Sadly, all three of those books could not have prepared me nearly as well as Josh Summer’s Turpan: Exploring Xinjiang’s Ancient Ruins.  It should be obvious by the title that his FREE (for now) eBook would not be much help anywhere else in Xinjiang beside Turpan.  Nevertheless it is a great resource I so wish I had way back when I was there.

Frankly, I was a bit disappointed on my trip to Turpan and, while I disagree somewhat on Josh’s opinion on visit-worthy sites, I know his eBook would have been a great help in the enjoyment of my visit.

First off, I’ll never admit that the Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves is worth visiting.  That’s probably the biggest disagreement I have with Josh.  Other than that it’s simply a matter of preference.  I definitely agree that you should not pay any money whatsoever to view the Flaming Mountain.  Just drive right by it, snap a picture, and buy a postcard.  Much more effective.

I also completely agree that the Astana Tombs are a waste of time.  I didn’t go to the Turpan Museum but if they have the mummies there then that’s good enough.

One more thing that I’ve never seen advertised and only inadvertently discovered: at the Turpan Hotel they do have some dorm rooms at a negotiable rate.  I paid 50 RMB a night, while a group of people paid 40 RMB each for three-person rooms.  The accommodations were not good by any stretch of the imagination, but I wasn’t about to complain considering I was paying one-third to one-fourth the regular price.

All said, I think Josh’s eBook is a fantastic resource and I really do wish I had it before my trip.  His attention to history (which is paramount in Turpan) alone puts his book a cut above the rest of other guide books.  And I would know, I read three of them.

Far West China is a great website that I have been an avid reader of for a long time, so I hope you all give Josh, his website, and his eBook the attention they all deserve.

Related posts:

1. My Last Stop in Xinjiang: Turpan
2. Yet Another Lake in Xinjiang

And how many months has it been since I was actually in Xinjiang?  It’s almost embarrassing that I’ve allowed so much time to pass before actually getting around to writing about the place.  I was there in the beginning of October and now it’s March.  Not good.

The final leg of my trip in Xinjiang was a stop in Turpan.  The city is at an elevation of 98 feet above sea level and is known for very cold winters and very hot summers.  While I was there it was easily in the 70s.

Turpan is known for its large production of high quality fruit.  This is a result of the combination of the hot, dry summers and a vast, ancient irrigation network.  And let me tell you, the fruit I ate there was really delicious.

If you want to visit all of the major sites around Turpan, you need to rent a car for the day.  These sites are scattered all about and it’s just too far to go on your own.  I was approached by a man putting a minibus tour together and I signed up with him.

Our first stop was at some culture museum.  I did not go in.  I was on a tight budget after splurging to get to Karakul Lake and the place’s big attraction was a spring.  I’ve been to places like this and I could tell from a glance that it would be a big waste of time.

The driver, a nice Uyghur man, asked me, “Are you going in?”

“No, I don’t think it is interesting.”

“You’re right, it’s not.  I don’t know why Chinese like this place.”

“Me neither.”

As it turned out my highlight of the day, despite all of the places we visited, was hanging out with the driver chatting.  It was fun practicing my Chinese and he was a very nice man.  I feel lucky I had this driver to talk to because most of the tourist attractions are not worth visiting.  They are a big waste of time.

After the cultural museum we drove past the Flaming Mountain (we didn’t stop and neither should you, buy a postcard if you must) and stopped at the Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves. I think it should be renamed the 10 Buddha Caves. There’s nothing there. Almost all of the carvings and murals have been destroyed. I was in and out in 20 minutes, about half as long as it took to get there. A waste of time.

We also stopped at a burial ground where only three tombs were open.  Another 20 minutes wasted.  And we stopped at a place where a lot of grapes are grown.  Yawn.

Another stop was at Gaochang, one of the two ancient cities outside of Turpan. If you’re really into the ancient history and historical sites, it can be worth your while. I am into that stuff so I thought it was pretty neat. Unfortunately there is not much left of the city. There are plenty of mounds of what used to be buildings and some walls like in the picture above. And there is a large temple at the back that is impressive.  Other than that, not much to see.

Jiaohe is definitely the star attraction in Turpan.  This ancient city is mostly still standing.  Granted that ‘mostly’ is just the walls, but you can clearly see the delineation between different buildings.  Situated on a large plateau, the city provides for hours of wandering.  It was a surreal experience and reminded me very much of wandering through Pompeii.  So if you’re into that, you’ll love Jiahe.

