March 16, 2004
Surprise Ending
I'd been toying with the idea since Pingyao. It was after watching the sunrise from Huangshan, however, that I knew I was ready for it. So on Monday evening, I showed up on my doorstep in Chicago four days ahead...Read this update
Posted by David M at 03:27 PM |
Read Comments (2)
March 14, 2004
Yu Gardens Bazaar
"This stuff's got a 1000% mark-up," whispered a Canadian expat as the shopkeeper moaned that she was losing money on the item that she was nevertheless packaging for him. Apparently, he was a frequent patron of the Yu Gardens Bazaar,...Read this update
Posted by David M at 04:39 AM |
Read Comments (3)
March 13, 2004
Gardens of Suzhou
"In heaven," goes an old Chinese saying, "there is paradise. On earth, Suzhou and Hangzhou." I've now been to both, having spent the day in Suzhou, which is about an hour's train ride northwest of Shanghai. Personally, I think I...Read this update
Posted by David M at 07:21 AM |
Read Comments (1)
March 12, 2004
Shanghai
Bustling cosmopolitan metropolis though it is, Shanghai doesn't seem to have that much to offer the solo backpacker. Its tourist attractions are relatively few. What makes it stand out from China are precisely the things of least interest to me...Read this update
Posted by David M at 05:26 AM |
Read Comments (0)
March 11, 2004
Teaching English on the Grand Canal
So I ended up teaching English in China after all. It wasn't quite how I had originally envisioned it, though. Instead of teaching structured lessons to a classroom of university students, I taught an old man how to say a...Read this update
Posted by David M at 06:48 AM |
Read Comments (2)
March 09, 2004
Huangshan
After climbing up and down approximately a billion stone steps, I've just come down from Huangshan. I think the Canadian girl that I met in Xi'an summed up the mountain more concisely than I could: "Go!" This is absolutely one...Read this update
Posted by David M at 02:00 AM |
Read Comments (4)
March 07, 2004
Chinese Coaching en route to Huangshan
I spent about 12 hours on Chinese buses today. I'll take them over Greyhound any day....Read this update
Posted by David M at 03:17 AM |
Read Comments (3)
March 06, 2004
The End of the Three Gorges
The bad news about the Three Gorges is that they seem to be mostly submerged already. The good news is that they still make for a great boat ride. The two days I spent on the boat between Chongqing and...Read this update
Posted by David M at 03:35 PM |
Read Comments (3)
March 03, 2004
Oops! I Went to Chongqing!
It wasn't an accident, just a sudden recalculation of priorities. And based on everything I knew at the time, it should have worked out just fine.Read this update
Posted by David M at 06:58 AM |
Read Comments (7)
March 02, 2004
Kicking Back in Chengdu
I haven't really seen many "sights" in Chengdu, but I've been spent a great day and a half relaxing here and hanging out with some fellow travelers.Read this update
Posted by David M at 05:07 AM |
Read Comments (5)
March 01, 2004
Warriors & Muslims
Remember how I said that the Great Wall was one of the few famous attractions that had lived up to its reputation? Well, the terra-cotta warriors do not. On my last day in Xi'an, I went to see them and...Read this update
Posted by David M at 02:23 AM |
Read Comments (4)
February 28, 2004
The End of the Silk Road
He was like a leech with ESP. I hadn't been in Xi'an for more than half a second when he attached himself to me, enthusiastically regaling me with the details of his hostel. I had spent all night dreaming of...Read this update
Posted by David M at 03:56 AM |
Read Comments (5)
Chinese Training
Chinese trains have four classes: hard seat, soft seat, hard sleeper and soft sleeper. Hard seat is the cheapest, and so it's usually packed to the gills with locals. Soft seat is a rarity. Hard sleeper is the most economical...Read this update
Posted by David M at 03:37 AM |
Read Comments (2)
February 26, 2004
Pingyao!
I figured out Pingyao eventually. After my 15-hour train ride southwest from Beijing into the heart of Shanxi province (not to be confused with neighboring Shaanxi province), I felt like I was deep into the Chinese interior. This was the...Read this update
Posted by David M at 09:05 PM |
Read Comments (5)
The Great Wall
I spent my last day in Beijing hiking along the Great Wall, which undoubtedly ranks among the coolest hikes I will ever do. It's one of the few famous tourist attractions I've ever seen that lives up to the hype....Read this update
Posted by David M at 08:59 PM |
Read Comments (0)
February 24, 2004
Last Day in Beijing
beijing, hutongRead this update
Posted by David M at 06:38 AM |
Read Comments (3)
February 23, 2004
The Forbidden City with Roger Moore
I visited Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City yesterday, with Roger Moore as my pre-recorded guide. (He really didn't have much of interest to say, unfortunately.) After leaving the Palace, I wandered around to a beautiful little teahouse a stone's...Read this update
Posted by David M at 08:16 PM |
Read Comments (3)
February 22, 2004
Grandeur in Beijing
Beijing is a distinctively grand city. Its broad boulevards and stately, imposing buildings give the city an impressive, regal atmosphere that I haven't seen anywhere else. This contrasts with the quaint, decidedly human-scale alleys or hutongs that surround the Forbidden...Read this update
Posted by David M at 10:52 PM |
Read Comments (4)
Arrival in the Capital
I arrived in Beijing on Saturday afternoon. I was grinning wit excitement to finally be setting foor on the Chinese mainland. I was also totally unprepared by Hong Kong for what was about to happen....Read this update
Posted by David M at 10:06 PM |
Read Comments (3)
February 20, 2004
More Living, More Learning
It "had seemed exactly the sort of thing an experienced solo world traveler would so," to quote Ayun Halliday, and it wasn't a bad idea, just poorly executed. Today's travel lesson is that just because somewhere is warmer than Chicago...Read this update
Posted by David M at 05:13 PM |
Read Comments (7)
February 19, 2004
Visa in Hand
I just picked up my China visa! A warning to future travelers: don't go to Chinese Consulate in Hong Kong for your visa, like Lonely Planet suggests. It's very expensive, and anything less than five-day processing costs extra. A lot...Read this update
Posted by David M at 08:00 PM |
Read Comments (3)
Back on Victoria Peak
After two more days exploring Hong Kong, I'm back on Victoria Peak again to check out the city lights at night. The view is spectacular this time. Hong Kong reminds me of a cross between San Francisco and New York....Read this update
Posted by David M at 06:54 AM |
Read Comments (2)
February 17, 2004
Jetlagged in Hong Kong
The thing about flying west is that it makes for very long days. When I landed in Hong Kong yesterday afternoon at about 6:00 pm, I had been awake since 10:30 pm the night before, local time. That left with...Read this update
Posted by David M at 07:41 PM |
Read Comments (5)
February 15, 2004
Only a Day Away
By this time tomorrow, I'll be halfway to Hong Kong! The pack is packed. Trivial details like finding a place to stay and getting a visa for China can wait until I get there. Just one very long flight between me and my trip.Read this update
Posted by David M at 09:47 PM |
Read Comments (1)
February 09, 2004
One Week to Wait
I am exactly one week away from beginning my first solo adventure. On February 16, I'm leaving for a 33-day trip through China....Read this update
Posted by David M at 09:50 AM |
Read Comments (0)