The Viewing Deck Collections; Dan Brown's "Inferno" Tour

sightseeing the intriguing places in Florence, Venice and Istanbul mentioned in the Novel

"The human mind has a primitive ego defense mechanism that negates all realities that produce too much stress for the brain to handle. It’s called Denial." - Chapter 50, pp. 176-177

I made this post due to curiousness and fascination on Dan Brown's famous novels, on how he played my imagination while reading his book and incorporating my backpacking passion to wander them around. The adventure started in Florence, Italy last October 2013 where I headed to Pitti Palace and Boboli Gardens first going to the Vasari Corridor, to Palazzo Vecchio where I found the mysterious Dante Alighieri's Death Mask, to St. John's Baptistry and its Gate of Paradise, then to St. Margaret's Church also known as Dante's Chapel. The pursuit continues on the same month in Venice, Italy by visiting the four horses in St. Mark's Basilica and Doge's Palace. Finalizing the itinerary to Istanbul, Turkey last July 2014 in Sultanahmet's Hagia Sophia and Basilica Cistern.

Inferno's film adaptation to be released on October 14, 2016 with Ron Howard as director and Tom Hanks reprising his role as Robert Langdon. Filming is due to start in April 2015.

The Viewing Deck Collections; Dan Brown's "Inferno" Tour

The Viewing Deck Collections; Dan Brown's "Angels & Demons" Tour

sightseeing the intriguing places in Rome and Vatican mentioned in the Novel 

“Faith is universal. Our specific methods for understanding it are arbitrary. Some of us pray to Jesus, some of us go to Mecca, some of us study subatomic particles. In the end we are all just searching for truth, that which is greater than ourselves.” - Chapter 31, pp. 86-87

I made this post due to curiousness and fascination on Dan Brown's famous novels, on how he played my imagination while reading his book and incorporating my backpacking passion to wander them around. The adventure started in Rome, Italy last November 2013 where I walked first to The Pantheon, then to Piazza Navona and all the way to Castel Sant' Angelo. Then, continuing in the morning next day to State of Vatican  by visiting the St. Peter's Square and St. Peter's Basilica.

Angels & Demons (also known as The Da Vinci Code 2: Angels & Demons) is a 2009 American mystery thriller film directed by Ron Howard and based on Dan Brown's novel by the same name. It is the sequel to the 2006 film, The Da Vinci Code, also directed by Ron Howard. Filming of Angels & Demons took place in Rome, Italy, and features Tom Hanks, Ewan McGregor and Ayelet Zurer.

The Viewing Deck Collections; Dan Brown's "Angels & Demons" Tour

The Viewing Deck Collections; Dan Brown's "Davinci Code" Tour

sightseeing the intriguing places in Paris, London and Edinburgh mentioned in the Novel

"Every faith in the world is based on fabrication. That is the definition of faith — acceptance of that which we imagine to be true, that which we cannot prove. Every religion describes God through metaphor, allegory, and exaggeration… Those who truly understand their faiths understand the stories are metaphorical” - Chapter 82, pp. 369-370

I made this post due to curiousness and fascination on Dan Brown's famous novels, on how he played my imagination while reading his book and incorporating my backpacking passion to wander them around. The adventure started in Paris, France last October 2013 where I headed to Louvre Museum first going to the Gallery, the mysterious portrait of Monalisa, exiting through the Inverted Pyramid area, then to Saint Sulpice Church. On July 2014 continued to pursuit the places in Longdon, England  by visiting Sir Isaac Newton's Sarcophagus in Westminster Abbey. Finalizing the itinerary by going to Edinburgh, Scotland last December 2014 in Rosslyn Chapel where I visited the intriguing carvings, the Apprentice Pillar and the Crypt downstairs.

The Da Vinci Code is a 2006 American mystery-thriller film directed by Ron Howard and adapted from Dan Brown's 2003 best-selling novel of the same name that stars Tom Hanks and Audrey Tautou. The film, like the book, was considered controversial. It was met with especially harsh criticism by the Roman Catholic Church for the accusation that it is behind a two-thousand-year-old coverup concerning what the Holy Grail really is and the concept that Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene were married and that the union produced a daughter. Many members urged the laity to boycott the film. Two organizations, the Priory of Sion and Opus Dei figure prominently in the story. In the book, Dan Brown insists that the Priory of Sion and "...all descriptions of artwork, architecture, documents and secret rituals in this novel are accurate".

