Thursday, May 28, 2009

Shanghai soon!

Well Guys: Get ready for Shanghai in late september!!!!

Stay tuned for my report on traveling China.

Sunday, May 24, 2009

Beijing

Well anybody in the mood for Beijing in late august?

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Las Vegas



The desert, the Mustang, Punsch and me! Well after 3 days of driving around 1500 Miles from SFO to LAS onwards to LAX and returning on Highway number one to SFO I must admit that the part throughout the desert was the most spectacular one. Even if you prefer to take a plane for every route this one should be done by car to get the right feeling. The only Problem is the lack of DJ Dizzy after a couple of hundred miles leaving SFO, as this is dam cool shit!!

Places to Stay:
Las Vegas is full of huge Hotels and Casinos, so you are able to get a very good deal during the week in off seasons. Hotels like the Wynn, Mandalaybay or the Bellagio are available for under 100 bucks often including resort credits and redemptions on shows, so shop around. If you are on a budget check out Hyatt Place.
Enjoy:
During your stay in Las Vegas or on your onward journey to Los Angeles you should stop by @ famous Hoover Dam which is on the border to Arizona. Nearby Boulder City is good for quick bite in between- stop by @ Mel's Diner for a great atmosphere and tasty american food.

From my point of view there is nothing really cool on offer in Las Vegas, besides you are into gambling. You might visit one of the many available shows, go out for dinner (if you are into draught beer try Gordon-Biersch) or double your budget in a Casino. Have a look to the old City Center of Las Vegas- stroll around the little alleys and enjoy the heat.

During your stay in Las Vegas or on your onward journey to Los Angeles you should stop by @ famous Hoover Dam which is on the border to Arizona. Nearby Boulder City is good for quick bite in between- stop by @ Mel's Diner for a great atmosphere and tasty american food.

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

San Francisco



I am not yet sure why San Francisco became one of my well loved places. Maybe because of the liberal, gay, straight, Asian , American, European vibe? Or is it the structure itself: the location by the sea, the hills and the architecture? It seems to be the mix indeed. You really don’t get the feeling that you are in a huge urban city, but you will find everything an urban guy like me need.


Transportation:


Compared to other American cities, San Fran is one of a few with an excellent public transportation system. To and from the airport one could use the bart train service, which is cheap, fast and reliable. For every visitor is a ride on the cable car a must. One way tickets are 5USD but you can opt for a day pass (one day is 11USD) for unlimited rides on busses, cable cars and subways within the Muni system.

Places to stay:
There are plenty of options from cosy boutique hotels to large Chain Hotels downtown or posh options on Nobb Hill. If you are on a budget trip and don’t really care about a certain Hotel you should consider Priceline.
I stayed recently in Parc 55 -which is next to Union Square and right at Powell Station. Well its not cool but indeed a solid option if you wanna explore the city. Other places you should consider are the Intercontinental, the MO or Craigslist.
Next to the airport I would strictly recommend the Hyatt!

Enjoy:
Besides strolling around the city, walking across Golden Gate Bridge and taking a ride on the famous Cable Car there are many different districts to explore. Well worth a visit is The Castro- home to the famous gay area. It’s a lifely area with lost of bars and restaurants where you even can have a drink midday without being looked at. For the different neighborhoods you should have a look @SFO Gate.
After dinner go for some drinks in The Castro and later to one of the many clubs or event locations like the 111Minna, The Endup or Werd for dancing.

California rocks!


My recent trip was a usual a mix of work and fun- it is always good to get some new inspirations for upcoming “placemaking” projects. California is simply amazing and San Francisco is in my personal top 10 list. Las Vegas is not that bad as the way through the desert is an amazing ride if you have the right car. I had- so the fun was indeed huge! Vegas is good for a marry on the spot- so I did, but the well talked about first night was a little uninspiring. But the next morning was indeed maximum success- could you believe how amazing the Hoover dam is and how beautiful the desert is?!
Well Los Angeles sucks- as traffic is hell and Americans are poor drivers. I got lost thanks to my GPS and need to pee, stopped at one place what ones could tell a ghetto…so I quit the idea of leaving my Mustang and used the turbo boost to escape.

Stay tuned for my in depth reports on traveling California!

Sunday, May 3, 2009

Jakarta for a weekend in october?

Anybody wanna join me for a brief trip to asia? Final destination would be Jakarta for a weekend. Its dirt cheap- so let me know quick.
If you choose to join from europe- routing could be like this:
LHR-IST-HKG/SIN-JKT-SIN-IST-LHR
Connecting flights to anywhere in europe possible as well as sidesteps to BKK, JOG, PNH..

Stay tuned for this amazing weekend offer!