The last time we visited Beijing was in May of this year with my parents. The very places that felt unpolished were given more than a cosmetic brush-up over the past few months. As my friend recently said, “it looks like someone wiped the city with a sponge.” We took some before/after pictures to compare the areas that were under construction to the pristine state in which they are today. The Paraolympics were still in full swing on the weekend of our trip, so Beijing residents were still under the strict rules that have made their city cleaner and even resulted in some blue skies – meaning polluting factories around the city were closed down and cars were limited to driving every other day (license plates ending in odd numbers on one day and those ending in even numbers on the other day). Hence the traffic was more bearable than during our May visit. We saw blue skies. There was much less honking and noise pollution than in Shanghai. The weather was less humid. It was really the perfect weekend (this surreal Beijing probably ended on Sept 20th when the city goes ‘back to normal’).

Petra and Daniela, our friends visiting from Germany (Patrick’s colleagues), Patrick and I started our 3-day tour with the Forbidden City (what else?!). We got there early enough to beat the crowds. Patrick concluded our second trip of the Palace by stating, ‘I think I would be a good emperor.’ Later we continued to the Temple of Heaven, Hutong Tour on rickshaws, and dinner at one of the dingiest but most awarded restaurants for Peking Duck (see photo album).  The next day, Sunday, was dedicated to a majestic tour of the Great Wall. We hired a car – whose driver was clever enough to remove the license plate until we were out of the city, so as not to attract attention to his odd numbered license plate! We tried desperately to understand the logic of how actually removing the license plate would be less noticeable than have the incorrect number on the plate but failed miserably. This man who could not stop talking either to us or to various people on his mobile was curiously silent when Patrick asked him what he thought of the Olympics. His only curt answer was that Beijing residents don’t like the Olympics. We gathered this was due to their daily life having been inconvenienced with rules, tourists, and behaviour manuals being passed out on the street.

Our tour of the wall was arduous but rewarding. This has to have been one of the highlights to my travels in China. The views were breathtaking as were the steep, uneven steps and sometimes no-longer-existent pathways. Please see the photo album which only captures half of the glory of this day. The glorious finale was a high wire over the river canyon. What a feeling!

On Monday morning, we tried to get last minute tickets to the Paraolympics, but they were all sold out. We had some great views of the Bird’s Nest- and I have to say there was something magical about seeing the torch burning with my own eyes. Then we went to the Lama Temple and to the Nanluogu Xiang Hutong – an area which has been renovated to house cafés, bars, and many small boutique stops. We returned to Shanghai only to find out it was rainy and muggy all weekend.

