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Trip: The World (Part II)

There are [389] stories from my trip: The World (Part II)


Welcome to Myanmar

MYANMAR | Tuesday, 2 Sep 2014 | Views [536]

I KNOW WHAT YOU’RE THINKING.  “Why would anyone fly on Malaysia Airlines, especially to Myanmar — wherever the hell that is?”  The truth is that Malaysia Airlines had the best deal from Hong Kong.  And with their ... Read more >


Photos: Myanmar

MYANMAR | Monday, 1 Sep 2014 | Photo Gallery


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Macau

MACAU | Saturday, 30 Aug 2014 | Views [380]

WE ARE NOT GAMBLERS BUT WITH OUR CHORES COMPLETED we decided to check out Macau, another of the “autonomous regions” China.  We’ve gotten to know the metro line from Mon Kok to Tsim Sha Tsui quite well, only this time we had to ... Read more >


Hong Kong

HONG KONG | Friday, 29 Aug 2014 | Views [631]

TIBET, AS THE COMMUNIST PARTY CLAIMS, MAY ALWAYS HAVE been a part of China.  Despite the Brits abdication, Hong Kong most definitely isn’t.  It wasn’t a part of China when Connie visited in nearly 30 years ago and it isn’... Read more >


Photos: Hong Kong and Macau

HONG KONG | Wednesday, 27 Aug 2014 | Photo Gallery


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Shanghai

CHINA | Tuesday, 26 Aug 2014 | Views [482]

SHANGHAI MUST BE THE PRIDE OF THE PEOPLES' REPUBLIC.  It is the largest city in China, a major port and the up-and-coming financial center of the country.  Everything about Shanghai has been intimately planned, from the high-speed MagLev rail ... Read more >


Photos: Shanghai

CHINA | Monday, 25 Aug 2014 | Photo Gallery


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Great Expectations: The Dragon's Backbone

CHINA | Saturday, 23 Aug 2014 | Views [636]

WE WERE LOOKING FORWARD TO THE LONGI TERRACED RICE paddies, also known as the Dragon’s Backbone. We were hoping they would be as picturesque as those we saw in northern Vietnam on that cold and rainy day in Sapa four years ago. But after a two-... Read more >


Li River Cruise: Guilin to Yangshuo

CHINA | Thursday, 21 Aug 2014 | Views [692]

“NOBODY GOES THERE ANYMORE, IT’S TOO CROWDED.”  Yogi Berra could have been talking about any tourist destination in China but it is especially true of the Li River cruises from Guilin to Yangshuo.  There is no China Through ... Read more >


Wrong Turn to the Real China

CHINA | Tuesday, 19 Aug 2014 | Views [824]

CHENGDU IS A MODERN CITY.  JANE TOLD US it has grown enormously her 24 years into one of the five largest in China.  She is the best guide we have had so far, the kind of kid you’d like to adopt, and she is full of insights into Chengdu.... Read more >


Panda Poo

CHINA | Monday, 18 Aug 2014 | Views [1151]

OF THE 18 MILLION RESIDENTS OF CHENGDU ABOUT 100 are pandas.  In fact, giant pandas are the main reason tourists visit Chengdu.  Not only is it the home of the Chengdu Panda Reserve, it is only two hours from the Bifengxia Panda breeding center, ... Read more >


Photos: Chengdu and Guilin

CHINA | Saturday, 16 Aug 2014 | Photo Gallery


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Forbidden (Almost) Tibet

CHINA | Wednesday, 13 Aug 2014 | Views [434]

WHAT COULD I POSSIBLY HAVE BEEN THINKING?  That Tibet was another Nepal or Bhutan?  Wasn’t Lhasa the heart of Tibetan Buddhism, paradise on the top of the world?  True, the Dali Lama hasn’t seen Lhasa since 1959 — but, ... Read more >


Photos: Tibet

CHINA | Wednesday, 13 Aug 2014 | Photo Gallery


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The Terracotta Warriors of Xi'an

CHINA | Tuesday, 12 Aug 2014 | Views [569]

WE PLAYED WITH TOY SOLDIERS WHEN WE WERE KIDS.  At the age of thirteen, Emperor Qin Shi Huang created an army of life-sized terracotta soldiers more than two-thousand years ago.  An assembly line of seven hundred thousand men created 6000 ... Read more >


Why We Hate Guided Tours

CHINA | Monday, 11 Aug 2014 | Views [1114]

LAST NIGHT’S THUNDER STORM RINSED SOME OF THE DIRT from the air and we could actually see blue sky this morning.  Our itinerary called for a visit to the “hutong districts,” the original residential areas of Beijing.  While ... Read more >


The Great Wall of China

CHINA | Saturday, 9 Aug 2014 | Views [1060]

THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA, LIKE THE PYRAMIDS OF GIZA, is a national icon that ranks high on many a bucket list.  As well it should be.  And your first glimpse of the Wall is breath-taking, living up to every expectation.  But after exploring ... Read more >


Beijing

CHINA | Friday, 8 Aug 2014 | Views [887]

WE ARRIVED IN BEIJING 36 HOURS AFTER LEAVING Dublin, a day and a half of delayed flights, airplane food and wondering if we would ever again see our luggage.  When the flight to Abu Dhabi was late and we missed the Beijing connection they rerouted ... Read more >


Photos: Beijing and Xian

CHINA | Thursday, 7 Aug 2014 | Photo Gallery


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China Bound

CHINA | Tuesday, 5 Aug 2014 | Views [1324]

WE'RE OFF TO CHINA IN THE MORNING, Dublin to Beijing via Abu Dhabi - three weeks with a personal guide.  We have heard of many government restrictions on the Chinese Internet where Facebook, Twitter and the like are prohibited, and we don't know ... Read more >


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Easter Island, 2012

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