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Tagged With "China's Wall"

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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, July 14, 2015: YanGuan -- a scenic little town to watch Qiantang’s Tidal Bore (钱塘江潮)in China

Roderick Simpson ·
I have heard of the Qiantang Tidal Bore, which is the biggest in the World. The largest in Europe is that on the River Severn in South West England, which is highest near the equinoxes - a website details times and height predictions. I attach some pictures from a few years ago taken near a pub, conveniently located near a good viewing site. The bore is particularly popular with surfers, and I believe the world record for longest wave ride was recorded there.
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Re: Heidelberg Castle: Where Gumbo Was (#135)

Paul Heymont ·
Ah, now I see what you meant. No, nothing esoteric. It's actually part of the roofline of one of the buildings; the black area with the rectangles is just the shadow of part of the windowless wall adjoining it. Here's what it looks like without the shadow...
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Re: Gallery: Haystacks

jwich ·
Those haystacks speak to the country girl in me. Love the photos and the commentary.
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Re: Gallery: Haystacks

DrFumblefinger ·
Some incredibly beautiful and amazing photos! Thanks for sharing your "friends with us"!
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Re: Gallery: Haystacks

Travel Luver ·
Beautiful scenery!!
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Re: Gallery: Haystacks

Mac ·
Great shots and thanks for introducing your friends to us!
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Re: Where in the World is Gumbo? #11

Travel Rob ·
My profile pic used to be me holding up the Old Roman wall in Chester . Without me there,is it still standing? Lol I especially enjoyed seeing the Racetrack there.
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Re: Where in the World is Gumbo? #11

GarryRF ·
After visiting 8 of the 19 Pubs on the Chester Walls - I thought it was the wall holding you up Rob !
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Re: World's scariest hiking trail?

Dr.Y ·
yes, I have been in that tea house before, without a helmet !
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Re: World's scariest hiking trail?

DrFumblefinger ·
Originally Posted by Dr.Y: yes, I have been in that tea house before, without a helmet ! You are a very brave man, Dr.Y! I hope the tea was good, at least.
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Re: World's scariest hiking trail?

Dr.Y ·
Actually, the Hua Shan (Mountain Hua) is close to the city of Xi'an (where Terracotta warriors museum is located). I visited both in a same trip few years ago. Regarding to the Hua Shan trial, there was a local advise "if you want to climb to the tea house, better do it during night, because you do not see what is around you, ha ha! ". Of course, now a days, you can get there comfortably by riding a Gondola.
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Re: World's scariest hiking trail?

PortMoresby ·
As a confirmed acrophobic, I had trouble even looking at the pictures. But then I can't have an accident if I can't even imagine doing the climb. I'll concentrate on not falling down the stairs in my home and maintain my preference for looking UP at mountains from flat ground or water.
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Re: World's scariest hiking trail?

Dr.Y ·
To be precise, the Hua Shan trial has two sections. The longer scarier section with local advise to be done during night is now equipped with Gondola. Only the hard core climber will try that section now. There are park ranger standing by the entrance to screen if some one is really fit for the climb (after seeing the trial in person, i realized that the screen is not just for increasing the Gondola revenue! ). Not be too relaxed yet, even after the Gondola ride, to reach the tea house, one...
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Re: World's scariest hiking trail?

PortMoresby ·
It reminds me of the pictures I've seen of that ridge just below the summit of Everest, without the snow, but equally terrifying and as unlikely you'll find me there in this lifetime. Dr. Y, may I request you scatter my ashes from that location?
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Re: World's scariest hiking trail?

Dr.Y ·
Ha ha Port, if scattered from the "fish back", you will not likely reach the "flat ground or water" there. Most likely will be blown upwards towards the sky
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Re: World's scariest hiking trail?

PortMoresby ·
Originally Posted by Dr.Y: " ...if scattered from the "fish back", you will not likely reach the "flat ground or water" there." Note I stipulated "in this lifetime". I figured if I'm to experience such a thing, it'll have to wait until I'm ashes. But better late than never, right?
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Re: World's scariest hiking trail?

