Tuesday, June 4, 2019

Highlights of 2019 Spring Adventure

Highlights of 2019 Spring Adventure

Six Countries (Mexico, China, South Korea, Japan, Russia, Philippines), four flights, three cruise ships, two rental cars, one overnight train, lots of metros, buses, taxis, trains, ferries, and ubers  in one hundred and five days.

Transportation....
                                                                     













         Public Bus...Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

                                                     City Bike Rental, Shanghai, China
                                                       Rain resistant bike, Shanghai, China
                                                                 

                                                            Trike, Shanghai, China
                                                                  Tram in Nagasaki , Japan

                                                      Maglev, Shanghai, China

                                                 Under River Tram, Shanghai, China
River Cruise, Shanghai, China
                                                            Ferry boat, Zhouzhuang, China
Historical Duck Fishing boats, Zhouzhuang, China
 Canal Boat Ride, Zhouzhuang, China
                                                       Ferry Boat, Kagoshima, Japan
Danubi Train, Busan, South Korea

Public Bus, Keelung, Taiwan
WWII Jeeps, Manila, Philippines

Horse and Cart, Manila, Philippines

                                                               
Cable Car, Shimizu, Japan

                                                           Train, Vladivostok, Russia
                                                           Ferry, Hakone National Park, Japan

Best Bike Ride...
Xian, China
Most Populated Cities....
                                                            Tokyo, Japan (13.5 million)


                                                               Shanghai, China   (23 million)

Beijing, China (21 million)

Best walks....
Li River, China

The Bund, Shanghai, China

Pudong, China

Old Town, Shanghai, China

Forbidden City, Beijing, China




 
Best Beaches...
                                                           Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

                                                         Los Cabos San Lucas, Mexico
Carmel Beach, California, USA

Rosarito Beach, Mexico


Most Unusual Food...
                                                           Starfish, Qingdao, China
                                                                    Barbecued Beetles

Historic Sites....
                                          Our Lady of Guadalupe,  Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

Manila Metropolitan Cathedral, Manila, Philippines

San Augustin Church, Manila, Philippines


                                                   Zhouzhuang Watertown, China

                                               Peace Park and Museum, Nagasaki, Japan

                                   Restored Government Compound, Jeju City, South Korea

DMZ, South Korea

Shurijo Castle, Okinawa, Japan

The Great Wall, China

Forbidden City, Beijing, China

Gyeongbokgung Palace, Seoul, South Korea


Tiger and Dragon Pagoda
Kao-hsiuing, Taiwan


Imperial Palace, Tokyo, Japan

Kodemmacho, Tokyo Station, Japan
Osaka Castle, Osaka, Japan

Kocchi Castle, Kochi, Japan
Shirakawago, Japan
Gortokaku Fort, Hakodate, Japan

Hirosaki Castle, Hirosaki, Japan

Most Unique Passenger... 



US Route 1, California, USA


                               

Most unwanted experience...
Squat potty

Largest Stones in Walls....

Osaka, Japan

                                                                     Tokyo, Japan



Nature at its Best....

Teakettle Rock, Busan, South Korea
               

                                                Black Dragon Rock, Jeju City, South Korea
Smoking Volcano, Mount Sakurajima, Kagoshima, Japan

Most Scenic Lighthouses....
Yeongdo Light House, Busan, South Korea

Cape Chikyu, Muroran, Japan 

Favorite Creek....
Big Sur, California, USA


Most Unusual Restaurant...
Haulien, Taiwan




Most Scenic Spots...
Keelung, Taiwan



Li River, China

    Mt Fuji, Shimizu, Japan       

Shirakawago, Japan

Hakone National Park, Japan

Icy Strait Point, Alaska, USA



US Route 1, California, USA

17 Mile Drive, US Route 1, California, USA
Winery Valley, Ensenada, Mexico




City Signs of the time....
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Seoul, South Korea

Rosarito, Mexico


Statues.....
                                                          Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
                                                          Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

                                                               Jeju City, South Korea

                                                           Mount Sakurajima,  Japan

Okinawa, Japan

Beijing, China

 Terracotta Warriors, Xian, China

Soul, South Korea

Shigeu Mizuki bronze statues, Sakiminato, Japan
Icy Strait Point, Alaska, USA

Ketchikan, Alaska, USA

Winery Valley, Ensenada, Mexico


Best Shopping...
                                                              Tanggu, China

Kochi, Japan

                                                                     Otaru, Japan

   

Local Delicacies.....

                                           Gathering tiny shell creatures, Qingdao, China

VW Van Sightings...

                                                             Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

                                                          Los Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Hualien, Taiwan

17 Mile Drive, Carmel, California, USA


Best Museums...
National Museum Beijing, China
Natural History Museum, Shanghai, China

Car and Army Museum, Vladivostok, Russia

Salmon Cannery Museum, Icy Strait Point, Alaska, USA


Remarkable Temples, Shrines, Churches....

