Huashan
By Day Three of my trip, it seemed like my vacation in Xi’an was turning into a little bit of a disappointment.
I once again woke up early to head to Huashan, or Mount Hua. It is one of the most famous mountains in China and is a two and a half hour train ride from the city.
I headed to the packed Xi’an train station, bought my ticket and was soon on my way towards the mountain.
Terracotting it up in the Ancient Capital.
Last October, I traveled to Xi’an for my National Day break. If you have no idea what this holiday entails, just remember National Day: China :: Independence Day: America. That is, if Independence Day had military tanks and rifles at the parades.
(Sidenote: Because I’m working as a foreigner for a Chinese paper, I stay in Beijing for the actual holiday then travel the week after. I actually enjoy this setup because I end up missing the massive crowds heading in and out of the city during the holidays).
Anyway, Xi’an — located in China’s Shaanxi province — is the ancient capital of China. The major draw of the city is the Terracotta Warriors. In fact, Lonely Planet tells me it is the Number Two thing to see in China. And since I do whatever Lonely Planet tells me to do, it seemed like a good idea.
Shanghai.
The first stop on my third day in Shanghai was the Propaganda Museum, a little room in the basement of an apartment complex.
Way back in September, I visited Shanghai and promised to post pictures on the blog. But I never did. Oops.
Anyway, here are said photos, 10 months later.
Dongmen shopping center (Shenzhen), March 2010
Wangfujing Shopping Center (Beijing), July 2010
Ditan Park Temple Fair (Beijing), February 2011
Beijing Metro, June 2011
Shenzhen Bus, March 2010
That same bus, from the outside
Xi'an Train Station, October 2010
Yesterday I posted my Thailand photos. Today I’m posting my Cambodia photos. I was in the land of Angkor Wat from February 1 to 6 as part of my Chinese New Year break. During the trip, my group traveled to Siem Reap and saw the famous Angkor temples. We also ventured out to Phnom Penh to learn about the horrors of the Khmer Rouge regime. Some of the most powerful photos, towards the end, were taken at the infamous S-21 prison.
Update: Here’s a separate slideshow for just Angkor Wat photos (all of which can be found in the Cambodia slideshow):
I recently received this stuffed ram as a gift from one of my students and immediately knew I needed to incorporate him into my everyday lifestyle.
BFF.
So, I came up with the not so original idea to take a photo with him in front of every cool destination I visit while traveling.
Unfortunately, Roaming Ram™ wasn’t around when I visited a few famous destinations earlier this year, but I was able to find these hypothetical photos of him traveling around Asia. (You think I used Photoshop? Please. This is the Internet. Ethics, people*.)
What the Roaming Ram™ would have looked like in front of the Great Wall when I visited in August. What do you mean his resolution seems sharper than the rest of the image?
What the Roaming Ram™ would have looked like in front of Angkor Wat when I visited Cambodia 2 months ago.
Always trying to upstage me, even hypothetically. What the Roaming Ram™ would have looked like blocking me in front of the Petronas Towers (Malaysia) when I visited in October. What do you mean Roaming Ram™ seems to have much better lighting than the rest of the photo?
The Roaming Ram™ would have come in handy for covering people who should have worn less revealing bathing suits in Phuket, Thailand during my trip there 2 months ago. Unfortunately, even he can't be in two places at once.
This is where I need your help. My new friend needs a name. Roaming Ram™ isn’t a name, it’s a breed of ram—an endangered but soon-to-be-mass-produced one at that. He can’t go along living his life posing awkwardly in photos without an identity. So, I’ve created this handy dandy poll thing (so meta!) to let you help me pick.
What should the Roaming Ram™'s name be?
Total Voters: 21
Loading ...Disclaimer: All voting results subject to dictatorial rejection should I decide I like another name better.
*Okay, maybe I used Photoshop.
Bridget O'Donnell is a designer for Ataway in Shanghai, China. She previously worked for the China Daily and graduated from the University of Michigan in 2009. More »