Sand dunes and street food in distant Dunhuang
DAY 79 – How to visit the Gobi Desert for free and keep insulin cool while you're climbing among the huge dunes. This is Dunhuang, a distant but remarkable place. [keep reading]
Through the desert to Dunhuang with special permission
DAY 75 – With an Aliens' Travel Permit we took a bus through high desert from Golmud to Dunhuang, China, a trip that featured camels, snow, and (eventually) peeing. [keep reading]
Golmud, dusty crossroads on the edge of nothing
DAY 74 – We spent a few days in Golmud, a town in the middle of the Tibetan Plateau where we secured permission to continue through the rugged desert. How fun! [keep reading]
Xining, the high and dry fulcrum of central China
DAY 72 – Xining is an ancient crossroads on the Silk Road in central China, a high, arid city that acts as a gateway to the rowdy west: it readjusts your focus. [keep reading]
I left my jaw in Chongqing’s hotpot
DAY 68 – Chongqing, a humongous urban area in central China, gave us the opportunity to rest up after the Yangtze River cruise. And, we ate food spicy enough to sear holes in the Earth's crust. [keep reading]
Three nights on the smoggy, majestic Yangtze River
DAY 64 – How we became the only English-speaking non-Chinese tourists on a three-day cruise up the famed Yangtze, which is as beautiful as its reputation. [keep reading]
Eight days in a backpacker’s oasis in Wuhan, China
DAY 53 – A stay at a hostel on a wooded lot in Wuhan, China gave us the opportunity to rest up, book a Yangtze cruise, and engage in some fierce music wars. [keep reading]
Overnight stay in Zhuzhou, a town I can’t remember
DAY 51 – Funny how some places you visit leave no impression on you whatsoever, like ghost towns of your memory. Zhuzhou, China was like that for me. [keep reading]
Tea leaves and local families in Taxiacun
DAY 49 – An extra day in tiny Taxiacun, China let us explore the town and even get a surprise invitation to a local family's house, where they gave us tea cake. [keep reading]
Fujian tulou houses and the perfect kindness of strangers
DAY 47 – After a bus ride to the famous tulou in China we found no facilities at all, and fell in with a group of Taiwanese cyclists who took us under their wing. [keep reading]
Gulangyu, a Chinese community like no other
DAY 46 – Quiet and relaxed Gulangyu is a peculiar island in south China that feels a lot more European than Asian. It's easy to forget time on "Piano Island". [keep reading]
Shaoxing and the mysterious yin-yang of travel
DAY 36 – There is a "yin-yang" aspect to travel: you see some things and you miss others. Shaoxing, China showed us that that is how it should be on the road. [keep reading]
Lose yourself on “Old Street” in ancient Tunxi
DAY 31 – Most people pass through Tunxi, China because they're on their way elsewhere. But here's what you find if you stick around and explore Tunxi instead. [keep reading]
Struggling up China’s sacred Huangshan mountains
DAY 26 – Striking out on your own as we did on the Huangshan Mountains in China is much more rewarding than the comfort and stability of package tours. [keep reading]
The secret misty mountain town of Tangkou, China
DAY 24 – Tangkou, China is an obscure mountain town that feels like it was made just for you. Travel should mostly be remarkable destinations such as this. [keep reading]
Laundry service plus vomit: The tale of Hefei
DAY 14 – Hefei is a growing Chinese city that still feels old. We managed to find laundry service on a rural back street and I overcame a spell of throwing up. [keep reading]