First time we go to Indonesia and the biggest surprise to me is how spectacular the water and scenery was. Around every corner awaits a perfect photo opportunity. I expected the beach and ocean to be nice but wow, it is way pretty colors of blue, green, turquoise, white, red, and all the others your eye can perceive. Everything during our stay was just right. Everyone was so friendly and nice and we always felt welcome. The food is spicy…
Narita, Japan is way more than an airport. Of course for most of us that’s all we know because so many international flights transit there. If you have a long layover an overnight or two in Narita is a great way to relax before continuing on. Of course now that I know about this cool little town, I will try to at least stay overnight when possible. It’s really that much fun and a great way to add to your…
Some years ago I was on my way to Kyoto, Japan traveling by train and out the window, we could see Mount Fuji off in the distance with its iconic snow-capped peak. I thought about how cool it would be to climb up there and put the idea away in my mental bucket list then forgot about it. Last year I again thought of climbing however I had missed the opportunity as the season was too late. But this year, September…
Sheshan Park 佘山 is a hill of about 100m high west of Shanghai, China. On top are an old Jesuit observatory (a museum now) and The Sheshan Basilica. The observatory complex was founded by French Mission Catholique in 1872. Sheshan Basilica is the largest Catholic cathedral in Southeast China and was built around 1863. Shanghai is flat as a pancake so this hill, although only 100m, sticks out. Sheshan Park makes for a fun day trip to go hike about, check…
The Shanghai Post Office Museum is located on the second floor of the old General Post Office Building that was built around 1924 in a European style. Nowadays the building is a historical landmark.Shanghai was the main hub of China’s postal network during the years of the Republic of China. Later around 1914, China joined the international postal union and Shanghai became the central exchange for international mail. After 2003 the building’s courtyard and second floor space became a public…
Whoa, yet another listicle of Shanghai food, really? I know, right. There are just so many wonderful street snacks around town I doubt anything less than a thick anthology could capture them all. Of course, there are many books on the subject such as “Glutton Guide Shanghai” which I recommend. However, this blog is about my favorite experiences which I’ll certainly add more as time goes. Most of these are sold at stalls or pop-up stands and are fairly inexpensive….
Inner Mongolia has been on my bucket list for quite some time and I finally had the opportunity to go. We joined with a tour group through Travelers Society which turned out wonderfully as our guides took care of all the details. We spent a fun day and spent the night in the sandy desert near Baotou city. Kids loved running up and down the large sand dunes. We had BBQ, beer, and a bonfire then slept in our tents…
From markets to restaurants and in between, we sampled many local favorites during our short visit to Shaanxi, China. Loved all the yummy foods…except for stinky tofu, I don’t like that so much. Here is just a small sample of the eats we had tried. There is so much we either didn’t have time for or even know about to include here. It’s one of the joys of traveling in China; There is so much diversity of foods and every…
Guilin is a scenic city in North Guangxi, China and very well known tourist destination and starting point for the Li River cruise. Guilin means “Forest of Sweet Osmanthus”, owing to the large number of fragrant sweet osmanthus trees located in the city. We flew into Guilin city and stayed at the Shangri-La Hotel for a couple nights. Afterward we drove to Yangshuo to spend a few nights at Zen Garden Resort. Andy of Yangshuo Private Tours was our driver…
The little town known as Thames Town is in the suburbs of Songjiang district just west of Shanghai. The town is a replica of English style architecture and was completed in 2006. It’s named after the Thames River in London. In the town center there are cobblestone streets, Victorian style buildings, pubs, and shops. The most recognized building is a large church that is directly copied from the Christ Church, Clifton Down in Bristol, England. Other buildings such as a…