Ger, central Mongolia
Photo Friday: Mongolian Steppes
This week we're showing a few more photos from our adventure through Mongolia....
The view from the tower of Pingyao, China
Photo Friday: Pingyao, China
Here are a few photos of our most recent location in Pingyao, China. It's truly an old and fascinating town, so check it out if you happen to be in the area.
Travel Tips for China
After a few weeks in China, we've learned a great deal about this amazing country. Here are a few tips for navigating this behemoth of a nation with so much to see and do.
An overlook on top of Huangshan
China on the Cheap
We arrived in China almost two weeks ago. The country has made a good impression so far. This is actually our second trip to China, our first being five years ago to the south (from Hong Kong to the Yunnan). After five years, this behemoth of a country is advancing in leaps and bounds. Economic growth can be witnessed everywhere. At the same time, ancient culture and personal experiences await around every corner. After arriving in Beijing late in the evening, we found our hotel down one of Beijing’s many Hutong alleyways. These microcosms of Chinese culture, where locals live in close proximity to one another and share a tight-knit neighborhood, are slowly being torn apart and replaced with towering skyscrapers. Beijing as a whole is impressive. It’s huge and modern in some parts, but ancient and cultural in others. We visited Beihai park, where crowds perform Tai Chi in unison along the shore of an ancient lake with a modern skyline as a backdrop.
Tunxi, Anhui province
Photos from China
So far on our trip to China and Mongolia, we've been to Beijing, Mount Huangshan, and some small Houzhou villages. Here are a few photos to tempt you until we can post more stories of our adventure.
China: Our Packing List
Now that we’re about one week into our trip to China and Mongolia, we’ve ventured beyond Beijing, our first destination. For this two month trip, we’ve packed as lightly as possible. Instead of each of us taking our normal packs (around 80 liters in size) and also carrying additional smaller packs, we’re only carrying one medium sized pack (about 35 liters) and smaller backpacks. Also, one of the smaller bags is a camera/laptop bag.
Photo Friday: Sinai
The Sinai Peninsula of Egypt is truly a fascinating place. During our time in the area, we spent a few days near Mt. Sinai and a few more relaxing on the coast of the Red Sea. First, our journey took us from Cairo on a fairly long bus ride to the town of Katreen, near the base of Mt. Sinai and St. Katherine's Monastery. We slept at a small Bedouin camp and met some other travelers who had hiked to the top of the mountain the night before, starting at 2:00 in the morning. Supposedly this was the best time to hike in order to avoid the heat and also see the sunset from the top of the mountain.
Jet Lag: How To Get Over It
Yes, jet lag really sucks. Some say that it takes an entire day to adjust for each timezone that you cross on your flight. That could be up to 12 days if you're traveling to the opposite side of the world. Who has time for that? It's different for everyone, though, as some adjust faster than others. Younger travelers, or those that exercise often, are said to adjust faster. Whatever your specific situation, here are some tips to help you adjust to jet lag faster and prepare for your long flight.
Just because I am doing this does not mean that you should, too.
Bad Travel Clichés
Travel clichés abound everywhere, but some are worse than others. And I’m not talking about cliché places to visit, either. The Eiffel Tower, in all sincerity, is definitely worth a visit. Instead, here’s a list of travel clichés that, in my opinion, have come to the end of their journey.