In addition to seeing Lhasa, the main aim of our trip was to go to Everest Base Camp. Unlike the Nepali side, where you need to hike for eight days to get to base camp, on the Tibetan side you drive until about 3km from the camp, then walk the last bit to the mountain. … [Read more…]
Even though we were technically on our way to the west of China, in our minds we were leaving the country and could not be happier. Destination: Lhasa, Tibet. I have been wanting to come to Tibet for longer than I care to remember and have attempted to enter twice before but, for whatever reason, I was turned … [Read more…]
Getting to our hotel in Xi’an ended up being quite a mission… from the cab driver in Beijing who tried to double-charge us, to the lack of information at Xi’an airport about public transport, to a further struggle to get a cab for the last part few kilometres to our hotel. And all the while it was raining. Bleugh. But … [Read more…]
We were on our way to China. My first time; Derek’s second (one too many, according to him). Of all the places we would visit, this was the one he was least looking forward to. He visited China about eight years ago and loved it, but really struggled with the people and the food. While … [Read more…]
When visiting Japan, one has to eat Kobe beef. And where better than in Kobe itself. We hopped on the shinkansen for the short trip to Kobe. I say “short” but I really mean “quick”. It is 250km between Hiroshima and Kobe but it took us just over an hour on the train. I don’t understand … [Read more…]
Our next destination was Hiroshima. No matter who you talk to or where you are in the world, the name Hiroshima will forever be associated with death and destruction. But the city we found had almost no trace of that. The streets are tree-lined and beautiful, pretty shops and lush bakeries are everywhere and the people are the friendliest … [Read more…]
Sadly our short trip back in time to traditional Japan came to an end and we headed to the next big city – Kyoto. I prefer Kyoto to Tokyo so was really looking forward to it. However, on the train Adrie warned me that she had booked another more “traditional” hotel in Kyoto too. I hope that does … [Read more…]
Many people say a visit to Japan is not complete without a stay in a ryokan. Derek, on the other hand, would say a visit to Japan is not complete without fighting off ninjas, but each to his own. Historically, the Japanese have worked diligently at perfecting the art of relaxation and ryokans are prominent evidence of … [Read more…]
I was expecting a lot of things landing in Japan; great customer service, order, a clean city, sensible traffic. Check. I was also expecting it to be a lot more expensive than South East Asia. Double check. What I was not expecting was it to be 7 degrees when we landed! We still had our … [Read more…]
Actually, I should be more specific… Since Derek got a stomach bug right at the start of our two-week trip through Vietnam, he was not so keen on all the weird and wonderful food so it was mainly ME eating OUR way through Vietnam. Although, he did participate in the Happy Hour 2-for-1 cocktails!! In fairness, he did try … [Read more…]