World Travel Guide Online

Most often bridges make us wonder how technology made possible their construction. They are a means of getting from one point to another but although we walk or drive on them (almost) daily, we don’t always stop to admire them.

Many bridges made history because of their uses, locations and popularity. Some of the most famous bridges in the world can be either walked across or climbed and some are open for the pedestrians for special occasions only.

1. Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydney, Australia

The most recognizable landmark in Sydney is, without a doubt, the vista of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House. The bridge connects the central business district with the North Shore and offers dramatic views of the harbor. It is the place where crowds gather to watch the New Year’s Fireworks and climbing the bridge is one of the most appealing attractions for those visiting Sydney. The bridge opened in 1932.

Pedestrian access is possible on both sides and the bridge can be access from several places on either side. The southeast pylon has always served as a looked out point. Guided tours are available for those who want to climb the southern half of the bridge. Both daylight and night climbs are available. It is also possible to climb the upper arches of the bridge and it is possible to view the bridge’s internal structure.

2. Brooklyn Bridge, New York City, USA

It is one of the oldest suspension bridges in the United States. Finished in 1883, the bridge connects Manhattan to Brooklyn and is a landmark featured in many movies. Miranda and Steve (Sex and the City: The Movie) chose to meet on the bridge to reunite and continue their marriage. Romantic, yet with a possible tragic end and one if them wouldn’t show up.

The bridge has a wide pedestrian walkway available for walkers and cyclists, located in the center of the bridge. Its role of allowing pedestrians to cross gained significant importance during times of trouble when the usual means of crossing the river weren’t available (after the 911 attacks is one of the most recent moments).

3. Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, USA

The Golden Gate Bridge spans over the Golden Gate, the opening of the San Francisco Bay into the Pacific Ocean connecting San Francisco to Marin County. The construction began in 1933 and the bridge was completed in April 1937.

The bridge is open for pedestrians during the daylight hours. However, pedestrians are allowed only on the east sidewalk (city side). It takes about an hour to walk on it and you can also visit one of the vista points. If possible, plan to walk on the bridge on a clear day. Guided tours also include the bridge (and of course, you’ll also learn about the bridge during the tour).

4. Kintai Bridge, Iwakuni, Japan

It is a historical wooden arch bridge, located in Iwakuni. Built in 1673, it spans Nishiki River, in a scenic location (at the foot of Mt. Yokoyama, offering great views of the castle above). Destroyed by a flood the next year, it was reconstructed and periodical maintenance included reconstruction of the bridge. It was destroyed again by floods in 1950 and the bridge which stands today was reconstructed in 1953.

The bridge is a very popular tourist destination in Japan, especially during the Cherry Blossom Festival in spring.

5. Galata Bridge, Istanbul, Turkey

Galata Bridge spans the Golden Horn in Istanbul. The first plans to construct a bridge at the location where Galata Bridge stands now were laid in 1502, but Leonardo da Vinci’s ambitious plans were not put into practice. Michelangelo was asked to design a bridge as well but he refused, so the idea of building a bridge in the located was postponed. It was only in 1845 that Galata Bridge was built. In 1863, the first bridge was replaced by a wooden one. A third bridge was completed in 1875 and by 1912 the forth bridge was completed in the same location. Unfortunately it was badly damaged in a fire and it was only in 1994 that a new bridge was reconstructed just few meters from the old one. All city tours in Istanbul include the bridge and the passageway to the Old City of Constantinople.

6. Bosphorus Bridge, Istanbul, Turkey

Bosphorus Bridge is one of the bridges in Istanbul which spans the Bosphorus straight, connecting two continents (Europe and Asia).

The bridge has a total of eight lanes. Each direction has three lanes, a sidewalk and an emergency lane. During the first four years of service pedestrians were allowed on the bridge. Today, the only possibility to cross it by foot is in October when anyone can sign up for a “fun run” (at the same time when the Intercontinental Istanbul Eurasia Marathon takes place in the city).

7. Charles Bridge, Prague, Czech Republic

Charles Bridge is a pedestrian bridge crossing the river Vltava in Prague. At the time it was built, the bridge provided the only link between the Old Town and the adjacent areas. It is protected by three towers. It is decorated with 30 statues (replicas of the original ones) and during the tourist season, it is filled with vendors, artists, musicians and tourists.

For the most spectacular views of the Old Town, make sure to walk on the bridge at sunset. The beautiful lit Prague Castle creates interesting views against the evening sky and the setting sun.

8. Tower Bridge, London, England

Often wrongly referred to as London Bridge, Tower bridge spans over the Themes and has become an iconic symbol of the British capital. The bridge’s two towers are connected by two horizontal walkways. Construction started in 1886 and two five years to be completed. The bridge was needed because of the rapid development of commercial ties between East End and London.

The high level walkways, once having a bad reputation of being a haunt for pickpockets and prostitutes, are now open as part of the Tower Bridge Exhibition. The views from above are absolutely magnificent and contribute to the tower’s high popularity among tourists.

9. Pont des Arts, Paris, France

It is a pedestrian bridge in Paris, which crosses the river Seine, connecting Institut de France and the central square of the Louvre. In 1804 a steel bridge was completed on the location where Ponts des Arts stands today. But in 1976 several deficiencies were reported on the bridge because of the damage sustained during the two world wars and because of the collisions caused by boats. By 1984, the present bridge was constructed.

Today it is a live studio for painters, photographers and artists who are drawn to the unique location and scenery. It is a popular (and romantic) location for picnics, during the summer, both among tourists and locals.

10. Rialto Bridge, Venice, Italy

Rialto Bridge is one oldest of the four bridges spanning the Grand Canal (Venice). The first crossing over the Canal was a pontoon bridge built in 1181. Thanks to the development of the Rialto Market the traffic on the bridge increased and by 1255 it was replaced by a wooden bridge. During the early 15th century, shops were built along the sides of the bridge which insured the money for maintenance (because of the taxes paid by shop owners). It partially caught fire in 1310, while in 1444 it collapsed under the weight of the crowd watching a boat parade. It collapsed again in 1524. The present stone bridge was completed in 1591. On either side of the bridge there are rows of shops.

11. Ponte Vecchio, Florence, Italy

It is a Medieval bridge which spans over the Arno River, in Florence. It is believed that a bridge was first built by Romans. It first appeared in a document in 996 and had quite a troubled history. It was destroyed by a flood in 1117, reconstructed in stone and swept away in 1333 again. In 1345 it was reconstructed again. During the World War II the Germans didn’t destroy the bridge (unlike destroying all other bridges in Florence

It is said that the term “bankruptcy” originated here. When a merchant couldn’t pay his debts, the table on which he sold his goods (banco) was broken (rotto) by soldiers and the process was called “bancorotto” (broken table).

