When you went to the zoo as a kid, which animals were you most excited to see? Monkeys? Lions? How about dogs? Or a pig? If you visit the small zoo attached to the Guanlan Mountain & Lake Garden Farm in Shenzhen, China, you won't find the first two, but you'll find plenty of dogs, cats, pigeons, pigs and other similarly exotic animals. And their sad eyes will bore … [Read more...]
The Flooded Streets of Shenzhen
It rains a lot in southern China. Most of that rain falls during the monsoon season from April to September. This can be a little annoying if you’re traveling around China during the summer and you enjoy doing anything other than sitting in your hotel room. It can also wreak havoc on transportation in rural areas. When the downpours get heavy enough, they can bring … [Read more...]
Annoying Trekker Abuses Friendly Guesthouse Owner
When you travel, you meet a lot of annoying people, but one tops them all: the person who won't stop bragging about how little they've been spending. Now, the bragging itself is annoying, no question, but the way these people go about saving money is far worse. An example could explain this better than I. As luck would have it, I ran into the perfect example at the Tilicho Base … [Read more...]
Transportation Problems in India: Why Can’t I Leave Goa?
The Indian province of Goa has over 70 kilometers of beautiful beaches and excellent cheap food. That combination kept me in my beach hut two weeks longer than planned. India's transportation network kept me there another two weeks. Flying in and out of Goa seems relatively simple, but leaving by land proved exceedingly difficult. When I finally decided to leave and head … [Read more...]
Trekking On Our Day Off From Trekking in Manang
The next morning we ate a leisurely breakfast, content in the knowledge that we didn't have to set out on a day of hiking. We were taking the day off to help us adjust to the altitude. OK, so we were already completely adjusted thanks to our slow pace and our having taken a day off for 'altitude acclimatization' in each of our last two stops. But no one needs to know that. … [Read more...]