Posts Tagged With: travel

Places that captured my heart: the top 5 cities that I long to return to

Posted on November 3, 2014 by H-Bomb

8079727_mWhen I venture forth from my home base of New York City, I tend to prioritize visiting destinations that I’ve never been to before. It’s my goal to explore as many different places on the planet as I can (and, along the way, to sing karaoke wherever in the world I can find it). If I had my druthers, I would travel as often as possible to the spots that I most enjoyed in the past, while constantly adding new locales to my itinerary. Due to time constraints, however, first-time destinations tend to win out when I’m planning my next holiday. There are few overseas cities that I end up getting to more than once. But some metropolises have made such an impression on me that I’m fervently hoping to find a way to spend more time in them. This post is about the five global cities that I would most like to return to.

Note that in compiling this list, my focus was on international travel, and accordingly I only considered cities outside my native United States. I’m certainly always up for going back to American locations such as San Francisco, Las Vegas, New Orleans, Chicago, Miami Beach, and Seattle; but that’s a discussion for another day.

This post was written in response to a challenge by Arnab of the blog Travel Andy. Anyway, here are my top 5!
Continue reading →

Categories: Africa, Asia, Europe, Oceania and South Pacific, travel | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 20 Comments

H-Bomb’s Sunday photo, week 52: a mural of Mandela in Belfast

Posted on November 2, 2014 by H-Bomb

Hello on a cold Sunday in New York. Today was this city’s annual marathon. I don’t participate in those races myself; running 26.2 miles is far beyond my capabilities. But as I traditionally do, I cheered on some of the runners from the sidelines. (The marathon’s course runs along First Avenue in the Upper East Side, the neighbourhood where I live.)

Now that I’m safely inside my warm apartment, it’s time for a new photo of the week! This week’s featured image comes from Belfast, Northern Ireland. In Belfast, which until recently was riven by strife, a “Wall of Injustice” contains murals depicting various perceived injustices around the world. One section of that wall includes a mural showing the great Nelson Mandela, the first South African President after the crumbling of that country’s apartheid regime.

Mandela mural

The text on the mural quotes Mandela as saying, “In my country we go to prison first and then become President.” (Of course Mandela was imprisoned for over 27 years, including nearly 18 years served on his country’s notorious Robben Island, prior to being elected President in 1994.)

This photo was taken during my visit to Ireland and Northern Ireland that took place from December 2013 to January 2014. Now that peace has finally come to Northern Ireland, Belfast is newly ascendant as a tourist destination.

Would you be interested to visit Belfast?

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H-Bomb’s Sunday photo, week 51: a river view in Prague

Posted on October 26, 2014 by H-Bomb

Greetings on another fine Sunday. So, last weekend I was supposed to be auditioning for the American quiz show “Jeopardy!”; but on the night before the tryout, after having already arrived at the hotel in Pennsylvania where it was to take place, I came down with a stomach flu (medically described as a norovirus). That type of ailment is never a pleasant thing to experience, but in this case the timing was particularly subpar. 🙂 Given how I was feeling as well as my desire not to expose others, I had no choice but to postpone my audition. The staff of the show was understanding; a producer told me that I’ll be rescheduled for another audition slot as soon as possible, probably within the next few months. So I’ll still get my shot soon enough!

In the meantime, there’s lots to do. For example, it’s now time for another photo of the week! This week’s featured image comes from Prague, Czech Republic. It’s a view across the Vltava River that bisects the city, looking towards Prague Castle and St. Vitus’s Cathedral. The view is from the city’s Old Town district, just north of the famous Charles Bridge.

Sunday on the Vltava

This picture was taken during my visit to the Czech Republic in June 2006. Sadly, the Czech Republic is one of only four countries that I’ve been to without singing karaoke (as opposed to being one of the 35 countries in which I have managed to sing). So I’m just going to have to make it back there sometime!

Would you like to be riding one of the pedal boats in this picture?

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Country no. 35 on my World Karaoke Tour: singing in the Dominican Republic’s oldest karaoke bar

Posted on October 25, 2014 by H-Bomb

dominican_flagFrom swashbuckling pirates to beaches gleaming with white sand, the Caribbean is replete with both dramatic history and natural beauty. Yet until this year, my world travels had never taken me anywhere in that 1 million square mile region. For shame! Finally, during Memorial Day weekend in 2014, I made my long-overdue first foray to a Caribbean destination: Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic. And it was there that the country often abbreviated to “DR” became the most recent addition to my World Karaoke Tour.

