ceremony conducted generally by the best sumo wrestler (yokozuna).  Once the ceremonies are completed, the matches start with two wrestlers entering the ring and conducting a “cold warfare” ceremony of their own prior to actually wrestling.   This cold warfare can be sprinkling the ring with salt, stomping the ground, wiping the face, raising the hands in the air, or simply walking away.  Rules now indicate that a match has to commence within four minutes of entering the ring, but prior rules stated there was no such time limit.  While cold warfare can take minutes (where Japanese state that the tension to the match builds enormously), the match is over usually in a matter of seconds.  A bow dance is performed after all the matches are completed, and the day’s festivities are over around 6:30 at night.

How does one win a match?  Several ways: throwing the opponent out of the ring, having your opponent step out of the ring, touching the ground with anything than his feet, or your opponent having unsportsmanlike conduct (eye-gouging, punching, touching the band wrapped around the wrestler).  There are no weight limits so variances in size are common in matches.  What you lack in size you must make up for in speed and skill, and during my day in Fukuoka I witnessed several undersized men win for the day.

This is a great activity if you are in Japan during a sumo match.  Tickets generally run $40 - $200 and are good for the entire day.  You’ll witness a sporting event that felt more like a religious ceremony and a piece of Japanese culture that is still near and dear to the people.

Kyoto and Nara's temples and shrines

A purification pool (similar to a holy water station at the entrance to a church) sits in front of the  Nishi Hongan-ji temple.  People pour water on their hands (and sometimes face) in an act of purification before entering the temple.

The interior of the Nishi Hongan-ji temple.  Ornamental and quiet, this large open room is where the Japanese pray.

Two of the gargoyle style figures on top of the Daitoku-ji temple in northwest Kyoto.

Chion-in temple as seen by night.  The steps and lane leading up to the temple make this one of the most beautiful sites in Japan.

Standing at Isui-en garden in Nara.  Near the great buddha, this garden is one of the most beautiful in all of Japan.

Todai-ji, the largest wooden building in the world.  This temple is the centerpiece to Nara's collection of temples.

The 49 foot high Great Buddha (Daibutsu) sitting at the entrance to Todai-ji.

Two of the many beautiful buildings that is the Kiyomizu-dera temple in southern Kyoto.

The main building of Kiyomizu-dera and home to the Hosso school of Buddhism.  

A gorgeous veranda lined entrance to the Ginkaku-ji temple in eastern Kyoto.

This main torii (Japanese religious gate) signifies the entrance to the Fushimi-Inari Taisha shrine in  Kyoto.

Fushimi-Inari Taisha is famed for the thousands of toriis that line the grounds of the shrine.

Inside one of the many torii-lined pathways of the Fushimi-Inari Taisha shrine.

One of the iconic images of Japan, Kinkaku-ji (AKA the Golden Pavilion) attracts tourists by the thousands.

These wooden structures are impressive in their massive scale.  This temple in Higashi Hongan-ji is central Kyoto is proof enough.  

        

               Japan’s temples and shrines are a call to a cultural past and current context of Japanese.  Straddled in between tall buildings and throngs of people going every which way possible, these wooden masterpieces conjure us to remind ourselves that while we are in a first world nation we are not in the Western hemisphere.  Kyoto is the center of these temples and shrines, and continues to be a major cultural center and tourism spot (50 million tourists per year).  Combining the nearby city of Nara, you will get a full glimpse of the best temples and shrines that Japan has to offer.

                Kyoto, not Tokyo, has been the historic capital of Japan for the past twelve hundred years.  Prior to Kyoto, Nara was the capital at the time Japan first became a nation-state near 710 AD.  For underdetermined reasons (flu outbreak, logistics, protection from potential enemies), the Emperor’s palace and imperial family moved to Kyoto and would remain there until the mid-19^th century.  It was during this time that the iconic buildings we flock to see were built in this beautiful town.

