Matt, Chris & Adam’s Ultimate Travel Blog

For all the followers of this Blog, the circle is now complete. The photos for the last two cities, Shanghai and Beijing have been placed in the gallery. It is now time for the Travelers to return to some sense of normalcy (if that is possible).

In this writer’s humble view, the Travelers have completed a great trek and survived the many dangers of the Third World. Bravo and well done.

Back in the USA. Travelers return to their respective homes. Today the trip is officially brought to an end. Grand total of 23,182 miles +/- 500 miles. More details to follow.

Back in the day, a custom of kidnapping sailors to man ships going to China was prevalent. This practice became known as being “Shanghaied“. Our Travelers are now in Shanghai. Hence they “Shanghaied” themselves. If you want the real story on this old practice of manpower recruiting, check out the Chaplin’s

Everybody Was Kung Fu Fighting

After constant pressure from three young American tourists, China’s Communist government fired the country’s environmental protection chief Friday, saying his agency underestimated the impact of a massive chemical spill and mishandled the response to a disaster that poisoned the water supply of millions of people. The Americans were chanting “Water bad, Xie Zhenhua bad, he must go” as they were visiting the display of Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses in Xian. Mr. Xie Zhenhua is expected to be rehired by FEMA former boss, Michael Brown to head the EPA section of his new consulting firm in Colorado.

For the latest photos from Xian Pix and Shaolin Pix.

Xian, the eternal city, records the great changes of the Chinese nation just like a living history book. Called Chang’an in ancient times, Xian is one of the birthplaces of the ancient civilization in the Yellow River Basin area of the country. During Xian’s 3,100 year development, 13 dynasties such as Zhou, Qin, Han and Tang placed their capitals here. So far, Xian enjoys equal fame with Athens, Cairo, and Rome as one of the four major ancient civilization capitals.

The cultural and historical significance of the area, as well as the abundant relics and sites, help Xian enjoy the laudatory title of “Natural History Museum”. The Museum of Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses is praised as “the eighth major miracle of the world”, Mausoleum of Emperor Qin Shi Huang is listed on the World Heritage List, and the City Wall of the Ming Dynasty is the largest and most intact Ming Dynasty castle in the world. In the city, there is the 3000 year old Banpo Village Remains from the Neolithic Age, and the Forest of Stone Steles that holds 3,000 stone steles of different periods from the Han Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty