What a way to end 2007… New York Times Article on Beijing’s Air Quality and Impact on the Upcoming 2008 Olympics

Over the last couple of years I have posted several times on the issues related to air quality in Beijing. Overall, and as usual, images say a lot about the situation, but now New York Times has published another article (part of a series) discussing the issues with the current state of air pollution in the city. Here is a link to the article (you will need to create yourself a login/a free account to be able to see the complete articles) -

Beijing’s Olympic Quest: Turn Smoggy Sky Blue

The article is weird in some ways — it is trying to show the issues facing Beijing people as well as the Olympics, but it also big time misses on some facts: For example, the article claims that large (diesel) trucks are forbidden from entering the city before midnight… Yes, this might be true as a policy, but anyone who has driven along JinShunLu (from the 3rd loop road towards ShunYi or in the opposite direction) knows and has seen the endless procession of huge trucks spewing smoke….Yes, sometimes the police stops the trucks, but from what I understand that happens when these trucks are very dangerously overloaded (not just overloaded :-) mind you)

I am not going to debate if the air quality has improved or not over the last several years…but I am very curious as to where New York Times gets their facts and how they verify their articles…

Having said that, the other aspects that the article shows are pointing some of the disconnects — eventhough the number of blue sky days has increased particulate matter is still way high. One clue — the trucks that keep coming into Beijing — not all the way to TianAnMen but even if they go only to the 3rd loop road the impact on the city air is done…

At any rate, take a look at the article and/or just look outside of your window (if you live in Beijing). The local government is pusing in the right direction — more green buildings, more effort on renewable energy (after all one of the fastest growing Solar Panel companies in the world is in China), and now is the time to further strengthen enforcement of good rules.

Visit to Etara - an Ethnographic Museum in the open - a working museum of arts and crafts from 18th-19th century Bulgaria

I am finally getting to the point of putting together a posting about one of the interesting architectural, cultural, and historic sites in Bulgaria — the open air museum ETARA. My family and I visited the location during our trip to Bulgaria earlier in August of 2007. The museum is located about 8 km (about 5miles) south of the town of Gabrovo. The location is essential in the northern slopes of the Balkan range near by the Shipka mountain pass.

The village demonstrates traditional Bulgarian artisan crafts and the tools and workshops used in the last couple of centuries in the Gabrovo region of the country. Some of the workshops’ tools are powered by water - essentially the old artisans diverted water from the near by rivers and powered tools like

• sharpening stones
• mill stones
• old style washing machines (for carpets, blankets, etc)
• wood working milling machines
• even a machine for weaving

The museum also demonstrates several styles of Bulgarian architecture as well as unique stone plate covered roofs. Also you can observe a roof implemented from half tree trunks interlocked by carving the middle of the trunks

Here are some images from the museum — you can see the houses and workshops / village streets, as well as the famous Clock Tower of the village (most bigger Bulgarian villages and towns of the 18th, 19th century had those clock towers in the village center/square):

At Old Village Etara in Bulgaria

While at the museum you can also purchase some actual crafts done by the local artisans — things like jewelry (my mother in law purchased a nice silver ring), rugs (kilim style), wood carvings, paintings, and of course some local delicacies.

Near by the entrance of the museum you can stop for lunch in the local hotel restaurant. The food is very good - featuring traditional Bulgarian dishes and of course excellent beer.

