2012-12-18

Norway 2012


At first, I didn't know if it was worth it to write an article about my stay in Norway, as it was a 10-day short traveling experience with nothing else in mind than Aurora hunting... But anyway, I will still give some basic information about this beautiful country.
My first step was Å i Lofoten, that I reached via a night flight from Oslo to Tromso, then a short 30-min flight around 10h45 (enabling me to see the sunrise) to Evenes, the airport of Narvik/Harstad, and a night bus from there to Å i Lofoten departing at 4:30 pm with a 15 min break at Leknes. Finally arriving in the middle of a dark clear night, I could only wait the day after to see what this little village was made of. Well, it is quaint, picturesque and... hibernating in winter...


Next day is a bit clearer, and I decide to walk around to the next village called Sørvågen as pretty as Å.


After 2 days and still no aurora, I decided to leave the tranquility of this region and head down to Svolvaer, the main city in the area. The road to there, road E10, this time in dim daylight, is purely amazing, We pass through little towns like Reine, Flakstad, Leknes again and Bostad, before finally arriving in Svolvaer. 

Following the advice that I discovered afterwards, I found a little shop selling smoked salmon sandwich and a dessert called Svele, pure bliss! 

Then when night came, I went to an ice bar to enjoy a drink in a literally freezing place, which was rather an experience.

Unfortunately, still no aurora... So the next day, I take the bus to go back to Evenes airport, and the road between Svolvaer and Narvik doesn't disappoint. I arrive at Tromso, and take a taxi crossing this fairly pretty city from the airport to the ferry port to embark in the Hurtigruten ferry MS Polarlys.
My cabin: quite nice
Once the city lights are gone, I take myself to the cold front of the ferry, and yes, here it is, a nice and not-very-intense-but-still-pretty-good-for-a-first-time-with-a-camera aurora! Once the personnel of the ferry announces the Northern Lights, flocks of people join me in this experience, and as I had enough pictures for a first time, I went back to the warmth inside and enjoy my very comfortable bed. 

The next day, we arrive at Honnigsvad, small fishing village with an industrial port, and for which the only touristic interest is its proximity with Nordkapp. Also, the northern lights. Yes, as soon as I arrived there and for the time I remained, the sky was clear enough to enjoy auroras every night.

The next day (yes, the days are short in winter, here), I decide to get infos on how to go to Cape North. Attention, in winter, buses only go once a day at midday, and only in weekdays, not during the week end. So I was pretty lucky to be able to enjoy it, as I spotted the bus on my way to the Information Center and decided to go for it. There's only 2 passengers in the bus, a japanese backpacker and me, and the wind is getting worse. But for the charming bus driver, it's just routine. After 20 kms, we wait for the Hurtigruten bus (as a day excursion for its passengers) to join us and a snowplow opens the road for us for the remaining 10 kms. As the night is rapidly growing, there's just enough time to take a picture of the "Children of the World" monument before returning to the warmth of the Tourist Center, offering a mini museum celebrating the opening of the center by the King of Thailand (!) and a poetic 14-min movie celebrating with no words but traditional music the beauties of the region in every season.

Saturday is a dead day in Norway, and most of all in Honngsvag. The wind is growing even stronger, and I try to find a protected place to take pictures of the northern lights at their best. Once the night has come, which doesn't take long, I set for my protected place, and some time after that, I finally see the most amazing aurora so far. Mother Nature at its best. I can actually see the solar wind moving and undulating, it's purely magical.




The next morning, waking up early to take the ferry to Tromso, the wind is good enough for the boat to stop at the harbour and take on its passengers. The day is boring on the boat, but the food is delicious. Arriving at Tromso at midnight I need a hotel room for 4h because Tromso Airport is not big enough to stay open during the night, and the Rica hotel right next to the harbour is very handy and comfortable (and the delicious receptionist offers me half price for the room).

After the plane the next day, I arrive in Oslo and take the train from the airport for a day tour around the capital city. 
First impression: it's a perfect set for a Christmas commercial, with those quaint houses on snowy hills and pine forest
Second impression, out of the train station: no salt on the ice-covered walkway... Ok, so this is sporting, alright, ice-skating, more precisely...
Quickly put, because I only had a few hours, the Opera is modern but a bit tasteless, the City Hall is just dreadful, but the wharf looks nice. Spikersuppa, the place behind the City Hall, has nice buildings around, and an interesting Christmas market, with an ice-skating ring, and stands offering deer burgers, smoked whale and one last treat of brown cheese vaffel, before heading back to the station via Karl Johans Gate.

