Master Chefs, Chiang Mai, Thailand

Today was a wonderful day... we didn't stop eating! The reason being: we'd decided to do a thai cookery course and each time we finished a dish we would sit and eat it! The day started with a trip to the local produce market with our cute little wicker baskets (double click for photos), looking at all sorts of rice, noodles and veggies - some very different to what we have. So, we cooked about 10 dishes between the two of us, including green chicken curry and basil chicken (our two favourites), finishing off with yummy fried bananas. Mmmm...Heaven!! We didn't think we could eat anymore, but somehow we heroically made it through! The cooking school was a real treat because Martin and I both like to cook and haven't cooked in months! One other wonderful feature of the course was that after we'd finished, as if by magic all the dishes would disappear and we didn't have to even touch the washing up! Now that was wonderful: as some of you know, I detest doing dishes! * Mush

Hanging off the back of a Song-thaew, Chiang Mai, Thailand

Along with Jules and her mum, Pat, we headed out for some sightseeing of the old city. Chiang Mai is pretty cool - fairly big, but definitely doesn't feel like it. It's cosy in places and the old city is surrounded by crumbled walls and a moat. We checked out Wat Phra Singh - a Wat or temple close to where were are staying in the old town with some cool ruins and elephants built into the side of the central monument. We then got a Song-thaew - a covered pick-up truck- and Martin and I had fun hanging off the back of it. We went to see Doi Suthep - 306 steps up to another stunning Wat set in the hills overlooking town. We loved the gold covered monuments and took a ton of photos! Our day should have ended with a trip to Chiang Mai's famous night bazaar, but we never got there. We were too distracted by all the great stalls and shopping to be had beside the outdoor food court where we'd eaten many plates of tasty Thai cuisine!!! * Mush

Jules and Patricia at Doi Suthep, Chiang Mai, Thailand

We are now back in Thailand for two months. After a short stopover in Bangkok to see friends Nina and Scott, we headed up North to Chiang Mai by overnight coach. Not a super-great experience this time: the drivers were horrible, playing music all night and driving the bus really jerkily so as to keep us awake. Martin then developed a migraine that lasted well into the next day. To top it all off, we arrived to find that our bags, which had been in the luggage compartment of the bus, had been packed differently to how we'd left them - which meant that someone had rummaged through them! We have heard stories of valuables going missing on long bus journeys from travelers. Thankfully, nothing was missing as we never leave anything of value for them to take!

We were meant to be rendezvous-ing with Martin's Australian friend Jules (who he met on his last travels) and her mum, Pat who were on holiday themselves. After they were stranded in Koh Samui for 4 extra days due to heavy rains, they found us by chance playing catch-up madly typing away in an internet cafe. After a first class dinner and lack of sleep from our overnight journey, we collapsed on our extremely comfortable (not!), rock-hard bed ! *Mush

Jumbo Floating Restaurant, Aberdeen, Hong Kong

Hong Kong island is not only the financial heart of Hong Kong, but it has many beaches and fishing towns on its south side. We took a hair-raising local bus over the summit to the other side of the island and explored the street markets of Stanley. At Aberdeen we saw its famous floating Sampan villages and the impressive Jumbo floating restaurants composed of three very elaborate boats linked together - all with different styles of restaurants onboard.

Unfortunately, we didn't have time to stop and enjoy its stylish rooftop bar as we had decided to splash out and see the latest Cirque du Soleil which was in town - Quidam. It was, of course, very impressive, though the costumes weren't as elaborate as usual, but it was still a great preformance with some amaaazing acrobatics. They are SO strong. Even the clowns are super strong and their acts were very well done and extremely funny. *Mush

Back in Hong Kong on Cheung Chau Island

We really enjoyed our two months in China, but we were feeling like we needed a break and that it was time to leave. We will be coming back again in the New Year to do some more major tourist attractions in the south and southwest, and maybe Tibet and Nepal.

We made our way South by means of a 26 hr train to Guangzhuo (Canton), and then across the border into Hong Kong where we spent a couple of days before heading back to Bangkok. We decided on a day trip to Cheung Chau - one of the 250+ islands of Hong Kong. It was a great day and we loved the activity around the harbour - fisherman busy repairing nets, the harbourside cafes full of tourists enjoying the delicious local catch, and shops selling lots of dried anything! The chinese love dried food - anything from seafood to animal intestines, to herbs and veggies will do. We even saw tons of shrimp, squid and all sorts of fish drying in the baking sun beside the harbour wall.

