Life's indescribably different here in India, but I'm adjusting quickly and enjoying the challenges. Arrived into Kolkata, then took a train a couple days later to Varansi and the sacred Ganges river. Admired the maze of winding alleys and spent time chatting with the locals attending the cremations at the burning ghats. Continued from there to Delhi where I've been most of the past week. I spent my birthday attempting to capture unique shots of the Taj Mahal at sunrise - the second visit this week in search of good light. I'll be leaving tomorrow night for Amritsar, near the border with Pakistan and then spend a couple weeks traveling along the Himalayas. I'll be in Dharamshala for Xmas - seat of the Tibetan government in exile. Plan to stop in Shimla, Rishikesh, Haridwar, Allahabad, Mirzapur and Varanasi once again before returning to Delhi. Should be plenty cold.
Route for the next couple weeks in purple on the map ->
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Thailand... Malaysia... Singapore... India...
I hope to eventually include updates for the last month or two in SE Asia, but have now made my way to India. Gandered the Taj Mahal earlier this evening - now headed on a train back to Delhi. Might be making updates via Twitter if I don't find internet more often than I have lately... so check there if you feel like it (link over there ..>). Good food so far!
Friday, October 24, 2008
southern thai islands
i visited koh phangan for a night during a huge beach party. every phase of the moon initiates these giant gatherings, and this was a full moon. so, thousands of people on the beach, enourmous speakers pumping techno and r&b, oversized flaming jump ropes...it was nuts, but it was worth seeing. i rented a motorbike and toured the island in the morning. it's small, but there are amazing beaches and mountains.
koh tao is a small island with a pair of 7-11's and a few dozen dive shops. it's a popular scuba diving destination, so we spent a lot of time underwater. we found a bungalo on sairee beach with a handful of foreign dive instructors: a couple of irish, a canadian, and an australian. the water was clear as glass for a few days, and then it got a bit milky. during a night dive the water was full of bioluminescent plankton. so when we turned off the flashlights and shook our hands around; everything looked like it was covered in tiny glowsticks.
the most surreal experience was swimming with a whale shark. i was so close, it could have eaten me. but they're mild creatures, and they don't crave humans. they're as big as they sound; like a cadillac with fins. as i was jumping out of the boat to put on my diving gear, it swam right at me. i got a good look as it floated slowly by with a school of following fish. breathing compressed air underwater is such a strange feeling. i thought about not dying, and i thought about how we live above water, more or less unaware of the vast majority of the earth; which is covered in water. and i realized how little i know about the town i grew up in, aside from this foreign sea kingdom.
koh tao is a small island with a pair of 7-11's and a few dozen dive shops. it's a popular scuba diving destination, so we spent a lot of time underwater. we found a bungalo on sairee beach with a handful of foreign dive instructors: a couple of irish, a canadian, and an australian. the water was clear as glass for a few days, and then it got a bit milky. during a night dive the water was full of bioluminescent plankton. so when we turned off the flashlights and shook our hands around; everything looked like it was covered in tiny glowsticks.
the most surreal experience was swimming with a whale shark. i was so close, it could have eaten me. but they're mild creatures, and they don't crave humans. they're as big as they sound; like a cadillac with fins. as i was jumping out of the boat to put on my diving gear, it swam right at me. i got a good look as it floated slowly by with a school of following fish. breathing compressed air underwater is such a strange feeling. i thought about not dying, and i thought about how we live above water, more or less unaware of the vast majority of the earth; which is covered in water. and i realized how little i know about the town i grew up in, aside from this foreign sea kingdom.
Friday, October 10, 2008
a massage a day keeps the chiropractor away
everything is in bangkok. we flew in at midnight from tokyo and headed to our hotel. the night was just starting, as we passed street vendors food carts: mobile kitchens. it's a cart with a gas powered frying pan, and a table full of spices and raw foods. we went out for a snack and ordered som tam (green papaya salad) and some barbecued meats. the food is unbelievably good, everywhere. i've never eaten so much and paid so little (about $2 for a meal). since we don't look local, we would have to specify that we liked the food spicy. and this still wouldn't do the trick, so we would have to tell them how many peppers we wanted: 3, 4, 5... depending on how much we wanted to sweat.
you can shop for almost anything in the city at a great price. they have a lot of gorgeous fabric, but they also sell cheap electronics. and anything you want in knock-off brands, clothing and accessories. i went to a huge weekend market and got lost in the aisles. it felt like walking through a small city with no street signs, and it just kept repeating itself.
my lower back has been in pain for the past few years, but especially the past few months. and for about $7 you can get a traditional thai massage for an hour. they stretch your arms, legs, and crack your back, aside from hitting all the pressure points in your entire body. every massage was a little different, and they all make you feel like you're floating for the next several hours.
communicating with most people was difficult, since my thai vocabulary is limited to the names of only a few entrees. but we met some locals that speak good english, and they were extremely helpful in showing us around.you can shop for almost anything in the city at a great price. they have a lot of gorgeous fabric, but they also sell cheap electronics. and anything you want in knock-off brands, clothing and accessories. i went to a huge weekend market and got lost in the aisles. it felt like walking through a small city with no street signs, and it just kept repeating itself.