To conclude, Norway is obviously a beautiful country, and I'm sure I'll go back there soon enough. The fjords are so magical, and it must so different in summertime! I want to discover the "day" face of this country...

2012-11-30

Australia 2012


This is the report of my November trip to Australia, before the long gap year, mainly to enjoy the eclipse.

After a night near Sydney Airport, I take an early plane to Cairns, with the objective to go to Cape Tribulation. First problem when arriving at Cairns, the shuttle doesn't go to Cape Tribulation anymore, so the furthest it can go is Port Douglas. The road, Captain Cook's Highway, is beautifully scenic. It follows the coastline, between high hills full of rich vegetation and pristine beaches with no one on it. I think that's when I realize that traveling is like being in love. Your heart is so tight and beats so strongly, you jut want to get drunk on what is in front of you.
Arriving at Port Douglas, I realize that I definitely cannot go to Cape Tribulation, because I needed to book a tour to go there (no regular shuttle, contrary to what was said on the Cape Tribulation website), and it is too late as tomorrow is the eclipse. So I decide to cancel my hostel booking in Cape Tribulation and treat myself after a long and exhausting trip to one of the fine hotels of Port Douglas.
On the morning of the 14th of November, it is eclipse time. It is always a beautiful and emotional moment. You feel it in your guts, and you know that everyone around feels the same way. It is caused from the sheer wonder of Nature, and it gives the strongest sense of community.
Love is about looking in the same direction

The day has begun so early that I have plenty of time to discover the little town of Port Douglas. The eclipse adds a festive atmosphere to the resort town. I book a snorkel trip on the Great Barrier Reef on a speed boat, and I am not disappointed. The speed boat itself adds a lot of fun, and also, one white-tip shark and one black-tip one cross my swimming path, and two turtles swim by my side. One of my best memories, but unfortunately, all the pictures I could have taken were lost later on... 

The next day, I check out of the hotel, take the shuttle back to Cairns, and take the Greyhound Coach to Airlie, which means more than 10h of travel, arriving in Airlie shortly before midnight.
After a good night sleep, I can enjoy Airlie in the early hours of the morning, where the atmosphere is completely different than at night. I book an airplane tour for the afternoon, and wow, I still don't regret it.



I don't think you would either...
After this great day, the next day is as dull as a 20+ hours of coach travel can be. And we arrive in Brisbane in the early hours of the morning. I unfortunately couldn't enjoy the city after so tiring a trip, but at the same time I didn't put the necessary effort to do so. 

Next step is Surfers Paradise, which is where I obviously take my first surfing lesson. But before that, I indulge into my favorite activity: walking on the beach. Beaches in Australia are particularly great for this, as they are pretty large with not much people on it (depending on where you are, of course). So I walk on the white sand as soft as flour for 2.5 km from the hostel to the city center, and there I discover the concept of schoolies, where student finishing high school just celebrate their graduation by partying really hard.
As for my surfing lesson... Let's just say that the board is really heavy, and even though the instructor gives simple instructions on the sand, in the water it's obviously much more difficult. I dare say that it is all a question of timing. But even though I wasn't able to get up on my board, the sensation is still pretty intense.
After that, I go back to the hostel to prepare for my evening tour to see the Glow Worms. It was my first time seeing anything like that, and I found it spectacular. After that, we visit an amateur astronomer who built two observatories for himself

Next day is once again a coach travel to Coffs Harbour, which is, depending on who describes it, family-friendly or very very quiet. The Marina is nice, but there is not much things to do. That offers a contrast with the next and final step of the coastal trip: Sydney

The hostel is the YHA in the Rocks, one of the liveliest neighborhood of Inner Sydney. And as it is Friday, there are food stands and animations in the streets.


A must see

After a week end just enjoying the atmosphere of Inner Sydney, Monday is Blue Mountains day. The weather isn't that good, but it adds a mysterious halo around the mountains and the Three Sisters



The next day, I decided to explore Avalon, and after a few mishaps, I finally arrived on this rigtfully named beach. It is simply very picturesque, the beach being framed by cliffs, and beautiful houses on top. 

From Avalon to Newport the coastal drive is impressive, Collaroy reminds me of a little Surfers Paradise, Dee Why (D.Y.) and then Manly, all these makes Northern Sydney worth seeing.

