Manual: Competent Communicator (CC)
Nov 16, 2007
The Sun has set fire in the eastern horizon, birds started chirping and my alarm went off. It was August 23rd 2007 morning. I woke up with my heart and mind filled with eagerness and excitement. The day I awaited for more than 200 days finally came. Yes, it was the first day of my summer study trip to Asia. Buckle up!!! Fellow toastmasters [and dear guests] as I take you to exotic places of three Asian countries in next 5 minutes.First, let’s go to South Korea the country that was devastated 60 years ago by war. The South and North Korea is separated by a special area called demilitarized zone (or DMZ for short). DMZ is one of the must to visit places in Korea and is approximately an hour drive from Seoul. DMZ tour comprises of visit to Freedom Bridge at Imjingak, Dora observatory, 3rd infiltration tunnel and finally Dorasan railway station. Here are some insights if you plan for the DMZ tour:
Book the DMZ tour through agency, 24 hour advance booking is recommended, and Original passport is required to tour the DMZ area. Be aware of the restricted use of camera and respect the rules. Otherwise, you may have to spend rest of your life in prison. If you are in good health, take the walking tour to the 3rd tunnel. Always wear helmets during the tunnel walking tour. Other interesting things to do at Seoul include: visit to Seoul Tower, Gyeongbok palace tour and shopping at Itaewon. You can buy genuine counterfeit goods for very cheap price.
Second, let’s fly to Hong Kong, the international financial center. One of the must visit attraction in Hong Kong is Big Buddha temple at Lantau Island. This is the world’s largest, seated, outdoor, bronze Buddha. The statue is 85 feet tall and weighs 200 tons. Here are some tips:
Allow at least 4 to 5 hours to visit Big Buddha. The trip includes a subway (MTR) ride to Lantau Island followed by a 45 minute bus ride. Finally, you need to climb 268 steps to go to the temple top. The temple gate closes at 5.45pm, so be sure to start early for the evening visit to temple. Other exotic places include: Avenue of stars, Victoria Peak, Clear water bay, Nan Lian Garden and Chi Lin Nunnery at Diamond Hill.
Next, let’s go to two cities in China, the country that houses the largest population in the world. Oriental pearl tower, the second tallest skyscraper in Shanghai, is 468 meters tall. Night view on top of the tower is a feast to our eyes. It is recommended to go the Pearl tower in the evening before Sunset, so that you can get the glimpse of city in both day and night light. In fact, it is a general recommendation for any skyscraper.
Next, one is Great Wall of China in Beijing. It is one of the wonders of the world and does not require any introduction. Here are some tips: Be prepared for a nice/strenuous hike. If you plan to hike, then wear comfortable clothes and shoes. Carry water bottles. Btw, do not forget your camera.
Other interesting places in China include: Bund site seeing tunnel, Cruise on the Bund and Yuan-Yuan gardens in Shanghai and Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City and Temple of Heaven in Beijing.
To recap, let’s take a Google Earth tour to these places. Though the satellite image resolution for some of the sites is not good, this tour should give you a nice perspective of location of these places.
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Copy of this presentation can be found here.
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