yogibarrington

Indonesia: Relaxing in Bali

We left Shanghai and headed for Indonesia; first stop Bali. Bali is an island in Indonesia and also one of Indonesia’s 38 provinces. It is the only Hindu-majority province in the majority Muslim country. Indonesia is, in fact, the country with the largest Muslim population in the entire world (though most don’t live on Bali).ContinueContinue reading “Indonesia: Relaxing in Bali”

Bonus China Post: Nothing but Food and Coffee

While the burial mounds post was going to be my last on our travels in China, I decided I had way too many delicious food pics (most Chinese food, some not) that I haven’t posted not to share. I will do my best to remember what exactly the dish was and where we had it,ContinueContinue reading “Bonus China Post: Nothing but Food and Coffee”

Chinese Burial Mounds

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 assumedContinueContinue reading “Chinese Burial Mounds”

China: Night Markets!

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 nightContinueContinue reading “China: Night Markets!”

You’re Going to Get Some Stares, Panda Girl

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,ContinueContinue reading “You’re Going to Get Some Stares, Panda Girl”

You’re Going to Get Coughed on…Probably Because of all the Cigarette Smoking

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 seenContinueContinue reading “You’re Going to Get Coughed on…Probably Because of all the Cigarette Smoking”

You Might Get a Headache, and Other Dietary Considerations when Traveling in China

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 ChinaContinueContinue reading “You Might Get a Headache, and Other Dietary Considerations when Traveling in China”

Travel Inconveniences in Southern China. Part 1: You’re going to Pee on Your Shoes

As lucky as I feel to be able to travel for an extended period of time, it’s not always easy and it certainly is not glamorous. There are frustrations and inconveniences along the way. There are cultural differences that take some getting used to. To me, these inconveniences are 100% worth the reward of adventureContinueContinue reading “Travel Inconveniences in Southern China. Part 1: You’re going to Pee on Your Shoes”

Guangzhou Fo’ Sho Part 2

We explored a lot of Gunagzhou in the five days we were there, as each day we saw a different area. The best part was that they were so different, it was hard to believe they were parts of the same, huge city. Our busiest day was our second full day there. We had aContinueContinue reading “Guangzhou Fo’ Sho Part 2”

Guangzhou Fo’ Sho

Our first stop in mainland China was Guangzhou, China’s 3rd largest city, home to 18 million people. The three-hour train ride from Hong Kong was pretty uneventful. Getting through immigration and customs wasn’t too difficult but was time consuming, taking about an hour and half and required various forms and apps and showing our passportsContinueContinue reading “Guangzhou Fo’ Sho”