Next day is Bondi Day. The weather is still cloudy but it's ok, as I want to do the walk from Bondi to Bronte and back. And indeed, it is worth doing. I surprised myself day-dreaming about living in this neighborhood, and doing my jogging routine on this walk. Tamarama and Bronte are cute little beaches next to the 1-km Bondi, and once again, just the perfect settings for holiday pictures.

This marks the end of my coastal trip to the East Coast of Australia in November 2012. Little did I know that I would see so much more wonderful places on the West Coast... But still, I saw some amazing things that made for a beautiful trip.
What did YOU think of the East Coast? As it was only a 3-week trip, I certainly missed a lot, so don't hesitate to advise me on your favorite places!

2012-04-03

Vietnam 2012


This trip was organized by UCPA

The group arrives at Hanoi in the afternoon, where we meet our guide for the trip, an adorable Vietnamese by the name of Quyet. The road from the airport to the city center already shows the very typical architecture of the North of Vietnam, with narrow and high houses. 
Next day, we visit Hanoi, first with the Temple of Literature, where a school ceremony is taking place, making the visit a bit more interesting.
a rare peaceful place at the Temple of Literature

After this traditional visit, we head to Ho Chi Minh sanctuary where, despite the man's will, lies his body in a freezing cold room where you walk formally around it... 
Comes noon, Quyet leads us to a catfish restaurant, which is purely delightful. The catfish is served cut in cubes, and the pot fizzles with the most delicious sauce ever, that you can enjoy with rice noodles. I strongly recommend that you taste it if you're in Hanoi, because I guarantee it tastes like nothing you've ever eaten.
After a digestive stroll, our guide takes us to the Ethnography Museum, presenting the 54 tribes of Viet Nam (the Viets and 53 minorities). 
interesting figures from one of the minorities

Just like for China, we are then guided to a State shop selling lacquered items, but the fun part about this visit is that all the ladies of the shops looked surprised to see a 30-year-old group. That is the sad part about Vietnam, particularly for French. If you stay in the main cities, the tourists are mostly groups of retired people.

The next day is a road day under the rain heading North. After a few hours ride, the karstic landscapes will reveal themselves to you. We arrive at the Ba Be Park and its lake by the end of afternoon. The fog, the mountains, the paddy fields just add to the magic of the place.
isn't it beautiful?

We arrive at our host's house, where the largest room is prepared for us, mattresses lying on the floor and mosquito net for each of them.

The next day, there is no need for a wake up call, as the rooster is apparently in charge of waking us up while singing to the Sun... As we emerge from the room, we see that the fog is gone and we have a magnificent view on the paddy fields
50 shades of Green

Today is a walking day. After an hour of easy road, the guide tests us with a harsh ascent. We pass through a Doa village (Doa is one of the minorities of the region), we eat the lunch wrapped in banana leaves on the road, that we then follow for 8 km. Wherever you look, be it banana trees or bamboos, the vegetation is so rich.

When night comes, we hear music in the village, and Quyet suggests we assist to a village festival honoring the Communism Party with patriotic singing.

23/03
Kayak on the Ba Be Lake
The weather is grey when we leave the host house to sail on pneumatic kayaks. At the beginning, everything looks smooth, as we are protected from the wind, but as soon as we reach the open area, the wind and the rain fight against us, even though the landscape is just gorgeous.

We manage to cross the length of the lake and arrive on a river with little current. We stop at a sort of village where, for once, the men are cooking. After lunch, we walk 1 km to see a pretty fall, and we then return, freezing, to our departure point, but in a boat, this time.
we crossed the paddy fields on arrival, it was so picturesque


24/03
Road day
This morning, at around 4, our hosting family enters our dorm to honor their ancestors, with gifts and incense, as it is the equivalent of AllSaints for the Tais.
On the bus, the landscape changes rapidly, we leave the paddy fields and the very wet weather of Ba Be for a dryer landscape, and we finally see the sun!
Arriving at Cao Bang, we walk around town, its market, its central place with the statue of Ho Chi Minh. There is not much to do here.
sunset at Cao Bang


25/03
Today, after one hour of bus, we start with a tranquil walk among picturesque landscape.

At one point, an old man invites the group to taste his home made corn liquor (it was 11 AM), we then learn that "chuk suk hoe" means "cheers" and he also gives us green tea. After a while of this relaxed atmosphere, the woman of the house tells us that she knows a bit about France, through the information on the radio about the Paris  treaty between Americans and Vietnamese, that meant for her the return of her husband after 20 years of war. We were all dumbfounded by the casual tone she was using. From this moment, I was convinced that Vietnamese are good people, because a family genuinely inviting you to drink with them in their house after such an intense and recent past could not be anything else.