my lower back has been in pain for the past few years, but especially the past few months. and for about $7 you can get a traditional thai massage for an hour. they stretch your arms, legs, and crack your back, aside from hitting all the pressure points in your entire body. every massage was a little different, and they all make you feel like you're floating for the next several hours.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
japanese railways
japan was such a sweet place. the first few days we were at yokota air base. we stayed with our sister cindy and her kids, who have been living there about three years. they're extremely entertaining. and it was a nice break from traveling the past couple months. i felt like i was at home; washer and dryer, hot water, american groceries, taco bell...and everyone takes dollars instead of some foreign currency that i can never remember what the exchange rate is.
the bullet trains in japan are just as fast as they sound. there's a few types, and they all travel over 200 miles/hour. it feels like riding a smooth airplane, over land. it's the best way to get around. the whole system is very non-american; efficient, punctual and proper. we bought a 7-day rail pass in hong kong before arrivng in tokyo. after visiting sendai, kyoto, hiroshima, fukuoka, nara, and some smaller towns, i found that nagoya was one of my favorite cities. i stayed with a local friend that i had met in hawaii. he cooked authentic food, like egg rice (hot rice, raw egg) and udon (fat noodles), and introduced me to a lot of other locals as we cruised around on his moped.
it seems like every person i spoke to was so sincere. when i would ask for diections, they would often stop what they were doing and show me where to go, and they may even walk part of the way with me just to make sure. it was unbelievable how nice they were.
our dad and his wife, rose met up with us in japan. we all stayed at the new sanno military hotel with cindy's family. there's a lot to see in tokyo, and we hardly scratched the surface. my favorite, the fish market at 5 am. our nephew, mason joined us, and i think he liked it the best. nearly all of the tuna in the world is routed through here. they hold an auction, and there's endless stalls of exotic fresh fish. it was like walking through a raw, edible aquarium.
kamakura is a town with a huge buddha. he's bigger than a tank. and you can crawl inside of him, and look at his organs. there's not really organs, but you can go inside through a staircase and see how they built the huge statue.
there's a trick art museum south of tokyo with all sorts of displays and interactive wacko things that make your mind bend. the kids love it there, but it's pretty cool for adults too. like a room with a sloped floor and ceiling, so it looks like the people on opposite sides are giants and midgits (pc: little people). before we went to the museum we took a tram up this mountain nearby, and there's a monkey park on top. the monkey keeper comes out and makes the animals do tricks for the tourists. then he gives them some bananas, and they make a mess everywhere. it smelled terrible, like monkeys or something. the walk down the mountain was herendously strenuous. but we survived, and wished we would have just taken the tram again. good thing we didnt' hike up.
the bullet trains in japan are just as fast as they sound. there's a few types, and they all travel over 200 miles/hour. it feels like riding a smooth airplane, over land. it's the best way to get around. the whole system is very non-american; efficient, punctual and proper. we bought a 7-day rail pass in hong kong before arrivng in tokyo. after visiting sendai, kyoto, hiroshima, fukuoka, nara, and some smaller towns, i found that nagoya was one of my favorite cities. i stayed with a local friend that i had met in hawaii. he cooked authentic food, like egg rice (hot rice, raw egg) and udon (fat noodles), and introduced me to a lot of other locals as we cruised around on his moped.
it seems like every person i spoke to was so sincere. when i would ask for diections, they would often stop what they were doing and show me where to go, and they may even walk part of the way with me just to make sure. it was unbelievable how nice they were.
our dad and his wife, rose met up with us in japan. we all stayed at the new sanno military hotel with cindy's family. there's a lot to see in tokyo, and we hardly scratched the surface. my favorite, the fish market at 5 am. our nephew, mason joined us, and i think he liked it the best. nearly all of the tuna in the world is routed through here. they hold an auction, and there's endless stalls of exotic fresh fish. it was like walking through a raw, edible aquarium.
kamakura is a town with a huge buddha. he's bigger than a tank. and you can crawl inside of him, and look at his organs. there's not really organs, but you can go inside through a staircase and see how they built the huge statue.
there's a trick art museum south of tokyo with all sorts of displays and interactive wacko things that make your mind bend. the kids love it there, but it's pretty cool for adults too. like a room with a sloped floor and ceiling, so it looks like the people on opposite sides are giants and midgits (pc: little people). before we went to the museum we took a tram up this mountain nearby, and there's a monkey park on top. the monkey keeper comes out and makes the animals do tricks for the tourists. then he gives them some bananas, and they make a mess everywhere. it smelled terrible, like monkeys or something. the walk down the mountain was herendously strenuous. but we survived, and wished we would have just taken the tram again. good thing we didnt' hike up.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Tokyo, Sendai, Kyoto, Kobe, Hiroshima
September 22-23rd
We arrived in Tokyo and caught a military bus to Yokota AFB to meet up with our sister Cindy and her tykes. We spent the weekend being entertained by our nieces and nephews - Mason, Ivy, Calla and Hunter. On Monday we activated our rail passes and headed north to Sendai. We rode the Shinkansen bullet train - at a speed of about 285KM/H (177 MPH). That was plenty impressive, until we slipped undetected onto the latest and greatest Nozomi N700 train a few days later and hit a top speed of 363KM/H (225MPH)! We spent a day in the Asakusa area of Tokyo before continuing South. Sushi at the always impressive Tsukiji was worth the trip alone - Dus going all out by downing a tasty morsel of raw horse meat.