Quick Review of Beijing Shangri-La, China World, Kerry Center Hotel, Traders Hotel, and Holiday Inn Temple of Heaven

So you are planing for a trip to Beijing. Your next question is, which hotel should I stay in. Aside from Corporate requirements (if you are on a business travel) or room availability, you can consider what area of Beijing you will have to spend most of your time in. Here are some recommendations and brief reviews:

• Technology area of Beijing - Haidian District, ShangDi area:

If you are visiting the technology area of the city — i.e. Haidian Disrict or ShangDi, you will be better off staying in the Shangri-La. The hotel is located near the 3rd loop road in the Northwest part of town. The rooms are very nice and comfortable, the rates are great (probably a lot to do with the fact that the hotel is a bit out of the main downtown area of the city). The outside of the hotel does not look very impressive, but do not let that convince you not to stay there. The inside is completely renovated. In the back of the hotel there is a very nice Chinese garden (with the “mandatory” courtyard pavilions), which is a place for a nice afternoon tea or a walk. The hotel staff is very attentive, Cafe Cha has a great breakfast and dinner buffets, and if you desire you could sample the good Japanese restaurant. Overall a very comfortable hotel. One additional bonus, for those of you with business plans for visits to technology companies in Haidian district, the location of the hotel will save you the hassles of the 3rd loop road (if coming from downtown).

• Central part of Beijing (near TianAnMen, GuoMao, WangFuJing, the Forbidden City, Panjiayuan Market…)

If you are going to spend most of your time in the Central part of the city then China World, Traders Hotel, Kerry Center are all good options.

China World — probably one of the fanciest hotels in Beijing (aside from the Grand Hyatt, Peninsula, or St. Regis); Very conveniently located - a subway station is located in the underground floor of the shopping mall under the hotel; Also in the underground mall you can find a grocery store, as well as some other stores. Behind the hotel is a parking garage (if you need to meet with folks living in Beijing — they will need a place to park :-) — believe me a good choice for those of us who live in Beijing and have had to meet people coming to visit), across the street is an extension of the shopping area with some restaurants. The South Beauty Sichuan restaurant is a good choice. The rooms of the China World hotel are very posh — and the entire hotel is very beautiful.

Traders Hotel - this is a more budget oriented (business fare wise) hotel, member of the Shangri-La chain. The rooms are definitely a bit more worn out (in comparison with China World and Kerry Center) but still a relatively god deal given that the hotel has the same location as China World.

Kerry Center Hotel - this is considered one of the most visited business hotels in downtown Beijing. Another hotel part of the Shangri-La group, so your membership card for frequent stays in properties associated with Sheraton, Westin, Starwood, etc should work. The rooms in this hotel are good. However if you consider the price and quality, you may be slightly disappointed. Now, if you are new to Beijing, you should definitely consider this business hotel. The reasons are many — airport pickup service (will get you through immigration, etc. very fast), English speaking staff — will answer your many questions and make recommendations on restaurants, places to meet, place to go shop; location in a shopping mall - near by (underground or at same ground level) shops for food, clothing. So, all in all, a good choice for short visit and a good place to start your experience in Beijing.

• Area near the Temple of Heaven and HongQiao market

And finally if you want to be still near major sites like the Temple of Heaven, but in more low key hotel, then the Holiday Inn Temple of Heaven is a good choice. The hotel is new, the staff is very pleasant, and actually a good choice for stay in Beijing for someone familiar with the city and at least rudimentary knowledge of Chinese language. You will need those skills to navigate around (get a cab, ask for a place to be taken to, etc) — but the hotel is a good value. My wife and daughter stayed there in March of 2007 as we had moved from our Beijing house — and had an executive floor room with breakfast (in the business club lounge) for about RMB800 per night. An excellent deal!

And here is my daughter’s opinion on these hotels: (I am not kidding — these are her viewpoints — so take it from a 8 year old):

Holiday Inn Temple of Heaven — her rating is “Awesome!” Why? If you visit out of season, you will be one of the few guests and that means you get great service from the staff, and plenty of attention.

