A Pair of Panties and Boxers » Beijing

Photo Friday: Gateway To The Summer Palace

Monica — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 10:45:03 +0000

Photo Collection: Faces of The Future

Monica — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 10:45:12 +0000

Sometimes it’s not so hard to see the future. All you have to do is look at the faces of the children around the world.

Burma

Baby looking at his own picture in Inle Lake, Burma

Cousins at a wedding in Inle Lake

Family at the edge of the Ayeyarwaddy in Bagan

Jodi and Htu on Mandalay's famous teak bridge

Somber child atop Mandalay Hill in Burma

Market faces in Inle Lake

Jodi Ettenberg

She’s a former lawyer from Montreal currently eating her way around the world, one country at a time. Marshmallow enthusiast, volcano climber and cave spelunker, also a geek. She’s been traveling since April 1, 2008. Check out all of her adventures at Legal Nomads and follow her on Twitter @legalnomads.

Cambodia

This little guy seems to be deep in thought as he sits in the doorway of Preah Ko.

This photo was taken at Angkor Wat on our 2nd day. We were used to kids approaching us to sell as things by then but this little girl had other things on her mind. She came running up to us pointing at our leftover pineapple and mango in a baggie, saying "food for me?". How could we resist this face?

At our last stop, on the third day of our Angkor Wat experience, we came across this girl and her brother at Lolei. They were obviously used to posing for photos by the tourists and flashed the peace sign to everyone wandering past.

Corina & Jason

Corina & Jason left their jobs, sold their house and said (a temporary) goodbye to their kitties to travel around the world. Never having left the North American continent in her 39 years, Corina decided it was time to spread their collective wings. Armed with Jason’s obsessively compiled list of UNESCO sites they spent 10 months circumventing the globe. Now back home in Canada, Jason is looking for a job and Corina is overwhelmed with the possibilities. You can read about their RTW trip at www.in2travels.com and follow her on Twitter @in2travels.

Africa

China

Andi Perullo

When Andi is not treating patients, she is traveling or dreaming of the next place to visit. Thus far, she has stepped foot in about 40 countries. Her adventure-filled life is satiated only by more experience and more knowledge. To her, her country is the world and she want to explore all of it! Her undying love affair with travel is due to the sheer intrigue of untrodden roads, different cultures, and life-changing encounters.

Photo Friday: Colors of Beijing

Monica — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 10:50:33 +0000

I was reminiscing about my time in Beijing the other day. Here are some of my most memorable moments there:

Temples From Europe To Asia

Monica — Fri, 21 May 2010 11:00:06 +0000

Temples. Temples. Temples. What can I say about temples? I don’t know. Let’s just look at pretty pictures of temples instead.

Pura Luhur, Uluwatu

The silhouette of Pura Luhur sitting on a cliff overlooking the sea. Uluwatu, Bali, right after the sunset

Temple of Debod, Madrid

The illuminated Temple of Debod at dusk in Parque del Oeste, Madrid. This temple was originally built in Egypt around 2nd century BC, and then in 1968 it was donated to Spain and rebuilt in Madrid.

Temple of Poseidon, Greece

The ancient Greek temple of Poseidon, Cape Sounion, Greece. Built around 440 BC.

Dina from Vagabond Quest

Ryan and Dina are a couple of permanent travelers vagabonding around the world. Ryan is a software guy from Canada, and Dina is a chemist from Java, Indonesia. They met in Japan and then lived in Ontario, Canada. In April 2009, they closed their home and since then have been living on the road with their 2 backpacks. They focus on cheap travel and ways to get more travel enjoyment for less cash. In their blog “Vagabond Quest“, they share their stories and recommendations. Follow them on Twitter @VagabondQuest.

Angkor Wat, Cambodia

We often see from the other side of the lens and think the photographer was in solitude. Once I shot my sunrise for Angkor Wat I decided to shoot the reality.

Ayngelina

Ayngelina left her job, apartment, boyfriend and friends to travel solo throughout Central and South America. You can read about her adventures at Bacon is Magic, as she eats her way through Central and South America. You can follow her on Twitter @Ayngelina.