The Viewing Deck Collections; Dan Brown's "Davinci Code" Tour

Knights Festival in the Old City; a Jerusalem Nights Specials

8-days Pinoy solo backpacking in Winter Israel

November 02 to November 10, 2013

Jerusalem city tour 1st part; Israel Museum and the Dead Sea scrolls

Scores of knights and other figures in full dress, jousts, tales of heroism and an array of performances await visitors to Jerusalem's Old City on Thursday evenings from late October through November 2013, ensuring a unique and exciting experience for visitors of all ages. Jerusalem invites us to stroll within the Old City's Ancient stone walls and along its picturesque and mysterious alleys on the enchanted festival evenings and view and participate in traditional dances, knightly battles, acrobatic and fire performances, street theater, medieval fashion shows, story-telling sessions, colorful pageants, horse-drawn carriages, stirring musical performances, a medieval knights pub, and other spectacular shows and surprises!

The festival format is that of self-guided tour in which visitors navigate among the various theatrical events taking place along a marked route in Jerusalem's Old City. The route is circular, beginning and ending at Jaffa Gate Plaza. The route winds through the old City's alleys and cannot accommodate baby carriages/strollers. Admission is free.

Jerusalem Old City's Knights festival 2013 (Medieval Dance)

Sizzling Red Light District; Central Europe Specials

observations during the Autumn Solo Backpacking trip

October 10 to November 02, 2013

Fascinating Street Arts; Central Europe specials

I made these post to see the difference of passionately roasting red light districts in Central Europe in comparison to backpacking other group of nations as a Filipino budget solo backpacker.

A red-light district is a part of an urban area where there is a concentration of prostitution and sex-oriented businesses, such as sex shops, strip clubs, adult theaters, etc. The term originates from the red lights that were used as signs of brothels. There are areas in many big cities around the world which have acquired an international reputation as red-light districts. Some red-light districts have acquired a touristic interest beyond sex tourism, and can be perceived as places of artistic, historic or cultural interest, whether or not they still serve the sex trade.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red-light_district

France Red light district (Paris' Moulin Rouge)

Fascinating Street Arts; Central Europe Specials

observations during the Autumn Solo Backpacking trip

October 10 to November 02, 2013

Budget food trips; Central Europe specials

I made these post to see the difference of irresistibly attracting street arts in Central Europe in comparison to backpacking other group of nations as a Filipino budget solo backpacker. 

Street art is an umbrella term defining forms of visual art created in public locations, usually unsanctioned artwork executed outside of the context of traditional art venues. The terms "urban art", "guerrilla art", "post-graffiti" and "neo-graffiti" are also sometimes used when referring to artwork created in these contexts. Traditional spray-painted graffiti artwork itself is often included in this category, excluding territorial graffiti or pure vandalism. Artists who choose the streets as their gallery are often doing so from a preference to communicate directly with the public at large, free from perceived confines of the formal art world. Street artists sometimes present socially relevant content infused with esthetic value, to attract attention to a cause or as a form of "art provocation". Street artists often travel between countries to spread their designs.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Street_art

Central Europe Street Arts (Berlin)

Budget Food Trips; Central Europe Specials

observations during the Autumn Solo Backpacking trip
October 10 to November 02, 2013

Sizzling Red Light District; Central Europe specials

I made these post to see the difference of budget food trips in Central Europe in comparison to backpacking other group of nations as a Filipino budget solo backpacker.

1. (kebab, wrap) in france cost 5e. 250ml water is 1e, beer is 1.5e.
2. In Switzerland, 8.9chf mcdeal, bottle drink 2.5chf.
3. In Luxembourg, 3.5e for cheeseburger meal
4. In Brussels, meals are almost same with Luxembourg. Waffle 1e, beer 1.5e
5. In Amsterdam, bus fee costs 2e, meals same with Brussels.
6. Bottle water costs 1.5e, toilet fee 0.5e

budget food trip in Brussels (waffle at 3 Euro)

12 Iconic Fountains; Berne City Specials

Central Europe 2nd part; 2-days solo backpacking in Switzerland

October 14 to October 16, 2013

Bern City tour by day and at night

Out of fascination, that's all! This is the reason why I have special post for this 12 artistic statues along the streets in the central city of Berne. There is no intention at all initially but when the Hostel caretaker handed-over to me the free map, my sight caught the attention the lower right corner side of the map where the description of this 12 fountains and their locations. Curious to know what makes this fountain be a subject of my camera, I immediately navigate myself each of them one by one.

