Travel Life

 Holy Tolito! This past summer (July/Aug. 2024), my family and I made our return to Canada for a visit. This was our first visit in about 5 years. Needless to say, it was a fast and sastiable visit. While we were booking and organizing the trip to Ontario though, there was a slight issue that concerned my son's entry and exit permit for China. When we applied for his permit, it was seemingly a reasonable amount of time, given we were unaware how long it would take it receive it. When we were given it (pretty much within 72 hours), the expiry was touch earlier than we had actually anticipated, making it a bit worrisesome (needlessly), with regards to the return back to China.  While we were certain it wouldn't be an issue, my wife wanted to look into extending the permit. While contacting the government in China, it was stated that only in Canada my wife would be able to apply for an "extended" permit (2 years). Interesting, was the word that came to my mind as well. T...

 Take a moment to understand that the Royal York was originally constructed in 1929. Now nearly 100 years later, it sits within a kilometer (roughly) from Toronto's CN Tower, the Roger Centre and the Scotiabank arena. I would imagine that the individuals who have invested into the Royal York over the years couldn't agree more with a commonly associated phrase of one of thier well-known guests, Jeff Dunham, "location, location, location." Even without the "location" though, this place carries a great deal of swagger (even through the lens of the old iPhone 6 I took this shot with back in 2018). ( say what you want about hotel pools, I'm a sucker for an empty pool and great atmosphere, mainly empty cause most folks would have been gone to dinner by this time, we checked-in late, 2018 ) My wife and I stayed here in Toronto some year back, prior to COVID, heck, prior to the birth of our son. Needless to say, it left an impression, on me and indeed the wallet...

This is a throwback article I wrote in 2012 with Lakehead University's The Argus (student publication). I wrote this in regards to a band I went to view and watch play downtown at The Apollo. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  On March 11, Zachary Lucky and his special guest Carly Maicher played live at the Apollo. The two amazing folk style acoustic musicians set the mellowed tone of a beautiful Sunday night with songs such as Lucky’s “Town to Town” and Maicher’s “See You Soon”. They set the stage and played at 9:30pm in which before that I had the pleasure of talking to Maicher and Lucky. Maicher is from Winnipeg, and has been with Lucky for about a year and change. This is Maicher’s first tour with Lucky but is having a great time. Lucky has planned that the tour will go through Southern Ontario as far as Hamilton and back up into the East and then through to the West. Lucky is from Saskatchewan and started touring four years a...

 Having been to the Canton tower a couple times now, I turned down the extent of a third trip when my wife was accompanying one of her friends from out of town. Having been there during the COVID-19 pandemic, the tower was relatively calm. However it seems that the evening sunset is always busy.  The tower has now been equipped with numerous bars; lounges and restuarants. Booking in advance is always a best practice for those places. Ticket prices are not cheap, but for what it is, I mean, if one has time to just go up an elevator and look out some windows, its affordable. The expensive part is the climbing around the top of the tower while hooked on to bungee ropes, this is by far the most expensive excursion, however it is quite a spectacle to be a part of I would imagine. After sky-diving back in Canada, I figured I'd rest easy knowing what it was like falling from a a ridiculous height-knowing I would not need to again partake. There are small cars that surround the top of...

The Dandong Broken Bridge has been a tourist attraction we have visited on numerous occasions, since I moved to China, and my first trip there with Marty Avery and our driver, Autmn, to the point now where my son is interested in going to visit as a part of some normal routine that he has established when we go to visit my in-laws in Dandong. (Bono and Avery, Dandong, October 2014) (Bono Family, Dandong, Autmn 2016) (Bono, Dandong, Summer 2021) Gratefully, every visit has yielded the opportunity to introduce to someone who hasn't been there before or witness some sort of development. Last year the development was the construction of the knick-knack shop with Dandong tourist apparel (yes-I partake). This year the interesting and relatively unfortunate development has been the closure of the damaged site of the bridge. Some believe its based on maintenance others believe it is political. Politics are basically why there is a broken bridge in Dandong. The Americans bombed out the brid...

 While we were in Heyuan, the local/regional museum was based on the land. The idea being its connection to KeJia People and Natural History. This being one of the main reasons we went to Heyuan. This Museum has the World's Largest Fossilized Dinosaur Egg Collection recorded. Heyuan's claim to fame in terms of dinosaur fossils lies with the bones of the Oviraptor who they depict as not so much an egg theif as much as an adoptive parent of the eggs it stole. Maybe some translation wasn't really on point, but it was a great exihibition all the same. One of the interesting pieces was the large petrified alligator snapping turtle, this being something that a highschool colleague of mine back in Port Colborne would be interested in. I recently saw one of his Instagram videos on Colossal beings of the past, Sheldon, if you are reading, head over to China! Anyways, another great exihbition worth checking out in Heyuan, great introductions to the KeJia Cui sine as well for those fo...