All Around the World

Taipei, Taiwan

2005-11-22T00:57:00.000-05:00

I figured that since my Europe adventures have concluded, we could travel a bit east to my motherland and place of birth:

Taiwan

! It is a tiny island to the east of

China

and between

Japan

and the

Philippines

. I have only been back there twice; once when I was 10 and the second time was 2 summers ago. Because my mother's grandparents live in Taipei (the country's capital) we tend to live there when we visit.

There are many sites to visit and things to experience in

Taiwan

. The tallest building in the world is located in

Taiwan

. It is called Taipei 101. It consists of companies in the high tower, but on the bottom, there is a shopping mall with a food court in the basement. I highly recommend you going to visit Taipei 101 because the building is amazing, but not only that, the food in the basement is out of this world. It took me 30 minutes just to walk around to see all the food they were offering!

Now that we are on the topic of food, you can't beat how great the food is over there. Everything is super cheap and comes in LARGE quantities. The noodle bowls are bigger than the size of my face!! Let's face it, the chinese food served in

America

doesn't represent the authetic Taiwanese food. I must warn you that most Taiwanese people in restaurants don't speak English very well. They can pick up small words, but it can be very difficult at times.

Two places that I recommend are the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall and the National Palace Museum. The CKS Memorial is pictured on the right. It was built in memory of their former president. It is one of the most visited tourist sites in

Taiwan

. The National Palace Museum holds many chinese art works as well as historial documents and treasures. (Picture to the right)

One of my favorite past times in Taiwan that America does not have are: NIGHTMARKETS. The best time to go is late at night because the streets will be filled with shops selling clothes, carts selling food, and also games. Nightmarkets tend to have inexpensive things, so students and young adults love to go. One of the most famous nightmarket that I recommend going to is Shilin. It is the oldest and largest night market in Taiwan.

Tips:
- Go explore and hike many of the mountains outside of Taipei. The views are amazing.
- If you visit Taiwan for a week or so, make sure to buy the MRT (subway) pass.
- Eat as much as you can!
- Step out of your comfort zone to learn and experience the culture as much as you can.

In my most Asian pose : PEACE OUT!

For more information about this great country: Taiwan

Italian Part 2

2005-11-15T00:13:00.000-05:00

For my free travel, my friends and I decided to venture out to Florence and Venice. We decided to go to Florence first and then head over to Venice. When we arrived, we checked into our ghetto hotel (only 20 euros per night) and tried to find a travel agency. We decided to be spontenous and so we went on a day trip to Tuscany! The trip consisted of going to a small castle where they produced their own wine. We basically went to a wine tasting in Tuscany and got to see the amazing views. Although it was in the winter, the hills and the scenary still looked breathless.

The next day, we started out by walking to see the Duomo. This is the huge Dome located in Florence. It was so difficult to take a picture of it because so many tall buildings were surrounding it. The details to this Dome was amazing and it seems as if you're looking at a painting. Afterwards, we headed to see where the original David was located. There are actually 3 statues of David in Florence, but the real one is located in the Acedemia. The other two are replicas and are both located outside. Right by the original location of the David is the Uffuzi, which used to be used as offices, but is now used as a museum. I definitely recommend going in the musuem because the art pieces are simply amazing.

The Duomo is the picture located on the right and the Uffuzi is located on the left.

Now before I headed out to Italy, I emailed my friend (E-shyh) about the locations that was a must see in Florence. She told me all the usual tourist sights, but the only one we have never heard of was Piazza Michangelo. If you are ever in Florence, GO TO THE PIAZZA MICHANGELO! You won't hear much about it, but it gives you the best view of the city. It is actually located on the other side of the Pointe Vecchio (the famous bridge). The Piazza Michangelo is also the location for the 3rd David statue. The view of the city is beyond words, so I will show you a picture!

The one restaurant that I recommend is called Trattoria de ZaZa. Great Italian food.

The next day, we packed up and headed off to Venice. When you step out of the train station in Venice, you will literally be breathless. Right when you walk out, the river is directly in front of you. I knew right there and then that I was going to LOVE venice.

