Blogs from China, Asia - page 2228

So 16 hours later, at 9AM, we arrived in a very warm and muggy Xian. This is a past capital of China, and current regional government centre and is quite prosperous and large. It is also the starting point of the old Silk Road trading route so has a large Muslim population. Pollution is a huge issue - you cannot believe the air quality. But still, it is a great place for a visit. In fact we all agreed that we wished we had more time here. Our location was great, and after a quick shower up we all headed off to do our own thing. I visited a few sites outside of the city walls - the Great Goose Pagoda and surrounding temple, as well as the Shaanxi Museum. Afterwards I headed to the city ... read more

Hello dear friends & family..... today your loving Eggs took a stroll in the basting heat through some hairy mary bike congested streets filled with communist-esque medal shops, poky tat emporiums and newsagent stalls into the 'Old Town'. Cue atmospheric music...da da DAAAAA.... We must have got a bit lost on the way, because whilst we had romanticised the idea of visiting the 'old town' into an image of us swanning around in luxury, sipping fragrant tea from delicate porcelein cups, whilst donning satin slippers embroidered with apple blossom to wander ambient walkways flagged with statues of lions & dragons, this couldn't be further from what we ended up with. Heading out from our hotel, we took the Henan Zhonglu road all the way down for about 20 minutes towards this big Chinese Gateway. Some post ... read more

The time has arrived and the suitcases are near the door, packed solid, and hopefully not over-weight. I'm experiencing bouts of nervousness, more sustained stomach-butterflies, and the sense of anticipation: Falling asleep in "my world" and being re-born to a another. The "Auf Wiedersehn" and "Good-bye's" of the past week have taken their toll, and the realization, that the coming days will never be the same again, offers a kind repose for reflection. The final days have arrived so quickly, and the one year departure for China is on Thursday morning at 5a.m. I hope I have offered my gratitude and affection to everyone, and there are many: To my wonderful and beautiful students, I need to express my deepest affection for the many kind and generous words you have expressed in your deeds, your conversations ... read more

Relaxation at last! After 16+ hours on the train, we finally made it to Chengdu! The train ride was actually quite pleasant - only 4 people total in our 4-person sleeper, a good chance to see the scenery, etc. Chengdu was hot, humid, and smoggy but we boarded the bus to get to our hostel. Unfortunately they were digging up the street to our hostel which made for an interesting detour through a deserted but incredibly nice courtyard house. We made it to our hostel and were very pleasantly surprised - it felt like an oasis. Nice outdoor area, ping pong table, bar, etc. And our room was nice and new with a great balcony area. Finally a place where we could relax for a few days! We relaxed for a bit and then headed out ... read more

Part IV of the backdoor route into Yangshou. Our saga continues. Last time I left you in Zhaoxing, that Lijiang wannabe of a village. After an early morning tour of the village, we were ready to move on. In fact, we were ready to move on even before the tour. But time must sometimes be killed. Our objective today was Longsheng. We wanted to get there in order to see the nearby terraces the next day. It was clear from the beginning that this day would be one of travel. There was no sightseeing planned. Just get from point A to point B in the quickest way possible. We did not foresee what this day had in store for us. The nine o'clock bus passed by on schedule and scooped us up, on the way to ... read more