Jiaohe was the last stop for the day, so we arrived a little late (around 5 or 6 PM I think).  Right in that “golden hour” for photography.  Although it meant I didn’t have nearly as much time as I would have liked to wander and explore before it got dark, I did come away with plenty of amazing photographs.

I think it’s pretty hard not to take a great photo when presented with this maze of ancient buildings kissed by the setting sun.  In that hour before the sun finally went down, the place was just beautiful.

So that’s it for Turpan. My advice? Visit Jiaohe and skip everything else. It’s really not worth the expense and the time. Take that extra time and relax, eat fruit, drink beer, and enjoy the warm weather.

Related posts:

1. Traveling to Xinjiang? Read This Book!
2. Yet Another Lake in Xinjiang
3. Kasghar: Uyghur Culture Meets Chinese Development

Let me first say that Lijiang if boring.  Like, really boring.  At least for me.  Lijiang is famous for it’s old city district, a UNESCO World Heritage site.  It is a nice place and there is definitely a certain charm about it.  The architecture, the winding cobble-stone alleys, and the small streams quietly burbbling away give the impression of a time in China when a place like this was simple and peaceful.

Unfortunately, a lot has changed since that time.  Lijiang’s old town is a much different place.  It has been completely invaded by people looking to take advantage of the glut of tourists that regularly visit.  This place seems like an endless maze of guest houses, restaurants, bars, and shops.  If you like shopping, eating and drinking, and absolutely nothing else, then the old town is the place for you.  At the moment I am incredibly bored.  There’s nothing to do!

It’s uncharacteristic of me to be spending an entire day relaxing while traveling because I am pretty gung-ho about getting out and seeing the sites, as it were.  I always try to make sure I have something to do or some place to go to during my days precisely so that I don’t find myself sitting around in a hostel doing nothing.  But given my recent rash of travel fatigue, I’m trying to take things a bit slower.  I’m trying to take a little more time to enjoy some R&R and the beautiful weather down here in South China.  It’s hard to believe it’s January; I’m only wearing a t-shirt and jeans as I write this.

I think this day of rest is especially important for me because over the past two days I had an awesome and exhausting experience.  I hiked Tiger Leaping Gorge, one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen.  It was just so incredible alking along the deepest gorge in the world.  Everything about it was amazing.  Words alone fail to describe what I experienced for two days; unfortunately you will have to wait until I return to Xi’an to see some pictures.

The hiking was pretty harrowing.  7 hours the first day going straight up the side of the gorge and 8 hours the next day coming down the other side.  My ankle is pretty badly swollen right now and my entire leg hates me.  Hopefully today will ease some of the pain and I can recharge my batteries for when I head further South to Dali.

Traveling as I am right now is kind of a liberating experience.  I have no set plan, I have no itinerary, I have no return plane ticket.  I will simply keep traveling until I don’t feel like it anymore, and then return to Xi’an.  It’s great to be able to say “I have no idea” when people ask me what my plans are.  I’m just going to go where inspiration takes me and stay for as long or short a time as I feel like it.  The world is my oyster, as the saying goes.

Last week I had read a long string of New Year’s resolution posts, and decided that the world has seen enough.  Despite that, I found myself writting up a post detailing my goals for 2010.  Not resolutions, mind you, real, achievable, measurable goals.  In my opinion resolutions are for people who like the idea of change but aren’t really willing or committed to putting in the effort.  I have goals for 2010 and I will achieve them.  Or die trying.

I was planning on uploading the unfinished piece so that I could work on it while on the road.  But unfortunately I forgot in my rush to pack and get out the door.  A piece of advice: whenyou have to leave for the airport at 8 AM don’t stay up until 1 AM drinking with friends without having packed a bag or done the mess of dirty dishes in your kitchen sink.

That’s all for now.  There won’t be any photos for a while but given myslower pace of travel I should have plenty of time to write. Until next time, when I will (probably) be writing to you from the back-packer haven of Dali.

Related posts:

1. Back in Xi’an Once Again

Unfortunately, Urumqi is much like any other cookie-cutter city in China. It has very little character; it has no soul. What uniqueness it does get is from the resident Uyghur population. In my opinion, the Uyghur culture present in Urumqi is the only reason to actually visit this city. Otherwise it seems lifeless and boring without much to hold one’s attention.

My reason for stopping in Urumqi was for something far outside the city. About 110 km outside, in fact. That reason was Heavenly Lake.  At an elevation of 2000 m, the lake covers an area of 4.9 km².  It is, simply put, an amazing sight to behold.