There are 3 things that you must do if you are in Venice:
1.) Get ridiculously lost in their small streets
2.) Go on a gondola or some sort of boat
3.) Go visit San Marco Square (pic on the right)

When we visited Venice, it was right in the middle of their Festival called Carnivale!! Basically it is where everybody dresses up in crazy costumes and the city is literally partying every night for a whole month. My friends and I decided to join in the fun!

Venice was definitely one of my favorite cities. The atmosphere and the environment were both out of this world. Other sights that you should visit are the Bridge of Sighs and the Rialto Bridge. Just walk around, get lost, and realize that you are probably walking right next to water.

P.S. We DID go skiing in the Alps!!

Italy

2005-11-08T23:52:00.000-05:00

For this country, I have decided to split it in two. The first part would be describing my friend's Italy experience. She stayed in Italy for a couple of months, so she is going to give everybody an overview of the country and what it has to offer. The second entry will be my Italy experience. I went on my free travel with my friends and we decided to go to Italy, mainly Florence and Venice.

My friend had a chance to live in Italy longer than me, so I figured, who would know the place as well as someone who actually lived there? Her name is E-Shyh and she is one of the most travelled person I know (who is still in college). She has travelled all over Europe as well as Asia. I asked her to give a short description of the country and which cities to go to.

My favorite place to visit is

Italy

. The Italian culture, history, art, architecture, landscapes, food, fashion and people are unforgettable. The country varies tremendously from the north to the south making

Italy

a country that is great to visit all year round.

Italy

is composed of 20 different regions, each with its own unique characteristics and claims to fame. Taking a train a few hours away to a different region may seem like visiting a whole other country. The main cities of attraction in

Italy

are Rome, Vatican City, Florence, Pisa, Sicily, Venice, and Milan. Northern Italy borders

Switzerland

and is colder. It has a great mountain range called the Dolomites. Milan is located towards the north. It is known for fashion and the people have a reputation of being more snobby. It is also the home of The Last Supper by Leonardo Da Vinci. Venice is also located in the north, but closer to Eastern Europe. Of course Venice is known for its canals. Florence and Pisa are located in Tuscany, which is more central. Tuscany is known for its vineyards and countryside. Pisa is the home of the Leaning Tower, and Florence is the heart of the Renaissance. There are many museums in Florence with priceless pieces of art including works by Michelangelo, Da Vinci, Massaccio, Brunelleschi, and many others. Rome is further south of Tuscany. Vatican City is where the Pope lives and it is located in Rome. The main attractions of Rome are the Coliseum, Spanish Steps and the Trevy Fountain. Sicily is an island off the southern tip of

Italy

. Sicilians speak a different dialect of Italian and they are known to be louder and very expressive. Sicily has beautiful beaches and architecture that differs from most of

Italy

Some of my favorite places to visit that are less known are Orvieto, San Gimignano, Citiva di Bagnoregio, Amalfi, Sorrento, Cinqueterre and Bologna.

Although the train system in Italy is not always reliable (as Italians are never on time), but it is very easy to get around by train. Most train stations will bring you in or near the city center. Accommodations do not have a very high standard, but that adds to the charm of Italy. My first trip to Italy was for 10 days, it was not nearly enough time to appreciate everything Italy had to offer. That trip left me with a desire to see more. My second trip to Italy was for 9 months and I hope to spend more time there in the future.

Vienna, Austria

2005-11-01T11:36:00.000-05:00

Vienna, Austria is a very historic city because it is the city of music! Mozart, Strauss, and many other famous classical musicans were all from Vienna. The city is filled with history and the culture is simply amazing. We did not stay in Austria as long as the other cities we were at, but there are still a lot of wonderful places to visit and experience. I would not recommend going to Austria in the winter because a lot of the places to visit are outside and more beautiful in the other seasons. It is way too cold to enjoy these sites when all you can think about is how frozen your feet are.

We did spend a lot of our time by St. Stephen's cathedral. (Picture to the left) I recommend climbing up the stairs to the top to see a great view of the city. The tricky part is finding where to go to get to the very top. You have to go to the side of the building to pay a fee to climb. It is not located in the main entrance so not a lot of people know that you can climb to the top because they can't find the entrance. Around St. Stephen's are great places to purchase souveniors or simply to go shopping. They also have good places to dine within these streets.

