Hikes

Europe 2026 – Day 1, Montreux, Switzerland

We left Florida on Tuesday, August 4^th, and landed in Geneva on Wednesday, August 5^th at 10:00 am. We hooked up with our guide and driver for an hour drive to our hotel in Montreux. Montreux is a traditional resort town on Lake Geneva. Nestled between steep hills and the lakeside, it’s known for its mild microclimate and the Montreux Jazz Festival, held in July. The town’s promenade is lined with flowers, sculptures, Mediterranean trees and grand Belle Époque buildings. Offshore is a medieval island castle, Château de Chillon, with ramparts, formal halls and a chapel with 14th-century murals. Montreux is also noted for its relationship with Freddie Mercury and Queen. Our hotel overlooks Lake Geneva (Lac Léman, another of its names). Out of our room window we can see the façade of the town’s main railway station. After settling in, we walked the Lakeside promenade before dinner – enjoying the views of the mountains in France on the opposite shore, the flowers, and the statues of musicians and literary notables spaced along the walk and in several pocket parks.

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China 2026 – June 24 Shanghi (2)

Yuyuan Garden – Its history begins way back in the Ming Dynasty, over 400 years ago. A government official named Pan Yunduan started building the garden in 1559.

He wanted to create a peaceful and happy place for his parents to enjoy in their old age. That’s why it’s called “Yu” Garden, as “Yu” can mean peace, pleasure, or satisfaction.

Over the many centuries, the garden has seen good times and hard times. It has been damaged, repaired, and changed hands, reflecting the ups and downs of Shanghai‘s own history.

The Bund – Huangpu District in Shanghai, historically known as the city’s business center, is home to a mix of old and new, traditional and modern. Iconic landmarks such as the Bund, a riverside promenade lined with colonial-era buildings, and the futuristic Oriental Pearl Tower, dominate the skyline. Shanghai’s oldest and busiest shopping street, Nanjing Road, is located here.

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China 2026 – June 29 – Hong Kong

Symphony of Lights

Repulse Bay Beach and Stanley Market

Repulse Beach is considered one of the most beautiful beaches in Hong Kong. Stanley Market is (was) one of Hong Kong’s most popular shopping and seaside spots – not so much anymore.

On Hong Kong Island, Aberdeen Harbour is an icon of the city, with classic junks, floating seafood restaurants, and captivating views. We took a flat-bottomed sampan boat to tour the harbour. Our first view was that of an abandoned floating restaurant – which was a once-iconic photo of Hong Kong along with 2 other. Besides houseboats, we viewed a hillside cemetery, several of which are visible throughout the island.

The Monster Building from the Transformers movie – with its 300 sq. foot apartments for a mere ?????

Chi Lin Nunnery and Nan Lian Garden

Chi Lin Nunnery, a large Buddhist temple complex, was originally established in 1934 as a retreat for Buddhist nuns. Chi Lin Nunnery stands as the world’s largest hand-made wooden building constructed without the use of a single nail. This remarkable architectural feat was achieved through the use of interlocking systems meticulously carved into cypress wood, showcasing an incredible harmony with nature.

The Nan Lian Garden is a classic Chinese garden located on Diamond Hill in Kowloon. It covers an area of 35,000 m² and was designed in the traditional Tang Dynasty style. The garden has rockeries, water features, trees, hills, and traditional timber structures. Paths meander through the garden, and at the center are two lotus ponds.

Victoria Peak & Tram

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China 2026 – June 30

Busy day on our own – no guide or driver today. We wandered by cab, on foot, and by subway.

Kowloon-Walled City Park

Sik Sik Yuen Wong Tai Sin Temple

This temple was amazing – gold everywhere – but no interior photos were allowed.

Views from the Star Ferry – a HK must-do

July 1st is our last day of this adventure. We will visit a couple of museums, then head to the airport for our 10:30 PM overnight flight. 18.5 hours later, we will be back in Florida. Hopefully I will salvage a quirky external hard drive and update the days I haven’t posted.

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China 2026 – June 28 / 29 – Guilin & Bullet Train to Hong Kong

On the 28th, we cruised the Guilin City Moat. Then on the 29th took another bullet train to Hong Kong, arriving there in a late afternoon in the rain. Before dinner, we walked to Victoria Harbour for a quick look at the skyline.

Rainy night in Hong Kong

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China 2026 – June 27 – Guilin

Well, you must be wondering why you’re missing several days of posts – hard drive and internet issues abound. I’ll be posting more current topics as soon as I can and will go over the missing days when I can or after we return to Florida.

