"Short stories and travel reports from my life adventures around the globe".
February 2018. I find it reassuring that even after all these years Lonely Planet still comes up with some great recommendations. Indeed it was my China LP that suggested I check out Xunpu Oyster Village, a small community perched on the edge of Quanzhou City. However, our trip didn’t get off to the best start. […]
Read MoreQingyuan Mountain, Quanzhou, China. February 2018. Beautiful Qingyuan Mountain is a protected national park in China’s Fujian province. Located just three kilometres outside the city of Quanzhou, Wonderboy and I simply hailed a taxi and boom, we were there within minutes. Dating back to Imperial China’s Tang Dynasty, the mountain is famed for its giant statue […]
Read MoreFebruary 2018. Qingjing Mosque is China’s second oldest mosque and a major pilgrimage point for the country’s Muslim community. Dating back to 1009, all you can see today is a garden complex of ruins located on Tumen Street just a five-minute walk from Guandi Temple. On the day of our visit we came across a lone […]
Read MoreFebruary 2018. As with most Chinese cities, there are plenty of temples scattered around Quanzhou. I consider myself something of a temple veteran, therefore I decided to limit myself to the magnificent Guandi Temple on Tumen Street. Guandi Temple stands in honour to Guan Yu, a Three Kingdoms general known as The Taoist God of War. Yu […]
Read MoreFebruary 2018. The ancient, walled community of Chongwu Town is fascinatingly situated in southeastern China’s Fujian province. Look on a map and you’ll literally see it perched right on a peninsula jutting out into The Taiwan Strait. Chongwu is often referred to as an ancient city. However, in reality this place is little more than […]
Read MoreFebruary 2018. It had been a fascinating afternoon for Wonderboy and I exploring Chongwu Stone Arts Expo Park and its weird and wonderful compound of stone sculptures. Now, armed with umbrellas in the slanting rain, all that was left to do was take the steps down to the pretty Chongwu Stone Arts Expo Park Beach. The weather […]
Read MoreFebruary 2018. The only reason to make the trek out to the isolated town of Chongwu in China’s Fujian Province is for a visit to the fascinating Chongwu Stone Arts Expo Park. This curious compound of stone sculptures sits between a stretch of ancient walls and a pretty strip of beach overlooking The Taiwan Strait. The […]
Read MoreMay 2010 & January 2015. I’ve always considered The Summer Palace to be Beijing’s crowning achievement! For me you can keep the organised chaos of The Forbidden City and the understated expanse of Tiananmen Square. While these places are definitely worth seeing, China’s largest royal park certainly has way more charm. Indeed a trip here offers […]
Read MoreVienna, Austria. October 2002. My maiden voyage to the Austrian capital, Vienna, certainly didn’t turn out as I’d expected. I landed in town with a couple of friends, loaded with ambitious plans for a weekend of high culture. However, in the end it just didn’t happen. I suppose I could blame it on the rain, […]
Read MoreAfter nearly five years as Leighton Literature, the time has finally come to relaunch this little blog of mine in order to better reflect what it is I actually do.
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Traveling the world, one country at a time.
