New skyscrapers in Shanghai. The modern cathedrals

During my first visit to Shanghai in 2007 Oriental Pearl (468m) and Jin Mao (420m) were the tallest building. World Finance Center was under construction.

Last time in 2017, ten years later, Shanghai Tower makes a huge different with 632m. And it's so beautiful. In just a few decades a place with not buildings at all has become the most amazing city view the mankind has ever seen. How was the evolution in the future? A Blade Runner scenario could be overcome of things evolve so fast.

Anyways Jin Mao will be always in my heart since it was the first skyscraper over 400m I went up.

Here a couple of photos from different point of views:

Articles aired in media during the last weeks

I tried to compile here some of the articles published about my little journals.

They are written in many languages and from so many countries. I'm always surprised at the power of Internet. Thanks to the people who put their energy in every letter and took such warm interest in the interviews!

It's a quite long post. I added a link pointing to each website under each screenshot.

http://www.thisiscolossal.com/2018/04/handmade-sketchbooks-by-jose-naranja/ 


https://verne.elpais.com/verne/2018/04/15/articulo/1523785905_846105.html

http://www.updateordie.com/2018/04/05/a-arte-de-escrever-a-mao/

http://www.adaymag.com/2018/04/18/jose-naranja.html

https://mymodernmet.com/travelers-notebook-jose-naranja/

https://www.brilio.net/wow/hobi-jalan-jalan-10-coretan-traveler-di-buku-ini-rapinya-kebangetan-180416a.html

https://www.langweiledich.net/zeichnungen-jose-naranja/

https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/IXatTLYVinW2hHYsEirORA?

https://www.poppaganda.net/2018/04/20/travel-journal-diary-jose-naranja/

https://www.boredpanda.com/traveling-artist-handmade-sketchbooks-jose-naranja/?#post-comments-area

https://sapparot.co/2018/04/24/jose-naranja-wonderful-sketchbook/

http://culturainquieta.com/es/arte/ilustracion/item/13714-un-ingeniero-aeronautico-crea-los-cuadernos-de-viaje-mas-maravillosos-del-mundo.html

http://www.johngrimwade.com/blog/2018/04/30/notebooks/

https://onedio.com/haber/dunyayi-gezmek-icin-havacilik-muhendisliginden-vazgecen-adamin-her-biri-sanat-eseri-defterleri-819493

https://www.reddit.com/r/PenmanshipPorn/comments/8eji86/jos%C3%A9_naranja_and_his_travel_books/

https://travel.kapook.com/view192213.html

Link here

https://www.buzzfeed.com/michelleno/jose-naranja-artist-notebooks?utm_term=.qi7RX0Q3d#.pyjQ9xKAq

http://piwee.net/1-ingenieur-parcoure-monde-carnets-de-voyages-impressionnants-230418/

https://news.zing.vn/di-khap-the-gioi-tao-nen-12-kiet-tac-so-tay-dep-den-tung-chi-tiet-post837571.html

https://www.toutiao.com/a6549774979020358152/?tt_from=copy_link&utm_campaign=client_share&timestamp=1525018147&app=news_article&utm_source=copy_link&iid=30291041072&utm_medium=toutiao_ios

http://news.naver.com/main/read.nhn?mode=LSD&mid=sec&oid=005&aid=0001093471&sid1=001

https://www.teepr.com/954454/cindyleung/%E6%97%85%E8%A1%8C%E7%AD%86%E8%A8%98%E6%9C%AC%E7%92%B0%E9%81%8A%E4%B8%96%E7%95%8C/

https://pijamasurf.com/2018/04/estos_cuadernos_de_viaje_reavivaran_tu_instinto_nomada_y_tu_deseo_de_viajar/

https://tabi-labo.com/287829/journey-josenaranja-note

https://www.wowlavie.com/citizens_unit.php?article_id=AE1601811

https://www.domestika.org/es/blog/1283-cuadernos-de-viaje-ilustrados?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=blog_cuadernosviajeFB

https://tuotrodiario.hola.com/en-la-red/2018042974360/jose-naranja-caligrafia-increible/