Liebe Freunde der Natur, so dachten auch wir und machten uns auf in die selbige. Am vergangenen Freitag, 25.07., trafen wir uns mit unseren Freunden Patrick&Burcu, Jessica&Thorsten und noch einem weiten Pärchen in Shanghai Honqiao airport um gemeinsam für einen legeren Trip in die Innere Mongolei einzuchecken. Durch Olympia nimmt der Anti-Terror Kampf ähnliche Ausmasse wie am JFK an. Wartend am Gate dann die chinesisch obligatorische Verspätung von 2h weil die Maschine „damaged” (o-ton) war. Gegen 22.00 Uhr angekommen in der Provinz-Hauptstadt Hohhot am Mega Neuen Riesen Flughafen nahm uns die aufgedrehte Dame der TUI in empfang die uns stolz die kreischend neon beleuchtete Stadt nach kommunistischem Aufbau (10-spurige Strassen, Rathäuser wie UN-Zentralen) nahe brachte. Das beste Hotel der Stadt empfing uns für eine kurze Nacht. Das Frühstück gegen 6.30 war für China nicht schlecht – es gab neben Reisgeschlabber (Congee) auch gute Frühlingsrollen. Dann mit anderer Tourdame (Susi) und zwei Mädels und einem alten US-Ehepaar (I love Colorado shirt + Riesen Cowboyhut) aus Peking ging’s mit Mr. Zhang (alter erfahrener Fahrer und ebenso altem und viel gefahrenem Bus. Ni Hao!) los drei stunden ins Grasland. Der Sitzabstand betrug stolze 24,85 cm! Dennoch war die Laune prächtig und stieg mit zurücklassen der Zivilisation. Ein kurzer Zwischenstopp ermöglichte die schier endlose Versorgung mit Wasser, Keksen, Melonen und Äpfeln. Angekommen im Grasland pilgerten wir zu einem beflaggtem Steinhügel (wie auch hunderte andere – war gerade Feiertag) um den Mönchen beim umkreisen mit getrocknetem Lamm zusahen. Bringt Glück und Wohlstand – wie alles hier! Dann kamen wir zum eigentlichen Ziel der Reise – das traditionelle Nadamu Sports Festival der Mongolen. Die massiven Ringer (vom Lamm) mit Ihren Lederwesten (vom Markt) und Tüchern versuchten sich gegenseitig in den Dreck zu werfen. Klingt einfach dauert aber bei den Stars doch schon mal 10 Minuten – wobei nicht immer der grösste Fleischberg gewinnen muss. Die Sonne sticht und die weite der Landschaft beeindruckt. Yippieh. Dann ging es weiter, um in unsere Jurten einzuchecken. Als wir auf dem roten Teppich vorfuhren, wurden wir mit Gesang und Baijiu (Reischnaps min.50%) begruesst. Fast blind steuerten wir auf unsere Betonjurten mit eigenem „Bad”! und sehr angenehmen Temperaturen zu. Ab zum Mittag. Algen, Erdnüsse, Tofu, Teigzöpfe, trockenes Lamm und Bohnen auf Folie Tischdecke… mit viel Bier und Baijiu kein Problem. Das nahm auch der chin. Nachbartisch war und fühlte sich in seiner Trinkwut bestätigt/ herausgefordert. Bekanntschaften wurden geknüpft, der Sohn vorgestellt, weiteres Bier und Schnaps geordert und sich gegenseitig Lobpreisungen über das andere Land an den Kopf geworfen. Gegen 15.00 machten wir uns sehr gut gelaunt bei 35° zur Pferderennbahn auf. 1.5h warten – ist ja in China nichts als dann 12-jährige in Jogginghosen ihre ausgemergelten Roesser ca. 3 Runden um die Bahn peitschten. 9 von 14 schafften es auch. Nach kurzem Verschnaufen und mongolischem Wassereis mit Rosinen das gleiche noch mal. Nach 3h war auch dieses jährliche Highlight schon wieder Geschichte. Alle fuhren wieder zurück in ihre Dörfer. Wir auch – leider nicht per Pferd da Regierungsbeamte auf dem Weg waren und unsere vorbestellten Pferde nicht verfügbar waren. : ( Also per Bus zur mongolischen Familie die uns mit trocken Käse und Semmelbrösel empfing. Zurück eine atemberaubende Wanderung durchs Grasland. Abendessen analog Mittag – nur mehr Alkohol, mehr Lamm (sogar gebraten zum selbstsäbeln) und lauter Gesang – die Stimmung entsprechend gut. Im Anschluss erschütterte ein Riesenfeuerwerk, welches jeden 750 jährigen Geburtstag einer deutschen Kleinstadt in den Schatten stellt, unsere Jurtensiedlung. Musik und ein Feuer rundeten den Abend ab. Aufgrund von anonymen Beschwerden über den Bus von Hr. Zhang stand am nächsten morgen ein riesen 50-Sitzer mit Aircon da. Obwohl traurig – auch gut für unsere 5h Fahrt in die Wüste. Vorbei an beeindruckenden Bergen, Riesenindustriestädten und Lehmhütten erreichten wir einen Riesenbusparkplatz. Ab ins Riesenrestaurant schon mit Blick auf Riesenwüste. Eine Seilbahn brachte uns die Düne hinauf wo lustige Stoffschuhe auf uns warteten. Chinesen kleideten sich mit Tüchern, Mützen, Armhandschuhen, Sonnenbrille etc. für einen scheinbar wochenlang dauernden Wüstenausflug. Wir rauf auf’s Kamel und in der Karawane wie hunderte andere in die Wüste. Riesensandburgen, Buddhas etc. vertreiben aufkommende Langeweile der Chinesen – einige haben ihr Radio dabei. Eine rasante Fahrt auf dem Quad macht uns noch mehr Spass – tut auch nicht so sehr am Po weh. Per Seilbahn & Bus ging’s auf den 3.5h Rückweg nach Hohhot. Am Flughafen ein Tschüss zum Peking-Teil und diesmal 1h warten auf das Flugzeug. Ankunft 00.30 in Shanghai müde von einem sehr lustigen und erlebnisreichen Wochenende. Viele liebe Grüße Marcus&Anke

Among the many associations Westerners have of China, vast, pristine nature is usually not one of them. It wasn’t one of mine – but I quickly discovered the endless offering of China’s natural wonders. It’s only logical that a country of this size is home to some of the most awesome landscapes in the world. We had the privilege of visiting some of these on a recent trip to the southern provinceof Yunnanat the end of April/early May. The images are in the slide show – please take note of the highlights Tiger Leaping Gorge and Lugu Lake(a bumpy 7-hour bus ride in the direction of the Sichuanborder).

As China opens its doors to more and more foreigners and the Chinese themselves have more disposable income to spend on discovering their own country, the designated tourist sites (UNESCO Heritage Sites and others) are becoming even more overrun with curious visitors. For us, the key to touring China and enjoying its sites has been figuring out how to escape the crowds. Some of this depends on timing (which season, which day of the week, which hour of the day) and some depends on accessibility (those areas out of reach are usually goldmines). We apparently got it right at the Tiger Leaping Gorge and Lugu Lake. The hikes at both places were some of the most peaceful I have experienced in China. In fact, if anyone reading this happens to visit the Gorge, I would not only recommend taking the “high trail”- but also to keep going as long as time allows. We had to turn around after 2 days, but ideally we would have kept hiking all the way to Shangri-La on the Tibetan border.

