travel by iPhone // a day in Taipei

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_FvgqaEX97AU-Lglf3nmD3wZKgIekNL3NyOLjk1bJcoc7WK08uES-RAynazaKtnyW9py4L-h4lWfS9UZhpDMtuwnfL4GIca7zVMG7u0-0GfmoGkFUp2m1nQXFNicbeYcfQDgYTiFVv0qS/s1600/travelTaipei-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_FvgqaEX97AU-Lglf3nmD3wZKgIekNL3NyOLjk1bJcoc7WK08uES-RAynazaKtnyW9py4L-h4lWfS9UZhpDMtuwnfL4GIca7zVMG7u0-0GfmoGkFUp2m1nQXFNicbeYcfQDgYTiFVv0qS/s1600/travelTaipei-2.jpg" /></a></div><br />one of the greatest dangers of expat life is that even living in a foreign place can become familiar over time. some days, even living in Taiwan, I have to force myself to look at things as an adventure.<br /><br />today I'm going to take you along with me to Taipei for an afternoon. something that - strangely enough - doesn't seem all that strange to me anymore. so I decided to go out of my way to make my everyday a little more touristy.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAOhwqfwQuRWj2PK99M6vR8oKfuRI7YaJpuGbdndRYWy1YYWVy3CIWiVkZAiehB61twqDCZw66c7o4uABx8LktrY6XL3ZCqulUYIkJohfcyJczck5uLYfu-UHSCfm1-y2qjUEdoNiM1B0s/s1600/travelTaipei-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAOhwqfwQuRWj2PK99M6vR8oKfuRI7YaJpuGbdndRYWy1YYWVy3CIWiVkZAiehB61twqDCZw66c7o4uABx8LktrY6XL3ZCqulUYIkJohfcyJczck5uLYfu-UHSCfm1-y2qjUEdoNiM1B0s/s1600/travelTaipei-1.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhny7SLolcXa4-rkJ8rLDkyOTacy1VPlZXK8DgXAh9rJjINGzZs2Sq_7Q52mdqDUgoTw7jYDvLAQ4PoLCR_5Bg8pm7wF__8kKpNh2rRbXGBI8K0DV4xm3fFFj1Lfr3eIIFKXtOCdKbQFqkB/s1600/travelTaipei-7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhny7SLolcXa4-rkJ8rLDkyOTacy1VPlZXK8DgXAh9rJjINGzZs2Sq_7Q52mdqDUgoTw7jYDvLAQ4PoLCR_5Bg8pm7wF__8kKpNh2rRbXGBI8K0DV4xm3fFFj1Lfr3eIIFKXtOCdKbQFqkB/s1600/travelTaipei-7.jpg" /></a></div><br />I admit it. living in manhattan gave me city skyline bias. but having this building be the first thing you see when walking out of the subway [after entering Taipei on the high speed rail which runs underground as well] is still pretty impressive. the skyline is strange, because Taipei 101 is twice as tall as any other building in the city. but if you're going to play tourist, this is the right place to do it.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgLFeTGpcodksOjTuQkuwuIAdlxDBa6C4VxUHI_mOoovSZK4yahw-MUZdgGzi9_Geos6thMgqtJLxPu2qbXSEP2rbX67fr5D8HAaaFYEsgS_Owj7UUWSa24awoI6ui_YggfAnJ_ap0-p7d/s1600/travelTaipei-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgLFeTGpcodksOjTuQkuwuIAdlxDBa6C4VxUHI_mOoovSZK4yahw-MUZdgGzi9_Geos6thMgqtJLxPu2qbXSEP2rbX67fr5D8HAaaFYEsgS_Owj7UUWSa24awoI6ui_YggfAnJ_ap0-p7d/s1600/travelTaipei-4.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6y2KVXeN91EfvQisK5V-lYNYAStyqFcSwt5WQoQTOX4oTEe5TYwkoO9u-4ApjAxzshc8FYbxWSjPOFpR7Nl8yH63T4yK9ZhjK46LqEX5TeylMH-8CXbD1deEakrlbbOkhDwKe3rPHwa14/s1600/travelTaipei-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6y2KVXeN91EfvQisK5V-lYNYAStyqFcSwt5WQoQTOX4oTEe5TYwkoO9u-4ApjAxzshc8FYbxWSjPOFpR7Nl8yH63T4yK9ZhjK46LqEX5TeylMH-8CXbD1deEakrlbbOkhDwKe3rPHwa14/s1600/travelTaipei-5.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAl_338VzhJouEWrvgES1dtg2NOXpBC1nMGCI1qt2FyW3EED5eXf6eqD1KX5woU3Q6W_jcAYb-x7-ZCtncGzEbViCq4KW3xjWAJXGmqs6Hegv_TTchyphenhyphenFfF0SMQ51wx-GLqpCh7WxPR3WbI/s1600/travelTaipei-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAl_338VzhJouEWrvgES1dtg2NOXpBC1nMGCI1qt2FyW3EED5eXf6eqD1KX5woU3Q6W_jcAYb-x7-ZCtncGzEbViCq4KW3xjWAJXGmqs6Hegv_TTchyphenhyphenFfF0SMQ51wx-GLqpCh7WxPR3WbI/s1600/travelTaipei-6.jpg" /></a></div><br />it seems like any city you visit has some kind of outdoor traveling art exhibit. the golden globes above [currently across from Taipei 101 as you can tell by the reflection] have something to do with the moon. I know this, because there was a painted bus parked nearby that said "moon bus."<br /><br />and then... ah, yes. Taipei has one of these too. I figured a touristy set of photos needed to include the famous "LOVE" statue. unfortunately the group of middle aged businessmen who were taking pictures in front of it when I walked up decided to stand there reviewing their photos for a solid 5 minutes. after waiting that long I wasn't going to just walk away... so I hope you appreciate this photo extra for the effort I had to put in to get it.