Becky

Becky loves hiking and the outdoors, reading a good book on a rainy day, practicing yoga with friends, cooking with Sinatra in the background, relaxing with her husband and a good glass of wine, and above all: travel. Read more about Becky.

I Was *ThisClose* to Falling for a Shanghai Tea House Scam

pagoda building lit at night in shanghai

Have I told you about the time I almost fell for the tea house scam in Shanghai? No?  Well, settle in because it wasn’t pretty. I didn’t expect Shanghai would be the city that threw me.  Of everywhere I went in China, it’s the one that’s most conducive to tourists.  After five days of communication […]

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Bring Exactly What You Need with this Norway Cruise Packing List

midnight sun norway

Even if you’ve cruised before, Norway is a whole different animal: the weather is finicky at best and there’s a good chance you’ll fly a low-cost airline to get to your starting and ending ports, where every pound of baggage costs you.  That’s why I’ve compiled the perfect Norway cruise packing list for you.  It

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I Went to Usnisa Palace in Nanjing and My Jaw is Still on the Floor

great hall usnisa palace nanjing

I never thought Nanjing, China would be on the list of most magnificent places I’ve been.  For the most part, the city is dreary, smoggy, and grey, especially in winter.  But Usnisa Palace in Niushoushan Cultural Park is so stunning that it raises the entire city up a notch, to a level normally held for

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Yes, the Train from Shanghai to Nanjing is Easy, Fast, and Cheap!

First class seats on the Nanjing Shanghai train

Independent travel in China is easier than you think thanks to high speed rail.  Unlike buses, it’s easy to figure out and for the most part, trains run efficiently on schedule.  As of 2019, there are 200+ departures on the train from Shanghai to Nanjing, making it incredibly easy to add in a side trip.

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