26/03
Today, 18 km of trail awaits us, guided by the man of the house. Funny how he seemed to know everybody, with greetings and laughters. Like this old woman crouching to cut sugar canes, that let the whole group taste and taste again from her canes. Or this other guy that invites us to another glass of corn liquor. For lunch, we stop at a small village with some festival activities, celebrating the founding of the Vietnamese Youth Association. 

We are soon surrounded by curious kids looking at us enthusiastically. We then decide to join the festivities with a tug-o-war between French city guys and Vietnamese country guys. The outcome was sadly predictable...
To "celebrate", they invite us once more to drink from their corn liquor, and we had to insist to our guide that we needed to go, otherwise they would have made us drink for ever... Vietnam is such a warming and welcoming country!
Strangely enough, the rest of the trail passed rather quickly...

The next two days were a trek under light rain, which passed rather easily, closed to the border with China.

And the 3rd day, we hit the road to Halong. On the 30th of March, we embark on our 3 days 2 nights on the Halong Bay, one of my dreams coming true.
beautiful screensaver, right?

The opportunity of kayaking in Halong allows us to enjoy a rather secluded part of the Bay, where we can meet fishermen from floating villages. 

At the end of the trip, on the 2nd of April, we go back to Hanoi, where we have leisure time. The whole group decides to hit the great market of Hanoi, where some Vietnamese refuse to sell us, which is surprising, but where I personally had the best meal of the whole trip on a food stand in a narrow street near the market. Street food is really the best in Vietnam!

On the whole, I really enjoyed that trip, because we stepped outside the main touristic tracks, and it was worth it. We could meet genuinely good people, full of smiles and laughters, it was the first time I felt intimate with a part of the world.

2010-02-16

Thailand 2010


This trip has been organized by Voyageurs du Monde (later mentioned as VDM). It was not a group trip so we were pretty much on our own, and thanks to the Routard travel guide, we were able to manage. While it clearly lacked in terms of organization, it really made me love this country, and I know I will see more of it in the future (let's say, in March 2013)

Our hotel in Bangkok was in Chinatown. Let's just say that with China the year before, we would really have preferred another place to discover Bangkok. Lured by the scales on the map, we decided to go to the Palace by foot, which with the heat and humidity wasn't a very good idea, but public transports, ie buses only in this part of Bangkok, didn't seem any more comfortable... Once at the Palace, the whole square was full of red shirts protesting, so we prudently took the entrance where the tourists buses were stopping. Finally in, a guy at the entrance looked at me, and when he saw that my shoulders and knees were covered, we could finally come in. The Palace is simply splendid, with so much riches in this typical Thai architecture. 


When evening came, we walked prudently near the river, and found our restaurant, "The Deck" at the end of a narrow and ominously dark alley, but offering to its hosts a wonderful view of Wat Arun, the Dawn Temple.
So rather logically, the next day we decide to begin our tourist itinerary with this temple,

followed by Wat Pho, on the other side of the river, with the famous reclining Buddha, some golden Chedis (the other name for Stupas), and the masseurs school, where you can get a massage for practically nothing! But you should know that there is a lot of people waiting, so not possible on a tight scheduled trip.
For public transportation, I clearly advice the boats on the canal. Like in Venice, it's cheap and stops at all the interesting vicinities of Bangkok.
In the evening, we went to the business center of Bangkok, with its skyrail and the beautiful skyline by night seen from the Baiyoke Tower.

We then took the night train to go to Chiang Mai, and again, I clearly recommend the night trains to go anywhere in Thailand. It is a rather long country, and the quality is comfortable. Upon our arrival, we had ta wait 2h for the guide to show up, which represents the first fault in this trip. Instead of letting us discover Chiang Mai like they did for Bangkok, VDM sold a "secret address", that was basically a spartan hotel in the middle of nowhere, accessible after a 4h walk in the jungle, without any path per say. I will pass on the two days we spent there, as it is really exclusive to VDM, and nobody would have the idea to go there on their own. In a way, it was pleasant to be the only tourists around, it did make us feel special, but that's not what we wanted at that time. Nevertheless, the area was quite beautiful, and I don't regret having discovered it. We still did some touristic activities such as an Elephant tour, an ox cart tour, an a bamboo raft tour, before actually returning to our charming hotel in Chiang Mai. And luckily enough, it was Sunday, so we were able to look around the Sunday Market, and there, sincerely, you need to use all your will to not buy anything. I know I didn't.

