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In Perşembe Pazarı (near Karaköy), on the Golden Horn waterfront below Galata Tower, I sat every day with a beer. A shopkeeper told me it was OK to drink in public, and I saw locals doing the same. Still, when two policemen checked my papers, I thought that might be the problem, but no — probably I just looked suspicious, lol. The last time I was in Istanbul in 2013 , this part of town was different. The walking path didn't exist. Instead, all the seafood restaurants were right on the seafront; now they have been moved back from the water to the little street behind it. Back then, fishing boats docked here, and there was also a small fish market, rather than the cruise yachts you see today. Still, it is a nice little spot, and I returned every day to chill a bit.

  Normally, I don't spend much time in Hungary, so I don't know much about what is happening here. I did hear some time ago about Budapest's car-free embankment in the summer months, when they close off the Pesti alsó rakpart (Pest lower embankment) to traffic. Now, checking it, I see that it started in May 2020. It was only on weekends at first, like in so many great cities around the world, but now it is all week long, although on weekdays only in the evening. 

You can still fly from Budapest to Sharm el Sheikh at a very good price with Wizz Air, even in these times of fuel crisis scares, I found out to my surprise. So I decided to make a short visit during Eid el Adha in 2026 and see my friends in St Catherine. Spring is always a good time to visit, especially this year, a couple of months after very heavy rains. Apart from visiting people in town, I did a few little hikes in the mountain valleys — more about them in separate posts on Discover Sinai. 

Piraeus is part of metropolitan Athens and can be easily reached from the city centre by metro. It serves as the main ferry port, with large ships departing to the islands, but it also has more varied sides beyond the busy harbour, including pleasant waterfront spots and suburbs. A short walk from the ferry port, around Marina Zeas there are yachts and a few fishermen. To the east, a walk along the seafront takes you past Votsalakia beach, which is simple and rather small, but it is still great in a big city. Around Mikrolimano, a little bay, there are several nice restaurants by the water. A bit further on, you reach the Peace and Friendship Stadium and the park around it, marking the end of this stretch. 

  I was quite surprised when I arrived at my hostel in the Kerameikos area of central Athens. Almost all the shops around us were Chinese wholesale retailers, mostly selling clothes, but also some hardware and electronics. This continues into the neighbouring Metaxourgeio district. Moving a bit east, towards the more central Psirri area, the run-down streets gradually blend into a largely South Asian quarter. There are many small shops and even informal street markets serving mainly Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Indian expats — grocery stores, cheap takeaway places, phone and money transfer services, and low-cost clothing and household goods. Further towards the centre, Psirri becomes more lively and trendy, with plenty of restaurants and bars, until it reaches Monastiraki, the busy and more elegant heart of the city at the foot of the Acropolis. North of Psirri and east of Metaxourgeio lies Omonia, which feels rougher. There are many immigrant-run businesses here as well, but also a ...

  The best viewpoints in central Athens are easy to reach and give very different perspectives of the city and the Acropolis. The closest and most immediate is Areopagus Hill, a bare rocky outcrop right next to the Acropolis with a full panoramic view over the centre. Just across the green slopes to the southwest, Philopappos Hill offers a more distant but wider perspective, where you can see both the Acropolis and the sea, along with scattered ruins and quieter surroundings. Nearby, Pnyx Hill provides a slightly different angle, with a broad view over the Acropolis and the city stretching out to the north and east; it also has historical significance as the meeting place of the ancient Athenian assembly. Rising separately above the city, Lycabettus Hill is the most prominent landmark, visible from all the other viewpoints. From its summit, you get one of the widest views over Athens, although it can be crowded, especially at sunset. Finally, if you choose your accommodation carefu...

Last time I was in Athens was in the summer of 1983 — over 42 years ago! My parents loved Greece and the family visited the country a few times, the four of us travelling in a Trabant and camping along the way. On the first occasion we even extended the trip to Istanbul. Later I dropped out of these family trips and eventually left the communist bloc behind. On our way to Australia in 1987 we spent one night in Piraeus, included in the Olympic Airlines flight, but we only saw the streets around the hotel. Even though it was so long ago, I still remembered a few things vividly about Athens. But it has changed a lot.

  Usually I just pass through, stopping for a short time only or not stopping at all, so I don't know London too well. This time I stayed for a few days in the very centre, right at Piccadilly Circus, in a capsule hotel. It is not as bad as some people may think; in Asia it is quite common. Following different views on social media, I see that many warn that London has been taken over by Muslims. In the small city on the south coast where I usually stay, I didn't see much change over the last 20 years; there were relatively many immigrants and Muslims back then, and today it doesn't look very different — there isn't a visible increase. I thought maybe London is worse, and I wanted to find out.

  By accident, I witnessed a very ironic “antisemitic” incident. A small group of leftists had set up a table on Commercial Road in Portsmouth in support of Palestine and other issues they consider important. Just as I arrived, a small group of far-right nationalists turned up and started verbally abusing the leftists. One of the right-wingers, a woman with her face covered, stepped forward and aggressively pushed a young female activist. “You Jew-hater, terrorist supporter!” she shouted in her face. “I am Jewish, and you’re saying that to me?” the girl replied, clearly upset. How bizarre. Fascists are now carrying the flag of Israel to attack Jews.