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPbxggUq_NVFudI1oV2Y9BdcQw9XUDDV6GoPgh0e9e42WAML5oWK5LC2bo1P84Y8BK8bQE2_sKGK8fSK8v6bvKLmteg-r1YoX6llM8Y4QJvwWB2PCZI0AOXpQaF9-csfKPn6JYEDEPQvAK/s1600/travelTaipei-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPbxggUq_NVFudI1oV2Y9BdcQw9XUDDV6GoPgh0e9e42WAML5oWK5LC2bo1P84Y8BK8bQE2_sKGK8fSK8v6bvKLmteg-r1YoX6llM8Y4QJvwWB2PCZI0AOXpQaF9-csfKPn6JYEDEPQvAK/s1600/travelTaipei-3.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBYARe2FIZbZsDtkdR4d1Qyz1YmUPaaxcUdvZ76syV4tzO3TTk5MMrRdIe6fUKYCxEbyMeeQaF_WPCtnyTjuFPajReY6C_E4mw2GihPHwSeK9bnH8cBZJBM0Tqx_O-_F7gdMQw2WOiMSG4/s1600/travelTaipei-8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBYARe2FIZbZsDtkdR4d1Qyz1YmUPaaxcUdvZ76syV4tzO3TTk5MMrRdIe6fUKYCxEbyMeeQaF_WPCtnyTjuFPajReY6C_E4mw2GihPHwSeK9bnH8cBZJBM0Tqx_O-_F7gdMQw2WOiMSG4/s1600/travelTaipei-8.jpg" /></a></div><br />tourists go shopping, right? Taiwan has recently opened several Gap stores. so of course I had to go in and try a few things on to verify that - yes! - they use the same sizing as in the US. meaning I can find pants that will fit my American thighs, and are not marked up with brand-label import tax. the downside [or probably, the upside for my bank account] is that the styles right now are a lot of baggy/boxy things that don't really flatter my shape. but if I find myself in need of a basic shirt or new jeans or a sports bra, I know where I can go and not be frustrated by the sizing.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjusFC6ahgwFW-NxHlRnQeZV_9-fIb_JIHRpJ9hlK276QXBRnFO7KwMPOoBCf1KcrHCP6Wpj0pXZk3-bk5Sklij2lCzSu0f2SZudNt9tVX8kRSUTa64W4XT7u_QtM2_eGXIgQeEYGLfOmL-/s1600/travelTaipei-11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjusFC6ahgwFW-NxHlRnQeZV_9-fIb_JIHRpJ9hlK276QXBRnFO7KwMPOoBCf1KcrHCP6Wpj0pXZk3-bk5Sklij2lCzSu0f2SZudNt9tVX8kRSUTa64W4XT7u_QtM2_eGXIgQeEYGLfOmL-/s1600/travelTaipei-11.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz7NJnWo1n10T_ltXqrbvfw6BDKIYfz9o_crfu7syfjAlJHEBZv6KRPwTA8TMbvf2PUTJAfmoG4KIl5XyvVd2GiYtjRkjVR6fiQhKrk3t1nmc4Ygs1x0-gJIy-q6yec1LVh_0BBSdB5OUU/s1600/travelTaipei-10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz7NJnWo1n10T_ltXqrbvfw6BDKIYfz9o_crfu7syfjAlJHEBZv6KRPwTA8TMbvf2PUTJAfmoG4KIl5XyvVd2GiYtjRkjVR6fiQhKrk3t1nmc4Ygs1x0-gJIy-q6yec1LVh_0BBSdB5OUU/s1600/travelTaipei-10.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4pcRXU5FXWzp4uCWajINtKqZxJc5tB1NfJovA9ayNRcr2m-f7c0faR6iSKnflJx3UjmGZvK_1FoMWGLpLKAvv83xsJg2jfYNnDFiK8kLjP-vZIB_uCwbW_uiUtvZjE2q_sPBvTaeYyDRg/s1600/travelTaipei-13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4pcRXU5FXWzp4uCWajINtKqZxJc5tB1NfJovA9ayNRcr2m-f7c0faR6iSKnflJx3UjmGZvK_1FoMWGLpLKAvv83xsJg2jfYNnDFiK8kLjP-vZIB_uCwbW_uiUtvZjE2q_sPBvTaeYyDRg/s1600/travelTaipei-13.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Zv7eeki0Kf5y1orC9-YG4JrFrTOs_O4-noQhXxvVYdHnDpZVpdBfhJ8P7YU1QF0aBz7CYpt0BIMOxsTVSnujcuw46cBoOFuiHOOansfZx6CKMP7NhQmVO1zm3DP1eNelcK0f6LDNXtHN/s1600/travelTaipei-9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Zv7eeki0Kf5y1orC9-YG4JrFrTOs_O4-noQhXxvVYdHnDpZVpdBfhJ8P7YU1QF0aBz7CYpt0BIMOxsTVSnujcuw46cBoOFuiHOOansfZx6CKMP7NhQmVO1zm3DP1eNelcK0f6LDNXtHN/s1600/travelTaipei-9.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE3dMM_L6KTyVHNqMI2p0sq9xujpS2Bhn9BnWGut_LaQWQtkrWV7-NT2oeYarT4YqQ1l_cqlJADthEH3p3U85LOhjSpQUYqdw39fYEtcmGzHjwT0LTJ9KNAjKOvbX7fvCLoOxfV-teKjES/s1600/travelTaipei-12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE3dMM_L6KTyVHNqMI2p0sq9xujpS2Bhn9BnWGut_LaQWQtkrWV7-NT2oeYarT4YqQ1l_cqlJADthEH3p3U85LOhjSpQUYqdw39fYEtcmGzHjwT0LTJ9KNAjKOvbX7fvCLoOxfV-teKjES/s1600/travelTaipei-12.jpg" /></a></div><br />and I'll leave you with a few of my favorite city sightings: narrow alleys, cat cafes, the goat park, cute old couples on the MRT, and this amazing green Volkswagen bus. <b>do you every play local tourist in your own city?</b><br /><br />PS: my <a href="http://www.inkandadventure.blogspot.tw/2014/11/2014-reader-survey.html" target="_blank">blog reader survey</a> is still open. you can <a href="http://www.inkandadventure.blogspot.tw/2014/11/2014-reader-survey.html" target="_blank">take it here</a>, and I'd love you forever if you did! thanks to everyone who has participated so far!<br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><div style="text-align: right;">linking up with <a href="http://bonnieroseblog.co.uk/" target="_blank">Bonnie</a>, <a href="http://www.adelanteblog.com/" target="_blank">Courtney</a>, <a href="http://www.adventurings.com/" target="_blank">Cynthia</a>, and <a href="http://welaughanyway.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Yalanda</a> for Travel Tuesday</div></span>