Getting to the DR proved a more arduous journey than expected for a trip that only involved a four-hour flight. My departure out of JFK International Airport on Friday night, May 23 was delayed — first due to thunderstorms passing through the New York City area, and then due to the need to wait for the pilots of my aircraft to arrive at the airport. You see, due to the initial weather-related delay, the crew that had originally been assigned to my flight would have exceeded the FAA’s permissible limit of working hours for one day if they had gone ahead and piloted the plane. So my fellow passengers and I from JetBlue Flight 810 had to wait for a new captain and first officer to make their way to JFK. As a result, my flight, originally scheduled to depart at 9:00 pm, didn’t end up pushing back from the gate until close to midnight. We landed in Santo Domingo at about 4:00 a.m., and I finally got checked in to my hotel at about 5:30 a.m.

Of course, the important thing was that now I had arrived; and the next night I would be able to do some karaoke!

Karaoke: chanting in Kantabar

The venue for my Dominican singing debut was a tavern called Kantabar. Run by the husband-and-wife team of Steven (who owns it) and Anais (who manages it), Kantabar was the very first karaoke venue in the Dominican Republic. It’s been in operation for some 20 years now. Continue reading →

Categories: Caribbean, travel, World Karaoke Tour | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 22 Comments

H-Bomb’s Sunday photo, week 50: a waterfront plaza in Venice

Posted on October 12, 2014 by H-Bomb

I hope you are having a fine weekend, wherever you’re reading this from. My latest news: I’m just a few days away from putting a deposit down for a trip to North Korea! I know it’s a controversial destination, but it promises to be a very interesting tour. In the meantime, I have a new picture of the week to share with you. This week’s featured image comes from the incomparable Italian city of Venice. It shows a plaza called the Piazzetta San Marco.

Bella Venezia

On the left side of the frame is the Palazzo Ducale (Doge’s Palace); on the right is the Libreria Sansonvino (a building erected in the 16th century as the state library, which the great Renaissance architect Palladio once described as the richest and most ornate building ever constructed). Dead ahead are the famed columns of San Marco and San Teodoro; and in the background is the Lagoon, with the island of San Giorgio Maggiore partially visible across the water on the left.

This photo was taken from the balcony atop Basilica San Marco. It was taken during my visit to Italy in August 2004. It’s hard to believe that it’s been over 10 years now. I really need to get back!

Have you been to Venice? If you’ve been there, do you miss it?

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H-Bomb’s Sunday photo, week 49: an elegant arch on the Mississippi

Posted on October 5, 2014 by H-Bomb

Happy Sunday! Last night I applied online for a Cambodian entry visa. I’m now just three months away from visiting Angkor Wat!

Today’s featured image, which comes from St. Louis, Missouri, is of a landmark that’s much more modern than a 12th-century temple complex. St. Louis’s iconic structure is the Gateway Arch, the centerpiece of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial. Completed in 1965 and rising from the west bank of the Mississippi River, this stainless steel-clad arch was conceived by Finnish-American architect Eero Saarinen. Although it was controversial when chosen as the winning entry in a design competition, in my opinion the shape of this monument (mathematically described as a catenary curve) has proven to be graceful and timeless. Here’s a view of the Gateway Arch, together with the downtown St. Louis skyline, as seen from across the mighty Mississippi.

archie

This photo was taken during my visit to St. Louis in July 2014. By the way, you can go to an observation desk at the top of the 630-foot-high arch. That’s an experience in itself, as it involves riding a special elevator system that was ingeniously engineered to ascend in a curve.

Do you like the appearance of the Gateway Arch?

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Categories: H-Bomb's Sunday photo, North America, travel | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Country no. 33 on my World Karaoke Tour: sinking my teeth into India

Posted on October 3, 2014 by H-Bomb

hbomb in delhiTwo days before I flew to India, I had a wisdom tooth removed in New York City. That emergency dental procedure was obviously unanticipated during the time, months earlier, when I was making the travel arrangements for my 2 1/2 week trip to India and Sri Lanka. When I arrived at Indira Gandhi International Airport in the Indian capital of New Delhi, I was still suffering intermittent mouth pain (and the soreness would continue to crop up periodically for the rest of the trip). Because I was recovering from oral surgery, and because there are certain precautions that any traveller to India is advised to take, I was carrying a small pharmacy around in my daypack: painkillers; an antibiotic to protect against the risk of infection; anti-malaria pills that my travel doctor had prescribed for me; and Cipro, another antibiotic that I would take if I were to contract the intestinal ailment that’s affectionately known as “Delhi Belly.” (Spoiler alert: I did indeed succumb to Delhi Belly before the trip was over.) But the presence of an open wound in my mouth didn’t prevent me from singing karaoke at my earliest opportunity after landing in a new country! Additionally, one of my trademarks when travelling is to seek out quirky museums; and I found a suitably offbeat one in Delhi.

