Farewell China

I am back in Beijing to catch flight #2 of my round-the-world ticket: Malaysia. I am sad to leave China. It is a fascinating place with a diversity of sights and wonderful people. I was just starting to figure out some key words in Mandarin -- a really cool but difficult language.

Once I got past the rude welcome of having my camera stolen, Shanghai became one of my favorite cities. There's a sleazy side that I didn't encounter elsewhere: street beggars, people routinely checking garbage cans, "Hello [DVD/watch/bag] Hello." Shanghai is a cross between Beijing and Hong Kong -- more modern than Beijing but not as sophisticated as Hong Kong. The Jin Mao tower is breathtaking, I enjoyed the Yu Yuan gardens, and there's a great area called People's Square with parks, a theater, and museums (the Shanghai Museum is excellent).

Hangzhou is just two hours from Shanghai, and the main attraction there is West Lake (Xi Hu, pictured). The best word I can use to describe it is serene. Many Chinese couples vacation there to stroll around the lake, see the many temples and parks, and relax around town. I rented a bike and rode around (and across the two causeways splitting the lake into sections). Along with Yangshuo, Hangzhou is the most scenic town I visited.

I spent one month in China, yet totally missed vast regions that also sound amazing -- Yunnan, Xinjiang, Tibet, Sichuan -- maybe next trip? Beijing 2008!