The weather was much better during my visit to Heavenly Lake than my stay at Karakul. I would have to say that Heavenly Lake is much more beautiful. However it is also much more touristy. It is a large tourist draw for the region and the government has built up the area a lot (an $100 million project) to accommodate the people.

This resulted, for me at least, in a much more inauthentic, plastic experience. In comparison, my night at Karakul Lake was exhilarating. We were way up in the mountains, completely isolated and so far from civilization.  It was amazing. While Heavenly Lake is incredibly beautiful, the overall experience paled in comparison.

A lot of the information and guidebooks that I’ve read bill Heavenly Lake as the place to spend a night in a yurt.  I say screw that.  Obviously I don’t know what it’s like there, but judging from the kitschy feel of all the other tourist crap I assume you would have an infinitely better experience staying up on Karakul Lake.  That’s just me, though.

There are a few other tourist attractions around the lake, like this small temple going up the side of the mountain. I believe it is called the Temple of Maternal Grace, but I can’t remember for sure. From the main tourist area it’s about 1 km walking around the edge of the lake. Of course, they don’t tell you until you’ve walked all the way there and climbed half-way up the mountain that you have to pay an extra 20 RMB to visit the temple. A very common, very annoying trick to bleed tourists for money in China.

There’s not much to look at in the temple; it’s much like any other one I’ve seen in China (but I’m not going to get into that again). However, one bonus is a great view of the lake from high up on the mountain.

Well, there’s not much else I can say. In summary: Heavenly Lake is gorgeous but it is chock full of tourists (I was there during the off-season and there was still a ton of people). It really is an amazing sight, though, and I’m very glad I made the trip out. If you only have one day to spend in Urumqi, as I did, I strongly suggest you use that day to visit this lake.  Oh yeah, and don’t waste your time visiting any of the other “tourist sites” in the area.

Related posts:

1. A Night on Karakul Lake in a Yurt
2. My Last Stop in Xinjiang: Turpan
3. A Few Days On the Lake

While I was in Luoyang I visited three important sites: Longmen grottoes, Guanlin Temple, and White Horse Temple.  Originally I was planning on staying longer and making a day trip out to Song Shan to see Shaolin Temple.  In the end I decided to skip that part and head home early.

Why did I decide to do that?  Why did I decide that seeing the birth place of kung fu (actually, it’s gong fu, but that’s not important) just wasn’t worth the three hour round-trip travel time?  Because I’ve been hit with travel fatigue.

What is travel fatigue, exactly?  Brook Silva-Braga puts it succinctly in his backpacking documentary, A Map for Saturday:

You just get to a point where doing all those same things that have been so fun for so long aren’t fun anymore.

One of the travelers he interviews in the movie expresses exactly how I’m feeling right now:

You go off to see these waterfalls and mountain ranges and gorges and it’s just spectacular.  But when you see so many waterfalls, you just go, ‘Oh yeah, it’s another waterfall.  It’s another mountain range.  Yeah, it’s another beautiful landscape.’

Over this past year I have been traveling all over China.  I’ve seen so many incredible things and had so many new, exciting experiences.  But something hit me while I was wandering around White Horse Temple.  I am sick and tired of busting my ass running all over China to see the same thing over and over again.

Namely, the temples.  I’ve seen so many temples in China and they look almost exactly the same.  Different location, but same damn buildings.  Same damn statues.  Same funky little trees, and incense holders, and prayer halls.  The repetition and sameness is maddening.  Sometimes I look back at the pictures from these places and it’s hard for me to remember which temple they’re actually from!

White Horse Temple is the first Buddhist temple ever built in China.  I was expecting something unique and grand and mind-blowing.  I was sorely disappointed.  It looked exactly like every other temple I’ve seen in China.  And I’m fed up with it.

To give you an idea of what I’m talking about, here’s a list of all the temples (as far as I can remember) that I’ve been to in China:

• At the Summer Palace, Beijing
• Qingyang Temple, Chengdu
• In Seven Star Park, Guilin
• In Qingling Park, Guiyang
• Lingyin Temple and 2 others, Hangzhou
• White Horse Temple, Luoyang
• Guanlin Temple, Luoyang
• Confucius Temple, Nanjing
• Jade Buddha Temple, Shanghai
• Fuxi Temple, Tianshui
• Daxingshan Temple, Xi’an
• Da Ci’en Temple, Xi’an
• Temple at Heavenly Lake, Xinjiang

Fortunately there are not many more temples on my list, so it won’t be too hard to avoid them in my remaining time here.  But the feeling was such a unique experience for me.  I love traveling and couldn’t imagine doing something more fun and fulfilling.  But at that moment I was tired of it.  I wanted to go home and sit in my living room with my computer and do absolutely nothing all day.