(A note for my fellow geography geeks: Before I knew any better, I used the terms “New Delhi” and “Delhi” interchangeably. That usage was in error. New Delhi is actually a section of the much larger megalopolis of Delhi. New Delhi’s population is a mere 300,000, give or take, while the complete expanse of Delhi (which is also known as the National Capital Territory of India) harbors nearly 18 million residents at last count. However, New Delhi alone is the capital of the nation and contains all of the governmental institutions. Both the karaoke bar and the museum that are discussed below are located in New Delhi.)

Karaoke: Bringing the sounds of Billy Joel to India

My Indian karaoke debut took place at a joint called Harry’s Karaoke Lounge Bar. Harry’s is on an upper level of a sprawling shopping mall, and while the rest of the mall was deserted on a Sunday night, Harry’s was hopping. Continue reading →

Categories: Asia, travel, World Karaoke Tour | Tags: , , , , , , , | 27 Comments

H-Bomb’s Sunday photo, week 48: French colonial architecture in Panama City

Posted on September 28, 2014 by H-Bomb

Hello everyone! Less than three weeks from today, I will be auditioning for the television quiz show “Jeopardy!” That audition will take place in central Pennsylvania. However, today’s featured image comes from a place that’s much more distant from my home base of New York; it takes us to Panama City, Panama.

In that capital city’s historic district known as the casco viejo (old city), you’ll find some French colonial architecture. Yes, I said French, not Spanish. 🙂 It’s a legacy of the era in the 19th century when France had undertaken to build what eventually became the Panama Canal. (The French ultimately pulled out of the project, and construction of the canal was taken over by the United States under the energetic leadership of President Theodore Roosevelt.)

P1000241

With details such as wrought-iron balconies, these buildings are more than a little reminiscent of New Orleans’s French Quarter. This photo was taken during my visit to Peru and Panama in November and December, 2013. By the way, Panama City was also the location where I had my all-time greatest karaoke experience!

Do you like European colonial architecture?

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Categories: H-Bomb's Friday Photo, North America, travel | Tags: , , , , , | 8 Comments

You can go home again: Revisiting my early childhood in Cleveland

Posted on September 25, 2014 by H-Bomb

10356504_mThe distance between New York City and Cleveland, Ohio is a mere 405 miles, as the crow flies. But when I journeyed between those two cities last month, I traversed more than the space between them on the map. I also went back in time.

In July 1973, when I was three years old, my family moved from Champaign, Illinois to University Heights, a suburb of Cleveland. There we remained for approximately two and one-half years. In January 1976, about two months shy of my sixth birthday, we relocated to New Jersey. I would grow up in the New Jersey town of West Orange (graduating from West Orange High School), and would attend university and law school in Baltimore, Maryland and Washington, DC, respectively. Then I would settle in New York City, where I’ve resided ever since. For over 38 and one-half years after my family left Cleveland, I didn’t return there.

On a weekend in August 2014, I finally made it back to “the Cleve.” Before that weekend was out, not only would I have a fun time exploring the city; but I would make it to my childhood home in University Heights! Needless to say, karaoke would be involved in the festivities as well. 🙂 Continue reading →

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H-Bomb’s Sunday photo, week 47: a temple carved into a cave in India

Posted on September 21, 2014 by H-Bomb

Hello on the last full day of summer in the northern hemisphere! This week’s featured image comes from India. From the city of Mumbai you can take a ferry to Elephanta Island. That island’s big attraction is a series of five temples that are chiseled into caves. Dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva, the rock carvings date back well over one thousand years. The caves are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Here’s a glimpse inside one of them:

cave temple in Elephanta

Despite the name of the island on which these temples are found, there are no elephants; but as with seemingly every other temple site that I visited in India, I saw abundant cows, goats, monkeys, and dogs hanging out on the island.

This photo was taken during my trip to India and Sri Lanka in March and April, 2014.

Would you like to explore these caves?

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Categories: Asia, H-Bomb's Friday Photo, travel | Tags: , , , , , | 5 Comments

Karaoke in Ireland: I still haven’t found what I’m looking for

Posted on September 18, 2014 by H-Bomb

Me with Jimmy JoyceAlthough I’ve sung karaoke in 35 countries as of this writing, there’s a handful of nations that I’ve visited without singing while inside their borders. Perhaps the most surprising place to end up on that short list is Ireland. I mean, it’s a fun country, right? Not to mention that it’s a land with a rich musical heritage. But that musical tradition doesn’t yet seem to have translated into abundance of karaoke — at least in the capital city of Dublin, which is the only Irish locale that I’ve visited to date. Although I’ve now been to Dublin on two separate occasions — most recently, at the start of 2014 — I have yet to sing into a microphone on Irish soil. Many of my posts on this blog concern the circumstances of how particular countries were added to my World Karaoke Tour; however, this article will recount how Ireland failed to become a part of the tour.

