China
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![Goodbye China]()
Zai Jian China!
Goodbye China China is not a developing nation, it’s developed. And we all might understand soon just how developed they are. I’ve never met a people who are more determined to make an impression on the world than these folks.
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![Tiger Leaping Gorge]()
Things We Love(d) About China
Tiger Leaping Gorge There’s no denying it. We’ve enjoyed China. We didn’t fall in love with the big cities of the east coast, but the western and southwestern provinces are spectacular – filled with stunning scenery and diverse people.
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![Thats A Big Wall]()
Olympic Fever - Beijing
Thats A Big Wall The truth about Beijing, if you’ve been in China a while, is you only need a few days to see the sights, then get out …unless you want to go shopping. Then you could be there a month.
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China Notes for Budget Travelers
Our original budget for China was based on the costs of the big cities like Shanghai, Beijing and Hong Kong. Our goal was to stay at or below $70 a day for both of us. We were able to get by on about that in Hong Kong, but were able to easily stay below $50 a day for most of China.
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![A Thriving Mongolian Community]()
Life on the Trans-Mongolian Express
A Thriving Mongolian Community When young Mongolians ask their parents where white people come from I’m sure many are tempted to say “From the Trans-Mongolian Express”. After being a pair of white dots in a sea of Chinese faces for over a month it was a little shocking being in the majority on this train from Beijing to Ulaanbaatar.
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Camera Karma
Maybe we should have burned the yak butter at the Buddhist Temple or made one more round with the prayer wheels because we have had some kind of bad luck when it comes to cameras on this trip. After our misfortunes in Australia, we purchased another point and shoot digital camera to get us through until Hong Kong.
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![Terra Cotta Warriors]()
A Tale of Toes and Terra Cotta Warriors - Xian
Terra Cotta Warriors Of the many, must see' cities in China, Xi’an is certainly high on the list. It’s considered one of the four great ancient capitals of China and is the eastern terminus of the old Silk Route.
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![Panda Mania!]()
Mr. Wang & The Giant Pandas
Panda Mania! For many travelers who venture beyond the East Coast of China, it seems that the city of Chengdu is a natural stopping point and with good reason. As capital of the Sichuan Province, it’s a gateway to a number of great adventures and a popular jumping off point for Tibet.
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![The back streets of Zhongdian]()
Shangri-La - Not So Much
The back streets of Zhongdian Just north of Tiger Leaping Gorge at the edge of the Tibetan plateau sits the town of Zhongdian – recently renamed Shangri-La by the Chinese. It’s Tibetan name is Gyeltang, but no one uses it.
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![Tiger Leaping Gorge]()
Tiger Leaping Gorge
Tiger Leaping Gorge We just did a mini-trek at Tiger Leaping Gorge, it’s in the western part of Yunnan and it’s famous for being one of the steepest and most dramatic Gorges in the world. I have to say, it’s probably the highlight of China for us right now.
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The Great Firewall of China Strikes Again!
Before we had arrived in mainland China we were aware that censorship was alive and well here. The televised news is little more than propaganda and access to other forms on information is limited. Many web-sites, several that we use regularly are blocked.
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![Lijiang]()
Earthquakes, Orchestras and Pictograms
Lijiang One of the top 10 tourist sites in China is the World Heritage Site of Lijiang, a small town in the mountains of the Yunnan Province. It was ankle to elbow full of tourists, but that didn’t stop us from enjoying the people and culture that abound.
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![Mao Meets Capitalism]()
Comrades and Capitalist Roaders
Mao Meets Capitalism If a picture is worth a thousand words, this one must be worth a thousand dollars. This is China today. New cars being sold at the foot of Chairman Mao while “Life in the Fast Lane” blasts from stereos.
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![View from Lhasa Express]()
That Can Do Spirit!
View from Lhasa Express When we were in the early stages of planning our trip, I was only lukewarm to coming to China. But then I began to read more, not just about the tourist sites, but also about the history of China and its people.
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![Shane Battier is Big in China]()
The NBA - It's Chan-Tastic!
Shane Battier is Big in China Move over Ping-Pong, make room for Basketball. The NBA is surprisingly huge here. After Soccer it’s probably the biggest spectator sport in the country. The NBA play-offs are broadcast twice a day here, live at 8AM in the morning and then again at night, followed by a highlights show with Chinese talking heads summarizing the game.
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![It's so nice to see you...]()
Well, Hello Dali!
It's so nice to see you... Dali is a beautiful city with mountains on one side and a picturesque lake on the other. It’s an old walled city and unlike many of it’s ilk it has not yet been totally changed by tourism.
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![Sam Walton ...Made in China]()
Notes From a Chinese Walmart
Sam Walton ...Made in China I’m sure Sam Walton is spinning in his grave. The man who billed his store as “All-American, and American Made” now has a huge business in China, with All-Chinese made products.
We’re in Kunming, the capitol of Yunnan Province in the South-west of China, and our room is right around the corner from Yunnan’s first Walmart …how could we resist?
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![Can I Have You Over For Dinner]()
Fresh, Really Fresh
Can I Have You Over For Dinner One thing you can’t say about Chinese food is that it isn’t fresh, no frozen peas need apply. As a way of demonstrating let me relate something that happened to LeeAnne and I just the other day on the way back to our room:
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![Beverage, Pastry, Why Not Both]()
Early Reflections on China
Beverage, Pastry, Why Not Both So we’ve been in China for almost two weeks now and I have to say, sometimes I need to remind myself we’re in the Third World. After two months in India, being here is …refreshing.
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![Li River Scenery]()
Li River Daze
Li River Scenery One of the “must do” activities in China is a cruise down the Li River from Guilin to the smaller city of Yangshou. Like all good budget travelers we opted to join the Chinese tour. You get the same beautiful scenery sans the English commentary, but for half the price of the Foreigner’s tour.
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![Reed Flute Cave Near Gulin]()
Land of Limestone Towers & Caves - Guilin
Reed Flute Cave Near Gulin Guilin, it’s just one of the many cities in China with over a million inhabitants that you have probably never heard of. It’s also the first real stop for us in China (we spent a night in
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![Long Live China]()
Amen!
Long Live China Well it appears we’ve succeeded at obtaining a legitimate 30 day visa for me in China. While in Guilin, we visited the local Public Security Bureau to inquire about an extension. Word among travelers is that they are quite pleasant to deal with and offer a relatively quick turn around.
