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張家界天門山玻璃棧道-China's glass-bottomed walkway around the cliff.... China's newest tourist attraction... a glass-bottomed walkway around the cliff....
Brave tourists looking to test their nerves have flocked to China to walk across a dazzling glass bridge suspended from the cliff.
The oriental Skywalk is situated 4,700ft above sea level on the side of the Tianmen Mountain in Zhangjiajie, China. 
In order to keep the glass path clean, tourists are asked to put on shoe covers before passing.
  
   

Dazzling: A glass path suspended on a cliff face has been built on the side of the Tianmen Mountain in China

 

 

Don't look down: A brave tourist walks along the glass path that was built on the side of a cliff 4,700ft above sea level on Tianmen Mountain in Zhangjiajie, China.

The 200ft long bridge joins the west cliff at the Yunmeng Fairy Summit, the summit of Tianmen Mountain and Zhang Jiajie. The pathway, built earlier in the summer echoes the glass-bottomed walkway at the Grand Canyon in the U.S. The 70ft bridge is 4,000ft above the natural wonder and allows tourists to look through 2.5in of crystal-clear glass to the Canyon floor below. The Tianmen mountain, literally translated as Heavenly Gate Mountain is so called because of a huge natural cave that occurs halfway up to the summit.    

 

Stunning: The skywalk offers breathtaking views across the Hunan Province for those brave enough to attempt to cross the bridge.

Situated in the Hunan Province,  Its highest peak is around 5,000ft above sea level and it is home to a wealth of rare species of plants . A four-mile-long cable car was constructed in the park, which is said to be the longest of the same type in the world. The futuristic glass walkway is a marked upgrade from another sky high mountain walkway located in the same province.

 

In Guangzhou, one of China's first Special Economic Zones, the best deals are to be found at Canaan Market, the market of the Africans, in the neighbourhood known as "Chocolate City."

 
 Visiting Canaan is like popping over to Africa, from the smells of the food sold by street vendors to the hairstyles of the women shopping. Here one can find the least expensive "Made in China" goods, sold by Chinese as well as by Africans. Both groups, however, wear African-style clothes, so every stall offers a palette of colours that can't help but strike anyone accustomed to the grayness of this city, polluted by the thousands of factories hidden in its belly. All the buyers are Africans, naturally, and many of them still have the dust of that land on their shoes. Since November 2009, Kenya Airways has flown nonstop from Nairobi to Guangzhou. The flight is always full, and many travellers come straight to the market from the airport. The emotion is such that they can't resist.

 
For an African, Canaan is Toyland, brimming with everything: From the plastic sandals that revolutionized an entire continent, erasing for good the image of African children and adults with bare feet, to the counterfeit Prada bags so appreciated in Soweto, to iPods and pirated videos and CDs. The prices are exceptionally low, accessible to anyone with a little money set aside who makes it this far, the industrial heart of southern China. It doesn't take much to get into the "Made in China" business.

 
As in all true markets, in Canaan you can always find what you're looking for: From old Singer sewing machines to African SIM cards, even prostitutes for those wishing to distract themselves after a tough day of bargaining. Such days are exhausting, because this isn't a shopping mall, it's an arena, a scene of combat, where the final price is the fruit of hours of discussion, offers and counteroffers, threats and promises. Even simply crossing the rows of stalls is a trial, the vendors tug at you from all sides, piling on offer after dizzying offer.

 
English is the lingua franca, but in the background one hears the melody of hundreds of African dialects. And the music, blending in with the voices of the merchants and customers from one corner of the market to the other, is African rap. Joseph Nwaosu, a Nigerian exporter, sums up for us what's behind a market like this: When you go to the United States or Europe, there isn't much opportunity. You are going to get a menial job, with barely enough to send home. But here we don't have jobs. We set ourselves up.