Another place we visited was Hofburg- Austria's Imperial Palace. Hofburg is the place where the Habsburg royal family lived. Within the palace, which is no longer a residental place, you can find the National Library, Imperial Treasury, and the Spanish Riding School among others. Around the palace is the Sissy Musuem. The musuem documented and followed the life of Sissy, the princess of Vienna. I loved the musuem because it only focused on one person and it was shown in a storybook fashion. I would definitely recommend going to the musuem.

There are a lot of small sites to see around Vienna, especially the various statues of all the famous musicans. Here is a statue of Mozart to the left. While we were there, we also attended a concert. The Strauss Concert was held at Kursalon, a famous concert hall. The concert was based on music from Strauss and Mozart and they had dancers and opera singers throughout the concert. Here is a picture of Kursalon.

I feel as if we did not stay here long enough to enjoy other sites and experience the whole culture, but while we were here, we enjoyed it. I definitely recommend just walking around Vienna because there is so much history to learn about and to see. For more information about Vienna.

Next week: ITALY!!

Hungary

2005-10-25T23:46:00.000-04:00

Well I hope that everybody enjoyed the break from my study abroad trip and got a chance to learn more about Russia. Now, it's time to get back to my European study abroad trip.

The next city we visited was Budapest which was in Hungary. I didn't know anything about Hungary before my trip, so everything was new to me. The coolest fact I learned about Budapest is that this city is split in half. The buda side represents the mountain side while the Pest side is the flat side, with the Danube river splitting it in half. There are many sites to see when in Hungary.

We stayed on the Pest side, and the first sight we visited was the Parliament. It is located right on the side of the river. Afterwards, we went to the Danube River and saw all the different bridges that were built. Hungarians are very big on their bridges because they always build symbolic statues on them. This is a picture of the Parliament at night.

The next place we visited was to see the Royal Palace and the Castle District, which was located on the Buda side. The castle is on top of a moutnain, so you can overlook the whole Pest side. The Royal Palace and the Castles were beautiful. They looked like white sand castles. This is where you can overlook the Pest side. There isn't much to do there, but the view is well worth the trip. One of my favorite things that we did in Hungary was to go to the Labyrinth. It is located in the Buda Castle and is basically an underground cave that you go into and try to find your way out. It was quite creepy and you can easily get lost. I definitely recommend to go there. It is a lot of fun with your friends.

Another fun thing that we did was to bathe in the Hungarian baths. Our study abroad trip was in January, so it was freezing outside. The baths are all located outside. They have one pool which is super hot, another that is lukewarm, and one that is cool. The bath house, which is shown to the right, was huge and beautiful looking on the outside. You would never imagine that it is a bath house. It was unusual because you are swimming in the middle of the winter, but it was so relaxing. If you do go there, you have to go to the whirlpool. Now, when you think of a whirlpool, you think of bubbly water, but not in this case. This was literally a whirlpool. All you had to do was float in the water and when the jets came on, they literally pushed you in a circle.

To end the Hungarian trip, we had one of the best nights in Hungary at a restaurant/show. I don't remember the name of the place, but the food was great and the environment was great. I guess this was one of the nights that you just had to be there to experience how much fun we had.
Til next time! We're off to Vienna, Austria.

Somebody's Russia Experience

2005-10-18T14:41:00.000-04:00

For a little break from my Study abroad trip, I decided to document someone else's travelling experiences in Russia!

MOSCOW, JUNE 2002 - Some places you have seen hundreds of times on television, have seen so many pictures of them in books, and you know all about the details of the buildings and history. But still, one day, if you really visit these places, it does something to you. Some feeling that it is not like you thought it would be, or just the effect of realizing you are actually standing in a very famous place. And afterward, back at home, when you see these places many times again on television, it is never the same as before. Because now you think 'I have walked on that particular pavement, I have crossed this road, I have seen the inside of that church, etc...'.
The Red Square is one of these places.I arrived in the late evening, and the first view of the Red Square was sunset from the top of the 'Rossia' Hotel - a spectacular sight. In the evening, I made a walk on the Red Square. The evening light created a special atmosphere. My first impression was that the square is in fact not that big... much smaller than I had expected. Maybe it is because I came from Beijing just a couple of weeks before, and was comparing with the really huge 'Tien An Men' ? Also Lenin's mausoleum looked actually much smaller than the pictures I remembered from sovjet times, when the sovjet leaders were standing on top of it, saluting the military parades...

