Trekking Tiger Leaping Gorge, Day 2
Our second day hiking on this amazing mountain path in southwestern China offers fair weather, fantastic views and an escape from the crowds.
Trekking Tiger Leaping Gorge, Day 1
Tiger Leaping Gorge is often considered quite simply THE BEST trek in China, and for good reason: it’s an amazing place. Day one leads us through lush hillside and small villages.
Exploring Lijiang Old Town
We head to Old Town Lijiang. Surrounded by lush green hills and sheer jade peaks, this incredibly enchanting and well preserved mountain town (and UNESCO world heritage site) is a must visit.
Xian and the Terracotta Warriors
Despite Xi’an being a virtually unrecognizable shadow of its former glorious self, it is nonetheless a modern and very agreeable city, not to mention host to a very old and famous subterranean army.
Pingyao Ancient City
Pingyao is a world in itself, frozen in time somewhere in the middle of the last two Dynasties. If we had to choose one place in China to spend almost a week of our trip, we certainly could have done a lot worse.
The Wild Wall – Great Wall of China (Without the Crowds)
Most visitors to the Wall visit the Bādálǐng stretch near Beijing, but we opt to venture a bit further afield, visiting an all but deserted portion higher up in the mountains between Jīnshānlǐng and Sīmǎtái.
Beijing
Beijing turned out to be a great place to lay low for a few days, and turns out our timing was perfect. 10 days after our departure the entire city was submerged by massive widespread flooding.
Climbing Mount Tai (Taishan), Day 2
Sunrise as viewed from the summit of Taishan is the undisputed main event atop the mountain, even if you never actually see the sun through the “haze.”
Climbing Mount Tai (Taishan), Day 1
We knew two things about Taishan before our climb: The process of climbing the mountain involves ascending over 6,600 individual stair steps, and Taishan is very, very popular with Chinese.
Four Train Stations (and One Big Mistake)
A traveler’s nightmare — racing to catch the last train out of town with only minutes to spare, only to discover you’ve made a horrifying error.
Classical Gardens Of Suzhou
Suzhou has long been known for its incredible classical gardens. This post covers three of the best: The huge Humble Administrator’s Garden, the old Master of the Nets garden, and the ancient Panmen complex.
Suzhou Old Town’s Ancient Canals by Night
Stepping out in the evening onto Pingjiang Road after an excruciatingly hot summer day is magical — the entire length of the ancient canal towpath comes alive with townspeople, tourists and merchants of all kinds.
Suzhou By Day
We arrived in Suzhou hoping to beat the July heat, but to no avail. The good news is that Old Town Suzhou seems made for slow strolling with plenty of cool shops, tea houses and cafes when the heat becomes too much.
Shanghai: Nanjing Road & Pudong by Night
More from Shanghai, including Nanjing Road (by day and by night), People’s Park (revisited), French Concession, the Bund and Pudong by night, and Hailun street food.
Shanghai Old City
Yu Yuan Garden, coupled with a meander around Shanghai’s Old City, made for a perfect morning excursion before the afternoon heat (and crowds) set in.
Shanghai: The Bund & People’s Square
We flew into Shanghai from the U.S. and spent four nights in this strange and wonderful place. Shanghai, perhaps more than any other place in the country, epitomizes the mind-bogglingly rapid rise of modern China.
Arrival In China
Both maddeningly beautiful, and apocalyptic and terrifying (how?), the Chinese landscape screams by our bullet train window at 150mph. After months of preparation, the big trip has finally begun. First stop, China!
Our Six Month Asia Honeymoon Backpacking Adventure
On June 23rd we got married, and six days later we were in Shanghai, China beginning a six month backpacking trip around Asia. Guided by a loose itinerary we also plan to visit India, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam.
Malealea Lodge & Pony Trekking in Lesotho
A visit to one of my favorite places, Malealea, Lesotho, covering the lodge, pony trekking and private sector partnerships.
Defining Wealth In Swaziland
Our Capstone team travels to Swaziland to research new ways of measuring wealth for Pact, International.
Shela – The Other Side of Lamu
Just around the island, yet a world away, lay Lamu Old Town’s upscale, ex-pat enclave neighbor, Shela. Shela town is also home to Lamu Island’s beaches–Coincidence? Me thinks not.
The Old Swahili Isle Of Lamu
There are only two ways to get to Lamu Town: take a boat or swim. It’s magical, it’s mysterious and it’s endangered. Here’s what to expect.
Island Oasis on Lake Bunyonyi
Beautiful Lake Bunyonyi serves as the final stop in a whirlwind 48-day journey around Uganda.
Hiking Sipi Falls
Pausing to climb out from under report-writing in Mbale, my research partner and I take a weekend trip to Sipi Falls — a real-life picture post card of the Garden of Eden — and bring back some unexpected souvenirs…
Northern Uganda: Gulu
If you like real and surreal together, then by golly, Gulu is the place for you. It’s dusty and proud and friendly, but not overly so. It’s also two distinct towns on a collision course.
