Well, this is the end of my one year journey around the world. I can't possibly explain what an experience this was. Meeting the people, cultures, sights, beers, food, attractions, activities, mountains, dive spots, golf courses etc for which someone might need a...
Quiet little town with even more churches 🙂 - was nice and relaxing - especially as I decided not to stay in the hostel from the tour but in a nice hotel with banya (russian sauna) attached. Really relaxing!!!
Well, these are the last entries on my blog - and as the year is almost over and I'm about to go back to munich the last entries are a bit shorter 🙂 About Kazan: Nice little town, lot of churches, nice kremlin - FANTASTIC food. Might be a good idea to be back for the...
Now we are in Irkutsk or more precise in Listvyanka at lake baikal. Much more interesting than Ulan Ude. What a lake! Lake Baikal is the most voluminous freshwater lake in the world, containing roughly 20% of the world's unfrozen surface fresh water....
After another long wait at the border - we are now in Mother Russia!Not much to add to Ulan Ude. Not that much to see apart from a huge Lenin head - again failed to find a shisha 🙂
was really nice! And it didn't seem that there are too many tourists coming through and the camels are being used "normally" as well - and well taken care of.
Now 3 days/2 nights of to the country side. Sleeping in ger camps - traditional Mongolian tents which are still being used my the nomads today (still a lot of people, I think our honcho said 40%, live a nomadic live). Long drives to get there (for example it took us 8...
On the first evening in UB we also went to a show/performance with music (traditional Mongolian throat singing) dance and Contortionist ("Schlangenmensch"). Was really VERY interesting. With some of their music they could have a show on a heavy metal festival (even...
After a long train ride and hours of waiting at the border (8 hours?) we arrived in Mongolia/Ulaan Baatar.We walked around the city a bit - I was on the (unsuccessful) adventure to find a shisha - and we saw the big statue of Chinghis khaan.Even though we heard very...
On our way to Mongolia we had one day in Hohhot - Inner Mongolia (still china!). Not much to see in the town (a few pictures show mosques and more temples and a park… etc.) - nothing special - so we (the vodkatrain tour) went outside for the "famous" grasslands.Some...
Sightseeing in Beihing - the usual suspects: - Tian'anmen square- Forbidden City- Jingshan park- Yu'er Hutongs Especially Forbidden City: just too many people for my taste…. and another Beijing Duck at Quanjude Roast Duck Restaurant (apparently quite a famous one)
That has been the most impressive sight since a long time. Really impressive. And we went to the good part of the wall which is not crowded like the Octoberfest! (I have seen some pictures with so many chinese people on the wall that I thought it actually might...
Right after arriving I had a nice dinner with Joerg and a friend of him. Really cool and good again. Then we went for some drinks and I couldn't resist to have a "Franziskaner Weißbier" in Beijing (only one, the other beers where local again). The first impression of...
Miyeon showing me Korea. Thanks so much. The food was so good - I will never forget that Korean BBQ - delicious and a lot of food! Then a good night out with beers and soju and after a "hangover soup" the next day (yes, that's apparently the official name! it worked!)...
This morning before going to Busan I went to the Gangnam district. Don't know what the hype is all about - it's not my style….
After just having a beer and a Shisha the day I arrived (still hangover from Tokyo) today I went sightseeing in a quite efficient way: -Namchang Market- N Seoul Tower- Gyeongbokgung   Palace- Bukchon Umgebung- really nice food/lunch- Cheonggyechon river- Itaewon...
At the end of the tour for the Sumo ringers Reiko invited me/us (Brandon) to a "Sumo Pub" - which turns out to be the smallest pub I've ever seen - run by an Ex-Sumo. All her friends were there as well (all tour guides - so no communication problems) and all of them...
I never imagined that Sumo ringers train that hard. Absolutely stunning. Check the Video!This one guy was going so far beyond his limit - I really thought he will die just now! I have much more respect of that sport now - was a very good lesson! And so much good...
The trip from Gotemba to tokyo took a bit longer than planed (4 hours instead of 2 hours by bus) - as there was so much traffic (end of Obon). But once in Tokyo I had to rethink my "not much English here" experience. The hotel staff spoke very good English and was...
Japans highest Mountain. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Fuji What a nice hike. The view was nearly a bit like Chimborazo as there is no other mountain near with similar hight (nr. 35 of mountains sorted by prominence...
Based on recommendations from Miyeon I went to Nara to see some deer. Wow, there was a lot of deer! I really thought about "Hirschbraten" in one of my favorite Munich restaurants (Osterwaldgarten). Nice scene:It is amazing where this deer is laying around… "Hey! I...
Temples, Temples, Temples … was nice again - but seen enough temples now :)Has been a nice day (very hot again) - and the traditional clothes were interesting to see. But soooo many people … Apparently it was "Obon" where EVERYONE - has vacation and visits temples (or...
What a first impression: no queue at the immigration desk (Hello UK/US!!!!) and a beer vending machine while waiting for the speed train. Everything clean, modern - as expected. Had quite a nice hotel - even though the staff was not too friendly and only 1 out of 4...