After exploring the villages of Zhonglu and Suopo, it was time for lunch. If you remember, our driver felt we should have stopped for lunch much sooner and was none too pleased when 10 am rolled around and we still hadn't eaten, but he was in a much better mood now that we were finally asking him to take us back to Danba for some food. Once there, we chose a Tibetan … [Read more...]
Exploring the Tibetan Villages of Zhonglu and Suopo
Last week, I wrote about our first afternoon and evening in Danba, which we spent getting a hotel room, arranging a car and driver for the next morning, eating an average meal, and buying fresh fruit and a giant bag of peanuts to supplement that meal. I created quite a little mountain of empty peanut shells before going to bed that night, but barely managed to put a dent in my … [Read more...]
Danba in Western Sichuan: A Tibetan City I was Actually Allowed to Visit
I generally enjoy traveling in China, but I've met a lot of people who completely disagree with me and I certainly understand why. Moving around the country is rarely easy on often downright torturous. During my most recent two-month visit, I dealt with all the standard government interference and transportation problems, plus an added bonus. In the small town of Danba in … [Read more...]
Oh What a Fun Shenzhen Visa Run!
Chinese visa policy changes on a seemingly weekly basis, but one aspect that remains constant is the frustration—frustration with the bureaucracy, frustration with the inefficiency, but mostly frustration that a country as large as China only allows visitors to stay long enough to see about one percent of it. I felt that frustration again on my most recent trip to the … [Read more...]
Hanging off the Side of Mandalay’s Crowded Public Transport
You'll find a lot of options for getting around in Myanmar, but only the most expensive offer any comfort. Most are crowded at best, like the pickup truck above on the streets of Mandalay, and downright painful at worst. I was stupid lucky enough to try just about all of them during my time in Myanmar and you can read about all the fun I had in the series of posts detailing my … [Read more...]