Lenin's Mausoleum

One of the following days I visited Lenin's mausoleum. There is actually not much too see inside, and it all looks quite 'unreal' to me, but still every day there is a line of visitors. It just one of the things to do when in Moscow... Regulations are very strict. You cannot take your camera or any drinks or food inside, you have to take off your hat before entering, and you have to respect absolute silence ! I was not very serious about this last rule... As soon as you walk inside the mausoleum, you have to descend some stairs, which are almost unlit. As your eyes do not have the time to adapt to the darkness, you just have to shuffle to find the stairs, and I even didn't see the Russian security men standing on the sides, but I knew quickly enough they were there, because when I said to my friends "It is dark in here, I cannot see..." , they reminded me promptly about the "complete silence" rule !An interesting part of this visit is also the graves of the other communist party members and former sovjet leaders, which are buried in the space between the mausoleum and the Kremlin walls.

The Kremlin

Many Russian cities have a Kremlin, but the one in Moscow is always referred to as "The Kremlin". In present times, inside the Kremlin walls, you find a mixture of past and present. The tsarist legacy such as the Armoury, the different cathedrals, Ivan's clocktower, the big cannon,... but also the current government buildings and the residence of president Putin.One rule that our guide made clear quickly, is that it is forbidden to walk anywhere but on the pavement ! If you get off the pavement, security officers use their whistles... and they have to use them a lot since not all tourists know or respect this rule. Also when you stand too long in one place, especially when looking in their direction, they also tell you to move on. Only privileged vehicles and officials have the right to use the roads. Here you can see the black Russian limousines you recognise from every movie...but no photos allowed.

Also no photos allowed inside the cathedrals or in the armoury (or only after paying a photo allowance fee). The armoury is a museum now and contains actually not a lot of armour, but 'everything tsarist' can be found here, ranging from tsarina dresses and jewelry to horse carriages, Faberge Eggs and (very expensive) tea cups. The cathedrals are also all museums and have a very interesting collection of icons and also some graves can be seen in here.

For more Travel Stories, click here

Czech Republic

2005-10-12T00:27:00.000-04:00

Our second city to visit was Prague located in the Czech Republic. The hotel that we stayed at was called Hotel Meran and it was located on the popular and busy street in Welceslas Square. It is a busy street filled with shops, discos, bars, and restaurants. It was a very convenient location for us because nothing was far from our reach. You can go anywhere in Prague by foot which saves a lot of money for transportation.

For a bit of background on Prague and Czech Republic, this country is located in the centre of Europe and borders Germany, Austria, Slovakia, and Poland. There are 10.2 millino inhabitants and they speak the Czech language. While we were there, we used the currently called the Czech crown or "Kc"

The places that are a "must see" if you are in Prague are: the Prague Castle, Lesser Town, the Jewish Quarter, Old Town, and New Town. We were staying in New Town because Welceslas Square is located there.

We were taken on a walking tour of Prague and we started by walking towards Old Town, where two towers are located. One is in the picture above and the other tower was where I was standing when I look this picture. The tower I was standing in is called Old Town Hall. The main attraction is the hourly procession of the 12 Apostles. It is quite impossible to figure out how to get to the top of this tower, but if you want to, you have to go into a building located to the left of the tower and pay to go up the tower. It is very hidden because they don't have any signs to inform you where to go in order to go up. I highly recommend going up to the tower for a small price because the view is amazing.

In order to go to the Castle, you have to buy a ticket first in the underground train station but then come back up and walk to a tram area. This tram will take you up to the Castle. There are many courtyards in the Castle and also contains a huge cathedral with beautifully stained glass windows which depicts Welceslas's history.

