Montenegro : a small, young and beautiful country

Montenegro is in South Europe and lies between Albania and Croatia along the coast of Adriatic Sea.  Its population is just above 600,000 with territories of just over 5,000 square miles.  It joined Yugoslavia during its creation in 1918.  It avoided the bloody ethnic wars when Yugoslavia broke down into different states in the 1990s.  Until 2006, people of Montenegro voted to declare its independence and became one of the young sovereign states with the United Nations.

During our trip to the Balkans, my wife and I spent two days in this beautiful country.  Monte-negro means black mountains.  In fact, you can see its high mountains raising up right from the Adriatic Sea coast.

(Montenegro coast along the Adriatic Sea)

(Big cruises ship can dock at the old city of Kotor)

Within its small territories, Montenegro has diversity of landscapes, plants, birds and marine lives.  Lake Kadar is one of the most important fresh ecosystem in South Europe.  Hundreds species of European birds past through the lake during their migrations.

(Many birds rest in the Lake Kadar)

(Can you see the kingfisher - blue bird)

The coastal areas along Adriatic Sea enjoy warn weather with lot of sunshine.  Traditionally, Montenegro has great olive oil, orange and wines.  We had tried them and they were really good. Because of its limited production, you may not find their farm products in your department stores. 

In the past years, Montenegro attracts millions of tourists from Europe and all over the world.  They come to enjoy the sunny warm weather, beautiful natural scenery, great seafood and wines.

(Evening in the seashore resort)

During summer time, the old cities Budva and Kotor are packed with tourists.  This provides important source of foreign exchange and employment opportunities to Montenegro.  Properties along its beautiful coast also attract foreign investment.

(Sveti Stefan island is now converted into a hotel resort complex)

Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania : long road to independence

This was our first time visiting the Baltic countries, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.  My wife and I took the cruise from Stockholm to Tallin, capital of Estonia.  From there we travelled south to Latvia and Lithuania by bus.  It was Spring.  We were lucky to have sunny weather in most part of the trip.

(Beautiful spring flowers on sale in the market)

 

(Blue sky and clear water surrounding the Trakai Island Castle)

History of these Baltic countries can be traced back to the medieval world around the 12th century.  Denmark king first cross the Baltic Sea and subdued the local peoples.  This was followed by Sweden as its power overtook Denmark in the Northern Europe.  The Germanic traders and landlords gradually dominated this area around the 16th century.  Until the 19th century, the Russian Tsars took control of the Baltic land.  Later, Nazi Germany and USSR had fought over this flat forest land.

(City of Tallin with church towers overlooking the surrounding houses)

(School children touring the old town of Tallin)

(Historical Germanic guild house in Riga)

Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania first got their independence as countries in the 1920s.  However this did not last long.  Their people experienced hardship with occupations by Nazi and Red Army.  Eventually they were drawn as part of the USSR in the 1940s.  Not until the breakup of the USSR in the 1990s, these countries regained their independence for the second time.

(The Hill of Cross as memory of the loved ones and the struggle of Lithuania)

(Modern buildings shown up in Vilnius)

The road to independence for these Baltic countries is by no mean simple.  There were ups and downs with the experiments of democratic governments.  They had been living between strong national neighbors.  With their limited populations, economic and military strengthens, their independence were not always rock solid. 

(Vilnius university as one of the oldest university from medieval time)

Brunei : paradise in the Southeast Asia

Brunei is a small country in the Southeast Asia with less than half a million people.  The country is ruled by its Sultan who succeeded his founding father from the 16th century.  With its oil and natural gas resources, Brunei chose to remind independent with support of the British.  Nowadays, Brunei still engage an army of well-trained Gurkha to safeguard its oilfields. 

(One of the beautiful mosques built by Sultans for their people)

Brunei is facing the South China Sea in the Tropical area.  The weather is hot with abundant rainfall year round.  There is absence of natural disaster such as typhoon or earthquake. With good income from oil and gas, the Sultan has provided his country free education and health care.  The country is also well served by its airline, the Royal Brunei Airline, connecting the outside world.  The crime rate here is low.  Local people are living happily in this paradise land.