After a busy day exploring (including a spot of retail therapy as I ended up buying my first Chinese hat! - double click the photo for more pics), we thought we deserved some well-earned refreshment and caught up with a new friend, Alison, who we'd met in China at the Longji rice terraces. It was our first time seeing the nightlife of Wan Chai and Lan Kwai Fong - two of the trendy areas of Hong Kong which, of course, we had to check out! * Mush

West Lake, Hangzhuo, Jiangsu Province, China

We spent a few of days in the lively resort of Hangzhuo (pronounced Hung jo). Hangzhou felt different to other places we'd been to in China. Whereas most of the major cities are big and fairly modern, Hangzhuo felt like an upmarket destination catering for wealthy chinese tourists. Although the city has about 6 million people, it didn't feel that large and had a 'cosy' atmosphere. Its top attraction is the huge, natural lake that it sits on. We rented bikes and cycled the 7 miles around it. It was very busy, but beautifully landscaped and we explored the cool Six Harmonies Pagoda with beautiful gardens and miniature models of other pagodas and stupas from all around China.

One day we walked near the Ferrari garage (for Martin) and encountered a water fountain show going on. It was really cool with lots of coloured lights focused on the fountains and all dancing to loud (of course!) music. We also discovered lots of classy and expensive restaurants way out of our league! It didn't take us long though, to discover a little cheapie with nice people... and great sizzling beef! Also, as we strolled around the markets we found some delicous street food with pork and sweet potato in really cute little bamboo steamers . *Mush

Zhouzhuang Main Canal, Jiangsu Province, China

Two hours west of Shanghai is the little 900-year old water town of Zhouzhuang (pronounced Jo Juang) - a mini Venice of China. It was a pleasant day exploring the small alleyways, cobbled streets, shops and residences of the rich merchants with stunning furniture and decor. We had a good lunch of traditional dumplings with a table overlooking the main canal. Then it was off on a short boat trip with some other tourists we had met on the bus to see a view of the interesting little town from a different perspective. Some of the boat guides would sing traditional songs as they rowed. The boat ride ended at one of the many museums, and from here we also visited some temples and gardens of the area. There were some great shops there, quite tourist-oriented, but we also managed to see some of the more genuine chinese way of living. A small note, we ended up spending an extra day in Shanghai, as we were supposed to do this trip the previous day, only to end up at the bus station missing a wallet as "someone, who will remain nameless" left it in the room and we had to go back for it, missing our bus!!! Luckily, time is something we are not short of!!! *Stub

Shanghai Urban Planning Museum, Shanghai, China

During our 4 days in Shanghai, we visited the Urban Planning Museum. A good, informative place with the highlight being this full scale model of the city almost taking up the entire floor - quite impressive. We also took a walk along the Bund, the famous embankment along the Huangpu River, which literally means muddy embankment. Here are all the really expensive hotels and restaurants. In addition to this, we spent about 3 hours up the Oriental Pearl Tower to watch sunset and the lights come on from 350 m (1100 ft) up in the air. Shanghai is very modern, with tons of skycrapers all flashing with lights!
A trip from new to old, or almost old as we went to the old town. Apparently, it has been renovated to look like the old town, with pointy roofs, and bridges over water and gardens. We waited in a long line for the city's best jiaozi (pronuonced 'jow za'), little meat dumplings dipped in vinegar, and they were worth the wait.
While I am talking about food, we feel like we are cheating a little when I say we gobbled up plenty of Western style food whilst in Shanghai. But, after so much Chinese style noodles and dumplings, a big, juicy hamburger is a welcome treat. It is just not that easy to find. I justify this by saying that, if I was back home, I wouldn't eat burgers and steaks every night!! *Stub

Shanghai, China

Another overnight sleeper, this time to the east coast metropolis of Shanghai. We met up with friends Paul and Tracy (Canadians we met in Yangshuo) who live nearby - 4 hours away! Shanghai feels very westernised and is a huge, very modern city with about 14 million people! Thanks to Paul, though, who knew the city well, we saw interesting and diverse parts of it. We walked around the old French Concession area, then visited the fake market with lots of brand-named goods, the antique market (my favourite), and the bird market with the unusual but very popular feature of 'cricket fighting' going on. Very strange! Next, we walked Fangbang street - full of character ... and characters cooking and doing their washing outside in the street - probably more pleasant than the interior of their homes. Then it was off for a rooftop drink at The Captain's Bar, with views over the Bund and the Huang Pu river to watch the impressive dancing lights on the Pearl Tower and the highrises of Pudong. The district of Pudong was built in 1990 on a mud bank where the high rises are effectively built on floating concrete! Kind of scarey! Finally, it was off for some mexican food at Zapatas - our first since we left Portland, and it was delicious! *Mush

Confucius Burial Mound, Qufu, Shandong, China

About an hour away by bus from the foot of Tai Shan is the birth and resting place of Confucius. The Confucius Temple was interesting as we discovered the place where Confucius himself professed his teachings and wisdom in the various courtyards filled with gnarly knotted pine trees. Other courtyards had a vast number of large upright slabs of stone (steles) with impressive ancient chinese texts engraved upon them. Then on to his family mansion where later generations became treated like royalty - The Kongs. Finally, we walked on to the Confucius Forest to visit his tomb - a 2000 year old burial mound amongst all his descendants (you can see the grass mound behind me in the picture). There are apparently over 200000 trees in the forest, all planted one each by his followers. Inspite of all the chinese tour groups it was surprisingly peaceful and we even managed an uninterrupted game of backgammon, while we waited for privacy at his resting place. *Mush