We headed back by walking on the Charles Bridge. From the bridge, you can see many other bridges and a view of various landmarks. Many performers, artists, and vendors are located on the bridge. There are vendors everywhere you walk. Stores are located left and right of you between walking through Old Town to New Town.

The food in Czech was definitely interesting. While we were in Old Town, we decided to try this traditional Czech pastry called Trdco? It was a sugary bread which was cooked around a sphere and comes out like a cup with the bottom missing. It was delicious. General traditional Czech dishes are- meats (pork or beef) in heavy cream sauces served with dumplings (knedliky). Side dishes of rice, potatoes or French fries are the most common. Every main dish is usually garnished with obloha (cucumber, tomato, lettuce, cabbage or pickles). Meats and yeast-dumplings dominate the national lunch table. The traditional Czech dish is knedlo, zelo, vepro (roast pork served with sauerkraut and dumplings). Another classic dishes are svickova na smetane (sliced beef sirloin served in a cream sauce with a garnish of cranberries and, of course, dumplings) or gulas (goulash served with dumplings and often garnished with onion slices).

The most famous Czech drink is beer and it is also thought to be the world's best. A mug is cheaper than a glass of soda or cup of coffee. The best-known brands are Pilsner Urquell (we actually got to visit!) and Budweiser. Czech Republic also has a great nightlife with many clubs and bars.

Aruba Break

2005-10-07T20:36:00.000-04:00

Aruba is located in the heart of the southern Caribbean, 15 miles (20 kilometers) off the coast of Venezuela. Aruba's population of about 100,000 inhabitants is made up of a broad international mixture of well educated people with a pleasant nature and a zest for hospitality. If you like the sea, you can swim, snorkel, dive, sail, go fishing, try snuba or seatrek, parasailing, banana boating or any of the many sea activities available. If you are a land lover, you can do a jeep safari tour, visit the national park for a unique hiking experience or mountain biking, horseback riding, take a quadracer tour, rent a jeep or scooter and go cruising for a day. If you are a golf lover, you can always improve your game at the Tierra Del Sol or The Links course. You can visit the panorama movie to learn more about the island, rent a bicycle or even a Harley Davidson motorcycle. There are countless other great daytime activities for both adults and children to enjoy.

In the evening there is something for everyone. If you like salsa and merengue, you should visit Mambo Jambo, Choose-A-Name and Café Bahia. If you like the more modern type of music like techno, there is Muzika and La Fiesta. For a mix of everything under one roof, Carlos and Charlie’s is the place for you. However if you just like to relax and enjoy live music, visit Chaos, Scandals, Garuffa, the newly opened Soprano’s or one of the many bars at the resorts.

One of Aruba’s most photographed and cherished sights, the spectacular Natural Bridge rose 25-feet above the sea and the geological wonder was one of the Caribbean’s highest and most dramatic coral structures.

Aruba is known as an island that caters both to the affluent traveler and to those looking for a more moderately priced vacation.

I definitely recommend going to Aruba because it is one of the most relaxing islands. Floating in the water is simply amazing.

Study Abroad Information

2005-10-01T17:02:00.000-04:00

Europe Study Abroad Winter 2005

It seems like everybody is really interested in my particular study abroad program so I decided to dedicate an entry to talk about the program and the various companies we visited while we were in Europe. We took two classes for our trip and both were International classes. There were only 2 study abroad trips offered for business students last year; Australia or Europe. I would have loved to go to Australia but I figured that I would not have the chance to visit 5 different countries in Europe in one month and learn about all their cultures and economy.

I will talk about the most interesting companies we visited because we went to too many companies. I will pinpoint and talk about ones I liked the best.