 
Canaan is one of the true marketplaces of globalization, initiated only recently in the global south, far away from the elegant boardrooms of the international banks and the electronic crawl boards of the exchange floors. Canaan is where the future Rockefellers of developing countries come to make deals, not Paris. Born in 2002, this is indeed a market reserved for products from the Third World and directed at the Third World, to which, as we've seen, China still feels itself to belong. What's for sale here, however, is not traditional goods but the same merchandise we find in our own stores, the accessories of globalized life. At one stall there's a pile of hair extensions all ready to be woven in. They look like those found in any Parisian hair salon, even the colours correspond to those in the photo of three models under the large L'Oréal logo. But the only thing French here is the logo. The hair is from India, the treatment occurs in China, and the final touch comes from the African hairdressers who will weave in the hair according to local fashions.

 
The West forgot markets like this a long time ago. Adam Smith would go crazy here and David Ricardo wouldn't need to write his theory of comparative advantage; a digital camera would be enough to show him the advantages that commerce reserves for nations. Westerners don't come here, however, not even to peek in. And this is a mistake because the market offers us a precious window - anyone who doesn't understand that on these stalls the future of the planet is being built, is either blind or dumb. Canaan has a revolutionary message for us inhabitants of the First and Second Worlds: if you don't wake up, the only nations to make it to the finals of the globalization World Cup will be the Third Worlders.

 
Excerpted from Maonomics: Why Chinese Communists Make Better Capitalists Than We Do by Loretta Napoleoni, published by Seven Stories Press, 2011.

The obviously American gentleman was eating dinner while reading at a cozy French restaurant, but I just had to interrupt with a somewhat rude question: "Why do so few older men travel alone in Europe?"

I'd been on the road for two months, touring the world as a travel writer, and this was the first American male I'd seen flying solo. He responded with just one word: "Fear." I thanked him and went on my merry way, only realizing later I hadn't asked, "Fear of what?"

The flat fact, however, is that older women are more comfortable traveling to foreign countries without a partner or tour group. You see them sitting in cafés, diligently scribbling in their journals and taking in the passing scene with genuine smiles. I formed easy friendships with many of these women everywhere from Abu Dhabi to Krakow, and learned quite a few frugal foreign-travel tips, which I'm delighted to pass on to men and women alike.

1. Hostels
I can't stress strongly enough how much cheaper and more enjoyable it is to stay in a hostel. Other overnight residences are not only more expensive, they tend to segregate you from the reality of a city or region. Hostels throw you right into the mix, which nowadays includes travelers of all ages -- not just the young.

Hostels usually provide breakfast, the heftier ones yielding leftovers from which you can use for lunch. Free Wi-Fi access and front-desk workers who can point you to unique sites worth seeing round out the many benefits of staying in a hostel.

To make reservations before you leave or while you're on the road, Lonely Planet and Hostel World allow you to search by location, price and type of hostel, with photos and a description of the accommodations.

2. Food
Shopping local markets is a great way to interact with residents, learn about new foods, and how to prepare them. It's amazing how easy it is to converse about food when you don't share a common language.

You'll want several Ziplock bags of varying sizes to store bread and dry foodstuffs. In France, I'd make a to-die-for baguette sandwich with any of their hundreds of cheeses, then stuff it into a large bag for train travel.

A couple extra tips: If you're heading to Spain, I found a cheap and delicious dinner of tapas came free with sangria orders placed during "happy hour." Most stores in Arab countries will offer you a cup of coffee just for stepping across their threshold, should you need a caffeine jolt while shopping.

3. Guide Books
Thanks to online guides, there's no need to fill your luggage with heavy books. I printed out the pages I needed and created a list of vital foreign words I'd need, like "please," "thank you" and "How much does this cost?" Omniglot has an easy-to-use website that will get you started.

Lonely Planet has some great PDF guides and you can buy them by the chapter (roughly $5 each). ArrivalGuides.com and Hostel World offer free online guides, but they're not as comprehensive and the selection is limited.

If computers aren't your thing, buy a bound guidebook, read it, and cut out only the pages you'll need.

4. Trains
Boy do I love train travel. It's cheaper than renting a car or flying, helps you meet new people, and usually drops you off close to the action in major cities. The trick, if you're traveling to a rural destination, is to know the stops before your destination so you can be ready to hop off at a moment's notice.

Another couple handy phrases you should learn in each language are "How much does a ticket cost?" and "From which platform does the train depart?"

It's best to buy your Eurail train passes before leaving as it's cheaper in the United States. My pass ran out once, however, and Eurail provided free shipping on the second one.