The next day, we took the plane for Mae Hong Son, the city of the three fogs it is said. And here lies yet another of VDM mistakes: the hotel was indeed recluded, being 7 km from the city, with shuttle only 3 times a day. And the other mistake was: we had three days in the area. So a good idea could have been to rent us a car so we could do a bit of the road between Mae Hong Son and Chiang Mai. But no, as we didn't want to add some expenses to our already expensive trip, we had to do things on our own.
For the time being, we settled with visiting the town, climbing the Doi to a scenic temple, admiring the iconic temple of the city at twilight

and having a drink at the CrossRoads, a backpacker bar, very american, before the shuttle back to the hotel. As the manager was very reluctant to let us use the shuttle to see the area, we decided to take the bus to Soppong and decide what to do from there. 
So we were able to take an early local bus to Soppong, where we were the only tourists, and took the road. I still don't know how the bus didn't explose with the steep parts of the road, but I was already to busy admiring the landscape, which was breathtaking. Paddy fields encircled by cliffs, the lush vegetation, the low angle of the Sun in the morning fog. It was really beautiful, but unfortunately, we didn't have the liberty to stop whenever we wanted, so we lost so many opportunities for great pictures. Arriving at Soppong, which only consists of shops along the main road, the idea was to rent a motorbike to some caves, but as we were the only tourists, nobody could understand us, and when even the signs were not replied, we realized that nobody wanted to rent us a motorbike... So there was not much else to do then admitting it was a fiasco and waiting for the bus back to Mae Hong Son. On the way back, we decided to stop at Wat Tham Hua, a cute temple where weird hippies were living, and we hitchhiked with a German couple whose travel agency, contrary to ours, was clever enough to rent them a car from Chiang Mai to Mae Hong Song.
Back at Chiang Mai, then Krabi, where the weather was really something else, hot and humid, and there awaits the last mistake of VDM. The hotel is on an island near Krabi, "near" meaning 1h of bus and 2h of Long Tail boat. The bungalow is charming, no doubt about that, but we're pretty much stuck, just as we were with the last two "secluded" hotels. We were still able to visit Koh Phi Phi and the Viking Cage, Emeral Lake and the famous Maya Bay. Too many people, but colorful fishes as we snorkel between boats... We went on to Phi Phi Don, then Bamboo Island and Mosquito Island, which were all very nice. The dive I did the next day between Bida Nai and Bida Nok was far more colorful (even though it's not the Maldives)


So, what could I advice the ones planning a trip in Thailand. It is a beautiful country, home to so many cultural pleasures such as food and massages, and relatively feasible on your own. Of course, you should be aware of the Red Shirts activities, tensions at the Laos or Malaysian borders, but really accessible to backpackers. The South is, obviously, but the North is too!

2009-07-24

China 2009




This trip was organized with Chasseurs d'eclipses, specializing in eclipse hunts. We went in July, obviously for the 2009 total eclipse, and the weather was unsurprisingly hot and very humid. As for the trip itself, let's just say that, even more than any other organized trip, in China they take "organized" to a whole new level. I know some people who have backpacked through there, but I never did, so I will relate my experience just as I lived it, that is to say very guided.


We first visited Hong Kong. Just the road from the airport to downtown HK made you feel on another, more futuristic planet. Thin and tall buildings next to nature, extreme poverty next to extreme riches. The view from Victoria Peak lets you admire the metallic forest at your feet.

Then we entered the curiously named Repulse Bay, the chic and European neighborhood, named for the locals repulsing pirates in the good ol' days. And then the guide invited us for the first of many visits to state shops. After that, the bus took us to the Jumbo Restaurant, site of a James Bond scene, where we had a tour of the house boats before actually going to a "typical" Chinese restaurant. And when we finally had time for ourselves, we realized how much of a "gigantic mall" HK, and Kowloon particularly, really is. But when night comes, the daylight architecture treasures become rivals in ever changing lights playing and reflecting on the river.
photo courtesy of SV


The second day led us to Guangzhou, which provided us with the first typical image of China: pointy hats, bi or tricycle converted as heavy loaded vehicles, and construction sites... construction sites everywhere. The guide made us walk into a market selling terrible remedies, such as scorpions, kitties, snakes, turtles, ants, various animal penises... before going to a restaurant proudly showing his menu in huge jars containing snakes, frogs and other delicacies. Guangzhou is not the capital of Chinese gastronomy for nothing! Thankfully, our menu was thought for European palates...

