“It’s like China town…but it’s in China,” Ling my Shanghai guide said in a bit of a disappointed tone. I wondered if she had heard that from a former guest, as I doubt she had ever been to a China town in another country. But I laughed and agreed whole-heartedly with her. I surveyed the […]
THWAK! The thick menu felt like an earthquake when it was put on the table. I looked at it in astonishment; it was the size of a Sears Catalog that I remember receiving when I was a kid! When I landed in China for my 8 day trip, I was excited for one thing – […]
I cringe when I hear the speaker crackle and pop as a high-pitched voice blares through the square in Xi’an. The speaker should have probably been retired 10 years ago, but it lives on and no one seems to care that it’s past its prime. I try to listen through the crackling and come to […]
8 Days, 3 Cities, 5 Airplanes – this is fast travel. This week I’ve been on a whirlwind trip of China and I’ve been moving around so fast that I can never remember what my hotel room number is let along what floor I’m on when I get in the elevator and stare blankly at […]
I’ve been traveling for 7 years, thanks to a little luck, I’ve had relatively few bad luck experiences. Sure, I’ve experienced some issues – luggage delayed a number of times, flights canceled, items stolen, faulty gear, and illnesses. But none of these things were ever really serious or horrible. Not like my friend Charlie’s story […]
I’m neutral on China. Some of it was better than expected and some worse. Then there were some things that met my expectations exactly such as the amount of people and the smog. Don’t let my neutrality fool you though, I am happy that I spent 4 weeks there, observing the largest populated country in […]
For all photos of Deqin and the Snow Mountain – click here! For the 4 days we spent in and around Shangri-la we had the unique opportunity to experience the 4 seasons…one each day. The bad news is that my suitcase wasn’t really outfitted to experience the 4 seasons, and the Chinese concept of heating […]
Before coming to Southwest China, my sister and I were out one night with some of her Singapore friends and they wanted to know where we were going on our pending trip to Yunnan China. We rattled off a few places including Shangri-la. There was an immediate ooooohh around the room as someone started […]
Photo: Sun rays kissing Tiger Leaping Gorge For the ‘best of’ Yunnan, China Photography – click here! For all snapshots of the Tiger Leaping Gorge hike – click here! One of the main reasons why Cyndi and I decided to come to Yunnan was to hike in the Tiger Leaping Gorge – a deep canyon […]
When you go out for Chinese food in the US (and I’m willing to bet, most of North America) – what is the one thing that you are always guaranteed at the end of the dinner – fortune cookies. It’s a symbol of Chinese cuisine – not to mention the source of a lot of […]
