Travel Blog Posts
September 13th 2007
Apologies - currently unable to restore. If you have a backup please edit this entry and save/publish. Uknown whose blog this is. ... read more
August 10th 2007
Apologies - currently unable to restore. If you have a backup please edit this entry and save/publish. There is a small possibility that this entry will be restored - only small. ... read more
March 3rd 2007
Apologies - currently unable to restore. If you have a backup please edit this entry and save/publish ... read more
February 25th 2007
url='/Videos/3095.html' onclick='dialog("/Videos/3095.html?popped=1","tbvideo",600,600);return false;' Yao singingurl='/Videos/3093.html' onclick='dialog("/Videos/3093.html?popped=1","tbvideo",600,600);return false;' hair dryer salesmanurl='/Videos/3096.html' onclick='dialog("/Videos/3096.html?popped=1","tbvideo",600,600);return false;' Hair demourl='/Videos/3097.html' onclick='dialog("/Videos/3097.html?popped=1","tbvideo",600,600);return false;' Loom The next morning we all met at Dom and Sophie’s hotel for breakfast, and low and behold, our waitress was the girl Dave, Sean and Nicki had saved the previous night. What a coincidence. Karen’s sister Susie somehow ended up in Yangshuo at 4 in the morning, so she joined for the trip to the rice terraces. Dom and Sophie were wicked hung over and decided not to come, so in the end it was me, Sean, Dave, Nic... read more
February 24th 2007
Saturday all of us went on another bike ride with an American girl we met that morning named Nicki. (We were also joined by Dave and Sean's friends Dom and Sophie, who arrived thursday night.) This time we moved north along the river instead of south. (or maybe it’s east instead of west.) Dave claimed to know of a good place to go swimming. We moved off the path, through some rice paddies and gardens (the people were very friendly), pushed through some bamboo and finally found the river. We parked the bikes, stripped and jumped in. AHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! COLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Everyone wanted to swim across the river, but someone needed to stay and guard the bikes and our belongings, so I volunteered. I have to admit I was pretty bored, until a couple of little girls ... read more
February 23rd 2007
The third day, Friday, we actually got some sunshine. Dave had lessons, but Sean and I took the afternoon to take a bike ride along the Li River. We got lost a couple times, and denied bridge crossing without paying a heavy fee (which we opted NOT to pay). We went through a couple villages, some rice paddies, along some gardens. It was very pretty. We eventually found the river again and took a break while we watched an old woman wash scallions in the water. We saw a few ferry boats go by, a few rafts too. If there had been more time we might have hired a raft ourselves, but 4 o’clock crept up on us fairly quickly. On our way back we hauled our bikes part way up and around a peak ... read more
February 21st 2007
The next morning we snagged a bus to Yangshuo. Originally we were going to take a boat, but they were charging about 400 kuai. Yeah right. The bus cost 28. Sean’s friend Dave met us at the bus station, and then walked us to the school. Dave had been staying in Yangshuo volunteering at an English school in exchange for free room and board. He arranged the same deal for us. In exchange for a couple two hour English corners in the evening, Sean and I got a free bed and two meals a day. Not that the hostels were very expensive, they were in fact remarkably cheap, but it was a good way to meet people and save a bit. (Although it turns out that someone had broken into the building a few nights earlier ... read more
February 20th 2007
February 19th I flew from Shanghai to Guilin. I was kind of sad to leave the group, I had only seen them for one day. But onward! A couple weeks earlier a couple of Phil's friends, Dave and Sean, came to visit for the weekend in Shanghai. Sean and I discovered we were both planning on spending some time in the Guilin area, so we decided to meet up there and travel together for about a week. (Guilin is in Guangxi province in southern China.) Guangxi is famous for its limestone pinnacles and rice terraces. The ride into downtown Guilin from the airport was kind of a tease; Oh look! A peak! Oh wait, I think I can see another one! It was a really small bus, and a packed bus at that, so I had ... read more
February 18th 2007
Chinese New Year Phil and I were totally paranoid that the Chinese New Year in Shanghai would be like New York City when the ball drops; insane. We were so wrong. It was more empty than I’ve ever seen it, actually. We went to the Bund around 8 to see if any fireworks were going on. (not yet.) We wandered around, bought some overpriced New Year’s cake (made of nougat, nuts and dried fruit. Really dense. Tastes like a snickers bar.), bought some sparkers, and Phil had some red bean flavored cotton candy. He loved it, I thought it was gross. (and a great insult to the cotton candy tradition I admire so much.) Eventually we got fairly bored, until my phone rang. “Hey. It’s Greg. I’m in Shanghai. And it’s my birthday today. And it’s ... read more
January 27th 2007
two weeks ago, Mike, Alyssa and I took a 2 hour bus ride out to Tong Li, one of the canal towns outside Shanghai. We joined a Chinese "tour," which didn't lead us around but provided us bus transportation to the town, entry to the town, and entry to a variety of gardens and museums. It was very pretty and a nice break from busy Shanghai. We wandered around, got some food, visited some gardens and the Chinese Sex Museum! That was.....interesting. It was orignially in Shanghai, but Lonely Planet says it was forced out. (lonely planet also said tacos were cheap. It lied.) The building and gardens of the museum used to be a girls' school. How appropriate. Another interesting sight was an old woman on a boat who had about 6 osprey that she ... read more
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