Photo of the Week: Atlas

February 23, 2015May 10, 2015 / lifeafter9to5 / Leave a comment

Manhattan, New York

This past weekend a snow storm came and blanketed the city in a layer of white powder. I quickly changed into my cold weather gear, grabbed my camera, and headed out into the wintry city. I walked the length of midtown Manhattan, hoping to get a few winter scenery photos. As I trudged by Rockefeller center passing the oft-photographed art-deco statue of Atlas, I took this photo from the entrance of 30 Rock showing the vantage point from the back of the bronze sculpture looking across Fifth Avenue to St. Patrick’s Cathedral.

Every Monday of each 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: Glass House

February 16, 2015May 10, 2015 / lifeafter9to5 / 1 Comment

Madrid, Spain

This week, I am showcasing the beautiful crystal palace located in the center of Retiro Park taken on our trip to Madrid, Spain. This beautiful building is made entirely of glass, surrounded by a detailed iron framework. It was initially used as a greenhouse, but now functions as an art exhibition. When we were there, the space was empty and we just wandered around the open design while marveling at the blue sky shining through the latticed glass façade.

The front entrance of this beautiful palace leads to a small pond filled with floating trees with their willow-like leafs hanging low over the water that reminded me of the bayou. Weaving through the trees are a family of black swans that have made the lake their home. Altogether, it creates quite a picturesque image reminiscent of something straight out of a fairy tale.

Photo of the Week: Rays

February 9, 2015May 10, 2015 / lifeafter9to5 / Leave a comment

Sultanhani, Turkey

On our tour around Turkey, we stopped by the Sultanhani Caravanserai, one of the finest caravanserais of its kind. It was built by the sultans in the 1200s and has been preserved to this day. Prominently located on the main trade route through Turkey, it was an important stop for traders and travellers. Weary merchants of the Middle Ages would stop in to eat and rest before continuing on their journey from Asia to Europe.

Inside, there is a prominent courtyard surrounded by rooms. The caravanserais are built like fortresses, with walls constructed from volcanic rocks. The sturdy designs have kept them preserved for many centuries.

During our visit, we stopped here for lunch and got to explore the many rooms inside the caravanserai, most of which are empty now. In one of these unoccupied darken hallways, we saw these beautiful rays of light filtering through the small window openings at the top.

Photo of the Week: Pagoda

February 2, 2015May 10, 2015 / lifeafter9to5 / 2 Comments

Hanoi, Viet Nam

This picture was taken of Tran Quoc pagoda, located on a small island near the southeastern shore of Hanoi’s West Lake. This temple dates back to the sixth century, making it one of the oldest in the city. The main tower consists of eleven octagonal floors representing the various stages of of Buddha’s life. On the grounds of Tran Quoc, you’ll find a bodhi tree, supposedly grown from the cutting taken from the original tree where Buddha sat and achieved enlightenment.

Standing on the shore, you can see the pagoda clearly reflected on the surface of West Lake. Even though it’s in the middle of a noisy bustling city, there is a sense of calm and tranquility when you step onto the island. People speak in hushed tones in deference to the religious silence observed throughout the temple. Like many people over the years, we had gone there to pray and pay homage to Buddha when we visited Vietnam a few years ago.

Photo of the Week: Horseback

January 26, 2015May 10, 2015 / lifeafter9to5 / 2 Comments

Reykjavik, Iceland

A few years ago, there was an episode of the Bachelorette where they went to Iceland. A few months later, we saw a promotion for a self-guided tour around Iceland inspired by that episode that included horse back riding. Horseback riding is fun in theory, but when the temperature out is below zero, it can be uncomfortable to say the least.

We took advantage of the promotion and headed to Iceland for our honeymoon. We were there during the winter time when everything in Iceland is frozen and covered in frost. If we were smarter, we would have opted out to go sit in a lodge with a hot cocoa, but where’s the fun in that, right? Instead, we went out horseback riding in the freezing cold. We layered up, and if I remembered correctly I had on at least 5 layers of clothing. I looked like a giant orange marshmallow on a horse, here is a picture of me on horse back. Continue reading →

Photo of the Week: Grand Canyon

January 19, 2015May 10, 2015 / lifeafter9to5 / 1 Comment

Grand Canyon, Arizona, USA

The Grand Canyon is awe-inspiring in its vastness and has long been considered one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. On a clear day you can see sweeping views that stretch out for hundreds of miles in all directions.

