I have fond memories of my visit to Japan two years ago. From the mind-boggling delights of Tokyo to the placid preserves of Kyoto and the no-holds-barred fun fest of Osaka, it’s a country that provided some of my greatest travel moments. That’s why the video above, created by Vimeo user Brad Kremer, is bringing back strong memories for me today. Brad has made use a photographic technique called time lapse, allowing every day events to happen at breakneck speed.
Watch as pedestrians scurry through the subway system like ants, clouds swirl over mountainsides and car headlights zip to and fro like tiny lasers. It’s a totally new perspective on one of my favorite places. Not only is Kremer’s cinematography beautiful, it’s shot in lush HD format. Have a busy day ahead of you this morning? Take ten minutes, click the play button and let the beauty of this strange wonderful world wash over you. You won’t regret it.
Yesterday we heard how China was instituting age requirements for mountaineers hoping to climb Everest from the North Side of the mountain. These new restrictions are a direct response to 13-year old Jordan Romero successfully reaching the summit last month, setting off a heated debate in the climbing community about just how young is too young to climb the tallest mountain on the planet.
That debate is sure to get heated all over again, as Himalayan mountain guide Pemba Dorje Sherpa has announced that he is looking for a suitable Nepali child to take to the summit in an effort to break Jordan’s record. He has even gone so far as to say that he may even take his own son to the top of the world. The boy is currently nine years old, but will turn ten before the 2011 spring climbing season, when the expedition is expected to take place.
Dorje says that he feels all climbing records pertaining to Everest should be held by people indigenous to the Himalaya, and the Nepali government seems to agree. The Tourism Ministry in Nepal, which is responsible for issuing climbing passes, has set a requirement that states all climbers must be 16 years of age or older to climb Everest from the South Side, but they have already given the Sherpa permission to proceed with his plans none the less. Dorje is an Everest record holder himself. Back in 2004 he set the speed record for climbing the mountain in just 8 hours and 10 minutes.
This news fuels the fears that many in the climbing community had when they heard that a 13-year old was attempting Everest. The concern has been that younger and younger climbers would continue to climb these very dangerous mountains in an effort to push the “youngest” records even lower. So again, the question is how young is too young?
Last month 13-year old American Jordan Romero climbed Mt. Everest amidst a flurry of media coverage and controversy, with many debating the wisdom of letting a boy his age climb the world’s highest mountain. At the time, Romero was forced to climb from the Chinese controlled Tibetan side of the mountain, as Nepal has a strict age requirement that forbids anyone under the age of 16 from making the attempt. China had no such restrictions in place, and as a result Romero and his team were able to proceed with their successful expedition.
This week the China-Tibet Mountaineering Association made a move to block future climbs such as Jordan’s. The CTMA, which is in charge of issuing permits to climb Everest’s North Side, has amended its requirements to now include age limits, both on the high and low end. The new regulations say that all climbers wishing to climb on the Tibetan side of the mountain must now be between the ages of 18 and 60. The move marks the first time that there have been a maximum age restriction placed on either side of Everest.
Those that fall outside of that age range have been given a slight glimmer of hope however, as the CTMA has said that they will consider other climbers, both older and younger, if they can provide sufficient proof of their good health. This move is likely to have the most impact on older climbers though, as officials have said they will not consider anyone under the age of 16 at all, matching Nepal’s age restriction.
In case you’re wondering, the oldest Everest climber ever is Min Bahadur Sherchan, who reached the summit at the age of 76 back in 2008.
Shanghai is a city of complications and successes. It’s one of the most modern cities in China, yet still holds sacred its roots in China’s history. It’s lived in the shadows of Beijing and Hong Kong for centuries but today offers travelers a new experience, thanks in part to its hosting the World Expo Shanghai. Shanghai is a juxtaposition of old and new on every street. A five minute walk from the world’s largest Louis Vuitton store is one of Shanghai’s oldest parks, where locals converge to practice the art of Tai Chi and take part in morning dance rituals as a form of expression and exercise.
