When our tour bus pulls into the Panshan Ski Resort at 8:30 in the morning, I peer out the frosty windows, unsure of what to expect. Our “guide” walks down the isle, collects a 300 RMB deposit from each of us — (a surprise because we’ve already paid our admission fee) — then disappears for…
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*This article on my experience locating and purchasing a genuine Flying Pigeon bicycle in Tianjin, China was published in JIN Magazine‘s January 2014 issue, and re-posted on the government’s tourism site, exploringtianjin (dot) com.* (UPDATE: Upon review, it appears that the article has been moved to a new China Daily website, so I have updated…
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When Sam and I lived in Tonga for two years, part of his job was to see the Peace Corps volunteers who lived in Samoa as well. On two occasions, when his stay there was for a few weeks, I was lucky enough to go with him! Both times we stayed in downtown Apia (Samoa’s capital),…
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Xi’an China is probably best known for being the base from which to see China’s famous Terracotta Warriors. What isn’t as well known is that Xi’an (formerly known as Chang’an) ranks right along with the likes of Rome and Constantinople as one of the 10 Ancient Capitals of the World … and, and … the…
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So, we finally did it, the Grand Poobah of many What-To-See-In-China lists: The Great Wall! That serpentine wonder whose image graces practically every Chinese restaurant. That misty, sprawling feat of human endeavor recognized as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. That singular, man-made structure that is so magnificent in size and scope…
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Tianjin may have a population of 13.5 million … MILLION! … but it hasn’t lost it’s old-school charm. I have been told that, prior to 2000, only the very wealthy or very politically connected drove cars. In a little over ten years’ time, this city has gone from a pedestrian-and-bicycling population to a massively automobile-congested metropolis….
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View Around Tongatapu in a larger map So, you’ve landed on the main isle of Tonga: Tongatapu, taken the 40-minute taxi from the airport through coconut and taro fields, serenaded by the dulcet CD strains of ukulele and Pacific song, peering wide-eyed through the window as signs of a town approach and then … probably…
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Tongatapu is Tonga’s main island, and the town of Nuku’alofa its political and economic seat. That said, it can be a rather depressing place, and if you don’t want to take my word for it, then the forlorn expressions upon many unwitting cruise-goers’ faces when they are deposited here for a day or so will…
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Christmas in Tonga is refreshingly un-materialistic Sure, there are the simultaneously bizarre, yet amusing store fronts dotting the dusty strip of downtown Nuku’alofa, and families often shop for a gift or two for the children, but otherwise, Christmas is all about family, church and community (and a little Christmas Eve bingo, natch). An interesting addition to…
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Often overlooked, Tonga’s mid-island group, Ha’apai, comprises 62 islands (only 20 are inhabited), hides some of the most beautiful white sand beaches in the world, and cradles famous tales of nautical misadventures in its unassuming waters. Ha’apai, a History For instance, the mutiny, as in the Mutiny on the Bounty, occurred in 1789, just between the…
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