DBT
Contributor
The moonscape of Coober Pedy. Old mine shafts eroded by wind action collapsing.
The town still has a working drive in theater.
The town still has a working drive in theater.
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Features
Travel pictures.
- Thread starter DBT
- Start date
DBT
Contributor
Coober Pedy, the town.
Underground accommodation.
Underground accommodation.
DBT
Contributor
Trundling through the Outback.
Hard on cars, it seems.
Hard on cars, it seems.
DBT
Contributor
A 200 kilometer scenic drive with a town at the end of it;
spikepipsqueak
My Brane Hertz
Heading across to home?
How long have you been on the road now? It seems like at least 3 months.
How long have you been on the road now? It seems like at least 3 months.
DBT
Contributor
Going on 10 months. Back to Cairns in a week, maybe settle some business, relax for a few months and take off again next February or March .
I was posting photos of Maine but was derailed when my dad died and I needed to get my mom into assisted living right away. Still getting her finances consolidated.
But for the moment I am on a business trip. Hong Kong to mainland China at Zhuhai and now Japan the rest of the week. Hopefully get some photos posted in a few days.
But for the moment I am on a business trip. Hong Kong to mainland China at Zhuhai and now Japan the rest of the week. Hopefully get some photos posted in a few days.
DBT
Contributor
A very Purple Pub.
Gulf country.
Brolgas.
Main street, outback Australia.
Gulf country.
Brolgas.
Main street, outback Australia.
WAB
Veteran Member
Damn, you've got some huuuuge jackrabbits down there!
DBT
Contributor
DBT
Contributor
Cars and Kangaroos don't go well together;
I recently got home from a business trip flying from Boston to Hong Kong and then across the bay to Zhiuhai Mainland China for a trade show and then back to the Hong Kong airport for the flight to Tokyo, Japan and finally home after 10 days.
Getting in and out of Hong Kong was smooth. The protests that had impacted the Hong Kong airport are no longer at the airport. I sympathize with the Hong Kong protesters but was glad that my travel wasn't disrupted.
The van ride from the Hong Kong airport to Zhuhai goes across a new bridge and below ground tunnel. The bridge and tunnel are so long that just that part of the ride takes about 30 minutes. Without a doubt it's the longest bridge/tunnel I have ever been on.
China is described by the US state department as a level 2 risk. Level 1 is the lowest. Chinese Immigration can give people a hard time but I didn't have any problems.
I checked into my hotel. A very new Sheraton hotel next to the channel between Zhuhai and Macau. Here is a photo inside the lobby of the hotel. Not shown in the photo is a large banner celebrating the 70th Anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. They are all over the place. I expect the display is mandatory.
It's a very impressive hotel I'd have to say. Here is a photo that I took close the the elevators on my floor looking at the hollow center of the hotel and the floors above and below. I'd have to expect that building such a curved structure must have cost a lot. I don't know how much my room cost. I was an invited speaker at the trade show and so the Chinese event organizer paid for my three night stay.
The Exposition Center is about a 5 minute walk from the hotel. Along the way there is a view of this sky scraper and adjacent building. A curved skyscraper looks impressive.
The building to the left I guess is part of the expo center. Very curvy on the outside but it appears that the inside floors are level. Strange in any case.
These fire escape masks were in a closet inside my room. It was a nice room. The bathroom had a separate room for the toilet and a separate room with ironing board facilities.
Here is a photo from the hotel looking across at the skyline of Macau. Tons of Chinese flags were all over the place. I don't know if the over abundance of flags is normal or there was a serious increase of flags for the 70th Anniversary. I think it's interesting that what appear to be barges are designed like the old Chinese junks. Lots larger and motorized. But still the same style.
The opening ceremony for the trade show had a dancing show. I don't know if it's a Chinese thing to have such an elaborate opening ceremony. The dancing lasted about 10 minutes. Because I was an invidted speaker, giving a market overview, I had a VIP seat in the first few rows.
At the close of the opening ceremony these special people dumped what looked like gold colored powder onto a white banner that I guess had sticky sections in the form off Chinese lettering. The lettering was revealed as the powder stuck to it. I've not yet attempted to google translate the words.
This is a wider view of the area outside of the expo center where the ceremony took place. The expo floor is on the left.
Here is a photo at night. That interesting twisted skyscraper changes color at night. Here it is in blue. My hotel is to the left and it's currently changing from white to red, or red to white.
I'll post a second series of photos and the colors of the building will have changed. The colors morph from one to another about every 10-15 seconds.
Getting in and out of Hong Kong was smooth. The protests that had impacted the Hong Kong airport are no longer at the airport. I sympathize with the Hong Kong protesters but was glad that my travel wasn't disrupted.
