China... bucket list: TICK!


Visiting China earlier this year means a major bucket list item ticked off! Among the many highlights during the three weeks of sensory overload, were the following phenomenal adventures:

• Walking on the Great Wall... awesome!
• Terracotta Warriors... priceless!
• Longji rice terraces... magical!
• Gorges of the Yangtze River... spectacular!

The whirlwind tour also took in the modern megacity of Shanghai, built on the banks of the Yangtze as it spills into the East China Sea. Then there was Beijing, with its superior transport infrastructure as well as its crazy road traffic and crowded city streets. The ancient fortified city of Xian offered spectactular views from my bicycle atop the ramparts. And then there was Guilin - a pretty countryside retreat city nestled in a sea of rocky limestone peaks and featuring a network of lakes and gardens. I learned so much about this ancient land and its people and culture, and corrected some sadly misguided preconceptions.

A recommended bucket list adventure!