travel by iPhone // a day in Taipei

one of the greatest dangers of expat life is that even living in a foreign place can become familiar over time. some days, even living in Ta...

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travel by iPhone: Hong Kong

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuUVSKoyRiQ9YJ_G1tNmWSKys2gMShiSdR8wntZBsK7eju3p6NxBOXUDrruZZ183vp_QJdme3tAO57BHKCxRMMPEwAt0yzYJbA0NtQQ8wvWykfWp6B-3Zf_jlqDx295LIvcwJlXtrP6UgK/s1600/HongKongbyiphone-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuUVSKoyRiQ9YJ_G1tNmWSKys2gMShiSdR8wntZBsK7eju3p6NxBOXUDrruZZ183vp_QJdme3tAO57BHKCxRMMPEwAt0yzYJbA0NtQQ8wvWykfWp6B-3Zf_jlqDx295LIvcwJlXtrP6UgK/s1600/HongKongbyiphone-1.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCG0jbQI__XZSSxLEN9SuwncckNAoDbV8pkoFhg9MWgOnNz6qgzOJQk-coBpOjVAlRcJ13kQ_SUtrxhC4GDFtkP9f2-8oU6cgWhUlLkEbROkT8cEKkStMbBGpEb7UpMQQTZRBNGlOKtw5q/s1600/HongKongbyiphone-10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCG0jbQI__XZSSxLEN9SuwncckNAoDbV8pkoFhg9MWgOnNz6qgzOJQk-coBpOjVAlRcJ13kQ_SUtrxhC4GDFtkP9f2-8oU6cgWhUlLkEbROkT8cEKkStMbBGpEb7UpMQQTZRBNGlOKtw5q/s1600/HongKongbyiphone-10.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />I got home late last night from a crazy 36 hours in Hong Kong. the short story: I had to go <a href="http://www.inkandadventure.blogspot.tw/2014/09/so-im-taking-visa-vacation.html" target="_blank">to apply for a new visa</a>, and tried to make the most of it.<br /><br />the long story: I woke up at 4am to hop a plane, didn't have the right documents to get a full residency visa and will have to apply from within Taiwan, used up 90% of my sim card data in the first 4 hours of my trip, and realized that it's nearly impossible for google maps to pinpoint your location anywhere in Hong Kong. but I managed to see a lot and eat a lot [and sweat a lot] during my brief stay in this crazy city.<br /><br />my brain has been turned to mush, so here are some iPhone photos [most that you didn't <a href="http://instagram.com/jamiethewalker" target="_blank">see on instagram</a>] and a few random thoughts about my travels...<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOqxB_sDW2Jy6PHvqvfl6KsAV4ZLjRNbtWeSzl-aTCIRTfBNqVmq-BqmSUWnbXOKWG8xhdrdUFyBLaeG_v0Yhlkvg_csEYjVT36HN531l2YALldkglkBSPQN_d18ZjP0eCjxwjM3YN-KKk/s1600/HongKongbyiphone-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOqxB_sDW2Jy6PHvqvfl6KsAV4ZLjRNbtWeSzl-aTCIRTfBNqVmq-BqmSUWnbXOKWG8xhdrdUFyBLaeG_v0Yhlkvg_csEYjVT36HN531l2YALldkglkBSPQN_d18ZjP0eCjxwjM3YN-KKk/s1600/HongKongbyiphone-5.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlmfQSTLi0HaePpTRb9e-EuhadkGSUZO9JFlWswTiz7Lvtl8wGiVbRBGbj0LzjmGICY6AD1NWCgwEayKS8k8UrB0wRYez295VZtieHemm8W-CkyRmqqnO9aVNkfWoJnDTZDcvkBl45y3UA/s1600/HongKongbyiphone-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlmfQSTLi0HaePpTRb9e-EuhadkGSUZO9JFlWswTiz7Lvtl8wGiVbRBGbj0LzjmGICY6AD1NWCgwEayKS8k8UrB0wRYez295VZtieHemm8W-CkyRmqqnO9aVNkfWoJnDTZDcvkBl45y3UA/s1600/HongKongbyiphone-3.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIHrRkX-FsvW05SnWTkk_vyT87TxgdeYEf8LCFzwxfqYcbh1QsePUvOJ0ELliJM-6W3NWrpgnPQxa77C4G_-7f38y5qwMdJ08gkNOaWkfA31s4jh-R0-xUImOtqSm0gXAozfZLwNG6xBFX/s1600/HongKongbyiphone-8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIHrRkX-FsvW05SnWTkk_vyT87TxgdeYEf8LCFzwxfqYcbh1QsePUvOJ0ELliJM-6W3NWrpgnPQxa77C4G_-7f38y5qwMdJ08gkNOaWkfA31s4jh-R0-xUImOtqSm0gXAozfZLwNG6xBFX/s1600/HongKongbyiphone-8.jpg" /></a></div><br />Hong Kong is definitely Asia, but it has a very European feel to me... cobblestones and stairway alleys. [I ended up in a discussion about this with a random guy who approached me in a coffee shop where I was trying to utilize my free 30 minutes of wifi.] Taiwan is a westernized country, but it feels like more of an American-influenced culture. Hong Kong is obviously more British.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Q0YqRKwQjW7mklJaOppGblksv82Nsk_fJGs6BR8UHNAtjrXBxNzxnfp7cDaV5pOAWTE5pex1-sMQP2yOUPhdGJUQtDeSp_ioH-ArIQgOxMP6pcXLNY45KCBlppdCvMCgU_nSWbV2jyZK/s1600/HongKongbyiphone-11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Q0YqRKwQjW7mklJaOppGblksv82Nsk_fJGs6BR8UHNAtjrXBxNzxnfp7cDaV5pOAWTE5pex1-sMQP2yOUPhdGJUQtDeSp_ioH-ArIQgOxMP6pcXLNY45KCBlppdCvMCgU_nSWbV2jyZK/s1600/HongKongbyiphone-11.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnOLvzbF_sfcCTOUHlBZQfeR4imqlPWNqO-iNZLlnHMXRmlEW-Erws_vU6d5wHIpgvs1B8r9562UKzHh70zcD52_sK4pTjgYOFX6gsKo9AHB-Fiz7KlE2IQIOODadW_FSA5hV1UprmX5Su/s1600/HongKongbyiphone-12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnOLvzbF_sfcCTOUHlBZQfeR4imqlPWNqO-iNZLlnHMXRmlEW-Erws_vU6d5wHIpgvs1B8r9562UKzHh70zcD52_sK4pTjgYOFX6gsKo9AHB-Fiz7KlE2IQIOODadW_FSA5hV1UprmX5Su/s1600/HongKongbyiphone-12.