Reed Flute Cave

The Reed Flute Cave, also known as “the Palace of Natural Arts,” is a landmark and tourist attraction in Guilin, China. The cave got its name from the type of reed growing outside, which can be made into flutes. Reed Flute Cave is filled with stalactites, stalagmites and other rock formations. Inside, there are more than 70 inscriptions of poems and travelogues written in ink, the oldest of which can be dated to 792 AD in the Tang dynasty. It was rediscovered in the 1940s by a group of refugees fleeing the Japanese troops. Nowadays, multicolored lighting artificially illuminates the cave.

Elephant Trunk Hill is the symbol of the city of Guilin. It got its name because it looks like an elephant drinking water. The round opening beneath the elephant’s trunk is known as Water-Moon Cave because, at night, the reflection of the moon can be seen through the arch, making it look as if it is underwater, floating on the surface. Elephant Trunk Hill and Water Moon Cave are located at the confluence of the Taohua River and the Lijiang River.

Tea Plantation

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China 2026 – June 20 – Qutang George from 1388 meters up & Beacon Fires of 3 Kingdoms Show

Outang George is the narrowest and shortest of the 3 Gorges, spanning just 8 kilometers, with the river narrowing to roughly 100 to 150 meters across, flanked by staggering 1,200-meter-tall mountains. The gorge is famously entered through this narrow pass, an iconic natural gateway that is even featured on the back of the Chinese 10-yuan banknote. Unfortunate for us, the clouds and rain are moving in. Still the Peak of Three Gorges Park was impressive.

Beacon Fires of 3 Kingdoms Show

“Fengyan Three Kingdoms” is a large-scale outdoor live performance that brings the epic tales of the Three Kingdoms period (220–280 AD) to life. Staged near the Yangtze River, this show combines grandiose sets, stunning visual effects, and immersive storytelling to create an unforgettable cultural experience.

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China 2026 – June 18 & 19 –Chongqing & Ghost City

Waterfront Night Views

Chongqing Zoo Pandas

Chongqing Three Gorges Museum Area

Fengdu Ghost City

According to legend, Fengdu got its name of Ghost City during the Eastern Han dynasty, when two imperial officials, Yin Changsheng and Wang Fangping, came to Ming Mountain to practice Taoism and, in the process, became immortals. The site features eerie shrines and colorful statues that depict demons and the torments of hell. It blends Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism to teach morality.

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In March 1974, a group of peasants digging a well in China’s drought-parched Shaanxi province unearthed fragments of a clay figure—the first evidence of what would turn out to be one of the greatest archaeological discoveries of modern times. Near the unexcavated tomb of Qin Shi Huang—who proclaimed himself first emperor of China in 221 B.C.E.—lay an extraordinary underground treasure: an entire army of life-size terra-cotta soldiers and horses, interred for more than 2,000 years. Over the past 50 years, archaeologists have located some 600 pits, a complex of underground vaults, across a 22-square-mile area. Some are hard to get to, but three major pits are easily accessible, enclosed inside Emperor Qinshihuang’s Mausoleum Site Museum, constructed around the discovery site and opened in 1979 as the four-acre Museum of Qin Terra-Cotta Warriors and Horses. In one pit, long columns of warriors, reassembled from broken pieces, stand in formation. With their topknots or caps, their tunics or armoured vests, their goatees or close-cropped beards, the soldiers exhibit an astonishing individuality. A second pit inside the museum demonstrates how they appeared when they were found: Some stand upright, buried to their shoulders in soil, while others lie toppled on their backs, alongside fallen and cracked clay horses. Exhibitions have featured statuary—armoured officers, infantrymen, and standing and kneeling archers—as well as terra-cotta horses and replicas of intricately detailed bronze chariots, drawn by bronze horses. These artifacts offer a glimpse of the treasure trove that attracts visitors to the Xi’an museum site, where more than 2,000 of the estimated 8,000 warriors have been disinterred so far.

Grand Wild Goose Pagoda

There is a legend about the pagoda’s name. According to ancient stories of Buddhists, there were two branches, for one of which eating meat was not a taboo. One day, they couldn’t find any meat to buy. Upon seeing a group of big wild geese flying by, a monk said to himself: “Today we have no meat. I hope the merciful Bodhisattva can give us some.” At that very moment, the leading wild goose broke its wings and fell to the ground. All the monks were startled and believed that Bodhisattva showed his spirit to order them to be more pious. In response to this divine message, they established a pagoda where the wild goose fell and stopped eating meat thereafter. Hence its name.