Angkor Wat, Cambodia

The temples and ruins of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Angkor Wat fascinate travelers as a look into the past, but Angkor Wat is still very much a modern sacred site as well. Pictured is a New Year celebration within the temple complex.

Kevin Revolinski

Kevin Revolinski is the author of The Yogurt Man Cometh: Tales of an American Teacher in Turkey and the Bangkok expert for NileGuide.com. His website and blog are at The Mad Traveler Online.

My Son, Vietnam

Click on image to read more.

Dave Dean

Dave was born and raised in small town New Zealand providing him with the perfect beginnings for a lifelong travel addiction. After graduating from university with a degree in History and Political Science he packed his meager belongings into a backpack and headed for London. The subsequent years have seen him traveling through thirty-something countries and watching my ‘must see’ list grow larger almost as quickly as I’ve watched my bank balance grow smaller. Check out Dave’s blog, What’s Dave Doing, and follow him on Twitter @driftingkiwi.

Rome, Italy

The Temple of Antoninus and Faustina, built in the 2nd Century AD, was converted into a church in the Middle Age and is thus a wonderful example of the layers of History.

The Temple of Venus Genetrix was dedicated to the goddess of motherhood and domesticity by Julius Caesar in 46 BC.

Simon Los Roques

Simon is ‘wild about travel’ and as soon as possible she packs a few things and goes. Born in Italy, growing up in a small village in the Swiss mountains and at 18 back to Italy, in Milan, she remained a nature lover. Simon loves adventure travel and wilderness, and she is wild about scuba diving, hiking and skiing. She started blogging for fun, while she was jobless, but soon got passionate and continues writing her ‘Travel tales by a Travel Addict’.

Visit Simon’s blog at Wild About Travel and follow her on Twitter.

Angkor Wat, Cambodia

Angkor is a location that lends itself to black and white pictures, I think. The contrasts of the landscape to the ruins seem to show up better in that format. Plus, I think it gives a better image of the age of everything.

Pre Rup, Cambodia

Pre Rup, which is one of the oldest of the temples in the main Angkor Wat area. A nightly traditional is climbing those steps to the top and watching sunset from up there. It's wonderfully peaceful.

Michael Hodson

Michael just completed a sixteen month, round-the-world trip without taking a single plane. His blog — One Lap, No Jetlag — is at www.mobilelawyer.blogspot.com and you can Twitter him at @mobilelawyer.

Phenom Penh, Cambodia

Royal Temple

Matt Preston

Matt Preston is an English travel photographer and co-founder of Travel With Mate. He has also created a book entitled “Portraits of Asia.” Matt is currently living in Sydney, Australia before going to Borneo.

Beijing, China

The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests at the Temple of Heaven

Prayer Cards tied to a bridge at the Confucian Temple

Burning incense and praying at the Lama Temple

Emily Hyndman

Emily Hyndman is a recent college graduate who never leaves home without her camera. A recent trip to Beijing left her with a desire to explore Asia. A big fan of slow travel, Emily hopes to eventually live and work abroad. Until that day comes, she enjoys exploring and living in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, starting with her new home in Seattle, WA. You can follow her on Twitter @eehyndman.

New Delhi, India

Baha'i Temple

Lumbini, Nepal

Mayadevi Temple - Birthplace of Buddha

Sravastlup, India

Myanmar Monastery

Aye, Jack & Emma

These pictures were taken during a mother-daughter Buddhist Pilgrimage to India and Nepal in early 2008. Follow this fabulous family of three on their inspiring blog Got Passport: Will Travel. Will Serve and follow them on Twitter @gotpassport as they prepare to move to Chiang Mai, Thailand this summer.

Kiyomizu-dera, Kyoto, Japan

This UNESCO World Heritage Site is a Buddhist temple complex consisting of over 30 beautiful, old buildings that rest on a hillside full of trees and natural springs.

