Morning view from the hotel balcony Out for breakfast Looking back up the alley leading to the hotel. Wearing traditional Miao clothing. A beef noodle soup. Nothing too heavy or spicy for a change. Then off to explore the streets and alleys A lot of theRead more
Good morning, Chongqing! The view from the hotel: A little smoggy out. Turns out the hotel is in a pretty neat commerce district. A lot of shoppers…. …. and a lot of food. About 100 people were lined up to get these spicy noodles. Not bad! Spicy lambRead 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
Leaping Tiger Gorge Tour – Part 1 A hastily-purchased tour pass in the Old Town led to an early morning pork bun breakfast around the corner while waiting for a group bus. My expectations were a casual stroll up the paved path of this renowned gorge. Video: waiting for early morning pickup. 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
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
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
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