Assorted Entertaining Chinese Stuff

Here are some pictures of things that simply amused the heck out of us in China, namely: our lunchtime choices of bamboo rats, snakes, and other exotic delectables, the creative "English" signage, retired Chinese men whiling away happy hours in parks, writing poems on sidewalks using water as their medium. We could go on and on and on.

Dragon's Backbone Rice Terraces

Our final destination was the tiny Zhuang village of Ping'an. The rolling hills in this lush area have been sculpted with rice terraces over the past 600 years or so. We had to park and walk up to our guest house in this amazingly scenic locale, zigzagging all the while to avoid the local tribal people who were porting up (lazier) tourists on litters.

Yangshuo

It was great to finally get out of big cities and head for beautiful Yangshuo, a former backpacker haunt set amongst towering limestone peaks. One of our funkier experiences was heading out one night in a small boat on the very dark river to watch a 75-year-old chain-smoking fisherman work his diving cormorants for our amusement. (And a tip of 5 yuan.) The birds had cords tied around their necks so they could partially swallow the many small fish they caught, and then they were hauled up on board the fisherman's bamboo raft and quickly "milked" to regurgitate their catch into a basket.

Xi'an

Xi'an was our favorite place in China. Until we travelled there, we had no idea that it was once one of the greatest cities of the ancient world, vying with Rome and Constantinople. Our first glimpse of the 2000-year-old army of terracotta warriors had the same effect on us as the pyramids did -- we were awestruck. We had a terrific guide in Xi'an who helped us find cheap local restaurants in which to sample some of Xi'an's specialties, and who took us on other interesting visits to the ancient city wall, the Great Mosque, the Wild Goose Pagoda, and to a Tang Dynasty dinner and musical show. We think we could learn a little Mandarin and move to Xi'an someday.

The Great Wall

It was such a thrill for us to be able to walk on a small section of the Great Wall. An added bonus was the brief snowfall, although it made climbing up and down an icy challenge.

Just Us and Chairman Mao

Beijing is the capital of the People's Republic of China. Our first stop in this city the size of Belgium was Tiananmen Square, followed by The Forbidden City (so called because it was off limits to anyone but emperors and their entourages for 500 years). We also plunged into the fascinating hutong (narrow alleyways) by pedicab, stopping off in this unique and fast-disappearing part of the city's old interior to visit a typical hutong home, and a kindergarten for the deaf.

Shanghai

This shot of Shanghai's busy harbour is taken from the Bund, which means "embankment of a muddy waterfront." Shanghai has around 14 million people and possesses a skyline that is evolving at an unbelievably torrid pace. Not surprisingly, the pollution and traffic congestion are abysmal.

China: If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Beijing!

Hi, and welcome to our travel blog.

We had such a great time on our recent two week whistle-stop tour of China that we felt compelled to share some of our photos and experiences. We hope you enjoy them.