Even today the bridge has shops over the bridge making it a major tourist attraction in Florence. Initially, butchers occupied the shops but today most shops offer jewelry and souvenirs for sale.

12. Jacques Cartier Bridge, Montreal, Canada

The bridge crosses Île Sainte-Hélène in the centre of the Saint Lawrence River in Montreal. It is the second busiest bridge in Canada. Construction started in 1925 and the bridge, originally named Montreal Harbour Bridge, was finished in 1940. In 1934 it was renamed to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Jacques Cartier’s first voyage up the river.

During the summer the bridge is closed to vehicular traffic for the firework competition held at la Ronde. It becomes passenger only during the event (mid June to mid August annually, during the day). It is also closed for traffic for the Oasis Montreal Marathon, each year in September.

13. Chain Bridge, Budapest, Hungary

Spanning over the Danube and connecting Buda to Pest, Chain Bridge is one of the most beautiful bridges in Europe. It opened in 1849 and it was the first bridge over the Danube. Anecdotes and urban legends have always been linked to the bridge. It’s a famous urban legend that the lions at both ends of the bridge don’t have tongues, while the tunnel built under the Buda Castle is said to be there only to offer rain protection to the bridge (as both have the same length so the bridge can easily fit into the tunnel).

It is possible to walk on the bridge. At night, the views are magnificent regardless of which direction you are looking to. For a spectacular view, climb on the top of the Citadel and look down. You’ll see the square at the Buda end and the entire bridge.

Photo credits: 1 – brewbooks on Flickr ; 2 – silentsnake09; 3 & 9- wallyg ; 4 – d’n'c; 5 – ipohkia ; 6 – Serdar Gurbuz Photography; 7 – laura Padgett ; 8 – erney123 ; 10 – boggie33ad ; 11 – ‘redranch’ ; 12 – nessguide ; 13 – Cristina Dima and may not be used without permission

Source: bootsnall.com

From Here to Eternity

LA HABANA, CUBA to LOS ANGELES, USA – 19 April, 2003
Frankly, by the end of two weeks in Cuba, I had had it up to HERE with hissings and harassments from the sleazy Cuban men. I was actually rather glad to be heading out today. But Cuba had indeed been one incredible learning experience and an appreciated challenge at this point of my trip. It had provoked me to think about the various facets of life and that many things are not what they seem. Gosh, what else is out there? The more I know, the more I realise I do not know.

If the airport departure halls in other countries had been a tad charmless, I was pleasantly surprised by the departure hall of La Habana airport. I was greeted by a huge hall of flags from all over the world, hanging from the ceiling. I kept my eyes skyward and walked around the hall twice. I found that I could only recognise a fraction of the flags up there. Indeed, there is so much more out there.

The plane back to Cancun was not the propeller-sort. It was bigger and less wonky. I also had the chance to practise my nearly-forgotten Russian alphabets on the seat-numbering and buttons for stewardesses. This must either be a repainted AEROFLOT or at least, it came from the same supplier.

Upon arrival, the Mexican Customs asked if I had any cigars with me. I said ‘no’ but I actually had two. The Cuban customs had not stamped on my passport and I knew, for sure, US citizens were not supposed to declare that they had been to Cuba nor have any evidence of Cuban cigars. But I was not sure whether I could or not.

I soon departed for Los Angeles. I was flying to LA, because to go to Tahiti, I had to fly from LA. Yet I could not connect the flights and so, I needed to spend a night there.

In June last year, a lady from LA, Delara, had spotted my BootsnAll articles and emailed to me, offering the chance to crash at her living-room couch if I ever drop by LA. I remembered her offer and had contacted her a few weeks ago. To my delight, the offer was still on and she would pick me up. Wonderful.

However, trying to clear the US Customs was a nightmare. Firstly, I realised Mexicana flight crew had not given me the Arrival/Departure card on the flight. I was one of the first to get off the plane but by the time I filled out the Arrival/Departure card in the corner, the four planes that had arrived at the same time had unleashed the rest of the passengers.

I queued randomly at one. The speed of clearance was moderate but when I was merely five persons away from the top of the line, the officials came and, from me onwards, gestured that we were supposed to turn back and head to other lines as they were closing our counters.

I was at the start of this line. By the time those at the back turned around and made their way out to join other lines, I was at the end of the queue. There were perhaps forty people in front of me. Great.

We moved along slowly and by the time I was halfway there, the officials came to shoo us to another line again. Good lord, enough already.

Finally, finally, finally, it was my turn. Of course, the Customs guy now said I had filled out the wrong card. I should have filled out the green card, and not the white one. He paged for a Mexicana staff. After a while, she arrived and led me from Counter 64 to Counter 9 to get the green card. By then, there was only a trickle of passengers left. All the carousels had long stopped. My backpack lay abandoned in the middle of the hall.

The Mexicana staff then fretted that she only had the green card in Spanish, not in English. I was really agitated by now. I practically snatched it from her, muttering I could read some Spanish. I feared Delara might not be waiting for me anymore. Yet, I could not appear to be nervous in front of these people.

Then, I had to walk all the way back to Counter 64 and face the insipid questionings of the Customs guy. In my haste, at the place which asked me to list all the countries I had been to in the past X days, I wrote ‘Cuba’ and when he asked me where I had been since I left Singapore, I mentioned ‘Cuba’ too. He let me through. But later, other people warned me that I should NEVER have mentioned ‘Cuba’. If I had arrived at the Miami airport, I would be creamed for sure. Oh dear, I had no clue.

Delara was still there, holding up the ‘TRISHA’ sign, slightly droopy by now. My angel in the City of Angels! She was just about to give up. How lucky I was. She drove me to her home to dump my bags and then, we headed to her favourite bar for drinks. It was Saturday night. She had worked hard during the week and was dying to meet up with her friends again. In fact, she seemed to know half the people at the bar.

I was still reeling from the shock of coming from a country with not much available to a country with everything available. The language was another thing. I could eavesdrop at other people’s conversations without really trying.

Delara was excellent. She was chatty, confident, funny, very on-the-go, full-of-energy type of person. We talked about our travels and it was wonderful to learn we shared the same sort of feelings and ideas for our common passion.

I asked her about the side order formerly known as FRENCH fries and to my surprise, Delara had no idea what I was talking about. I had heard from Liliana when I was in Mexico City about USA changing menus and other stuff to remove FRENCH from them and replace them with FREEDOM. I had thought this was the most brainless story I had ever heard in a while.

