I’m so incredibly thankful for friends who find interesting and fun things to do while we’re traveling. As you have seen from previous posts, Jaye is one of those people. She loves to explore, and as a Chinese, she has a lot of the historical and cultural background...
Chengdu Pandas and Dujiangyan
One of the things that I really wanted to do while I was in Chengdu was to go to a panda conservatory and see the pandas. The first time I was in Chengdu for just 16 hours (several years ago), we had time to go to a mall and see the giant fake panda climbing onto the...
An Ancient Immigration Guild Hall and Yummy Food
Wendy was leaving in the afternoon today, but we still had the morning to explore the city, so we made full use of our time. After our normal breakfast of baozi, a steamed bun filled with pork or vegetables, we headed to the hospital with a staircase to the roof of...
Exploring Chongqing
Jack and Clara left today, but they had some recommendations for things that we could try. I always love following someone else’s plan because that means I don’t have to make my own and it’s a plan that has been tried and proven successful! Wendy and I also learned...
San Mao’s House and Other Adventures
Clara had some ideas for things we wanted to do today, but thankfully we got to sleep in first. I also wanted to wash some clothes, so while I waited for my friends, I washed some of my clothes in the bathroom sink. I didn’t expect to like washing clothes so...
First Day in Chongqing!
After breakfast, the boat crew told us that we needed to be off the ship by 8:30 a.m.! Not much time for a relaxing morning today. Ruby and I packed up and headed out. Since I am traveling for 3 weeks, I have a big suitcase, and as soon as we checked out, an older man...
The Cave and the Great Rift Valley
On our last day on the cruise ship, Ruby and I decided to join a full day activity that cost a little extra. I pushed for it a bit more because I really wanted to explore the area a bit more. I didn’t actually completely understand what the activity was about, but it...
The Three Gorges
I’m not sure how I missed the fact that the main attraction of the cruise we took was not the Three Gorges Dam but the Three Gorges. And I’m glad I didn’t realize how incredibly beautiful it would be because I loved the surprise! The most famous part of the trip was...
Lessons from Mahjong
I love playing games, and Mahjong is no exception. During my first year in China, two of my students approached my friend Megan, and me. “You guys have to learn how to play Mahjong, and we will teach you.” “Ok, sure!” Our first year in China, Megan and I were almost...
Flowers in Guangzhou
When I went to the gate of the school to pick up my food delivery, I noticed the beautiful bougainvillea by the river, and I paused to take a picture. The bougainvillea have been blooming for several weeks now, and I love it. Most of the ones on campus are pink, and...