September 24th - Kyoto
Without hotel reservations in Kyoto, we headed to an all night spa where I'd stayed the night on a previous trip - only to find the building that housed it to be quite closed. Only 11pm or so at that point, we took a moment to enjoy some curry before continuing our search for shelter. The next few locals we asked regarding suggestions for places to sleep seemed quite convinced that the only option was a less than meager hotel charging a more than meager amount. Our optimism/luck took us about a block from that point to what turned out to be one of our favorite sleeping experiences of the trip - Rumor Plaza & Spa. The experience was surprisingly similar to the one I'd had previously at the other location. We stashed our shoes in small lockers and received keys for larger lockers inside the complex. At the next locker we changed into the local attire - cotton shorts and a mini-kimono of sorts. Next stop was the spa, where one showers while squatting on a little plastic chair before plopping into one of the pools of water at various temperatures. A sauna there had a TV playing strange game shows with even more bizarre commercials. I doubt I'll ever comprehend Japanese television. Upon reaching adequate prune’age, we wandered the other levels of the establishment and discovered a decent eatery on the top floor. By then it was a bit late, so we made our way to the "relaxation room" comprised of perhaps a hundred impressively narrow bunk beds/stalls and slumbered until they kicked us out around 9am. As long as you have a pair of ear plugs, a night in one of these spas seems to pass without much effort.
The next day we continued south toward Hiroshima, stopping briefly in Kobe to experience the beef we'd heard so much about. The place we chose prepared the impressively marbled meat Teppanyaki style. I think we both felt the unique experience worth the impressive cost - with some of the cuts going for somewhere around $150 per pound!
We finally reached Hiroshima and stayed at a guesthouse that had just opened that day. They had a little party with local foods for their guests, then led the pack of foreigners to a nearby karaoke complex for hours of something the Japanese seriously love - for whatever reason. Next day was spent wandering the city and perusing the various museums, exhibits and monuments devoted to the infamous bombing. They've done a decent job of presenting various factors that led up to the event – though plenty more focus on the aftermath of course.
Dus and I each had our own schedules by then - so he took a train down to Fukuoka for a bowl of noodles while I took a short ferry to spend the evening with some little deer on Shrine Island. Dus spent the rest of the weekend with a friend in Nagoya while I made my way back to Tokyo to meet up with Pops and Rose at the airport.
We arrived in Tokyo and caught a military bus to Yokota AFB to meet up with our sister Cindy and her tykes. We spent the weekend being entertained by our nieces and nephews - Mason, Ivy, Calla and Hunter. On Monday we activated our rail passes and headed north to Sendai. We rode the Shinkansen bullet train - at a speed of about 285KM/H (177 MPH). That was plenty impressive, until we slipped undetected onto the latest and greatest Nozomi N700 train a few days later and hit a top speed of 363KM/H (225MPH)! We spent a day in the Asakusa area of Tokyo before continuing South. Sushi at the always impressive Tsukiji was worth the trip alone - Dus going all out by downing a tasty morsel of raw horse meat.
September 24th - Kyoto
Without hotel reservations in Kyoto, we headed to an all night spa where I'd stayed the night on a previous trip - only to find the building that housed it to be quite closed. Only 11pm or so at that point, we took a moment to enjoy some curry before continuing our search for shelter. The next few locals we asked regarding suggestions for places to sleep seemed quite convinced that the only option was a less than meager hotel charging a more than meager amount. Our optimism/luck took us about a block from that point to what turned out to be one of our favorite sleeping experiences of the trip - Rumor Plaza & Spa. The experience was surprisingly similar to the one I'd had previously at the other location. We stashed our shoes in small lockers and received keys for larger lockers inside the complex. At the next locker we changed into the local attire - cotton shorts and a mini-kimono of sorts. Next stop was the spa, where one showers while squatting on a little plastic chair before plopping into one of the pools of water at various temperatures. A sauna there had a TV playing strange game shows with even more bizarre commercials. I doubt I'll ever comprehend Japanese television. Upon reaching adequate prune’age, we wandered the other levels of the establishment and discovered a decent eatery on the top floor. By then it was a bit late, so we made our way to the "relaxation room" comprised of perhaps a hundred impressively narrow bunk beds/stalls and slumbered until they kicked us out around 9am. As long as you have a pair of ear plugs, a night in one of these spas seems to pass without much effort.
The next day we continued south toward Hiroshima, stopping briefly in Kobe to experience the beef we'd heard so much about. The place we chose prepared the impressively marbled meat Teppanyaki style. I think we both felt the unique experience worth the impressive cost - with some of the cuts going for somewhere around $150 per pound!
We finally reached Hiroshima and stayed at a guesthouse that had just opened that day. They had a little party with local foods for their guests, then led the pack of foreigners to a nearby karaoke complex for hours of something the Japanese seriously love - for whatever reason. Next day was spent wandering the city and perusing the various museums, exhibits and monuments devoted to the infamous bombing. They've done a decent job of presenting various factors that led up to the event – though plenty more focus on the aftermath of course.
