Amanda Lents

AmandaL

Amanda Lents

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until Amanda returns to the States!




I am experiencing "Fernweh" which loosely means "an ache to travel."

I'll be traveling from November 27th, 2009 - mid May 2010.

My route, via Google map.

To subscribe to my travel journals, just click "Subscribe" under one of the below entries. Anytime I add or update the site, you'll get an email letting you know. Make sure it doesn't go into your Spam account though, that might end our friendship. 😊



North America » United States » New York » Fairport May 10th 2010

Day 164 and beyond: Sunday, May 9th, 2010 Beijing, China, to San Francisco, CA, to Chicago, IL, to Rochester, NY- USA USA USA!!! WHEW! I made it! Not just to the end of the trip, but to the end to the end of this blog. I was blogged out the last 10 days of the trip, hence why it took me almost 2 months to finish writing it. That morning, after saying a very teary goodbye to Marcia, I shared a taxi with Hamish, Rob and Liz to the airport. My terminal was a different one than there's so they dropped me off first, more goodbye's, and I lugged Monstro into one more airport. Nothing to report for the airport- tried to upgrade my flight to first class or business class but Oh My God are ... read more
Myself, Marcie, Sam, Dave (BDay boy!) and Tammy at the Venetian in Vegas.
Larry, Tackett, John, Sarah, Eliza and Myself.
Larry, Tackett, John, Sarah, Eliza and Myself.

Asia » China » Beijing » Great Wall of China May 9th 2010

Day 163: Sunday, May 9th, 2010 Beijing, China Per Intrepid notes, "Also while in Beijing we take an early morning trip to the Mutianyu Great Wall (approx. 2 hrs drive from Beijing). An incredible piece of engineering, it stretches 6,000 km westwards from the mountain ridges north of Beijing. It was originally constructed to protect Chinese empires from the 'barbarians' of the north and even though it failed in this purpose, it is still without a doubt one of the country's most remarkable achievements, and an iconic destination. It's a 30 minute climb up some steep steps to the wall itself but well worth the effort! There is also the option of taking a chair lift or cable car to the top and back if you are after a more leisurely experience and great views. We'll ... read more
1149 marcia teaching yoga
PON Great Wall
Graeme (aka Hamish) on the Great Wall.

Asia » China » Beijing May 8th 2010

Day 162: Saturday, May 8th, 2010 Beijing, China Per Intrepid Notes, "We arrive in Beijing early in the morning after a night on the train. 

The capital of the most populous country on earth is quickly shedding its historical face in favour of modernity. However there are still plenty of places to go that will give you a great insight into the nation's history and ancient past as well as sights which showcase China's contemporary culture. After a transfer and check-in to our hotel, step out for a short orientation walking tour where your leader will point out how and where to catch local buses and subway, or where to hire a bicycle so you can further explore this immense capital. 

We will take the subway from our hotel to the vast Tiananmen Square, the very ... read more
1102 intrepid flag forbidden palace
1122 gang at forbidden palace
Western celebrities

Asia » China » Shaanxi » Xi'an May 7th 2010

Day 161: Friday, May 7th, 2010 Xi'an, China to overnight train So, this evening we hop on board an overnight train (my last- thank you Jeebus!) to Beijing. However, the day is ours to explore in Xi'an. I meet up with Hamish (aka Graeme) at 9 and we start walking towards the wall to begin our bike ride. And walking. And walking. And looking at the map, and agreeing that the wall is coming up, and walking. We finally get to the gate, go up the stairs, and the bike rental place is right there. We pay our fee and deposit and take off. I think I've ridden more in Vietnam and China than in my entire childhood. It's fun- aside from the seats that hurt like crazy after 10 minutes (which I remember being my ... read more
1014 proof of fall
1023 Grame BJ
1030 gang train station

Asia » China » Shaanxi » Xi'an May 6th 2010

Day 160: Thursday, May 6th, 2010 Xi'an, China. Per Intrepid Notes, "While in Xi'an we take a trip to the place that has perhaps made Xi'an most famous around the world - the site of the Terracotta Warriors. It takes around an hour to get there and you'll hear all about this incredible archaeological find, discovered by farmers digging a well in 1976 after being buried for thousands of years. These clay statues of soldiers, horses and chariots all standing in battle formation were commissioned by the emperor of the Qin dynasty as part of his mausoleum and a number of pits are now on view to the public. On our way back from the Terracotta Warriors, we stop for lunch and to meet with our friends at Xi'an Huiling (meaning "wise spirit") - a special ... read more
0839 terracota
0925 terracota marionettes
0941 water show