5. Money
Rule number one: Never, never, never exchange money at the airport. You'll pay the highest rate possible. Instead, look for an airport ATM and take out the maximum amount (usually around $200). You'll pay a fee, but not nearly as high as the airport exchange rate.

Rule two: If you're going to travel a bit upscale, buy gift cards at a discount from sites like GiftCardGranny to purchase American services found in foreign countries. This might include airlines, hotels or car rental agencies for which you can realize up to 25-percent savings.

6. Plastic Safety
Notify all credit card companies you plan on traveling outside the U.S. so they won't place a hold on your account for unusual activity.

Finally, note your credit/debit card numbers and foreign contact phone numbers and keep this info in a safe place, separate from the cards. I stored mine in my email account with a bogus "subject" line. You might need this info should your plastic be stolen or problems arise.

That's about it, except I highly recommend you keep a journal. Traveling alone is lonely at times and writing out your thoughts and experiences helps fill in some gaps. As a bonus, you'll have a personal record of your adventures.

Happy trails!

###

Kate Forgach is a Baby Boomer consumer specialist for Kinoli Inc. She has written about senior issues for 11 years and has been featured in USA Today, Detroit News, New Orleans Times-Picayune, New Yorker magazine, "ABC World News," NBC's "TODAY" show and many other media outlets.

To arrange an interview, please call             970-217-7444       or email kate@kinoliinc.com.

This was filmed at Heathrow as passengers arrived. No instruments were used, it was all created by the individuals.

帶你去西安看唐文化
 
Tang dynasty was one of the most prosperous period in Chinese history.  People and horses were very chubby because they were well fed.  Poetry and music were important part of people's lives.  Japan sent monks to China to learn.  Today's Japanese old houses, temples and kimonos are fine examples of Tang dynasty styles.  I hope you'll enjoy the new Tang Dynasty Theme Park in Xian, China even though the descriptions are only in Chinese.

Back in 1980 I travelled to Huangshan.   The only way to the mountain top was a steep trail.  People had to walk on their their feet.  In some parts of the mountain which are so steep I had to use my hands as well.   However, it is safe if compared to the scariest walkway in the world.

Here is the scariest walkway in the world. Click the link below and see. 



I am also wondering about how they built this-- how long it took and just how many workers fell to their death??-- This is known as the scariest foot-path in the world! Originally built in 1901, this walkway serves as an approach to Makinodromo, the famous climbing sector of El Chorro in Spain 's Andalucia. I can't imagine how the man with the video camera made it to the top.  How could he see where he was going?  There are sections of deteriorated concrete walkway!  Yikes!

Thank goodness for that safety line bolted into the side of the mountain.


Click here: http://www.angelfire.com/ak2/intelligencerreport/scariest_path.html 

Lappland is located at the North-pole region next to Finland and Sweden. On the North it is bounded by Norway's counties Finnmark and Troms, on the West by the Kjølen mountain range and on the East by the Russian border.

Its original inhabitants are  the Sami people, formerly called Lapp people. They are like Eskimos with  a kind of Asian outlook  They spread over a very large area - from Lappland,  Siberia and Alaska . Their best friends are the north-pole dogs. 

Enjoy the slideshow below on Lappland' s nature and beauty.  Guys, remember to view it on Slideshare with fullscreen.  You will get the best efgfect.  Relax and enjoy!  Have a nice day.

My buddy sent me yesterday an excellent video.   This is a BBC documentary.  What a fantastic series.  It unfolds breathe taking moments of life in the human planet.  It is earth a beautiful blue dot among numerous planets in the universe.  It is about us the people living on mother earth,  These  stuning pictures can only be captured when love, time and effort combined and worked together.


This video is powerful and compelling.  It makes people think deeper and broader the meaning of living.   Life is measured in number of days when we are babies.   Life is measured in years as we grow.  If you live beyond a hunded years, then it is meaured with days again.e.g. 100 years plus 30 days. And finally, life is lived in hours and minutes as it approaches its end.


