China

China is a country of superlatives and among them is strangest culture. Many of their customs appear not only odd to Western visitors, but also brash almost to the point of rudeness. They push and shove getting on buses, cut in line, spit as if they needed to get pieces of lung out, and even the men grow out their nails just to prove that they aren't farmers. I met several rather pudgy Americans on the way and they told me that at least several times a day people would walk up to them, poke their bellies and make gestures as if to say "wow! you guys are fat!". But for all that, the Chinese that weren't hassling you to buy some service or item were fantastic people, curious about Westerners and often wanting a picture with the big funny-looking Westerners in it. Travelling through the country takes forever, but not for any reasons of speed; the country is just enormous. Spending almost an entire day in the train is far from uncommon when traveling around. Near everywhere you go, Westerners will be outnumbered by the Chinese about 1 to 1000 and they won't be shy in inspecting the few they see. People are everywhere in China. This may sound obvious with a country of over a billion people, but don't expect to ever get space to yourself once you step out of the door. The Chinese are quite comfortable packing people in small places and won't hesitate to pack you in with them on buses, streets, rooms, tables, etc. The food, when you get something edible, is great but often your stuck with a dish of radish and bacon or chicken feet boiled with cabbage. But it's really nothing like the "Chinese" food so common back in the States. Far less fried and far less greasy, the food generally has more flavor and uses much more vegetables. Getting around is far easier than you might expect, despite the language barrier, largely due to the great infrastructure for public transportation. Sleeper trains are surprisingly nice, even the "economy-class" sleepers (hard sleepers). I wouldn't recommend the place to everyone though. There are sights that dazzle and a culture that amazes, but you have to put up with a lot of confusion and hassle to enjoy what the country has to offer; that's all part of the experience, though.

Beer of China: In addition to the national brand, Tsingtao, each region has its own brand, like LiQ in Guangxi and Dali in Yunnan. Tsingtao is a decent, if uninspiring beer, while all the others I tried were disappointing, at best. The Chinese certainly seem to enjoy the beer, but quite frankly, I didn't find it up to snuff. At least it's cheap, though (most places about $1/¥6 for a big bottle) Grade: D.