Hank ·
DEFINITELY NOT the hike for me. I like hiking but I just hate standing beside a drop like this. And those boards just don't look strong enough.... But interesting to read about and see.
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Re: Where in the World is Gumbo #10

Paul Heymont ·
Originally Posted by TatToo: Did Mrs. Gumbo not get to the tapas bar ? No, because we had already eaten. But, against the wall of the Cathedral she found a truly gaudy fruit cart that made her a wonderful fruit salad to order, which we ate in the Jardin Borda...
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Re: Family Takes Year Off to Travel the World

Former Member ·
They did not take a year "off"; they took a year "on" to live life. What lucky kids ! What lucky parents ! Bully on this family for making that "luck" happen.
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Re: Family Takes Year Off to Travel the World

DrFumblefinger ·
What a great adventure. Not for everyone, but I can't think of anything that would bond a family more than an experience like this. Thanks for sharing this one, Travelrob!
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Re: The Tulou of Fujian Province

Former Member ·
Wow, an interesting way of living, but people are still living there or is just a tourist attraction?
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Re: The Tulou of Fujian Province

PortMoresby ·
These are living communities. A few have been abandoned in favor of apartment blocks and are melting back into the earth, as mud-brick construction does, but most of the thousands scattered through the hills of the province continue to be villages in themselves, enjoyed and maintained by the Hakka communities that occupy them. A few of the largest individual tulous and clusters have become tourist attractions but if you hurry you'll likely be, as I was, one of the only western tourists for ...
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Re: The Tulou of Fujian Province

Former Member ·
Ah i understand now, thank you for the information, nice topic btw
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Re: The Tulou of Fujian Province

Dgems ·
Amazing!! As you said, ahead of the crowd.....what an adventure!
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Re: The Tulou of Fujian Province

PortMoresby ·
Thanks, Dgems. When I wrote this piece, last year, I didn't have access to my own photos. In the next month or so I plan to post a gallery of my own pictures of the tulou so you'll have a better idea of the variety of structures and ambiance of the area.
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Re: The Tulou of Fujian Province

HistoryDigger ·
Thank you for bringing us back these wonderful photos of a secret splendor. (I still want to know what happened to you without easy communication. Those are the moments that challenge and expand us, and they must have for you. )
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Re: The Tulou of Fujian Province

PortMoresby ·
HistoryDigger, I'll explain. At the end of the first day of tulou visits, the large tour bus rendezvoused with a small van and it was indicated that I should bring my things and come with a young man. Since no one could explain, I had to simply trust and go along, an interesting sensation. I later realized that I was the only one who had opted for the second day. The young man drove me to a very basic village of mostly new buildings built, I suspect but of course don't know, for...
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Re: The Tulou of Fujian Province

Former Member ·
I'm amazed at seeing this. At first I was thinking, well, communal dwelling, sort of like pueblos, and then I realized that this is much bigger, since you said there are hundreds of these. Do you know if they are in other areas of China, too? Are people still building like that now?
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Re: The Tulou of Fujian Province

PortMoresby ·
Sisyphus, not to nit-pick, but thousands of them according to everything I've read, not hundreds. They're built by the Hakka people so confined to Fujian and neighboring provinces. I suspect there may not be many under construction as efforts seem to be going toward maintaining the ones standing. When I was walking through the clusters I visited there were a few abandoned and in disrepair but not many, at least that I saw. There very well may be more unmaintained in remoter areas. Young...
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Re: Gifts to bring back from Portugal or Barcellona

Theodore Behr ·
I know that hand painted ceramic tiles are popular there in Portugal and Spain. But they can get heavy. Maybe wrap them in your clothes, but they'd be nice gifts I think. Put them up on a wall, use them for hot pots or a hot drinks.
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Re: The "Noah's Ark" airport

Travel Rob ·
DrFumblefinger- I couldn't pull up that link.Does a person need to be a Wall St Journal Subscriber? Frankfurt's airport is also pretty nice for people.
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Re: The Tulou of Fujian Province

DrFumblefinger ·
Fascinating piece, PortMoresby! Truly a stranger in a strange (but fascinating) lang. Thanks for sharing it with us!
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Re: The Tulou of Fujian Province

Travel Rob ·
Thanks PortMoresby! Do you remember where you saw the original Photo.Glad to hear the adventurous spirit is alive and well.
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Re: The Tulou of Fujian Province

PortMoresby ·
No, Rob. Sorry, I don't remember. I read a lot of publications, online and off, and the original picture got lost in the dust of enthusiasm to research logistics. I don't think there's any lack of enthusiasm in the world but that obscure places are getting less obscure every day. What I do think is lacking is imagination. We tend to read about places people have enjoyed, as here on TravelGumbo and follow, rather than setting out for parts unknown. I believe if a place is hard to get to it...
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Re: Good news, bad news on UNESCO's world heritage

DrFumblefinger ·
I enjoy traveling to UNESCO sites because most of them are very interesting destinations. I even know of some travelers whose goal it is to see "every" UNESCO listing. Good luck to them! I really think UNESCO is doing it's job by identifying important places and encouraging their conservation. I shudder at the thought of a global UNESCO police swooping in to "defend" these sites. It's up to the countries that govern them to do so. Some do a great job; others don't. Some citizens care, others...
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Re: South Dakota State Capital, Pierre – The Land of Infinite Variety

Jonathan L ·
Actually, it was a Jeopardy question last week. But I did know about SD because I drove across it's southern expanse, getting to see Jewel Caverns, Geronimo, Rushmore, Wall Drugs, The Badlands and The Corn Palace. We didn't get to Pierre because it wasn't on the interstate.
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Re: March 15, 2018: Conway Castle, Wales.

