Let the adventures begin! I left for Beijing last Monday to kick off my 5-week vacation in Asia! So far, things have been going really well. I’m currently staying at a hostel several blocks south of Tiananmen Square. There are a ton of shops nearby, easy access to the subway, and really fun people, so I couldn’t be any happier with this place! I’ll probably add pictures of the hostel later, but for now, here are pictures from my trip so far.

Yesterday, I visited the Great Wall and dined at the Donghuamen Lu night market. The Great Wall was truly amazing! We were taken to a secluded section of the Wall, so there were hardly any tourists. However, since it was secluded, most sections had not been renovated, making it a challenge to navigate. Despite this, it was a neat experience. Additionally, I met some really cool people, including two from BYU, whom I ended up joining at the night market. This market is known for its unique foods, including scorpions and snakes. I tried some of both, but I wouldn’t recommend either. The scorpion had a crunchy texture, whereas the snake meat didn’t have much taste.

Over the past two days I’ve visited Beihai Park, Jingshan Park, and the Temple of Heaven. Both Beihai and Jingshan are adjacent to the Forbidden City, but Jingshan offers an elevated view of the surrounding area. Unfortunately, there was so much smog that we could only see a few city blocks in front of us. After exploring the parks, I returned to the night market to take pictures and show a friend all the unusual foods available.

My time in Beijing has been wonderful, and before I leave this Friday, I wanted to introduce some of the folks who have made this experience so special. I have included several pictures below of the hostel staff and fellow travelers whom I have befriended. There are also some photos of my visit to the Beijing Zoo. The main attraction there was the giant panda exhibit, but my all-time zoo favorites have always been the lions and tigers.

Today is my last day in Beijing, and I wanted to make one last post before I take the train down to Shanghai. As promised, below are pictures of Leo Hostel, Summer Palace, and the flag-lowering ceremony at Tiananmen Square. Before leaving today, I plan to see the Lama Temple and have one last meal with David and Martin. I’ve had a really great time here in Beijing, and I’m so glad that this was the first city I ever backpacked to. It definitely makes me very excited about future trips, especially the next leg of my trip in Shanghai.

I arrived in Shanghai a few days ago and there’s something about this city that has really resonated with me. There always seems to be something to do and see here, which might explain its broad appeal. If I were to compare it to other US cities, Shanghai is to Beijing as New York City is to Washington, DC. In just three days, I’ve had the chance to explore the World Expo, stroll through the French Concession, and take pictures by The Bund. It’s been an exciting week, but before I dive into my new pictures of Shanghai, I wanted to share some photos of Beijing I forgot to post.

I went to the World Expo a few days ago, but it’s so big that I only saw a small part. I’ve been thinking about going back, but the weather’s been rainy and I don’t want to risk getting my camera wet. Since it looks like rain for the next few days, I might just go tonight and get it done. Meanwhile, here are some pictures I’ve taken recently.

Here are the pictures I promised from my visit to the World Expo! This was actually my second time there. The first time, it was raining, so I didn’t bring my camera. Ironically, it was raining even more this time! But since my time in Shanghai is almost up and the weather wasn’t going to improve, I decided to seize the opportunity to photograph the Expo. It was challenging, but I’m pleased with the result. Without further ado, here’s my World Expo series!

Today is my last morning in Shanghai and, similar to how I felt when I left Beijing, I’m also sad to leave Shanghai. It’s amazing how in such a short period of time you can grow to know people and enjoy their company so much. I think that’s one of the main reasons people decide to go backpacking. In the real world, we usually interact with each other in the context of our mundane everyday tasks. Here, however, you tend to only see a small slice of someone’s personality – the portion that’s not obscured by the inconveniences of day-to-day life.

I’ve spent the past 3 days in Kuala Lumpur and will be heading to Singapore today. While I can’t say Kuala Lumpur has been particularly exceptional, I did manage to visit several regional landmarks, including Petaling Street (Chinatown), the Petronas Towers, and the Batu Caves – places I wouldn’t have known about if I hadn’t come here. Nonetheless, I’m eager to explore Singapore, where I believe I’ll find more to do. Before I depart, here are some pictures I’ve taken in and around KL!