Visit no. 1: the early ’90s

Over 20 years ago, Ireland became the third foreign country in which I ever set foot (after the United Kingdom and Canada). That trip occurred between late December 1991 and January 1992, as I rang in the New Year in Dublin. Two indications of just how long ago we’re talking about: I hadn’t yet even entered law school, and Bill Clinton had yet to be become President of the United States. (My enrollment in Georgetown Law, and Clinton’s first Presidential election victory, would both occur during the ensuing twelve months.)

Back then, karaoke wasn’t really a thing yet in most parts of the world outside of East Asia. I myself had just taken up karaoke singing during the preceding year while living in New Jersey; and my aspirations to go global with my new avocation lay many years in the future. Looking back from 2014, I have no idea whether any karaoke venues even existed in Ireland in the early 1990s; but in any event, I made no attempt to search for any during my initial visit to that country. Continue reading →

Categories: Europe, travel, World Karaoke Tour | Tags: , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

H-Bomb’s Sunday photo, week 46: a space shuttle in Los Angeles

Posted on September 14, 2014 by H-Bomb

As I write this, I’m on a plane from Cancun to Chicago, on my way back to New York. I just spent the weekend at TBEX (Travel Blog Exchange), an amazing conference where travel bloggers connect with the travel industry and with each other. But that long weekend in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula was only one of several fun journeys I’ve been on in recent months. For example, a couple of weekends earlier, I made my seventh visit to Los Angeles.

A highlight of this particular trip to Southern California was seeing the Space Shuttle Endeavour. One of three surviving space shuttles that have flown into space, it is now on display at the California Science Center:

endeavour

The other space shuttles (Discovery and Atlantis) are on display in Chantilly, Virginia and Cape Canaveral, Florida, respectively. In addition, the Space Shuttle Enterprise, a prototype that did not actually slip the surly bonds of Earth’s atmosphere, can be visited in New York City. I previously checked out the Enterprise in August 2012.

Would you like to go into outer space?

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H-Bomb’s Friday Photo, week 44: the Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery in Hong Kong

Posted on March 14, 2014 by H-Bomb

Happy Friday, and happy Pi Day! I leave for India just one week from tonight! Anyhoo, our featured image this week comes from Hong Kong, and a Buddhist temple called the Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery (also known as Man Fat Tsz). Despite its name, the temple is not an actual monastery as no monks reside on the premises. On the grounds of the temple you can find a total of 12,800 statues of Buddha in various styles, sizes, colours, and poses. Some of the statues stand outdoors, while others are installed in various temples, halls, and pavilions. Here are just a few dozen of the statues that you can gaze upon at the Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery:

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One of the highlights of a visit to this place is the walk that you take to get from the entrance to the buildings of the monastery: an uphill stroll along a winding path lined with golden Buddhas. Continue reading →

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Exploring the fascinating home of the Explorers Club

Posted on March 14, 2014 by H-Bomb

The urban jungle of New York City may be the last place that you’d associate with exploration and adventure. But on Manhattan’s posh Upper East Side, you’ll find the international headquarters of the Explorers Club. Since the club’s founding in 1904, its members have included some of the most distinguished voyagers and scientists on the planet; and the club’s townhouse is a celebration of their derring-do as well as their dedication to the advancement of human knowledge. In October 2013 I was privileged to attend an event at the historic townhouse.

What is the Explorers Club?

Members of the Explorers Club (EC) are at the cutting edge of making new discoveries about not only our world, but the universe. According to the club’s website, the EC boasts 30 chapters worldwide and draws members from a total of 60 countries. (It’s been reported that worldwide membership numbers approximately 3,000 hardy souls.) Continue reading →

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H-Bomb’s Friday Photo, week 43: magnificent columns in an Egyptian temple

Posted on March 7, 2014 by H-Bomb

I hope you’re all having a great Friday. Earlier this week I celebrated my birthday, and I’m looking forward to another year filled with adventure!

This week’s featured image comes from a country that’s synonymous with adventure: Egypt. Specifically, it’s a photograph taken at the Temple of Hathor — a Greco-Roman temple complex in Dendera. The portion of that temple known as the Large Hypostyle Hall contains columns that are approximately 50 feet high:

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Although parts of the temple date back to the third century B.C., the Large Hypostyle Hall was added during the reign of the Roman Emperor Tiberius, who ruled from 14 A.D. to 37 A.D. (It’s believed that earlier temples also dedicated to Hathor were built on the same site as early as 4,000 years ago.) Hathor was a deity worshipped by the ancient Egyptians who was typically depicted with bovine features. She was the goddess of love, joy, and motherhood.

This photo was taken during my trip to Egypt in September 2012. Dendera, the location of the temple, is about 50 miles from Luxor.

Are you awed by grand structures like this that were built thousands of years ago?

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