Guess the stupidity did not spread far from Washington DC. La La Land was safe, for now.

I was introduced to Roy, her flat-mate. He had thought it weird she was going to the airport to pick up a person whom she had never met. Well, once in a while, we have to do weird and crazy things, don’t we? Once again, I was really grateful for Delara’s help, for LA sounded rather daunting to me.

Soon, I started to glaze over due to the body clock still set to Cuban hours. When the bar closed, Delara drove me back first before driving her tipsy friend home. Roy had returned to the apartment as well.

Just as I was getting ready to sleep on the couch, Roy came out to the living-room, clad only in a towel. He sat down and started to ask me questions like, ‘Why did you go to Cuba?’, ‘Why choose a country such as Cuba?’, ‘Why makes you do this, travelling and this sort of shit?’.

I explained as best as I could but he was not pleased with my answers. He kept probing, why, why, why, what f*#king difference does it make, so what if you know how life is like in those f*#king countries, so what? You can’t change the world, you can’t change their lives, the whole world is f*#ked up. (I will have to ask readers to pardon the guy’s FRENCH, or what President B’s supporters would call, FREEDOM.)

OK, despite the fact that Roy was very drunk and had very nearly flashed himself just now, I wanted to listen to his uninhibited opinion for it was from an angle that I never got from the usual people I met, for most of those I met while travelling are people, more or less, like me.

He proceeded to name a few countries and claimed them to be really f*#ked up. “But here in LA, this is the place to be. Nothing will ever change, so I just leave the shit there and f*#k it. Here, we make money, we print money. Ultimately you only have one life and you should live it well for you. Why bother with the rest of the f*$king world? I’m rich, I can do whatever I want. People go to Cuba and have a blast, spend money and do all sorts of things they can’t do here. I don’t see you as that sort of person…”

He explained that he had a lot of respect for what I had done, he confessed he was ignorant and agreed he would never experience anything close to what I had, but so what? Ultimately, I have to stop this and I would settle down and place kids on this world, live my life, earn money for my family because that is MY LIFE and this whole thing, so what if I learnt something, would just be a ‘waste of time and money’.

And so, my entire 11-month-and-3-weeks had just been summarized as a ‘waste of time and money’.

I seriously suspect that if this had happened in another time and place, the old me would have flared up and throttled someone’s neck. Now I know for sure, this trip had changed me.

The words ‘compassion’ and ‘empathy’ came into my mind. These are the main concepts Buddhism tries to inculcate in us. If you have peace of mind and a good state of well-being, you will be happy. For any situation, you have to be compassionate and try and understand the other person’s angle and feel it from his or her side. Then, misunderstanding can be avoided and you keep your peace of mind and good state of well-being.

I was glad I had this conversation for I had nearly forgotten, had hardly ever come fact-to-face with people of opinions such as these, for we orbit in entirely different ellipses. If he chooses to live his life this way, it is because that is what he knows. If he is curious to the other sort of life, I think it is difficult to pick my brain just like that, to know why I do the things that I do. I can only share certain things. The rest is up to him.

Meanwhile, he made me search deeper for my own answers. Why do I do the things that I do?

I agree there is only one life. And this is HOW I want to lead it. He was right in some ways, there is nothing I can do to change the world. I never set out to change it or to accomplish anything noble. If anything, the world changed me. Whatever I had done, I had barely placed a dent in anyone’s lives. But they impacted me in more ways than one.

To describe your trip by saying I have done this, this and that, I’ve been to here and there and everywhere, I climbed this, I visited that, I sailed down here, I crossed into there, yadda yadda yadda, sure you have, whatever… But all this LISTING just trivialized everything you had just done. You cannot describe the WHOLE EXPERIENCE in this way. You can paint your impressions of certain specific and special moments, yes, but the complete experience, well… difficult.

Perhaps a person 1000 times more eloquent than me can attempt to do it but the listener, if he just listens and goes ‘uh-huh’, will 100% never get it.

Some of us have the GIFT of choice to decide what kind of life we want to live. Others, unfortunately, don’t. I realise I am one of those with this GIFT and so I choose to go down this path of learning. Because I choose to go down this path, I KNOW others don’t have this GIFT of choice. Unfortunately, I cannot help them much. Yet from them, I now know how important ‘compassion’ and ‘empathy’ are. From them, I appreciate my GIFT so much more. The money I spent on this trip is US$XXXX. But the return I got back is priceless. Which ‘business deal’ gets this sort of returns?

Sure, I don’t have anything tangible to show after this. In a month or two, my friends and family will forget this ever happened. I will have to get a job and try to place food on my table, I agree, but in my heart these personal priceless memories, difficult to share with others (I can only try), will linger forever.

The smile of the Tibetean woman whom I reached my hand out to to admire her turquoise ring. The near cat-fight with rogue taxi drivers at the China-Mongolia border. The final wave of farewell from the Herdsman as he crossed the rushing river on his horse. The spattering of saliva from the drunk and very happy babushka. The childish but exhilarating experience of sticking our heads out of the Trans-Mongolian train to smell the taiga and trap Siberia in our hair. The hug from the delighted old Brazilian lady just because I was a ‘china’ and by walking past her door, I had apparently lit up her day. The power of the Iguacu falls. The incredible sincerity of the friends I made in my stay in Buenos Aires. The touching hospitality of the families who invited me to stay with them, to eat with them, to dance with them. The excited children who ran over to show me an insect just as we were leaving the remote Chachapoyas town. The sweet guy who gave me money to get on a bus with him just so I would not be lost in Mexico City. The curious looks from the Cubans when I stood in line with them to eat stale bread and drink syrup… and the wonderful friends I met and shared my trip with, these kindred spirits whom I will always treasure.

Well, like I said, I can only faintly paint certain moments to share. But this ‘waste of time and money’ sure makes me feel good.

LOS ANGELES, USA to PAPEETE, FRENCH POLYNESIA – 20 April, 2003
Delara was very amused this morning when she heard from Roy that he had come to the living-room, barely clad in a towel and said those things that he said. She wanted to apologize for his behaviour but, nah… she did not need to apologize. It was alright. If anything, it made me understand myself better.

We had our breakfast at 1pm. After Cuban food, gosh… anything sounded wonderful, omelette with spicy sausage and baked potatoes was perfect. Yummy. Thank you!!

