After a quick and yet harrowing stopover in Erlian at the border between Mongolia and China, we spent the next 8 hours on the train passing the time by mostly eating, talking, looking out the window into the Gobi desert, and engaging in depth soul-crushing...
After a bit of too much drinking on the train last night and sleeping in at around 2am, we woke up at 9am for the border crossing from Mongolia into China at Zamin Uud. Although it was a lot less serious than the crossing between Russia and Mongolia, the process...
The following is the last of 4 guest posts on China by Lei Zhao, who continues to contribute to the Monsoon Diaries adventures time and time again. Lei Zhao and I have been close friends since 7th grade of middle school. Saying that we’ve been through a lot...
The following is the third of 4 guest posts on China by Lei Zhao, who continues to contribute to the Monsoon Diaries adventures time and time again. Lei Zhao and I have been close friends since 7th grade of middle school. Saying that we’ve been through a lot...
The following is the second of 4 guest posts on China by Lei Zhao, who continues to contribute to the Monsoon Diaries adventures time and time again. Lei Zhao and I have been close friends since 7th grade of middle school. Saying that we’ve been through a lot...
The following is the first of 4 guest posts on China by Lei Zhao, who continues to contribute to the Monsoon Diaries adventures time and time again. Lei Zhao and I have been close friends since 7th grade of middle school. Saying that we’ve been through a lot...
Leaving in two days for the states. gulp. In beijing now, rediscovering a city I had only briefly seen before. I love these back alleys and tea shops. Two things I should start this entry with: 1. I was raised Chinese (well, as well as my parents could manage in...