Chennai, India

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resume

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trips

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01.08.08
Hami, China (?)

29.07.08-31.07.08
Turpan, China (?)

24.07.08-28.07.08
Kashi, China

22.07.08-23.07.08
Urümqi, China

19.07.08-20.07.08
Beijing, China

12.07.08
Mt. Washington, NH, USA

21.06.08
Plum Island, MA, USA

21.06.08
Plum Island, MA, USA

13.06.08
New York, NY, USA

04.05.08
New York, NY, USA

26.03.08-27.03.08
Zion Nat'l Park, UT, USA

22.03.08-24.03.08
Grand Canyon, AZ, USA

19.01.08-20.01.08
Singapore

10.01.08-18.01.08
Chennai, India

09.01.08
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

07.01.08-08.01.08
Hue, Vietnam

06.01.08-07.01.08
Da Nang, Vietnam

05.01.08
Ha Noi, Vietnam

03.01.08-04.01.08
Ha Long, Vietnam

01.01.08-02.01.08
Sa Pa, Vietnam

31.12.07
Ha Noi, Vietnam

29.12.07-30.12.07
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

27.12.07-28.12.07
Singapore

22.12.07-24.12.07
Flemington, NJ, USA

01.12.07-02.12.07
Flemington, NJ, USA

04.11.07
New York, NY, USA

26.10.07-28.10.07
Washington, DC, USA

06.10.07
Tripyramids, NH, USA

21.09.07-23.09.07
Flemington, NJ, USA

14.09.07
Concord, MA, USA

27.08.07 Moved to:
Boston, MA, USA

24.08.07
Beograd, Serbia

23.08.07
Sofia, Bulgaria

22.08.07
Rila, Bulgaria

21.08.07
Plovdiv, Bulgaria

19.08.07-20.08.07
Istanbul, Turkey

18.08.07
Bucuresti, Romania

17.08.07
Brasov, Romania

16.08.07
Budapest, Hungary

12.08.07
Zernez, Switzerland

11.08.07
Solothurn, Switzerland

05.08.07
Pisa, Italy
Siena, Italy

04.08.07
San Gimignano, Italy
Pienza, Italy

29.07.07
Lavaux, Switzerland

28.07.07
Arosa, Switzerland

22.07.07
Zagreb, Croatia

21.07.07
Sarajevo, Bosnia

20.07.07
Plitvicka Jezera, Croatia

15.07.07
Graz, Austria

14.07.07
Wien, Austria

08.07.07-09.07.07
Enschede, Netherlands

01.07.07
Bled, Slovenia

30.06.07
Ljubljana, Slovenia
Divaca, Slovenia

17.06.07
Capri, Italy

16.06.07
Alberobello, Italy
I Sassi di Matera, Italy

10.06.07
Mont-St-Michel, France

09.06.07
Loire Valley, France

02.06.07
Kandersteg, Switzerland

02.06.07 Moved to:
Zürich, Switzerland

01.06.07
Paris, France

05.04.07-07.04.07
Stanford, CA, USA

24.03.07-25.03.07
Chicago, IL, USA

15.02.07-17.02.07
Pasadena, CA, USA

28.01.07-01.02.07
Delhi, India

22.01.07-27.01.07
Chennai, India

24.11.06-25.11.06
Köln, Germany

18.11.06
Washington, DC, USA

17.11.06
Baltimore, MD, USA

01.09.06-02.09.06
Québec, Canada

19.08.06-20.08.06
San Francisco, CA, USA

...

Hiked Mt. Washington, the tallest mountain in New England -- which at 1917m is actually not that tall. The mountain is known for the highest wind speed ever recorded at the Earth's surface at 372 km/h on 12-Apr-1934. More pictures here.

Independence day in Boston... more fireworks pictures here from 2008. For pictures from 2006 (the last time I was in Boston in summer) see here.

A revisit to the Plum Island National Wildlife Refuge near Newburyport, MA, USA. More photos here, hopefully to follow up during the migratory season when several hundred species of birds are easily seen from the island.

