http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Shandong/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Asia , China , Shandong en-us Sun, 03 Jan 2010 14:33:47 +0000 Sun, 03 Jan 2010 14:33:47 +0000 After arriving from a surprisingly humid Shanghai carrying mosquito bites and a nylon backpack loaded with precious few items of winter clothing I arrived in Taian ill prepared for the climate that awaited me. Whilst I was aware that the weather in Taian during the winter was going to be quite cold after travelling nearly 100km north on one of Chinas super fast D Bullet Trains I was not prepar http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Shandong/Tai-Shan/blog-459134.html we travelled by fast train from Beijing to Tai'an and we liked the city and the surroundingsthe walled city of Qufu is only 1 hour by bus and the sacred mountain Tai Shan is not to be missed http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Shandong/Tai-an/blog-453132.html Another foggy day in Qingdao. I really need to look up what they did when the sailing was here at the Olympics the cloudsmog cover is so thick that I find it very difficult to believe anyone would have been able to see anything.... I think I am getting a cold today not good times. Of course it might just be delayed jet lag but I'm dosing up to try and fight whatever it is off. I'm flying bac http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Shandong/Qingdao/blog-451662.html What a whirlwind couple of days. I got a call on Thursday to say that my aunt and uncle were visiting my other uncle in Qingdao so booked a same day flight to visit. Sadru mama lives in Qingdao but is going on holiday on Sunday so I really had to get my skates on. I was worried about the flight becuase I seem to rememberthe domestic flights being a little bit bumpy last time I was here but it was http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Shandong/Qingdao/blog-451284.html Frustration was the theme of my National WeekMidAutumn Festival holiday. The time I spent in Shanghai wasn't so bad mostly I visited tourist sites that I haven't seen yet the Pudong side Qibao etc. Shanghai was fairly crowded but it really wasn't so bad. There was a sharp increase in country bumpkin types around looking confused picking pockets spitting everywhere and letting there bab http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Shandong/blog-443939.html It was a warm early autumn afternoon when we flew in to Jinan International Airport on a ldquotest runrdquo with a host family. Earlier during the Hainan Airlines flight from XirsquoAn I can recommend them the service was excellent I was reading a travel guide which would turn even the most curious traveller off visiting Jinan. ldquoSmoggy and dirty city which has little to offer the http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Shandong/Ji-Nan/blog-442897.html This is an introduction only to the new solo travelblogs that I'll be writing. Thank you all for keeping up with the davidnlynne blogs. I hope you can all keep up with my travels and maybe enjoy a little of what I am experiencing on my adventures. I have included the solo trips already that were in the davidnlynne travelblog. Please ignore them. Keep in touch and I hope to see most of you when I c http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Shandong/Tai-an/blog-437066.html I travelled up Mt Tai Taishan today. I've been wanting to do it for some time. Obviously Dave is still reeling from the mountain in Costa Rica so I invited one of my colleagues at work Jojo to join me. Her animal sign is the Ox and it's considered lucky if she climbs the mountain in 'her' year.The day was long. It took us 5 12 hours to climb to the top gate of course I'm stopping every 5 mi http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Shandong/Tai-Shan/blog-436616.html Howdy there 5 days without a western face except on skype and last night as I was settling down for some sleep I felt something bite me and hooray I am not alone at all I have bed bugs All is going well I went yesterday to befome a foreign expert so after a medical exam I am all set to work here though I have been told I start work Monday. I am still in the hotel for a few more days as they f http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Shandong/Zibo/blog-432263.html Week 1Howdy there my lovelies I thought I would take a moment to drop a line to say a huge thanks for all your support as I made the move to China. Has been an interesting few day with heat smells monsoonal rains and toilet phobia All in all is going ok I am in a we shall kindly call it 2 star hotel and so I have a little sanctuary with air con internet instant coffee and my own toi http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Shandong/Zibo/blog-432261.html Sunday 26th July 2009 train to QingdaoWe boarded the train to Qingdao at 7.30am its always a surprise what kind of train you end up on and in what seats even where it is going in China since you just go up to the counter with a sheet of paper and hope that whoever wrote it for you isnrsquot ripping the piss and sending you on a hard sleeper to Mongolia. Because if they ask you any questions al http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Shandong/Qingdao/blog-430701.html L'artifice europenEn dbarquant a Qingdao apres plusieurs semaines passes en Asie le voyageur occidental que je suis est quelque peu drout. L'architecture de la vieille ville se fait coloniale les glises remplacent les temples et la biere supplante le th sur les terrasses. Pour un peu je pourrais croire que j'ai boucl le grand tour et que je suis de retour quelque part en Europe n'tait http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Shandong/Qingdao/blog-426901.html Jinan ChinaJinan is not a hot tourist destination in China so people mostly travel through on their way on to bigger more attractive cities. But it is called the City of Springs and it is the capital Shandong Province. It has a history of some 2000 years is famed for its numerous relics. It is also the home of Lu Cai Shandong cuisine. We had to pick what we were going to do in one day and we d http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Shandong/Ji-Nan/blog-423462.html QingdaoTsingTaoOur first stop is Qingdao 3873823707 3873823798 Q299ngD462o TsingTao easily one of the most beautiful cities we have seen in China. Old town has a strong European influence from the Germans hence the beer and it reminds us both of southern California around the Laguna Beach area or even a little like Carmel by the Sea as the multitude of beaches are litt http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Shandong/Qingdao/blog-422444.html It's 11pm and I have just arrived at the Qingdao Train Station. That's pronounced chingdow. All is good as far as the train trip went. I slept most of the way in the first class carriage with only about 6 people in it. But as is my luck I get someone behind me who likes to kick the back of my chair. And I can't move to another seat as the porters like you to stay where your ticket says to.So I e http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Shandong/Qingdao/blog-419244.html Blog 8 July 7th 14th Shanghai Qingdao and on being a victim of crime.Well dear readers...where have we got to I left you in an internet cafe in Shanghai...so from there I will pick up my story. Tuesday 7th I cooked a meal for the 4 of us to say thanks for letting me stay at your flat. As I only had a 2 burner gas stove the inside of a rice cooker and the smallest frying and saucepan in the http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Shandong/Qingdao/blog-418491.html n http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Shandong/Yantai/blog-417507.html http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Shandong/Qingdao/blog-417491.html n http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Shandong/Ji-Nan/blog-417477.html This weekend was the bestI went traveling with my room mate Demi and two other guys from our program Sam and Sheldon. They were really great Every one was so laid back and down to earth it was a huge relief.Our first stop was Taishan mountain in Shandong province. As the legend goes in ancient times there lived a man who kept growing and growing and growing. Eventually after some thousa http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Shandong/Qingdao/blog-415797.html