Asia » China » Shaanxi » Xi'an May 5th 2010

Day 159: Wednesday, May 5th, 2010 Shanghai, China to Xi'an, China Per Intrepid notes, "We arrive early morning in Xi'an and have a private transfer to our hotel which is located right in the heart of this ancient city. After checking in your leader can take you for an optional local breakfast, perhaps some fried dough sticks with soy milk or some steamed buns as well as on a walk to show you where local facilities such as the bank, laundry and food outlets are located. The imperial centre of China for 2,000 years, Xi'an is now a vibrant, modern city dotted with many interesting historical sites. A monument pays homage to the fact that this was the start of the famous ancient trading route of the Silk Road and the city is still surrounded by ... read more
Damon and Steve- Shanghai airport
Drum tower
Dancers

Asia » China » Shanghai May 4th 2010

Day 158: Tuesday, May 4th, 2010 Shanghai, China Expo! Damon, Steve and myself hop on the metro and go over to Expo. We get there first thing and the crowds aren't that bad... in the ticket line that is. We bought our tickets before hand so we're set either way. We get inside and the lines are all at the Pavilions. The China one has a loooong wait, and we decide to come back to it later. A fun addition to the day is poor Damon is suffering from allergies. So, before leaving the hotel, he took some Benedryl. He is now fighting off the Benedryl coma and is walking around stoned. A couple of favorite Stoned Damon moments are: when we were on an escalator and he was on the "walk" side. He said, in ... read more
0653 american cuisine gang
0675 UK
0592 gang german dinner

Asia » China » Shanghai May 3rd 2010

Day 157: Monday, May 3rd, 2010 Shanghai, China with a day trip to the historic water town of Xitang Per Intrepid notes, "On day 15 we enjoy a day trip to one of Shanghai's nearby water towns (approx.1.5 hours). These tranquil towns built along ancient networks of canals, whose cobblestone streets are lined with traditional buildings in village-style architecture, are a haven for keen photographers and watching locals glide along in Chinese gondolas, you'll feel like you've stepped back in time." As the notes say, we took about a 1.5 hour drive and we arrived at the historic water town of Xitang. We take a gondola to the center of town and then we're free to wander on our own for a couple of hours. There were parts that seemed very... read more
0525 houses on canal
0548 back streets
0569 crowded sign

Asia » China » Shanghai May 2nd 2010

Day 156: Sunday, May 2nd, 2010 Shanghai, China. On this day, Gloria, Bruce and myself headed across the Huangpu River to the Oriental Pearl Tower. We were going to take a tunnel that, according to reviews, was a clear subway type train and along the way you saw crazy christmas lights and artwork. Unfortunately, that was closed. Sure, a bunch of people are coming to your city, shut down one of your attractions/transportation hubs. Makes a lot of sense. So, we got in line for the ferry and soon felt like cattle considering the number of people that were crammed all around us. On the other side of the river, we stopped at the Super Brand Mall and I grabbed some more books to lug around. Plus, there was a we... read more
Moi at Jin Tower.
The Jin Tower in front of the Shanghai World Financial Center
Shanghai at night- going on Huangpu River cruise!

Asia » China » Shanghai May 1st 2010

Day 155: Saturday, May 1st, 2010. Shanghai, China. Remember 50 years ago when I went to China? Then I stopped writing once I was in Shanghai and you all assumed I had met my demise there? Nope, still kickin'. I've been back in the States for a month and a half now, don't know how much I'll remember from looking at pictures but let's find out. And now you (will) know... the rest of the story. So, that morning Jerry took us on a very quick walking tour. Most of the others wanted to go to the Shanghai Museum but since museum's tend to bore me, I opted to head over to the Yuyuan Garden and agreed to meet up with them at a specific time later. It was a bit of a walk, more than ... read more
Plaza in Yu Yuan neighborhood
Acrobats
Engrish menu




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