Dus and I each had our own schedules by then - so he took a train down to Fukuoka for a bowl of noodles while I took a short ferry to spend the evening with some little deer on Shrine Island. Dus spent the rest of the weekend with a friend in Nagoya while I made my way back to Tokyo to meet up with Pops and Rose at the airport.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Guangzhou, Macau, Hong Kong, Shenzhen
Our last major stop before leaving China was Guangzhou - an all around decent city that likely had more to offer than we managed to see in the short time we spent there. Formerly known as Canton, this region is responsible for much of the Chinese cuisine the Western world would recognize. Dus and I took a local's advice and sought a specific restaurant to try their famous "pigs feet" - prepared in a sweet and sour sauce. The portion that arrived looked massive - but upon further inspection, we could not find a single morsel of meat hiding within the fat and skin. I hadn't expected much, but the absolute lack of meat was quite a surprise. To be fair, the sauce was quite delicious - so we mixed that with our rice and called it dinner. I still miss the food and spices of Sichuan. From Guangzhou we crossed into Macau via a land border that more resembled a shopping mall. We exercised restraint in not stuffing our packs with the cheap electronics and knock-off iPods for sale, which would very possibly have been confiscated by the friendly customs agents waiting anxiously a few hundred yards away.
Macau was surprisingly decent. The newest casinos looked remarkably similar to those found in Vegas, particularly the Wynn & Venetian. We had some great Portuguese influenced meals - and of course hot Portuguese egg tarts for breakfast. We stayed with a new friend named Patricia who went out of her way to show us the local culture. Hong Kong was the next stop - only an hour away via hydrofoil. We stayed in Kowloon, a choice I might not repeat the next time in the area. Hong Kong seems to me to be an excellent mix of East and West - not in the awkward way many Asian destinations seem to exemplify when their only expressions of the West are banana pancakes, ice cream shakes and television episodes of Friends tirelessly shown within the backpacker cafes. I'm always glad when my trips include a few days in HK.
We apparently missed China at this point - so we crossed back over the border to Shenzhen for one last gander. Dus rode on his train - or on a railroad owned by a company owned partially by him (though shortly after which he sold the stock)... I spent my time looking for random Chinese electronics and spare batteries, then ate an average pizza before returning back to Hong Kong. After more than two months, we finally abandoned overland travel for a flight to Japan - though we had considered taking a boat more than once.
Macau was surprisingly decent. The newest casinos looked remarkably similar to those found in Vegas, particularly the Wynn & Venetian. We had some great Portuguese influenced meals - and of course hot Portuguese egg tarts for breakfast. We stayed with a new friend named Patricia who went out of her way to show us the local culture. Hong Kong was the next stop - only an hour away via hydrofoil. We stayed in Kowloon, a choice I might not repeat the next time in the area. Hong Kong seems to me to be an excellent mix of East and West - not in the awkward way many Asian destinations seem to exemplify when their only expressions of the West are banana pancakes, ice cream shakes and television episodes of Friends tirelessly shown within the backpacker cafes. I'm always glad when my trips include a few days in HK.
We apparently missed China at this point - so we crossed back over the border to Shenzhen for one last gander. Dus rode on his train - or on a railroad owned by a company owned partially by him (though shortly after which he sold the stock)... I spent my time looking for random Chinese electronics and spare batteries, then ate an average pizza before returning back to Hong Kong. After more than two months, we finally abandoned overland travel for a flight to Japan - though we had considered taking a boat more than once.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Guangxi Province: Guilin, Yangshuo, Longsheng
About a day's train journey to the East from Yunnan, we encountered much warmer weather near Guilin. We arranged a funky little boat to carry us down the Li River from Guilin to Xingping, then hitched a ride on something similar to a golf cart to finally reach Yangshuo. We considered staying within the small city - but decided instead to head to the boonies to stay at a unique guesthouse called The Giggling Tree. It turned out to be a great decision as the next few days turned out quite spectacular - smack in the middle of picturesque karst mountains. We borrowed bikes and pedaled most of the day through rice fields, then hired bamboo rafts to float us back downriver to the guesthouse - one of my favorite experiences in China. Dus and I awoke one morning well before sunrise in order to hire a hot-air balloon to float us a few thousand feet above the valley below. I snapped off over 350 photos during the hour we were in the air.
Dustin's version of events:
one of the most beautiful landscapes we saw in china was in yangshuo. we rode down the li river on a bamboo boat between tall limestone pillars, overgrown with shrubbery. and we saw amazing views from a hot air balloon at sunrise. we even noticed some cracks in the floor of the balloon basket we were standing in; but it seemed to carry scott, myself, and the navigator just fine, 3651 feet above the ground.
another fabulous site was the rice terraced fields of longshen. crowds of chinese and foreigners visit this site to view the progressive phases in the cultivation of this staple food. stairs lead through a large village to the top of the hills where you can see rice growing for miles; green for another couple weeks. my favorite part of this village was the hot peppers drying under the sun in piles near the sidewalk. it felt like walking through a spicy paradise.
Dustin's version of events:
one of the most beautiful landscapes we saw in china was in yangshuo. we rode down the li river on a bamboo boat between tall limestone pillars, overgrown with shrubbery. and we saw amazing views from a hot air balloon at sunrise. we even noticed some cracks in the floor of the balloon basket we were standing in; but it seemed to carry scott, myself, and the navigator just fine, 3651 feet above the ground.
another fabulous site was the rice terraced fields of longshen. crowds of chinese and foreigners visit this site to view the progressive phases in the cultivation of this staple food. stairs lead through a large village to the top of the hills where you can see rice growing for miles; green for another couple weeks. my favorite part of this village was the hot peppers drying under the sun in piles near the sidewalk. it felt like walking through a spicy paradise.