(Happy children of Brunei)

 

(Houses built over the water) 

Other than oil and gas, Brunei does not have much industry.  Most of its coastal marshland and tropical rain forests are largely reminded unexplored.  The absence of tourist crowds make it a good destination to explore the nature and to enjoy its natural beauty.

(Mangrove trees in the marshland provide shelters to seabirds and marine lives)

During our short stay in Brunei, we made an interesting outing to its tropical rain forest in the Temburong National Park.  Our trip first started with an hour ride on speed boat along the narrow waterways among mangrove trees and nipa palms.  Then, a van took us into the national park. We changed to local long boat up the river.  Tall strangling figs on both sides of the river looked like giants guarding the forest from unwanted intruders. 

(Long boat sailing up the river)

(Hanging bridge inside the forest)

After the boat ride, we walked up the hill for half an hour inside the forest.  A few of us climbed up 150 feet to the tree canopy walkway.  This was my first experience up in the tree canopy.  The scenery up there was great.  Many epiphytic plants, wild orchids and inserts were found up there.  You would forget the busy city life and merge yourself into the nature.   

(Tree canopy walkway)

(Epiphytic plant growing on the tree truck)

Romantic medieval towns of Italy : Verona, Assisi and Napoli

Italy is possibly one of the countries that have many United Nations World Heritage Sites.  The Roman Empire first built its presence in the nowadays Rome.  Even after the fall of the Roman Empire, there were many medieval towns came up in the Italian peninsula.  Many romantic stories from these medieval towns are still being told in modern history.  Last fall, my wife and I visited a few of them.

Verona
Many of you remember the story of Romeo and Juliet possibly from the Shakespeare play.  Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet came from the city of Verona.  A quarter of million people still live in this lovely town that has a Roman arena and few medieval piazzas. 

(The Shakespeare play told us that Juliet talked to Romeo from her balcony)

(The Roman Arena is still a popular venue for performances in Verona)

(Center of Piazza Erbe - criminals in medieval time would be chained there) 

Assisi
If you are a Catholic, you must know St. Francis.  Even if you are not a Catholic, you possibly aware of his story or schools that bear his name.  The Francis of Assisi (1182-1226), a rich merchant's son turned a devoted and humble monk, built up the famous Franciscan school in the Catholic world.  His personal example and legend bring many followers even up today.

(Early morning in Assisi)

(The Basilica of St. Francis where the tomb of St. Francis resided)

The city of Assisi was built on a small hill overlooking the surrounding farmlands.  The city looks very much like its medieval form.  Each year, millions of Christians come to this holy place.  This time, we stayed in a nice hotel with many religious paintings.  Its quiet and present atmosphere made our stay even more enjoyable.

(One of the painting in the hotel lobby)

Napoli
You may not recall Napoli but you possibly remember the Italian lyrics - Santa Lucia. The song sings about Santa Lucia, the beautiful coast of Napoli.  We enjoyed the morning walk along Santa Lucia and the warm Mediterranean climate.

(The Norman-found Castle dell'Ovo "Egg Castle" in Santa Luca)

Napoli was first found by the Greek sailors even before Roman time.  It was well situated in the middle of the Italian peninsula and in the Mediterranean Sea.  In the Medieval time, Napoli had been under the Norman control as part of the Sicily Kingdom.  Since then, it was under the French and later the Spanish control.   

(Many cruises called on Napoli so that tourists could visit the famous Pompeii ruin)

Rural Japan : tradition and harmony

My business travels to Japan were mostly to its major cities, Tokyo and Nagoya. This time, my wife and I made a leisure trip to the rural Japan. We stayed in hotels that were well-known to the locals for their hot springs.

(Foliage in Mt. Tateyama)

Travelling outside the cities allows you to see more traditional Japanese communities.  Intensively cultivated farms and carefully managed orchards can be seen along the rural roads.  Glasshouses are also common for better controlled environment and protection from cold weather.

(Local farmer attending his paddy field)



(Village in Hida Furukawa after morning rain)

You can feel the sense of quiet and peace in the rural villages.  There are not many cars on the roads.  Village houses are small and orderly built around the green fields. Rural population has long been drawn towards cities for better education and career opportunities. 