                You could easily take four days just to see the main sites that Kyoto and Nara have to offer.  UNESCO has declared an astonishing amount of protected sites in this region.  The temples and shrines are scattered throughout the Kyoto, so jumping from temple to temple takes time.  Nara is an easy 40 minute train ride from Kyoto and can be walked in a few hours.  Some of the more adventurous rent bicycles for $12 per day and brave the traffic to see more temples in a shorter period of time.  Many of the temples are accessible via the Japanese Railway and subway system, but a few (Kinkaku-ji) are off the beaten track.  (Terminology note: shrines are religious buildings of the Shinto religion and temples are religious buildings of the Buddhist religion)  These buildings have major significance since 84% of Japanese practice Shinto and 71% practice Buddhism (compared to only 2% of Japanese being Christian). 

                I visited Kyoto and Nara during the fall time which gives the opportunity to see the leaves change color and avoid the blistering summer heat.  I’d advise the spring time (beginning of April) when Japan’s famous cherry blossoms are in full swing and temperatures are still pleasant.  Make sure to book well in advance as Kyoto is always full and can be difficult to find vacant rooms.

Auschwitz - Birkenau

"Work Makes You Free."  The famous entrance to concentration camps across Nazi Germany.

The fence and boundaries of the concentration camp Auschwitz.

A collection of appendages, crutches, and other extremities the Nazis collected upon the Jews entrance to Auschwitz.

A collection of adult shoes the Nazis took upon the Jews arrival at Auschwitz.  These shoes were found in building "Canada," which only survive due to the Nazis non-destruction of the building in their haste to escape the Soviets.

A typical street/row in Auschwitz.

The famous human ovens that burned the bodies of the deceased in Auschwitz.

The original railroad that led to the entrance of Birkenau.  Millions of prisoners would enter on this track and go immediately to the gas chambers.  These chambers are located approximately 100 feet to the right of where I'm standing to take this photo. 

A typical box cart that transported the prisoners to the various concentration, death, and work camps.  A familiar site at Auschwitz - Birkenau is the pilgrimage of Israeli Jews to remember the past.

The destroyed remains of the main gas chambers and human ovens at Birkenau.  Millions died on this site alone.  The retreating Nazis destroyed much of Birkenau to hide their crimes.  Further destruction was due to the Polish trying to reclaim this land once the war was over. 

               When it comes to the World War II Holocaust, there is no place that conjures the images and events more than Auschwitz.  This eternal image of genocide is one of the most visited places in Europe for good reason: the camp is in perfect condition and has some of the best Holocaust displays in the world. 

                Arrival into the concentration camp is through the ever reminding “Work Makes You Free” sign that hangs above the front gate.  From there you wind through former buildings housing prisoners.  The buildings now house displays from the history of the Holocaust, the main players, everyday life, and some of the greatest tragedies occurred at the camp.  However, the best displays are from the articles found inside the Canada building on site.  Fleeing Nazis didn’t have enough time to take and/or burn all articles and evidence left behind, and in their haste kept the Canada building perfectly in-tact.  Inside the liberating Soviets found collections of everything the prisoners brought with them to the camps: hairbrushes, shoes, artificial limbs, and a room full of human hair complete with a section showing sheets and cloth made with human hair.  The finale brings people to the gas chambers and ovens used for bad, conspiratorial, or useless prisoners.

                A second optional half of the tour takes visitors to the destroyed site of Birkenau.  Located only three kilometers away from Auschwitz, Birkenau (or sometimes referred to as “Auschwitz II”) is probably ten times the size of Auschwitz and doubled in use as a death camp.  Prisoners from Italy to Greece to the Baltics were sent to Birkenau and immediately upon arrival were killed in gas chambers, then sent to ovens for cremation.  While much of the camp was destroyed by fleeing Germans and Polish trying to retake their former village areas, the area still is an excellent example of tortuous conditions and mass extermination. 

                While there are disputed figures to the death toll of Auschwitz (some claiming as much as 4 million total), there is a general agreement amongst experts now that 1.3 million people died during the six years at Auschwitz.  Most of these deaths were determined according to the wishes of Dr. Mengele (AKA “Dr. Death”).