I was driven to Venice Beach for my quintessential LA experience. Naturally, there were Dance-for-Peace, Skate-for-Peace, Donate-for-Peace, Art-for-Peace events organised by freaky and weird people. There were protests against the war, not unlike those I saw in Buenos Aires and Mexico City, but with a hippie-slant. Tattoo, psychics and tarot card readings, Indian incense sticks, the chance to take photos with aliens, they were all there.

Delara had been great. She was one super-cool chick. Her energy, positiveness, spontaneity, interesting and inquiring mind… While my stay was short, not even 24 hours, I had a terrific time. So she went to the airport to pick up a stranger but life is too short to just do boring things like NOT pick up strangers from the airport, isn’t it? She deserved one of the very illegal Cuban cigars I smuggled in.

And so I flew tonight to what President B’s supporters would call FREEDOM Polynesia islands and would probably eat a lot of FREEDOM loaves soon.

PAPEETE to MOOREA, FRENCH POLYNESIA – 21 April, 2003
I arrived at the ungodly hour of 2:40am. I thought I was hallucinating when I saw hefty Polynesian men playing tiny ukeleles to welcome us, and svelte ladies in hibiscus-printed dresses distributing miniscule fragrant jasmine buds. Nice touch, but at this hour? The huge, macho Tahitian Customs guys stamping our passports all had tiny jasmine flowers tucked behind their ears too. Spooky.

I wanted to wait til daybreak to head to Moorea island. I tried to stay awake but finally, I fell asleep on the hard seats. When I woke up, a Tahitian woman in the typical hibiscus-printed primary-coloured dress sitting next to me, started telling me she had been watching my bags and that I should be careful with my stuff. I smiled sheepishly. Merci, I thanked her. OK, another language now. And one that I did not know.

A conversation of gestures, noises and sporadic Spanish vocabulary thrown in, hoping they were similar to French, ensued. In the end, I figured she said there were buses to town, but yet she shook her head when I paraphrased my understanding. My French was limited to numbers, ‘bonbons’ and ‘champignons’. Not very useful now.

She finally waved down a guy whose job was to receive tourists at the airport for various five-star hotels and this one spoke English and instructed me accordingly.

I headed to the main road to try and grab a ‘Le Truck’. This was the typical public transport in Tahiti. They basically looked like trucks. On the ‘Le Truck’, I asked a few other tourists if they knew where to get off for the Moorea Ferry Terminal. They were heading the same way too. Great. They were Go, Junko from Japan/USA, and Greg from Australia.

Go and Junko had booked themselves in a US$140-per night beach bungalow in Moorea. Greg and I opted for a slightly cheaper resort, dormitory beds for US$13 a night.

I had changed some Tahitian francs at LAX airport but I did not have enough to pay for three nights. As it was Easter weekend, everything was shut. The receptionist decided to take US dollars from me instead.

Greg had a weird story. He brought no US dollars or travellers’ cheques, relying entirely on his card. But the card could not work at any of the machines. He tried to do a cash-advance-over-the-counter at the bank at the airport and the guy claimed it was not possible at that branch. With every bank shut for Easter, Greg simply had no means of getting any francs. The guy amazingly LENT him 20000 francs (about US$200), took a photocopy of his passport and made Greg promise to return the money just before he leaves Tahiti.

I had worked in a bank for six years. I assure you this is the ONLY compassionate bank-related story anyone will ever get to hear.

This was really the tail-end of my trip. I was not interested to do this or that sight, hire kayaks or snorkels, or whatever. Nonono. I just wanted to merely exist for three more days.

We took the scenic route along the beach to walk to Go and Junko’s resort. Some places were fenced off but the sea being so shallow, we just waded through the water to get around.

The beach in front of their resort was way better. One could not really swim because of the coral all over and the water was not deep enough to kick one’s legs properly. The water was wonderfully warm and super clear to see the fishes and coral. In the far distance, one could see the enormous crashing Pacific waves but they broke very far off because of the coral and never made it to the beach. In other words, paradise.

I shut down my brain and drifted in the water.

MOOREA, FRENCH POLYNESIA – 22 April, 2003
Today was the end of the Easter holidays. Greg had looked forward to going to the bank nearby and doing a cash advance so that he would have money to pay back. Meanwhile, I calculated that I needed another US$15 worth of francs to survive the next few days.

As it turned out, that bank could not provide cash advance or currency change. The staff was there mainly to look surly, tap something on the computer and pretend to use the telephone. We had to go to Cook’s Bay at another end of the island.

The automatic Change Machine would zap US$5 for every transaction. If I needed US$15, I had to feed in US$20. That’s 25% commission!!!! My card could not work on the withdrawal machines either. We later learnt from a French tourist that only her French credit card worked. Most mysterious.

To help out my situation, Greg and I decided to buy US$20 worth of groceries from the supermarket and I would pay by credit card and he would give me francs in return. Great, we would feed on French loaves and Nutella for breakfast and spaghetti for dinner the next few days.

With money issues sorted out, I shut down my brain and read trashy novels by the beach.

That night over spaghetti, I found out that Greg had been on five or six Round-The-World trips over the years. Gosh. He was definitely NOT a lister and was so humble and unassuming that I only learnt about this now. I had to coax stories out from him. I really appreciated him telling me this. I knew this Round-The-World would not be the one and only one. And to hear that he had done several really encouraged me. It might be possible for me too. A wonderful dream.

MOOREA, FRENCH POLYNESIA – 23 April, 2003
There were too many roosters on this island.

Some people could exist for their entire life. I existed for two days and felt I was ready to start LIVING again, but not too strenuously, please.

Greg said that, according to the guidebook, there was a ‘fairly easy’ walk from the Ferry Point to Cook’s Bay. Two hours, 5 kms, that sounded alright. I asked if I could join him and so we set off on the bus to the Ferry Point.

Unfortunately, it rained just when we arrived at the Ferry Point. We only set off after an hour’s wait when the rain subsided.

The trail was horribly muddy right at the start. We followed the red markers painted on trees or plastic tapes tied to trunks and started ascending up a slope. Greg only had flip-flops on. With the earlier rain, the climb was difficult and very slippery. Many times, we had to use roots embedded in the mud like rungs of a ladder to climb up.

After an hour of very sweaty and exhausting climb, we reached the top of the ridge. Walking across the edge to the left, we arrived at a view-point and found ourselves right at the bottom of two very impressive peaks.

Moorea had some very astounding and dramatic mountain peaks scattered all over and to burst through the foliage and be met with this sight, I was utterly floored. “This is TREMENDOUSLY PHENOMENAL!!”, I yelled.

