Author Archives: Sarah
11 Days in Iraq November 27- December 7, 2011 (Part 2)
Iraq, home of the earliest civilisation namely the Sumerian civilisation in the fertile Tigris-Euphrates river valley, is the birthplace of writing and wheel. Modern Iraq corresponds to the Mesopotamia (Land between the rivers) of the Old Testament. Iraq with its legendary Babylon has been on top of my must-see list. My friends thought I was … Continue reading
11 Days in İraq November 27 – December 7, 2011 (Part 1)
Iraq, home of the earliest civilisation namely the Sumerian civilisation in the fertile Tigris-Euphrates river valley, is the birthplace of writing and wheel. Modern Iraq corresponds to the Mesopotamia (Land between the rivers) of the Old Testament. Iraq with its legendary Babylon has been on top of my must-see list. My friends thought … Continue reading
China (8):Nanjing, Xidi & Hangzhou October 9-16, 2011
I have been travelling on my own most of the time as my friends are still working. This time I was delighted to travel with three old friends. It turned out to be a great blessing as I suddenly had back pains and could hardly carry my suitcase. I abandoned my plan to make a … Continue reading
China (7): Sichuan September 14-29, 2011
Sichuan 四川 meaning four rivers is also known as the ‘Heaven’s Granary’ 天府之国’. It has an area of 485,000 square kilometers and a population of over 80 million. It provides the natural habit for pandas and is known for its rich history, culture, cuisine, stunning landscape and scenery. I took the Sichuan-Tibet Highway and … Continue reading
China (6): Tibet August 17 – September 14, 2011 Part 2
Part 2: September 8-14 After my eventful and unforgetable journey to Western Tibet, I had a pleasant trip to the Shannon Prefecture with five social workers from Hong Kong before taking a 8-day journey from Lhasa to Chengdu on the Tibet-Sichuan Highway with a side trip to Daocheng and Yarding.
China (5): Tibet August 17 – September 14, 2011 Part 1
This is my third visit to Tibet and my destination was Western Tibet ( the Ngari Prefecture 阿里地区). I travelled from Xining to Lhasa on the 1956-km long Qinghai-Tibet Railway. During my 29 days’s travel, I completed a 48-km trail circum-ambulating Mt Kailash 冈仁波齐峰 (6714m)转山, set foot on all the six prefectures in Tibet and … Continue reading
China (4) : Qinghai August 9 – 17, 2011
Khumbum Monastery, Qinghai Qinghai 青海 situated in the northeastern part of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau has a history of over 5,000 years. The Yellow River originates from the southern part of Qinghai while the Yangtze River and Mekong River both have their sources in its southwestern part. Durimg my 8-day stay in Qinghai, I visited … Continue reading
19 Days in Laos July 17 – August 4, 2011
Laos, a land-locked country eclipsed by its neighbours, is often forgotten or seen as a laid-back, under-developed and poor nation. I have been to all the Indochina countries except Laos and am keen to see this lost ancient kingdom. I spent 19 lovely days in northern Laos and visited the Provinces of Luang Nam Tha, … Continue reading
China (3): Yunnan July 8 – 16, 2011
Yunnan Province with an area of 394,100 square kilometres and a population of about 46 million (2010), is famous for its landscape and scenery, biodiversity, ethnic groups and their culture, tea and natural resources. I have been a frequent visitor to Kunming, capital city of the province since my brother Lawrence moved there in 1999. … Continue reading
China (2): Beijing & Shandong May 26 – June 7, 2011
Jade Emperor Temple, Mount Tai After an enjoyable stay in Tibet, I flied to Beijing to get something done. I then made my first visit to the Shandong Province which has a long history and culture. Confucius (Kong Zi) was a native son of Qufu and Mount Tai where all Chinese emperors would visit as … Continue reading