China......1.3 billion people......20% of the world's population......the birthplace of Asian culture and lifestyle....world reknown food....everyone has a vision when they think about China.

I came to China because I could not get back into Nepal from Tibet. I took a 44 hour train through the Tibetan plateau to the city of Chengdu. Once I left the plateau and entered onto mainland China I could not see the sky. Pollution, smog and grey filled the sky and filled my lungs. The air quality is absoltuely disgusting. People are hacking up filth and junk from their lungs all the time. But, Chinese progress marches forward and it doesn't seem like people want to reverse the cycle. People, for the most part, seemed to be rude and unhappy. I could not wait to leave China.

Now, I don't like speaking negatively, but I hope the rest of the world does not end up like this country.

The good things about China... The food. Because I was in the world famous Sichuan province, the eclectic and spicy food dominated my taste buds. I tried hot pot, which is a molten lava, boiling pepper broth of deliciousness. Not for the faint hearted. I was dripping with perspiration from the moment I tasted it, and washed it down with delicious cheap beer. The Kung Pao chicken was so so so good. Even the stinky tofu was great. Everything I had was filled with exotic and amazing flavor. Their food is simply very good and my favorite aspect about the country. Food is very important to the Chinese.

I'm glad I went to China because now that I am out, I see how it's the motherland of most Asian culture. I'm not going to lie, this country challenged me. I don't agree with their lifestyle, but I also know to not resist and people are always doing exactly what they want to do. It's a huge mystery of a place and that might be the allure. I don't want to go back anytime soon, but it has changed me, and I think that is the whole reason to travel.