(note: there are so many photos I couldn't get to load for the past 6 days I got tired of it all. To add them later. I left Barcelona on the 30th. Just sayin. WiFi no bueno.) Outside of Gaudi, Barcelona really doesn't offer much more than tapas, and paella, and mojitos, and caipirinhas, and … Continue reading The Rest of the Best of Barcelona →

Well, I've learned that Spain isn't NEARLY as funny as China. But I can breathe and I'm mostly not getting body checked. Perhaps my inability to recognize humorous encounters is due to all the rookie mistakes I made before I even got here: forgot my ATM card, Rx's didn't seem to make it into my … Continue reading Barcelona? Oh my Gaudi! →

I've gotten a lot of questions since our return to the states last week. Namely, "Did you have any fun?" The answer is a resounding yes! Despite my penchant for taking a more humorous view of things, there was a lot I loved about China and of course some that I could have done without. … Continue reading Post Script: China →

Today is the day. THE day. It's our first full day in Shanghai and last full day in China. We awoke to the promise of an ATM that accepts our bank cards and finally, some cash for Clare. Beijing is thankfully a distant memory at this point. Clare says she feels like a completely different … Continue reading The good, the bad, and the ugly: A Retrospective on Three Bathrooms →

After our departure from gonorrhea gardens, is was tea plantation time. We were legitimately looking forward to the field trip -- Clare loves tea and was interested in the education, and I just like to inch my photo collection a little closer to 34,000 images. (Not kidding - I need to do something about that.) … Continue reading Tea for two and other government scams →

Nighttime in Hangzhou is filled with neon lights and golden opulence. It's a little like Walt Disney and Trump threw up together. All weary from a rainy night and bus ride, we anxiously anticipate our hotel and a good nights rest. Kelly has told us AMPLE times that the 5-star hotel in Wuxi was a-special … Continue reading The Hotel – A bedtime story →

We have finally gotten to the point where we're not sure what day it is or in what city we've slept. Today, we woke up in Wuxi and will go to sleep in Hangzhou (Han-jo despite my command on the language insisting it was Hang-Zow.) The Wuxi hotel was a dream. We got to sleep … Continue reading Two cities and one truck stop: Wuxi to Hangzhou →

Subtitle: Becky's revenge Wǒ ài nǐ means I love you, but it sounds like 'what I need' so by virtue of pronunciation, that title makes sense. The rolling tub of goo set its course West to two 'smaller' cities in the Yangzhee River Delta (Wuxi is the source of the river and the river divides … Continue reading Suzhou and Wuxi — you got Wǒ ài nǐ →

Frizzy curled and ready to bid Beijing a fond farewell, we packed up this morning, loaded on to the bus and headed out to cram in all those things that we just couldn't fit in the first two days. First stop: the Chinese Herbal Institute to learn what's wrong with our health (apparently everything) and … Continue reading Mind on my Yuan and Yuan on my mind →

Subtitle: Still learning what $399 gets you. It seems the people of China have their own time and schedule -- or maybe it's just Rebecca. Yesterday was today's itinerary. Today is tomorrow's and tomorrow I presume we'll cram in a bunch of stuff that we didn't get done yesterday and today. (Side note - we … Continue reading The Wall and Other Things Deemed Great by China →