The Grand Canyon has always been on my bucket list, so when we were in Vegas for a week in February, we decided to rent a car and drive to Arizona. What I didn’t know was that Arizona can get quite cold in the middle of winter. For some reason, I thought it would always be hot there. Shows how much I know.

Along the road, snow accumulated as we drove further up in elevation. We were not prepared and were not dressed properly for the colder temperatures. So in the end, we drove for 4 hours, ran out of the car for a quick look at the canyon and hurried back inside, away from the biting wind at the rim. We will have to return another time for a hike down to the bottom of the canyon.

Photo of the Week: Blooming

January 12, 2015May 10, 2015 / lifeafter9to5 / Leave a comment

Kauai, Hawaii, USA

I took this picture of a plumeria flower on my trip to Hawaii a few years ago. This is one of the most common flowers on the island, they bloom everywhere and are typically used to make leis. For me, this flower brings back a lot of memories. Growing up in tropical Viet Nam, I was quite familiar with the fragrant smell of the plumeria, and they say smells strongly associate with memories. When I get a whiff of this sweet smelling flower, it brings back memories of my childhood at my grandmother’s house and makes me feel quite nostalgic.

Photo of the Week: St. Peter’s

January 5, 2015May 10, 2015 / lifeafter9to5 / 1 Comment

Vatican City

We’re back! Happy New Year everyone. The first post of 2015 is a photo taken from our first trip together back in 2007 to Italy. Memories!

We made the pilgrimage to the Vatican and scaled the 551 steps of winding narrow stairs to get to the top of St Peter’s basilica. This is the sweeping panoramic view from the top of the dome overlooking the square and the rest of Rome in the distance. We fell in love with the ancient city and it helped ignite our love of traveling.

Photo of the Week: Bird’s-eye View

November 24, 2014May 10, 2015 / lifeafter9to5 / 1 Comment

London, England

Earlier this year, on our weekend trip to Dubai, we had a long layover in London and decided to venture out of the airport. We spent the day lounging in a pub and hitting up a few tourist sites. The one place that we absolutely had to visit was St. Paul’s Cathedral, one of the most historical and recognizable landmarks in London. St. Paul’s Cathedral is the seat of the Bishop of London, and is located in the heart of the city near the millennium bridge. Many important services have been held in the hallowed hall of this famous church including the wedding of Prince Charles and Princess Diana and the funeral of Sir Winston Churchill.

Coming off a red-eye flight and climbing up 528 steps to the Golden Gallery, the highest point of the outer dome, was quite challenging. The stairs were narrow and winding as you ascend to the top. Once you reach the pinnacle, the panoramic views of London are worth the effort and make you forget your fatigue. From our vantage point we could see down the River Thames, the London Eye, and Westminster Abbey in the distance.

Photo of the Week: Sand

November 17, 2014May 10, 2015 / lifeafter9to5 / Leave a comment

Mui Ne, Viet Nam

It’s hard to believe that this dessert is located next to the ocean in the tropical city of Mui Ne, Viet Nam. Mui Ne used to be a small fishing village but has blossomed into a full blown resort town full of upscale hotels. Just down the street from all the new fancy resorts are the photogenic Red Sand Dunes. The contrasting warm sand against the cold blue sky makes for very pretty photos.

During our stay in this quaint beach town, we decided to visit this natural attraction and go sand dune sledding. The minute you get out of the car, you are swarmed by the local children that compete to get your attention. They want to guide you up the dune to the best spot to go sand sledding. They also want to rent you the sled, which is nothing more than a thin sheet of plastic that you can sit on and hold for dear life as you slide down the hill. We spent an hour or two happily frolicking in the sand, taking turns rolling around and launching ourselves off of the hot dunes. This spot is frequented by many locals and foreign visitors. As dusk approaches, people gather here to watch the last sun rays fall over the rippling sands.

life after 9to5

Our life. After work.

Photo of the Week