China World — a really fancy hotel, with a shopping center underground, very beautiful, with wonderful music being played in the lobby by a string orchestra + a piano

Here is an album with photos from hotels worldwide:

Hotel_Views

I will keep updating the set with images from multiple cities and regions. Keep checking back for more

Beijing Botanical Gardens and WoFu Temple

In the cold winter days of Beijing it is good to remember the nice sunny weather of the summer — that is when I remembered about our visits to the Beijing Botanical Garden. The Garden is located near the West Hills in a nice wooded part of the city outskirts. It is a nice place to escape in the summer as the garden itself has plenty of greenery, nice walk through fountains and plenty of interesting plants to see. The complete Garden is comprised of:

• The Ornamental Plant Section
• Rose Garden
• Ornamental Peach Garden
• Tree Peony Garden
• Herbaceous Peony Garden
• Lilac Garden
• Crabapple and Cotoneaster Garden
• Magnolia Garden
• Bamboo Garden
• Perennial Garden
• Aquatic Garden
• Mume Flower Garden
• Arboretum
• Acer-Rosa Section + Coniferous Section + Tilia-Populus Section + Magnolia-Berberis Section + some other ones we did not see
• and Glasshouses
• Tropical and Subtropical conservatories
• Here you can find also examples of Chinese Penjing — which includes Tree Penjing (also known in the west as bonsai), Water & Land penjing and Landscape penjing. Essentially all these forms of art are focused on recreating parts of a landscape in a very scaled down format. Some of the trees grown in those landscapes are over 100 years old — quite an accomplishment indeed! I must point out also that the art of penjing also has geographical / regional aspects. I did not quite see all different types but from what I understood from some exhibits, there are essentially Penjing styles in pretty much most provinces of China - e.g. Jiangsu, Guangdong, Guangxi, Shanghai, Zhejiang, Beijing, Fujian, Yangzhou, Anhui, Zhonzhou, and EVEN a Taiwan style.
• Another interesting part of the Botanical Garden is the WoFu Temple - also known as the Temple of the Sleeping Buddha.

At any rate, you should plan a visit to the Gardens, and spend a day among beautiful trees as well as surrounded by colorful Chinese Halls in the WoFu temple.

You can see some images from both the Garden and WoFu temple in the Photo Album area of the blog. (Scroll to the area labeled Beijing Botanical Garden and WoFu Temple)

Hotel Reviews: Hong Kong Island Le Meridien, Kowloon Sheraton, Shenzhen: Venetian Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, Shangri-La (LuoHu)

I have been asked on a number of occasions for recommendations on good / convenient hotels in Hong Kong and Shenzhen. There are many travelers (both business and tourist alike) who need to spend time in both cities and/or stay in one and have to do business in the neighboring one as well…long story short, here is a brief set of views of hotels in Shenzhen and Hong Kong:

• Hong Kong Island: Le Meridien Hotel
• This hotel is located on the South side of Hong Kong island, in the area called Cyberport, located near by Stanley.
• The hotel is relatively new — my first stay there was in the Fall of 2004. It is a modern hotel with very good amenities, attentive staff, and excellent rooms. At the time (2004) it was one of the hotels I knew about that had flat panel TVs (plasma TVs) in each room
• Here is a link to some photos from the hotel:

Hotel_Reviews_SouthernChina_HongKong

• Kowloon: Sheraton - this hotel is located on Nathan Road very near by MTR station and near by plenty of pubs, restaurants, and shops. If you are craving for some British pub atmosphere (if you have spend a tad too long in Asia) you can visit a great pub in a basement near by the Sheraton and have some good beer and pot pie. The hotel itself is very comfortable. Great rooms, the rate is bit on the expensive side, but given the location that can be expected. You can get to the hotel with a shuttle bus from the airport (same for going to the airport).

