China

China went really smoothly and I wish that I'd had more time to trek around. That being said, I couldn't agree more with the phrase "traveling in China is no vacation" and it's also great to be back home.

Beijing
The Forbidden City


an enthusiastic tour group gearing up to get their photo taken on a hazy day in Tiananmen Square


There is a ton of work being done all over the city to prepare for the 2008 Olympics.


The Great Wall



Shanghai


Although they are tearing down many of the old neighborhoods, there are still areas which demonstrate the huge contradiction between "Old China" and "Super-Power China."
An old canal village outside of Shanghai



Beijing Opera in Shanghai


Xi'an

The Muslim Quarter




The Terracotta Warrior Museum where at least 8,000 life-size warriors and horses were constructed and arranged because a 14 year old emperor dreamed of immortality and protection in his after-life. Not surprisingly, this was one of my highlights.


I found a few people at my hostel who conveniently spoke Chinese and we negotiated with a taxi to take us several hours away to escape the city and do some hiking. It was again very hazy, but we were able to see a few views.





Back in Beijing, I went through the intensive process of visiting Mao's Mausoleum (pictured below). After checking all of my stuff across the street and waiting in line with the thousands of other people, I think I viewed the waxy replacement of Mao, rather than the Chairman himself.

Through a friend from Japan, I was able to meet and go out with a group of really fun Chinese for two extravagant Beijing meals. Both nights I went home with a stomach ache, not from the strange foods that they insisted I sample (including all parts of the ox and goose and a strange solidification of horse and duck blood), but because I was laughing so hard. They were really fun and seemed to know just about every line of Friends and most movies made in the last twenty years.