Beijing and finishing up China
We expected Beijing to be crowded and polluted, but surprisingly we found neither to be entirely true. Perhaps the rain we received cleared the air, but throughout the week we also got some beautiful blue skies, and apart from the … Continue reading Beijing and finishing up China
Travelling Thoughts
I think it is widely accepted that international travel, especially for an extended period of time, has the tendency to change people, even if in only small ways. Obviously, one of the reasons for this is that you witness the way other people live and have the opportunity to compare many differences in lifestyle to your own. Intrinsic to this comparison, is a greater appreciation for many of the comforts of home. While I have undoubtedly gained a deeper understanding, appreciation and respect for the Chinese culture, travelling for an extended period of time in this Asian society has made … Continue reading Travelling Thoughts
Xi’an and Warriors
We had a very short trip in Xian – only 2 nights. Again, we noticed immediately how much easier breathing was at a normal altitude. The city of Xi’an was very nice and pretty. The downtown area is protected by a huge wall which used to be the palace’s borders. Today, the wall is used for marathons and the entire wall has parks on the outside which the people use well. The main attraction in Xi’an is the Terracotta Warriors and they are absolutely fascinating. There are an estimated 8,000+ life-size and extremely detailed warriors and another 130 chariots and … Continue reading Xi’an and Warriors
7 days in Tibet!
(By Tovah) When we got off the plane in Lhasa, after the most turbulent flight I can remember having, we noticed right away that the air was thin and breathing was more difficult. Since we had an entire week in Tibet, our tour took us in a large loop beginning and ending in Lhasa, but we stayed the first 2 nights in a town called Tsedang, about 2 hours from Lhasa, and the former capital of Tibet. The drive to Tsedang was pretty, but not as magnificent as we expected. Instead of snow-capped mountains, we found that the terrain was … Continue reading 7 days in Tibet!
Yangtse River Cruise
We arrived in Yichang in the afternoon, and met our new guide and driver who told us about the city and took us to a government run museum that was dedicated to artifacts from the three gorges project excavation. Although this museum seemed a little run down and was by no means as big as the Shanghai museum we’d been to, our museum guide did a great job explaining how they’d found artifacts dating back 6000 years. He told us that thousands of archeologists excavated for over two years before the whole area was flooded and the three gorges dam … Continue reading Yangtse River Cruise
Shanghai and Suzhou
We arrived in Shanghai pretty late and our guide, Tina (English name), picked us up from the airport and took us to the hotel. The city was was lit up and modern like Hong Kong, but was a lot bigger (over 20 million) and more spread out. We were amazed by how many high-end stores there were – seriously, there seemed to be a Louis Vitton or Gucci on every block! In the morning our guide and driver took us to a garden in the middle of the city. “Gardens” in China are more like peaceful retreats that have more … Continue reading Shanghai and Suzhou
WHOA – We’re in China: Guilin and Yangzhou
We arrived in Guilin and our guide (English name Angela) and driver for the region met us at the airport. We were struck by the incredible humidity which felt like July in Atlanta. The hour or so drive from the airport to downtown Guilin reminded us a bit of India but on a less terrifying level. Nonetheless, there were vans, buses, bicycles, scooters, pedestrians and more engaged in some kind of organized chaos on the roads. Though we were supposed to go to the hotel and relax for the night, Angela recommended we go to a river cruise around downtown … Continue reading WHOA – We’re in China: Guilin and Yangzhou
Blog site blocked in China…
So we have a slight problem accessing our blog site in China. Apparently the Chinese Government has blocked all Blogger and WordPress sites. I’m using a hack right now to get access to the blog site and to post this basic post. I’ll try and figure out a way in the next few days to access all the functions of Blogger so we can post pictures and videos with the blog site and update the photo albums, etc. Bear with us as we figure out a way, may remote access into my US computer. Continue reading Blog site blocked in China…
Hong Kong
So we left Auckland ready to get out of the cold and into some warmth of the northern hemisphere! We only had one concern – getting through screening for Swine Flu at the airport. Raj has had a lingering cough from our cold and that is one of the symptoms they screen for. We drugged him up despite his cough being almost gone and we were both feeling great – no symptoms of anything whatsoever. About half way through our flight they made an announcement that one of the passengers had become very ill and they were seeking the help … Continue reading Hong Kong
NZ – Kaikoura to Auckland
On our way from Brian’s place in Dunedin to his previous home of Kaikoura about 10 hours north, we stopped at the remarkable Mouraki boulders. On a random stretch of beach, right off the main road, these distinctly round and large boulders are found relatively clustered together. I did not understand the fuss until we walked onto the beach and saw them in the distance. They are huge and out of place and very round. There is apparently nothing like them anywhere else, and believe me when I tell you that being there leaves little doubt that aliens were involved! … Continue reading NZ – Kaikoura to Auckland
Gypsy Spirit 