Somewhere in Shanghai We head out from my hotel to a supermarket, because I want to buy candy. My guess is that this is the Huangpujiang River. Here’s the CarreFour Supermarket. Jingan Temple We then go to Jingan Temple, which is in the heart of the city. it was originally built in 247 AD,Read more
I flew from Chengdu to Shanghai to take care of some business (meeting with localization companies). The plan: work in the day, head out and enjoy Shanghai at night. I didn’t eat on the plane to Shanghai. I thought I would land and be in a packed urban environment with as many awesome foods asRead more
Chunxi Shopping District For my last night in Chengdu, Jing and I head to Chunxi Street to take some photos. Like me, Jing shoots Olympus. I just noticed she was using the Panasonic 20mm Pancake. I bought this lens in 2016 and has been my favorite lens since. Olympus cameras haveRead more
Jing and I meet up for lunch at the food court in her shop’s mall. A light pork soup. A favorite of mine: fried pork and scallions. Very delicious. This dish has to be one of the best I have had in china. I had it once last year and it was great, but this timeRead more
Jing and I head out for an early lunch of beef noodles. My tomato soup with beef and corn. Some really hearty prime rib beef needles with some unknown things in it. Pandas Jing and I went to the Panda Park. We fist headed to see the babies, but I caught a glace of thisRead more
Here’s a candid shot of me stocking up on drinks. I also picked up some buckwheat tea that I liked. Beef Noodles Craving some beef noodles, we stopped into a chain devoted to it. Expensive by Chinese standards, the food was good, but still not as great as the beef noodles I had inRead more
Japanese Food in China We head to a Japanese chain restaurant. This is beef ramen. Beef teriyaki kabobs. I have had teriyaki meats many times in the USA… this one really rocked my world. Authentic teriyaki is less sweet, more salty, potent. It coated the beef and transformed its flavor into a whole new experienceRead more
We walked down the road in late afternoon, passing by a few villages along the way. The sun is low, but enough light to get some decent shots… the issue is… in the mountains here sun is hot when you are in it, but the shade is ice cold. So, walking around in the day,Read more
Joni and I are companions on the “10” hour bus ride to Jiuzhaigou Valley in the Tibetan Plateau, just 424km north of Chengdu. The bus is far from comfortable. No AC, no heat. Windows don’t really open. No restroom. Barely any brakes. The driver is intent on never stopping… but since the bus would breakRead more
Walking in China No matter where I travel in China, from common city streets to remote mountain villages, my favorite activity is just to walk. Usually with no destination, I try my ability to head off in a direction and then find my way back. If going to a particular destination I do prefer toRead more
I switched over to a new hotel with a Tibetan theme. Well decorated but not really close to anything. A place for prayer in the hallway. The view from the room 13th floors exist in China. Joni is happy we stopped for Japanese food. Just as I am feeling comfortable eating like a Chinese,Read more
Jing snagged VIP tickets for the Chengdu Panda Rescue Base and Joni and I headed there early. Lucky for us, the place was not at all busy, and the shooting conditions were fantastic. Butterfly looks like a leaf. We head to the nursery building first to see the newborns. We then stopRead more
Joni arrives Half Japanese, half Chinese Joni is an interesting character. On one hand she is independent and tough (maybe a little mean), and on the other she embraces the Japanese Kawaii style, often dressing as if she were attending a tea party in the garden. In the evening we all go to Yummy TangoRead more
Over the next few days, I hang out in Chengdu, visiting Jing’s shop and wandering the streets by day. At night I meet Jing and we grab a bite to eat. There are a lot of pictures of food with few other scenes in between. I wasn’t eating one meal after another. This is overRead more
For my second trip to China, things are a bite more straightforward, more familiar, more comfortable. I replicate parts of my first journey for less culture shock when landing. I skip through Shanghai and land right back in Chengdu to meet with my good friend Jing and revisit my new favorite foods. This time, IRead more