Java, Indonesia

Prambanan temple complex near Jogjakarta on the island of Java, Indonesia. These Hindu temples date from the 9th century and are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Bali, Indonesia

This temple is known for its spectacular location as it rests on a cliff about 70 meters above the ocean.

Jenna Francisco

Jenna works as a professor in Sacramento, California, but loves to get away whenever she can. She studied and lived abroad and has traveled extensively through Europe. She has a multi-cultural family and spends time every year visiting family either in Brazil or Indonesia, or both. As the mother of a toddler, she is learning new ways to travel and looks forward to sharing her adventures with others. Check out her blog at Adventures of a 21st Century Family.

Photo Friday: Ancient Relics From The Forbidden City

Monica — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 11:00:06 +0000

This photo was taken by my friend Jabari Bell. He took all of the photos from Beijing. I’m not exactly sure what these are but they look like scroll tubes. The preservation of colors is incredible.

What Was The Destination That Challenged You The Most?

Monica — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 12:04:41 +0000

This question was submitted by Joel from The Freedonia Post. If you’d like to know more about me, my travels or anything else you’d like to know, feel free to ask me!

Photo by Jabari Bell

Physically: Beijing

I was able to escape the typhoon in Shanghai but the furious intensity of the Artic winds that blew through the Summer Palace was another story. I visited Beijing during the coldest winter day and the wind literally cut through me like butter. Climbing The Great Wall proved to be a challenge too. The higher I climbed, the stronger the winds blew. It stunted my progress and blew the air right out of my lungs.

Emotionally: Shanghai

I went to college in New York City so I commuted to and from school. Studying abroad in Shanghai was the first and only time I lived away from my parents. I didn’t get to ease into living on my own. I was flown half way across the world and dropped there. Splat!

There was language barrier since I knew minimal Mandarin, which left me awfully lonely and terribly confused. I applied to the Chinese Language Program at Fudan University through SUNY Albany. Both schools did a poor job of communicating and advising me while I was abroad. Both schools also chose to blame me for not being responsible enough to figure out the appropriate documents that were required.

Now, I totally understand and can completely accept responsibility for my actions if I was the only one having this issue. But when all of the students I know who are in this program are having the same exact problem, then it’s not me. It’s the universities. Needless to say, it made the beginning of my study abroad experience hell.

Homesick hit quick but it was cured by my wanderlust.

Intellectually: No where

I’ve never gone to a place that was intellectually challenging. They’ve always been intellectually stimulating.

Photo Friday: Door Detail At The Temple of Heaven

Monica — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 11:06:16 +0000

Image by Jabari Bell

Cultural Norms

Monica — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 12:00:17 +0000

Her eyes scanned from left to right. She missed me but I certainly didn’t miss her. She sat directly in front of me and she was digging. She was really digging. She was digging like there was gold. I cringed as she pulled out a yellowish-green gunk sitting on the underside of her long, narrow pinky fingernail. She rolled it into a ball and flicked it, shamelessly. Then she snorted.

As I watched, I thought, “Should I tell her politely that it’s not appropriate to be doing that in public? Should I hand her a tissue and maybe she’d get the point? Or should I continue to give this look of disgust for her to see?” In the end, I did nothing. I turned away when she looked at me. I wasn’t sure if she was embarrassed but I was. We both had the same face – yellow skin, almond eyes. This is how stereotypes are born.

But who am I to tell her what and what not to do? It’s an American taboo to pick your nose in public but maybe it’s a norm in China, just like how it’s perfectly normal to hock a loogie in the hutongs of Beijing. Cultural norms in America are no superior to norms in China. However, if I were living in a Muslim country where the cultural norm is for women to dress conservatively, I wouldn’t walk out of the house in a tank top. I understand there’s a difference between religion and hygiene, but if you willingly choose to live in a foreign culture you should at least respect its cultural norms. Right?

My Top 10 Posts of 2009

Monica — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 19:00:21 +0000

My New Year’s Resolution: To be happy & healthy in mind, body & spirit. And travel a crap load more.