Life is measured but should not solely by numbers.  It is more meaningful for life to be measured by the moments when our breath is taken away and how much enrichment we have brought along with our own lives..  Life is multifacet.   Life is simple but can be complicated.  Life is love but can turn to hatred.   Life is change as life is splendid.at the same time horrible. These pictures carry me away  in deep thought. Guys, turn on the speaker and watch this video with full screen to get the best effect.   Enjoy and have a nice day.

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Who needs to travel when you can see such beautiful places via computer?    I always say to friends I travel the world virtually in my home office.    I can shuttle from Canada to the rest of world  and enjoy all the beautifully destinations  in great details in my vitrual world.     This time it is a tiny place south west of Kunming , capital city of Yunnan Province  China Mainland.   This place is not listed in the tourist map of China because of its remoteness,  lack of infrastructure and lodging facilities.



The red land of the Eastern River is a place where one almost cannot find in China 's tourist maps or may be just a few introductory words. It is located in the southwestern part of KUNMING  some 2600 ft. above sea level.  This remote area for lack of infrastructure and hotels most travel agencies would not go there. 
 


 

But for those who have seen the pictures of the red land, no one can resist being attracted to its beautiful scenery! Just like a painting of a magnificent landscape.   The soil contains components such as oxidized iron.  This kind of metallic minerals after a long period of oxidation gradually produced this extraordinary reddish-brown soil.


In this place, mountains and hills, every inch of land is cultivated and planted to the maximum by the inhabitants thus causing unwanted erosive damage to the land.  Forestry is imminrntly requried as this magnificent landscape  could vanish some day.  Dongchuan Red Land represents Yunnan mountain valley's most attractive colors.  Waves of five, six kinds of colored mountains and lands look like multicolor waves on the vast land of mother earth.

      
Crops on the Red Land potatoes, oats, corn, oil flowers, vegetables.  are esthetically arranged.   When you look from afar, it is God's  painting on its vast land of plains and prairies.  For farming families each was given different sizes and shapes of land.  Each has its own kinds of crops and unique colorful lands.   During harvest time, the soil is shoveled up exposing her unusual redish color.


The best time for sightseeing tour is middle of  November  The whole mountain is blaneted with her beautifully colored cloth. I enjoy lying down in  the breeze and looking up at the ever-changing clouds in the sky.  Early in the morning, donkeys and carts fully loaded with harvest are heading for the marketlaces in town with a few kids walking their way to school.
       
            
  

It was a rainy day in Vancouver.  Julie and I went  to the Richmond Centre.  We reached there 8:30 a.m.  All the shops were still closed.  We strolled in the mall watching people doing tai chi.    Most of them were baby boomers and retirees.   We  took a break in Tim Hortons enjoying the nice double double coffee.  Rain was heavy outside.  We  stayed a little longer in the mall  waiting the shops to open.

It seemed the rain was going to stop.  
We walked out on foot.  Rain was light. 
As rains were falling on our heads,   we walked like young lovers did chatting all the way.   Julie said she was hungry and would like to have lunch in a Hong Kong style cafeteria. 

Rain became  heavy as we searched for the right cafeteria.  Our umbrella was too small for two.   I put the unbrella to Julie to cover her from the rain, my outer coat was soaked with water.  We  decided to food at the nearest restaurant.  It was a  Chinese restaurant.   We stayed there waiting until the rain stopped.    As the rain stopped we resumed our excursion on foot.  We went southbound via bus 98 to the Waterfront in Vancouver Downtown then  switched to the skytrain eastbound for New Westminster.  Finally we took the shuttle minibus going to my brother Nicholas' home

You arrive at your hotel and check in at the front desk. When checking in, you give the front desk your credit card (for all the charges for your room). You get to your room and settle in.

"Someone" calls the front desk and asked for (example) Room 620 (which happens to be your room). Your phone rings in your room. You answer and the person on the other end says the following, "This is the front desk.
 
When checking in, we came cross a problem with your charge card information. Please re-read me your credit card number and verify the last 3 digits numbers at the reverse side of your charge card."

Not thinking anything you might give this person your information, since the call seems to come from the front desk. But actually, it is a scam of someone calling from outside the hotel/front desk. They ask for a random room number.

