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hkskyline's Today in History Photo Thread
With coronavirus putting my travel plans to an abrupt halt, I've spent the past few months organizing my photos, reducing the editing backlog, and rediscovering on some wonderful memories. With a decent archive now, I will start a series of historic lookbacks on an irregular pattern to share.
On this day - July 16 in ... 2015 - Mumbai My driver pulled into their new state-of-the-art airport. What an astronomical improvement from the old building. Impressive both land-side and air-side, the only let-down was the Business Class lounge, but that's a First World problem. http://www.globalphotos.org/mumbai/2...6/IMG_0651.jpg 2018 - Rondane National Park, Norway I drove past a few observation points along the eastern stretches of this park on the way back south from Trondheim. The mountains mixed with river scenes shone under the blue sky. http://www.globalphotos.org/norway/2...6/IMG_8605.jpg 2019 - Taipei After a busy day working, I was re-energized by a late snack at this outdoor night market, albeit under the intense summer heat. I won't have a complete dinner here though, but after getting gorged in fancy and classy food elsewhere, I saved a little room to top it up here. http://www.globalphotos.org/taipei/2...6/IMG_7549.jpg |
On this day - July 19 in ...
2016 - Seoul I went up the new Conrad hotel's bar on the 37th floor to check out the river view. This is a good place for a pre-dinner drink. Yeouido is one of the new business districts south of the river with a lower profile than nearby Gangnam. https://www.globalphotos.org/southko...9/IMG_9591.jpg |
On this day - July 30 in ...
2014 - Shanghai Braving the intense 37C summer heat, I watched yet another supertall building go up in Shanghai's Pudong district. 1 more observation deck option to visit once it's done. There is no shortage of such in these few blocks. https://www.globalphotos.org/shangha...0/IMG_7108.jpg |
On this day - July 31 in ...
2015 - Singapore The Marina Bay Sands casino hoped to attract more tourists to the country, while slapping a huge entrance fee on locals to prevent them from gambling. Apparently, what's not good for Singaporeans is great for outsiders. Beyond the gambling, there are a number of higher-end restaurants on its rooftop deck, but many seem to be drawn by the infinity pool set against the skyline instead. So on a blue sky day, I decided to visit to enjoy lunch with a view. https://www.globalphotos.org/singapo...1/IMG_2791.jpg |
On this day - August 10 in ...
2019 - Dalian Chinese cities change quickly, and a new district of modern buildings has arisen east of the historic quarter with European-style architecture and grand squares. I first visited Dalian in 2012 for a weekend break. Back then, there was no metro network and the city was very laid-back with historic trams roaming the streets and nobody was in a hurry. http://www.globalphotos.org/dalian/2...0/IMG_9997.jpg |
nice -- yeah i am starting to hate those "5 years ago" pop up pics on my instagram lol.
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On this day - August 21 in ...
2018 - Perth Perth has a few free bus lines that traverse the important tourist sites in the city centre. My hotel was on this line and it was a short ride into the main train station. Further out at the end of the Green CAT line is Leederville. This part of town has cafes, small shops, and lots of murals. http://www.globalphotos.org/perth/20180821/IMG_2868.jpg 2016 - Sydney Having been impressed with the Tram Museum, I was excited to see the Bus Museum as well, which had only recently opened. Fresh off the plane and knowing this place opens only a few days a month, I rushed to QVB to take their free vintage shuttle to the museum site. http://www.globalphotos.org/sydney/2...1/IMG_0369.jpg |
On this day - September 8 in ...
2017 - Lausanne What country's wine do you like? France, Chile, or Italy? How about Switzerland? Just a short train ride out of Lausanne, the Lavaux Vineyards spread along the hillsides with many easy hiking paths to enjoy them. I saw the grapes up close and personal (please, no tasting) and soaked up some rays in a productive afternoon walk. http://www.globalphotos.org/switzerl...8/IMG_5153.jpg 2016 - Queenstown, New Zealand The tourist literature advised not to drive your rental car into Milford Sound in the late winter due to the risk of avalanche, which would be very costly to then fish your car out. I didn't want to risk such a potential downside cost as well as an 8-hour roundtrip drive, so I picked a cheap coach-cruise-coach tour to do the heavy lifting. With a major snowstorm to greet my arrival into Queenstown the day before, the scenery en route was quite magical. Despite the blue skies, we are all at the mercy of Mother Nature in these remote parts, so I didn't have much reaction when the driver told us we had to turn back due to a tree avalanche just a short distance from arriving. At least I got a refund for the trip. http://www.globalphotos.org/newzeala...8/IMG_5908.jpg |
On this day - September 15 in ...
2017 - Aletsch Glacier I decided to forgo the expensive Glacier Express ticket and take local trains from Zermatt to St. Moritz. The route and views are exactly the same, but I could run around the train taking photos from both sides and hopefully bypass the tourist crowds. Along the way, I made a stop at the Aletsch Glacier as clouds started rolling through. The mountains look so much better under blue sky. http://www.globalphotos.org/switzerl...5/IMG_9427.jpg |
Great photos and captions HK! Have booked an afforable ticket to travel on this thread and look forward to the next stops (as you look back).