GarryRF ·
Here we can see an original fireplace. The square holes in the wall where the floor joists would have supported the wooden floor.
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Re: Where in the World is TravelGumbo (#257)

George G. ·
The final wrap up clues and my favorites. Vehicles of different sorts and wall murals to boot. Monday is reveal day, so get those mystery photo answers in pronto.
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Re: Gallery: Jewel Cave National Monument, South Dakota

Still Country Photo ·
If memory serves me correctly, the tour was about 90 minutes. Yes, it was quite cool down there but since I had made the trip in late August, it was quite refreshing to be there. At one point, the guide turned out the lights so the guests could see what true darkness really looks like. I have been in the dark before but not like this, it even seemed to mess with your equilibrium and I felt like I wasn't going to stay upright. Yes DrF, that is a "bacon strip" formation. Water running down a...
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Aug 5th 2014: Incense Coils, Hong Kong

DrFumblefinger ·
I find this a captivating image, Islandman. I can easily see myself staring at these coils from a thousand angles, trying to get the right angle on them, as I imagine you did!
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Re: Where in the World is TravelGumbo? (#45)

PortMoresby ·
I think this is on Wall St, NYC. They began putting the finishing touches on the building and were almost done, fall of 1929, and by the time they got to the one on the right, they'd run out of money. Years later, when they could have finished it, they called it a great example of art deco and left it that way.
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Re: Old San Juan: Beautiful...and not all old

Jonathan L ·
Plaza de Armas is NOT the premier pigeon feeding spot in San Juan. The honor goes to the near by Plaza de las Palomas (Plaza of the Doves). This park has a wall with literal Pigeon holes and is the home to hundreds of the birds. There are machine to buy food and if you stand real still they will land on your hands and arms to eat.
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, October 28, 2014: The changing landscape of Shanghai

Travel Luver ·
Sounds like an interesting city. Do you like the old or new Shanghai better, DrY?
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Re: Where in the World is TravelGumbo (#43)

PortMoresby ·
I see luggage, I see what looks like a big trash can, center through the trees. First thought is it's an airport atrium. Maybe a hotel but it seems to me a passage on the way out as the left end appears to be open. And if it is open that would imply an airport in a warm place. There's also an interesting buff colored wall with moorish-looking details on the very far side. Hmm. Andalucia? All shots in the dark, I really have no idea.
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Re: Graffitimundo: Art from the streets of Buenos Aires

Paul Heymont ·
Graffiti is always a good way to start a hot conversation, because the line between art and vandalism is so hotly contested, as is some people's comfort level with work that is clearly art, but which confronts their vision both of art and society. That confrontation can be sharp, because street art often comes from people who don't have the resources to take part in the "conventional, comfortable" art world. Ironically, people are now paying huge sums for work by the late Keith Haring, who...
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Re: Graffitimundo: Art from the streets of Buenos Aires

DrFumblefinger ·
Those are all interesting comments, PHeymont. And I do love the attached photo! I am not a fan of graffiti, although I love great street art of the type shown in this blog. But I do recognize the importance of the former as a type of political speech. For example, in Prague the "John Lennon" wall (see photos below) was an important symbol of the resistance to Soviet Communism. After the great singer/songwriter was assassinated, graffiti sprang up on one wall in the city mentioning him and...
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Re: Where in the World is TravelGumbo (#85)

Paul Heymont ·
Looking more closely, and noting what seems to be a solid wall/window at the back...is this the outdoor extension of a building whose form we're not actually seeing in the picture?
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Re: Where in the World is TravelGumbo (#84)

Travel Luver ·
Looks like part of an old wall to a city or an old fort of some kind. Kids in school uniforms? Anyone recognize the colors?
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Re: Where in the World is TravelGumbo (#121)

DrFumblefinger ·
A steep roofed building that looks like it's built around a tall brick wall. No idea where we are, though.
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Re: United, Air China sign up new codeshares

Travel Rob ·
Good to hear. I just took an Air China flight and the airline has some good points for the longf distance budget traveler, like free meals and free video options.
 
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