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUzgSYbhQsG_pY2SfLAijkpQC8QQMsa8bbz4EDjaRDoxRghxs-jh4BzUWz6561K8-aOemVhzGWBZOO3USBQLZs6yYQVGMwCIN_591vludVy4wN1wZTGle7w_lSkdO3rWyZwLzbJHLNglkW/s1600/HongKongbyiphone-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUzgSYbhQsG_pY2SfLAijkpQC8QQMsa8bbz4EDjaRDoxRghxs-jh4BzUWz6561K8-aOemVhzGWBZOO3USBQLZs6yYQVGMwCIN_591vludVy4wN1wZTGle7w_lSkdO3rWyZwLzbJHLNglkW/s1600/HongKongbyiphone-6.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzcAIYNswvVe0UUujC1czFfnMbPd-oE0WBnjdgVOTlBtjZBcU_ui4BwLOPkN5fY3UhPiZWYaDKo6VXFyGB4ivGjYPSVF6xq6Za0jUrMAxDtPNK-DvA_vpt65qNhKx4XDYXFh4INM-LfHZ6/s1600/HongKongbyiphone-7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzcAIYNswvVe0UUujC1czFfnMbPd-oE0WBnjdgVOTlBtjZBcU_ui4BwLOPkN5fY3UhPiZWYaDKo6VXFyGB4ivGjYPSVF6xq6Za0jUrMAxDtPNK-DvA_vpt65qNhKx4XDYXFh4INM-LfHZ6/s1600/HongKongbyiphone-7.jpg" /></a></div><br />one thing I was looking forward to on this trip was to eat some <a href="http://www.brickhouse.com.hk/" target="_blank">decent Mexican food</a>. I was very nearly foiled by google maps, and spent a half hour wandering around near this place but not quite finding it. thankfully I remembered reading reviews for <a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g294217-d3554134-Reviews-Brickhouse-Hong_Kong.html" target="_blank">Brickhouse on TripAdvisor</a> that mentioned going into a dark alley behind a stall where an old guy sold fake bags. I though they were exaggerating. NOPE. but the pork belly taco was worth all the trouble.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHkSpKbKf0bRf9oHHdki1OiaBRjBfmDV2J6IvkOGWjZnKmkCNIiIkuTT-JMT2wAYD6icbG0lVjbh0Sb0q-4xh6N07B5Q0TZ8KQnrlg0DN9ddb-QvP0htPF1j_QrMU2nWE9_ok6jANQbLPz/s1600/HongKongbyiphone-9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHkSpKbKf0bRf9oHHdki1OiaBRjBfmDV2J6IvkOGWjZnKmkCNIiIkuTT-JMT2wAYD6icbG0lVjbh0Sb0q-4xh6N07B5Q0TZ8KQnrlg0DN9ddb-QvP0htPF1j_QrMU2nWE9_ok6jANQbLPz/s1600/HongKongbyiphone-9.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCtVt47S-ceez2ul9JBKXS9k8Rt82iaHgWgkOkpxRO08hPjiYfCzz6Fzxhj0fuLavhIOq5MzAIwYqPoWmhOJdFDl4mQUYppU9QKUZ0OBHmophjTFj35zUxRhTmPj-tdI9FVVP1V2sNOTe-/s1600/HongKongbyiphone-14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCtVt47S-ceez2ul9JBKXS9k8Rt82iaHgWgkOkpxRO08hPjiYfCzz6Fzxhj0fuLavhIOq5MzAIwYqPoWmhOJdFDl4mQUYppU9QKUZ0OBHmophjTFj35zUxRhTmPj-tdI9FVVP1V2sNOTe-/s1600/HongKongbyiphone-14.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgscU1gDtM1RnmmHrzYScLppt9W2dQoB-970ZwNCq9Ch9h5j9CkKLSCkvBGQwQl0rgooyV5XqqcWjxoiP-73gHoju69muW9_FV3FDKLnXFg9K4OqYG5k_NN8ECTLR1klcG4A3jiJ88aNj5z/s1600/HongKongbyiphone-15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgscU1gDtM1RnmmHrzYScLppt9W2dQoB-970ZwNCq9Ch9h5j9CkKLSCkvBGQwQl0rgooyV5XqqcWjxoiP-73gHoju69muW9_FV3FDKLnXFg9K4OqYG5k_NN8ECTLR1klcG4A3jiJ88aNj5z/s1600/HongKongbyiphone-15.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />the subway system in Hong Kong is phenomenal. I was able to use my octopus card to get everywhere on the MTR. no cabs needed. [though due to the specific time frames for applying for/picking up my visa, I did a lot of backtracking] I visited a few places I had seen on my <a href="http://inkandadventure.blogspot.tw/2013/03/48-hours-in-hong-kong.html" target="_blank">first visit to Hong Kong</a>, but also got out and explored some new areas.<br /><br />and of course I took a ton of photos, and you can expect a series of Hong Kong posts in the coming weeks...<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglzuT1OTVin0JK31tR8pFFz446RFdmL_yq6d8nBJsueU1kZg2NGgvBQZlbwzrXGsltU2pm64iTOh1KninL399HFo40YbfSCuDReGalqRs_xK5M0DgZNoeoIaNl3hcGJ1lOdM9nnuc8w-Rn/s1600/HongKongbyiphone-16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglzuT1OTVin0JK31tR8pFFz446RFdmL_yq6d8nBJsueU1kZg2NGgvBQZlbwzrXGsltU2pm64iTOh1KninL399HFo40YbfSCuDReGalqRs_xK5M0DgZNoeoIaNl3hcGJ1lOdM9nnuc8w-Rn/s1600/HongKongbyiphone-16.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />somehow, this photo is my favorite of those off my iPhone. I think it really just sums up Hong Kong. it's a crosswalk on a one way road, and they're telling you, in English and Chinese, to look left for traffic. because in Hong Kong you typically would look right before crossing, since cars drive on the left side of the road [there's that British influence again!]<br /><br />I hope you all have a lovely weekend, and I'll be back on monday. xo