Kao-hsiuing, Taiwan

Keelung, Taiwan

Temple of Heaven, Beijing, China

Yokohama, Japan

Golden Palace, Kyoto, Japan

Ryoan ji Temple, Kyoto, Japan

Kunozan Toshogu Shrine, Shimizu, Japan 

Fujisan Hongu Sengen Taisha Shrine, Shimizu, Japan
Shitennoji Temple, Osaka, Japan

Vladivostok, Russia

Kodiak, Alaska


Most Graffiti... 

Vladivostok, Russia

Best Sunrise.....
Keelung, Taiwan

Muroran, Japan

 Best Sunsets....

                                                         Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

Hakodate, Japan

Icy Strait Point, Alaska, USA
Rosarito, Mexico

Best Evening Cityscape...
Kobe, Japan

                                                                 Yokohama, Japan


Most Polluted Air...
Qingdao, China

                                                                       Tangu, China
Kao-hsiuing, Taiwan


Most Scenic Drives....
Kodiak, Alaska

Kanazawa, Japan


US Route 1, California, USA


Fascinating instruments....

Beijing, China

Beijing, China



Beijing, China

Beijing, China

Best overnight train roommates...
Beijing to Xian, China




Rainiest Day....

Fukuoka, Japan

Kushiro, Japan
                    
Cruise Ships....




Best Marinas...

Los Cabos San Luas, Mexico
                                                                   Kodiak, Alaska
Ketchikan, Alaska, USA


Best Street Markets...

Qingdao, China
                                                                Jeju City, South Korea
Incheon, South Korea

Hualien, Taiwan
Fish Market, Hakodate, Japan



Best sea tour...
                                                       Los Cabos San Lucas, Mexico
Most Scenic Creek...

Ketchikan, Alaska, USA

Best Street Corner Stop...

                                                                  Kao-hsiuing. Taiwan

Animals spotted...

                                                          Pelicans, Los Cabos San Lucas
                                                   Seals, Los Cabos San Lucas, Mexico

Totoro, Tanggu, China

Hen on a leash, Manila, Philippines


Turtles, Kao-Hsiuing, Taiwan

Carp, Kochi, Japan

Squirrels, 17 Mile Drive, California, USA


Elephant Seals, San Simeon, California, USA

Seals, La Jolla, California, USA


Amazing Bridges....
                                                           Zhouzhuang, China

Jeju City, South Korea

Sakaiminato, Japan

Busan, South Korea

Harimaya Bridge, Kochi, Japan

Shirakawago, Japan

Golden Bridge, Vladivostok, Russia

Hirosaki Garden Bridge, Hirosaki, Japan 
US Route 1, California, USA


                                                 
Coldest  Seaside Walk...
                                                                Qingdao, China
Highest Cityscape.....
Pudong, Shanghai, China

Best Foodie Experience...

                                                             Kobe Beef,  Kobe, Japan


Favorite City....


New Friends...

                                                   Larry and Mike in Shanghai, China

Sam, Willie, Larry, Ahmed       
                                                                       Nagasaki, Japan
                                                            Jeju City, South Korea
      
Farida, Ahmed

Irene

Xian, China
Sam and Suzanne, Li River, China

Mark and Julie, Sakaiminato, Japan



Unique Cultural Experience....
Wedding, Jeju City, South Korea

Gyeongbokgung Palace Period Costumes, Seoul, South Korea

Gisha Dance, Kushiro, Japan

Japanese Tea House, Yokohama, Japan


Favorite Restaurant...
La Fonda, Mexico

Hot Pot, Shanghai, China


Best Chinatowns....
Kobe, Japan

Yokohama, Japan


Oldest Fountain.....
Kanazawa, Japan


Best Gardens....

Gucheng Park, Shanghai, China

                                                      Yu Gardens, Shanghai, China

                                                   Sengan-en Garden, Kagoshima, Japan

                                                         Rock Garden, Kyoto, Japan
Imperial Gardens, Tokyo, Japan

Osaka Castle Gardens, Osaka, Japan

Kenrakuen Garden, Kanazawa, Japan

Gorgeous Waterfalls....

                                                    Yushien Garden, Sakaiminato, Japan

Kenrakuen Garden, Kanazawa, Japan

                                                                            Kodiak, Alaska


Icy Strait Point, Alaska, USA

Most Unusual Structure...

Castillo Del Diablo, La Fonda, Mexico

            Best Trees...

French Concession, Shanghai, China

Kyoto, Japan

Bamboo Forest, Shimizu, Japan

Hakodate, Japan

Hirosaki, Japan


Best night life...

Shanghai, China

Best Campfire.....
Icy Strait Point, Alaska, USA


Best Spring Flowers
Shanghai, China
Okinawa, Japan
                                                         Lotus Lake, Kao-hsiuing, Taiwan

Osaka, Japan

Kochi, Japan

                                             250 kinds of Peonies, Sakaiminato, Japan

                                                                   Shirakawago, Japan

Ketchikan, Alaska, USA

Route 1, California, USA
The Winery Route, Ensenada, Mexico

On this adventure, this sign says it all...
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico


Larry and I are following the advice of Clint Eastwood: "Keep your eyes on the horizon and your nose in the wind!"

Traveling: it leaves you speechless, but then it turns you into a storyteller.

Hope you have enjoyed our adventure.






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