I started A Pair of Panties & Boxers as a reminder to myself to never conform to society’s norm in the daily grind of a 9-5. I didn’t want my job to be the reason I stopped seeing beyond four walls and I didn’t want the burden of saving for grad school keep me from seeing the world. I figured the best way to travel as much as I can is to start a travel blog because in order to write about my travels, I’d actually have to go and travel. When I start running out of things to write, that means I need to get on a plane, train, bus, boat or any type of transportation fast – not that I don’t get that urge to just jet every single day. But sometimes, we do what we have to do and not what we want to do.

It hasn’t been a year since I started blogging but I thought I’d still wrap up 2009 featuring my top 10 most popular blog posts of the year. I hope all my readers enjoyed growing this blog with me these past 6 months. Thanks for sticking around.

So without further adieu, here are the top 10 posts for 2009.

1. Photo Friday: Kaifeng, China

Kaifeng, China

The beauty of traveling through China is that sometimes, I feel like I’m in two places at once – the past and the present.

See #8 for related post.

2. Facing Mud Made “Squatties” In Yunnan

The one thing I absolutely loathe about China is the lack of Western toilets. Those hole-in-the-ground-you-have-to-pee-by-squatting apparatuses make me cringe every time. I’m a girl — how am I supposed to pee that way?!

So when my roommates and I decided to trek westward for fall break, towards rural Yunnan and Sichuan, I had to put on a brave face and come to terms with the fact that I’d be using nothing but “squatties.”

Five hours into the bumpy bus ride and two bottles of water later, I was bursting with thoughts of shiny automatic-flush toilets and marble sinks.

Alas, what greeted me at the makeshift rest stop was an outhouse made out of mud and three little children asking for a 50 cents fee for using their “bathroom.”

The Blue Mosque sits directly across from the Hagia Sophia on the Hippodrome, also known as the Sultanahmet Square. It’s hard to say which is more impressive. They both rival in beauty. With six towering minarets, The Blue Mosque dominates the Istanbul skyline.

5. Poverty In Pudong

I paid ¥20 for a cab ride down to People’s Park (人民公园), ¥10 to see the Gaudi exhibit at the MOCA, ¥40 for lunch at Pizza Hut, ¥50 for a shuttle ride to the Oriental Pearl Tower, another ¥50 for dinner and ¥1o for extraneous expenses. I dropped ¥170 like it was nothing because in my mind that was only $10.

My friend (at the time) JC and I walked along the Huangpu River that night. We saw a boy in ripped rags and torn slippers. He looked about 10 years old. He approached us raising a flower in his hand and said…

“一块，一块。要不要花？”(One dollar, one dollar. Do you want flowers?)

He haggled a little. We politely declined. I turned around and watched him zig-zag his way down the path. He made sure not to miss a single couple. JC and I sat down on the stone-rimmed flowerbed and watched the boy pace back and forth under the moon light.

6. My 3 Best Kept Travel Secrets

Travel Secret #1: Art of Cheap Accommodations
Travel Secret #2: Kaifeng, China
Travel Secret #3: Climb The Great Wall When It Snows

What are some of your best kept travel secrets?

Share!

JC and I walked non-stop these past two days. It was either restless leg syndrome or it was the excitement of being in Madrid. I thought we would take it a little slower on the third day but nope – not when traveling with JC.He only knows one speed – and it’s just go, go, go, go, go!

We began the day with a trip to Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, home of Real Madrid.

8. Kaifeng, China: Chinese Jews

This was Kaifeng’s welcome to us. Fog? Pollution? Combination? I don’t know but it was one hell of a welcome. I held out my hand and saw nothing. I looked down and I had no feet. We blindly walked forward – away from the train station and closer to the sound of the road. We had a hard time crossing the street. We couldn’t see the cars and bicycles and they couldn’t see us. We played it by ear. Literally. And hailing a cab? I want to say, “Fuggedaboutit,” but we managed to do so. Till this day, it still puzzles me.