We were awed by the fantastic view around us, for we could see Tahiti island, the bays and the spectacular mountains around Cook’s Bay. Yes, the tough work was all worthwhile. Greg confessed smilingly that he had started to have doubts but agreed with me this was worth it. The poor thing was suffering more from the climb because of unsuitable footwear.

Now, we had to descend on the other side of the ridge… which was even worse. We slipped several times and Greg knocked his elbow badly. We came to a point where it was so steep it was like plunging to death. I saw no plastic tapes in a distance and was afraid if we went down this way and it was the wrong route, there was NO WAY we could climb back up. I got worried but there appeared to be no other route and so we carefully crawled down.

We managed to leave the jungle without tragedy after the very stressful journey downhill. And Greg… oops, I am sorry, the Legendary Greg did it in flip-flops. ‘Fairly easy’, my foot!

We returned to the hostel by hitching. I started to have really bad stomach aches upon our return. French loaf, Nutella and biscuits. What could go wrong?

MOOREA to PAPEETE, FRENCH POLYNESIA – 24 April, 2003
Woke up with no more stomach pains but there were still too many roosters on this island.

After yesterday, we deserved a brainless day today at the beach. At one point, from the clear shallow water, Greg spotted a huge black something moving against the currents. It was a ray! He had spotted one two days ago but nobody was nearby for him to point it out. This time, he pointed it out from the beach and everyone saw it. It was so gigantic and graceful. I waded in the water to follow it for a while. It was great to be able to see a ray. Wow, I was really pleased with this final, perfect present.

I would be flying out of Tahiti tonight to Melbourne, Australia. While I was transitting in Melbourne as well, I had about four hours to kill. Since Greg was from Melbourne, I asked him for transportation details to the city centre, if I so choose to head there from the airport. He suggested I take the SKYBUS to Spencer City Station and then, find my way to Bourke Street.

“OK, so when I arrive at Spencer City, I just have to ask someone: Donde esta Bourke Street? (‘Where is Bourke Street?’ in Spanish). And I can go there by walking?” I inquired.

“Right.”

“Except that I have to ask that in Australian.” I pointed out.

“Yes, that would be: Donde esta Bourke Street, mate? (‘Where is Bourke Street?’ in Australian)”

I was all set to tackle Melbourne.

PAPEETE, FRENCH POLYNESIA to AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND – 25 April, 2003
I sat and read at the Tahiti airport since 5pm yesterday and only boarded the plane at 1am this morning.

I barely got a chance to experience 25 April before…

AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND to MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA to SINGAPORE – 26 April, 2003
…it was zapped from me when we crossed the International Date Line.

It was payback time. The hours I had been earning slowly the past 12 months… time to return them.

Took a couple of planes to Auckland, New Zealand and Melbourne, Australia.

Australia was picky about everything. One of the questions on the Declaration Form was if I had any soil, or articles attached with soil with me. Sure, I had. I had gone hiking and slipped down muddy slopes a few days ago. My sandals were still covered with mud. I very honestly ticked ‘Yes, mate’ to that and was ushered to the Quarantine Room.

I was told to take off my sandals and take a seat. The Quarantine guy washed my sandals and returned them, dripping wet. I had a muddy dress from my hike in Cuba and a muddy pair of pants I had on where I did several slipperoos. Do you guys do free laundry here? Nah, I was not going to confess those and so I fled the scene.

I found out the price of the SKYBUS to town and it was not worth for so few hours and so I stayed put at the airport.

And then, my final flight back to Singapore.

Well, at this moment, allow me to share a few humble verses, inspired from various points of my trip.

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A minaret against the sunset
A yodelling call to the evening prayer
Incense smoke, lighted candles
Joss papers burn in the temple pyre

Yak-butter lamps flicker on the altar
‘Wind horse’ papers strewn across the pass

Prayer wheels creak as they spin clock-wise
Fluttering in the wind, white and yellow scarves

Faded Bodhisattvas with missing arms
A thousand Buddhas peer out of caves
A wall that snakes forever into the mist
Brick by brick, stacked up by slaves

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Undulating grasslands
Stretched endlessly for miles

Emerging from gers,
Curious gentle smiles

The shifting wind
The stirring dust
The thunderous hooves
The silent stars

These meat-eaters, these warriors
Galloping across the hills on their stallions
Survived the harshness, lived the desert

Once widely feared and so valiant

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Four days three nights, bulleting west
Siberia in my hair, soot on my face
Lulled by the rhythmic ‘TUK-tuk-TUK-tuk’
Towards the orange sunset, we chased

‘Hello’ and ‘Goodbye’
Tongue-twisting, four syllables
Surly and sour looks

Coaxed a smile out? It’s a miracle

Onion-domed churches, clashing in colours
State treasure, opulence in abundance
Soviet-era statues, abandoned in parks
Metro stations, grand and extravagant

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Sun-drenched bodies, brown and baking
All shapes and sizes, decked out in bikinis
The curved beaches, the warm Atlantic

The party never ends, it stretches to infinity

In this land, the music plays on
Feathers and sequins gyrate to samba
A radio here, a street band there
Booming oludum alternates with suave bossa nova

A limitless coastline, the odd mountains
An impenetrable jungle that knows no peers
Crystalline rivers, blue subterranean lakes

And a waterfall that brings tears

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A gracious twirl, a sensual slide
Quivering voices from the cracking gramophone
Passion and nostalgia, that is tango
Musical poetry performed with tearful moans

Red-hot charcoal and that sizzling sound
Comes the smell of unmistakable asados
Yerba mate fills the gourd

The bitter the better, so prefers the gauchos

Relentless wind beats on the pampas
The majestic glacier, one swoons and faints
Amidst the mighty Andes, emerges Aconagua
Seven colours on a mountain, swirls like paints

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Turquoise lakes patrolled by guanacos
Savage wind tortures and tosses
Vertical peaks that tower over you

Enigmatic ‘Horns’, sculpted by nature forces

An island with wooden churches and palofitos
Good old fishermen haul in the day’s catches
A climb up the volcano, blinded by whiteness
Confused by the snow, the clouds and the smoke it belches

Hissing and bubbling, the geysers awaken
In the distant salt lake, the flamingoes feast
Vicunas relish the freedom of the altiplano
Sparsely populated by Indians who chew coca leaves

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Stone ruins, trapping enigmas and legends
Messages encoded in beads and threads
Dried-up mummies in frozen screams
Intricate textiles, now in shreds

Multiple cultures from epochs ago
Rose from the coast, highlands, jungles and deserts
Slowly taken over by the mighty Incas

Only to be silenced forever by the bearded Spaniards

Mysterious drawings criss-crossed the plains
Boats of reed sail the highest lake
Silent sarcophagi perched on cliffs
A network of trails, through the mountains they snake

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One country, three currencies
The land that is Castro and cigars
Crumbling colonial houses

And classic Chevrolet cars

Where everyone is meant to be equal
Every business, state-controlled
Food products, weighed and rationed
Rules and regulations, to be followed

Be surprised by the contrasts
Be shocked by the disparities
Be humbled by their lives
Be touched by their sincerities

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If they sound incomplete, it’s because they are. To be honest, I do not know how to end them. To end them with a flourish is as if to say, this is how the country is. But the truth is, I, like any other travellers, am merely a passer-by, some essence of the places at those moments rubbed off a little as I flitted around the peripherals. These are my impressions then and I am sure they will evolve.