Spring break trip to the Grand Canyon, through the Navajo Nation and to Zion National Park (no photo link; camera damaged by water).
Above: Twilight view at Hopi Point, A BNSF freight train moving alongside Historic US Route 66, and a cave in the Navajo National Monument containing 900-year-old ruins.

Final round of pictures from Vietnam: Huế, the imperial capital before Hà Nôi. It is built around a Forbidden City where only the emperors and their closest helpers were permitted entry, and is located on the Perfume River, along which many past emperors were buried in elaborate tombs. Huế is most easily navigated by bicycle and is extremely picturesque; its food is also equally fabulous and even more so for vegetarians who will enjoy the Buddhist food traditions of the city.
Above: Stone statues of concubines at the tomb of Khai Dinh, texture of the gates of the forbidden city, and doors at a temple in the tomb of Minh Mang

Just a few kilometers from the border with the Chinese province of Yunnan, the Sa Pa valley is home to a number of ethnic minority tribes that live in scattered villages throughout the mountains and continue to identify themselves by traditional costumes to this day. Rice farming dominates the landscape, and most tasks from farming to weaving to house-building are done without electricity or automation. Besides rice, bamboo is the other important plant here: it is used to build houses, furniture, fences, walking sticks, rain shelters, bridges, simple machines, as fuel for cooking, and as a source of food as well. Considering the origin of many of these tribes lies in China itself from several hundred years ago, this area perhaps provides a glimpse of rural life in those days. See more: The Sa Pa valley.
Above: A woman of the Black Hmong walking on a mountain path.

First round of pictures from winter break ... See more: Hà Nôi, ancient city and current capital of Vietnam, fascinating for its daily life and market-like atmosphere; Hoi An, an ancient trading port influenced by a variety of Asian and European cultures over time; Halong Bay world-heritage sunken Karst region with dramatic rocks popping out as tall islands out of the sea.
Above: Bamboo district of Hà Nôi, incense burns at one of Hoi An's many temples, one of many varied landscapes of the Halong Bay.

Just came back from a trip to Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam and India. Some pictures from Singapore added to all the ones from 2004... and consolidated here.
Above: Desserts at Bakerzin, Dim sum at Vivocity, and Lontong.

Check out the home-made digital picture frame ...

Getting ready for halloween: 20000 pumpkins near the Boston City Hall, many in this giant structure and many more here and here. Also, here is a guide to making fake flames.

Hiking in the Tripyramids of the White Mountains, with plenty of autumn colours...

Walden and the Minuteman National Historic Park in Massachusetts (where the American Revolution began). See more: Lexington, Concord, and Bedford.

More photos from summer! See more: Zürich and its surroundings - where I lived and worked from June-August. More destinations to be labelled and posted...
Above: Skylight of the Bahnhof (railway station) at Enge, UNESCO world-heritage li0sted and densely decorated Stiftsbibliothek in Sankt-Gallen, Mandelchuebli (almond pastries) in the spirit of Swiss National Day.

What better way to celebrate a clear, sunny Swiss National Day than to go to the Alps? While the Berner Oberland may at first seem overly touristed, with annoying package tours reserving entire train wagons to send packs of people at a time up the Jungfrau (the site of the highest train station in Europe at 3454m), the region is so large and varied that it is easy to escape from the tourist beaten path to whatever extent you wish: simply get off the train and hike! Well-marked trails ranging from ones that you can cart a stroller on to dangerous slopes that would challenge even the world's best climbers are plentiful. Here are photos from a hike up to the summit of the Schilthorn (2971m) through Gimmelwald and Schiltalp, followed by a cable-car descent to Mürren, added to the Kandersteg trip from before. The summit of the Schilthorn offers a spectacular view of the three famous peaks (the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau) as well as a panoramic view of the rest of the Berner Oberland. See more: Berner Oberland

Enjoy the fantastically scenic (and world-heritage listed) vineyard terraces of the Lavaux region of Switzerland, located roughly from Lausanne to Montreux. While train service between the two cities is frequent, the high vineyard slopes in-between are hardly visible from the train tracks and many visitors miss this gem entirely. The best way to explore the scenery of the Lavaux is on foot or on bicycle (if you are fit for the hills!). See more: The Lavaux