The incomparably beautiful picture presented by the medieval streets of Bern would not be complete without the fountains from the Middle Ages, whose colourful pillars and statues greatly enliven the extensive rows of grey houses. The artistic fountains, which were erected about 1550 in place of earlier wooden ones, demonstrate clearly the wealth of the old Bernese community. But the practical mind of the Bernese combined utility with art, and for the benefit of posterity made these fountains into memorials to its heroes and historic events. The vivid colourings have been frequently renewed in their original colours. Several fountains stand in the middle of streets which bear a heavy traffic and trams and cars have to find their way as best they can around these obstacles.
Bern has well over 100 fountains. Eleven still feature the original statues with their allegorical figures.

http://www.bern.com/en/city-of-bern/attractions/fountains-city-bern

Gerechtigkeitsbrunnen (Justice fountain)

3D Photo Studios, Himeji Taiyo Park Specials

7-days wandering solo in summer Japan
May 28 - June 04, 2013 Tuesday to Tuesday

Himeji solo day trip 2nd part: Taiyo Park

First part of Taiyo Park is the other side of it which is the Hakucho Castle. This castle (reproduction of Neuschwanstein Castle from Germany) is a building that becomes the main area of the park. The swan Castle (Hakucho-ji) of medieval European style was completed in 2008. There is a Welcome House Swan and then monorail which is included in the entrance fee. On the 3rd floor to 7th floor are the 3D-studios (anamorphic illusions) which grabbed my attention because this was my first time to play the illusions behind the magnificent arts.

Anamorphosis is a distorted projection or perspective requiring the viewer to use special devices or occupy a specific vantage point to reconstitute the image. The word "anamorphosis" is derived from the Greek prefix ana-, meaning back or again, and the word morphe, meaning shape or form.

Hakucho-ji (Neuschwanstein Castle)

Hakucho-ji (Neuschwanstein Castle)

Kilometer Markers, a Mt. Kinabalu Specials

Kota Kinabalu trekking and solo tours
may 25 -  27, 2013 saturday to tuesday

Mt. Kinabalu solo hike last part (descend back to downtown)

Kilometer markers are placed on every 500 meter part of the trail. Most of them is just plain wooden mark with around 12 x 6 inches size (which makes them sometimes unnoticeable especially during rain and exhausted feeling) while others are well-established post. I decided to make a special report regarding this marks due to the following reasons;

1. kilometer marker will start to exist 500 meters after entering the Timpohon gate, shown as "0.5km". From this gate onwards there will be 12 markers up to Laban Rata dormitory camp site which is 3,273m above sea level (319m higher than Mt. Apo peak). Then  will start to exist again on summit journey from 6.5km up to 8.5km point. To sum it all, there will be 17 kilometer markers (12 for 1st trail set and 5 for summit journey).  

2. I suffered leg pain easily at an early stage of the climb due maybe I'm lifting by myself my over 10kg weight backpack (w/o the aid of the porter) or maybe I underestimated the journey in comparison to Mt. Pulag's ambangeg trail (3rd highest peak in Philippines). For me that time, waiting for kilometer marker on every 500 meter trail was a delightful quest and a goal to minimize the health tension and mindset hardship.

kilometer markers, a Mt. Kinabalu specials

12 Divine Zodiac Generals, Ngong Ping Specials

4-days winter budget family tour in Hongkong-Macau

saturday to wednesday february 02-06, 2013

cable car experience in ngong ping 360

Out of curiosity, that's all! This is the reason why I have special post for this 12 new statues along the hallway  in the main entrance before Po lim Monastery, Lotus pond temple and the Big Buddha. I was just amazed how the Chinese zodiacs affect the basic lives of a typical people in dealing with astrology as guidance in future action. And for that, I was surprised there were army leaders based on this cultural principle.

The 12 Heavenly Generals protect and serve the Yakushi Nyorai (the Medicine Buddha). The twelve are Hindu Yasha who were later incorporated into Buddhism as protective warriors. Many say they represent the twelve vows of Yakushi; others say the 12 were present when the Historical Buddha introduced the "Healing Sutra;" yet others that they offer protection during the 12 daylight hours, or that they represent the 12 months and 12 cosmic directions, or the 12 animals of the 12-year Chinese zodiac. 
http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/12-generals.shtml 
 

General Catura (Ox)