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The Philippines
In January of 2004, I travelled to
Manila and the small island of Boracay. Manila is an amazingly vibrant
city, with very poor sections bordering right up against some of the
classiest nightlife, entertainment and restaurant areas I have seen
anywhere in the world. Boracay is a small strip of an island with the
whitest of white sand beaches, crystal clear water, great food and
fantastic scuba diving. It is the playground of wealthy South Korean
and Japanese tourists and westerns living in China who need an escape.
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Thailand
My friends and I traveled from
Bangkok to Koh Phagnan to Phuket August and September 2003. Thailand is
a wonderful place - the people are friendly, the food is spicy and
delicious and the nightlife is second to none.
So come and join me on a quick tour around this country. |
Click this picture
for a great video!
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DongBei -
Northeast China, Harbin, Changchun, Siping
Every country has a place and a
people that they poke fun of. Well in China “that place” is called Dong
Bei – or simply “Northeast” China. The area is famous for its weather,
ginseng root, outdoor ice sculpture festivals and people. The
temperatures are low up in Dong Bei, up to 30°C below zero right
now. Actually the forecast calls for -20°C and smoke with a chance
of snow. I took a meteorology class in college and I don’t recall smoke
being a natural phenomenon. These weather conditions in combination
with the short days make northeast China’s inhabitants quite hardy
souls. People up in Dong Bei have a reputation for living life to the
fullest and much of that includes heavy eating and heavier drinking.
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Hong Kong and
Guangzhou
Hong Kong really is just a big rock
off the south coast of China. The British won control of it after the
First Opium War (1839-1842) and it served as the base for trading with
the Chinese continent. It was returned to China in 1997. It is a really
nice place to visit except it is very expensive.
Guangzhou
is located about 3 hours (by train) north of Hong Kong and was formerly
called Canton. Cantonese is spoken here - as opposed to Mandarin in the
rest of China (that is really not completely true - there are hundreds
of dialects but Mandarin is the official standard. Guangzhou is famous
for its food. Food must be really fresh so many of the restaurants keep
your food alive and kicking until the minute you order it. "The
Cantonese will eat anything with legs that isn't furniture, and
anything with wings that isn't an airplane." (Rough Guide)
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Chengdu,
Chongqing, and the Yangtzi Three Gorges
Chengdu and Chongqing are both in the
center of China in Sichuan Province - China's largest. Sichuan is
famous for it's spicy food and rich history. Chengdu is a
wonderful place to visit and hang around as the people are really
friendly and there is lots to do. Chongqing sits at the
confluence Jialiang and Yangtzi Rivers and is a mountainous peninsula.
The city is very modern and is bustling with shops and restaurants.
Both cities are home to several million people. The Yangtzi Gorges are
between Chongqing and Yichang - about 1000 kilometers down the river. A
huge dam project will be completed next year which will force the
relocation of millions of people. Because of this - many tourists -
both foreign and Chinese are sailing down the river to get a look at
many of the cities and sites that will soon be underwater.
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Beijing I and
Beijing II
Beijing is located in northern China,
about 10-12 hours by train from Nanjing and Shanghai.
Beijing Trip
(Part I) - On October 1, 2001, I traveled to Beijing for the
National Day festivities. Part I covers the train journey, Tianan'men,
the Great Wall, and the Forbidden City.
Beijing Trip
(Part II) - Part II covers some of my idiotic antics in this fair
city of millions.
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Suzhou
Suzhou is considered the Venice of China.
The city is built on canals and is famous for its gardens, silk, and
beautiful women. The city is located about 60 minutes from Shanghai and
is booming as foreign investment explodes in the new Industrial Park
district outside of the city.
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Shanghai
Shanghai is now, and was
historically, the financial and
trade capital of China. The architecture of the city is amazing,
ranging from the traditional Chinese structures to the European
colonial style marble buildings to the modern funky skyscraper design.
Historically, the city was the infamous center for the European
imperialist and was famous for it's decadence and carnal pleasures.
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Yangshuo and
Guilin - Guanxi Province
These two places are known for their
amazing scenery and limestone mountains that jut into the sky. I
traveled to this area in search of warmth and biking for May Day 2002.
I found both. Guanxi Province is located south of China and borders
Vietnam and southeast Asia. I don't have a star on this map, but Guilin
and Yangshuo are located next to the city of Nanning in southcentral
portion.
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Anhui Province
A journey to rural Anhui Province and
the Jade River - where Crouching Tiger was filmed. Anhui is 8
hours to the southwest of Nanjing in the heart of rice country. It is
one of the more rural provinces of China, due mainly to the tough
landscape and lack of transportation.
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Gai Shan Ding
