Tag Archives: Garden

Israel, Middle East

Mount of Olives: A Walking Tour

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Mount of Olives, a hill on the eastern side of Jerusalem, was the site of Christ’s betrayal in the Garden of Gethsemane.  There are several churches commemorating events of Christ’s Agony on the Mount of Olives.  Jewish cemeteries are a prominent feature on the hill.  You’ll also find it is a GREAT place to view the Old City.  There are some excellent views of the Dome of the Rock!

As we were without motorized transport for the day, we opted to do a guided walking tour on the Mount of Olives.  For the photography, and of course the history, visiting the Mount of Olives is  a good way to pass the afternoon.  Here are some of the churches and sites we saw on our visit.

Enjoy,
~j

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Israel, Middle East

The Bahá’í Gardens of Haifa

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UNESCO DesignationHaifa, in Northern Israel, is home to the Bahá’í Gardens.  The Garden houses the Shrine of the Bab which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and one of the most holy places for the Bahá’í religion.

Because I’m a total nerd, I researched the Bahá’í faith prior to visiting the centre.  In a nut shell, the religion is monotheistic, so there is one all-powerful God.  Bahá’ís emphasize a spiritual unity of all people.  One of the main beliefs is that no religion has a monopoly on the truth.  They believe that all are true at the spiritual core, but have diverged through their social teachings.  Bahá’ís seek to combine all teaching of the holy men into one tidy package.

The Bahai'i Gardens, Haifa

The gardens were spectacular.  They truly are some of most gorgeously manicured gardens I’ve ever seen.  Viewed from the base of the gardens, or from the top of Mt. Carmel, they’re beautiful.

The Bahai'i Gardens, Haifa

Asia, China

Shanghai: The Layover

Shanghai MaglevOn our flight to Hanoi, we had a few hours at Pudong Airport.  Waiting for our flight to Hanoi, while traveling from Vancouver to Vietnam, we had a few hours in Pudong International Airport.  For something to do, we took the Maglev to check it out.  “What’s the Maglev?” you ask.

Shanghai Maglev 429kmh
At 429km/h it’s a little hard to hold the camera steady!

It’s a high-speed train propelled by magnetic levitation.  That’s science folks!  And, this train doesn’t just leisurely roll along, it moves at a speed of more than 430km/h.  That’s no typo…FOUR HUNDRED THIRTY! (FYI: Max speeds during testing were over 500km/h.)

It’s the World’s Fastest Train!

Maglev Ticket

We made the 30km trip from Pudong International Airport into Shanghai in approximately 7 minutes.  Not too shabby for a commute that long.  Google maps estimated it would be about an hour by car.

For the layover in China on our way home from Bangkok to Vancouver, we opted to do some sight-seeing.

Yuyuan Gardens, Shanghai
The Westin Bund Centre, Shanghai
Yuyuan Gardens, Shanghai
Old City, Shanghai
Yuyuan Gardens, Shanghai

In the short few hours, the two of us visited Yuyuan Gardens, took photos of The Bund (from afar), and made it back to the airport in time for our flight home.

BKK Airport
Where’s Waldo of sorts. We’re waiting inline to check-in at BKK for the flight to Shanghai.

What do you do to break up the lengthy airport layovers?
~j