Yes........although i wish i wasn't as penny-pinching sometimes, you do get more of a local feel to the experiences. Although i'd like to take full credit for the photos, i have to thank my trusted friend Mr. Picasa for some help!
SO YOU CAN GO IN WINTER... I have travelled through 14 Provences in China on my own tours and usually in winter...have asked many times about Huang Shan but always get put off by "too foggy...no visibility". From your photos visibility is fine...thank you for that. Anhui here we come.
Loved it! Great blog! Loved the part of seriously reconsidering your penny pinching travel....but as you said, you might have missed the drinking and card game, and the upset car attendant. Lovely pictures too!
I certainly didn't mean to flame anyone, Jens. I wouldn't write a blog saying that China is "number one" or perfect - because they are definitely not, which I saw firsthand. And I feel I owe Adrian an apology - it's not easy to express a negative opinion on a blog, which was only the second part of my comment. The first part was just about differing perspectives on the same archeological site.
My apology is that I may have written out a knee-jerk reaction to your style without fully understanding it. And I can very much relate to not liking being stared at and talked about - I heard myself scrutinized, speculated about and even mocked in rural China for 13 months, and that was never a pleasant experience. And there were aspects of the culture itself that I did not like, such as the constant battle to "save face" and make connections: the politics of relationships that sometimes strained them and made them hard to enjoy.
I liked the blog overall, it was good work.
I remember that lesson well........... .........i think it was one of my first in public school! I did see the Oriental Pearl Tower, although only briefly as it was obscured by mist most of the day. Can't fault the Shanghai skyline!
Sorry you didn't like Machu Picchu....... ........it was one of the few places i've been where photos didn't do the place justice. Unbelievable! But i think this shows exactly what you are saying. It's all about perceptions and personal experiences. There's no negativity in saying something was disappointing, just honesty from a personal perspective. I'm sure on another day, with bad weather, huge crowds and a pounding headache, my view on Machu Picchu would also be changed slightly.
I'm with you though on Luang Prabang.........a nice place but never have i felt the word 'mystical' (as i'd read several times before visiting) used so liberally.
How dare you have a different opinion? Yes, maybe, just maybe, it's a matter of perspective. So he chose to write about a less-than-pleasant experience in a dry, sarcastic style. How's that offensive? Everybody has their own perceptions of different places and people they come across while travelling, and their own approach of how to deal with it. In this particular case, it's a lot more interesting and entertaining than a blog full of "CHINA NUMBER ONE!!1!!!!111".
I can definitely confirm that the most hyped destinations are always the most disappointing ones (that's my opinion, don't flame me). One of the most disappointing experiences of my travelling life was Machu Picchu, I wrote a blog about it, if you're interested. Another thing I absolutely hated was Luang Prabang, which the whole world adores like crazy. So thank you for the informative blog, Adrian, it's good to know that the Terracotta Warriors might just not be worth the hype.
Jens
Yes, a tad disappointing considering the hype....... ......but of course that is my own personal opinion. Maybe it was my own initial high expectations. There is no doubting the importance of this archaeological find, but it certainly didn't bring out the feelings I’ve experienced when visiting other tourist attractions. I'm sure there are many attractions I’ve thoroughly enjoyed, while others have absolutely hated. It's all about personal preference and I wouldn't write positively about something if I didn't feel that way.
I fully understand that when it comes to such an important archaeological find, few governments would neglect it solely for the purpose of monetary gain. Especially China, arguably one of the world's most powerful and richest countries. That's why I used the words, "It's almost as if.........." Not at all am I blaming the government. It was only a tongue in cheek observation.
I also lived in China for 16 months in a city rarely frequented by other foreigners. I had so many wonderful memories and made lifelong friends during my time there. Of course there are so many cultural differences in China that contradict the Western way of living. It doesn't mean they are wrong. It also doesn't mean I should like them. Sometimes I enjoyed the attention. Other times I hated the constant stares and comments. Should I accept being abused because I stand out? Chinese people certainly wouldn't!
Thank you for bluntness. I appreciate your honesty. Maybe it is the way I write to why you find me offensive. I think sometimes the dry, sarcastic style doesn't always come across for those unfamiliar with me or my blogs. If my own father doesn't like my style, than others certainly won’t either! If you read some of my other blogs from my time living in China, hopefully you will see that I try and write as honestly about the Chinese culture and the differences as I can, both positively and negatively.
I must say I really did enjoy reading your blogs of living in Inner Mongolia. Hopefully there will be another long-haul trip in the near future.
Disappointing? Maybe it's a matter of perspective. My parents remembered when the Warriors were first unearthed and written about in National Geographic. They never had the means or the confidence to visit China until a few years ago, but always wanted to do it. They came for a tour of China while I was living there. They both loved the Terracotta Warriors Museum, as did I the first time I saw it. Many of the soldiers remain unexcavated not because of the government, but because the archaeologists working on the project are trying to develop the technology to unearth the remaining figures without losing the pigment to oxidation and light exposure.
On another head, and to be blunt, after living and working with Chinese folks for 13 months, I find your approach to describing conditions in that nation a little offensive. I'm not saying it's pleasant to be stared at like an alien or that the overcrowding is not there, but it seems like missing the forest for the trees to write about that rather than the actual people behind the noise. But maybe that was just your particular gripe or style on this particular blog.
Hello Dear Friend Hello my friend I hope that you and your wife are very good, what about you and you finished that book hear in Ecuador we are very good I am going to have other child we are going to call David Alejandro, Carlitos Daniel are 4 years now.
You have very nice photos I hope that you and your wife are very happie life
Ady, your occasional rantings bring a refreshing break to the monotony of design and procurement in Kazakhstan. Although your prose are received in my junkmail folder. Roger
This was the same guide who showed me around the North Korean DMZ in September 2010 - great to see he is still educating foreigners about US imperialist aggression!
So many compliments in one message makes a grown man blush! Glad you liked it and hopefully i will be getting an article or two published in the very near future.
I hope you manage to get to North Korea too! The high costs of visiting here are definitely worth it, to see such a secluded nation stuck in a timewarp.
Let me know if you do make it there.....i'd be interested to hear your account of the place.
Nicely done Thank you the blog. I think your blog gives me a better sense of what traveling actually is for a person. You also have an eye for photography which is an added bonus to your blog. I will definitely recommend it to my companions. I hope I can read your works in other mediums in the not so distant future.
Having spent several years travelling around the world, living in far reaching destinations and sampling differing cultures and lifestyles, I am now planning my next major travel adventure.
Starting on June 25th 2011 my wife and I will walk from Land's End at the south-western tip of England to John O'Groats, located at the north-eastern tip of Scotland. This is a 1200 mile walk and will take approximately three months to complete. This walk will be for charity and we will be raising money for the charity Association for International Cancer Research (AICR) (ht... full info
ShadyAdy
Adrian Livingstone
Yes........although i wish i wasn't as penny-pinching sometimes, you do get more of a local feel to the experiences. Although i'd like to take full credit for the photos, i have to thank my trusted friend Mr. Picasa for some help!