travel by iPhone: Hong Kong

I got home late last night from a crazy 36 hours in Hong Kong. the short story: I had to go to apply for a new visa , and tried to make the ...

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travel by iPhone: Detroit

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD3213Z6ePYFBbz7m2ekl_ezF0-i7rO9OEfhYp-_Xp410_ooQycHm5VaSqrgm6yagmn4zZttIzrrV7pKciXD1-w5U26CB76sWf9t87zFPDp5Yj9EvZaKzN5vMQ03CrjtOjC9CH-VFlMSrk/s1600/detroit_travel-14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD3213Z6ePYFBbz7m2ekl_ezF0-i7rO9OEfhYp-_Xp410_ooQycHm5VaSqrgm6yagmn4zZttIzrrV7pKciXD1-w5U26CB76sWf9t87zFPDp5Yj9EvZaKzN5vMQ03CrjtOjC9CH-VFlMSrk/s1600/detroit_travel-14.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />like the tank top my dad had in the 80's said: "Detroit is no place for wimps." it's full of fighters who believe in their city. but what might surprise you is that it's also full of artists, new development, local businesses, great music and some darn tasty food.<br /><br />it's been a while since I've had an installation of my <a href="http://www.inkandadventure.blogspot.tw/search/label/travel%20by%20iPhone" target="_blank">travel by iPhone series</a>, and given that I'm back in the mitten... I need to show Detroit some love.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaL6-QchxmpMZRjTwLyH6iIoX9VP2jr5lSSAAKiJS_G8WmZyFso5O2E0G933aULunGM-K3ULURUV9eHsi3lE39TmQYUUwTqO0mL4njCwb227BZ9k-MKU8K02M2M12JQ7rBxTaxG3zcz6mY/s1600/detroit_travel-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaL6-QchxmpMZRjTwLyH6iIoX9VP2jr5lSSAAKiJS_G8WmZyFso5O2E0G933aULunGM-K3ULURUV9eHsi3lE39TmQYUUwTqO0mL4njCwb227BZ9k-MKU8K02M2M12JQ7rBxTaxG3zcz6mY/s1600/detroit_travel-2.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCUF8wK8qFlTOlAr-ZGNnAS-GnIN1YJe4ESkanh0lvQYWGvQO-utQNHTQ3P0m0ejslggAIJHnNl6m3yRLLF5S_Zg0FipCyWl_hipOaq2GWw-kl52Cz4ZFp1eAolXYlQTj5WPYLTCQF1Sx8/s1600/detroit_travel-7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCUF8wK8qFlTOlAr-ZGNnAS-GnIN1YJe4ESkanh0lvQYWGvQO-utQNHTQ3P0m0ejslggAIJHnNl6m3yRLLF5S_Zg0FipCyWl_hipOaq2GWw-kl52Cz4ZFp1eAolXYlQTj5WPYLTCQF1Sx8/s1600/detroit_travel-7.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiGbHogi61qwRaNKqzb06BTKv4fsgdl1SrmlhGGxHRcJC_s3Ah2BCtM9KQqVIQb-ZJA0hHpvz_zVRmT9e_9H1tC0VRvJYcT-aBZxw4HiRAVeHDGOLWaCezlsGSEf4JOF9Z4fscLwkbE7MK/s1600/detroit_travel-17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiGbHogi61qwRaNKqzb06BTKv4fsgdl1SrmlhGGxHRcJC_s3Ah2BCtM9KQqVIQb-ZJA0hHpvz_zVRmT9e_9H1tC0VRvJYcT-aBZxw4HiRAVeHDGOLWaCezlsGSEf4JOF9Z4fscLwkbE7MK/s1600/detroit_travel-17.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglmfX07N66Pn3KwWdw61AJ8nzm7c_w0qcxXLgkpL9uHz9xgoNST4GQlHqL98i52hx_CSqgp1uOxezeN1Rvy2elJ5r0g2uZit8iOBqVbofQmLBUbTMCj8-aE7tLB6ItkeoFZRVRbFHBMqIo/s1600/detroit_travel-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglmfX07N66Pn3KwWdw61AJ8nzm7c_w0qcxXLgkpL9uHz9xgoNST4GQlHqL98i52hx_CSqgp1uOxezeN1Rvy2elJ5r0g2uZit8iOBqVbofQmLBUbTMCj8-aE7tLB6ItkeoFZRVRbFHBMqIo/s1600/detroit_travel-3.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirZhubyKeK3bvB-e_QzKuwJ0veRgqawTv98q0KWl_rIf98Zvf3X8ORx_Uyvn_vUAwphEKx1y6mZAhAcEp6kOhqg6591Y-vl0BDb3Z4mIpvyWAEo2FMz4a3k8MJ0JYeMEqgbfdIiDrrWoI9/s1600/detroit_travel-9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirZhubyKeK3bvB-e_QzKuwJ0veRgqawTv98q0KWl_rIf98Zvf3X8ORx_Uyvn_vUAwphEKx1y6mZAhAcEp6kOhqg6591Y-vl0BDb3Z4mIpvyWAEo2FMz4a3k8MJ0JYeMEqgbfdIiDrrWoI9/s1600/detroit_travel-9.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL9b8fpmvjpahi_lsPJrPlAF5HapqWimqqeLbazNGHJ1WrRBjkJJ7LqDCDsGWCcaLagxsOdsOqxA0KmCfqMmV1Cp-A8cJqmlgmf9riUZrsfGmak3k-IAif4h6wNoQYj58XrLOYDcHCbkmP/s1600/detroit_travel-13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL9b8fpmvjpahi_lsPJrPlAF5HapqWimqqeLbazNGHJ1WrRBjkJJ7LqDCDsGWCcaLagxsOdsOqxA0KmCfqMmV1Cp-A8cJqmlgmf9riUZrsfGmak3k-IAif4h6wNoQYj58XrLOYDcHCbkmP/s1600/detroit_travel-13.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />yesterday afternoon we went downtown to walk around the Campus Martius area, Hart Plaza, Renaissance Center, and the Riverfront Park. you never know what you'll find in Detroit: buildings old + new, food trucks + gourmet restaurants, and all forms of art + music. we even found Taiwan!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibM5cehMFEOInfUauK4lzYZbYIBIlESPnlFsyUexxOrtvJKPrNpM_UIxopmtjEtwL0seLd_zymUZE4cgPNsZWTfrX-66kBMQcREz1X-88EtwomHZicNfe63XwnPuB16teShSr_X4T9LaGJ/s1600/detroit_travel-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibM5cehMFEOInfUauK4lzYZbYIBIlESPnlFsyUexxOrtvJKPrNpM_UIxopmtjEtwL0seLd_zymUZE4cgPNsZWTfrX-66kBMQcREz1X-88EtwomHZicNfe63XwnPuB16teShSr_X4T9LaGJ/s1600/detroit_travel-4.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg32ctm4p01lgD1AKnmTURvMido42wJcVKjY2NPrSsLWHiuLbTfGZb39u9fX2IrnXpNvPnezG4291jEE5hpVbCh1zM3fOfJsuMkk_qT9cT41ApioJG6198Fe7k2bRZoTMwTFc92nCC96UcO/s1600/detroit_travel-11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg32ctm4p01lgD1AKnmTURvMido42wJcVKjY2NPrSsLWHiuLbTfGZb39u9fX2IrnXpNvPnezG4291jEE5hpVbCh1zM3fOfJsuMkk_qT9cT41ApioJG6198Fe7k2bRZoTMwTFc92nCC96UcO/s1600/detroit_travel-11.