Postcards from Mutianyu

July 25, 2014July 25, 2014 / slightlyreworded / Leave a comment

The village of Mutianyu (慕田峪) is located about 80 kilometers northeast of Beijing. It sits at the foot of a restored section of the Great Wall and is a popular destination for international tourists and Beijingers seeking some fresh air.

Mutianyu is no longer just a sleepy village of farmers. The boom in tourism has brought lots of new development to the area. These buildings, located in a welcome area for visitors to the Great Wall, didn’t even exist when I visited a couple of years ago.

An old basketball goal outside a home in Mutianyu. Basketball is one of the most popular sports in China, and NBA stars like LeBron James and Kobe Bryant visit the country every year.

Postcards from Hangzhou

May 16, 2014 / slightlyreworded / Leave a comment

Xihu (West Lake) is the most popular tourist destination in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province.

A child poses with a Buddha statue on a busy commercial street in Hangzhou.

Xihu is a manmade lake that didn’t come into existence until the 8th century.

View of Xihu and downtown Hangzhou from Leifeng Pagoda.

Postcards from Guangxi

March 19, 2014March 19, 2014 / slightlyreworded / 2 Comments

A bridge in Guilin, capital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

A street performer in Guilin. The sign on the left says: "Don't eat cats and dogs. Don't eat friends." The other one says, "With global warming comes smog/haze. The country (government) should ban firecrackers."

A woman I passed on the way to my hostel in Guilin. The sign on the left says, “Don’t eat cats and dogs. Don’t eat friends.” The other one says, “With global warming comes smog/haze. The country (government) should ban firecrackers.” Fireworks are commonly used to celebrate Chinese New Year, but some people have called for a ban on them to curb air pollution.

In a cab, somewhere between Guilin and Yangshuo county.

Yangshuo county, one of the most popular tourist destinations in China.

Biking through an old town outside Yangshuo county.

Man on the Moon Hill

February 25, 2014May 26, 2014 / slightlyreworded / 6 Comments

To get a birds-eye view of Yangshuo’s picturesque scenery, I hiked up a hill a few miles south of the county’s bustling center.

Moon Hill.

The hill is known for its natural arch, and the Chinese call it Yueliang shan (月亮山), which literally translates into moon mountain. Sections of the 1,250-foot hike to the arch are steep, but the trail is paved with concrete steps. Continue reading →

Scenery unforgettable; the camera bag, not so much

February 11, 2014May 26, 2014 / slightlyreworded / 4 Comments

I’ve traveled enough that preparing for a trip has become routine. The night before I leave, I make sure essential items have already been packed. Plenty of clean underwear. Passport. Cellphone charger. ATM card. Digital SLR camera.

I sleep easier knowing that when I wake up the following morning, all I have to worry about is brushing my teeth (never optional) and showering (sometimes optional).

For Chinese New Year, I traveled to Yangshuo (阳朔), a county in southern China’s Guangxi (广西）Zhuang Autonomous Region. Because of its unique landscape, Guangxi is a place I’d been wanting to visit ever since I moved to China. The province’s karst peaks give it an otherworldly feel. Continue reading →

Postcards from 30,000 feet above the Rockies

October 27, 2013November 12, 2013 / slightlyreworded / 7 Comments

I took these photos during a flight from Santa Fe, New Mexico, to Denver, Colorado. The pilot said we’d experience a few bumps while traveling over the Rocky Mountains. “We’re going to have a near-death experience every five minutes” would have been more accurate. What a jerk. Continue reading →

Reunion road leads to Santa Fe

October 21, 2013October 23, 2013 / slightlyreworded / 12 Comments

During a recent trip home to the United States, I flew to Santa Fe, New Mexico, to visit my uncle Jim.

Jim and I became close after my father — his youngest brother — died when I was in fourth grade. Something about his presence helped fill the gap that Dad’s absence left. We’d horseplay in my front yard, and Jim, built like a defense lineman, would sling me to the ground using techniques he learned during tai chi classes.

Jim and I.

I hadn’t seen him since 2008, a couple of years before I moved to Beijing. The first few times I came home to Kentucky for my annual leave, we talked on the phone but I didn’t visit. I felt guilty, and so this year I decided to go West. Continue reading →

A walk in the clouds

June 24, 2013October 21, 2013 / slightlyreworded / 4 Comments

“It’s cold up there,” the young man in front of me said. “You should rent a coat.”

I was in line for the cable car at the bottom of Cangshan Mountain in Dali, Yunnan province. It was sunny and around 80 F, and I was wearing a long-sleeved T-shirt and shorts. How cold could it possibly be at the top of the mountain?

“I’ll be fine,” I said. Continue reading →

Fragrance of fitness vs. KFC’s 11 herbs and spices

May 15, 2013June 20, 2013 / slightlyreworded / 2 Comments

Over the weekend, I hiked to the top of a mountain at Fragrant Hills Park, an imperial garden in northwest Beijing. The park is well-known for its Smoke Tree leaves, which turn red in late autumn, attracting thousands of tourists.

I reached the peak – 557 meters above ground – in an hour and a half, and after I climbed the final set of stairs I turned around to take in a view of the city. Just as I pulled out my cellphone to take a picture, an old man using a walking stick passed me. He was hiking barefoot and shirtless, and moving at a brisk pace. He must have been at least 60 and was fit too, especially for his age.

The man who passed me at the top of the mountain.

I wouldn’t want to challenge this guy to a race.

While I stood in the shade to collect my breath and give my burning legs a rest, the man kept going, passing a large rock formation and an ancient temple, until I could no longer see him. Continue reading →

Walk on the wild side

May 14, 2013May 15, 2013 / slightlyreworded / 15 Comments

If you ever visit the Great Wall, go wild. As in wild, unrestored sections of the wall.

They’re a lot less likely to be crowded and reaching them can be an adventure in itself. Last May, a friend and I hired a driver to take us from downtown Beijing to Jiankou, a section of the wall on the outskirts of Beijing built in the 1300s.

Our driver didn’t speak much English, and my Chinese was pretty bad at the time. I knew we were going to be in for an adventure when our driver, who was already talking on one cell phone, took a call on a second and used his knees to steer the taxi through heavy traffic. Continue reading →