  Photos from a short walk, starting at the market on Fény utca and continuing over the Castle District, which offers far-reaching views of Budapest in every direction. It had snowed in the first few days of 2026, but on this day it was clear and sunny. There were plenty of people around the main sights (Matthias Church, Fishermen’s Bastion, Castle Square), but far fewer along the northern and western walls overlooking the Buda suburbs and the Buda Hills. It used to snow much more in the past, but in recent decades we have been getting less and less in Hungary. (On the other hand, snowfall in late March or early April has happened several times recently, something that would have been unheard of before.) 

Well, a heatwave in England isn’t quite the same as in many other parts of the world — like Hungary, where it can reach 40 °C or more, or India, where it can climb above 50 °C. Here, when the temperature rises above 25 °C, locals already call it a heatwave. This was the first time I experienced such an event: several days without rain and temperatures hovering around 26 °C. To be fair, in the sun it feels warmer, and it’s no surprise you see so many yobos walking around shirtless. I don't do it. Not because I'm not a yobo, but because it's not that hot. Portsmouth has several beaches, stretching from Old Portsmouth through Southsea to Eastney. The following photos were taken on walks from Spice Island to South Parade Pier. (A large part of the seafront is currently closed for renovation works.)

  What kind of budget accommodation can you expect for around £10–20 in Japan , South Korea , Taiwan , Hong Kong , and mainland China ? Japan is the most expensive of the five, and at this price you're usually looking at a dormitory bed; occasionally, however, it's possible to find a private room with an en-suite bathroom for this price in so-called business hotels. South Korea is similar, perhaps slightly more affordable. In Taiwan, you can find good hotel deals, but prices vary significantly by region — some places are surprisingly expensive even at the budget level. Hong Kong is notoriously poor value for money: budget rooms are tiny and pricey, barely large enough to fit a single bed. Mainland China stands out as the cheapest and best value option, offering surprisingly good budget hotels. The following list of hotels offers a glimpse into what you can realistically expect in this price range in these countries, based on personal experience and without affiliate links....

Chongqing is the last destination of my recent Asia trip, as I'm flying back to Budapest from here on Air China’s weekly direct flight. The city has recently gained popularity for its unique attractions, such as the monorail that passes through a residential building, or the city square that sits at around street level on one side but towers 20 stories above a street on the other. Central Chongqing sits on a narrow rocky ridge between the Yangtze and Jialing Rivers, with steep cliffs on both sides. This unique landscape has led to the development of a multi-layered, "3D city". There's also the so-called cyberpunk building, the Hongyadong complex, an 11-story reconstruction of a traditional stilt house, also built into a cliff. Home to around 32 million people, hilly and modern Chongqing offers many other attractions, including a statue of the Hungarian poet and his love, Sándor Petőfi and Júlia Szendrey. 

  Many visitors come for just a few hours on a day trip from Chengdu—but that’s a mistake. You need a full day to properly visit the Leshan Giant Buddha , see it from the river, and explore the nearby Oriental Buddha Park and Wuyou Temple hill. At a leisurely pace, it could easily take two days. You can also do a day trip to Emeishan from Leshan by public bus, but in my opinion, it's better to stay overnight there—perhaps in a monastery below the Golden Summit. So, for Leshan alone, you’ll need at least one night, preferably two. The city itself is quite sprawling, modern, and tidy, but it doesn't offer many attractions. The train station is a bit far from the center, but public transport is a good option to reach both the city center and the Leshan Giant Buddha. Below are the tourist basics. 

  Located about 40 kilometres from Leshan, Emeishan (Mount Emei) is one of China’s most sacred mountains. As one of the Four Sacred Buddhist Mountains of China, it is home to over 30 temples and monasteries, some more than a thousand years old. The main site is the Golden Summit, featuring a giant golden statue of Samantabhadra seated on four elephants, along with a golden temple. The scenery is said to be spectacular, but I couldn’t see much on the day of my visit. Apart from the weather, the trip was somewhat disappointing — it’s still worth visiting, but you need to know what to expect. 

  The Oriental Buddha Park (also called Oriental Buddhist Park and Eastern Buddhist Capital) is a large cultural and religious-themed complex above and under ground, featuring thousands of Buddhist statues, including some monumental creations. Unlike the nearby ancient Leshan Giant Buddha and Mahao Cliff Tombs , the Oriental Buddha Park is a new site built during the late 20th and early 21st century. The statues were crafted using traditional stone carving techniques combined with modern engineering, allowing the creation of impressively massive figures while maintaining the style and spirit of classical Buddhist art. The park’s highlights include a 51-meter-tall standing Buddha representing the Medicine Buddha (also called Pharmacist Buddha and Bhaisajyaguru), a 33-meter-tall seated Buddha, and a 170-meter-long reclining Buddha. While the site does not contain original ancient artifacts, the craftsmanship, scale, and atmosphere make it very much worth visiting. 