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7_UmrubOr0OMmBEt0RHnjIlLXrmidiv441f3UMh0uELvddFXAxk_HWYQ0ZTtd_MuLt7uLOm55yichXL__4gTc6i8c3T_IY7_ovLPTFxcan7UP1j5ahLEQNo4jbk4-VGwGXg0BgZy4Bu-8/s1600/detroit_travel-12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7_UmrubOr0OMmBEt0RHnjIlLXrmidiv441f3UMh0uELvddFXAxk_HWYQ0ZTtd_MuLt7uLOm55yichXL__4gTc6i8c3T_IY7_ovLPTFxcan7UP1j5ahLEQNo4jbk4-VGwGXg0BgZy4Bu-8/s1600/detroit_travel-12.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm84FSJQSVolH51dzP_B4-uFEDnkJeyG-hYNHNZXCkJ0Yy0vmS9_aaHnnevkSVeNU6N_gsbTLCyWOJJTvuvr8_jz7C9B9z27L_BHOlKao_NoIn3kLFI_aZpY1RxE9kTHIkARok0jrJQHE-/s1600/detroit_travel-15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm84FSJQSVolH51dzP_B4-uFEDnkJeyG-hYNHNZXCkJ0Yy0vmS9_aaHnnevkSVeNU6N_gsbTLCyWOJJTvuvr8_jz7C9B9z27L_BHOlKao_NoIn3kLFI_aZpY1RxE9kTHIkARok0jrJQHE-/s1600/detroit_travel-15.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNSjv4QxaNE9oyVxG1qaN5nlne0aSThVoQIHnO_181lK0z9UWutNOd7YwoTed7Vf275UMj3EEocMJVc4WPGhVrtn2cHChHnhPxTGl7iWwJYfASP_EoF_wlru0Iqo3dTkAumokzWPX9fIup/s1600/detroit_travel-16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNSjv4QxaNE9oyVxG1qaN5nlne0aSThVoQIHnO_181lK0z9UWutNOd7YwoTed7Vf275UMj3EEocMJVc4WPGhVrtn2cHChHnhPxTGl7iWwJYfASP_EoF_wlru0Iqo3dTkAumokzWPX9fIup/s1600/detroit_travel-16.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />how cool is this community library box in the riverside park? in recent years, large companies have started moving offices back downtown, and around lunchtime the streets are filled with professionals out for a stroll or sunning and reading in the park. this also helps support the smaller local businesses in the area, and creates even more jobs.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrllI78LjOtjxkLgj5LdWu6vPBFVsXR508lpi_syita7OUD-DbM-yN-L9zBwMPEFbWrl4nYz8W1FJWwbiMYEVEy303BGNCi6PXafCMBOrwn4N7M6i320a2PDntU_3-03nsRstjQ8VNd9p9/s1600/detroit_travel-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrllI78LjOtjxkLgj5LdWu6vPBFVsXR508lpi_syita7OUD-DbM-yN-L9zBwMPEFbWrl4nYz8W1FJWwbiMYEVEy303BGNCi6PXafCMBOrwn4N7M6i320a2PDntU_3-03nsRstjQ8VNd9p9/s1600/detroit_travel-6.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeTtJxHFMnxnsvW08DyxNMbFf7aVhPg988xFQIqcE4frura1KEXVZ_cQZvYcUL27-p_o7qJVQJ52_kIf7xdszp7eSZzm9wllsq-iJsIVzJErpJCm6RNmwFoFx3m6zvnQO3xml3XUCG0b1v/s1600/detroit_travel-8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeTtJxHFMnxnsvW08DyxNMbFf7aVhPg988xFQIqcE4frura1KEXVZ_cQZvYcUL27-p_o7qJVQJ52_kIf7xdszp7eSZzm9wllsq-iJsIVzJErpJCm6RNmwFoFx3m6zvnQO3xml3XUCG0b1v/s1600/detroit_travel-8.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA2FQc39xJu5daKKs7r4pHGwQlcUoHmcp4imoZP5x_f1Vf6hm2c22JYt2sc8PyUEaSKwf8ZCTgJNirbQR1-Ku17g0shmSCKTTPGhDlJdaAyLumDq73DbFsuMcKwNBwp3hL91j3dIJ38T2I/s1600/detroit_travel-10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA2FQc39xJu5daKKs7r4pHGwQlcUoHmcp4imoZP5x_f1Vf6hm2c22JYt2sc8PyUEaSKwf8ZCTgJNirbQR1-Ku17g0shmSCKTTPGhDlJdaAyLumDq73DbFsuMcKwNBwp3hL91j3dIJ38T2I/s1600/detroit_travel-10.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtrXiYEvvEzYTjqkxw7mqOjdjc24cuW_Q23u_X1-csJnxres25iDjOIIB1iN3oYODrHtVlSnsM7DufxPTUSo0rNdZcvQIgxELJ-VtGPGFzarkVDuj4UGhOUySyEFyCqk3W6suCcdAxsxex/s1600/detroit_travel-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtrXiYEvvEzYTjqkxw7mqOjdjc24cuW_Q23u_X1-csJnxres25iDjOIIB1iN3oYODrHtVlSnsM7DufxPTUSo0rNdZcvQIgxELJ-VtGPGFzarkVDuj4UGhOUySyEFyCqk3W6suCcdAxsxex/s1600/detroit_travel-5.jpg" /></a></div><br />after wandering around and enjoying the free live lunchtime music, we drove further out to the Corktown neighborhood to eat some tasty tasty barbecue at Slow's. the nearby train station is still abandoned, but the lot where old Tiger Stadium was has been converted to a neighborhood baseball diamond.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUKIUNzaby0tei22Idr_o8ntpgOcHpx6bkh_hj_LSeHf7pvffjy8H1Us7kOpfnjKHJmDIG5PrLyofIkOIPZ1sC4GWWaPD1lFwQzLaVYPkyRPakd4uYX0ORPtptvnKw2bMQ9ogVLkl3NxdD/s1600/detroit_travel-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUKIUNzaby0tei22Idr_o8ntpgOcHpx6bkh_hj_LSeHf7pvffjy8H1Us7kOpfnjKHJmDIG5PrLyofIkOIPZ1sC4GWWaPD1lFwQzLaVYPkyRPakd4uYX0ORPtptvnKw2bMQ9ogVLkl3NxdD/s1600/detroit_travel-1.jpg" /></a></div><br />and this is only a small slice of what you can find in Detroit these days. the <a href="http://www.inkandadventure.blogspot.tw/2013/09/detroit-eastern-market.html" target="_blank">Eastern Market</a>, the DIA,  and Belle Isle are just a few more ideas. if you haven't been in a while - or ever - I suggest taking a detour through Detroit and checking things out.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">linking up with <a href="http://www.treasuretromp.com/" target="_blank">Nicole</a> and <a href="http://theartisticbrunette.com/" target="_blank">Megan</a></span></div>

