Walking around Xi'an, you can see some strange things. I saw someone pickup their dog and put it in a grocery bag and carry it down the street with its head sticking out. A woman stopped to talk to her, and I really really wish I understood Chinese right then. I saw a cat chained …
Continue reading Speeding through the night (Chinese bullet train); Chinese train info
In Xi'an, I headed out to the Big Wild Goose Pagoda because they have a fountain show at noon, and then I figured I could go to the city wall which is just a bit north of there before heading to the high-speed train station to catch the bullet train back to Beijing. The plaza …
Continue reading Dancing at the Big Wild Goose Pagoda (Xi’an, China)
First, if you decide to get an evisa before going to Cambodia - make sure you use the government's official site - http://www.evisa.gov.kh There are many companies who will basically do that for you and charge you an additional $30, $40 or even $50 and more. Generally, travellers find it most useful to get the …
Continue reading Cambodia visa/evisa and Siem Reap airport information (in/out)
Beijing Attraction info: Temple of Heaven (Beijing, China Must-See) Forbidden City - not written yet Summer Palace (a must-see) A power line runs through it (The Great Wall, Beijing, China) Hiking the Great Wall THE CRICKET MAN - coming soon China Transportation China: Taxis, and subways, and trains, oh my! Overnight train to Xi’an (with …
Continue reading Beijing, China – what to do, bring, see, know
Cambodia was interesting. If you come here definitely confirm the quality of where you are staying and square away the costs for anything beforehand. Despite my research, my lodging turned out to have a shared bathroom with no running water and was more of a homestay than a rented room like I expected (there is …
Using U.S. Credit Cards in China? Not so much. When I was planning to go to China, I was trying to figure out how I was going to always have enough cash/credit on hand since our US credit cards don't work in Beijing. However, it seems Discover has worked out a deal with UnionPay …
Continue reading Using U.S. Credit Cards in China? Not so much.
Cruise to nowhere, AKA the Thailand/Laos/Myanmar border While in Thailand, I took a full day tour that went to a Karen village and on a river cruise to Laos and also the white temple in Chiang Rai. I do not recommend taking this tour for several reasons, stated below. The tour started very early in …
Continue reading Cruise to nowhere, AKA the Thailand/Laos/Myanmar border
Unusual foods: Durian - Like stinky feet or heavenly? You decide Durian is a spiky-shelled fruit that smells horrible. Various people have compared it to combinations involving dirty gym socks, death, paint thinner, onions, and sweat. The smell is comprised of many different compounds and what you smell just depends on which compounds your …
Continue reading Unusual foods: Durian – Like stinky feet or heavenly? You decide
Tiger Kingdom, in the far reaches of Chiang Mai, is an excellent way to see tigers up close. The animals here are mostly rescues from zoos and circuses, and live out their lives here; the younger ones are more tourist friends, the older ones have areas that the tourists don't visit) I had …
After going through the Temple of Heaven's main sights, I headed off to the train station to catch the overnight sleeper to Xi'an to go see the Terracotta Army and other local sights. Before leaving the US, I found a good reference for taking trains in China, that answers a lot of questions and lets …
Continue reading Overnight train to Xi’an (with mystery kid and song, solved)
Earlier: Today I am at the consulate in Chicago to hopefully submit my Visa application. I am requesting a 10 year Visa, which I may or may not get. They decide the length of your Visa, but you can request different options, but they choose what they give you (if anything). So, write in for …
Cats are everywhere in Istanbul This is the cat that "guarded" my hotel in Istanbul. He was there each night, and didn't mind people coming or going. People walked around him even though he decided to camp out right on the entry carpet. There are many such cats in Istanbul. The cats are often friendly …
A few things about China that may be helpful for others. VPN A VPN is essential if you want to use Google products at all (or Facebook, or nearly anything you are used to using). Use of the VPN was also required to get access to pay my insurance bill while I was away, which …
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