http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Sharon/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Sharon en-us Thu, 17 Dec 2009 18:45:24 +0000 Thu, 17 Dec 2009 18:45:24 +0000 HiFrom Sandanski in south Bulagria we took a train to Thessaloniki in Maceodonia. The ride took 3 hours including 2 stops for the border control. In Thessaloniki we were hosted by a very nice couple for 2 nights.We had a great tome with them having high level conversations and debates as Jenny the lady is a very political person. So we were trying to solve both Greece problems with FYROM and http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Greece/Central-Macedonia/Thessaloniki/blog-333291.html Hi We are now in Sandanski about 25km from the Greek border. Tomorrow we will cross the border and arrive to Thessaloniki. The big question now is if to do it by train or by bus anyhow it is about 3 hours. Since Greece should be much more expensive then Bulgaria that what we have heard... at least we found a coach in Thessaloniki for 2 nights. On our route west however in the Greek Macedo http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Bulgaria/South/blog-331553.html HiOn the last weekend I have travelled to south Texas. First stop was Austin where I have spent the night. Austin has great night life nice pubs etc. In one of the pubs I watched a bluz performance which was really nice. A couple from Forth Worth adopted me. They were very much impressed that I have travelled on my own a piece of cake for me. They were quite drunk and made me drunk as well http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Texas/Austin/blog-19508.html Ni HaoIn this period of the year it is low season in China but still many Chinese tourists over here. Not so many foreign tourists. The typical Chinese tourist travels with an orgonized tour in a luxurios bus. They travel from one tourist attraction to another with the bus take a lot of photos and hardly walk. Here in Dali the women even sometimes buy a typical Chinese custom wear it and http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Yunnan/Dali/blog-44650.html HiAfter 3 exhusting days of travelling from Laos I finally arrived to Dali in Yunan province.While waiting for the passport stamping at the Chinese border I was pushing with all the other people in China acts as a Chinese in order to save my rights. To my surprise the policeman ordered us to stand in the line otherwise he won't continue. Am I crossing back to ChinaThe other evidence to the http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Yunnan/Dali/blog-44445.html HiMama and Papa Naxi guest house is probably the best guest house in the world. This is not an exagaration I have stayed in quite a few in my life. Several people that I have met during my travelling in China recommended me about this guest house. Normally when there is one common opinion it is normally true. Everyone was telling me about the family atmosphere and that Mama treats you like a r http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Yunnan/Lijiang/blog-46240.html 1492149715001499148914931491 1505149714931501 14921496149714931500 149315001499148914931491 14951494151215141497 1500148815121509 148815041497 14881499151414931489 148915061489151214971514. 15021511149314931492 151314971499149315001 http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Shanghai/blog-56666.html HiEmei Shan is a holy mountain with many temples and monestaries 2 hours south of Chengdu.I have been hiking there 3 days. In low height the scenary is beautiful but as I proceeded up and up the weather became more fogy and hazy so the visibilty was very bad. On one hand this is of course a misadvantage but on the other hands this fits my knowledege based on Chinese movies that I have watche http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Sichuan/Chengdu/blog-51241.html HiI have just returned from a great cruise on the Yangtze river from Chongqing to Yichang for about 4 days.As I was proceeding east the clear sky of the mountains of Sichuan and Yunan are replaced with hazy and polluted sky as east China is very industrial.As part of this massive industrialization the Chinese are in the process of building a huge dam on the river that upon completion in 2009 http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Chongqing/Chongqing/blog-51306.html HiAfter an exhusting week of travelling from Yunan to Sichuan through monutains in elevation around 3000 to 5000 meters though beautiful landscape and people I have arrived to Chengdu capital of Sichuan province. After no hot water not to speak about running water at all I have now good showers. After tempratures around zero I got rid of my tiets gloves wool hat etc.After Chinese peop http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Sichuan/Chengdu/blog-49084.html HiLitang is situated in an area that once was Tibet before the Chinese tore it from Tibet and attached it to Sichuan province. They did the same in other provinces such as Yunan Gansu and maybe more. So the majority of the people here is Tibetian.Litang itself is a crazy place it is the Wild West. Tibetian cowboys ride on their motorbikes not Harli just Honda with their great customs. A coa http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Sichuan/Litang/blog-48471.html HiAfter leaving Lee the Taiwan woman in McLeod we continued with the holy mission of adopting a single nonIsraeli backpacker. On the bus to Amrtiser we have gathered with Traver. Comparing to our diffculties to communicate Lee she knew very little English our commuinication with Traver was much more fluent. Well he is from the USA and he does know some English. It is very unique to find http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Punjab/Amritsar/blog-23299.html Hi Already in Vietnam when I received my visa to China I have realized that I might need to exit the country after the most 30 days. I applied for 1 enrty 60 days and instead the travel agent gave me 2 entries 30 days each. The most reasonable country China has a border with around 10 contries or so to cross by land from Yunam province seemed to be Laos. At the beginning when I first sa http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Laos/North/Luang-Namtha/blog-41462.html HiCochin is a really nice place in southwest India just on the shore of the Arabian see. Cochin is special for Jews as a large Jewish community used to live here. After most of the Jews immigrated to Israel their number was reduced dramatically and currently only 4 Jewish families live here. However it is a most livingly place in Cochin and very touristic since all the area around the synago http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Kerala/Kochi-/blog-29505.html HiAfter the very Israelitouristic bubble of Hampi it was time for me to feel the 'real' India again and I went to Mysore.That is what I have figured out many people travel to India since it is exotic interesting and of course cheap. But then since India is very tough and difficult to travel they seek for the touristic bubbles places which Hampi Goa Pushkar etc are several of them.Mysore i http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Karnataka/Mysore/blog-28410.html HiSince I had to return to China in the same way only one border crossing between China and Laos I did not want to travel too much. This is the reason that I have visited only few places. And also I felt that I was in vacation from China no need to rush just relax and chill out.Almost all travellers in Laos however enter Laos from Thailand at one point travel in Laos and then return to Th http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Laos/West/Muang-Ngoi-Neua/blog-43965.html HiThis is my last day in Hampi a small village about 10 hours east to Goa. Hampi is situated in a very bizar and very interseting location. All surrounding is full of boludres and monutains made of huge boulders. In some places there are well orgonized one above the other see attached pictures. An urban legend claims that Hanuman god he is the one having a monkey body had set them like tha http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Karnataka/Hampi/blog-27616.html HiMy next stop after Yangshu was the rice teraces in Longshi about 2 hours north to Guilin. After the mingling failure at Yangshou see last story I was eager to try again to mingle. So I was so happy when on the bus to Logshi one of the those ladies with a towel on her head belongs to the Zhuang minority people offered me to sleep at her place. This conversation could have taked place than http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Guangxi/blog-39623.html HiNow I am sure that I am in nowhere it does not exist in the drop down list above so I chose Guilin...Anyhow I am in Guiang the capital of Guinzou province.The last few days were full of Chinese people and very few western tourists. After visiting Longshi where the rice teraces are I have decided to continue up north and to explore some more minority villages in my way to Kunming instead o http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Guangxi/Guilin/blog-39607.html HiYesterday65292the Dog year has started and the Chicken year ended. Happy new yearThe Chinese new year is a holiday that lasts 1 week. Its other name is the 'Spring Festival' and indeed the last 3 days have beed shining and it does get warmer. It is an early spring. The street of the western tourists has the obvious name of 'West street'. But nowadays during the holiday its name does not h http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Guangxi/Yangshuo/blog-38209.html