  Located near Chengdu, Leshan is home to the tallest stone Buddha statue in the world. Carved out of a cliff face, the 71 meters tall statue overlooks the junction of the Min and Dadu Rivers. You can walk up to the statue’s head and look down, walk down to its feet and look up, and view it from a boat. The area also offers distant but nice city views. You could do the walk and the boat ride easily in a short day, along with a visit to the Mahao Cliff Tombs and Wuyou Temple, both located between the Giant Buddha and the cruise port. In a longer day's program you can also include a visit to the Oriental Buddha Park, a separate and fairly large attraction (separate ticket required) that is well worth seeing — see the post about the Oriental Buddha Park . 

  Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province, is a very pleasant and surprisingly beautiful city. For me, it was just a stopover on the way to Leshan to see the Giant Buddha, but I managed to explore a bit during the two full days I had there. I only visited the main attractions — quite a few, though there’s definitely much more to see in a city as big and culturally rich as Chengdu. For many visitors, the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding is a major highlight, but I decided to skip it — let the researchers do the researching. It was also great to catch a few glimpses of everyday life just a few steps away from the main tourist paths.

  The two main reasons to visit Zhangjiajie are the striking Tianmen Mountain (Tianmenshan) and the otherworldly Avatar Mountains (Zhangjiajie National Forest Park) — but they are about 40 kilometers apart. How can you get the best out of a visit? Where should you stay, and for how long? The best advice is: take your time. Allow more days than you think you’ll need, as the weather is unpredictable. As for where to stay, both Zhangjiajie city, at the foot of Tianmen Mountain, and the little town of Wulingyuan, near the Avatar Mountains, can serve as good bases. The high speed train station, Zhangjiajie West (Zhangjiajiexi) Station, is between the two. The ideal option is to stay in both. 

  If you’re looking for a different experience and landscape than the Avatar-style mountains of Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, consider visiting the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon and its famous Glass Bridge. These sites are not as grandoise or scary as the names suggest, but it’s still a nice program that takes about a long half-day or a short full day. The bridge isn’t too intimidating, as it includes solid metal sections alongside the glass panels. The canyon itself isn’t that grand in scale, but it’s definitely scenic. For an extra thrill, you can add a zip line ride across the canyon for just CNY 50, which is very reasonable. Now, looking back, I know I should have done it. A short boat ride at the end of the trail is included in the basic ticket. 

  Located about 30 kilometers from the city of Zhangjiajie, near the town of Wulingyuan, is China’s oldest national park: Zhangjiajie National Forest Park. This is the place that inspired the floating mountains in the movie Avatar, earning it the popular nickname "Avatar Mountains". The park covers a large area, with shuttle buses, cable cars, and even lifts operating inside to connect the main scenic spots. (Shuttle buses are free with the ticket; the rest are at an additional cost.) There are popular cliff-edge paths as well as quieter hiking trails. The national park is divided into 4 main areas, and the entrance ticket is valid for four consecutive days, which is useful if you want to explore each earea to some extent. It's not likely that you can hike every trail in four days unless you’re an extreme walker. The four main areas consist of Tianzi Mountain, Yuanjiajie, Yangjiajie, and Huangshi Village (Huangshizhai), and between them are other locations such as the Gol...

  Located about 30 kilometers from the city of Zhangjiajie, near the town of Wulingyuan, is China’s oldest national park: Zhangjiajie National Forest Park. This is the place that inspired the floating mountains in the movie Avatar, earning it the popular nickname "Avatar Mountains". The park covers a large area, with shuttle buses, cable cars, and even lifts operating inside to connect the main scenic spots. (Shuttle buses are free with the ticket; the rest are at an additional cost.) There are popular cliff-edge paths as well as quieter hiking trails. The national park is divided into 4 main areas, and the entrance ticket is valid for four consecutive days, which is useful if you want to explore each earea to some extent. It's not likely that you can hike every trail in four days unless you’re an extreme walker. The four main areas consist of Tianzi Mountain, Yuanjiajie, Yangjiajie, and Huangshi Village (Huangshizhai), and between them are other locations such as the Gol...

  Tianmenshan (Tianmen Mountain), located right next to the small city of Zhangjiajie, is one of the most spectacular mountains in China. The dramatic rock massif, with its sheer vertical cliffs and the famous natural arch (Tianmen Cave or Heaven’s Gate) reached by a long stairway, is well-known — but the entire scenic area is much larger than most people expect. Exploring the full mountain top takes a full day, as the area is expansive and involves multiple transport systems. There are two main cable car lines serving Tianmenshan. The most famous connects Zhangjiajie city to the summit, and is one of the longest cable car rides in the world, taking nearly 30 minutes one way. The second line is shorter and operates in combination with shuttle buses. At the top, there’s also an open chairlift line connecting two scenic points, and a network of underground escalators to navigate the steep terrain. It can be a bit confusing at first, but the followings explain how it all works.