A Year in Review

Well...after an exciting, adventure filled year-and-a-bit we're back in the States. It seems like an appropriate time to try to sum up.

What did we love?

• The fabulous people we met
• Awesome culinary adventures
  
• Travel to exciting places
  

Not so much?

• Smog
• Horrible management @ Chateau Glory (no hot water for 2 1/2 weeks?!)
• Not-so-awesome culinary misadventures (if it's in the Lonely Planet don't eat there!)

Best of and worst of...

...Travel...

Best (within mainland China): Tibet

We loved the lively culture, colorful temples and, of course, the awe-inspiring Himalaya scenery.

Worst: Nanchang

A not-so-pleasant city with nothing to recommend it and one of our travel companions had her purse snatched....Food...

Best: rice noodles in Guangzhou

The place was a hole-in-the-wall we found thanks to a fortuitous note in Frommer's. They served rice noodles and congee and nothing else. Best rice noodles ever and I'd go back to Guangzhou just for that, no doubt about it.

Worst: leeches (yes...leeches) in Chongqing

They were translated "blood eel" on the menu and no, we didn't order them, our Chinese hostess did. Google "blood eel" and you won't find much, but there was no mistaking these creatures...definitely leeches. The excruciatingly fiery zichuan hot-pot pretty well covered up any inherent flavor, but they were every bit as slimy-squishy-unpleasant as you'd expect. Thanks, but no thanks!

...Daily Life...

Best: relaxing in the beautiful, big tub

So there are definitely some perks to being a quasi-diplomat. Not the least of which is the fancy digs. Our fabulous big bathtub was great for a relaxing soak after a long day.

Worst: the horrible management at our apartment compound

Whether it was no hot water for weeks or the on-going battle to find out what they were charging to the allowance that was supposed to cover drinking water, taxis, etc. to the final battle to pry our security deposit out of them, dealing with the apartment management was a constant nightmare. Although the individual staff members seemed pleasant enough, the complete lack of accountability led to constant frustration. The lesson: next time if we have a choice, we'll opt for one of the compounds that's run by a major international hotel chain. At least they have a reputation for service to maintain.

The worst moment of the year? Shivering with hypothermia in a tent at 15,000 feet in Tibet knowing we potentially had two more days of arduous hiking in freezing rain before we had any hope of returning to civilization.

And, finally...the best moment? In a year of once-in-a-lifetime moments it is impossible to pick the single best moment so here's a collection of highlights in no particular order:

• Stepping out of our tent into the chill evening air to see Mt. Everest towering over us where moments before there was nothing to see.
• Cuddling a tiger cub at the Harbin Tiger Park.
• Climbing the colorful ice-castles at the Harbin Ice Festival.
• Cruising the Yangtze River.
• Feasting on jiaodze in Harbin, duck in Beijing, rice noodles in Guangzhou, etc.
• Hutong cooking classes.
• Shopping for art wherever we went.
• Surviving the trek in Tibet.
• Birthday dinner at Alain Ducasse's restaurant, Spoon, in Hong Kong.
  

Farewell to China and thanks for an amazing year. We'll be back!