Adventure of the month

February 2008 The scene: Around 20 of us are taking part in an escorted tour through China. In the span of seven days, we are whisked through Beijing, Xian and Shanghai. It is very much a checklist tour. Great Wall: check. Terracotta Warriors: check. Endless shopping stops: checkity check check. For the most part, we are subjecting ourselves to this style of travel because of the unbeatably low price. While lamenting this rushed presentation, a philosopher amongst us says something along the lines of:' Let's look at this as a highlights tour. There is no way we are going to appreciate anything in depth so let's see this as a way of figuring out where we want to spend more time when we come back.' This made a lot of sense to me and became the mindset I used to stop myself from flattening the tires on our tour bus. Fast forward to May 2017 Almost a decade later, I am finally back in China. It is an even shorter stay, two days in Beijing, but at least it is a chanc...

Soong Ching Ling's home A pyromaniac's dream Teas, teas, teas View from the Drum Tower Temple of Heaven Michael leading the way By the fourth day, we were finally ready to venture out on our own. We had the morning to ourselves and my guide book had a suggested walking tour of the Hutongs , so a plan was set. The Hutongs , as they are known, are the small alleys and lanes leading to a jumble of simple homes which used to proliferate most of Beijing. But sadly, progress always has a price and in the story of Beijing, it is the hutongs that have paid the most dearly. Swath by large swath, they are being eradicated to make way for high rises and Olympic stadiums. The area near the Drum Tower, which is where we went, has become quite popular with tourists looking for a glimpse into the days of Old Beijing, so it appears to be safe from imminent destruction, although, it may now face a similarly disappointing fate. On one of the main intersections, there no...

Crappy picture of the very cool Bird' Nest Stadium taken through a bus window. Even crappier picture of the even cooler Water Cube Arena The Juyong Pass portion of the Great Wall of China Sign declaring that all who walk on the wall become Chinese heroes. One of the protectors on the Sacred Way. Some are less threatening than others.. By the third day, I was feeling decidedly better, which is fortunate, because the day's group outing included a visit to one of the newly named seven world wonders (my 4th of the list). We were heading to The Wall, the famous one that gets all the press, the one you can allegedly see from outer space (only, you really can't)...the fricking Great Wall of China. To get there, we had to drive about 37 miles outside of Beijing, passing two of the landmark stadiums being built for this year's Olympics along the way. We saw them without the benefit of any lighting, landscaping or final flourishes that are sure to come a...

Outside the walls of the Forbidden City Entering into the Emperor's private domain Fun with shadows The Forbidden City's "lucky" tree Anyone know where I could buy a panda? One of the Beijing Zoo's most popular residents looking a little worse for wear. "There! You got your picture. Can I please go back to sleep now?" Sensible advice considering there is a napping panda on the other side of this railing . Guarding the Summer Palace Upon our arrival in Beijing, Michael, our super-duper stellar guide, presented us with a list of optional tours which we could join, in addition to the handful which were included in our package. Being the independent traveller that I profess to be, I refused to check off even one. "No optional tours for us" I informed Michael. I had my guide book, had printed plenty of pages off of the internet and could tackle all of the activities covered in the tours at my own pace, on my ow...