18 Bends, Tai Shan, Shandong Province, China

Mount Tai, or Tai Shan, is the most revered of the five sacred Taoist mountains of China, and we decided we would check it out. We parted from Joy and Earl, only to endure one of those really fun, energy-draining travel days on 5-6 buses taking about 14 hours from start to finish! Next day we climbed the mountain. The well made, well trodden path was 4-5 miles long with 4,700ft of ascent and with 6,660 steps all the way to the top! It must have taken an army to build them. Making it a little more pleasant though, was the fact that there weren't too many people climbing, apart from a few little old ladies skipping along beside us trying to sell us their wares - lucky trinkets and very useful statues of Confucius! The climb was surprisingly okay, and it wasn't until the very last steps that we were ready to be 'beamed up' to the top.

We explored the village at the summit a little. The working monastery on the top was quite different from ones we'd seen before: the monks had lots of hair in a bun on their head and a chopstick going through it! We found a classy place to stay overnight with minimal heating and no hotwater, so that we could get up and watch sunrise. Unfortunately, we shared the experience with the other hundreds of chinese tourists who took the early cable car! As much as we have really enjoyed the chinese people when we make a connection with them, they have a few habits that our culture would find hard to tolerate, namely, making as much noise as possible at all times, hacking and spitting, and throwing litter everywhere. As a result, sunrise wasn't very peaceful, or for that matter, very sacred! * Mush

Our special Bar, Pingyao, Shanxi Province, China

Because we felt we had left our little town of Pingyao in a hurry, we decided to go back, taking along our new friends Joy and Earl. We spent a great couple of days continuing to explore town, renting bikes up on the city wall and cycling the 4 mile perimeter enjoying great views looking down over the courtyards and rooftops. Later, we toured around stopping for stuffed steamed dumplings on the street, and to meet more of the local people. There were some familiar faces amongst them, including our firecracker guy who instantly recognised us. We were also warmly welcomed back to our favourite street bar (pictured here) just outside the city wall. From here we could sit back and admire some of the good-looking local characters (check out our photo album for some portraits!), and also have a laugh with all our friendly vendors, including my favourite one (who you can see sitting facing us almost hidden in the far background on the right hand side). I thought he was a real sweetie and I think I made his day when I bought something off his stall for about 20p (50cents)! * Mush

Tayuan Temple, Wutai Shan, Shanxi Province, China

As it happens when traveling, we did a spur of the moment trip up to Wutai Shan. As we were paying for our bill in Pingyao, we met a French family and friends who were renting a van and driver to take them up to Wutai Shan, one of the 5 sacred mountains in China. They invited us to join them, so we quickly packed and hopped in the van.
Marc, Celine and their daughter Juliette live in Beijing and had friends Sylvie and Fabien visiting. We enjoyed spending time with the whole group of them, and Mush made a good connection with little Juliette, posing for silly photos along the way. The journey was a bonus to us because we visited some interesting temples and wealthy Chinese family courtyards and mansions along the way. Arriving in cold Wutai Shan at night, we had some trouble finding a decent hotel, but it all worked out in the end - at a price.
The little town of Taihuai was nothing special except for the infinite amount of temples and monasteries. The most noteworthy was the Tayuan Si which was home to this huge, white stupa - basically the symbol of the area. Loads of monks chanting in the temples, and just walking around town, made for an interesting feel for the area. We toured many of the temples, interacted as we could with the locals, and met some new Canadian friends Earl and Joy from Fenlon Falls. We would spend about 5 days with them, with plenty of laughs, traveling back to Pingyao in the process. *Stub

Fire Crackers, Pingyao, Shanxi Province, China

A 10 hour train ride from Beijing, landed us in Pingyao at 5:30 AM. It was cold, the coldest we have had on the trip so far. From the train station, we took a motorcycle taxi through the city wall and into the old city. Pingyao has a complete old city wall dating from the Ming or Qing or Something Dynasty, and it is all intact. It measures just over 6 km around. We met a Canadian guy named Kevin (pictured on steps), and the 3 of us rented some classy bikes to tour around the town. My bike was named "Forever" and had a leopard skin seat (Flickr for pics)!
First stop on the ride, the local school. We were mobbed by the kids and I think we disrupted the classes a little. After a couple more km's on the sweet rides, we found these old guys. They keenly spotted the fire crackers in Kevin's basket and their faces gleamed with delight. We let them at it, and this is the result. A couple of kids they turned out to be. It was so hilarious, we bought more and found the same guys later on in the day. They blew them up on the main street, only to have a shopkeeper come out and give us grief, wanting us to clean up the mess. I guess we did start it though!
The rest of the day we spent in the small alleys, just interacting with all the people we saw. It brings them great joy it seems to have us just say "hello" to them. There were some fantastic characters, and the children were a delight to play with. An excellent experience in Pingyao. *Stub