It seems like no matter what you do, eventually travel fatigue will hit you.  So how do you deal with it?  In my case, I’m not a full-time traveler so I can easily take a break from my weekend trips to recharge my batteries.  There’s no problem there.

But what about the long-term travelers?  The ones who are out there for months, even years, at a time?  Boris Glumpler at Travel Junkie gives a few interesting suggestions on how to fight travel fatigue:

Find something to do. Get yourself a job. This will structure your life even more.

Don’t be hasty. Take as much time as you need. Only once you’re ready to head back out into the wild again, do so!

Don’t close yourself off and keep an open mind. Sometimes, even if you don’t feel like it initially, you can have a great time by just saying yes, when asked by fellow travellers [sic] to come out for a drink or two or go see a temple or something.

As my time here in China comes to an end, I look at the list of places I still want to go and it seems so long.  Part of me is not excited for that.  Part of me is not looking forward to all the traveling I plan on doing in January.  Because you know what?  Traveling is work.  Sometimes it’s really hard work.

But I’m not going to let that stop me.  I’m determined to see as much of China as possible with what little time I have left.  I do look forward to when classes end and I can travel a little bit more slowly.  Making short weekend trips, as I have done, can take its toll.  It will be nice to have a change of pace. I’ll be able to take my time and not push myself too hard.

The month of January will hopefully see me do plenty of traveling.  I just hope that I don’t burn out in the process and become travel fatigued all over again.

Related posts:

1. Have Cool, Will Travel

For reasons I can’t remember, I had decided that Karakul Lake was the main reason why I came all the way out to Kashgar.  Leaving without seeing this famous lake would be a big defeat in my book.  And I just can’t have that, now can I?

It was surprisingly easy to arrange for a travel permit and a guide through my hostel.  For anyone thinking of visiting Kashgar, I strongly suggest staying at Kashgar Old City Hostel.  It’s an awesome, laid-back place with a very nice staff whom all speak very good English.  To top it all off, the hostel is right on the edge of the Old City.  Or at least what’s left of it, anyway.

I ended up forking over 600 RMB for my permits and guide.  And another 50 RMB for my stay in the yurt.  Obviously if I could have waited around for some other travelers to join up with it would have been much cheaper.  But I was on a tight schedule and was determined to make sure I got to Karakul no matter what.

I’m serious about never going back to Kashgar.  So what’s 650 RMB for a once in a life time opportunity?  Money well spent, if you ask me.

The 5 star accommodations of the night. There are five of these cement yurts sitting in a row. Each yurt is about 15 feet in diameter and 12 feet high at the peak.  Each has a single stove in the middle to generate heat and cook food.  There’s not much greenery to speak of, let alone trees or bushes.  Therefore the Uyghurs use animal manure in the stove.  Although it does burn well, it creates a none-too-pleasant odor that stuck to my clothes for the next few days.  That is definitely one part of the experience I would not want to repeat.

Being that I was visiting during the off-season there were only two yurts open. The other three lay empty.  In the background you can see a sliver of Karakul Lake and the mammoth Muztagata Mountain partially hidden by the clouds.  We slept literally a stone’s throw away from the lake and in the shadow of the mountain.

A proper look at Karakul and Muztagata. I’ve read that during the summer the water is like a mirror of the mountains and sky. Unfortunately the cold winter winds never stopped blowing, resulting in the choppy water before you. The surrounding area was generally cold, damp, and gray. Not surprising, really, considering it was October.

Despite the fact that I didn’t get to see the “mirror lake” I was still surprised at how beautiful it is.  For the most part the clouds obstructed the full view of the mountains.  Nevertheless they made for an impressive sight.  The pictures don’t really do them justice, I’m afraid.

I implore you. Don’t make the same, stupid mistake I made. I went up to Karakul Lake with only the clothes you see me wearing. And a vest. Holy crap is it cold up there. And in October? Forget about it. Literally within 5 minutes of being outside my limbs were numb. It was incredibly stupid of me not to think that a lake at 11,800 feet would not be cold at that time of year. Even in the summer I imagine it gets chilly.

