1/14-1/27: China (Shanghai, Huangshan)
China was an unexpected visit for me. My 100 year old grandfather passed away and I flew in to attend his funeral. Although the visit was under sad circumstances, I spent valuable time reconnecting with my Chinese roots and family in Shanghai. My mom and generous uncles showered me with delicious food and grand accommodations, I almost felt that I was cheating the grungy backpacker lifestyle. I used to visit Shanghai every so often, but it's incredible how much it has changed over the years... When were those sky scrapers built? & Was the pollution always this bad?were a frequent thoughts of mine.
My tolerance for the pollution soon left me eager to see blue sky so I decided to do a bit of sightseeing in Huangshan (Yellow Mountain). This was my first "Chinese Tourism" spot and it definitely had it's lows and highs, but the nature was undeniably incredible -- see for yourself below.
My visit was short but I plan to return to China soon!