Into the Wild: Kampala to Gulu by Bus
After 10 days spent in Kampala, we were itching to finally set out into the field to begin our interviews in earnest. Our journey takes from the capital city over the Nile and on to Gulu.
Day Trip to Munyonyo Beach on Lake Victoria
We left town for the lakeside village of Munyonyo, stopping at Cassia Lodge (proclaimed the best view in Kampala). A momentous occasion because it was our first trip out of the capital–and–Alexandra’s first-ever ride in a matatu.
Kampala’s Sacred Places
Our first Saturday in Uganda was spent walking around Old Kampala, viewing the mammoth “Gadhafi” Mosque perched on top of Kampala Hill, and taking a private hire taxi out to the Baha’i Mother Temple of Africa.
First Week In Uganda
We spend our first ten days in the the capital city, meeting contacts, getting a feel for Kampala, and preparing for the six weeks of field research ahead.
Arrival In Kampala
26 days after learning that I would be spending the summer in Uganda, our Ethiopian Airlines 767 touched down in Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) for a layover en route to Entebbe (Uganda).
The Uganda Assignment
This summer I find myself in Uganda, of all places, traveling around the country looking for answers.
Driving Puerto Rico’s Northwest Coast
Rounding out our week in Puerto Rico, we take a drive along the backroads of Northwest Puerto Rico, stopping off to take in famous surf beaches and the coastal cuisine.
Hiking the Northern Slope of El Yunque National Forest
Day #5 started on the island of Vieques and ended in a friend’s townhouse in Vega Baja. On our way back west on Highway 3 from Fajardo, we stopped to take in the North Slope of El Yunque National Forest.
Beach Hopping on Puerto Rico’s Stunning Isla Vieques
On the fourth day of our Puerto Rico island adventure, we head to the even smaller island of Vieques for some beach hoppin’ and an important engagement…
Hiking the Southern Slope of El Yunque National Forest
We take to the road, driving first to Luquillo Beach for lunch at the famed food kiosks before heading down the eastern coast and to the south side of the tropical rain forest of El Yunque.
Colorful Old San Juan
Leaving Isla Verde early to explore San Juan’s historic and charming Old Town, before hitting the road and heading on to El Yunque National Park.
Arrival In Puerto Rico
We left DC for some much needed R&R away from work and grad school–and found it in Puerto Rico! First in a series of six posts, “Arrival” covers our itinerary and first evening.
Discovering Quito’s Historic Guápulo Village
One of our final items of business in Quito was to explore the neighborhood of Guapulo, not exactly an easy feet on foot from Old Town, but undoubtedly worth it.
Quito’s Mitad del Mundo (Equator Monument)
For some unfathomable reason, the Equator is an endless source of fascination for those of us who grew up in the northern (or southern) latitudes. We set out to discover what all the hype is about.
The President and the Panecillo in Quito
Today, we’re continuing our tour of Old Town, with a trip up to Quito’s famous (and infamous) Panecillo, but not before running into the President of Ecuador, himself.
Exploring Quito’s Neo-Gothic Basílica del Voto Nacional
The largest Neo-Gothic basilica in the Western Hemisphere, Quito’s gigantic Basílica del Voto Nacional (Basilica of the National Vow) is also definitely the coolest church I’ve ever set foot in.
Celebrating Quito’s Independence Day in Old Town
Unraveling the mysteries around us on a an important national holiday celebrated with gusto in Old Town Quito, Ecuador.
Otavalo Market: Visiting the Largest Market in Ecuador
We overshot Quito, Ecuador by two hours to catch one of the largest and most famous markets in all of South America — Otavalo Market.
Hiking Around the Rim of Lake Quilotoa
Twenty minutes into hiking around the rim of Ecuador’s Lake Quilotoa, we knew we had drastically underestimated the day’s undertaking.
Quilotoa Village
Hiking the rim around the 12,800-foot high Quilotoa “crater lake” was high on our list of must-do adventures in Ecuador, but we soon discovered that half the adventure was simply getting there.
Baños Waterfall Route: An Unforgettable Day Trip
A ridiculously fun day trip exploring the amazing Waterfall Route (Ruta de las Cascadas) of Baños, Ecuador by a unique mode of transport. When in Baños…
Baños: Seeing the Sights, Hiking the Hills
Sprawled out over a small, mile-high valley in the Andes, the supremely picturesque town of Baños, Ecuador lies in the shadow of an active volcano and is the gateway to the jungle.
Riobamba and the Search for the Devil’s Nose
Stopping over in a surprisingly impressive city with the hope of unlocking the secret to one of the world’s most infamous railways, La Nariz Del Diablo (The Devil’s Nose).