I hope that for the past twelve months, I had shared the flavour of things, triggered some wonderful memories, inspired a few to dust off their bags, hit the roads and have their own experiences. Only then will anyone understand what I am talking about.

Twelve months
Eleven diaries
Ten languages
Nine airlines
Eight inspiring books

Seventy-nine rolls of film (oh well)
Six haircuts
Five visas
Four Equator-crossings
Three continents
Two ‘White Nights’
One World
Infinite Smiles

Today, I complete my circle. This is not the end. This is the beginning. From here to eternity, may the magic run to infinity.

A city with a distinct architectural style has a certain draw to travelers. Great architecture is both artistic and scientific, both beautiful and practical. Even more, architecture gives us cultural clues about a city’s past, present and future.

Important architectural advancements such as the invention of the dome, of concrete, and of the skyscraper itself not only advanced the technology of construction, but also challenged architects to compete amongst themselves to produce more efficient and creative structures.

We’ve selected a handful of cities that have developed a reputation for notable architecture styles and histories, but it’s impossible to give enough attention to all architectural masterpieces. Here are seven great cities for architecture buffs, and a few highlights not to miss in each one.

Barcelona, Spain

Any visitor to Barcelona cannot miss the spectacular work and influence of architect Antoni Gaudi. With its bright colors, tiled mosaic patterns, and nature-inspired forms, Gaudi’s architecture was dramatically different than that of his contemporaries.

Gaudi not only designed breathtaking work, but also is the architect who best captured Modernisme, or the Catalan modernism movement in Barcelona. This movement sought to elevate the status of Catalan thought, art, literature and philosophy to the same level of European ideas and art.

In Gaudi’s work, this meant predominance of curves over straight lines, heavy decoration and detail, shapes and asymmetry, and experimentation with new materials like iron, stained glass, and stone. Other influential Modernist architects include Lluís Domènech i Montaner, who designed buildings later designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and Josep Puig i Cadafalch, who designed Els Quatre Gats, a center for Modernisme in Barcelona.

La Sagrada Família

Gaudi’s masterpiece is still under construction today, and won’t be completed for some time. Gaudi frequently altered his plans as the church was first being constructed, and his final vision for it is not known.

Different architects have provided their insight, but often their opinions differ. Even amidst a sea of cranes and the din of construction, La Sagrada Família is the most visited monument in Barcelona.

Park Güell

This park stands above the city and contains a series of curving walkways and paths. At the top, curved stone benches adorned with colorful mosaics offer a perfect resting place to sit and take in a view of the city.

Park Güell is a perfect example of Gaudi’s ordered chaos. Every aspect of the park over-stimulates, but it still exudes calm.

Casa Batlló

Gaudi remodeled this private home from the inside out.

From the arched roof to curved windows that gave the structure its nickname “House of Bones,” this building contains almost no straight lines. Every room boasts magnificent coloring and tiling.

Beijing, China

In Beijing, the slew of construction for the 2008 Summer Olympics gave shape to an emerging national identity. China wanted to prove it had more to offer the world than its ancient culture and architecture. And so the world watched as Bejing built Western-inspired buildings that went above and beyond the limitations of Chinese architecture.

Now, Beijing is home to a collection of both traditional and contemporary buildings.

The traditional style reflects Chinese beliefs and ethics of symmetry. These buildings give attention to decorative details, are built outward (not upward), and major construction materials include timber columns, beams and brackets.

The buildings Beijing built for the Olympics completely challenge the city’s own style of architecture. Beijing’s new construction is tall and asymmetric. Instead of creating an image of calm and focusing attention inward, both the exteriors and interiors of Beijing’s new construction aim to grab attention and awe viewers.

Great Wall of China

The expansive wall is more than 2,000 years old and extends almost 9,000 kilometers (5,500 miles).

Over centuries, different dynasties reinforced and extended the wall that protected the country from multiple invasions. The wall is a symbol of China’s rich history, and is a must-see for visitors to Beijing.

Forbidden City

Although Beijing’s Forbidden City is now overrun with tourists and vendors selling kitschy souvenirs, it is still an important monument to traditional Chinese architecture and culture. For centuries, this was the home of Chinese emperors and their governments.

Almost every aspect of the Forbidden City’s construction – from the colors to the number of statues to the symmetry – was intentional, which represents how important symbolism was to Chinese architecture.

CCTV Headquarters

To complete construction on the new headquarters of China Central Television, architects had two engineering hurdles to jump.

The skyscraper stands in a seismic region. And two L-shaped towers leaning at 90-degree angles form the top and bottom of the building.

With 51 floors, it’s short for a skyscraper, but impressive because of its precarious-looking construction and asymmetry.

Istanbul, Turkey

Istanbul is located on both the continents of Europe and Asia. Most citizens practice Islam, but the city also claims strong Christian and Jewish communities. Istanbul is thus known as a cultural melting pot, and the city’s architecture certainly lives up to that reputation.

Visitors to Istanbul will find more than 2,000 mosques, 100 churches and 20 synagogues. Over time, Istanbul has served as a capital for Roman, Byzantine, Latin and Ottoman Empires, and is now Turkey’s capital. Each period built a new architectural layer on top of the old, and many of these monuments remain intact.

The Ancient Romans and Greeks left their aqueducts and the Walls of Constantine. The Byzantines and Genoese left their domed churched with arches. The Ottoman Empire left its castles, palaces and mosques. And the European Baroque styles and Art Nouveau palaces and mansions that followed add more to the eclectic landscape of Istanbul.

Hagia Sophia

This museum was once a church and then a mosque. Hagia Sophia, also known as the Church of the Holy Wisdom, is most known for its unique dome.

Thanks to the dome’s umbrella shape, its weight rests on the pendentives between the 40 windows along its base. Light shines through the windows from all directions, which gives the impression that the dome is hovering. This pendentive dome was a Byzantine invention.

