Photo of the Week: Fountain

IMG_4087Versailles, France

The magnificent Palace of Versailles was built in the mid-17th century during the reign of Louis XIV at the height of the French monarchy. The enormous palace complex has manicured lawns, intricate sculptures, and ornate fountains located throughout the property. The centerpiece of the garden is the elaborate Latona fountain, which inspired Ovid’s Metamorphoses.

Every week, I’ll share a photo with you from my adventures around the world and at home.  Most of my photos have little or no post processing.  If you would like to see more, please click the Follow button.

First Class to Hong Kong

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Every once in a while you just have to treat your self! And what’s a better way to do that then fly first class to Asia on Cathay Pacific. This article will go through the step-by-step process of how we redeemed our miles for first class tickets.  It’ll also provide in depth review of our experience flying in the premium cabin.

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Photo of the Week: Railroad

IMG_4490New York City, USA

This photo was taken at the train station on 125th street in Harlem.  A lot of commuter trains from Connecticut pass through this hub on their way into the city.  The lines of the railroad tracks are very beautiful to me.  I love sitting here watching the trains zoom off until they are a tiny dot in the distance.

Every week, I’ll share a photo with you from my adventures around the world and at home.  Most of my photos have little or no post processing.  If you would like to see more, please click the Follow button.

Photo of the Week: Descending Dragon

IMG_3385Ha Long Bay, Viet Nam

This picture really captured the scene for me with a mystical quality that makes the seascape looks like a watercolor painting.  Designated a World Heritage site, Ha Long Bay archipelago is made up of around 2,000 islands of various sizes.  It is well known for its towering limestone pillars rising out of the emerald water as seen above. Arguably, one of Vietnam’s most famous and stunning locales, it attracts many visitors each year.  For two days, we cruised around the bay, appreciating my country’s natural beauty.

Every week, I’ll share a photo with you from my adventures around the world and at home.  Most of my photos have little or no post processing.  If you would like to see more, please click the Follow button.

10 Things to do in Rio

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Rio de Janeiro is one of the largest cities in South America, known for many things:  its world famous beaches, magnificent natural landscapes, and its iconic landmarks. This sprawling metropolis has everything you’ll need for a good time.  Naturally, we were excited and looked forward to our first trip to Brazil.  We booked months in advance and planned out all the places we wanted to see.  Unfortunately all of that planning did not ensure a drama-free trip as we found out that our flight was canceled two hours before take-off and rescheduled to the next day – our already short trip became even shorter.  When we finally made it there, we were greeted with crappy weather.  Ironically, it rained every single day that we were there during the hottest and driest year in the country’s recent history.  Even with all the problems, we still had a great time.  Here are a few things that we did and a few things that we didn’t get to do due to weather:

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Photo of the Week: Snow

IMG_4134New York City, USA

This picture was taken last year after one of the many snow storms in the New York area.  The ground was blanketed by a fresh layer of soft white powder making everything shiny and bright again.  The busy promenade at Bryant Park was uncharacteristically quiet.  This year, however,  the weather has been pretty mild.  It’s already the end of February, and there haven’t been too many cold days which makes me optimistic that spring will come earlier.  

Every week, I’ll share a photo with you from my adventures around the world and at home.  Most of my photos have little or no post processing.  If you would like to see more, please click the Follow button.

Photo of the Week: Chedi

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Ayutthaya, Thailand

Ayutthaya, located about 80 km north of Bangkok used to be a bustling Siamese capital.  After it was attacked and destroyed by the Burmese in the 18th century, it was never rebuilt.  Nowadays, the sleepy market town stands as an archeological site with many ruined temples and palaces that give visitors an idea of its past splendor.

Walking around the courtyards, we encountered many headless figures of Buddha adorned in orange silk, sitting serenely under the shade.  The heads were lopped off by looters after the city was destroyed and left defenseless and sold to private collectors.  At Wat Phra Si Sanphet remain the three grand chedis that are believed to contain the relics and ashes of Ayutthaya’s greatest rulers. This photo was taken at the top of the steps of one of the temples.

Every week, I’ll share a photo with you from my adventures around the world and at home.  Most of my photos have little or no post processing.  If you would like to see more, please click the Follow button.

Rio de Janeiro: Street Arts

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In Rio de Janeiro, street art can be found everywhere from the walls of the favelas to buildings in upper class neighborhoods. The graffiti and artwork are both bold and diverse. The ever-evolving Brazilian street art scene was further fostered by a law that was passed in 2009 that decriminalized graffiti.  Like many other cities around world, street art in Brazil is completely legal if done with the consent of the owner. Continue reading