HONG KONG | Tuesday, 11 May 2010 | Views [689] | Comments [1]
It was a pain having to get up so early to make my 7:25am flight from Chengdu to Shenzhen, but in the end, I’m glad that I did. In the first place, the early flight saved me about $15, and in the second place, I was able to take my time in getting from ... Read more >
CHINA | Monday, 10 May 2010 | Views [503]
It’s amazing how alcohol can contribute to people sitting around talking about absolutely nothing. This is what was happening under my window last night and it continued on until 1:30 in the morning. For some reason I didn’t feel like using my complimentary ... Read more >
CHINA | Sunday, 9 May 2010 | Views [422]
My bed is as hard as a rock, but I still have a hard time getting out of it. The pitter-patter of rain is like a soothing lullaby that makes me forget that my back is screaming at me. What the heck is going to happen when the vacation ends and I have ... Read more >
CHINA | Saturday, 8 May 2010 | Views [598]
Train travel in China is much more pleasant when you have the lowest berth. The train from Kunming to Chengdu was not fully booked, which made it an even better experience. I liked having the luxury of stretching out on my narrow bunk. My past experiences ... Read more >
CHINA | Saturday, 8 May 2010 | Photo Gallery
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CHINA | Friday, 7 May 2010 | Views [547]
I returned to Kunming with the intention of visiting as many English schools and universities as I could to pass out my resume. This recommendation was given to me by an English teacher who visited The Lily Pad during my stay and it turned out to be ... Read more >
CHINA | Wednesday, 5 May 2010 | Views [522]
WHAT THE HELL WAS I THINKING when I bought a ticket in hard class on the train from Dali to Kunming? It was eight of the most uncomfortable hours of my life and I have had major surgery. The seats are bench style, which wouldn’t be a problem if I could ... Read more >
CHINA | Tuesday, 4 May 2010 | Views [431]
I went to the train station this morning and purchased two tickets. One would take me from Dali to Kunming and the other would take me from Kunming to Chengdu. I am very proud of the fact that this complicated transaction was conducted mostly in Chinese ... Read more >
CHINA | Sunday, 2 May 2010 | Views [1536]
The festival was an interesting distraction for a while, but now it is a huge impediment. I long to see something other than crowds of Chinese rubbernecking as they stroll past the booths selling….crap. It’s amazing how many forms crap can take: trinkets;... Read more >
CHINA | Saturday, 1 May 2010 | Views [426]
I can see the famous three pagodas from the top of my guesthouse while I am doing T’ai Chi in the morning. I have taken photos of it from this distance and they are less than impressive. So this morning I decided to skip my exercises and head towards ... Read more >
CHINA | Thursday, 29 Apr 2010 | Views [449]
Lessons I learned about bargaining today: 1) When you approach an item that you are interested in, don’t show your interest at all. 2) Even if you like an item it is good to curl your lip and shake your head as though you find fault with it. 3) ... Read more >
CHINA | Wednesday, 28 Apr 2010 | Views [404]
And then the crowds came. How they have flocked to Dali for the big festival. I arrived too late for the opening ceremony, but I was told that you couldn’t get near it anyway. The stands were packed for the horse races and good luck trying to move up ... Read more >
CHINA | Tuesday, 27 Apr 2010 | Views [587]
I was very lazy this morning and didn’t get up until after 9:00am. I regretted it once I saw the azure sky over Cangshan. I dressed quickly for a hiking and went down for a quick bite to eat. I was already in a tizzy over my late start, but Sarah made ... Read more >
CHINA | Monday, 26 Apr 2010 | Views [499]
I got out of Dali today and went to a market in a nearby village. I’m still a bit burnt out on the whole tourist thing, but today I was tagging along with someone else and that made it more interesting. I met Sarah the first night I was here. She is ... Read more >
CHINA | Sunday, 25 Apr 2010 | Views [437]
I left Kunming to get out of the dorm and ended up in a bunk situation on the overnight train to Dali. I figured I could put up with it for one more night. There were no heavy snorers in my section of the train, but I did have the interesting situation ... Read more >
CHINA | Friday, 23 Apr 2010 | Views [394]
There was a heavy, pounding rain last night in Kunming and I am told that it is rare for that to happen this time of year. I think that the unseasonable weather brought out the craziness in some people because there was a ruckus that was going on at ... Read more >
CHINA | Thursday, 22 Apr 2010 | Views [484]
I survived my first night in the dorm and awoke to a beautiful day in the City of Eternal Spring. It wasn’t so bad being in the mixed dorm. There were comings and goings at all hours and a guy who needs some serious help for his snoring problem, but ... Read more >
CHINA | Wednesday, 21 Apr 2010 | Views [676]
The power was restored last night, but it went off again early this morning. I am so glad that I dug out my headlamp because using the bathroom at 4:00am would have been difficult. By 6:00am there was enough light in the sky so that I could pack my ... Read more >
VIETNAM | Tuesday, 20 Apr 2010 | Views [404]
My small indulgence for today was to get a massage. I didn’t go for the full body massage, but instead I chose the head, neck, hands and foot massage which comes with a medicinal foot soak that has been used by the Red Dao tribe since Jesus was a baby.... Read more >
VIETNAM | Monday, 19 Apr 2010 | Views [466]
I’m in Sapa and I find that I am not the least bit interested in taking a tour into the surrounding mountains. I priced several tours and I can afford it if I stick to eating out of food carts and mini-marts, but I don’t want to. God forgive me, I have ... Read more >
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