The Marco Polo Project by EF

Hello,

We had a phenomenal time this week here in Seoul. There are so many futuristic things here. We took lots of pictures. Take a look and let us know what you think!

Bye, bye!

Christina

Hi again!

Roddy's world tour keeps going and this week he is in a new city in a new country. Do you think you can guess where he is?
Here's a hint:

It is the capital and second-largest city of Vietnam. The city is located on the right bank of the Red River. This place is located at 1,760 km (1,090 mi) north of Ho Chi Minh City. October 2010 will officially mark 1000 years of the establishment of the city. On this occasion, this city has been named by Frommer's travel guide as one of the world's "Top Destinations 2010".

Do you know where Roddy is? Where's Roddy?

See you soon!

Christina

Annyeong from Seoul!

This week we're in South Korea's capital and largest city. Like Tokyo, Seoul is a really big city with lots of people in it.  And even though it's a modern city (it's considered the most hi-tech and connected city in the world), this capital has a history going back to the 14th century, so there are many palaces, old buildings, shrines and parks that make the skyscrapers seem less towering.

Seoul has many wonderful places where you can learn about Korean culture.  We went to a museum where we learned about King Sejong, (who you'll learn about in the video also); we got to try on Korean costumes; we learned how to write our names in Hangul, the Korean alphabet; and we painted traditional fans at the airport.  And these were all free activities! 

It's REALLY hot here.  But, it seems the best way to cool down here is to get wet.  Everywhere around the city are fountains and pools that you always see kids splashing around in.  We've been so hot we wish we could hop in, too.

The stream that runs through the middle of the city is our favorite place here. It's a little below the street level, so you don't see any traffic, and they've filled it with plants and rocks so it feels like you're in nature.  We've been there almost every evening to just stroll like the locals do.

In the evening, we also like the food atmosphere.  Lots of the meals here involve cooking the food yourself on little grills or bubbling hot pots at your table.  And since this gets hot and smokey, many places have outdoor seating.  Also there are lots of food stalls in the streets and night markets selling Korean fast food and sweets.  So walking around at night and deciding what to eat for dinner is a lot of fun.  In fact, we're going to go do that right now.  Talk to you later!

Bye!
Christina

Hello,

We had an amazing time this week here in Kyoto. There are so many beautiful temples and gardens here. We took lots of pictures, too. Take a look and let us know what you think!

Bye, bye!

Christina

Hello again!

Roddy's world tour continues and this week he is in a new city and a new country. Can you guess where he is? Here's a hint:

Located on the Han River, this city is the capital of South Korea. It is over 2000 years old, but it is still one of the most modern cities in the world. 12 million people live here, making it one of the biggest cities in the world, too. People here love sports - soccer, baseball, even speed skating! - and both the 1988 Summer Olympics and the 2002 World Cup took place here.

Do you know where Roddy is? Where's Roddy?

See you soon!
Christina

Hi everyone,

This week we're enjoying the beautiful parks and gardens of Kyoto.  If you've noticed in our videos, we almost always have one scene in a park.  In every city we travel to, we like to find a local park to catch some shade and quiet, especially if we're in big cities.  The ones in Kyoto are especially nice because they always have Japanese gardens.  These are always so calm and peaceful, as they usually include water, rocks, and statues along with the greenery.

Christina's favorite park is Central Park in New York.  When she used to live there, in the summer she would go to have picnics with her friends.  Because there isn't a beach in the city, they even used to go to sunbathe in the grass.  Now when we find a park, she likes to read in the shade, usually under a tree.  And she always goes on the swings. 

Of course, I like visiting playgrounds in parks.  I love going on slides.  Before the Marco Polo Project, my favorite thing to do was to go jogging in the park.  I don't like to exercise, so at least in a park, I can look at the nice scenery while I run.  My favorite park during our travels was the Botanical Gardens and park in Sydney.  The park is right on the Sydney Harbor so you have gardens and a view of the Opera House and the Bridge all together. 

What are your favorite parks?  What do you like doing in the park?

Konnichiwa from Kyoto!

We're spending our second week in Japan, this time in the country's former capital. Kyoto was the Japanese capital for over 1,000 years and is known to be the country's most beautiful city. It's also known as the country's center of arts and culture since many traditional art forms of dance and crafts were invented here. It's also the city that hosts one of Japan's most important festivals, Gion Matsuri. We just missed the important day, but the celebrations go on all month, so we still caught some parades in the streets.

At first, arriving by train in Kyoto Central Station, the city looks like any other metropolis with skyscrapers, shopping malls, and crowded sidewalks. But once you leave the city's downtown you understand why it's called the city of a thousand temples.  There are temples and shrines all over, as well as a few palaces, some centuries old. The city has an older, more traditional atmosphere than the bustling Tokyo and we liked that you can easily walk around all over the center.

It's impossible to see all of the temples, shrines, and palaces, but the ones we did see are really beautiful. The palaces are large, but not what you'd imagine an emperor living in. They look very simple, made of wood and paper, and not painted or decorated much from the outside. But this is just to a foreigner's untrained eye. We got a tour of a few of the palaces and we learned that the details and expensive materials used are what make these buildings impressive.