Using the quaint ancient town of Lijiang as our home base, Isilsu, Patrick and I had an amazing 9 days discovering this corner of a province that has so much to offer, including the most concentration of China’s ethnic minorities. We decided to maximize the time at our top destination choices, spontaneously cutting out a few stops on our itinerary (for example the “must-see” Jade Snow Mountain). Even with rain pursuing us at every turn, we were lucky to enjoy several sunny days. The food in this region leaves something to be desired, but the people are incredibly friendly and warm. Often we were invited into their homes to enjoy meals consisting of pig lard and a variety of fried vegetables (the meat is cured for several years and trimmed off a carcass that usually shares the sleeping/eating quarters with the family).

As the world of nature’s wonders has opened at our feet, we are now considering the possibilities for our next trip at the beginning of August with our dear friends Berni and Karin. Should we venture to the Sichuan mountaintops (only those areas that were not affected by the earthquake) or head south to the tropical part of Yunnan that borders on Thailand and Laos? Or should we go West to the northern Xinjiang province to see the China even most Chinese are not familiar with? To be continued…

No countdown, no fireworks, no party hats and stringers, no loud drunken crowd, no pushing and shoving, no dancing, no popping corks. Instead…masses of calm, smiling Japanese waiting at the gates of a Kyoto temple, ringing shrine bells, burning rope ends lit by lantern flames, sake served by monks, wishing wells, Buddhas, prayers on paper, fortunes in boxes, good luck charms in every size and shape, food stalls serving sausages, fish cakes, glutinous rice treats (mochi). This is the new New Year’s experience that only Japan can offer.

Japan and the Japanese people continue to amaze me with their impeccable service, delicate presentation, attention to detail, eye for aesthetics, loyalty to customs, helpfulness, diligence, and overall conscientious manner. Going back to Japan, I was excited to discover more of the country and hoped that Patrick would find it as fascinating as I.

Dec 28. My cousin Ece, who has been living in a smaller city called Tsu for over a year, was waiting to greet us at Narita airport with open arms and a wide smile. We took the subway into rainy Tokyo for 1,5 hours only to get lost trying to reach our hotel. Finally, at 2am we could rest our heads on our pillows for a few hours before waking up to head to the Tsukiji fish market, an experience that one should not miss in Tokyo.

Dec 29.  I hear you have to be at the fish market at the crack of dawn to get a peak at the wholesalers auction that takes place just as all the fish is hauled off the boats. Although we missed that, our sleepy trio did get a feel of the early morning market buzz as small motorized trolleys zipped by, large slabs of tuna were carried by 4+ men, many came to buy the freshest fish, and trucks for loaded up for the day’s deliveries. We crossed to the other side of the street to join the morning crowd at a sushi breakfast, only to find out the most expensive sushi goes unappreciated by our ignorant taste buds. We went sushi-hopping till we were high on fresh, raw fish.

We spent the rest of our first full day in Tokyo in Asakusa, an older district of Tokyo that has the most Edo flair. We went in and out of the Senso-ji temple and walked through the gardens, and all along the tourist-mobbed streets – even made a ceremonial stop at Starbucks – before heading to Shinjiku, skyscraper paradise. We went straight to Takashimaya department store to a popular lifestyle shop called Tokyu Hands. Judging by the masses of shoppers and lines, Japanese people are really into accessories for their mobile gadgets – little charms, stickers, covers, etc. Also they are fantastic at gift wrapping and paper products like cards, stationary, etc.

In the evening, we went to Sibuya (Lost in Translation crossing) to meet TJ and Ramela who had flown in from Shanghai that afternoon. Our group was complete. We found a great place to eat thanks to Ece – the type of restaurant is called izakaya. We literally ordered from a computerized screen that stood at the end of our table. A little taste of everything…ymmmm, so good.

We hit Sega game world after dinner to take the funniest instant photos with Ece and Ramela which we then could decorate and customize – while the guys played on the taiko drums. The evening stretched on into the morning hours, as some newly found Japanese friends took us to a private bar and afterwards we haggled our way into a very cool night club where we danced till dawn. (Funny cultural note here: although the five of us grew up in similar cultures, we noticed that the countries we currently live in have had a great impact on our behavior and expectations. The Chinese side was trying to bargain on all  prices, cross streets on red, cross at any place – not necessarily at crosswalks, take taxis with 5 people.)

Dec 30. Train to Okawara. Bus to Hakone, a quaint mountain town known for its healing hot springs. We stayed at a ryokan (see slide show) that was the epitome of the Japanese experience. So we put on our yukatas, soaked in the springs, ate our many many small dishes of delicious ryokan food, slept on futons on tatami mats (made from bamboo), and felt completely and utterly relaxed.

Dec 31. Hike around Hakone area. Although we never got a clear view of Mt Fuji, we could breathe in that fresh air, take great pictures along the lake, and have udon noodles and soba beer before we headed back to Okawara and took our connecting train to Kyoto.

Jan 1-3. Kyoto offers all the temples and gardens one ever wanted to see and more. See slide show. There are no words to explain the serene beauty of some of the worlds we entered when going through the front gates of the temple grounds. From sunsets to Zen rock gardens, we took every opportunity to feel at one with the great spirits who granted us this awesome opportunity to be in this part of the world, doing what we are doing.