Then, ask you for credit card information and address information. Sounding so professional that you do think you are talking to the front desk.

If you ever encounter this problem on your vacation, tell the caller that you will be down at the front desk to clear up any problems..... Then, go to the front desk and ask if there was a problem.. If there was none, inform the manager of the hotel that someone called to scam you of your credit card information acting like a front desk employee.

This was sent by someone who has been duped.......and is still clearing up the mess....

P.S. Please everyone, help spread this message to other people to avoid a nasty experience.

Today early in the morning, we took the 7:55 a.m. GO Train to Downton Toronto.  Julie has been working in the downtown area over 15 years.  I traveled to downtown couple of times. 

The Go train departed on time and arrived the Union Terminal at  .8:45 a.m.  We started our tour by walking Downton Toronto Underground .   The underground is so massive I simply lost my sense of direction as we walked navigating among  a network buildings, their respective marketplaces and shopping complex.   I am very pleased that I have Julie with me.  She knows all these buildings and the underground paths. The network of marketplaces are underneath the following buildings

• Dundas Square
• Toronto Eaton Centre
• Richmond Adelaide  Center
• Scotia  Plaza
• Standard Life Center
• Sun Life Center
  
• The City Hall
• Bay Wellington Center
• TD Tower
• Royal Bank Plaza
• Exchange Tower
• First Canadian Place
• Bay Adelaide Center
• Brookfield Place
• Commerce Court

There are plenty of choices for breakfast.  For instance, McDonalds, Burger King, Jimmy the Greek, Marche, Richtree, Tim Hortons, Starbucks, Second Cup, Buritos, etc.  The list can go on and on. We had stew beef hot noodle as our morning breakfast at the Noodle King.  Julie knows the owner of the noodle restaurant which is known for its stew beef hot noodle.  By the way, the best deal downtown is Burger King's burger at only C$1.99 for a four ounce burger with shred lettuce and slice tomatoes.    This price is irrestible.  We went in and got one for both of us. Of course,  we were attracted to beautiful costumes and fashions and we dropped by some fashion shops  and electronic appliances shops, e.g. Best Buy, Apple, and Canadian Tire without any purchase.

We returned home by GO Bus on 1:45 p.m. When we were back to Richmond Hill we took our car from the GO Train Terminal and took the car to the auto mechanic for routine checkup.   The car is okay and we returned home.

Guys come and take a virtual tour of the Downtown Toronto Underground Path.  It is amazing!  Stay tuned in for the next tour.

The spirit of Christmas reminds us that God sent his beloved son to save the world ,  As WORD (the son of God)  made flesh JESUS was born. JESUS came to his people yet his people rejected Him.  His people tortured him and put him to die on cross.  With his death and resurrection,  JESUS THE SON OF GOD redeemed his people.  His apostles and disciples  established His Church.  The church is the body of Christ.  Our faith and reconciliation with God through JESUS deepen our relationship with God the Father.      

Early yesterday morning at 7:10 a.m. Julie and I started off for today's excursion visiting churches at Kingston.Ontario.   We picked up Grace from her home before we hit the road to the house of Joseph and Pauline, the driver and co-ordinator respectively for the excursion.  When we arrived their home it was about 7:45a.m.

 

The temperatiure was about -10 C with a windchill of -20 C.   We wrapped ourselves with downs and layers of warm clothes.  With drinks and some fruits the team started off picking up Karen at McCowen and Alten Tower.   Together we had a quick breakfast at a cafe store. Then we kicked off the excursion hitting the road at around 9:10 a.m.


The first church we visited is St Issac Jogues Catholic Church.  It is situated at 1148 Finch Avenue, Pickering.  Inside the church I took several photos.  The Blessed Jesus above was the one I love most.    Then we continued our journey to the next stop to St Joseph's Catholic Church.

 


We had our lunch at an Italian restaurant somewhere at downtown Kingston. We ordered only some grilled chicken panini, seafood pasta, sausage penne pasta with the daily soap carrot in mashed potatoes.  Grace and I were feeling uncomfortable after the morning breakfast.   Probably, something wrong with the milk we drank in the breakfast coffee.    Anyway,  we liked the lunch and the restaurant.   The food is so good.  It energized all members of the team including Grace and myself.We continued on our journey search for more churches,e.g. St.  James, St. Mary,  before we took Highway 401 East coming back to Toronto.   We had our dinner together at a Chinese restaurant then we hit the road again returning home .  

