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- CNNGo TV: Osaka and Kyoto -- the historic heart of Japan
- How to be an explorer
- The other rat race: Hunting (and eating) rodents in Indonesia
- Fukushima Taiko drummers Japan's newest stateside export
- 7 wild dates in the Philippines
- Cycling routes that'll take your breath away
- Pocket darkroom: Hong Kong's first Instagram exhibit
- Around China in 31 dishes
| 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.
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     |
| 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
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| The other rat race: Hunting (and eating) rodents in Indonesia Posted: 14 Mar 2012 12:25 AM PDT 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. 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
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
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    |
| 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 longer in the palace, but the royal family is still a fan of their soba.
Its heart may be dark, but the sunsets are sublime.
The rat hunters of Tomohon -- Oscar, Wem, Stevi, and Chili.
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