Following a morning of temples, my hostel mates and I headed over to a traditional neighborhood of Bali. Though the island has become a sort of Cancun for young travelers, other districts to the north have maintained the traditional culture of Indonesia. Continue Reading →
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.
Now available on Youtube for your viewing pleasure…
More details from my Chinese New Year trip to Bali to come!
I’m really really behind on this, but my photos from my trip to Thailand earlier this year have been posted. I was in Bangkok just a month and a half before the violent protests started.
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 »