Tag Archives: travel
Not sure what happened at the Peking Opera but it involved stage combat, butterfly feelers and intrusive ushers
Any of you have a work spouse? I’ve had one for 20 years; I call him the International Man of Mystery. Now you’d think after 20 years I’d know a lot about IMOM, but he is one seriously cagey dude. Try asking IMOM a question like “How was your weekend?” and you’re going to get […]
Bracket envy and an introduction to traditional Chinese wooden architecture at Pingyao’s Zhenguo Temple
1000 years ago, back when Europe was clawing its way out of the dark ages, China already had a well established system of building standards. The Chinese consulted manuals to standardize the building process and did so with remarkable success considering the enormous size of the country. The basis of their traditional architecture was modular: […]
The Terracotta Warriors and Tiananmen Square: how to bury a people
It’s the artists I keep thinking about. There at least 6000 terracotta warrior sculptures, perhaps many more (their burial site hasn’t been fully excavated.) These warriors were created during the Qin dynasty, 2200 years ago, when China was sparsely populated. So how did the emperor Qin Shi Huang find and mobilize so many artists in […]
The mosque is a temple and the soup is bread crumbs in Xi’an’s Muslim Quarter
Oh look, a cute little pagoda: Yeah, cute alright, but it’s a minaret, not a pagoda. And this pretty Chinese arch inside a garden. This isn’t a garden, it’s a mosque. Or maybe it’s better to call it a mosque complex. Anyway, the Great Mosque of Xi’an has been around almost since the beginning of […]
There are probably people who don’t mind pooping in a glass-walled Beijing bathroom
Here are some unexpected things about China: It is really clean! We’re talking about the most populated country in the world, but none of these people are littering. A small army of sweepers are constantly about looking to obliterate the smallest infraction of trash. Also, there’s hardly any graffiti (I don’t miss the litter but […]
I’m famous in Pingyao, China
It was great being in Pingyao, China today because not only is it spectacularly beautiful: But I am also quite famous! All my fans want to have their picture with me! The food’s tempting too. I briefly consider ordering the Manual cat ears but finally decided that I’m more of an Automatic cat ears sort […]
Do you cook while traveling?
The top three things I miss while traveling are; My cat Taking a shower without wearing flip flops Cooking Happens every time: HOB and I are in the midst of a fast-paced trip when we visit a local market and I’m overwhelmed with longing to cook all that beautiful produce. Now that Airbnb is a […]
How to suck at travel photography
Well I don’t know about you but if I read another Pinterest article titled Twelve Tips for Taking Insanely Great Travel Photos: Number 5 Will Blow Your Mind!!! I’m going to barf all over my cheap-ass digital camera. I have a more unique skill, one that doesn’t even require three exclamation points: I take terrible travel photos. […]
Funniest travel moments of 2017
2017 was a year for great trips (HOB and I traveled to five countries outside the US) and appalling politics (looking at you, Cheetolini McRacistpants). 2017 could also be confusing at times. Fortunately, we found this sign which cleared a lot of things up for us. In 2017 we finally made it to Lithuania, which […]
The tenacious cultural heritage of Setomaa
YOU ARE ENTERING THE TERRITORY OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION! Yeah, so we technically veered into Russia without a visa a couple of times during our visit to the Setomaa region of Estonia, but someone tell my mom it was okay because we didn’t stop the car. Swerving through national borders: that’s a pretty good introduction […]
Picnic at the Cathedral 