• Shenzhen: Venetian Crowne Plaza. If you are going to do most of your business in Shezhen you might as well stay in Shenzhen (rather than Hong Kong). The hotels are definitely cheaper on the Shenzhen side of the border. The Venetian is an excellent hotels. It is part of the chain that includes the Holiday Inn, but believe me there is nothing in common between the two. Actually, in Shenzhen, there is also a Holiday Inn hotel, which I DO NOT recommend. The Holiday Inn (based on one stay there) is not a hotel that warrants the amount of money you need to spend. If the Venetian is booked then you should opt for the Shangri-La (located near the Shenzhen railway station).
  The Venetian is an excellent hotel for both business and tourist travelers. It is located near by the Windows of the World park, and about RMB70 from the Shenzhen airport, or about RMB80 from the Ferry dock (for the ferry from Hong Kong Int’l airport).
• The Shangri-La is located in the area called LuoHu. This hotel is conveniently located if you need to make day trips into Hong Kong. You can walk to the border (about 5 minutes from the hotel), cross on foot through immigration, and on the other side get on the MTR (the Hong Kong mass transit railway), and head for TaiPo or Kowloon areas among others.

Adding more to the blog…Hotel Reviews are coming

Well, over the last few years I have spent a significant amount of time staying at various hotels across Asia (in China, Taiwan, Thailand, Japan, Hong Kong, Macao, India). So it is time to reflect on those experiences and provide the readers of this blog with some additional information on the region - personal opinion (that is all it is :-) ) on the specifics of a bunch of business and tourist grade hotels.

Over the next few weeks I am going to add feedback on the following hotels:

• China:
• Beijing Shangri-La, China World, Traders Hotel,
• Shanghai: Reneissance Pudong, Portman (Nanjing Lu), Hilton
• Shenzhen: Crowne Plaza Venetian, Shangri-La (at LuoHu);
• Chengdu: Sheraton
• Nanjing: Sheraton
• Taiwan
• Grand Hayatt, Westin;
• Thailand:
• Patong Beach: Holiday Inn Busakorn Wing
• Japan:
• Tokyo: Sakura Prince Hotel
• Hong Kong:
• Kowloon: Sheraton
• Hong Kong Island: Le Meridien
• Macao:
• Hayatt

I will add hotels as I go forward. Happy reading and travels.

Air Travel Experiences - Plane Mechanical Troubles and Delays Abound

Over the last three weeks my family and I have had to travel on a number of flights and across several airlines (American, United…) for both business and personal reasons. Between the Thanksgiving holiday and business travel for me we logged in over 18K miles each and over 6 flights. During these flights we experienced numerous delays due to plane mechanical issues. For example - our Thanksgiving trip included travel from Austin (TX) to Huntsville (AL). That involved 4 flights. Out of the 4 flights, three had mechanical trouble. These were all on American airlines. That resulted in delays from 40minutes to 2 hours per flight.

Then last week I had to fly to San Jose. I arrived at the airport (for an early morning flight === for an early morning meeting in San Jose) to find out that the night before the 6:40 am flight has been canceled. Lucky for me I was able to jump on a flight to Dallas and from there to San Jose resulting in only 1 hour delay of arrival. The alternative was pretty bad — I was going to meet a critical customer meeting! By flying via Dallas I was able to notify the customer and delay the meeting by one and a half hour — 1 hour flight delay plus time to get to the customer site (my original flight was to arrive early enough that I could make it to the customer’s location way before the meeting time)

Then came my most recent flight Taipei - San Francisco - Austin (just yesterday) —> the flight from San Francisco to Austin got delayed as well (by 1 hour) as the plane had trouble with the navigation system and required parts replacement while the passengers were on-board….That was an United flight.

Have I had only one or two such troubles in a short three week window of time, I would have thought — “This is just a normal / sudden issue”. But the case here was different — I was on 12 flights in a matter of three weeks and four of the flights had issues with the planes. Add to that the now usual time delays due to traffic congestion and you have yourself a pretty tough situation for us the travelers.

What is the lesson learned from all this — well, I do not think we can do much to change the readiness of the planes — this is the airlines’ responsibility. I hope the airlines are taking steps to renew their fleet and / or keep the planes in better shape. What can we, the travelers do? One thing only — always plan your trips with the thought that you will be delayed and figure out ahead of time what your options could be.