Visiting Angkor Wat and the surrounding temples is a long day or several days, but so incredibly worth it. The temples and the scenery is absolutely stunning, but to be perfectly honest, there are a lot of them, and at some point, all the temples start looking the same. A easy way to see everything…
Category: Asia
Ascending China’s Sacred Mountain: Hua Shan Day 2
Ascending Hua Shan: Day 1 Due to our lack of available time and the amount of time I researched to ascend Hua Shan (the hard way, not by cable car), Garrison, Jeff, and I left for Hua Shan the night before, and found a hotel room so that we could leave early in the morning….
Ascending China’s Sacred Mountain: Hua Shan Day 1
Hua Shan is one of China’s 5 Sacred Mountains in the Shaanxi province, and is located about 120 km from Xi’An. I desperately wanted to hike Hua Shan, touted as one of the most dangerous hikes in the world. So, after a lot of planning and organization, I went after work with two friends, Garrison,…
Getting Scammed On A Mountain: Li Shan
This morning my friend Garrison and I decided to hike Li Shan in the town of Lintong, which is right next to the Terracotta Army. Li Shan (Mount Li) is an easy hike up a lot of stairs. The Emperor Qin (who had the Terracotta Army built) has his mausoleum in Lintong, and there are…
Terracotta Warriors: Largest Funeral Party In The World
The Terracotta Warriors are the most well-known tourist attraction in Xi’An. They are definitely worth a visit, and definitely worth some history research to truly appreciate the attraction. I visited with a friend and co-worker, and we had a blast! At the beginning of the day, we ran in to two girls from London who…
Song of Everlasting Sorrow: Must See Performance In Xi’An
Last night after work, a group of friends and I went to the famous music and dance performance in Xi’An. It’s a MUST SEE if you are in Xi’An, and it didn’t disappoint. All the music and costumes were recreated from the Tang Dynasty, which was considered the peak of Chinese culture. There were a…
Chongwen Pagoda: Geodetic Center of China
I loved my time living outside of Xi’An. I got to see another area outside the urban city that had relatively little exposure to foreigners. Part of the benefit of spending a significant time in China is that I get to explore awesome places that normal tourists would never find. The tower is called the…
Bua Tong Waterfalls: Climbing “Sticky” Rocks Outside Chiang Mai
The Bua Tong “Sticky” Waterfalls were a really cool find outside Chiang Mai. It’s unlike anything that I’ve seen before, because you can literally climb the waterfall. The water has limestone minerals, and they are deposited on the rocks, so they are grippy and “sticky” enough to walk on them. The Bua Tong Waterfalls are…
Cycling Around Asia: Biking Xi’An City Wall
I love exploring places in Asia by bicycle. You can see so much more in a short time, it’s a bit more interesting than walking, and it’s a great workout! I highly recommend cycling around the Xi’An city wall as a great way to see some history and good views of the city. First things…
Favorite Foods To Eat: Xi’An, China
I really love the traditional Chinese food (but not the fake Chinese food that you can get it the U.S.). Street food is the best and the cheapest in China, although I had quite a few fantastic experiences in restaurants as well. I was careful not to pick sketchy looking street stands or restaurants, and had…