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.
Playing the Airfare Game
The other day, we finally purchased our plane tickets for our trip to China and Mongolia. We’ve been planning this trip for a while, but recent life events led us to actually settle on some specific dates for our trip. However, like any good traveler (and anyone who wants to save money), we’ve been monitoring the prices of tickets for quite some time in hopes to get the best bang for our buck. This ended up being a waste of time, because on many of the popular airline booking sites, the price they give you when you’re about to buy a ticket can be much different than the price you’re shown at the beginning of the process. Let the following story be a warning to anyone trying to play this game.
Hamer girl, at the Jumping of the Bulls ceremony
Photo Friday: Southern Ethiopia
The theme of this week's Photo Friday is Southern Ethiopia. This is part of my personal effort to convince as many people as possible to visit Africa. After spending several months on the continent, we realized that we had only experienced a drop in the bucket. Africa is so huge and diverse that it would take years to fully understand all of the cultures, history, tragedy, and beauty that this immense land has to offer.
The canals of Amsterdam at night
Photo Friday: Amsterdam
This week's Photo Friday is all about Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands. It's full of canals, red lights, history, and charm - and it has something for everyone.
Photo Friday: Mali
One of the most amazing places in the world is also one of the most overlooked. Mali is a large country in West Africa with a diverse and friendly population. They love their history, their culture, and especially their music. Here are some photos to tempt you into visiting.