Imagine you have exactly 24 hours to explore one of the world’s most historical and modernized cities. What do you do first? Whether you’re heading to Shanghai as a stopover to somewhere else in China, or your spending your vacation in the Expo City, make sure to save a day for the following:
Early morning in Renmin Park 7 – 8 a.m. Only a short walk from The Portman Ritz-Carlton at Shanghai Center (where I stayed during my trip to Shanghai), Renmin Park at People’s Square of Puxi offers a unique glance at the life of old Shanghainese. Early Sunday mornings are filled with generations of Shanghainese taking part in familiar rituals including Tai Chi and ‘disco’ – their version of what Americans would consider “line dancing.” Join the dance or just stop and take it all in. Everyone is wonderfully friendly in the park and welcome tourists to join the dance or take part in Tai Chi.
%Gallery-94497%
Morning visit to the World Expo 9 a.m. – noon No trip to Shanghai would be complete without a visit to the World Expo. The “Better Life, Better City” motto is felt through all the pavilions, but beware: you’ll stand in line for a while. Choose one or two pavilions you want to see before you go and head straight there. A few things to note before you arrive:
No outside food or drink will be permitted into the Expo
You can buy your tickets at any of the booths outside the Expo when you arrive, but you’ll save time if you buy ahead and pick up your tickets at one of the “will-call” windows
The Expo is mapped out by zones – A, B, C, D, and E. It’s wise to choose the pavilions you want to see in the same zone, but if you must travel to different zones there is a shuttle bus that will take you around.
Wear comfortable shoes. You’ll do a lot of walking at the World Expo, and a lot of standing around in line, so make sure you’re wearing comfortable shoes.
If you’re in Shanghai for longer than one day, buy a 7-day pass to the Expo and map out a few other pavilions you want to see during the remainder of your visit.
The China pavilion is the most popular pavilion, and unless you’ve got a VIP pass you’d better get in line early. Only 1000 passes are handed out on a first-come-first-service basis daily to the China pavilion.
Forget the gift shops and take photos instead. Cameras are allowed in each of the pavilions and you can take photos of any and all exhibits.
%Gallery-94498%
Afternoon visit to Zhu Jia Jiao, renowned water village in Puxi 2 – 4 p.m. Located about a 45-minute drive from Shanghai is Zhu Jia Jiao, the renowned water village in Puxi. The traditional water canal town dates back to the Ming and Qing dynasties and has some of the best market shopping and authentic Shanghai food in the city. Take a walk through the markets and purchase a few souvenirs before boarding a water taxi to visit the Taoist Temple, the great Qing Post Office and the old Chinese Pharmacy. The markets sell local produce and traditional Chinese gifts including jewelry, fans and silk.
%Gallery-94496%
Candle lighting ceremony at The Portman Ritz-Carlton The Portman Ritz-Carlton, Shanghai, was the first luxury hotel in Shanghai, but still retains the values of old Shanghai. After a day out exploring, spend a few moments in the lobby watching the traditional Chinese candle lighting ceremony. The ceremony takes place in the lobby and lasts only a few minutes, allowing plenty of time for you to relax in the lobby bar for a before heading out to the famous Bund for the evening.
Evening on the Bund 8 p.m. Shanghai’s Bund is one of the most areas of the city. With spectacular views of the city and surrounded by restaurants and bars, the Bund is always lively on any night of the week. Start with a walk along the bridge by the river to capture photos of the city skyline on one side, and the old buildings on the other. Dine at Lost Heaven, a traditional Yunnan Chinese restaurant that serves family-style entrees for every taste and palette. After dinner, head to New Heights, located at Three on the Bund. The restaurant has an outdoor terrace that offers spectacular views of the Bund and the Shanghai skyline.
%Gallery-94495%
It’s a packed day in Shanghai, but with a little planning and a lot of energy, you’ll see the beauty of old and new in 24 hours.