Anyway, here I am reclining on one of the many bright, colorful sleeping pads the family laid out for me. It was surprisingly soft and the equally colorful blanket they gave me was quite warm. Sleeping inside the squat, round, cement home was definitely a pleasant experience.

You’ll also notice I am holding a beer. I was joined in my yurt by four foreigners traveling together. It just so happened to be one of their birthdays so they had brought a case of beer up into the mountains to celebrate.  They were kind enough to share with me.  They all made it through one beer before passing out due to the altitude. For some reason I had no problem with it. Either it was the first few days spent in Kashgar (4,100 feet) acclimating me or my asthma medication (I have no idea why that would help, I’m just venturing a guess here). Actually, you would think that due to my asthma the altitude sickness would hit me worse, no?

We were treated to this wholesome breakfast in the morning. Possibly the hardest bread I have ever attempted to chew. It was like a rock. The Uyghur bread is very flavorful, but also very difficult to eat. The easiest way to eat it is to soak it in the infamous Yak milk tea.

I would describe Yak milk tea as an acquired taste. Immediately following the first sip I nearly gagged. But after cautiously sampling it throughout the morning, I came to conclusion that it is indeed possible to enjoy this concoction. Yak milk tea is regular green tea with, you guessed it, Yak milk in it. Also, a TON of salt. It is really, really salty. It reminds me a lot of Turkish ayran; a salty yogurt drink. But this Uyghur drink is hot and more liquid-y. Basically a lot more unpleasant to drink.

By the end of breakfast I was nearly half-way to actually enjoying it. I enjoy almost anything I eat or drink so that can give you an idea of how bad I think it is. But I do see the merits of it buried way down underneath the salt. It might have been the delicious bread I was dipping into it, i don’t know. Regardless, this salty drink is not for the weak stomach’d traveler out there. You have been warned.

Despite the overcast skies the day before, the sun did decide to come out bright and strong the next morning. There was a thick fog coming off the lake, providing for a really beautiful glow over the water. The previous day’s weather disappointed me a bit; I was expecting much more picturesque scenery.

By the end of my stay on the lake, in a yurt, I was in high spirits and satisfied that all of the trouble and expense I went through to get there was well worth it. I can only imagine what the lake and mountains look like during the spring and summer. Absolutely beautiful, I’m sure.

Related posts:

1. Yet Another Lake in Xinjiang
2. A Few Days On the Lake
3. Why I am Never Going Back to Kashgar

Frankly, there is not much in the way of tourist destinations in Kashgar. I think of the city as a jumping off point for other sites such as the Taklamakan Desert, Tashkurgan, Karakul Lake, and access to neighboring countries. Despite some difficulties I did manage to visit Karakul Lake but I didn’t have time for any of those other things. Fortunately, I did manage to find a few things to do to keep me occupied during my stay.

But really the reason to go to Kashgar is for the above sites and the culture.  Even though Chinese modernization is quickly steamrolling through the city, it is still completely saturated with Uyghur culture and their way of life.  It is so radically different from the rest of China that it’s like stepping into another world.

In my mind, that reason alone is good enough to make the journey to Kashgar.  And I suggest you do it quickly.  Eventually the Old City will be replaced with high-rise apartment buildings and shopping malls.  The fantastic character of this unique city will be gone forever.

Near the center of town you can find the 59 ft (18 meter) tall statue of Mao Zedong. I’ve heard somewhere there is a saying that the further you get from Beijing, the bigger the Mao statues are. I don’t know if that’s true but this one is pretty darn big. Unfortunately the location is not exactly the most grandiose place.

The statue sits in front of some banal government building facing a small square and a less-than-stellar park.  Being not so picturesque, I think visiting the giant Mao is more for novelty’s sake than anything else because it really is a huge statue. Go see it, take some pictures, and leave. There’s not much else to do in the immediate area.

The Id Kah Mosque is the largest mosque in China and is located inside the Old City. It was built around 1442 and can house up to 20,000 people at one time. The entrance is quite striking and rather large (as so many things are in China) though it didn’t exude the deep feelings of culture and history that I had originally associated with such an important site.  To be honest, I think the Great Mosque in Xi’an is way better. Other than a series of lackluster gardens, there’s not much to see inside the mosque itself. I suggest forgoing the 20 RMB entrance fee and sticking your head in for quick peek. That’s really all you’ll need.