The van ride from the Hong Kong airport to Zhuhai goes across a new bridge and below ground tunnel. The bridge and tunnel are so long that just that part of the ride takes about 30 minutes. Without a doubt it's the longest bridge/tunnel I have ever been on.
China is described by the US state department as a level 2 risk. Level 1 is the lowest. Chinese Immigration can give people a hard time but I didn't have any problems.
I checked into my hotel. A very new Sheraton hotel next to the channel between Zhuhai and Macau. Here is a photo inside the lobby of the hotel. Not shown in the photo is a large banner celebrating the 70th Anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. They are all over the place. I expect the display is mandatory.
It's a very impressive hotel I'd have to say. Here is a photo that I took close the the elevators on my floor looking at the hollow center of the hotel and the floors above and below. I'd have to expect that building such a curved structure must have cost a lot. I don't know how much my room cost. I was an invited speaker at the trade show and so the Chinese event organizer paid for my three night stay.
The Exposition Center is about a 5 minute walk from the hotel. Along the way there is a view of this sky scraper and adjacent building. A curved skyscraper looks impressive.
The building to the left I guess is part of the expo center. Very curvy on the outside but it appears that the inside floors are level. Strange in any case.
These fire escape masks were in a closet inside my room. It was a nice room. The bathroom had a separate room for the toilet and a separate room with ironing board facilities.
Here is a photo from the hotel looking across at the skyline of Macau. Tons of Chinese flags were all over the place. I don't know if the over abundance of flags is normal or there was a serious increase of flags for the 70th Anniversary. I think it's interesting that what appear to be barges are designed like the old Chinese junks. Lots larger and motorized. But still the same style.
The opening ceremony for the trade show had a dancing show. I don't know if it's a Chinese thing to have such an elaborate opening ceremony. The dancing lasted about 10 minutes. Because I was an invidted speaker, giving a market overview, I had a VIP seat in the first few rows.
At the close of the opening ceremony these special people dumped what looked like gold colored powder onto a white banner that I guess had sticky sections in the form off Chinese lettering. The lettering was revealed as the powder stuck to it. I've not yet attempted to google translate the words.
This is a wider view of the area outside of the expo center where the ceremony took place. The expo floor is on the left.
Here is a photo at night. That interesting twisted skyscraper changes color at night. Here it is in blue. My hotel is to the left and it's currently changing from white to red, or red to white.
I'll post a second series of photos and the colors of the building will have changed. The colors morph from one to another about every 10-15 seconds.
Here is that same tower but now blue. And my hotel to the left is now red. Constantly changing colors in this showcase city.
I want out for a short walk outside the hotel the evening before my flight out. Here is my hotel now all blue.
Down at the walkway by the channel looking across at Macau. That rainbow colored tower was also constantly changing. Rainbow turning to all Red, then all green, all blue, all green and all white.
Looking to the left is the bridge across from Zhuhai to Macau. Macau, like Hong Kong, are "semi-autonomous" but China is slowly turning the screws. Everyone is familiar that Hong Kong was turned over to China by treaty from Britain in 1997. Macau was turned over to China by Portugal in 1999. In both cases one needs a passport and go though Customs and Immigration to cross from the mainland to either.
Next day I passed though Immigration from Zhuhai to Hong Kong and then immigration again to enter Hong Kong to the airport. It was my 4th trip to China and frankly I was glad to get my butt out the country. I am no fan of police states.
After a 4 and half hour flight and an hour bus ride from Tokyo's Narita airport to Tokyo, I arrived at my hotel. This display changes by the season. It's fall of course in Japan. It was good to be back in Japan. This is my 30th trip to Japan and unlike China, I feel completely safe. This hotel, the Shinagawa Prince, by Shuagawa Station, in the Shinagawa section of Tokyo, I've stayed in possibly 20 times now and it almost feels like home.
This is an olive and octopus pizza. Not bad actually.
The East Tower lobby where I usually stay.
The main entrance to the hotel and connecting way from the East tower to the Main Tower. I like the East Tower best.
The lobby of the Main tower.
While I've been to Tokyo 30 times I had never been there in October. Usually I've been there the first half of the year. I didn't know that Halloween was a thing in Japan. My Japanese folks told me that Halloween is mainly a commercial thing and has become big over the last 10 years. It's mainly for adults to go out and get drunk. Though kids so so trick or teat a bit.
On my 9th day away from home I headed to Narita airport. I took the train which is usually about a 55 minute ride. That day took almost 2 hours. People may recall that a major typhoon hit Tokyo about a week prior to my visit. Another storm hit the Tokyo area on my departure day. I am told that my 11:50 am train was the last train to reach the airport before all trains were halted due to flooding. The airport was shut down for departures and some arrivals for several hours. Ground transportation was almost at a standstill. My flight back to the US was delayed for 4 hours mainly because of issue with local ground transportation and connecting flights.