Food for thought

1.  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

2     He was in the beginning with God;

3     all things were made through him, and without him was not anything     made that was made.

4     In him was life, and the life was the light of men
.
5     The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

6     There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

7     He came for testimony, to bear witness to the light, that all might believe through him.

8     He was not the light, but came to bear witness to the light.

9     The true light that enlightens every man was coming into the world.

10     He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world knew him not.

11     He came to his own home, and his own people received him not.

12     But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God;

13     who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

14     And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father.

15     (John bore witness to him, and cried, "This was he of whom I said, `He who comes after me ranks before me, for he was before me.'")

16     And from his fulness have we all received, grace upon grace.

17     For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

18     No one has ever seen God; the only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has made him known.

Hong Kong in 1946: 香港舊貎

This was filmed as passengers arrived Heathrow Internation Airport London. No instruments were used. All musical sounds were created by the individual talents.

 

The bridge  (or should it be called tunnel) goes under water  to allow movement of ships . In order for ships  to pass, this bridge is half under the water.  You drive down in the water and then come  out on the other side. Truly a marvellous piece  of Engineering! This bridge is between Sweden  and Denmark . The picture was taken from the Sweden side

HELP YOU MAKE IT TO YOUR FLIGHT - Buck Howdy

Buddies, boomers and readers,  do you know a very cheap way to spend a day in the Niagara Falls? 

 It is a  bus tour organized by Safeway Tourist.  Price is excellent at $25 but you will get a Fallsview Buffet lunch voucher at $20.    For ten dollars Julie and I can spend half day in the beautiful scenery of Niagara Falls.   You can check out the  Safeway Coach Service details and reservation  online.

The main attractions of course are the raging rapids of Niagara Falls. I have been there several times and I am still very excited as I walk along the street adjacent to the World's greatest waterfalls. It is simply splendid! A wonder of the world!

Have you been to Fallsview Casino. It is built around 2004 and is still the best casino in Niagara region. If you plan to visit Niagara Falls don't miss this landmark Fallsview of Niagara.

Yesterday, I phoned Nicholas to follow up his online purchase for Joint Health , Antioxidant products.  This is a follow up call thanking him for the purchase and the support in our home business in particular. 

Time flew really fast.  I am reminded of my previous gather together last year around November 2008 when Julie and I went to British Columbia for holiday meeting the siblings. 


I checked into my diary and found the following:



06 Nov 2008
Sighttseeing with Bus and Skytrain in New Westminster, Burnaby, Vancouver Downtown

Skytrain

Early this morning Julie and I started our sightseeing via the public transportation.  We went first to the Richmond Centre taking the bus 98 b-line from Broadway just like yesterday.  When we reached Richmond Centre it was only 8:30 a.m. and all the shops are still closed.  Therefore Julie and I spent sometime strolling in the mall watching people doing tai chi.   It is amazing to find out there are so many people there doing exercises and tai chi at the early hours in the mall.  Most of them are baby boomers and retirees.   We then took a break in Tim Hortons sipping the nice double double coffee.  Rain was heavy outside.  Hence, we decided to spend a little bit more time in the morning walk inside the mall whilst waiting the shops to open at 9:30 a.m.

Skytrain at new westminster

It seemed the rain was going to stop and we decided to take a walk outside on foot while rains were falling on our heads.   Julie said she would like to have lunch in a Hong Kong style cafeteria instead of the usual dim sum.  As we walked in the heavy rain search for the right cafeteria, my outer coat was soaked with water.  I therefore told Julie and we decided to have something to eat at the nearest restaurant.  Again, we have our usual dim sum at a Chinese restaurant.   We stayed there hoping the rain would stop.    When the rain was light we departed the restaurant and resumed our excursion on foot walking in the rain.  We went southbound via bus 98 to the Waterfront in Vancouver Downtown then we switched to the skytrain eastbound for New Westminster.  Then we took the shuttle minibus going back to Nicholas home