Shanghai was an exciting experience. The European atmosphere was striking, the Chinese districts fascinating, and finally, I boarded a slow boat to...
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Beijing and the Summer Palace
The story from Beijing continues with a letter home and the Summer Palace. We days in the Chinese capital were coming to an end. This article is...
World Heritage #0880 – Summer Palace
The Summer Palace is set in a large area north of Beijing with an artificial lake in the midst. Here we find numerous temples and palaces. The...
Beijing – The imperial city
Beijing: The imperial city complete with ducks, opera, acrobats and the Forbidden City. We first days ever in China's capital were full of...
World Heritage #0439 – The Forbidden City
The Forbidden city is large and impressive. Despite this, the emperors of China lived in a prison-like confinement with immense...
World Heritage #0438 – The Great Wall
The Great Wall is truly a magnificent sight. Stand on a section of the wall and watch how the fortifications roll up hills and down valleys,...
World Heritage #1004 – Ming and Qing tombs
Not far from Beijing, we may find several tombs belonging to Chinese emperors of the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The UNESCO World Heritage List...
Xian – Terracotta soldiers
Xian is famous for its Terracotta soldiers. I also experienced that China had a long way to go in hospitality. This article is part of a diary based...
World Heritage #0441 – Xian
The Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor is the official name of this site. Think about terracotta soldiers in Xian and you know what it is. The...
From Lhasa to the forbidden city of Golmud
From Lhasa I managed to get a bus ticket out of Tibet, to Golmud. At that time in 1985 in was forbidden for foreigners to enter this city. Read...
The story from my days in Tibet continues
The story from my days in Tibet continues here with the bulk of the stay. I spent 11 days in all, back in 1985. This article is part of a diary...
11 days on top of the world, in Tibet
11 days on top of the world, in Tibet, a few months after it opened up for individual travellers. This post is about the two first two days and a...
World Heritage #0707 – The Potala Palace
It has been a long time since the Dalai Lama was able to command his feudal state from the Potala Palace in Lhasa. The UNESCO World Heritage List...
Sichuan – Hot food and New Year’s celebrations
I arrived in Sichuan on my round-trip of China. In Kunming I found hot food, exciting street life and a stone forest outside the city. I went on to...
World Heritage #1248 – South China Karst
There are strange rock formations in many parts of the world. The South China Karst in southern China are really remarkable. The UNESCO World...
From Hong Kong to Guangzhou and Guilin
I went from Hong Kong into Guangzhou and on to Guilin, in southern China. By the time I got there, I never imagined that I would spend several weeks...
Hong Kong, a wonderful city state
The first time I got to Hong Kong, it was a wonderful city state and still a Crown colony under the British. This article is part of a diary based...
Pictures from Taiwan
This is a collection of Sandalsand's pictures from Taiwan. Most images are from Taipei, in addition to Taroko Gorge and Alishan in central parts of...
The beautiful scenery in the interior of Taiwan
There is a beautiful scenery inland on the Chinese island state of Taiwan, separated from the mainland. I went for a couple of hikes. This article...
Taipei’s snake market
Taipei the capital of Taiwan was exciting. I found a snake market, immense treasures and an oversized hotel. This article is part of a diary based...
Pictures from Japan
This is a collection of Sandalsand's pictures from Japan. Most images are from Tokyo, Kyoto, Hiroshima and the island of Okinawa. If you look up all...
Okinawa – Mild winds, cherry blossoms
On Okinawa I found mild winds, cherry blossoms but also a terrible WW2 history. I spent a few days in the main city of Naha and went sightseeing on...
Hitchhiking on Shikoku and a long sea journey
I had left Hiroshima and crossed over to the island of Shikoku. There I was lucky to get a lift and found my way to Kobe. From there i boarded a...
Hiroshima and a terrible past
Hiroshima has a terrible past. I found a nice place to stay, explored the memorials and had time to write a letter back home. This article is part...
World Heritage #0775 – Hiroshima
The Atomic bomb has been used twice with the aim to inflict death. The first time was over Hiroshima in Japan. The UNESCO World Heritage List...
Kyoto – Harmonious places to rest
In Kyoto I had a look into a splendid past and found harmonious places to rest. My journey from Tokyo was of the adventurous kind. This article is...
World Heritage #0688 – Kyoto
Kyoto, the old capital of Japan offers a very fine selection of temples and gardens. The Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto is also a world...
Tokyo – The first days in a distant land
Tokyo - I left home and was about to experience my first days in a very distant land. I had never been so far away ever before. This article is part...
A journey to East and South East Asia in 1985
This was my first backpacking experience. Urged by more experienced friends on the university I decided to take a semester off from my studies. The...
World Heritage #0795 – Maritime Greenwich
Your clock is ticking, or rather your electronic watch is changing, according to a definition stemming from Maritime Greenwich - the GMT. The UNESCO...