Heidelberg, Germany

Posted on August 22, 2010 | 3 comments

Sitting in the Neckar Valley, Heidelberg, is home to the oldest university in Germany. Ruprecht-Karls-Universität (est. 1386) is one of the most prominent universities in the world, ranking right up there with schools like Harvard, Cambridge, and McGill.

From Frankfurt HBF, Scott and I took a slow, direct train to Heidelberg. On they way back we had to change trains at Bizmarckplatz. In the town itself, transportation is pretty simple. The #33 bus goes from the train station to old town. In terms of sights, the main destination is Heidelberg Castle. Also near the town are remnants of an ancient wall that Celts built to keep Germanic tribes out.

Heidelberg is a great German city to visit. If you ever have to eat food, this is a solid place to replenish. From Bavarian restaurants and pubs to local student cafes, this town has it all when it comes to cuisine.

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Boston, Massachusetts

Posted on August 16, 2010 | Leave a comment

Boston was founded on September 17, 1630, by Puritan colonists from England. Today it is well known for its higher education and professional sports teams. As a city Boston was much smaller than I expected. The downtown skyline is similar to a Cleveland or a Jacksonville.

The city’s economy is also based on research, electronics, engineering, finance, and biotechnology. Recently, Boston has been experiencing gentrification and has one of the highest costs of living in the United States. Overall it is a great city to bring your camera to and learn a little history.

Many of my photos here are of historic Fenway Park. Being a die hard Minnesota Twins and Cleveland Indians fan, I don’t often like much about the Red Sox, but at the same time, as a baseball purist I have to put it in the same category as Wrigley Field as one of the top two stadiums in the majors. It has served as the home of the Boston Red Sox since it opened in 1912, and is the oldest Major League Baseball stadium currently in use.

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Frankfurt, Germany

Posted on August 14, 2010 | Leave a comment

Frankfurt is the second largest city in Germany. To me, it would be a great city to live in because of all the modern architectural looking flats on each side of the Main River. To visit on the other hand, there really is not a ton to do if you are looking for that old German feel. Frankfurt is primarily a financial center. Thus, it resembles an American city with twelve skyscraper in total. Of these twelve, two are the tallest in Europe. Frankfurt was severely destroyed in WWII bombing raids. This forever changed the landscape of the city.

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London, England

Posted on August 10, 2010 | Leave a comment

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Chinese Professional Baseball League

Posted on May 22, 2010 | 4 comments

The CPBL or 中華職業棒球大聯盟 is made up of the top baseball players in Taiwan. Currently the league consists of four teams that play on a rotating basis in stadiums all over the island. Although some teams are more popular than others in certain cities, teams do not play out of a home stadium as in the U.S.

In 2008 the league was hit with a large game fixing scandal. Two teams folded and several players were banned for life.  Since the founding of the league twenty years ago there have been several high profile betting scandals involving players. These incidents have taken a toll on attendance and league popularity.

The quality of play is similar to about “AA” minor league ball in the U.S. Each team is allowed four import players. These players are often given Chinese names to help draw more local interest. Import players usually come from Japan, South Korea, or the U.S.

One of the best things about Taiwan baseball is the atmosphere in the stadium. Starting at home plate, each fan base sits on the side of their teams dugout. While your team is batting it is constant mayhem in the stands. Fans bring drums, trumpets, noise makers etc. The first game I attended looked like the opposing team had a literal percussion section just going crazy. Furthermore, each team has a ring leader who has a megaphone leading the cheers.

Another cool aspect is the affordability. Tickets start at about $3 U.S. and you can also bring in any food and drinks you want. In the outfield bleachers it is even possible to bring your own grill into the stadium.

Current teams in the league are the Brothers Elephants, La New Bears, Sinon Bulls, and the Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions.

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Mostar, Bosnia

Posted on May 12, 2010 | 3 comments

If you are backpacking through the Balkans, it is a must to stop in Mostar, Bosnia. Mostar, the fifth biggest city in Bosnia, is a great place to take photos, try local cuisine, have a drink, and relax. Most travel guides give rare mention to Mostar, and often suggest not to stay overnight. I would argue differently.

