The hotel breakfast was not bad. A large assortment of items set up as a buffet. Just not as great as the previous hotel. The goal for today is to check out the local open-air market, then head up Tianamen Mountain (4,982 ft elevation), which is south of the city and accessible by cable carRead more
Another great breakfast at the hotel, this time with some pork noodles. It’s still raining, unfortuantely. A 15 minute walk to the east gate of the park… …and then a very long creepy ride up the cable line up to TianZi Mountain. Much longer and higher than the previous. More of these lacqueredRead more
For a day or so I just hung out in Shanghai. It was pretty hot and humid, so I took it easy. Watched films, went out briefly to eat. I relaxed. Not every day of travel needs some grand journey. I’m not a huge fan of bubble tea, but when it’s hot out, it isRead more
Leaping Tiger Gorge Tour – Part 2 Finally we make it into the gorge, with the driver refusing to slow down. Don’t worry though, the occasional 6cm tall cement block will prevent us from a deadly plummet. The guide points out the “old” trail on the other side. This was used up through theRead 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
The next morning we check out the map of the national park and realize so far we have seen roughly 25% of the must-see sights along the forked valley. We decide to grab a bus and skip past the area we saw yesterday. I’m starting to feel better. I don’t know the nameRead more
I like to splurge and get a decent, relaxing hotel for the end of each stretch of travel. This hotel was booked based on US hotel pricing and I guess that goes a long way in China. Here’s an idea of what you get for $200/night (at least in Yangshuo in 2010). The place wasRead more
Video shot early in the morning as I was woken up by the sounds no one can escape from in China: construction. April 16 River Cruise Feeling a bit better, we take another trip through the mountains. Again, I have no idea what river this is or what section. I think the first river wasRead more
Nope. Not Today. The morning of the 15th, I was just too sick to do anything. Plans, whatever they were, had to be cancelled. I’m not sure what Jing did that day. I just slept. Went out a bit at night to get some food. Just a few shots from the hotel balcony.Read more
Arriving in Yangshuo It was a 3 hour bus ride from Longsheng, back south past Guilin, and into to the Yangshuo valley, where the Jingbao and Lijiang Rivers meet. This is the spot people where the scenic dome-like mountains reside, the ones people typically think of when Guilin is mentioned. We arrived the night ofRead more