(Old village house converted into lodging in Shirakawa-go)
 

(Cottage pottery industry)

(Street market of farm products)

Japanese garden initially followed Chinese in its early creation.  Gradually, it formed its own unique styles.  Gardeners follow strict traditions in attending their plants.  They are well maintained in orderly ways.  A strong sense of quiet beauty can be felt by visitors walking inside the garden.  The Japanese Zen garden is its extreme example. 

(Classical Japanese garden - Kenroku-en)

(Pine tree of five hundred years old)

In the past century, Japanese gardeners had helped creating many beautiful gardens in North America.  With the fusion of both East and West gardening techniques, Japanese garden find its new live in the new territories.  If you are interested to see more, you can read Brown, Kendall H.. Quiet beauty: the Japanese gardens of North America. Vermont: Tuttle Publishing, 2013.

Hainan : the pearl of South China Sea

Hainan is in the Southern part of China and its second largest island.  The island falls between Tropical and Sub-tropical zones in the South China Sea.  In recent years, Hainan is being developed into a world-class resort island with plenty of sunshine and beautiful beaches.

(Hainan as Hawaii of China) 

Hainan was formed by volcanic activities million years ago with high mountains in the center and lowlands along its seashores.  It have abundant of hot springs which add attraction to many resorts in the island. The aboriginals of Hainan, known as Li people, have lived in the island for more than three thousand years.  Immigrants from Mainland settled in the lowlands and gradually out-numbered the aboriginals.

(Status of aborigine, Li, legend)  

 

(Tropical forest in the central part of island)

Tourists from Russian was first attacked to Hainan by its tropical weather and beautiful beaches even before China opened its door to the West.  In the past ten years, many Western resort hotels and golf clubs were developed in the island.  Two international airports, in Haikou in the North and Saniya in the South, provide direct flights to many cities in China and overseas.



(Golf club built on top of volcanic land)

(Thai-style resort)

(Coconut trees around the swimming pool)

(Expansive apartment building near the cruise terminal)

South China Sea is rich in oceanic resources.  It is strategically important to the ocean-going trade routes.  This draws tension between China and its neighboring states in the recent years.  The South China Navy is stationed in Saniya in the South.  You can easily see some of the marine boats nearby.

(Chinese navy ship)

The Aegean Sea : it is blue and white

Each summer, millions of tourists from around the world come to the Aegean Sea. They come to enjoy its beautiful sunshine, to cruise around its islands and to visit some of its historical sites.  The Aegean Sea lies between Turkey and Greece.  The early Minoan and Hellenic civilizations developed around the Aegean Sea and its islands several thousand years ago. 

(The Duden waterfall in the seashore of Antalya, Turkey)

          

(The St. John Castle in Bodrum, Turkey)

Taking pictures in the Aegean Sea, you will find blue and white as their main colors - blue sea, blue sky, white clouds and white houses.  With abundant sunlight and beautiful environment, you will be surprised by your ability in taking many good photos.

(St. Paul Bay in the Rhodes Island)
 

Among the islands of the Aegean Sea, Santorini is one of the most interesting one.  Its sea coastlines are composed of high cliffs, volcanic rocks and flat land.  Santorini was known as Thera in ancient Greek time.  About four thousand years ago, major volcanic eruptions took place in the Thera island.  The eruptions were so strong that it blew off part of the island.  Such nature disease also started the decline of the Minoan civilization. 

(High cliff formed by volcanic activities in Santorini)

(A small uninhabited island of volcanic rocks in Santorini)

Nowadays, tourism is the main support of the local economics in Santorini.  If you stay in the island for two to three days, you can enjoy its great natural beauties in leisure.  You can also hire a donkey taxi taking you through its narrow streets and many white houses.  There are over three hundred churches in the island.  They are more than enough for the locals if not for the tourists.

(White houses and hotels built on the cliff of Santorini)

(One of the many churches in Santorini)

(A little girl in Santorini showing off her pet)

When taking the cruise in the Aegean Sea this summer, there is time for personal reading.  Homer's Lliad and Odyssey or Apollonius's Voyage of Argo can be interesting.  They will take you back to the ancient Hellenic world and their exciting sea journeys through the Aegean Sea.