It appears that I'll be doing this trip again in October 2020. So long as I am invited to be a speaker at the show in China my company will want me to go, certainly if the show organizers pay my airfare and hotel again.
I want out for a short walk outside the hotel the evening before my flight out. Here is my hotel now all blue.
Down at the walkway by the channel looking across at Macau. That rainbow colored tower was also constantly changing. Rainbow turning to all Red, then all green, all blue, all green and all white.
Looking to the left is the bridge across from Zhuhai to Macau. Macau, like Hong Kong, are "semi-autonomous" but China is slowly turning the screws. Everyone is familiar that Hong Kong was turned over to China by treaty from Britain in 1997. Macau was turned over to China by Portugal in 1999. In both cases one needs a passport and go though Customs and Immigration to cross from the mainland to either.
Next day I passed though Immigration from Zhuhai to Hong Kong and then immigration again to enter Hong Kong to the airport. It was my 4th trip to China and frankly I was glad to get my butt out the country. I am no fan of police states.
After a 4 and half hour flight and an hour bus ride from Tokyo's Narita airport to Tokyo, I arrived at my hotel. This display changes by the season. It's fall of course in Japan. It was good to be back in Japan. This is my 30th trip to Japan and unlike China, I feel completely safe. This hotel, the Shinagawa Prince, by Shuagawa Station, in the Shinagawa section of Tokyo, I've stayed in possibly 20 times now and it almost feels like home.
This is an olive and octopus pizza. Not bad actually.
The East Tower lobby where I usually stay.
The main entrance to the hotel and connecting way from the East tower to the Main Tower. I like the East Tower best.
The lobby of the Main tower.
While I've been to Tokyo 30 times I had never been there in October. Usually I've been there the first half of the year. I didn't know that Halloween was a thing in Japan. My Japanese folks told me that Halloween is mainly a commercial thing and has become big over the last 10 years. It's mainly for adults to go out and get drunk. Though kids so so trick or teat a bit.
On my 9th day away from home I headed to Narita airport. I took the train which is usually about a 55 minute ride. That day took almost 2 hours. People may recall that a major typhoon hit Tokyo about a week prior to my visit. Another storm hit the Tokyo area on my departure day. I am told that my 11:50 am train was the last train to reach the airport before all trains were halted due to flooding. The airport was shut down for departures and some arrivals for several hours. Ground transportation was almost at a standstill. My flight back to the US was delayed for 4 hours mainly because of issue with local ground transportation and connecting flights.
It appears that I'll be doing this trip again in October 2020. So long as I am invited to be a speaker at the show in China my company will want me to go, certainly if the show organizers pay my airfare and hotel again.
DBT
Contributor
Macau's skyline has changed since I was there in '98. I don't even recognize it now.
gmbteach
Mrs Frizzle
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- On my journey :D
Damn, you've got some huuuuge jackrabbits down there!
!
Yeah, I hit one today. Jumped out of the bush and dented my passenger side door. It ripped his leg off, but still managed to hop lopsided into the bush. Couldn't leave it crippled so had to load the rifle and go hunting. Not good.
That side of driving in the outback isn’t fun, but necessary.
I know I got drunk in that Purple Pub! I can’t remember if it was there or Boulia that had the best Parmy
DBT
Contributor
Damn, you've got some huuuuge jackrabbits down there!
!
Yeah, I hit one today. Jumped out of the bush and dented my passenger side door. It ripped his leg off, but still managed to hop lopsided into the bush. Couldn't leave it crippled so had to load the rifle and go hunting. Not good.
That side of driving in the outback isn’t fun, but necessary.
I know I got drunk in that Purple Pub! I can’t remember if it was there or Boulia that had the best Parmy
They made a surprisingly good fish, chips and salad at the purple pub. The meals in Kuramba were just as good.
DBT
Contributor
The Tropics, rain forest tracks to walk and spectacular sunsets.
Worldtraveller
Veteran Member
The Bridge of the Americas, leaving the Panama Canal on the Caribbean side:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=18q3YwFQiJq2fwSErvYoKWT7JTPGFfva9
Waiting for our turn to go through the locks of the canal:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1jxtWv9mR7keEEcRXcoZiF_vQbi_diCAw
Entering the locks from the Pacific side:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1DWWupJRfG_jy6uE3FjAjKVH0tfvezaAl
https://drive.google.com/open?id=18q3YwFQiJq2fwSErvYoKWT7JTPGFfva9
Waiting for our turn to go through the locks of the canal:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1jxtWv9mR7keEEcRXcoZiF_vQbi_diCAw
Entering the locks from the Pacific side:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1DWWupJRfG_jy6uE3FjAjKVH0tfvezaAl
DBT
Contributor
DBT
Contributor
Storm.
Sign of the times;
Sign of the times;