On Sunday, June 30th we climbed the Great Wall of China at Jingshangling , about 100 miles ( 160 km) Northwest of Beijing. Though the weather was misty the views were great. The Great Wall was fascinating for my 12 year old son. This area of the wall is unimproved and difficult to access – recommended only for fit and adventurous travelers.

FOR ADVENTURES IN CHINA, CLICK HERE

Guanxi Province, South China . We travelled via small bamboo boat from Guilin to Yangshuo on the Li RIver. Being on the river afforded some relief from the 102 degree heat ( 39 C ) .

Karst formations begin in South China and are prevalent in nearby Vietnam, as well as Thailand.

Incredible video will be posted in future updates.

An ancient village untouched by time – except for smartphones.

A terraced tea plantation. Excellent green and black teas were enjoyed.

FOR ADVENTURES IN CHINA, CLICK HERE

We have been in Shanghai for the past two days and just now the photo uploading is working properly. Getting here was not easy. Our connecting flight from Beijing was cancelled ( as were all flights to Shanghai ) and we had to take an overnight train. Today we leave for Guilin and the wilds of Guanxi Province,South China. Here are some random photos. ArcticTropic will catch up when we arrive in Hong Kong late next week. We have been shooting beautiful video with the GoPro, but the videos would take hours to upload on slow hotel speeds.

Lamasery Ulanbaatar.

Roadside on the way back to Ulanbataar.

At the Statue of Genghis Khan.

Boom Town Ulanbaatar.

On the Plexiglass floor 1000 feet above Pudong from the Shanghai TV Tower.

FOR ADVENTURES IN MONGOLIA, CLICK HERE

At long last ArcticTropic is posting. We have been in a very remote area of Mongolia for the past 5 days,with no internet access, much less electricity. Our Mongolian Adventure , with Tour Mongolia began after an overnight train trip from Beijing. We also have great video which will be posted when there is adequate bandwidth.

Home for two days, with a nomad family. Gers ( yurts) are comfortable houses for the summer, when herding takes place.

The diet is almost entirely meat based. Usually lamb,goat or beef, but on this day Marmot is served !

In the nearby town the summer festival of Naadam was observed.

Horse racing took place all day.

Marmot is a local delicacy.

Camel riding is another form of transport. This brief post will be added to soon, as we are now preparing for a morning trip to Shanghai.

FOR ADVENTURES IN MONGOLIA, CLICK HERE

A week from today ArcticTropic boards a flight from Miami to Berlin, then to Barcelona. From Valencia, Spain, where my 12 year old son will join me, we fly via Zurich to Beijing. RIght now working on optimizing the GoPro for amazing video !

In late June ArcticTropic travels to China and Mongolia. First Beijing for a few days, then the Trans Siberian to Ulanbataar. From Mongolia down through Central China, winding up in Chengdu – and onwards to Hong Kong.

Expeditions for the rest of the year are in the advance planning stages. Above is the flight pattern for June-July.

The flight pattern for October -November, above.

Hong Kong is not all high rises. Much of it is rural farmland close to Shenzhen in the New Territories. The Southern part of Hong Kong Island is reminiscent of  Hawaii. Just 20 minutes from the Shau Kei Wan MTR station via double decker bus is Shek O, an expatriate village by the sea.

At the end of a 2 km trail , there is a peaceful overlook upon this rocky point.

At night the Star Ferry is one of the best ways to see the incredible nighttime skyline of both Hong Kong Island and Kowloon.

FOR ADVENTURES IN CHINA, CLICK HERE

On May 15th, I flew China Eastern from Hangzhou to Guangzhou. Guangzhou Airport is massive – it appeared several times bigger than  JFK or LAX. Cargo terminals make up most of that – almost anything one buys in a Home Depot or Pottery Barn or any other massive chain was made within 50 miles of Guangzhou. The city itself is massive – Manhattan coud fit into the corner of a smaller neighborhood. Above is the TV Tower – about 1480 feet.

Nearby is a tall Pagoda – dwarfed by theTV Tower.

The Pearl River from the TV Tower.

7:30 AM Monday May 16th. Primary schoolers stand for assembly , which includes patriotic songs, speeches by teachers , awards to students. In general these children are about 2 years ahead of American children in math and science.

The Shanghai Trade Fair Mart across the Pearl River.

CPU’s and keyboards en route to California.

It seems that all cheap souvenirs , tchachkes, bricabrac , momentos and swag are made in Guangzhou. These cups can be ordered by the container load at 20 cents a piece.

FOR ADVENTURES IN CHINA, CLICK HERE

What’s For Dinner Tonight ?

Before

After

Any thing that walks, flies,swims or slithers is considered food.

A Muslim Uigyr Restaurant in Shanghai featuring the cuisine of Xinjiang.

Drunken Venison .

Delicious Pigeon Head at Bao Lu in Shanghai.

Giant Crab at Norman’s Seafood in Shanghai – RMB 4000 – about $ 600 each.

Delicious Duck Tongues.

FOR ADVENTURES IN CHINA, CLICK HERE