尼古拉斯 & The Year of the Tiger

In a few days I will journey back to the land of the red dragon, this time to explore it's northern capital Beijing.  My first trip to China couldn't have went any better. I celebrated Chinese New Years with an old friend, of whom I experienced  some of my first  and most memorable travel adventures with.

Flower Street in Guangzhou, China

I spent my first visit exploring the city of Guangzhou. Then  a short stop in Hong Kong followed by some beach action in Sanya, China on the Island of Hainan.  It was Guangzhou where I ate my first (and last) scorpion, tested the local brew, and saw the famous goat statue.   Guangzhou has a few different names (all of which I found to be coincidentally connected to my life)  The 2nd most common name is Canton.  This  obviously has to deal with the language in southern China  Cantonese. I found it interesting because I grew up 10 miles away from a city also by the name of Canton. The coincidences don't stop there.  The district that I currently live in Seoul is called "Yangcheong Gu". Guangzhou also goes by a similar name "Yangcheng" (meaning goat city).


This time around I set my sights on the sites. The majority of  reason for my return  to China is to explore the famous landmarks like the Great Wall, The Temple of Heaven, and the Forbidden City all in the northern capital of Beijing. 

While in China I traveled around  with  a good friend from my Cyprus  study abroad trip 06.

The Hong Kong Skyline 

Not wanting to have our best days  behind us we set out  for 10 days with no real plans or expectations in mind. It turned out to be an experience of  a lifetime.



Similar to my GSL experience in Cyprus my first trip to China is not something that I will ever be able to recreate.  You can read my 2006 Cyprus study abroad testimonial along with some of my other classmates here.   My second trip to China will also be my second couch surfing experience. Couch Surfing is a worldwide network for making connections between travelers and the local communities  they visit.  I will be staying with a fellow couch surfer from the United Kingdom.

Here is an interactive city map of Beijing; listing all the places of interest for tourists.
 

Sanya, China


If my second trip to China is anything like my first, it should be an another amazing adventure

Here is a tentative itinerary  for my week

• Great Wall
• Forbidden City 
• The Lama Temple 
• Tiananmen Square
• Try some Peking Duck
• Summer Palace 
• The Temple of Heaven 
• Have a great Couch Surfing Experience 

The Distance  

Seoul -  Beijing         577  miles

Beijing - Alliance      11355 miles                  

-   尼古拉斯  

(Nicholas in Chinese)