travel by iPhone: Detroit

like the tank top my dad had in the 80's said: "Detroit is no place for wimps." it's full of fighters who believe in their...

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travel by iPhone: Tokyo Disneyland

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXlZpOnsIphhC6RZd1KdreNitbem8hdlvWqLGl5pfg0GRP-ZDCNVdEvebev1vFgEThrHmKbJxoO5N-zvGZ2_MwPFL6KHc41V8uB8yoieuT7sj2Zn45D7vApTmEhoZYAsFkp28nopixHTKN/s1600/tokyodisneyland1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXlZpOnsIphhC6RZd1KdreNitbem8hdlvWqLGl5pfg0GRP-ZDCNVdEvebev1vFgEThrHmKbJxoO5N-zvGZ2_MwPFL6KHc41V8uB8yoieuT7sj2Zn45D7vApTmEhoZYAsFkp28nopixHTKN/s1600/tokyodisneyland1.jpg" /></a></div><br />I'm back from a magical weekend in Japan! I have so much I want to share about our trip, but for starters I'm going to launch a new blog series: <b><a href="http://inkandadventure.blogspot.tw/search/label/travel%20by%20iPhone" target="_blank">travel by iPhone</a></b>. you see, I've been busy traveling for the past few weeks [first Taroko + Taipei, then Tokyo] and will be busy traveling more for the next few months. my brother arrives for a visit on Thursday, and then in June I'm flying back to the US for summer [where I'll be traveling all over Michigan, and to California and Texas.] poor me, right?<br /><br />I'm going to do the best I can to keep the blog going during all this fun + travel madness, and the best solution seems to be sharing photos taken on my phone. some of them may look familiar if you <a href="http://instagram.com/jamiethewalker" target="_blank">follow me on instagram</a>, but I also think sharing these iPhone photos on the blog will keep me from spamming your feed [maybe.] I've already done this for a few of my previous trips, but I figured why not make it official?<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb6OQB8SsVXrAHHvsBJj9Cu99ge7gd8-YfAboFLOP0pMyUwhBnVjLKI0srgXQB221c4JxSVl7FQ-64_dFHzqiCVdUulfoCOfd2x-To9hKdNOOtyOOkvZDJ8geJc6xAQudgAHRY1tR5Sni8/s1600/tokyodisneyland5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb6OQB8SsVXrAHHvsBJj9Cu99ge7gd8-YfAboFLOP0pMyUwhBnVjLKI0srgXQB221c4JxSVl7FQ-64_dFHzqiCVdUulfoCOfd2x-To9hKdNOOtyOOkvZDJ8geJc6xAQudgAHRY1tR5Sni8/s1600/tokyodisneyland5.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiOMteuP3Ta3G8k50EIdimyL48lV_eTYljy2Xt3Pe7ByWJfLDEhHQLAdxKUDPTMKEoxiLmWaEouDTI7CHntDCOOnpHpXEspmR3Kce1H5y_020-9u1OMFYJ-iVhgAyQaFJ0u6cZB_W5MZjj/s1600/tokyodisneyland6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiOMteuP3Ta3G8k50EIdimyL48lV_eTYljy2Xt3Pe7ByWJfLDEhHQLAdxKUDPTMKEoxiLmWaEouDTI7CHntDCOOnpHpXEspmR3Kce1H5y_020-9u1OMFYJ-iVhgAyQaFJ0u6cZB_W5MZjj/s1600/tokyodisneyland6.jpg" /></a></div><br />our first day at the park, it rained. at first I was really upset about it. we didn't bring any rain gear and had to purchase a pair of umbrellas to get us through the day. BUT. my disappointment was short-lived. the rain turned out to be to our advantage as it kept the crowds way down.<br /><br />also, I was just really<i> really</i> excited to be at Disneyland.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifHkavVmTPmPtqU-SNd1_DQVfZSpwb9765krb0V79U9cXUmNU5Oq_y7NXXdw941Hp6hQH_eH4jPhWs99SaJ-R4-J1VncV4S-J3hPjg6-2ecxLbtYNaAfDg_kPPqUSmCqOkYF3HFpGEG7oq/s1600/tokyodisneyland4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifHkavVmTPmPtqU-SNd1_DQVfZSpwb9765krb0V79U9cXUmNU5Oq_y7NXXdw941Hp6hQH_eH4jPhWs99SaJ-R4-J1VncV4S-J3hPjg6-2ecxLbtYNaAfDg_kPPqUSmCqOkYF3HFpGEG7oq/s1600/tokyodisneyland4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzWTuy7hVPTNM__eWi-pkMOK3g0ZTY0xXGlvDbAvPEkKVhVLOSBX8fRKzV3CnN9_ReN7BXACYJM_bZghoYzuhOfH5SVJUQx4AwpbiENpqyT9O0TXDUZijMEa-BukK7mk3qzx8P2n8Od9XG/s1600/tokyodisneyland8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzWTuy7hVPTNM__eWi-pkMOK3g0ZTY0xXGlvDbAvPEkKVhVLOSBX8fRKzV3CnN9_ReN7BXACYJM_bZghoYzuhOfH5SVJUQx4AwpbiENpqyT9O0TXDUZijMEa-BukK7mk3qzx8P2n8Od9XG/s1600/tokyodisneyland8.jpg" /></a></div><br />by the afternoon, the sun was shining. thanks to the low crowds we were able to ride almost everything we wanted to on our first day, with our longest wait being only 1 hour [for Space Mountain.] I'll be going into more details on  the rides and how we used fastpass to avoid waits later, but I will say that you <i>absolutely</i> want to take advantage of them.<br /><br />I'm also going to stop here to warn you that 70% of the rest of this post is castle photos.