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Yunnan Province: Kunming, Dali, Lijiang
Southwestern China was somewhat of a blur. We arrived into Kunming after an 18hr train ride stretched into over 30hrs. We were climbing the walls for the last half of the trip & spent enough time in the restaurant car to wear out our welcome. We later discovered that the train had been rerouted due to an earthquake on our original route. This whole side of the planet is always shaking it seems. Anyhow - Kunming was fine, spent a couple days wandering the city. Next was a chill (quite literally) little town called Dali. Having endured nearly two months of cooler than anticipated weather at that point, the time came to acquire warmer clothes. Even layering all the clothes we'd brought proved insufficient this time. Dus & I happened upon a nice tailor woman in Dali who outfitted us both with thick hemp/cotton pullovers. Haven't shivered since!
Snapped a bunch of photos at the Three Pagodas area and then continued to Lijiang. I think we expected to find something similar to the sleepy old town of Dali there, but were greeted by something closer to an Asian Venice... with drunken karaoke blaring from every street between the canals. Interesting areas - we hope to return for a better look someday.
Apart from train food, we've had some excellent meals in China. I've concocted a list of Chinese characters for common Asian greens; bok choi, morning glory, Chinese cabbage, celery - to which I refer when ordering at restaurants. They often spruce them up with an adequate amount of fresh or dried spicy red peppers.
Dustin's take on Yunnan Province:
a couple of quaint towns we visited were dali and lijiang. they're well known and heavily touristed because of their beauty, but it seems to work well with the locals. cobble stones along narrow streets, bridges over canals, and old towns with classic architecture. we ate a lot of western food, mostly because my stomach needed a break from the heavy oil of chinese food. i had never craved banana pancakes, burgers and pizza so much in my life. the rain in dali made the temperature drop to a typical autumn day in seattle, so we finally bought jackets, handmade from hemp by a native seamstress. and we realized that several destinations since our first stop in st petersburg had been about that cold. but we kept thinking each time it happened, it would be the last time.
Snapped a bunch of photos at the Three Pagodas area and then continued to Lijiang. I think we expected to find something similar to the sleepy old town of Dali there, but were greeted by something closer to an Asian Venice... with drunken karaoke blaring from every street between the canals. Interesting areas - we hope to return for a better look someday.
Apart from train food, we've had some excellent meals in China. I've concocted a list of Chinese characters for common Asian greens; bok choi, morning glory, Chinese cabbage, celery - to which I refer when ordering at restaurants. They often spruce them up with an adequate amount of fresh or dried spicy red peppers.
Dustin's take on Yunnan Province:
a couple of quaint towns we visited were dali and lijiang. they're well known and heavily touristed because of their beauty, but it seems to work well with the locals. cobble stones along narrow streets, bridges over canals, and old towns with classic architecture. we ate a lot of western food, mostly because my stomach needed a break from the heavy oil of chinese food. i had never craved banana pancakes, burgers and pizza so much in my life. the rain in dali made the temperature drop to a typical autumn day in seattle, so we finally bought jackets, handmade from hemp by a native seamstress. and we realized that several destinations since our first stop in st petersburg had been about that cold. but we kept thinking each time it happened, it would be the last time.
Monday, September 1, 2008
Chengdu, Sichuan Province
Having a bugger of a time ordering our food the way we want it on this train. We thought we had the Mandarin words for "spicy" & "extra spicy" down - even the name of the Sichuan numbing spice we had in Chengdu - but can't seem to communicate well enough to get a sufficiently spicy meal. What we do get is various meats swimming in oil, heavily accented with MSG. Edible, but not excellent. The trains themselves have been fine - though quite a range of comfort. Our first from Beijing to Xi'an was one of the nicest we'd ever been on. Getting tickets on Chinese trains can be quite difficult as spaces are sold out days before departure - and we're never much for planning ahead these days. So - our bunks are typically whatever we can find, often within inches of the ceiling on the impressively high third level. The train from Xi'an to Chengdu was still nice, but we opted for beds in the "soft-sleeper" wagon at a price of about $45US each.
We experienced a Sichuan HotPot - plenty spicy - though a very unique affect that literally numbs the mouth & lips as you eat it. It's like a buffet in that you can eat as much as you like - though most of the things they're offering are quite unfamiliar to Western stomachs. After selecting a plate full of items, you return to your table and plop everything into the boiling vat of chili oil and spices. After a few minutes you can fish out the recognizable parts and wash them down with some sweetened soy milk with dark tapioca pearls milling in the bottom of the cup. This drink was perhaps my favorite part of the meal.
Spent a morning at the Panda Conversation Base near Chengdu. They claim they have more pandas than anywhere else or something. Mostly a large zoo like place - but the bears looked happy... unless they just always look like that. Lots of bamboo.
We experienced a Sichuan HotPot - plenty spicy - though a very unique affect that literally numbs the mouth & lips as you eat it. It's like a buffet in that you can eat as much as you like - though most of the things they're offering are quite unfamiliar to Western stomachs. After selecting a plate full of items, you return to your table and plop everything into the boiling vat of chili oil and spices. After a few minutes you can fish out the recognizable parts and wash them down with some sweetened soy milk with dark tapioca pearls milling in the bottom of the cup. This drink was perhaps my favorite part of the meal.
