Medieval castles, imperial palaces, blocky Soviet throwbacks and new glass and steel buildings lined our paths; poppy seed strudels, potato dumplings, and goose feasts filled our stomachs; light Austrian white wines, hearty Hungarian reds and freshly pulled Czech beers served as social lubrication; and Slavic, Germanic and Finno-Ugric (Hungarian) accents provided the soundtrack.

This is the cultural goulash of Central Europe.

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43 posts and 16 photo sets later, we’ve reached the end of a long road of reflection on China, an on-the-fly addition to our around-the-world journey.

The impetus to change our itinerary occurred while we were in Central Asia. Several seasoned travelers and experts, having just come from China, convinced us to seize the moment and visit before the Olympics. We’re glad we did. Continue Reading »

What is it?

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The arc of our travel experience is shaped by the people we meet. Even the most beautiful food and landscape need a human context. With that in mind, we offer a selection of faces - each with a story - that we will recall whenever we reflect on our travels in China.

The following slideshow is our take on China’s ethnic diversity. While these images represent only a fraction of China’s 56 official ethnic groups (there are scores more unofficial ones), we hope they give you a better feel for the various people who call China their home. Continue Reading »

In case our Chinese market video turned your stomach, we offer something a bit more tasteful.

From the friendly Gansu bread man to the the giggling Qingdao dumpling ladies, China unfolds in a video montage of street food and kitchen scenes.

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Where can you find pig face manicures, dog steaks, gambling novice Buddhist monks, snake oil laxatives, and locals getting their teeth replaced on the street? How about dazzling embroidered traditional clothing, mountains of fresh greens, and meat so fresh that it still moves?

Only in China and only in this video.

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Hungary stands distinct in Middle Europe: it doesn’t resemble its Slavic, Germanic or Romanian neighbors in language or features. Even more rare for this region, Hungarians like heat - in their food, in their baths, and even in their relationships (Hungarians are known to take public displays of affection to a whole new level).

Although we visited Budapest, Hungary’s grand capital, several times in 2000 as we transited from Western to Eastern Europe, our visit this year proved more rewarding.

From the fresh markets to the grand open baths, here’s why. Continue Reading »

Unless you just rose from the dead, you are probably aware that today – November 4, 2008 – is election day in the United States.

Sharing photos from Vilnius, Lithuania may seem irrelevant on such a momentous day, but it was from there where we voted for the next U.S. President (by absentee ballot) and sank into the quagmire of election news fixation. Continue Reading »

Upon our second visit to Estonia since Audrey concluded her Peace Corps stint in 2000, we wondered what we would find. Continue Reading »

A checklist: four days, three ethnic village markets, stacks of smoked dogs, and one testicle stand. Guizhou Province exuded tradition; it was China at its most authentic and at times its most eye-popping. Continue Reading »