9. Merhaba Istanbul!

I’m a nerd. I like math and I like to plan. Excel is my best friend. I can’t live without my planner. When it comes to traveling, I get excited at the thought of creating a new spreadsheet. Budgeting is my favorite part. How low can I go?

I conquered 7,200 steps to the top of Taishan and trekked 4 hours around the West Lake in Hangzhou. Climbing The Great Wall? Sure! No problem. Except I forgot to factor in the high altitude and nearly freezing temperature. Read more…

My 3 Best Kept Travel Secrets

Monica — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 16:50:42 +0000

This is the Tripbase Blog Tag. “The aim of this game is to unite travel bloggers in a joint endeavor – to create an amazing list of top travel recommendations across the globe to share with the entire online travel community.” – Katie from Tripbase.com

Without further adieu, here are my top 3 best kept travel secrets. I guess these won’t be secrets anymore.

Terrace View At The Hali Hotel, Istanbul

Travel Secret #1: Art of Cheap Accommodations

Everyone has their own travel style. It’s all about perspective. For me, lodging is minimal. I don’t need a Tempurpedic mattress and a flat screen TV. All I really need is a bed with no bed bugs and a bathroom that flushes. Lodging serves as a storage room where I can fall face flat on the pillow after a 15 hour foot exploration Sometimes I book rooms before I arrive. Sometimes I arrive homeless, which isn’t as scary as it sounds. It’s actually much cheaper.

Arrive in person
Tell the hotel/hostel half the number of days you’re actually staying. For example, if you’re traveling for 10 days, tell them 5.
When a daily quote is given, ask then for lower rates for an extended stay. (That’s where the extra 5 days come in handy.)
After they give you a quote for the extended stay, offer to pay in cash if they could lower the rates even more.
Then show them your student ID and ask if they have student discounts. (This works better in youth hostels than in hotels.)

My 8-day trip to Istanbul was only $1270 – $640 for round-trip tickets and $630 for everything else. I spent less than $80 a day, including accommodation, food, entrance fees, transportation and souvenirs. I’d say it’s a pretty good deal for independent traveling.

Kaifeng, China: The beauty of traveling through China is that sometimes, I feel like I'm in two places at once - the past and the present.

Travel Secret #2: Kaifeng, China

In response to my impression at the Topkapi Palace in Istanbul, Erica from Traveling Blissful commented, “I think many tourist sites are too hyped up and leave travelers feeling disappointed, wondering ‘What’s so great about this?’” Popular tourist attractions come with high expectations. The more I travel, the more I realize how exquisite the smaller, less discovered places are.

Kaifeng, China is a place was a place where I had no expectations. It was also a place that blew me away. It was here where I discovered Chinese Jews, people of Jewish descent living in China, and their fascinating history and community. It was also here, the view above, where I realized this: the beauty of traveling through China is that sometimes, I feel like I’m in two places at once – the past and the present.

A Snow Day On The Great Wall of China - Photo by Jabari Bell

Travel Secret #3: Climb The Great Wall When It Snows

Everyone knows that The Great Wall is impressive in length and in beauty. You’ll sweat buckets if you’re climbing it during the summer and you’ll be throwing elbows if you’re visiting during spring and fall. It’s harder to appreciate the context of it’s surrounding when The Great Wall is inundated with tourists and cameras. I’d recommend visiting in the winter, preferably when it snows. Why? Because…

You’ll see The Great Wall frosted in snow.
You’ll have The Great Wall all to yourself.
You’ll see the rolling mountains and the vastness of the land that it sits on.
You can build a snowman on The Great Wall of China!
And because the snow makes it’s ridiculously fun to glide down the descending slopes.

Now, how many of you can say you’ve a snow day on The Great Wall of China?

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Now, I’d like to nominate these 5 amazing bloggers to share their top 3 travel secrets on their blog. Tag! You’re it!

Emma, Aye & Jack at GotPassport
Keith at VelvetEscape
Carrie at MySeveralWorld
Jennifer & David at ApproachGuides
Talen at Thailand, Land of Smiles