Spent a morning at the Panda Conversation Base near Chengdu. They claim they have more pandas than anywhere else or something. Mostly a large zoo like place - but the bears looked happy... unless they just always look like that. Lots of bamboo.
Friday, August 29, 2008
Xi'an
Xi'an has an enormous wall encompassing the center of the city - wide enough to drive a bus on. Dus & I rented a tandem bike & took a lap around the top - which ended up being a suprising 14km/95min trip. They only allow the bikes to be gone for 100 minutes - which means a good pace must be maintained to avoid additional charges. Smart Chinese.
Found our best food yet in a tiny cafe/closet of a place. By pointing at other customers' selections we ended up with lots of fresh vegetables, stir-fried noodles and steamed dumplings - most of them heavily spiced with red chillies. We ate multiple meals there & had a few folks asking for the address after hearing our rantings. If only China had (decent) addresses, perhaps they would have found it!
We managed to cover the main sites of the Terracotta Warrior thingy in just 40min - then made it back just in time to miss our train. Refunding the tickets was an interesting (let's call it "worthwhile") experience. The official refund process returns only 80% of the face value as long as you manage to locate the appropriate refund window before the train leaves. The other option is to sell it to a scalper or someone else. Tickets seem to sell out days before a train leaves - so attempting to buy them at the station's office is often fruitless. However, if you ask around long enough, someone always seems to have a few spares they'll sell for about $6 above face value. Seems logical that they buy these tickets for every (popular) train & thus the black market is created.
Found our best food yet in a tiny cafe/closet of a place. By pointing at other customers' selections we ended up with lots of fresh vegetables, stir-fried noodles and steamed dumplings - most of them heavily spiced with red chillies. We ate multiple meals there & had a few folks asking for the address after hearing our rantings. If only China had (decent) addresses, perhaps they would have found it!
We managed to cover the main sites of the Terracotta Warrior thingy in just 40min - then made it back just in time to miss our train. Refunding the tickets was an interesting (let's call it "worthwhile") experience. The official refund process returns only 80% of the face value as long as you manage to locate the appropriate refund window before the train leaves. The other option is to sell it to a scalper or someone else. Tickets seem to sell out days before a train leaves - so attempting to buy them at the station's office is often fruitless. However, if you ask around long enough, someone always seems to have a few spares they'll sell for about $6 above face value. Seems logical that they buy these tickets for every (popular) train & thus the black market is created.
Monday, August 25, 2008
The Wall & Beijing
The Wall was Great. The sections we hiked were in good shape - lightly sprinkled with hagglers & only a handful of other tourists, who all seemed to be Olympic participators. Magnificent views - plenty of things to photograph. We started at Jinshanling and hiked about 4 hours to Simatai, then took a zip-line across a small gorge to a waiting boat at the bottom of the canyon. Weather was perfect - somewhat chilly at first and a brief dose of rain, just enough to create a nice mist for photos.
Beijing was also great - felt surprisingly similar to Japan, only much more room and much less delicious sushi. Olympic venues were incredible - though unclear why so many peoples' traditional homes needed to be demolished for such massive amounts of useless concrete slabs. There was over a kilometer of empty space between the entrance & the new Olympic stadium. Ulterior motives for clearing those prime areas of the city would not be a surprise. As seemed widely reported, tickets were sold out for every event - yet we found whole sections of the stadium virtually empty at the events we attended. The general atmosphere was noticeably positive and people were anxious to help us whenever we gave even a glance. We sped around the city on bikes without the traffic we anticipated. Would be interesting to know how much things changed in the preparations for the Olympics - and where things will go from here for the city.
Beijing was also great - felt surprisingly similar to Japan, only much more room and much less delicious sushi. Olympic venues were incredible - though unclear why so many peoples' traditional homes needed to be demolished for such massive amounts of useless concrete slabs. There was over a kilometer of empty space between the entrance & the new Olympic stadium. Ulterior motives for clearing those prime areas of the city would not be a surprise. As seemed widely reported, tickets were sold out for every event - yet we found whole sections of the stadium virtually empty at the events we attended. The general atmosphere was noticeably positive and people were anxious to help us whenever we gave even a glance. We sped around the city on bikes without the traffic we anticipated. Would be interesting to know how much things changed in the preparations for the Olympics - and where things will go from here for the city.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
the chinese know how to dance
getting into the stadium to see some athletics (track & field) was a challenge. we tried one night to get tickets by bargaining with scalpers but the prices were pretty steep. it seemed like the cost wouldn't drop until after the event was completely over. we found that borrowing a large "need a ticket" sign was the only way to get in for a good deal. we enjoyed watching all the events we remembered from childhood: javelin throw, pole vault, long jump, leg races and decathlon. from our third row seats we saw maurren maggi, the brasilian gold medalist, hug her coach after winning the long jump. we then squeezed further through security and made it to the front row behind the cameramen on the opposite side of the stadium for the award ceremony when an american won... something decathlon related. on the final day of the games scott obtained a single ticket for the handball final and watched france and iceland compete for the gold - a sport neither of us had seen before, then miraculously made it into the stadium on sunday for the closing ceremonies without an advance ticket. he watched the dancing and light show from the front row again. dustin admired the festivities via a big screen on a rooftop restaurant by the canals of the houhai district with friends from england and australia. only the chinese could pull off such a creative and elaborate show. thousands of fireworks were pumped into the sky throughout the city. as for the food, we've enjoyed fried noodles, dumplings with peanut sauce, bok choy, and morning glory. chinese food here is surprising similar to american chinese food. we're taking a route south through xian and chengdu, and looking forward to train travel through gorgeous landscapes. and dustin got his hair buzzed by a chinese barber.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Land of Milk and... Goats
August 8th, 2008
About the eclipse... it's a long story. We saw it. It was a memorable experience - just not quite like we had expected or planned. Experiencing a total eclipse for the second time was different as we already knew what to expect & could anticipate the eerie light for the minutes surrounding totality. The memories from the last event in Hungary in 1999 became quite clear for those moments. Still - it's an experience so unique, a quality of light so bizarre - quite difficult to adequately explain in words. We made a lot of new friends on the long way from St. Petersburg & met up with many of them again while in Novosibirsk. Stuck around the area for a few days after the eclipse, then continued on to Krasnoyarsk. There we found something much closer to the Russia I remember from a decade ago. People were plenty friendly and the city itself had a much less Western influence in terms of businesses and atmosphere. We spent a day clambering among the giant granite pillars of "Stolbi National Park." Visited various other sites in the area and spent a relaxing evening at a friend's "dacha" in the country. I want to build my own dacha - perhaps a Russian banya as well! Tonight we're heading further West via train - toward Lake Baikal. Trains seem to be fully booked - but we'll figure something out I'm sure.
