China

 This is me sending my (belated) greetings to you from China...

It was an amazing trip, hands down.  It's not that the trip went without its hitches or that we didn't encounter any unpleasantries along the way. It's the fact that those things made the trip all the more memorable in addition to the all the things that simply went our way.  China is a place where you can feel the presence of its people, its history, and most of all it's potential.  After having spent what amounts to a fleeting, albeit memorable, moment in time there, I will be very interested to see what changes occur there in the future.

Hmm.  Sorry.  Just some general, passing reflections on the experience.  Anyway, let me chronicle the trip a bit for you.

My fellow adventurer, Brian...

SHANGHAI

Our coordinator of all-around good times, Mimi, and our supremely gracious hosts Daisy and Alan.  

So Shanghai was surprisingly similar to Seoul, especially in the way of public transportation.  Still not sure who copied whom, but the subway system is set up in exactly the same manner (and this is a good thing as both cities end up with excellent subway systems).  Mostly, it was good to soak in the cosmopolitan, multi-culti vibe that is the city of Shanghai.  This is a shot of the building that is the trademark of the Shanghai skyline. If you see it, you can't miss it. You know you're in the 'hai.

Huangshan

If you are ever in China, you MUST go see this place.  The views were absolutely breathtaking, and it was a great way to get away from all the urban chaos.  In a country of over a billion people, finding a place where you feel like the rest of world has dissipated into the dampening quiet of the cloud cover is nothing short of a small miracle. It was one of the best parts of the trip.  I can say all this in spite of the following:

• Having been unaware that the Chinese call 3 different areas Huangshan
• Having been unaware that it would take us 2 extra shuttle bus rides to get us from Huangshan (the city) to Huangshang (the actual mountain)
• Having had to hike up the entire mountain in the POURING rain, water streaming down over the stairs as we ascended
• Having had to have dried all our clothes, shoes, and other belongings with a faulty hair dryer for no less than 5 hours
• Having almost been unable to claim the luggage that we checked in Huangshan (the town at the base of the mountain) because nobody told us that the bus station area closes early
• Having almost been unable to get back to Huangshan (the city) to catch our flight to Beijing because we didn't know that the buses to the city cut off very early as well
• Having no functional knowledge of Chinese in a region where virtually everyone had no functional knowledge of English

And all that being said.  I still say go!!!

Beijing

This was an awe-inspiring city with lots of character.  First of all, we were not prepared for just how MASSIVE this city is.  You probably couldn't even get from one end of the city to the other in a 45 minute cab ride... without traffic!  So after foolishly thinking we could explore the city as pedestrians the first day, we quickly learned that it is well worth the inexpensive cab rides to get yourself from one place to another.  Word to the wise: there is a lot to see, so if you're going to try and fit it all in, splurge a little on any mode of transportation that is not your own two feet.  Just trying to explore places like the Forbidden City or the Summer Palace will have you walking for hours on end anyway.  All the sites are great though -- especially the sight of a beautifully roasted Peking Duck!!

I couldn't help myself. I just had to throw that in there. 

Anyway, I will certainly have nothing but fond memories of my time in China.  And I will continue on in my travels (both figuratively and literally) knowing that the things we anticipate can be joyous, but it is oftentimes the unexpected things in life that are often the best and most rewarding in the end.  I can't wait until the next adventure...