As any regular reader of this here blog will know, every year (besides years like 2020) on a Friday in the first half of July we celebrate the company’s birthday. This year, of course, was no exception. A full day – and night – of partying: big, varied, loud, fun… and this year – hurray! – lots of sun!

Yet again, the venue was our favorite Radisson Resort in Zavidovo – some 130km northwest of Moscow. And this year – as the title’s already let on – we had 3500 guests: a record!

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Macau. Where is it, and what is it? Does the name sound familiar? I guess many of you will say it’s somewhere in China, figures large in colonial history, has its fair share of shady neighborhoods, and more than its fair share of casinos. And… you’d be right! However, I was here for neither the history, the culture, nor the gambling – but for work: our Asia-Pacific partner conference – the last in our yearly ultramarathon of regional partner conferences.

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You can get to Hong Kong by car, train, or even by boat. But I have a strong feeling that most foreign (non-Chinese) tourists arrive in Hong Kong by air. And that means you inevitably pass by the Big Buddha statue installed on a hill opposite the airport. You can’t actually see the statue from the airport/road, but knowing it exists doesn’t require visual contact at all :)…

For many years I had a dream that one day, when leaving Hong Kong, I’d finally visit this wonderful sculpture. And every time I’d approach Hong Kong airport I’d look left toward the mountains and… regret not having enough time for a closer look. But I kept on dreaming, and finally, just recently, my dream came true…

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One of the must-dos here in Hong Kong is an evening boat cruise. Get ready, for here come a ton of photos. But first – I need to tell you about which boat to take…

If you just ride the regular ferry from Kowloon, you can catch some cool views. But if you hop on to one of the tourist boats and then spend two-and-a-half hours cruising back and forth along the strait between the islands – that’s a whole different story: much, much better.

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Hong Kong. Must-see – by everyone – obviously. However, from the sightseeing-tourist point of view, there isn’t actually all that much to do: in just two nice-weather days you can take a ferry ride and get up to the Peak, check out Hong Kong’s Big Buddha (more on that later), take an evening boat ride (more on that later too), and stroll along the promenade – and that’s basically it: you’re just about done; well, that is – if you or the party you’re with aren’t shopaholics. Oh – but if you want to see the “other side” to Hong Kong – the one away from the tourist traps and the famous skyscrapers and the large digital screens – that’s a bit diferent, and for that you need a really good local guide.

I’ve been to HK plenty of times: according to my photo archive, this was my 13^th trip. My first was way back in 2001, for a Virus Bulletin conference. (Woah: I thought Virus Bulletin was no more, but having just looked it up – turns out it’s still alive and kicking!) Wait – another mix-up: it wasn’t for the Virus Bulletin conference; it was for the AVAR conference.

Fast-forward to 2025, and Hong Kong’s Museum of Art made it clear all over again why there are so few tourist attractions in Hong Kong.

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I’d long dreamt of visiting Hong Kong’s Victoria Peak – known locally as simply “the Peak”. I tried my luck last year hoping for good weather, but it was a total flop. Sure, we got up there, but the cloud cover was so low you literally couldn’t see a thing. This time though everything worked out!…

There are a few ways to reach the tops of the hills surrounding Hong Kong. For example, you can rent a car for the whole day, which you pick up from and later drop back off at your hotel; sure – it’s comfortable being in air-conditioned comfort all the way, but it’s also a bit boring. So we decided to do it differently: first take the ferry across the bay, and then the funicular all the way to the top. And on the way back, sure – why not take a cab?…

So. First up – ferry! ->

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There’s plenty to see and do in and around Chengdu, so it’s not a bad option for long layovers. Apparently, visa-free transit extends to a whopping 240 hours – ten days! That’s enough for a vacation, never mind a stopover! In 10 days you’d of course see the pandas; however, it might not be enough time for a thorough exploration of Sichuan’s natural and historical treasures (for example, the turquoise lakes of Jiuzhaigou (the Valley of Nine Villages), and the Huanglong travertine cascades, etc.).

But if you fit in the pandas, but can’t stretch to the long-haul tourisms, you could, for example (if you’ve a weakness for impressive heavy engineering projects – like I have!) check out the Dujiangyan – the ancient irrigation-and-temple complex in Dujiangyan City…

Here’s a brief history of the place…

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Still in the Sichuan province, today – a continuation of my travel notes therefrom…

But first – a question to the audience: what do Russia and China have in common?

No – “nothing” is the wrong answer ).

Anyone?…

Well, first of all they have a shared border!

But more importantly (and much, much more seriously) – both Russia and China have the same national symbol: bears! Russia’s is the brown bear; China’s is the panda (full name – the giant panda), which is a species of the bear.

The panda is undeniably cute (but you know that). It’s also just unbelievably lazy. Move over sloths!

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Back in China, today – some travel notes from the Chinese city of Chengdu. It’s known for being one of the main economic centers in the country as well as the capital of the Sichuan province, which is the homeland of the giant panda and both Sichuan pepper and cuisine. The city is both huge – with a population of nearly 21 million, and ancient – formally established in 311BC, making it a bit younger than Rome (753BC), but older than Paris (250-225BC). Sitting on the same latitude as northern Africa, Mexico, and Texas, it has a subtropical climate where it’s hot in the summer and cold in the winter.

Story one – on the New Century Global Center multipurpose complex

Some might say that starting a narrative about a huge and interesting city with a mere shopping mall is philistine and materialistic, since it disregards the more important spiritual side to both life and the city in question. To that I say don’t be so quick to judge – for this is no ordinary shopping mall.

So, what’s so special about New Century? First – it’s 500 by 500 meters in area and with several floors. Second – inside (and this is pretty common in China), you start to feel like… maybe the wrong countries are called “developed” after all…

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As I was recently in South America (Brazil) again – for the second time this year – it reminded me of my first visit to the continent early this year on vacation – to both Peru and Bolivia, and that I’ve got one final post for you from that trip that keeps getting put off. Well, no more procrastination; here – finally – it is: on the Bolivian city of La Paz…

La Paz is an amazing city for several reasons. First of all, it’s simply beautiful. The city’s located in a valley surrounded by mountains of stunning colors and diverse shapes – it feels like designers really put in the effort!

Read on…