Breaking-in Baby (Pt.2): Trans-Pacific Air Adventures with Two
15 hours over the Pacific with a toddler and an infant. This is going to be interesting…
China
Hong Kong: Tai-O Stilted Village
Mere miles from Central Hong Kong, the stilted fishing village of Tai O appears unmoved by global financial markets, 100-story high-rises and Michelin-rated restaurants — but for how long is anybody’s guess…
Hong Kong Big Buddha
We made our way to Lantau to cast our eyes on one of the biggest Buddhas in the world. Like the meaning of a deceptively simple parable, Big Buddha remained just out of sight until the very last moment.
China Budget & Trip Report
Our itinerary, lodging info and detailed budget from our time traveling through China from 29 June to 29 July 2012.
Trekking Tiger Leaping Gorge, Day 3
The last post in a series of three ends on a high note, as we descend deep into Tiger Leaping Gorge and literally climb back out, dodging and clambering over fallen boulders on our way back to rainbows and civilization.
Trekking Tiger Leaping Gorge, Day 2
Our second day hiking on this amazing mountain path in southwestern China offers fair weather, fantastic views and an escape from the crowds.
Trekking Tiger Leaping Gorge, Day 1
Tiger Leaping Gorge is often considered quite simply THE BEST trek in China, and for good reason: it’s an amazing place. Day one leads us through lush hillside and small villages.
Exploring Lijiang Old Town
We head to Old Town Lijiang. Surrounded by lush green hills and sheer jade peaks, this incredibly enchanting and well preserved mountain town (and UNESCO world heritage site) is a must visit.
Xian and the Terracotta Warriors
Despite Xi’an being a virtually unrecognizable shadow of its former glorious self, it is nonetheless a modern and very agreeable city, not to mention host to a very old and famous subterranean army.
Pingyao Ancient City
Pingyao is a world in itself, frozen in time somewhere in the middle of the last two Dynasties. If we had to choose one place in China to spend almost a week of our trip, we certainly could have done a lot worse.
The Wild Wall – Great Wall of China (Without the Crowds)
Most visitors to the Wall visit the Bādálǐng stretch near Beijing, but we opt to venture a bit further afield, visiting an all but deserted portion higher up in the mountains between Jīnshānlǐng and Sīmǎtái.
Beijing
Beijing turned out to be a great place to lay low for a few days, and turns out our timing was perfect. 10 days after our departure the entire city was submerged by massive widespread flooding.
Climbing Mount Tai (Taishan), Day 2
Sunrise as viewed from the summit of Taishan is the undisputed main event atop the mountain, even if you never actually see the sun through the “haze.”
Climbing Mount Tai (Taishan), Day 1
We knew two things about Taishan before our climb: The process of climbing the mountain involves ascending over 6,600 individual stair steps, and Taishan is very, very popular with Chinese.
Four Train Stations (and One Big Mistake)
A traveler’s nightmare — racing to catch the last train out of town with only minutes to spare, only to discover you’ve made a horrifying error.
Classical Gardens Of Suzhou
Suzhou has long been known for its incredible classical gardens. This post covers three of the best: The huge Humble Administrator’s Garden, the old Master of the Nets garden, and the ancient Panmen complex.
Suzhou By Night
Stepping out in the evening onto Pingjiang Road after an excruciatingly hot summer day is magical — the entire length of the ancient canal towpath comes alive with townspeople, tourists and merchants of all kinds.
Suzhou By Day
We arrived in Suzhou hoping to beat the July heat, but to no avail. The good news is that Old Town Suzhou seems made for slow strolling with plenty of cool shops, tea houses and cafes when the heat becomes too much.