In terms of taking photos, this town has some great looks. The main landmark of the town is the famous Mostar Bridge. During the war, the bridge was shot down in a horrific scene. Fast forward eleven years after, and in 2004, it was re-built. In 2005, UNESCO put the bridge on the World Heritage List. Today, the bridge that I walked on, was reconstructed from pieces of the old bridge that had fallen in the river during the Croat bombardment from the surrounding hills.

Near the Mostar Bridge area, a backpacker kind find anything he wants. The narrow cobble stone streets are lined with small shops, restaurants, pubs, and street peddlers. Around each corner lies a bullet riddled building, which quickly reminds you of the regions complicated past.

Getting to Mostar is basically done by train or bus. I would recommend taking a train, because the rocky terrain severely hampers bus travel down to a snails pace. Several hostels and hotels are within a short walk to the Mostar Bridge and are very cheap.

For video footage of the Mostar Bridge being shot down click here and fast forward to the 4:00 minute mark of the video.

We only got to spend one night in Mostar due to the fact that I lost my passport in Croatia and needed to get to Sarajevo ASAP. To read that rather crazy story click here.

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Choeung Ek, Cambodia

Posted on May 2, 2010 | 6 comments

The rule of Pol Pot (1975-1979) and the Khmer Rouge was responsible for two million deaths in Cambodia out of a population of seven million. A combination of dissident executions, forced labor, disease, and starvation were the main causes.

Choeung Ek is about 15 miles from Phnom Penh. Here, an estimated 17,000 Cambodians were executed by the Khmer Rouge. The first thing I noticed while visiting the “Killing Fields” was that it was eerily silent. It had the same feel as when I visited Mauthausen, a Nazi concentration camp in Austria. Continue reading →

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Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Posted on April 22, 2010 | 3 comments

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Following the fall of Saigon in 1975, Saigon was renamed Ho Chi Minh City. I have always been very interested in visiting Vietnam, not just because the Vietnam War (American War to the Vietnamese) but because of its climate, as well as its rich and complicated history.

Conquered by France in 1859, Saigon was heavily influenced by the French during their colonization of Vietnam.  Saigon features many Western style buildings, including the famous, French built, Notre Dame Cathedral.  All of this French influence contributed to Saigon once being called “the Pearl of the Far East” Continue reading →

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Chong Khneas, Cambodia

Posted on April 14, 2010 | 2 comments

Chong Khneas is a floating village on Tonle Sap Lake. We took a tuk-tuk the 16 km from Siem Reap to a dock and got on a boat for a better look. After around a 20 minute boat ride in an extremely muddy tributary, we came out into Tonle Sap Lake. On the edge of this lake sits a floating fishing village.

The village is made up of more than one hundred floating shanty’s. The people live a very meager life and make the best with what they have. In the village you can find a small floating basketball court, floating church, and also one of the most famous elementary schools in Cambodia. Many of the children paddle to school in a little disk that they sit in, almost like a small saucer. Around the school locals will paddle up and beg for money.

The main subsistence of the village is fishing and netting shrimp. I really couldn’t imagine living this type of lifestyle at all. It would definitely take some adjustment to be constantly living on the warm, murky, water. In terms of photos, I got a few to try and capture the people that live in this hot and humid climate. (Will post video later) Whenever I am lucky enough to visit an environment like this, it always helps me put in prospective just how fortunate I am.

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Beijing, China

Posted on March 20, 2010 | 6 comments

Beijing is a city of contrasts. It is a case study for the rapidly changing Chinese economy. The city is a collection of buildings that go on forever. Most of the buildings are uninspiring but the city itself is a fascinating place.

The main attractions, are of course sites like the Temple of Heaven, Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, and the Great Wall. For some reason I did not find the Forbidden City that fascinating, yes it is absolutely massive in size, but for some reason it seemed like something was missing. It was like walking through a famous house that had no furniture. Continue reading →

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