[hkskyline]

51. Cherry blossoms are synonymous with Japan, but there are many other places where these trees offer an impressive display. Japan gifted 3000 cherry trees to Washington DC over a century ago, and the Tidal Basin is an incredible viewing spot during the spring.



52. For those who have studied in university, you may recall the university library (yes, people went there before) used a different classification system than your neighbourhood library. The Library of Congress system was a completely different beast. Here is the real thing ...



53. My first foray into Africa was an interesting week in Egypt just before the revolution. After reading about it in books, the Pyramids were far more impressive on-site. Placed at the earliest part of my trip, I thought it was already worth the money and long journey from Asia. But I would be amazed throughout the trip again and again as I headed south.



54. Taiwan's DMZ hasn't made it onto the international arena yet, which meant few crowds and enjoying the sites in peace. Xiamen's skyline is even visible from here, and Kinmen's islands were under constant threat of war. Today, the troops have pretty much left although these invasion-repelling remnants remain on the beach.



55. While Indonesia is mostly a Muslim country today, Borobudur is actually a Buddhist temple dating from the 8-9th centuries. I'm not a Bali fan at all, and prefer these historical and more authentic sites on Java.





57. Doha is trying to become a viable alternative to Dubai as a transit destination, and I've long held a preference to Qatar Airways over Emirates. With a great stopover offer available and cheap hotels, I decided to give this city a try before and after my trip to Europe. The locals were incredibly friendly and they have a good assortment of stunning modern architecture.



58. Cancun is a favourite short getaway destination for Canadians and Americans. I wasn't interested in soaking under the sun at my resort, especially with a lot of interesting Mayan history nearby. Chichen Itza is the most famous, although I liked Coba more because we could still climb it.





60. Moscow offers quite a lot of contrasts. The art gallery is actually a metro station, and this grand Soviet-era building is now a Radisson.