While we were in Germany, we visited ECB, Boerse, and Deutsche Bank. ECB stands for the European Central Bank, so we learned about the Euro and how it was impacting the European Union. It was very interesting learning about how the Euro came about and how it is still continuing to grow and expand to other European countries. The presentation room was very high tech with every seat having a microphone to talk into. The next company wasn't really a company but we had the U.S. Consulate come and talk to us. He talked about weighing the pros and cons about starting a company in Germany and how he helps companies decide if it would be profitable to start a business here. I thought this lecture was very interesting because all U.S. companies must think about expanding their companies to Europe and the consulate would be the one to talk to. The Boerse is Germany's stock market company. This was where the stock market trading happened and and we got to see the stock market floor. It was the total opposite of the NY stock exchange because the floor was very calm and there were limited amounts of people there. They operate using a electronic system which clarifies why they aren't running about on the floor.

In the Czech Republic, we visited Bonton, Czech Invest, Pilsner, and Skoda. Pilsner Urquell was Czech Republic's number 1 beer company. We went on a tour of the brewery and went through the process of brewing beer. At the end of the tour, we all sampled a beer straight from the barrel. It was very interesting in seeing how the beer was made and all the operations that go into it.

In Hungary, we visited CEU, General Electric and Coca-Cola. I thought Coca-Cola one of the most interesting companies we visited because we got to experience Coca-Cola's international appeal and operations. They mainly focused on their marketing plan, which I really enjoyed because I am a marketing major. They pointed out various differences in how they market to the European market, for example, they sold coke in glass bottles instead of plastic and how the amount of Coke in each bottle was less compared to U.S. coke bottles. Also they described how they used events to promote their products and talked about how important name branding was important.

In Austria, we visited the Austrian Chamber of Commerce, Kapsch Carriercom, Bosendorfer, and Woka Lighting. Bosendorfer was a piano manufacturer and we saw the steps that were needed to produce a piano. They said that it takes about half a year to actually make a piano because the wood needs time to mature. This was something that people hardly get to experience so I was really happy to see the process and operations of it.

In Munich, Germany, our last city, we visited companies like MAN, Hofbrau, and Siemens. Siemens was an interesting company because they talked about their economy and how it impacts their company. They also described how important their Research and Development department was. Also, they talked about real life situations that has happened and which they had to make important decisions. I liked how they actually tried to help us understand by applying it to real life situations.

I'm sure Europe has different business styles but nothing really stands out and if there were differences, they did not show it. . They were usually dressed very conservative and they always showed plenty of respect.

Also, in respond to someones questions in the previous post, the food was different in Germany. It was very good and although I don't remember exactly what we ate, I know that I liked it! Also, beer was everywhere in Europe. We would drink beer for lunch and dinner because it was cheaper than the water there!! One of our tour guides said that beer was Europe's liquid bread. You had to pay for water in Europe, which most Americans would be blown away by, but the beer halls in Europe were definitely amzing. We did go to Germany's Hofbraeuhaus to experience the beer hall and I recommend everybody to go there if they do visit Germany.

The main floor of Hofbraeuhaus

Welcome to my Study Abroad - Europe!

2005-09-25T13:13:00.000-04:00

This past winter session, I had the opportunity to go on a study abroad trip to 5 countries in Eastern Europe. In order to go on this study abroad, we had classes the fall semester before we left for Europe. This way, we would not have to take classes there, but instead we planned to visit various companies in each country. For the next couple of entries, I will dedicate each entry to each country I visited. I kept a journal during my travels in order to remember the small details.

Germany

We flew to Frankfurt, Germany for our first couple of days. The hotel we stayed at was amazing. It was called Hessischer Hof. The rooms were huge! Each room had two bathrooms with heated towel racks! While we were there, we went to visit companies like ECB, Boerse, and Deutsche Bank. The city is a big business area so the tourism isn't that great, but a lot of companies are located there. If you are interested in the night life there, there is an area called Sachsenhausen which has many bars and clubs there. Many university students go there, so you would have to take a taxi.

While we were there, we took a bus to Heidelberg, Germany. It is famous for the Heidelberg Castle and their shops downtown. Heidelberg is gorgeous. All the houses had orange roofs and the houses were all located on the sides of small mountains. The castle is called Heidelberg Stross and in order to go in the castle, you had walk up very steep coblestone steps. I recommend that you take a tour of the castle because for a small price, you will be able to see many rooms that you couldn't see if you did not take the tour. The castle's basement contained the biggest wine cellar. The container was at least two stories high and really wide.