August 13th, 2008
Spent a few days relaxing on Olkhon Island in the middle of Western Lake Baikal. The weather was less than warm - swimming was forced. Most memorable experience was the banya/Russian bath with some friends one evening. I don't think I've ever been subjected to such extreme heat and humidity. We planned various methods for circumnavigating the lake via train, hoping to snap some decent fotki - but no options panned out. So - something for next time. Baikal was great - I'd like to see more of it via motorbike I think. Next to Ulan Ude for a quick look - then hopefully get out of Russia before Dustin's visa expires.
August 15th, 2008
Mongolia. For the last few days we've been eating foods in Eastern Russia quite similar to those found here in Central Asia, but crossing the border into Mongolia we have experienced a drastic change in the language, culture and countryside around us. Folks are living in tents/gers/yurts - sparsely spread throughout vast valleys. I think I just saw one with a satellite dish....
August 18th, 2008
Returned from a great excursion into the Mongolian steppe - vast plains and rolling hills without trees. Dus and I spent a night with a local nomadic family and attempted to help with the chores - fetching water from a well, milking cows, etc... I've never eaten this much goat. Plenty of dairy products.
About the eclipse... it's a long story. We saw it. It was a memorable experience - just not quite like we had expected or planned. Experiencing a total eclipse for the second time was different as we already knew what to expect & could anticipate the eerie light for the minutes surrounding totality. The memories from the last event in Hungary in 1999 became quite clear for those moments. Still - it's an experience so unique, a quality of light so bizarre - quite difficult to adequately explain in words. We made a lot of new friends on the long way from St. Petersburg & met up with many of them again while in Novosibirsk. Stuck around the area for a few days after the eclipse, then continued on to Krasnoyarsk. There we found something much closer to the Russia I remember from a decade ago. People were plenty friendly and the city itself had a much less Western influence in terms of businesses and atmosphere. We spent a day clambering among the giant granite pillars of "Stolbi National Park." Visited various other sites in the area and spent a relaxing evening at a friend's "dacha" in the country. I want to build my own dacha - perhaps a Russian banya as well! Tonight we're heading further West via train - toward Lake Baikal. Trains seem to be fully booked - but we'll figure something out I'm sure.
August 13th, 2008
Spent a few days relaxing on Olkhon Island in the middle of Western Lake Baikal. The weather was less than warm - swimming was forced. Most memorable experience was the banya/Russian bath with some friends one evening. I don't think I've ever been subjected to such extreme heat and humidity. We planned various methods for circumnavigating the lake via train, hoping to snap some decent fotki - but no options panned out. So - something for next time. Baikal was great - I'd like to see more of it via motorbike I think. Next to Ulan Ude for a quick look - then hopefully get out of Russia before Dustin's visa expires.
August 15th, 2008
Mongolia. For the last few days we've been eating foods in Eastern Russia quite similar to those found here in Central Asia, but crossing the border into Mongolia we have experienced a drastic change in the language, culture and countryside around us. Folks are living in tents/gers/yurts - sparsely spread throughout vast valleys. I think I just saw one with a satellite dish....
August 18th, 2008
Returned from a great excursion into the Mongolian steppe - vast plains and rolling hills without trees. Dus and I spent a night with a local nomadic family and attempted to help with the chores - fetching water from a well, milking cows, etc... I've never eaten this much goat. Plenty of dairy products.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Pending updates...
We'll eventually add some stories for the actual eclipse - photos, etc... and for the days since then spent in Krasnoyarsk, Irkutsk, Lake Baikal, Olkhon Island, Ulan Ude and tomorrow's route into Mongolia. Until then - keep in mind that the latest incremental updates are available via twitter - click the link to the right -->
That's what we use when internet is not available. When phone service is not available - no updates are possible. So - assume we're in the boonies if you haven't heard anything. We'll likely be peacefully enjoying wherever we're at and accept that the lack of modern conveniences is part of the experience. I think Dus and I are plenty comfortable without running water by now - electricity feels like a real treat at times...
