Steamy

Steamy, a photo by Generik11 on Flickr.

Something a little different. This was taken in Hong Kong in 2004 with my old point & shoot. I've always liked this shot, but only had the b&w version posted to my Flickr site. Yesterday I decided to put this one up there as well.

Travel Thursday: Summer Palace, Beijing

Long time no China pictures. Here's one.

Travel Thursday: Yangshuo, China

I know I've posted a series of pictures from Yangshuo here before, but these weren't in that set. Both of these shots were taken just across the street from the hotel where we stayed. If I hadn't said it before, allow me to opine that Yangshuo was by far my favorite spot of all the cities we visited in China.

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Travel Thursday: Chengdu Koi Pond

Just one today because I'm busy. But I think it's a pretty good one.

Travel Thursday: Shanghai

Mrs. G and I spent about five days in Shanghai after our initial landing in Beijing. We were all on our own, having no one to translate or show us around (our guide in Beijing, Chris, did not travel with us, and we did not meet up with my brother until we got to Chengdu). Nevertheless, we found the city surprisingly easy to negotiate, the people very friendly and the food better than we'd had in Beijing. We took subway trains and taxi cabs and walked all over, and never felt lost or uncomfortable.

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Travel Thursday: The Giant Buddha at Leishan, China

In a small town called Leishan in Sichuan Province, at the confluence of three rivers, the world's largest seated Buddha is carved into the side of a mountain at the edge of the rivers. There is a large complex of buildings there (including the Giant Buddha Post Office), most of which are filled with various smaller Buddhas and Arhats, leading to the zigzag path down one side of the mountain and back up the other that visitors travel to view the enormous sculpture. Along the stone path are intricate carvings in the red rock of the mountainside. The day we were there it was misty and wet, and a lot of the pictures I took have rain spots in them. One of them also features my brother.

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Travel Thursday: Signs of China

A nightclub in Hong Kong. A new club tomorrow? So what is it today?

One of the many fascinating things in China is the proliferation of signs, neon and otherwise, in English that instruct, amuse or otherwise confuse visitors. Here is just a small sampling from various spots in that amazing country.

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Yuyuan Gardens, Shanghai.



A clothing store in Chengdu.



Hong Kong neon.



A mountain climbing outfit in Yangshuo.



Restaurant in Shanghai.



Menu in Yangshuo.



Store in Chengdu.



Another nightclub in Hong Kong. I'm not sure what goes on there.

Travel Thursday: Summer Palace, Beijing

On our first full day in China, our guide took us to the Summer Palace, a complex of buildings alongside a huge lake. This is where the emperor would go in the summer to try to beat the heat in Beijing. The pollution in that city is unbelievably bad, which resulted in most all the pictures we took there looking somewhat hazy.

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Travel Thursday: Yangshuo, China

Yangshuo is a resort area in southern China, near the larger and better-known town of Guilin, famous for its abrupt limestone and dolomite topography (called "karst") and cormorant fishing on the Lijiang River. For many years, the area was mainly for vacationing Chinese nationals, but more recently it has become very popular with Westerners attracted to the beautiful scenery, the climbing and spelunking and other activities that Yangshuo and its environs offer.

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Sally purchases a garland of flowers from a local entrepreneur along the Jade Dragon River.



Bamboo rafts are the way to travel down the gentle Jade Dragon River.



A cormorant fisherman on the Lijiang River. Check out some video of the ancient practice on YouTube.



Dramatic hills cast dramatic reflections.



Besides tourism and fishing, much of the area is used for growing rice.



Fish heads and other goodies are available on West Street, the main shopping drag in Yangshuo. There is quite the nightlife on West Street, with lots of cafes, restaurants, shops and bars open fairly late. And though you can find cuisine from all over the world there -- pizza, burritos, sushi, you name it -- we saw no McDonalds or KFCs or Pizza Huts, which we considered a very good thing.



These are the officially-sanctioned tour boats, and visitors -- especially Westerners -- are forbidden by law from taking river tours on unlicensed boats...



...However, Sam, who was our guide, chauffeur and hotel-procurer in Yangshuo, arranged for us to take a private river tour on a much smaller boat. When some of the local authorities appeared in a boat of their own, we had to get inside the cabin and duck down below the windows, lest the owners get fined for giving an unauthorized tour.



This little pavilion, where you could sit and drink tea and watch the river, was just outside the front door of our hotel. I wish I was there right now.

Travel Thursday: Hong Kong

Hong Kong skyline reflected in the Royal Pacific Hotel, Kowloon.