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On this day - September 24 in ...
2013 - Busan Jagalchi Fish Market is an incredible place with escaping octopus, kimchi, dried seaweed, and all their other cousins and friends. In this part of Asia, fish markets are a delight and the controlled chaos is interesting to experience. Language barrier was a problem to order a proper meal, but scanning the outdoor rows of stalls was already a delight. Back when I had an apartment with a kitchen in Seoul, I would frequently buy up some fresh seafood at the fancy supermarket and cook up a spaghetti. My Busan motel didn't offer a kitchen though. http://www.globalphotos.org/southkor...4/IMG_2152.jpg I had stayed right on Haeundae Beach on my first visit to Korea, with my hotel picked specifically for proximity to the sand castle festival. Years later, I was surprised to find new and tall glassy towers in the distance. That's a sweet view. http://www.globalphotos.org/southkor...4/IMG_2486.jpg |
On this day - October 13 in ...
2013 - Beijing While tourists flood into the Forbidden City and the National Museum of China across the street, there are other museums throughout the country as well as in Beijing to enjoy some historic artifacts. Would you mind being served a drink with this exquisite device on display at the Capital Museum? https://www.globalphotos.org/beijing...3/IMG_9045.jpg 2017 - Turpan Depression, Xinjiang This oasis 200 feet below sea level is among the lowest places we can visit. While it may look empty and arid, locals have adapted to use mountain runoff to grow melons and grapes. I feasted on dried grapes here and enjoyed seeing the ruins of a mud city preserved by the climate. Jiaohe pictured here is believed to be 2300 years old. http://www.globalphotos.org/silkroad...3/IMG_8016.jpg |
On this day - October 20 in ...
2013 - Beijing Beijing's subway system has expanded tremendously in recent years. The Temple of Heaven now has its own subway stop which makes access easy. This round structure is quite unique and imposing given all the parkland around it. I wonder if they would let a drone fly up and capture some aerials? http://www.globalphotos.org/beijing/...0/IMG_2118.jpg 2019 - Hamilton, Ontario, Canada I had not expected huge crowds to see the fall colours outside Toronto, but this place was incredibly busy. You need to park away from the conservation area, pay for admission, then hop on a school bus to bring you to the trail. The trouble is more than compensated by this very IG-able spot. I've been told physical barriers have been installed to prevent hikers from getting to this rock this year. http://www.globalphotos.org/toronto/...0/IMG_6210.jpg |
On this day - November 4 in ...
2018 - Taipei Yongkang Street is quite famous for eating, and this beef noodle shop is an institution, with a long line frequently snaking out from its entrance. Eating well in Taiwan does not necessarily cost an arm and a leg either. http://www.globalphotos.org/taipei/2...4/IMG_0765.jpg |
On this day - Nov 15 in ...
2012 - Sydney With summer approaching, I roamed around the CBD looking for a nice place to eat that would not break the bank. This was a difficult task. The Shangri-La had a top-floor bar and restaurant that could barely fit my budget. I thought this view alone was worth the expense. Trying to fit into their opening hours and having the weather agree for the visit can get difficult at times. http://www.globalphotos.org/sydney/2...5/IMG_5615.jpg |
Wonderful photo essay and captions.
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On this day - Nov 23 in ...
2014 - Mumbai Riding the rails is quite an adventure in the city. From newspaper reports, there are daily deaths when people cross the tracks and get hit by moving trains. There are no doors so you can dangle out and enjoy the breeze. Even First Class looked like a prison car with the windows covered in mesh netting and seats arranged to impede a quick exit in case of an emergency. http://www.globalphotos.org/mumbai/2...3/IMG_7001.jpg |
On this day - Nov 25 in ...
2018 - Kinmen, Taiwan This small territory within viewing distance of Xiamen was a major frontline in the Chinese civil war. 100,000 Nationalist soldiers were once stationed here in the 1950s anticipating and repelling the Communist invasion. It was off limits to visitors until fairly recently, which meant its laid-back lifestyle and historical architecture have survived. The irony is Xiamen is far more prosperous on the other side of the strait now and Kinmen has become a novelty day trip option for them to see life on the other side of the divide. I stayed in the village of Qionglin away from the tourist crowds. There are many preserved Fujian-style houses, shrines, and ancestral halls, some of which have become B&Bs offering a very interesting and authentic experience in local life. http://www.globalphotos.org/kinmen/2...5/IMG_2950.jpg |
On this day - Nov 27 in ...
2017 - Kyoto This place is a hotbed for fall colours viewing. The experience is further enhanced by the many temples around town to provide an interesting setting. This also means the tourist crowds can spread out, although you need to do your homework beforehand looking for the less common temples and to check which places offer night viewing, which is an entirely different experience. http://www.globalphotos.org/kyoto/20171127/IMG_0838.jpg |
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