https://elcomercio.pe/redes-sociales/instagram/instagram-cuadernos-viaje-detallistas-mundo-noticia-517054

https://www.mondofox.it/2018/04/23/molla-tutto-per-viaggiare-taccuini-meravigliosi-foto/

https://www.independent.ie/world-news/and-finally/this-man-journeyed-around-the-world-and-his-travel-notebooks-are-works-of-art-36905622.html

https://www.dannydutch.com/single-post/2018/04/12/Handmade-Sketchbooks-Teeming-with-Colourful-Calligraphy-Diagrams-Sketches-and-Travel-Ephemera-by-Jos%C3%A9-Naranja

http://www.paradijsvogelsmagazine.nl/reisdagboek/

https://tabizine.jp/2018/05/26/186959/

Taipei 101

Very short visit to Taipei. I had time to climb up to the (not many years ago) the top of the world: Taipei 101. An icon from last century. The first building to reach half a kilometer high.

Feeling from Taiwan was excellent, specially because of friendly people. I wish I could come back soon to explore all the island in detail.

Mahjong (麻雀)

Mahjong was one of my top discoveries during my last visit to China. I appreciate its aesthetic and meaning of the pieces: Winds, dragons, etc. A nice way to go deeper in Chinese culture.

Do you know where Mahjong pieces are come from? I think they come from a Mahjong tree.

Seen in Ayutthaya

What's in my bag? Version 2018

I use to keep the tradition about "What's in my bag?". Mainly since I started to travel with ultralight packing, a milestone in my trips. Optimizing is always a process. See evolution from last year here where I explained the main philosophy.

For this 2018 I carry a 30-32 liters backpack as the only bag. It weighs 6.9 kg with all belongings inside including laptop (and except the clothes on).


My bag posing in front of a colorful door in Colombia.

I've noticed the notebook is getting fatter every day and now it weighs almost 400g. Anyway I reduced the writing tools to only one small case, the one besides the notebook in the photo.

I missed nothing during the trips which could be a few weeks or months long, it doesn't matter.

Hi Elements. You look taller.

When I went back to Hong Kong I saw Elements (ICC building) much taller than in my first visit in 2007.

Me: Hi. Nice to see you again.
Elements: Oh! You are here. Welcome!
Me: I saw your birth. Now you look so tall. You have become a king.
Elements: Thanks :)
Me: See you in 10 years.

I had the chance to climb up to the top of the building. Amazing views, feeling and experience. Good moments. Hong Kong is a great place. A beautiful historical anomaly.

About Stratego and strategic board games

Do you like Stratego? I'm quite obsessed with it lately.

I rediscovered Stratego since many years completely forgotten. Great game, one of the best ever. I used to play when I was a kid, just for fun. Now I appreciate its complexity and enjoy much more going deeper in the details. I could describe it like a mix of chess and poker.

I consider really important to play these kind of games, same as chess or similar board games. In the same way people can be split between who read and who don't or other many criteria, I realized it's same for games. Those who use to play complex games develop a higher sense of administration of resources, balance risks, manage time and chances, etc. So useful in real life: Economics, negotiations, decisions, etc. That's why I suggest playing games, specially in early ages. Funny and improve some superpowers.

I played with friend and neighbor using the version made in the 80s. Actually the game was his property and time later I did my own version, home made and super low cost. Those days when TV or toys magazines added the note:

 "Alert: More than 5000 pesetas (30€)!"

For a kid's mind that meant forget about getting it.

Unfortunately the current version is a shame. Stickers on cheap plastic pieces and horrible characters design. Immediately I thought about creating a new version. And that was the seed for bigger idea: Creating a whole new game based in the same mechanism but adding new key points. Whether it goes well or not the creative process is fully fascinating and it opens the door to new ideas coming in the way. But that's another story.

Btw, Stratego is an evolution from old Chinese game Dou Shou Qi, which also hocked me in the last weeks.  I'm making an aesthetic version, but again that's part of another post coming.

New released based in version from 80s. Photo from Amazon.

What? Dark character man playing the role of spy disappeared and it's is a woman instead in the version based in the 80s version (not the one with stickers).