Baigongcheng Hotel Shaoyang

... Tiger Leaping Something movie. Where else can you play with weapons one day and then the next climb an ancient city wall that was actually still functional in protecting the city? I can't take credit for this find of a town though. A fellow traveler named Alistair whom I met this past February while traveling in Burma contacted me on Facebook and told me to check it out... so I did and was sooo happy we did. Thanks Alli!!

... I had a shot if I acted swiftly before my window of opportunity closed. With that, I quickly grabbed two double broadswords and put them in her hand... it was like giving candy to a baby and before you new it, it was photo op after photo op. I was so proud of her!!

And by the way we were told that it was in one of Pingyao's historic courtyard homes that the movie "Raise the Red Lantern" was filmed. Cool!

... and outside the wall (modern construction).

At some point, we discover that there is no direct overnight train from Pingyao to Shanghai; we have to purchase a local train ticket to the closest big city - Taiyuan - and catch the overnight train to Shanghai from there. Armed with a translation - courtesy of a very nice staff member in another hostel (ours was staffed by non-English speakers) - we make our way ...

... to find out what monstrous job could need all those shovels - even going as far as walking in line with them for several blocks, subjecting myself to their stares and more giggles - but the conversation goes no further. I've exhausted their English.

It's cold here, everywhere. The old buildings lack any sort of insulation, and to their credit the Chinese like to conserve heat, so indoors is hardly warmer than out. I hadn't showered in three days because of the cold, so I ...

Wutaishan was one of our greatest disasters to date.Hee and there's been a few. I booked a hostel which gave directions to Wutaishan bus station but was in fact in Nanning- a whole other provence. Oops.
Pretty place, once we'd finally checked into somewhere in our price range. It was the coldest place I've ever been. The water in the river had frozen solid! We had pot noodles in bed and tried some rice wine, (evil smelling stuff) and quickly got on a bus out of there!
Love Lucy xxx

... full of odds and ends, lanterns dangling from every porch. We cycled under ornate, chinese gates and out beyond the high walls of the town to fountains and markets. After the days exploring and browsing stalls we tried out the local food, some kind of chicken and ...

... insisted that everyone take off their shoes on entry! So we lay on our sides enveloped in smelly feet odour! Pleasant! In fairness, it was cosy and warm though! The journey passed uneventfully. A toilet stop, a cheesy kung fu movie and some snoring..... Until....

The Bus pulled up to the side of the road, a few got out. Then the bus driver decided he'd have a nap. He had a ciggarette, climbed into one of the bunks and fell asleep. For about five hours ...

... we know why the stars hate paparazzi. We would be sitting in a restaurant and several photographers would have their big lenses plastered against the window to take pictures of us. Go figure. Jackson got tired of it and wanted to start charging. Not much to say at this point. I'm in Hanoi Vietnam so Pingyao is fading ........... Enjoy a few pictures

Finally, after one week of non stop traveling, here is my travel blog for national day holiday marking the 57th anniversary of the People's Republic of China. After a long 7 hrs bus drive from the Capital, I arrived to Pingyao, one of the few intact Ming-dynasty styled cities. Most known for being one of the biggest baking centers in the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1911). There is an enormous quantity of historic sights ...

In Mandarin, "he" means "river" and "bei" means "north." True to its name, Hebei province lies north of the Yellow River. It also cradles Beijing. At some point in the wee morning hours, just as the sun was peeking at us over the horizon, I awoke and watched a somewhat rural landscape become urban become the sprawling megapolis of Beijing.