Sta Puf'd, Marshmallow Man

Trip Start Aug 21, 2011
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Trip End Aug 21, 2012


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Flag of China  , Heilongjiang,
Wednesday, January 25, 2012

I spent three days in Harbin China for the New Year - what a fantastically beautiful city.  Very Russian - there was a byzantine church, a turkish mosque, all kinds of European flavor there in the middle of "no where" China. Hate to tell you you'll have to google pics of these things because it was too cold to go sightseeing extensively. Seriously. It was -27C which is the equivalent of about -17F and that is without windchill. Brrrrrr. I bought some fuzzy wool underwear before I left and THANK goodness I did - I was originally thinking I'd just wear sweats under my jeans and that would never have been enough. Two pair of wool socks (and still my toes got so cold they hurt) three wool shirts and a big white down coat - I looked like the Sta-Puf Marshmallow Man.

I mostly slept and ate (!!) I had caught a cold five days before so I was nursing that a bit plus that level of cold just sucked it out of me. When I did go out, I saw amazing things. I went to the Tiger Breeding Research Park where the worlds' zoos get their tigers
Harbin
Harbin
. BEAUTIFUL animals. I saw a liger - I originally thought it was an albino tiger but no. Didn't see any baby tigers like I had hoped to but I think they may have been snuggling with their mamas somewhere out of the wind.  I went with three fabulous French people I met. It was a great time.

I spent an evening at the Ice Festival which is world known - there are only like 4 of them out there. It was amazing. See pics.

I mostly spent time at the hostel meeting fellow travelers which was refreshing. Of particular note was Fargall (sp??) from Belfast who was nice enough to give me a ride to Curtis' when out plane landed - he too lives in Dalian (works for Intel) .   

I am currently writing this in Guangzhou airport on my lay over to Vietnam. Will write with an update from there soon - I have big things planned. 
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