Id Kah Mosque sits at the center of a large square surrounded by a plethora of shops and stalls selling all manner of trinkets and snacks. Couple that with the fact that the Old City is just a few blocks away in any direction makes for a pretty neat area to visit. There is a very big downside, however. While I was there I always saw a platoon of soldiers “guarding” the square. They literally stood there all day staring at the mosque. During prayer times there were three or four platoons, about 100 soldiers in all.

Given the riots that occurred back in July it doesn’t surprise me that there was a large military presence. But I find it offensive that the government thinks it’s necessary to station troops outside a place of worship. I’m not religious in any way, but I can easily see how someone would be disgruntled by soldiers standing outside his church/synagogue/mosque/what-have-you watching him like a hawk. The heavy-handed gesture of placing soldiers there really typifies my perception of government attitudes towards China’s minorities.

Kashgar’s Old City is really the biggest draw for the town itself. You could spend hours, if not days, wandering the streets of this quickly disappearing area. I wrote about this place way back in October, and I don’t think there’s a better way to sum up my feelings than what I’ve already written:

The Old City is a glimpse into the traditional Uyghur style of living that, unfortunately, is slowly being demolished to make way for high-rise apartments, plazas, and reproductions of Islamic architecture. If for whatever reason this is of interest to you, I implore you to make the journey to this town before the demolition is complete. It’s a tragedy that an area so full of history and culture is being swept away for the sake of industrialization and modernization. It’s so full of character and charm while the high-rise apartments I see being erected all over China are so completely lacking in it.

Kashgar is known to host two very big markets every weekend: the bazaar and the animal market. Can you guess which one I went to?  Unfortunately I only had time for one over the weekend due to my overnight stay at Karakul Lake.  I’ve seen plenty of different bazaars all over the world.  Also at that point I was on a pretty tight budget so I wasn’t planning on buying any souvenirs so early in my trip. Therefore it was an easy decision to head to the animal market.

I’ve never actually been to anything like an animal market before and let me tell you I was not disappointed. There must have been thousands of animals for sale. Sheep, goats, cows, donkeys, horses, chickens, and all manner of fruits and vegetables. The animals seemed to go on forever. It is a really impressive sight. Though I must say that the smell isn’t pleasant at all.

I spent about an hour walking around viewing the animals and watching the mass of Uyghurs conducting business. For only the price of a bus ticket, visiting the animal market is a great way to kill a few hours.

The Aba Khoja Mausoleum is an easy bus ride about 5 kilometers outside of town.  Built in 1640, the tomb is supposedly one of the finest examples of Islamic architecture in Xinjiang.  As you can see from the picture, it is very large and very beautiful.  It is covered in green and blue glazed tiles that glitter in the bright sun.  The building is a tomb so there’s not much to see inside aside from coffins.  But the outside was more than enough for me.

There are a number of small attractions in the area, including two decaying mosques, an orchard, and a graveyard.  General admittance to the mausoleum also allows you to visit the two mosques.  While they have fallen into disrepair, they are still nice for a quick visit.  You will be charged extra to visit the other sites (a common tactic to get your money in China).  I didn’t bother with those as it didn’t seem to be worth it.

So that wraps up my stay in Kashgar.  Coming up next is my trip into the mountains to visit Karakul Lake where I stayed in a yurt overnight with a Uyghur family.

Related posts:

1. Yet Another Lake in Xinjiang
2. Why I am Never Going Back to Kashgar
3. A Night on Karakul Lake in a Yurt

So anyway, I present to you the last step on my summer trip through China.

Huangshan is a mountain range in the Southern part of Anhui province, near Tunxi.  In 1990 it became a UNESCO world heritage site and today is one of China’s biggest tourist destinations.  There are over 50 kilometers of footpaths in over 140 areas of the range, as well as numerous cable cars in the more popular areas.  There are a variety of hotels at the top of the mountain for tourists to stay.  I’ve been told that the sunrise at Huangshan is an incredible sight.  Unfortunately I didn’t have the time to spend the night.  For me it was up and down in one day.

There are two important things to know about Huangshan.  First, it’s expensive.  Just to enter the park is over 200 RMB.  If my memory serves me correctly, my entire visit cost me over 400 RMB.  That’s including a shuttle bus to and from Tunxi, a small city about an hour away where I spent the night.  Also, food and drinks are incredibly expensive on the mountain because you literally have no other option unless you’re willing to lug that stuff around all day (I wasn’t).  A bottle of water costs 8 RMB up there.  When a bottle will cost you 1 to 2 RMB everywhere else in China, that’s highway robbery.