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXZMtdUg1o7VVG311IbXKukev_tHE9B3c3NdG3RvuZoY2Yt-mtp3Qp6WzImtPB7DqzgQFpVkHWJZ9se0p18WiQPfR6_C162dftTl_LrGfQ1d72O5cjahIV0VH4rzbtZ2eeidhp3TOUEnL9/s1600/tokyodisneyland3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXZMtdUg1o7VVG311IbXKukev_tHE9B3c3NdG3RvuZoY2Yt-mtp3Qp6WzImtPB7DqzgQFpVkHWJZ9se0p18WiQPfR6_C162dftTl_LrGfQ1d72O5cjahIV0VH4rzbtZ2eeidhp3TOUEnL9/s1600/tokyodisneyland3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKrj5t3OdHPTr8lgR7m2Py_N9slIYi4Z1kEvL4DzeUMFXNwOh-PWxF5iOMbXPh9brigTiYwtrKQTkm0zWGrZpaUDJJmKVE3sk3cY913S_nWvqc7901v2eT_hy7Svax151c_zJ5-rSaz_ZY/s1600/tokyodisneyland2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKrj5t3OdHPTr8lgR7m2Py_N9slIYi4Z1kEvL4DzeUMFXNwOh-PWxF5iOMbXPh9brigTiYwtrKQTkm0zWGrZpaUDJJmKVE3sk3cY913S_nWvqc7901v2eT_hy7Svax151c_zJ5-rSaz_ZY/s1600/tokyodisneyland2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />that night the fireworks show was canceled, but the castle was lit up and looking gorgeous. we went back to the hotel where I soaked my aching feet and had a glass of wine, and crafted a plan of attack for the next day.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinoHYNaFg1-JV8WOOUMjL69hhzx3pP0-Ipnnz_YqV-0F-btdvIyuhOGvuf8wL2xVF7yDXAYIc3c1feRJwQGZ92fr4oHukhiKjdirMBBu6P55bfEKfWUDc4eGSevOx6_NeTDqqgslas6JNO/s1600/tokyodisneyland11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinoHYNaFg1-JV8WOOUMjL69hhzx3pP0-Ipnnz_YqV-0F-btdvIyuhOGvuf8wL2xVF7yDXAYIc3c1feRJwQGZ92fr4oHukhiKjdirMBBu6P55bfEKfWUDc4eGSevOx6_NeTDqqgslas6JNO/s1600/tokyodisneyland11.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihKrHKAPJcaMDZEQUtOWkvEUtMJEcj-He7uqVnpz54eXfQCR_q8lybd8D6utJsdyPiLucbB_tPiCKv8QRlbZgI1GA_51xRRs7nyuAfBEEq1LPh6CEiYTeFI1LMk7PKyTS6nbqMld3Cbgwh/s1600/tokyodisneyland10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihKrHKAPJcaMDZEQUtOWkvEUtMJEcj-He7uqVnpz54eXfQCR_q8lybd8D6utJsdyPiLucbB_tPiCKv8QRlbZgI1GA_51xRRs7nyuAfBEEq1LPh6CEiYTeFI1LMk7PKyTS6nbqMld3Cbgwh/s1600/tokyodisneyland10.jpg" /></a></div><br />our second day the weather was better, though the crowds were bigger. since we mastered the fastpass planning, we rode everything we wanted and still only had one wait that was an hour long [this time for Pooh's Hunny Hunt.] over the course of our two day visit we managed 15 different rides, with a few of those two or three times.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM6WR2LCEQhfuT5vDoR_0fS9LgPjQf-dSIvJkb_Z-SzMRi2s96ocu1eyllewNmmMqAmaCmM2tRwwFJxq1F1Mjs0N5OAcCLY9f_mewGV6qlRhT1dJ8tjHe1KjqUFp-w-478WbxPCPuxnajU/s1600/tokyodisneyland9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM6WR2LCEQhfuT5vDoR_0fS9LgPjQf-dSIvJkb_Z-SzMRi2s96ocu1eyllewNmmMqAmaCmM2tRwwFJxq1F1Mjs0N5OAcCLY9f_mewGV6qlRhT1dJ8tjHe1KjqUFp-w-478WbxPCPuxnajU/s1600/tokyodisneyland9.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSD5FqhMaHwzTEUiNmxFIMZ8B6l3Rb9_HBELThhFezBBBKquwLjfeYB1HNX6LUhttHT_9nLthkJdmhBJoG491VB2hcxaZbogm6HB_L5gC9IizxmKC2jL-LrVXgSr9SMeZNAfDE54vyLTfv/s1600/tokyodisneyland13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSD5FqhMaHwzTEUiNmxFIMZ8B6l3Rb9_HBELThhFezBBBKquwLjfeYB1HNX6LUhttHT_9nLthkJdmhBJoG491VB2hcxaZbogm6HB_L5gC9IizxmKC2jL-LrVXgSr9SMeZNAfDE54vyLTfv/s1600/tokyodisneyland13.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />clearly, I developed an obsession with taking pictures of/with the castle. my thanks to Husband who tolerated this with good humor, and coped by furthering his collection of "pictures of Jamie taking pictures." [one of which can be spotted earlier in this post.]<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx7u8X7Q2OhUfKIaPlKm3W6WajJtWop5eY5eANf7Gu1MUyT0Ok5CA_If0PBrpuSY2l8j7aS3y8mMqhk5Zubp-SkvFmsSqoN-TMK_GHjikCu-QzRVVl27aq4xID6OGgL_XeNXn8bxReS6IC/s1600/tokyodisneyland7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx7u8X7Q2OhUfKIaPlKm3W6WajJtWop5eY5eANf7Gu1MUyT0Ok5CA_If0PBrpuSY2l8j7aS3y8mMqhk5Zubp-SkvFmsSqoN-TMK_GHjikCu-QzRVVl27aq4xID6OGgL_XeNXn8bxReS6IC/s1600/tokyodisneyland7.jpg" /></a></div><br />our trip was, in a word, <b>magical</b>. I hadn't been to Disney in the longest time and I felt just like a kid again... I laughed and even cried at points I loved it so much. this was certainly the perfect way to celebrate turning 29 - by reminding myself that you can still be a kid at heart no matter what the numbers say.<br /><br />I can't wait to share more with you over the next few weeks! please let me know if you have any specific questions about visiting Tokyo Disneyland and I'll do my best to answer them in upcoming posts [or by email.]<br /><br /><div style="text-align: right;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">linking up with <a href="http://bonnieroseblog.co.uk/">Bonnie</a>, <a href="http://unlockingkiki.com/">Kaelene</a>, <a href="http://www.tothedayslikethis.com/">Sammy</a>, and <a href="http://www.travel-vanberry.blogspot.co.uk/">Van</a> for Travel Tuesday</span></div>

travel by iPhone: Tokyo Disneyland

I'm back from a magical weekend in Japan! I have so much I want to share about our trip, but for starters I'm going to launch a new ...

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