Chad’s Blog

Finding seventy rambunctious Chinese kids in matching uniforms at the gate for your twelve and a half hour flight seems like a prelude to traveller’s hell. The timing for an upgrade to business class couldn’t have been better.

Thank-you Air Canada check-in counter supervisor! I slept in peace the entire trip.

I spent three weeks in Guangzhou helping to prepare for the visit of the Governor General.  The staff in Guangzhou did an awesome job.

I can only imagine that the deer’s better parts have some perceived pharmaceutical value, but that doesn’t explain to me why many Beijing pharmacies have stuffed deer in their windows.

The trees were still brown, but spring has sprung and cherry blossoms are everywhere.

We had a great hike along the wall near Jiankou. Technically this part of the wall is closed, in reality it’s open enough that you need to buy a ticket.

Some parts were extremely steep, but very manageable. I couldn’t imagine living on the wall hundreds of years ago having to bring water up these cliffs.

It was the first beautiful day in Beijing this spring and it seemed like a great time to get outside. Peking University was the eventual destination.

It’s a beautiful campus, especially when cherry blossoms are in season.

It’s big, green, and run-down. The most interesting parts were the little details, like this old padlock.

One of Kashgar’s big attractions is the weekend animal market.

I’m not sure what a well-trimmed behind says about a sheep, but they were certainly well groomed.

Big Brother is everywhere in China, especially in provinces known to riot. In Kashi, he made himself known in the form of heavily armoured troops marching forcefully through the streets.

He made himself less known, but just as present observing and recording from the roof of our hotel.

I have no idea what this poster actually says, but I get the impression that it’s a pretty stern warning to anyone considering starting an uprising.

During the riots, the government shut down all forms of electronic communication. Local phone access is back, but there was still no internet access, no international phone access, and no international sms messaging in Xinjiang. I went through withdrawal for the first few days without Blackberry service.

It was a spectacular road to nowhere in Xinjiang. Our destination was Kalakule lake, about four hours by car from Kashgar.

Along the long and winding road, we stopped several times to check out the frozen desert. This is the most rugged and bleak terrain I’ve ever seen. At the same time, it was spectacular.

I wouldn’t have known that the rice would have an official home, nor would I have guessed that it would be in the middle of a desert in Kashi where nary a rice paddy is to be found.