Blue Mosque

Six minarets towering over the skyline of Istanbul make it easy to locate the Blue Mosque. On closer inspection, visitors can also observe a series of cascading domes on the building’s exterior.

Inside, the walls and ceiling are lined with more than 20,000 handmade blue ceramic tiles, which give the mosque its name. The massive mosque can hold up to 10,000 people, and was built to out-do Istanbul’s most famous church at the time, Hagia Sophia.

Column of Constantine

When Constantine the Great declared the city the capital of the Roman Empire in 330, he built this commemorative column.

The original was 50 meters tall, had a statue of Constantine dressed as Apollo at top, and was said to contain several Christian relics.

Natural disasters have weathered the column and a fire in 1779 left black scorch marks on its sides. Today the column stands 35 meters tall and is a symbol of the Roman empire in Istanbul.

Chicago, USA

Unlike many cities on this list, Chicago is not a city with a long-established architectural history. The Great Chicago Fire of 1871 destroyed most of the city’s buildings, and the Chicago that stands today was built afterward. This city makes the list because the skyscraper was born here.

Architect William Le Baron Jenney is generally credited with the first skyscraper, a ten-story building that stood in downtown Chicago. Unlike the brick and stone buildings of the time, this one was built with cast iron, wrought iron and steel. The so-called skeleton construction was a system of beams and columns that allowed for a multi-story framework and invited the development of safer elevators, central heating systems, and further developments in steel construction.

With these advancements, competition between Chicago architects led to taller and taller skyscrapers. In addition, Louis Sullivan’s Chicago School of Architecture and Frank Lloyd Wright’s Prairie School of Architecture were born here – just two styles that have given Chicago an even bigger name in the world of architecture.

One of the most convenient ways to learn and see the most about the city’s architecture is to take a Chicago boat and architecture tour. Several companies operate these tours along the Chicago river.

Willis Tower, formerly Sears Tower

Willis Tower dominates the Chicago skyline as the tallest and most iconic building in the city. Sears, Roebuck & Co., financed the skyscraper’s construction and built it to house their employees.

The renamed Willis Tower now houses various offices and businesses and its skydeck ledge on the 103rd floor is a popular tourist destination. The ledge is actually an enclosed glass box that extend 4.3 feet from the building so that visitors can see 1,353 feet straight down.

Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio

Frank Lloyd Wright revolutionized the art and architecture of the 20th century, and it’s worth the short trip to the suburbs to see where he lived and worked for the first 20 years of his career.

It was in his Prairie-style studio that he designed 125 structures, including such famous buildings as the Robie House, the Larkin Building and Unity Temple.

Cloud Gate

One of the most popular attractions for both locals and tourists in Chicago is the Cloud Gate, which reflects 80% of the city’s skyline on its surface. This interactive sculpture is essentially a giant stainless steal bean that acts as a mirror.

Spectators can see their images distort as they walk all around the sculpture or underneath its 9-foot arch. The best viewing time is at night, when the lights from Chicago skyscrapers illuminate the bean’s surface.

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Although Chicago gave birth to the skyscraper, in recent years Dubai has been the city to master constructing these tall and extravagant buildings.

Dubai’s economy was initially built on oil, but its oil reserves have already been significantly depleted and only account for a small percentage of the economy. So the government recently decided to reinvent its image as a major international hub of commerce.

A wide-scale real estate boom followed, which completely changed the city’s landscape in a short period of time. Dubai now houses some of the tallest and most contemporary and ambitious architecture in the world.

More construction is in the works despite rumors that it lacks sufficient financing. New construction is so prevalent in Dubai that reports claim the city houses between 15 and 25 percent of all the world’s cranes.

Burj Al Arab

This luxury hotel is the only self-proclaimed seven-star hotel in the world. The building exterior is meant to represent Dubai’s transformation and resembles a sail.

The hotel actually rests on an artificial island 280 meters from the shore and is connected to the mainland by a bridge. As you would guess, rooms here aren’t cheap. Suites start at $2,000 per night and can cost as much as $28,000.

Burj Khalifa

As of 2010, this skyscraper is the tallest man-made building ever built. The $150 billion building has 160 floors and stands at 828 meters (2,717 feet) high.

That’s 52 floors more than Chicago’s Willis Tower and 320 meters taller than Tawain’s Taipei 101, which was formerly the world’s tallest building.

The Burj Khalifa also boasts the world’s highest mosque, the world’s highest swimming pool, and it is the tallest free-standing structure in the world.

The World

This archipelago of 300 man-made islands was constructed with sand dredged from the sea. Fresh water, utilities and power are routed underwater to the islands.

The islands are meant to look like a map of the Earth and can be seen from space. Private buyers can purchase individual islands for $15 – $50 million.

Athens, Greece

Athens is a city for travelers who are drawn to architecture with clues about the culture and lifestyle of people of the past. The Ancient Greeks were political, religious, and proud. They built many monuments to celebrate victories, to give honor to the deities, and to stroke their own egos.

Greek architecture is often associated with temples and columns. The Doric, Ionic and Corinthian orders designed by Ancient Greek architects have proved to be timeless and are apparent in many of the buildings that still stand in Athens today. The friezes and sculptures housed in Athens temples provide insight into the lives and worship practices of the Athenians of yesteryear. They depict battles, processions, important statesmen, and deities.

Parthenon

This temple to the Greek goddess Athena was finished in 432 BC and is the most important surviving structure remaining from Ancient Greece. It still stands even after 2,500 years of weathering, war, and vandalism.

The Parthenon is an art history teacher’s dream, complete with columns of both the Doric and Ionic order, metopes depicting various battles, pedimental sculptures, and a frieze.

Temple of Athena Nike

Although this temple is the smallest on the hill, it is the first to greet visitors to the Acropolis of Athens. The height-to-diameter ratio of its columns is unusual; it is 7:1, whereas most Ionic buildings are 9:1 or 10:1.

The Temple of Athena Nike was built with marble and was a place to worship gods and goddesses of war. Fragments of the original frieze are housed in the Acropolis Museum and copies rest in their place inside the temple.

Temple of Olympian Zeus

Only the ruins of this once grandiose temple remain, but it still represents the power and pride of past Athenian rulers. Various rulers sought to finish the temple to their own governments and themselves, but death and war prevented its completion.

The temple was finally dedicated in 132 AD, several centuries after constructions first began. But it was badly damaged and pillaged shortly after, and was never fully restored.

Rome, Italy

The Romans made alterations to Greek and Etruscan architecture to create a new style that was practical and creative. You can still see much of this style in the Italian capital of Rome.

