Shuhe was a delightful unexpected surprise, a recommendation I received when I was visiting Lijiang, to get away from the tourist crowds. A 30min taxi toward the northwest, and you’re there. It’s an ancient water town offering tranquility, peace, and
Visions of Suzhou : China
It’s been almost 6 years since I last visited Suzhou and the city of Suzhou has changed dramatically. Sure, you have the old areas with the canals (unjustifiably promoted as “Venice of the east”) which we all know of, but
Visions of Utrecht : Netherlands
Been in the Netherlands for about two years, passed by Utrecht lots of times from the south going up to Amsterdam, but never really took the time to go around and explore. The closest was during my parents trip, but
Old Town & Graffiti Street : Ghent
Ghent is one of Belgium’s top city attractions, featuring a charming old town center, filled with canals and cathedrals, with a laid back bohemian feel, plus lots of options for drinks and food, with music and culture everywhere. During my
A walking tour of Otaru : Hokkaido
I spent the last summer in Sapporo in Hokkaido, and was looking for daytrips from Sapporo. Otaru was a daytrip promoted to me as the Japanese Netherlands, in that it featured ‘canals’. Japanese tourists from all over Japan who flew in
Visions of Bruges : Belgium
Ever since moving to Europe and living next to the Belgium border, I’ve been hearing that I have to go visit Bruges, but it wasn’t until fairly recently that I found the opportunity to go for a short visit before
Visions of Otaru : Hokkaido Japan
While I was spending the summer in Sapporo in Hokkaido, the Otaru daytrip was promoted to me as the Japanese Netherlands, in that it had ‘canals’. Japanese tourists from all over Japan who flew in to cool down in the
Visions of Ghent : Belgium
Over the weekend I had the pleasure of visiting a nearby city I’ve been meaning to go see for a long time – Ghent. It’s a charming old town, filled with canals and cathedrals, with a laid back bohemian feel
Visions of Rotterdam : Netherlands
Around newyears time I was visiting the Hague area and had a chance to drop in to the nearby Rotterdam for the first time to see the city in the freezing cold following a night of buzzing and partying. The
Ancient canals of Xochimilco : Mexico City
If you’re looking for a funky local experience in Mexico City, then head down south to the ancient canals of Xochimilco to see what the Mexicans made of the ancient Aztec UNESCO heritage water systems. No, it’s not a museum,