What I like most about Japan (besides the excellent shopping) is the parks and gardens. The gardens are always perfectly cared for and individually designed to represent scenes in nature. Whenever you step into one of the many parks or gardens, you forget you are in a big city.

In fact, I think we're going to go enjoy the rest of our time here in one of the parks.

See you later!

Christina

The Los Angeles video is now available for you to download from the podcast!

Visit iTunes to download the episode or if you prefer to use other software, use this link instead: The Marco Polo Podcast

I'm off to watch some cool movies...

Coco

Konnichwa (again!),

This week, Roddy has taken the high-speed train 3 hours west of Tokyo to a new and wonderful location. Can you guess where he is? Here's a hint:

Until 1869, this city was the imperial capital of Japan (before it the imperial family moved to Tokyo). It is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Japan, both for Japanese and foreign tourists. Every year, millions of people come here to see the city's temples, shrines and gardens, many of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The city is especially popular for tourists in the Spring (when cherry trees are in full bloom) and Fall (when the leaves change color).

Do you know where Roddy is? Where's Roddy?

Sayonara!
Christina

Konnichiwa again!

We had a really, really great time this week here in Tokyo. We also took lots and lots of pictures for you to see, too! Have a look and let us know what you think!

Sayonara!

Christina

Hi everyone,

As you can see in our video this week, Tokyo is one of the most fashionable cities in the world. However, it's also one of the best cities in the world to eat! There are literally thousands and thousands of restaurants here. In fact, there are more restaurants per capita in Tokyo than in any other city in the world. That's a lot of restaurants! And, all these restaurants got us thinking about this week's Question of the Week: What is your favorite kind of food?

Well, Christina loves all kinds of food. However, she only learned how to cook a few years ago (when she first moved to China). She really enjoys cooking now, but she doesn't get much of a chance to cook now that we're always traveling.

As for me, you may already know that my favorite food it roti canai. I love cooking, too, and I'm always experimenting in the kitchen whenever I get the chance.

How about you? What is your favorite food? Can you cook?

I'm hungry...
Coco

Konnichiwa from Tokyo!

This week, we've crossed the Pacific and we're back in Asia. Coming from the US, with the time change, we skip ahead a whole day!

This is both our first time in Japan and we've had imaginings of a high-tech, skyscraper-filled, advanced city. Parts of that are true; I don't think we've seen as many huge TV screens on buildings anywhere else, but there are also a lot of preserved and restored temples and traditional sites.

Tokyo is huge and there are many different districts, each with their own highlights and specialities. My favorite, of course, are the fashionable districts. And, I have to say, the Japanese are very stylish. They have a different, sometimes crazy fashion sense, both boys and girls, and you can see some of this in the video. Coco likes the more traditional parts of Tokyo that have older architecture, parks and gardens. Both of us prefer the parts of the city that look more like old local neighborhoods, with low buildings, narrow alleys and sliding doors, than to the modern business glass-and-steel structures. Even if these make quite an impressive cityscape.

To us, this may be the city with the most polite and calm people. There are a lot of people living, working, and visiting here, but nobody seems to get in anybody's way and you never feel rushed or stressed, which can happen in a big city. Well, there are rules everywhere, but not bad ones. There are lots of signs and guidelines that basically tell you to remember to be considerate to those around you.

We've really been enjoying the food here too. There's lots of variety and we're having a hard time choosing our favorite. Of course, with Japan being islands, there's tons of seafood!

Talk to you later!

Christina

Hey!

We had an amazing time in Las Vegas this week! We took lots of pictures, too. Take a look and let us know what you think!

Bye,

Christina

Hellooooo everyone!

This week, Roddy has sailed far across the Pacific Ocean to a new country and a new city. Can you guess where he is? Here's a hint:

This city is the capital of Japan. In fact, its name means "East Capital" in Japanese. 32 million people live here, making it one of the biggest cities in the whole world! It is also one of the most expensive cities in the world to live in. This city is divided in 23 different districts (also known as "wards") and has many famous attractions, including temples, gardens, the Imperial Palace and even a tower that looks similar to the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

Do you know where Roddy is? Where's Roddy?

See you soon!
Christina

Howdy everyone!

As you've probably already seen in our video this week, Las Vegas is a pretty exciting place. There is so much to do here! One of the things we've noticed since we've been in Las Vegas is that many of hotels even have their own rollercoasters and thrill rides. Even the Stratosphere, the tallest tower in Las Vegas, has rides. In fact, the rides at the Stratosphere are the highest thrill rides in the world! All these rides got us thinking about this week's Question of the Week: Do you enjoy going on rollercoasters or thrill rides?

Well, personally, I love going on rollercoasters. They're usually go really, really fast and sometimes they even go upside-down! It's a great way to do something exciting with your friends and family.

Coco, unfortunately, gets sick if he goes on rollercoasters, so he doesn't like them very much. But, even then I can sometimes get him to go on a ride with me... once in a while, anyways.

How about you? Do you like going on rollercoasters or thrill rides? What kind of rollercoasters do you like the best?

Weeeee!
Christina