We had 10 days and 9 nights in Lijiang. It is truly a gorgeous place. Although we are big fans of travel in the off season, this week it didn't work out to our advantage. We headed to the lake - drained for some work, to the museum - closed for a bit. Then good old Mother Nature messed with our plans - fire near where we wanted to hike, earthquake in the other town we wanted to see. We just couldn't win! Maybe since all their classmates were busy this week doing ...

I was trying to take a little nap before dinner, but my mind is racing with all the strangeness of China and I want to get it down before I forget. So here is my "stream of consciousness" list... In the area of China with the cleanest air quality there is a major fire burning right now. It is just over the mountain from where we are. The sky is gray, the air smells like a campfire and ash falls on you when you walk around. Reminds us of life during the days of t...

All, There was a moderate earthquake today in southwest China, Yunnan Provence. We are staying in Lijiang, about an hour from the site, but are fine and did not feel anything. Just wanted everyone to know the G4s are alive and well. We had a great day. The weather is amazing here and the flip flops are out after weeks at the bottom of the bag. We enjoyed pancakes in a western restaurant we discovered, then wandered the beautiful streets of the town. Kind of a q...

The staccato-like pulse of China continues to beat as the rollercoaster ride continues in the Middle Kingdom. Incredible beauty, stifling bureaucracy and clubbing with the kids.. The town of Lijiang is truly a gem. It's a mixture of Dubrovnik, Florence and Venice. Beautifully preserved with a rich ethinc/minority population, the Naxi, walking the streets and alleys is a delight. Of course the clubs here are a blast as well, but more on that later. During o...

Hi everybody, Nina here! Right now we are in Lijiang, China. I'm starting to feel blah on traveling. I just want to be back with relatives, friends, and other people who read our blog. I'm going to do a flashback of all our trip. Back in Colorado, U.S.A.: The day before we left my cheek was huge from my impacted tooth...I had to get it pulled at the dentist...getting the last things in our bags, and left. Barcelona, Spain: Celeste and Mommy slept in to 12...ham...