We saw many Chinese burial mounds during our two months in China, the first of which were in Kunming. We’d gotten a bit off the beaten path (well, there actually was a path, to be fair) and found ourselves descending Biji Mountain down a winding trail through the woods (Phil writes more here). We assumedContinue reading “Chinese Burial Mounds”

One of my favorite things about traveling through China was going to the night markets. The night markets are usually just a street, or dedicated area (kind of like a farmer’s market) with tons of food stalls. On occasion you may find a vendor selling non-food items, but food made up 99% of the nightContinue reading “China: Night Markets!”

In the locations we have visited in South and Southwest China, it is obvious that they do not see many western tourists. We get a lot of stares. I get most of the stares. Probably because from the back, or profile, Phil blends in with the other, dark haired fellows. I don’t blend in. Also,Continue reading “You’re Going to Get Some Stares, Panda Girl”

For the third installment of travel inconveniences in China, let’s talk coughing. We have encountered a lot of what I call “free coughing” in China; people just coughing, willy nilly, into the air, without covering their mouths. This can be anyone, at any age, but the primary offenders are older people. While we have seenContinue reading “You’re Going to Get Coughed on…Probably Because of all the Cigarette Smoking”

Eating Chinese food everyday has been an adjustment for our system. We haven’t had any G.I. upset, but the food has high levels of sodium, MSG, and soy. It also tends to have a lot of oil in it and is often spicy. Phil and I have had a lot headaches since being in ChinaContinue reading “You Might Get a Headache, and Other Dietary Considerations when Traveling in China”