More than 1.5 million international visitors arrived in Macau in the first six months of 2008, up 46.5 per cent on the same 2007 period, according to the Macau Government Tourist Office. This figure does not include the 8.8 million mainland China residents who visited in the same period. Arrivals from East and Southeast Asian countries rose most notably, with growth ranging from 29 per cent to 82 per cent.

via bizchina-update.com

Voilà donc la suite de mes aventures dans le nord du Yunnan. Je rappelle que nous sommes a Quiatou et que nous venons de terminer le trek des gorges du saut du tigre. Désolé, pas beaucoup de photos pour cette entrée, j'ai laissé Nenez en prendre avec son appareil.

via travelblog.org

China's blend of art traditions, mixing the modern with the traditional, and the secular with the religious, is quite evident in the production of "Zen Shaolin" that is being shown at an outdoor theater in Henan Province. From what I read in the New York Times article about the production, for anyone heading to China, or who is in China now, I'd take this in if I had the chance.

via gadling.com

Are you looking for something to do this weekend but have zero intention of going far or making a big deal of a family road trip? Don’t forget about Southern California’s Metrolink trains. The Metrolink offers 25% off fares on weekends and has easy tips for first-time riders. The best part about using the Metrolink on the weekends is that you can make a beach trip out of it.

via travel.latimes.com

I simply adore Beijing's Forbidden City. I have been to Beijing four times but have been to the Forbidden City over fifty times. I love it more than could possibly be described using only words. A lot of people who come to the Forbidden City take the four hour tour, but I take the eight hours a day tour for several days in a row.

via travelblog.org

I have to say that I fell in love with Jordan! Its scenery is absolutely spectacular, and the people are really very friendly. And there’s so much to see – ruined Roman cities, Crusader castles, desert citadels and awesome biblical sites (the river where Jesus was baptized, the fortress where Herod beheaded John the Baptist, and Mt. Nebo where Moses saw the “Promised Land”).

via blogs.bootsnall.com

Ah, today we finally get to feel the sun on our skin. It feels so good. I’m rather upset that I’ve lost nearly all my tan over here. I’m looking pretty white. What a difference compared to when I was in Belize! While I mourn the lack of sun, when the sun finally comes out the Chinese women do everything they can to cover themselves up. They sell little shirts they can pull over their arms while on their mopeds.

via travelblog.org

Je n'ai pas eu le temps de decrire Hohhot la derniere fois, mais ca devrait etre assez court. C'est une ville assez bizarre, dont l'agglomeration compte a peu pres 2 millions d'habitants, qui m'a parue assez riche (disons qu'il y a les memes quartiers modernes qu'ailleurs mais que les quartiers pauvres ont l'air plus propres et un peu moins nombreux).

via travelblog.org

First off, this was the morning where we were supposed to have our "medical exam". Everyone coming to China has to undergo one, as they are extremely cautious about anybody entering the country with an infectious disease.

via travelblog.org

After having spent 9 months in Hohhot, it was about time for me to go and see the grasslands which Inner Mongolia province is known for. On Monday morning the weather wasn't looking too good at first, in fact, the last few weeks we had loads of rain here in Hohhot. (something to do with Beijing not wanting any rain during the games...?)

via travelblog.org

Every August my mother's family gets together at my aunt Laura's lake house in Washington. I usually don't take many photos, but since I'm still in tourist mode from my summer travels I had my camera with me the whole time. I'm not feeling very wordy but here's a plethora of photos to make up for it.

via travelblog.org

Today we will travel to Tianjin. Literally meaning “where the emperor crosses the river,” Tianjin, China is a place of increasing popularity. Many tourists enjoy a visit to Ancient Culture Street or Gu Wenhua Jie. Here, you can browse through numerous shops and stalls to find all sorts of knick knacks and souvenirs. While exploring the city, stop and admire the beautiful Haihe River, dubbed the “mother river” of Tianjin.

via blog.realtravel.com

I just finished a really nourishing meal consisting of a piece of fried flat bread covered in sugar and bowl of milky tea that tasted like a cross between cream and beef broth. Despite the funny taste, my mouth was so happy to eat something that WASN'T Chinese food! We're in XinJiang, the most western province in China, and the people are a mix of Uighers.

via travelblog.org

With our visit in Urumqi we were in the capital of Xinjiang -- a province as big as Alaska. David was impressed with the 5-star hotel. A 3 hour drive through the country took us to Heaven's Lake, where we enjoyed a gondola ride up mountain and boat ride on the lake. Then a night trip by air to Kashgar.

via travelblog.org

After seven weeks in China, my VISA had all but expired, so I head for a small city called Kaifeng, a four hour bus-ride from Luoyang, in hopes of getting an extension.
Unfortunately, because of the Olympics, 2008 is China's 'Special Year' and VISAs are hard to come by. In Kaifeng they could only give me a 10 day extension from that day - not much point when I still had 13 days left on the current one.

via travelblog.org