For example, the Romans used arches, concrete and bricks to build the aqueducts that supplied water to their densely populated city. Visitors to Rome can also observe numerous domes, which the city’s architects used to fortify ceilings and expand the interior space of buildings, as best seen in the Pantheon.

The Romans revolutionized construction with the introduction of concrete as a primary building material. They found it was cheaper and stronger than the previously popular marble. And of course, it was the Romans who perfected the amphitheater.

These multi-purpose structures display the complexity of Roman architecture because they combine many of their advances at once. And, like much of Roman construction, the amphitheaters were not only functional, but also aesthetically pleasing.

Pantheon

The Pantheon that stands today is not the original, but it is still an architectural marvel of its time and is the best-preserved building in Rome. This was the first temple to combine concrete construction with the classical Greek columns.

In addition, the giant 142-foot dome was the largest in existence until 1960. The dome is still impressive. The distance from the top of the dome to the floor is equal to its diameter.

Colosseum

The Colosseum is a remarkable monument because of its practical and efficient architecture. It could seat up to 50,000 people and had about 80 entrances so many people could enter and leave at once. The Colosseum was equipped for a variety of performances such as battle reenactments, theater, executions and mock sea battles.

The structure has been damaged by earthquakes and robbers, but its remains still represent the architectural prowess of the Romans.

Aqueducts

The Romans built 11 aqueducts to bring bathing and drinking water to their densely populated city. Tunnels and several tiers of arches helped direct the flow of water for long distances and over rocky terrain.

Roman architects dedicated an enormous amount of planning to the construction of each aqueduct to determine the length, size and grade needed.

What’s your favorite architecture-rich city? What great building did we leave off the list? Share your thoughts in the comments section at the end of this article.

You know the neighborhood straightaway – Chinese signage, glowing red lanterns everywhere, maybe even some neon: you’ve stumbled into another urban Chinatown.

Nearly every large city these days has a Chinatown, each with their own vibrant feel, but distinct features of the look are common across most of them. Here are seven of the best Chinatowns you can visit; would you have identified the city just from the photo?

Sydney, Australia

The Chinatown in Sydney reflects on Australia’s bright, sun-drenched image: the neighborhood is one of the brightest and cleanest you will find. The current location in Haymarket is the third location for Chinatown; it started out near in Rocks are near the harbor, then moved to Market Street, and finally settled here in the 1920s.

A tourist must-do experience is shopping at Market City, full of specialty stores and factory outlet stores. Don’t miss the dining options in one of the massive food halls either; while it may seem daunting with all the choices and busy atmosphere, the low prices and tasty fare all make up for it. An annual highlight is the Chinese New Year festival, said to be one of the best in the world.

New York, United States

New York City takes top marks for its Chinatown because it has not only one, but three: the main tourist attraction in Manhattan, one in the neighborhood of Flushing in Queens, and a bustling community in Brooklyn’s Sunset Park.

Canal Street is the epicenter of the Manhattan action, with endless photo opportunities for the camera-toting tourists. Rows of shops offer up the traditional Chinatown fare: unusual Chinese gifts, tacky New York inspired souvenirs, fake watches and purses.

There are a large number of herbal remedy stores and the best-stocked Chinese grocery stores on all of the east coast. Visitors take note – while New York is the city that never sleeps, Chinatown closes its doors around 11pm.

San Francisco, United States

San Francisco’s Chinatown is a mega-attraction: it’s the largest Chinese community outside of Asia, the oldest Chinatown in North America, and one of the most popular tourist attractions in the city. With charming alleyways that wouldn’t look out of place in Hong Kong and the older men playing chess and performing Tai Chi in Portsmouth Square, it is no wonder this is a crowd pleaser.

Locals stream in on the weekends for food shopping and to soak up the local atmosphere around such gorgeous sights as the Bank of Canton and Sing Chong Building.

To learn more about the history of San Francisco’s Chinatown, pick up a copy of Amy Tan’s The Joy Luck Club – she grew up in the area and the book describes life here in a series of vignettes.

Bangkok, Thailand

Known as just Sampeng or Yaowarat, after nearby streets, Bangkok’s Chinatown is as old as the city itself. In the late 1700s, as the young city of Bangkok expanded, Chinese traders were asked to relocate. They settled here near the river where they’ve been ever since.

The area has a number of examples of early Bangkok architecture in pristine condition, found down the various lanes and narrow streets.

Tourists will be quick to point out the Wat Traimit temple, which houses the world’s largest solid gold Buddha, weighing in at over 5 tons. Don’t miss the great shopping opportunities, especially the wares on display in the old Chinese pharmacy.

Brisbane, Australia

One of the more modern versions of a Chinatown, Brisbane’s Chinatown Mall opened in 1987. The colorful architecture was designed by Chinese architects and is guarded by a pair of massive stone lions straddling the area’s entrance.

The authentic feel of neighborhood makes it a popular stop for both tourists and residents, especially on weekends when market stalls line the streets.

Many of the shops could be considered more pan-Asian than decidedly Chinese; however the most popular food stop would be Yuen’s Chinese Supermarket, a favorite to both Chinese and Australian families.

Paris, France

Unknown to many tourists, Paris actually has several Chinatowns, the largest being in the 13th arrondissement. The name Chinatown is slightly misleading, as many of residents are ethnic Chinese that emigrated from Communist-controlled Vietnam in the late 1970s.

Although not as aesthetically pleasing as Paris’s more notable districts, Chinatown has many hidden charms below the towering skyscrapers.

The Parisian influence was not lost on the Chinese, as you’ll find many shops with exotic household furnishings, plush but garish nail salons and garment stores. Many wear by the food supplies of La Boutique des frère Tang (The Tang Brothers), who supply most of the Chinese restaurants in the city. Visitors should note that most shops and restaurants are closed on Mondays.

Yokohama, Japan

Yokohama hosts the largest Chinatown in all of Asia; the neighborhood blossomed when the Port of Yokohama opened to foreign trade in 1859 as many of the traders were Chinese and settled here. The lanes and streets of Chinatown are marked by the nine gaudy but colorful gates found throughout.

Food is front and center, with over 200 restaurants serving up both traditional and more modern Chinese delicacies – be sure to try a plate of steamed pork buns, but you can be sure that anywhere with a queue is worth waiting for.

For those with a ravenous stomach, head for the Daisekai (Daska), a “food theme park” offering samples of various dishes from the city’s best restaurants. Be sure to take your Chinese or Japanese dictionary as English is not Yokohama’s strong suit.