This sexy goat was found at Karakul Lake in Xinjiang Province in the far west of China, just north of the Pakistani border on the Karakorum Highway. We were certain that red strap had some practical function, but none of us had any idea what that might be. Let me rephrase that: we were really […]
Third-World Haircut
If you’re the kind of person who cares about their hair, you probably shouldn’t travel around Asia for a long enough period of time that you’d need to get it cut. Of course there are some excellent barbers in Asia who also speak good enough English to understand what you want, but it would be […]
Keeping Up With the Changs at Jiuzhaigou
Jiuzhaigou is a World Heritage Site and nature reserve on the edge of the Tibetan plateau in Northern Sichuan province in China. It takes its name, which means “Valley of Nine Villages” in English, from the nine Tibetan villages that are dotted along its length. It is arguably one of the most beautiful and scenic […]
Dunhuang – Playing in China’s Sandbox
China has several large deserts and numerous sand dunes, but when the average Chinese person wants to play in the sand, they go to Dunhuang. Located in northwestern Gansu province in western China, Dunhuang was a major stop at a crossroads of the ancient Silk Road. These days getting there from most major Chinese cities […]
Journey Into the Cloud – Visiting Downtown Chongqing
A few days ago I started writing a post about my two days in Chongqing. Somehow that post turned out longer than I had expected or wanted and I didn’t even get to my time in the city; toward the end of it I had only just settled into my room out in the distant suburb surrounding [read more…]
The Largest City You’ve Never Heard Of
Somewhere in Western China, an enormous yellowish-brown cloud of smog generally referred to as Chongqing clings to the steep hillsides at the confluence of the Yangtze and Jialing rivers. Hidden within are thousands of tall buildings and around 10 million people. As Chongqing is one of the fastest growing urban centers on earth (if not the fastest) that [read more…]
Bad English Sign for Fat Food in Shenzhen
If this bad English sign near the Shenzhen Railway Station at the Luohu border crossing with Hong Kong is any indication, it seems China finally passed some truth-in-advertising laws. Get info on Shenzhen here and China in general here.
Darlie (formerly Darkie): The Racist Toothpaste
The original Darkie toothpaste packaging on the left was changed to the current Darlie toothpaste on the right in 1985. I can’t imagine why they would change it, but I’m guessing the green just looks nicer. The Chinese name remains the same: “Black Person Toothpaste.” The Wikipedia page has a little more information on the Darlie brand, […]
How to Survive a Chinese Internet Cafe
Chinese internet cafes (called “Wang Ba” or “net bar”) are all pretty similar. When you first enter, you are greeted by a young kid behind a desk. Well, not so much greeted as completely ignored until you either leave or force the kid to deal with you. He will be playing World of Warcraft with […]
Bad English Sign at the Great Wall of China
This bad English sign of cable car rules at the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall of China near Beijing is pretty clear: change your underwear before visiting or risk breaking rule #6. You can read about my attempt at climbing the Mutianyu Great Wall of China. My Beijing guide has practical information for visiting […]