                The memorials are open to the public year round, where you are required to take a guided tour of the camps.  The tour lasts three hours, and there is a strong possibility that you will encounter Israeli Jews on a pilgrimage to a site synonymous with the extermination of their people.  Personally, I think this is the best, most organized example of the horrors we can do to each other on earth. 

Chernobyl

The ominous sign as you enter the exclusion zone to Chernobyl.

A sign appears for every village that was permanently abandoned due to the catastrophe.

The abandoned interior of a kindergarden.

Standing in front of the four original reactors.  Reactor 1 is the black and white lines on the right, Reactor 2 is the black and white lines in the middle of the picture, Reactor 3 is directly above my head, and Reactor 4 (the exploded reactor) is directly adjacent to the left of Reactor 3.

The effects of abandoned building and the reason why we can't enter them.  Experts predict that this will start to become a common site in the next 20 years.

A before and after of a popular street prior to the disaster.

A before and after constrast showing a popular auditorium/event center near the power plant.

The famous merry-go-round (supposedly never used) contrasting the hope and happiness with today's emptiness.

The classic bumper cars left as they were.  Assuming they would return in a few days, the residents saw no reason in storing or winterizing anything.

A Geiger counter measuring the amount of radiation on the cement.  At 61.17 millicurie, this exposure level would be harmful over a long period of time. 

                 April 26, 1986 is a definitive day in the history of the world.  During a safety check of reactor 4, there became a sudden power surge that began the nuclear explosion which would precipitate the beginning of the end for the Chernobyl plant.   The explosion constituted a fire that would take two weeks to put out, radioactive smoke into the air that would spread over Europe and Asia, and graphite rods exposed to the atmosphere. 

                Initially after the explosion, fifteen firefighters were sent to put out the fire inside and on top of the reactor.  All of the firefighters would die within two weeks due to high levels of radioactive exposure.  Robots were then sent in to grab the exposed graphite and bury it in order to prevent highly radioactive exposure.  Due to the radioactivity in the graphite, these robots stopped working within two days of operation. 

                Next was the beginning of an evacuation that would ultimately compromise 350,000 people from over 40 villages in modern day Ukraine and Belarus.  These residents were initially told that they would only leave for three days and return, but none would ever come back to their homes.  This evacuation began an exclusion zone that is in effect to this day.  In order to get within 30 kilometers of the reactor, you must pass Ukrainian check points and have prior approval.

Chernobyl (at the time in the USSR, but in modern day Ukraine and a two hour drive north of Kiev) initially didn’t disclose the explosion due to fear of raising nuclear fear wars and embarrassment.  However, the USSR did finally confirm the explosion after scientists in Sweden noticed abnormal levels of radiation in Scandinavia and confronted the USSR about possible nuclear issues. 

                A sarcophagus would be constructed around rector 4 in order to limit the radioactive exposure to the environment.  The current sarcophagus has had structural failures, but a new, permanent sarcophagus is being constructed nearby and will be moved on rail tracks into place to protect the reactor.  This permanent solution should be completed by 2015. 

                Prior to the explosion, two more reactors were being constructed (bringing the total amount of reactors to six) which would have made Chernobyl the largest energy producer in Europe.  After the explosion, the three other reactors continued to produce power until reactor 3 (the reactor adjacent to the exploded reactor) was finally shut down in 2000.  There are no permanent residents in the exclusion zone.  Farming and raising of animals is not permitted in the area, and people are checked for radioactive exposure upon leaving the exclusion zone.  The area remains a serious issue to this date and will be a permanent issue for Ukraine.

                You can visit Chernobyl on a full day guided tour originating in Kiev.  The tour costs between $120 - $180 including lunch and transportation.  I visited in early October to witness one of the only two major nuclear reactor explosions ever to happen (the other in Japan in 2011 due to the tsunami) and highly recommend this tour to anyone who wants to see what the world would be like 25 years from now if we all died today.