Now you have seen from my pictures that the northwest region of China has some shocking beauty. A stark, desert beauty of rainbow mountains with no vegetation, or towering sand dunes in all directions. But what you haven’t seen a lot of is trees and lush forests. That’s because Xinjiang
The Dangers in Xinjiang
As I was preparing to go to Xinjiang I heard one warning again and again from my Chinese friends. “Be careful, it’s dangerous out there.” My answer? “I’m not worried. It’s not me they hate.” You see, Xinjiang people are very different from Chinese people. Perhaps you’ve noticed from my
The Food of Xinjiang (Don’t Read if You’re Hungry)
I think now would be the time to tackle one of the best parts of my trip: the food. One of the things I love about food in China is it is fresh. Every dish has lots and lots of veggies and every spare patch of ground houses a small
The Sunburn Chronicles: Turpan, the Second Lowest Point on Earth
Given my very public aversion to heat you think I’d avoid going to the hottest spot in China. A place that is the second lowest point on earth (after the Dead Sea) and below sea level. Just my luck, in the days leading up to my stop, they had a
Big Ass Buddahs!
You live in asia for awhile you see a lot of temples. And in these temples you see a lot of Buddhas. When you live in China, a country that believes bigger is better, you are bound to see not only Buddha’s but some of the biggest Buddha’s in all the
The Sunburn Chronicles: How I Used my Sweet and Innocent Face to Sneak into the Magao Caves
So remember when I said traveling in this region was tough? Well, I had the most difficulty in Dunhuang, China. Going to the desert was easy, my hostel was right next door and I just walked. But the other exciting part of town is the Magao Grotto. It is one
The Sunburn Chronicles: Back in the Gobi Desert
Years ago, I took a trip to Inner Mongolia. We went to the grasslands and also took a long car ride to a spot of the Gobi Desert in the northeast section, where you could sled down a dune and ride camels. Well, I ended up back in the Gobi,
The Breathtaking Danxia Rainbow Rocks of Zhangye
I’m human, and even though I get annoyed at “listicles” I can’t help but click on any list called “25 Truly Amazing Places You Must Visit Before you Die,” or “27 Surreal Places to Visit Before you Die!” On almost all those lists is the Danxia Rainbow Rocks of Zhangye.
Spelunking in Mati Temple
I’ve seen a lot of amazing temples in my time in China. One of the most amazing was the Hanging Monastery in Datong, China. It’s built on the side of a sheer cliff face, and is holding up thanks to a few beams and walkways. But the Hanging Monastery has
Back from Xinjiang and Gansu!
I’m back! And what a month I’ve had. I know I always say that each holiday is “the BEST ever!!” but this time I mean it. I walked in deserts, I climbed lush mountains that reminded me of the Swiss Alps, I saw snow covered peaks while I was sweltering