Following a rest day in Namche Bazaar, the trek to Everest Base Camp resumes with a 9km (5.5 mile) hike to Tengboche, the next significant village along the route. While 9km doesn’t especially sound like a lot, it is the more than 400 meters (1312 ft) of altitude gain that ends up taking it’s toll on trekkers. Most of the days that follow are similar in nature; moderate distances that are made all the more challenging by the ever increasing altitude.
The trail changes noticeably after setting out from Namche. The thinning air becomes more of an issue for hikers to deal with, and a thick, heavy dust is everywhere. That dust is kicked up by trekkers, Nepali yaks carrying heavy loads, and the brisk winds that are common at altitude. While it seems innocuous at first, after a day or two, you’ll start to notice that the dust irritates your eyes, covers your clothing, and gets in your lungs, helping to bring on the dreaded Khumbu Cough, a persistent hack that can be painful and difficult to shake. Nearly everyone who treks in the Himalaya will experience the condition to some degree or another, and while my case of the Cough wasn’t so bad while I was in Nepal, it seemed to worsen, after I returned home.
The first few days of the trek are undeniably scenic, with mountain peaks surrounding the route, and glacier fed rivers rushing by the trail. But after leaving Namche Bazaar behind, that scenery changes dramatically with the snow capped peaks of the Himalaya towering high over head. Everest, and its twin, the 8516 meter (27,940 ft) Lhotse are common sights at that point, as is the 6812 meter (22,349 ft) Ama Dablam, which cuts a striking profile along much of the route. That mountain is far lesser known than its famous 8000 meter counterparts, but it is likely to be the one that sticks in your mind long after you’ve left Nepal, and the Himalaya, behind.Most of the mountain villages after Namche are sleepy little towns with few amenities. The teahouses become a bit more spartan the higher you go and the shops have fewer goods to sell, although their prices continue to rise with the altitude. Still, these villages each have a unique charm and character that offers visitors something new and different. For instance, in Tengboche, which is located at 3867 meters (12,867 ft) travelers can visit the oldest Buddhist monastery in the region, and the view of the sun climbing over the nearby mountains in the morning is a breathtaking sight.
From Tengboche it is on through the beautiful and fragrant rhododendron forests to Dengboche, which falls at 4410 meters (14,468 ft), and another day off. Much like the previous rest day in Namche however, the day is far from restful. Most trekkers wtill make a challenging acclimatization hike up a local summit to take in the tremendous views of Lhotse, Ama Dablam, and Island Peak, a mountain that is popular with climbers prepping for Everest. The nearby Amphu Lapcha pass is also on display, with its fluted ice walls making an impressive, and striking, impression.
After a stay in Dengboche, trekkers will next head upwards to Lobuche (4900 meters/16,076 ft), passing the somber sight of a number of monuments to fallen climbers and Sherpas, along the way.These monuments include a shrine to Scott Hall, an American mountain guide who perished on Everest back in 1996, and figured prominently in Jon Krakauer’s bestseller Into Thin Air.
Finally, the trail leads up to Gorakshep, the last stop before Base Camp itself. By that point, you’ve climbed up to 5183 meters (17,004 ft), and with the treeline far below, the dry conditions and higher winds mean that there is even more dust for hikers to deal with. Gorakshep is more a ramshackle collection of buildings than an actual village, as it mostly consists of a couple of teahouses and not much more, but trekkers appreciate a place to rest, catch their breath, and get some food before proceeding up to their ultimate destination.
Upon reaching Gorakshep, most members of my trekking group were really feeling the effects of altitude to some degree or another. Many were taking Diamox, a drug that helps alleviate the symptoms of altitude sickness and some were suffering greatly from a combination of the colder weather, the thin air, and the Khumbu Cough. More than half were experiencing GI issues, but despite all of that, spirits were high and there was an air of excitement in the group. We were closing in on Base Camp, and the literal high point of the trip.