Another castle we visited while in Germany was the Neuschwanstein Castle. This is the castle that was used to replicate Cinderalla's castle. Our driver decided to take us to the castle by driving on a road that is called the Romantic Road. The land was all covered with snow and the mountains we saw were the Alps. The view while walking up to the castle was beyond amazing. I was speechless while hiking up the trail.

Germany is definitely a place to visit. The culture and atmosphere makes you feel like you are in another world.

Introduction

2005-09-15T21:18:00.000-04:00

Before I continue on with my blogs, I just wanted to introduce myself and explain why I chose this topic for my posts.

My name is Sandy Chen and I'm a senior at the University of Delaware. This blog is for my Info Tech Applications in Business class. When the professor asked us to pick a topic that we are passionate about, I automatically thought of travelling. You could say that I love travelling because my first plane ride was when I was 3 months old. Throughout the years, I have travelled to many places. I believe that travelling within the United States is also fun and exciting. I have been to California, Oklahoma, Nevada, Texas, Florida, Washington, Hawaii, and most of the east coast. I have also travelled to Taiwan, Aruba, Acapulco, Canada, and the eastern countries in Europe for a study abroad. I hope that in the future, this list will continue to get longer and longer because I would love to travel in the future.

So, I've decided to dedicate this blog to describe people's travelling experiences, as well as mine because I love listening to people talk about their experiences out of the country and it makes me feel like I'm also there with them. I hope that through this blog, my readers will learn a bit about each place and pick up hints on what to do and where to go if anybody ever does decide to travel there.

To answer Kristen's question about Hawaiian people giving you lei's when you get off the plane, they only do that if you have made reservations with a certain tour company. Otherwise, you don't get lei'ed unless you go to a luau or buy one yourself. Sorry to burst your bubble! =)

Aloha Hawaii

2005-09-08T15:40:00.000-04:00

North Shore in Oahu, Hawaii

The gorgeous sunsets, the beautiful weather, and the friendly people are all reasons why I love Hawaii and why I continually go back time and time again. Personally, I have had the privilege of going to Hawaii 4 times already. If anybody is thinking of going to Hawaii, I strongly suggest going to Oahu, Hawaii. It's my favorite island and my parents have a Marriott timeshare there which allows our family to go back every summer for a week.

Here are some suggested places and things to do while in Oahu:

1.) Polynesian Cultural Center. It is a very popular tourist location, but it is definitely worth it. It is a one day event, so take one day out of your vacation to go there. There you will experience all the different island's and their different cultures and then at night, there is a huge night show with hawaiian dances and fire dances. It can be a bit pricey, but definitely worth the money.

2.) If you want Hawaii souvenirs, don't buy a lot from Waikiki. Go to the Swap Meet. It's in the stadium by Honolulu, and be careful when you go because I believe they only run on Sat, Sun, and Wed.

3.) Pearl Harbor. It might be a long wait, but if you are interested in history, you should go.

4.) Go to the North Shore one day. The beaches there are really nice and these beaches are where all the locals go. Typically, it is less crowded than Waikiki as well, so it's more relaxing and quiet.

5.) We also went to see these waterfalls, I really don't remember what they were called, but maybe ask the hotel about the waterfalls, because you get a nice hike up to see the waterfalls. They are all really beautiful, so definitely ask about which waterfalls to see.

6.) Hike up Diamond Head. If you are facing the ocean on Waikiki Beach, it's the big mountain on the left. It's a nice hike, not too steep and you get an amazing view of Waikiki and the south shore.

7.) Hanauma Bay. You get to snorkel with a lot of fish because there are a lot of reefs there. If you don't have snorkel gear, just bring goggles because you can still see some fish swimming around

8.) CHINATOWN! It's nice to go for some groceries or just lunch/dinner. Park in any of the public parking garages. They're not too expensive and easier than parking on the streets.

For more information on Hawaii, here's a site that I found helpful.

Welcome !

2005-09-01T15:47:00.000-04:00

Welcome to my blog about travel experiences. Feel free to subscribe to my blog and I hope you find the information useful when you travel!