The Adventure Begins

Sorry for the long hiatus but without a VPN it was impossible to update the blog while in China.

Lacey and I have begun our new adventure traveling around South East Asia for the next twelve months. By the look of things we left Beijing in the nick of time: Beijing Flooding We  began two weeks ago flying into Thailand directly to Koh Samui to celebrate our five year wedding anniversary on the same island where we were married. After a few romantic days and nights we hopped over to Koh Phangan for two days and then on to Koh Tao. We are now in Chiang Mai headed towards Laos in the morning. 

Arriving in Thailand was figuratively and literally a giant breath of fresh air. When we got off the airplane we heard a Chinese woman speaking to her little boy. She said, "Kan baobao, tiankong shi lan se de!" (Look sweetheart, the sky is blue!)

While in Koh Tao I completed two diving certifications: Advanced Open Water and Rescue Diver. They were great and I'm very exited about continuing my education to become a Dive Master and possibly an instructor. Lacey was extremely supportive, patiently relaxing for six days while I worked my butt off. For my next certification we will have to find a place that can provide her with something interesting to do because it wouldn't be fair to make her sit around bored for four weeks. To see more photos check out our Facebook.

The underwater scenery was spectacular. Throughout my time in the water I saw barracuda, turtles, shrimp, eel, giant clams and an array of beautiful, tropical fish. During my Advanced Open Water course I chose to dedicate one of my dives to learning how to become a naturalist and recognize the ecology of the reef. One interesting symbiotic relationship that I observed was between a Watchman Gobi and Pistol Shrimp. The two work together in the same hole in the sand. The Shrimp digs a hole for his family and the fish but is nearsighted. The fish stands guard and warns the shrimp of possible danger. check out the clip below and fast forward to 45 seconds to see the shrimp in action.

While in Laos we plan on sailing down the Mekong and then make our way north into Yunnan, China. We are really exited to get off the beaten tourist track and really experience some raw adventure. Thailand just doesn't quite feel the same this time around. It never was really an undiscovered destination but returning here after five years has made the drastic increase in tourism clear.

While in Yunnan we plan to visit the city of Dali and do a two day trek to Tiger Leaping Gorge. Then we plan to head east to see Guilin, Guangzho, Hong Kong and Macau. Please note that during the month of August we will be back in China without a VPN and will not be able to update Wanderlust. Once we get to Hong Kong we will check in and hopefully share some amazing stories.

Xiangshan "Fragrant Hill"

This week Lacey and I had the pleasure of hosting one of our old friends, Matt. He is an awesome fellow who used to live here in Beijing and has returned for the summer to backpack around China for seven weeks. Please check out his website: backpackinchina.com. 

Matt must have worked some magic because as soon as he arrived the pollution index dropped to unprecedented levels. I'm talking about a 19 on the scale instead of the usual 150-200 range. Check out the current levels here to see what i'm talking about: BJ Air Quality.

This amazing weather prompted a much needed escape from the city to see Xiangshan, Fragrant Hill. This park outside of Beijing was first built by the Jin Dynasty in 1186 and gets its name from the giant incense burner at the top of the mountain.

As you can see from the above picture, it was in fact one of the most beautiful days I had ever seen in beijing. There were clear blue skys and amazing fresh air. Until we got to the top and looked back at Beijing. It seems that even on such an incredible day the City was still covered with a layer of nasty pollution.

Matt, Lacey and I still thoroughly enjoyed the Xiangshan and would recommend that anybody living in Beijing wait for a clear day to visit it. Otherwise you won't be able to se anything up there but a big grey blob.

Our New Logo

Hope you all like our new logo. More exciting adventure are on the way, check back soon!

BJ Sandwich

Traveling abroad is always exciting. Seeing new things, eating different foods, learning new languages, cultures and histories are a few reasons people break away from their comfort zones and routine lives. We have all been a tourist at one point or another, on a guided tour or following maps around a city. When you know a city very well and are no longer a tourist, picking out the tourists is easy and sometimes very fun.

After living in Beijing for two years, we have seen every tourist destination. Now that it’s summer again, tourists are flocking to the city, foreigners and Chinese alike. The Great Wall is crowded, the Nest is swarming and the hutongs attract tourists looking for a more “local” experience.

There are many more noticeable sites in Beijing in the summer that you wouldn’t see in the winter. For example, babies with slit pants so that they can pee with ease, kites flying, men with their shirts rolled up exposing their bellies, watermelons in plastic bags, ladies carrying umbrellas to shade their skin from the sun, a lot of drunk men eating BBQ, and much more.

So after all our time spent in the city there is little that surprises us anymore. We would not usually take pictures of foreigners; the sites and the local people spark our interest more. With that said, a few weeks ago while visiting the Ho Hai hutong area we saw a site that was not only hilarious but also worthy of a picture.

Every foreigner, resident or traveler, enjoys I ♥ BJ t-shirts, for obvious reasons. It is also very clear that a lot of foreign men like Chinese ladies. To see these two foreign men wearing matching I ♥ BJ t-shirts, riding a tandem bicycle with a Chinese lady in the middle was comical and the epitome of a tourist in Beijing. Now that we are preparing to leave Beijing we have officially captured the typical, amusing adventures of foreign men in the city. 

Hip Hypocrisy

Yesterday, while visiting the sites in Beijing with my new Couchsurfer friend, I stumbled upon this interesting scene. A monk taking a picture with an ipad. At first I thought it belonged to the nice people he was taking a picture of but as I watched him for the next few minutes it became clear that it was his.

So... whats wrong with this you might ask. The second noble truth of Buddhism states that suffering is caused by the desire for material goods and immortality, both of which cannot be satisfied and thus can only cause suffering. Therefore a Buddhist monk should adhere to those teachings, right...? When Lacey and I got married in Thailand, by nine Buddhist monks we paid them with a cup of tea, a flower and a take away lunch.

In China and Korea Buddhist monks have gained quite a reputation for doing un-Buddhist stuff. Check this out: Buddhist Monks Caught Gambling, Smoking and Boozing. On a few occasions when the topic of Buddhism comes up around our local friends, some of them start to tell us how much their father despises Buddhist monks because they get rich of of donations and never have to work for their money. This completely baffled me, I thought these guys had to beg for their daily meal, not for enough money to buy a luxury automobile. The Monk Who Got A Ferrari

While these examples are unique and definitely not a general representation of the Buddhist religion, it is a humbling reminder that we are all imperfect beings regardless of our individual faith.

Everybody Loves Pandas

I realize that my previous posts up until this point have been a bit negative and vulgar. After spending almost a week unemployed and no longer commuting 36 kilometers a day by bicycle, in Beijing traffic, I have reverted to my usual happy go lucky self and promise to try and keep this blog on more of a positive note. After all, who likes reading about shit, literally! 

Here are a couple photos of our visit to the Chengdu Panda Breeding and Research Center. It was a majestic place that captured the true beauty of the Sichuan province. We arrived early in the morning during feeding time and were able to see the Pandas at their most active.

When you live in such a crazy city like Beijing, it is too easy to forget that calm quiet places of peace and tranquility still exist. Luckily I have my eyes on the horizon as our new adventure draws nearer each day.

This little guy has been spending too much time commuting in Beijing traffic!!

When Zero Star Customers Use Five Star Facilities

For those of you who don't know, the standards of hygiene in China are not that great. I was lucky enough to walk in on this unpleasant situation yesterday at The Shangri La Hotel Beijing. Funny enough, I had just watched a piece on BBC about new public toilet standards. Take a look here: Beijing toilet clean-up scheme introduces two fly limit