MACAU - LAND OF MADE-UP HAPPINESS?

Just outside of Hong Kong, there is an island that seemed to be separated from the rest of the world.

OUR WORST TRAVELING EXPERIENCE

Okey. So I've dragged myself from writing this story, but I think it deserves to come out to the light, finally. Partly because it might turn from a terrible memory to one we can laugh about, and partly so we can shread some light over the poor police system in China. Or the poor system in general in China.

But it was an experience. It sure was. 

See? Still pulling myself from doing it. Only now, I can't possibly deliver a story that lives up to the level of horribleness I've led on, so I better just tell it. 

THIS IS THE STORY ABOUT 
HOW WE GOT LOCKED IN A NATIONAL PARK 

...IN INNER CHINA 

THE STORY ABOUT THE SUMMER PALACE IN BEIJING

Once upon a time in China, 

two Swedes were on a tourist trail,

searching for the not-at-all-hidden treasures 

and ended up in the Summer Palace in 

BEIJING

What waited them was not lurging mystery 

or etheral fog tucking the grounds in 

with acients stories, 

no, 

because the two Swedes had been out for quite a long time now

and were frankly quite tired of old buildings 

so they did what they do best

and strolled and strolled and strolled 

and took staged photos and ignored the signs in broken English 

and ate one or two really disgusting hotdogs

(seriously China, what do you put in those?!?)

and the day was not perfect 

or forever memorable, 

but quite nice and comfortable 

and visually pleasant 

and that is certainly good enough

ON THE TOP OF TIANMEN MOUNTAIN, CHINA

Our problem is our ambitions being too high sometimes.
For this post we originally wanted to do a whole guide with prices, tips, maps for this day of ours on Tianmen mountain  - Tianmen means heaven in Chinese - in Zhangjiajie, Hunan Province in China.

But then time goes so so fast and editing photos is a betch and we were back in Sweden again, back to 9-5 and laundry times and trying to keep floating. And our fenomenal advice and anekdotes from the day were left in the fog on the hill tops.

But you know what? We have to remind ourselves that Something... not quite what we had in mind is still better than Nothing at all.
So here it goes. This are our best pictures from the day when we knocked on heaven's door.

FENGHUANG - AN ANCIENT EXPERIENCE?

In the middle of Hunan Province in the middle of China, there is a whole town that is UNESCO-marked for being the same all these years, I think it is over 400 or so. When planning the trip at home, this seemed like a wonderful little adventure out of our usual comfort zones with beautiful scenery and the authentic chinese feeling we feared we weren't going to experience in Beijing and bigger cities.

THE GREAT WALL - BADALING SECTION

The last day of many many on the road, we decided to do something... quite memorable. Let's go to the Great Wall to finish this 8 weeks of in glory, we said to each other and scrolled the internet for a good last-minute-tour.

ONLY IN CHINA...

BEAUTIFUL BAOFENG LAKE

WHAT: 
A boat ride on scenic lake in luscious colors.

36 HOURS IN CHANGSHA - A FIRST IMPRESSION OF CHINA

Our moving hearts have led us to the last part of our trip; China.

Arriving in Guangzhou airport yesterday for a six-hour stop-over, we started to realize just what kind of advenure we were up against. On the airport, everyone spoke English, if somewhat bad at times. That's okay, we are not perfect either. We took a cappucino/double espresso at the airport that costed us more than vi spend on food on a day in Thailand, but except that, all was right with the world. We were given the bill immediatly after ordering, which was strange for us, but we just laughed, said "I guess we're in China now".

HOW TO GET TOURIST VISA FOR CHINA

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Or: How we felt better about ourselves by earsdropping 


We had headaches for weeks, knowing we would need to provide all the information about our every move in China. We have not yet booked our hotel in Vietnam, we don't know where we are going after Chiang Mai in Thailand, but for only entering China we have to present every night's stay, every airplane number.

UPDATE: Shanghai Disneyland

We have waited, anxiosly pacing back and forth every time we raided the internet for an answer. We've waited with booking hotels, flights, visas. 

And now we finally got the answer. 

And it ain't good... 

At Remy's Restaurant in Walt Disney Studios Park, Paris 

WHAT WE DID WRONG IN HONG KONG

(Excuse the rhyme?)

Jonathan still reminds me how wide open my mouth was that night we drove from the airport to our hotel in Hong Kong. The silhuette made of blinking lights, the high buildings that seem to never stop, the silent lake to frame it all... I don't think I've ever seen such amazing sight.

BEST PIX OF HONG KONG

We did not take enough pictures, and sadly, these once are a disgrace for the city's fantastic scenery. That's the sad truth for the pics taken in the nightlight.

BUT the pictures from Disneyland were a lot better - even though they we not as many as you/we might wanted. 

That's the problem with having fun. 

You don't have time to stop what you're doing to take pictures....

Anyway, enjoy.