A few photos from Friday’s trip to The Great Wall and Saturday’s visit to The Forbidden City:

Hey gang, it’s currently 4PM Saturday here in Beijing; Nancy and I finally have a few minutes to just relax and chill out at the hotel. We’ve been here since Wednesday (9/1) afternoon checking out the city and meeting up with Vivian and Chris for their e-session. Their wedding is tomorrow at The Peninsula Hotel and I can’t be more excited to document it :).

We took it easy on Wednesday getting used to the Beijing time-zone, weather, and life style here. On Thursday, Nancy and I took a taxi over to where the 2008 Olympics took place. Below are the photos from that trip :).

Rather than bore you guys with paragraphs and paragraphs of randomness, I’d thought I highlight a few things before each photo :). Stay tuned for part 1 of Vivian and Chris’ e-session after this post as well as part 2 of our stay in Beijing later this week!

It’s pretty cloudy here in Beijing with sporadic rain (mostly showers). Temperatures are anywhere from 80-85 degrees (Fahrenheit). Here’s a wide-angle view of the big Olympics stadium, shaped like a bird’s nest.

Some random leaves and petals outside the stadium. All the plants/trees here are very, very green and clean!

I can never drive here in Beijing. The traffic is crazy as well as the style of driving. There’s literally hundreds of cars, bicyclists, pedestrians, and mopeds all sharing the streets at the same time. Apparently there’s no such as pedestrians having the right of way or having to follow street signs and driving rules. You can pretty much do whatever you want as long as you don’t hit someone. And if you do, well…it’s kinda like no big deal :).

Tickets to checking out the inside of the stadium:

Random city shot while riding a taxi. Oh yeah, fares here for a ride around the city is only $2-$5. A lot of things here are “cheaper” than in the states. You also don’t have to pay tax or tip as everything is generally including in the original price.

Lots and lots of red seats fill the stadium…

Some pretty lady playing with her camera ;).

Not sure what this tower was for during the Olympics but it’s situated right between the big stadium and the water building aka “Water Cube”:

The corridors of the Olympic stadium…

Jump!

Close-up shot of the Water Cube, where all the water-related sports took place:

And now inside the Water Cube:

They built a water park inside the Water Cube; Nancy and I really wanted to try out that long blue tube ride, it looked like a lot of fun :).

On the other side of the Water Cube is where all the activities took place.

Well, that’s it for now! Time to rest up a bit. I’ll try to cook up part 2 of the Asia Trip before leaving to Hong Kong on Monday. Thanks for stopping by and check back soon for more updates.

Hello! It’s a beautiful Sunday afternoon. I hope everyone is enjoying themselves and gearing up for the 4th of July weekend. Before things get busier, I wanted to give you guys a quick recap of my trip down to Cabo San Lucas this past week with Nancy.

It was really nice to escape the working world for a few days and celebrate us just living life together. We booked our flight + hotel via Expedia and dare I say got a good deal. I guess the trick was to go during the week and even book last minute like we did :).

We stayed at the Sheraton Hacienda del Mar Golf and Spa Resort, which is about a 40-minute ride from the Los Cabos Airport and less than 10 minutes from Downtown Cabo. We got round-trip shuttle service via Cabo San Lucas Tours website, which took us from the airport to the hotel and back. You can also book activities through them.

Here’s a few shots we took while hanging out at the resort:

This was my first time to Cabo and pretty much staying at a resort. It’s safe to say you’ll have plenty to do on the actual premise of the hotel, and most outdoor activities are only a few minutes away (like zip-lining, as you’ll see later in this post). The service was absolutely top-notch at the Sheraton. They have everything you need: spa, pool, several restaurants, and just a lot of real estate for you to relax.

My only gripe about the place was that there was no WIFI in the room and you have to pay for the internet service via an Ethernet cable. They do have a WIFI area with public computers in the lobby, where the first 30 minutes each day is free. Afterward, you have to pay to go online. Cellular service (at least on AT&T) was spotty throughout the resort. But that might be a good thing since you’re on vacation and don’t want to be distracted/bothered by e-mails/phone calls :). I can’t speak for other resorts yet, but if you’re looking to consider one, I definitely recommend the Sheraton Hacienda del Mar!

Since we went during the week and I think things were already a bit slow with people not vacationing as much, Nancy and I felt like we had the entire resort to ourselves. So it was really nice to not have to wait in line, make reservations, or share the commons with other guests (not that I don’t like to share :P). We hung out by the pool, walked around the entire resort, ate at a few of the restaurants as well as on the beach, did a spa, and I managed to squeeze in a haircut as well :).

E-session time! Just kidding :). And yes, my Version 1 Boda Bag is on its last leg, but I still like it more than any other camera bag (especially for travel).

We also took a cab to Downtown Cabo two of the days we were there. Nancy recommended we eat at Cabo Wabo Restaurant. The next evening, we tried out Ole Ole Restaurant, which was right in Marina Los Cabos.

We also checked out what looked like the hottest club in Cabo, Pink Kitty. If you ever want to get in for free, go on a Wednesday night at 9PM, or go with a girl :P. And if you’re a girl, you’ll get free drinks. It was laaaaadies night!

Here’s the marina area at night (obviously :P):

Random photos from the point-and-shoot camera; from top-left going CW: dinner at Ole Ole Restaurant, dinner at De Cortez Grill and Restaurant, our room at the resort, and a view of the beach/pool.

Last but not least, and to the chagrin of my mother (who’ll most likely be the first person to read this), here are some photos and video of us zip-lining at Wild Canyon. This place wasn’t too far from our resort, about a 15-minute drive. You just call them up, tell them where you’re staying, when you’d like to do the activities, how many guests, and they’ll take care of the rest.

Here’s a quick video recap of us trying to be hardcore…

Zip-ling In Cabo San Lucas – 6/22/10 from Henry Chen Photography on Vimeo.

In the words of Nancy, “Henry, you’re sweating!” And as I’d like to think to myself, “No beeeeep Nancy! It’s like 90 degrees and we’re walking up a bloody canyon!” Just kidding. It was a bit hot and the more water you drank (which you should of course), the more you ended up sweating. And boy was I sweating like a pig, as evident in the video.

It was lots of fun and a great workout. You spend over 3 hours in the canyon, of which 90% of the time was walking/waiting and 10% actually zip-lining. I definitely recommend trying it out if you haven’t yet. Just remember to cross your legs, put all the weight on the harness, and turn your hands side-to-side to break.

Well, that does it on the recap. Back to the wedding world I go. If you’re interested in going to Cabo and have any questions, please feel free to contact me. I’m definitely no expert or experienced traveler to Los Cabos, but might be able to provide a tip or two :). Adios for now!

Wow what a FUN, FUN, FUN night! Just a few hours ago, Nancy and I threw Ace (the real love of her life :P) his first birthday party. We invited a few friends who also have their own dog(s). All the little ones were so adorable and got along with each other so well! We played a few dog games and had treats for them all, including a birthday cake for the birthday boy Ace!

Thanks to those that attended: Trini, Gary, and their dogs Bella and Rocky; Jenny, Joe, and their dogs Moochi (sp?) and Cotton; Sharlene, John, and their dog Bailey; as well as a few other friends who made it but without a four-legged friend: Will, Mark, Stephanie, Morgan, and even our parents!

Check these video clips of Ace and the gang having a good time. Warning, there might be a lot of awwwing and more awwwing after seeing these ooberly cute friends!

Ace’s 1st Birthday Party – Part 1 from Henry Chen Photography on Vimeo.

Ace’s 1st Birthday Party – Part 2 from Henry Chen Photography on Vimeo.