The second thing to know is that Huangshan is big.  Like, really big.  I spent seven hours hiking all over that damn mountain and there were still plenty of areas I didn’t have a chance to visit.  To see everything, to get the full experience, you need to spend the night up there.  And don’t forget to get up for the sunrise!

Huangshan is notorious for it’s fog and rolling clouds. Sometimes they literally take you by surprise. One minute your hiking a trail on a nice, clear day and the next you’re completely enveloped in fog. It got so bad at times that I couldn’t even see more than 20 feet!  It was especially creepy when you would find yourself looking out over a ledge into a fog bank, and a minute later it would blow away to reveal a thousand foot drop.

There were so many missed opportunities for fantastic pictures because I had to pause and absorb the beauty before reaching for my camera. And wouldn’t you know it, as soon as I had my camera out a big cloud would come rolling in and ruin the shot. Foiled again, as they say.

As you can probably imagine, there are a ton of stairs on the mountain. Stairs going up, stairs going down. Stairs, stairs, stairs! On the initial climb of the mountain, it seemed like the stairs would never end. I must have spent a good two or three hours just getting up to the first peak. How exhausting.  A favorite sarcastic joke of mine that day was, “Oh look, more stairs.  I did not see that coming.”

Traversing the many peaks requires you to continuously climb up and down stairs. In most places it wasn’t so bad, but sometimes I came across an area packed with tourists and would have to wait. Hanging on to a steep staircase in a precarious position with many people in front and behind is not fun. Needless to say, I had nightmares about climbing stairs for a few days afterward.

Huangshan has some pretty unbelievable scenery.  From the ancient trees, to the rock formations, to the peaks, to the valleys, to the small lakes.  Huangshan has it all.  It’s no wonder that this mountain has been the focus of countless stories, poems, paintings, and pretty much any other kind of art form found in China, for thousands of years.

Related posts:

1. A Night on Karakul Lake in a Yurt
2. Visiting the Second Tallest Building in the World
3. Finally Home

I left my apartment at 5 PM.  I caught a bus and arrived at the airport shuttle about half an hour later.  As soon as I was within walking distance a tout approached me asking if I was going to the airport in very broken English.  It was really just “airport?  Airport?”  I said yes and continued walking.

“Taxi? You want taxi?”

“No, I will take the bus”  [NOTE: the italicized parts are in Chinese]

“What time is your flight?”

“8 o’clock”

“The bus takes two and a half hours to get to the airport, you need to take a taxi.”

So here are the things working against this particular tout: I live in Xi’an, I have taken the shuttle bus plenty of times before, and I’m not an idiot.  So instead of telling him all of these things in Chinese, I simply play the dumb tourist.

“What?  Huh?”

To another guy, “Can you speak English?  [Something I didn’t quite catch because by this point I was ignoring him]”

The second guy tried to tell me the same thing but I was already half-way on the bus and didn’t care what they had to say.  Boy are touts annoying sometimes.

So I make it to the airport in the usual amount of time it takes (about an hour to an hour and a half).  Unfortunately I made a mistake on my flight time; it was actually 8:40 PM so I had a bit of waiting to do.

After checking in and going through security I waited again.  At about 8:20 the announcement was made that my flight was delayed until 9:50.

More waiting.

Finally we boarded the plane at 10:15.

More waiting.  For four hours.  Four hours on that Godforsaken plane.

We returned to the terminal at 2:15 AM.  The flight had been canceled.  The weather had become so bad that all flights were canceled until 10 AM.  Fantastic.

So I took the shuttle back to the city.  Stepping off the bus, another tout approached me.

“You need a taxi?  Where are you going?”

“Foreign Language School”

“40 RMB”

For a 13 RMB ride?  I don’t think so.

“40 RMB?  That is too expensive!  Use the meter”

He gave the universal sign for no (waving his hands and shaking his head) and directed me to a different taxi.

So I entered the taxi.

After telling him my destination, he opened up with, “20 RMB.”  Seriously, what is it with these touts?  Do I really look like that much of a dumb tourist?

“Use the meter.”

“No, no no.  I can’t use the meter.”

“Use the meter or I will get out of the taxi!”

Finally he flipped on the meter and away we went.  I didn’t make it into my apartment until 4 AM.  What a horrible ordeal.

And I still haven’t been to Beijing!

Related posts:

1. First Snow of the Season
2. The Plane Has Hit the Tarmac
3. Why I am Never Going Back to Kashgar

Just like Mom used to make!

