Asia 2006

USA - Cross Country Trip

2006-06-08: Grand Junction - Left today with Kim Lerner, Jen Resnick and the big and fat Shanty
2006-06-09: Kansas City
2006-06-10: Chicago
2006-06-11: Philadelphia
2006-06-12: Rhode Island
2006-06-13: Rhode Island

China (25 nights)

2006-07-01: Beijing —
2006-07-02: Beijing —
2006-07-03: Beijing —
2006-07-04: Beijing —
2006-07-05: Beijing — Temple of Heaven
2006-07-06: Beijing —
2006-07-07: Beijing —
2006-07-08: Sleeper bus — Sleeper bus from Beijiao Long-Distance Bus Station to Erlian via Discover Mongolia

Mongolia (13 nights)

2006-07-09: Train to Ulaanbaatar — Arrive to Erlian in the morning and hang around for a bit. We take a minibus to the border. I take a picture of a gas station and we are pulled over by security demanding a bribe. We enter Mongolia and go to the Zamïn-Üüd train station. We buy tickets to Ulaanbaatar. Our train leaves at 5:20pm.
2006-07-10: Ulaanbaatar —
2006-07-11: Ulaanbaatar —
2006-07-12: Ulaanbaatar —
2006-07-13: Ulaanbaatar —
2006-07-14: Karkorum —
2006-07-15: Karkorum —
2006-07-16: Ger — in the middle of no where
2006-07-17: Lake Tsetserleg —
2006-07-18: Karkorum —
2006-07-19: Ulaanbaatar —
2006-07-20: Ulaanbaatar —
2006-07-21: All-night train ride —

China (2nd time; 20 nights)

2006-07-22: Hohhot — Back to China
2006-07-23: Datong — Train to Datong
2006-07-24: Datong — Yungang Grottoes
2006-07-25: Datong —
2006-07-26: Shanghai — China Railway N214 from Datong to Beijing West The train ride is magical, be sure and do this segment during the day. In Beijing, I barely catch China Eastern flight 5128 to SHA Shanghai Hongqiao Airport. Enroute, the kind chap sitting next to me suggests I visit Qian Dao Hu in Zhejiang. In Shanghai, I take a taxi to Jeremy’s flat in the French Concession and visit some bars.
2006-07-27: Shanghai — Stayed with Jeremy in the French Concession, round 3
2006-07-28: Shanghai —
2006-07-29: Shanghai —
2006-07-30: Shanghai —
2006-07-31: Shanghai —

2006-08-01: Nanjing — China Railway T718 from Shanghai to Nanjing. It is pouring rain in Nanjing. My hostel denies my reservation so I sleep in the office.
2006-08-02: Night on train — I tour Nanjing in the day. In the evening, China Railway 2521 from Nanjing to Huangshan, Anhui. I arrive to Huangshan station early the next morning.
2006-08-03: Huangshan — Epic hike up Huangshan and sleep at Beihai Hotel.
2006-08-04: Tongkou — I hike around the summit of Huangshan and then walk down a different path than I took up. We decend slowly and I find myself with a group of cheerful people. At the bottom I grab tranport to Tongkou.
2006-08-05: Tongkou — I tour Hongcun, Anhui, China, Emerald Valley, Tangkou
2006-08-06: Qian Dao Hu; met Juliet; ended up in Hangzhou that night
2006-08-07: Hangzhou; Stayed at the Mingtown Youth Hostel
2006-08-08: Hangzhou — Stayed at the Mingtown Youth Hostel
2006-08-09: Shangahi — China Railway T730 from Hangzhou to Shanghai. I arrive to Shanghai railway station two hours later and stay in a hotel in Puxi, north of the Puzhong.
2006-08-10: Shanghai — I transfer to the Mingtown Hiker Youth Hostel; Went out with Jason at night in Gubei to the Champs Bar, et al.

Canada

2006-08-11: Air Canada flight AC 0038 V (B763)
2006-08-12: Vancouver
2006-08-13: Vancouver
2006-08-14: Vancouver
2006-08-15: Vancouver
2006-08-16: Shanghai Pudong PVG, China → Vancouver YVR, Canada
Air Canada flight AC 0554 V (A319)