As has/will always be the case, my US (801) mobile phone is the one reliable source to contact us - though only via SMS/text message. If you haven't heard from us in a few weeks or so - a simple message to there would elicit an eventual response - of some sort. We both caught colds in the last day or so - we're going to sleep. ciao
That's what we use when internet is not available. When phone service is not available - no updates are possible. So - assume we're in the boonies if you haven't heard anything. We'll likely be peacefully enjoying wherever we're at and accept that the lack of modern conveniences is part of the experience. I think Dus and I are plenty comfortable without running water by now - electricity feels like a real treat at times...
As has/will always be the case, my US (801) mobile phone is the one reliable source to contact us - though only via SMS/text message. If you haven't heard from us in a few weeks or so - a simple message to there would elicit an eventual response - of some sort. We both caught colds in the last day or so - we're going to sleep. ciao
Monday, August 4, 2008
eclipse chasing
we found a great place for mint-jasmine tea, wifi, and the best pizza in russia so far, a cafe called il patio; it's russian-italian. the eclipse was spectacular, eerie, and well attended by many a foreigner. we were on the ob river, south of town, and we made it out there just in time. it's hard to describe how an eclipse feels and looks, but there will be one in wyoming in about 9 years. after the eclipse, our friends nastya and zhenya gave us a guided tour of the science research town and botanical gardens around akademgorodok. siberia is very unique and novosibirsk is a great city of rich museums, live music, fabulous food, and beautiful people. we've met a lot of fascinating folks traveling along similar routes toward beijing. we've kept in contact with a few of them and may meet again later on. at this point we finally have a general idea of where we'll travel over the next 2 months: southern siberia, mongolia, china, japan, and thailand. we'll work out the details as we go, which gives us more flexibility. one day at a time. tonight we’re headed to the train station where scott will work us into a platzcart spot on a train to kraznoyarsk with his russian lingo and a few rubles. poka for now
Thursday, July 31, 2008
New Siberia
Just finished brushing my teeth with "highly carbonated" seltzer water. Seems like a typical sort of thing to do in this part of the world. We left Yekaterinburg last night on the famous "Sibiryak" train bound for
Photos Here
Monday, July 28, 2008
New Ekaterinburg
Made it back to Ekaterinburg - just a bit more than 10 years after leaving. Having a hard time recognizing people and things - they don't match my memory at all. The kids I remember teaching English slang to now have kids of their own. We're staying in an apartment across from what used to be the only Western restaurant in town - we were so excited to see it open in 1997... The countless others that have sprouted nearby since then make it seem insignificant. New malls, hotels, roads - I'm glad I saw it while it was still Russian.
Continuing East from here - either overnight as far as Omsk, or all the way to Novosibirsk - depending on train tickets. Eclipse should be total from there. We'll meet up with some local astronomers to make sure we're properly prepared for the event. Taking a good amount of photos - just need to stick them online here... stay tuned.
Continuing East from here - either overnight as far as Omsk, or all the way to Novosibirsk - depending on train tickets. Eclipse should be total from there. We'll meet up with some local astronomers to make sure we're properly prepared for the event. Taking a good amount of photos - just need to stick them online here... stay tuned.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
moscow
i'm getting accustomed to a random sleeping pattern, depending on the day. now that we've been out a week, i feel like i was over jet lag a while ago, but the pattern of sleeping a little here and there has remained. up late, up early, catch some sleep on a couch or train, or a nap at the hostel. walk around the city at 3 am to find bottled water, pasta, and dark chocolate with cayenne spicy. we have tickets for a train to kazan tonight. clothes are drying on a rack at the hostel. i feel like fixing a bowl of museli before we go out.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Semi-plan
Landed in St. Petersburg in the evening, realized we hadn't even looked for a hotel. I somewhat enjoy traveling without a plan - but approaching an extreme of some sort perhaps. Haven't planned much better since - we wanted to make our way from St. Petersburg to Moscow last night but all the train tickets for Russia's most popular route were sold out long ago. Regardless, we headed to the train station in the evening and proceeded to inquire of the train conductors themselves about any extra spaces for "sale" - essentially bribing our way into beds on a night train. The first few attempts were unsuccessful - then one space available for about the price we would have paid had we booked in advance... then we were approached by a police officer of some sort - which turned out to be a good thing as he offered to sell us spots on the "#1 / Red Arrow" train on which he was working. We negotiated a price plenty below what the other forward-thinking passengers had paid - and proceeded to board. I think Dus enjoyed his first train experience. We'll have many more to come in the coming weeks.
From here we'll head East - Kazan, Ufa, Yekaterinburg, Omsk... looking to make it to Novosibirsk by the 1st of August for the eclipse, then continue on to Krasnoyarsk and Irkutsk before crossing into Mongolia and finally China before the end of the Olympics there. Trains all the way!
From here we'll head East - Kazan, Ufa, Yekaterinburg, Omsk... looking to make it to Novosibirsk by the 1st of August for the eclipse, then continue on to Krasnoyarsk and Irkutsk before crossing into Mongolia and finally China before the end of the Olympics there. Trains all the way!
Sunday, July 20, 2008
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