It’s easy to feel homesick when you’re living abroad. It happens to everyone.  If you’re a new expat or a perpetual traveler, you will feel it at some point.  You know how in class the teacher always says that if you have a question don’t be afraid to ask because chances are other people have the same question? Well it’s the same with homesickness.

You are not alone; you are not the weak person who can’t bear to be away from the home you love and know so well. We all experience this feeling at some point (or multiple points) during the time we spend abroad.  Don’t be afraid to admit when you’re homesick.  Don’t be afraid to reach out to others for help.

There are plenty of tricks for alleviating homesickness.  If you have to, try them all!  Find what works for you and stick with it.  Granted, it won’t eliminate that overwhelming feeling entirely.  But hopefully it can stave it off for a while until you’re reminded of all the great reasons why you left home in the first place.

So what do I do when I’m feeling homesick?

1. Call Home

Skype is a God-send for expats.  It has never been easier to phone home across oceans and continents.  Computer-to-computer video conferencing is absolutely free and long distance calling is not prohibitively expensive (calling from China to the US is only $0.021 per minute).  On the occasion that I’m feeling homesick, I’ll make a few phone calls to my family and friends to catch up on events.  Just hearing their voices is enough to keep me going.

2. Exercise

I’ve found that going to the gym and running are fantastic ways to relieve stress and distract myself.  When I’m lifting weights or out jogging on the street, my mind is completely absorbed in the task at hand.  There are no other distractions to weigh me down.  I don’t think about all the work I have to do, I don’t think about rifts among my friends, and I don’t think about how much I miss being home.  All my troubles just melt away during that short time when I’m using my muscles instead of my brain.  And if I did it right, then afterward I’m too tired to worry about anything anyway!

3. Eat Food from Home

Food is a great way to remind yourself of home.  There are so many senses involved that sometimes you feel literally transported back to your kitchen table or your favorite eatery.  Cooking is one of my passions so it’s easy to motivate myself to make something Western and delicious.  If I’m feeling really homesick and I’ll slave over my grandmother’s pirogis or I’ll whip up a batch of my mother’s Hungarian goulash.  And sometimes I’ll even make a batch of chocolate chip cookies (my most recent effort is pictured at the top).  My parents weren’t big on baking, but for some reason a kitchen filled with the smell of freshly baked cookies just smells so much like home to me.

Even if you can’t cook it is becoming more and more easy to find foreign food worldwide (not to mention McDonald’s is EVERYWHERE).  Sure, it may taste nothing like what you usually have back home, but at least it’s not the food of whichever country you happen to be in.

4. Have a “Bashing” Session with Friends

This one is really just for letting off steam.  My friends and I go out to our favorite bar, order up a couple of gin and tonics, and relax.  Then we proceed to complain about all the things in China that have been annoying us lately.  Hence, we “bash” China.  I know it’s not the best method for curing homesickness, but it’s a great panacea for the stress and anxiety that can accrue when dealing with a different culture and language every day of your life.

And let’s be honest, there’s always something to complain about.  No place is paradise.  No place is completely without faults.  If there was such a place we’d probably all try to live there!  Even if it’s the most minor incident that happened a week ago, it feels good to not hold it in any more.  I liken it to mental vomit; it may me inconsequential, incomprehensible, or you may be overreacting.  Nevertheless, spending some time with your friends complaining about all the things that drive you crazy in a light-hearted manner is like therapy.  But be warned, if you find yourself complaining too much you might need to reconsider where you’re living.

What if these don’t work for you?

The above examples are simply the tricks I use to prevent homesickness from setting in.  In essence they are distractions to keep me from thinking about home.  Or in some cases, such as the cooking, to have a little bit of home with me in my life.  They all work great for me, and hopefully for many of you out there experiencing the melancholy.  But they won’t work for everyone.

You have to keep trying different things until you find what works.  Perseverance is key.  Sure, home is familiar and safe, but isn’t the place you’re at new and exciting?  Focus on the reasons why you are so far away from home; what made you decide to leave in the first place.  And then give it some time.  Elisa Bernick over at Expat Exchange writes:

So what can you do about homesickness? What if your kids are really bummed out about being away from their friends and their school? What if you become obsessed with life back home and being away from everything that is familiar? Truthfully, nothing but time will make homesickness go away completely. Eventually, your life will fill up with friends and activities in your new home and you will make peace with the minutes and hours that click by.

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