Hello to you all, I have not been on in a while. I apologize. China has made access to some websites really difficult over the last year, Travelblog.org being one. Now that the Olympics are over, they seem to be backing off a bit. I hope soon, that I will bring myself back up to date with all my travels. I did want to put this on tonight. It is something that for me needs to be remembered.... If you are squeamish, please do not read any further...... This is a Chinese experience that fortunately I have been able to avoid until now. However, I am surprised it has taken this long to actually see this sight. You will be glad that I did not take a picture. But I don't want to lose the memory, ... read more

Our last day we went up to the Drepung Monastery. It dates back to the early 15th century (1416) and was at one time the largest Tibetan community. Drepung means rice heap. Up until the Cultural Revolution they estimate 7000 monks lived in residence. There are a lot less now. We took the public bus through some very poor neighborhoods. Down some dirt roads and area that reminded me very much of the barrios in Mexico. At the bottom of the hill, the boys said they need to relieve themselves. I thought the bathroom at the Potala Palace was primitive...this one was basically 1/2 of a wall just tall enough to give some cover. No privacy whatsoever. I admire their ability to overcome all social taboos that we have in the US. I guess, when in ... read more

We spent 3 days in Lhasa. Thank God for dating digital pictures. It is helping me keep track of what we did when. One thing to let you know about the next few blogs. I did take pictures of monks praying but tried to be very respectful. I will be very selective about the pictures that I am putting on the internet out of respect for their privacy. We stayed at home that was set up as a hostel. The couple were really nice. We got settled in pretty quickly. This time, I chose the bottom bunk. It was truly a "lonely planet" kind of travel. All six of us were in one room with one bathroom to share. We were fortunate. Another group had just left to go hiking for a few days, so we ... read more

China really only has 3 holidays…National Day which is part of the Fall Festival. Chinese New Year and Spring Festival, and May 1 with a week off for the May holiday. For May holiday, we chose to leave China and go to the Phillipines. “Another beach holiday ?” you say! Of course. It is Dave. He must have water or he goes nuts. Dave has been wanting to go the Phillipines since we came to China. It would not be my first choice, but I got to go to Bangkok for pad thai. The least I could do is go to Dave’s destination of choice. First impression…It is crowded! And that is after living in China. Traffic in Manila is a nightmare. If you go, expect to sit in traffic. We spent two nights and ... read more

Chinese New Year This is entry is going to be very simple…Chinese New Year in Northern China is about getting together with family, making dumplings (jiao zi), watching TV, and shooting off mass quantities of fireworks. I honestly thought there would be parades and celebrating in the streets. I think there was something in Beijing, but I am not sure. We went to a local pub that advertised free pizza. I can tell you that when it comes to fireworks, the US has amateur status. Everyone has the opportunity to buy some serious fireworks. While they are not necessarily the professional kind, they do put on quite a display. The pub where we went, must have had about US$1000 worth of fireworks. They set them off on the sidewalk with cars parked nearby, cars driving ... read more