One thing I love about Chinese cities are the parks where the masses gather in the evenings to socialize and exercise collectively. In my last entry, I mentioned a place called People’s Park. I know parks exist in many other countries but I don’t think I have seen many which are filled with people on a…
Author: KK
Bestay Hotel
After a 3.5 hr flight from Xi’an, I arrived at Urumqi airport and had to find my way to my hotel. There were no hostels in Urumqi, only business hotels of which I found the cheapest one that accommodated foreigners (of which there weren’t many), a $15/night spot called “Bestay Hotel”, which I assume was…
The New Frontier – Xinjiang
Up until now, my 2018 trip has taken me to relatively “normal” places to travel for most people. But when I set out on my journey this year, I had my sights set on visiting one particular region in the world; the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. What fascinates me about Xinjiang? In short, the Uyghur people and…
The Great Mosque of Xi’an
In a country whose ruling party officially adopts atheism (and whose party members cannot practice religion) but whose constitution states that its citizens “enjoy freedom of religious belief”, religion is a complex and sensitive topic in China. Currently, the predominant religions in China are Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, and Christianity and before the Chinese Communist Party…
World’s Most Dangerous Hike?
I am not sure when I actually decided to do the Huashan Plank Walk. I had read about “The Most Dangerous Hike In The World” some time ago and the pictures in those articles always made it look scary. (There are even videos of people committing suicide by unlatching their safety harnesses and jumping to…
Pingyao
If anyone wants a glimpse into something that might look like ancient China, they don’t have to go very far from Beijing; the town of Pingyao is only a 4 hour fast train ride away. Within the walls of Pingyao’s old town, the well-preserved Ming and Qing dynasty architecture take a person back centuries to…
Tour de Yangshuo
Sitting on dirt in the middle of a construction site, dust swirling around me from cars driving by, sweat soaking my shirt, my throat parched, my quads cramping from dehydration and exhaustion, I wondered if I would make it back to my hostel. I read that cycling or riding a scooter around Yangshuo were great…
Dance Dance Evolution!
When I was growing up in Malaysia, I used to see groups of old(er) people gathered in local parks to do “Tai Chi“, a slow, graceful martial art that is meant to represent Zen, Yin-and-Yang, and being one with nature. But primarily, it was exercise. (I later learned that people who’re proficient in Tai Chi…
Chinese Food
China seems to get a bad rep when it comes to food. Those I’ve spoken to in the past who’ve had food in China usually use the same word; bland. The internet has also posted videos of Chinese people “salvaging” used cooking oil in drains, aptly called “gutter oil“. There are news articles which show crocodiles…
Mission #1 in China: Get a data sim card
Traveling with a smartphone has been a revelation. I remember back in 2010 when I first got to Ireland, I didn’t even have a guidebook. (This was quickly rectified once I learned about Lonely Planet from a fellow traveler.) Back in 2014, I still traveled with only a guidebook and a camera. This year, I…