Wednesday, March 14, 2012

CNNGo.com

CNNGo.com


CNNGo TV: Osaka and Kyoto -- the historic heart of Japan

Posted: 14 Mar 2012 02:27 AM PDT

by Brent Swails

Whether it's the 500-year-old soba recipe in the former imperial capital Kyoto, or a signature takoyaki restaurant in Osaka, there's no escaping Japan's history and culture in these two cities. 

CNNGo TV this episode takes a look at some of the places in Kyoto and Osaka that the locals like to go, including the fortune-telling Kibune Shrine, a hilarious wrestling show and a coffee/antiques shop.

Honke OwariyaNo longer in the palace, but the royal family is still a fan of their soba.

Honke Owariya

This soba shop in the heart of Kyoto has had plenty of time to get its recipe right.

Originally a confectionary shop, Honke Owariya has been serving up the traditional Japanese noodle dish since 1465. Back then, it served noodles in the imperial palace. Today, you can still enjoy your soba in the traditional surroundings of a restored confectionary shop.

read more

How to be an explorer

Posted: 14 Mar 2012 02:23 AM PDT

by Jini Reddy

Ever watched those TV shows about adventurers heading off into the unknown and wondered how to be an explorer just like them?

Well, exploration is no longer the preserve of a rarefied few. Organizations like the Royal Geographical Society and Explorers Connect have been set up to make exploration inclusive, open to anyone with a sense of adventure.

It's not all about physical endurance either: below are 10 exploration-based tours to little-known parts of the world that the gentleman (or lady) adventurer in the street can join.

The catch? You need a big, jiggly piggy-bank: adventures of a lifetime don't come cheap.

1. Journey down the Congo River

Journey down the Congo RiverIts heart may be dark, but the sunsets are sublime.
The ambitious undertaking was inspired by the travels of 19th-century explorer Henry Morton Stanley and the Joseph Conrad classic, "Heart of Darkness."

read more

The other rat race: Hunting (and eating) rodents in Indonesia

Posted: 14 Mar 2012 12:25 AM PDT

by Raymond Walsh

Dweller of sewers. Abandoner of ships. Conduit of the plague.

No matter what descriptor you attach to the lowly rat, one thing is pretty much universal -- it's the critter everyone loves to hate.

Except, that is, in Tomohon in North Sulawesi, Indonesia. Here the rat takes on a very different role -- that of delicacy -- and for a fee, you can hunt your own rat and eat it for dinner that evening.rat huntersThe rat hunters of Tomohon -- Oscar, Wem, Stevi, and Chili.

Mario Ben Gavriel's rat-hunting tour can hardly be called the country's most popular activity -- I am the first foreigner to sign up for the jaunt and just his third customer in two years.

But for those who do take the plunge, an eye-opening glimpse of local life awaits.

read more

Fukushima Taiko drummers Japan's newest stateside export

Posted: 13 Mar 2012 09:17 PM PDT

by Lisa Jardine

A cool 540 meters above sea level sits the Yamakiya district of Kawamata in Fukushima Prefecture. Prior to March 11, 2011, the mountainous region was known for its silk products and wintertime rice-paddy ice-skating rinks.

No one is skating there this winter -- in fact, no one is living there at all.

In May 2011, it was evacuated when high levels of radiation were found after the nuclear disaster at the Daiichi nuclear plant in Fukushima.

All of its residents were evacuated to lower ground, scattered and displaced, including the members of the Yamakiya Taiko Club, an award-winning drumming group consisting of children from elementary school through high school that has been around for more than 10 years.

But displacement didn't stop these kids from banging on their mammoth drums, the largest of which measures 3.5 meters in diameter. And on April 7, they're leaving Japan and taking the show on the road ... to the United States.

read more

7 wild dates in the Philippines

Posted: 13 Mar 2012 07:38 PM PDT

by Maida Pineda

How many spectacular wildlife encounters can you claim? A glimpse of an orangutan? Snorkeling with baracuda? Head to the Philippines and your number will almost certainly increase.

With an estimated 6,000 plant species, 1,100 land vertebrate species, 100 mammal species and 170 land species that are exclusive to the Philippines, if it's a date with nature you're looking for, this is one biodiversity hotspot that won't fail to impress.

1. Befriend a butanding

Butanding in philippinesBig may not be best, but it is beautiful.
Go big on animal love with these huge blue-grey, silver-spotted whale sharks locally called butandings. These plankton-eating gentle giants -- the largest fish in the world -- measure about 14 meters and weigh more than 1,500 kilograms.

Whale sharks are regularly spotted in Donsol, Sorsogon and you can expect to see more than a dozen during the peak months from February to April.

The province's tourism website provides detailed information on how to arrange a snorkeling date with the butandings in Donsol. Recently, the town of Olsob in the southern tip of Cebu made international news when its fishermen were discovered to hand feed and play with the very sociable whale sharks there.

read more

Cycling routes that'll take your breath away

Posted: 13 Mar 2012 03:00 PM PDT

by Tim Cheung

If you're anything like us, any major sporting event makes you feel compelled to go out and play that sport. So it was that with the finale of the Tour de France last week.

You may not be able to speed pedal 200 kilometers, but why would you when some of the best cycling routes in the world pass through such beautiful scenery?

Here are 10 of world's best bike routes for cyclists who either are up for breaking a good sweat or simply seeing the world without leaving an ugly carbon footprint behind.

1. The Great Ocean Road, Victoria, Australia


If you like a challenge, take on this 243-kilometer windy road along Australia's south-eastern coast. If a day is all you've got, take the 60-kilometer route from Torquay to Bells Beach. 

There you'll cycle through a rural farmland, enjoy the sweeping ocean views from cliff tops, and snake past the wetlands around Lake Connewarre. 

read more

Pocket darkroom: Hong Kong's first Instagram exhibit

Posted: 13 Mar 2012 10:00 AM PDT

HK InstaYay is a group of Hong Kong Instagram obsessives and they are holding their first offline photo exhibit.

Co-founder Tyson Wheatley, whose day job is Senior Editor at CNN Digital, started the group with two friends a year ago.

HK InstaYay has since held 10 photo walks -- participants tour a visually interesting part of Hong Kong and take photos together. On their iPhones.

"The way that I take photos on my phone is the way that the majority of people will be doing in the next five years," says Wheatley.

"The technology is doing so much better. And the supporting apps are so good, it's like having a darkroom in your pocket."

read more

Around China in 31 dishes

Posted: 12 Mar 2012 09:06 PM PDT

by Meng Yanyan

China has more gourmet styles than you can shake a lamb skewer at: from the spicy heat of the southwest to the hearty meat of nomadic minorities, to the seafood-heavy menus in the southeast.

There are 31 provinces and municipalities spread across the mainland's 9.6 million square kilometers, and each brings a unique approach to meal times.

To take you across the massive country plate by plate, we've selected a specialty dish from each mainland province and municipality.

If you can't get to them all, you might at least get to major Chinese cities like Shanghai, where solid renditions of each dish on this list is available in authentic ethnic eateries.

Or just travel though the entries below.

read more

No comments:

Post a Comment