Day three was for me the real beginning of the Chinese trip. We took the plane from Guangzhou to Guiling, and we saw the first karstic rocks... Instead of metallic structure, here the skyscrapers are signed by Nature.


Then we took the bus to Yangshuo, which is even more breathtaking, as it is more lost in Nature, and the peaks can be seen more closely from the paddy fields.




The next day, the travel agency took us on a cruise on the Li Jiang river, which was truly mystical, with the morning fog as a surprise guest.


The same day, we came back to Guilin and then took the plane to Xi'an, for the terracotta army, which was stunning. It's not specially beautiful, but the amount of work behind it just blows your mind. It all seems as if a magic spell binds these soldiers in this terracotta form, and that it can disappear at any moment. Really impressive, all the more when you know that they still need 30 more years to dig them all out!

photo courtesy of SV

After this long day, we took the night train to Beijing, which was rather comfortable, but of course, it was first of four classes.
Upon arrival, we were welcomed by the rain, but that didn't stop our guides from following our very tight schedule. First, Confucius Temple, then the Lhamas temple, where we could learn about the distinctions between the chinese buddhism and the tibetan buddhism (small and great vehicle buddhism respectively).
We then went to the Tian'an Men square, where there were not many people thanks to the rain, and the Beijing Opera, so "avant-garde". And after dinner, we went to a chinese theater, with face-painted dancers and acrobats. It really was an experience I advice to anyone.

photo courtesy of SV


The next day was one of the big days. We started the morning with the Ming Tomb, in a highly Feng Shui positive valley thought by Emperor Yong Le. For Feng Shui followers, a river is flowing at the center of the valley, wind is always present, and two hills make the border of the valley, one shaped as a tiger ready to jump to its prey, the second one shaped as a Dragon waving in the sky. 

photo courtesy of SV


And the afternoon was... the Great Wall!

There really is no word for it. You see it so often on pictures, with every angle, but nothing compares to actually walking the same path as some of the bravest warriors in history. Now, tourists like us are the new invaders, but there it is. I don't think "Wall", even the greatest of all, is enough to describe this masterpiece. 


The next day another masterpiece awaited us: the Forbidden City

Unfortunately, it was on a Sunday, and you litterally had to battle with elbows and knees to see something through the wall of Chinese visitors. Fifteen years it took them to build this wonder, and we can only visit 30% of it, which is already a lot. It is not the only thing to sightsee, though, especially the Summer Temple, where our guide told us about Empress Ci'Xi, mean and extremely cunning woman, who did everything to retain the power. 

photo courtesy of SV

After this beauty from the past, we were guided to the Olympics site. The Bird's Nest and the Cube are formidably original, they could not have been born anywhere else than on this extravagant capital city, which artistically links Imperial, Communist and Post-modern eras.

Our next step before the eclipse was Suzhou, which with a Venice vibe and 9 UNESCO Heritage Sites is clearly worth it. Everything about these different places is zen, from the Civil Servant Park to traditional houses. 
photo courtesy of SV

I will not talk about the eclipse site, which was a seaside city with no interest, and I will directly skip to the Oh so trendy Shanghai, with its Bund, its site for the World Expo 2010 - at that time still under construction, Nanjin Road, and its characteristic buildings. Shanghai is the economical capital of the People's Republic of China, but you can clearly say that it is also its international gate. It's buzzing with activity all day - and night - long, and I think it was nice to finish with this.


So there was my experience of China. It was the firt time I was confronted with a completely different view of the world than the one I was born in. This bulldozer lifted by billions of people keeps going forward without questioning the colateral damages, moved by a philosophy shaped over millenia, that we Eurpeans cannot grasp entirely. It is the heritage of one of the most prolific empire in the world and one of the most drastic regime in human history. So even though this trip gave us the image of China that its government wanted us to have, it is easy to have your own opinion, based on little details or winding through octopuss cities... 

Even though I wasn't really motivated by China as a touristic country, I'm really glad I took this trip, because it made me learn something new about the world. That's why I advice people to go there.

What is YOUR experience of China? Do you have places other than the ones listed above that seem iconic to you?