March 25, 2008 Anne Black Guest House/YWCA Kowloon, Hong Kong I have no idea what time it is, only that it’s still a dark time of morning, and few cars are passing on the usually busy streets of Kowloon, eleven stories below. I feel a fragile safety in my tiny cocoon...
I know many of you are waiting to read about my trip to China last week. However, that story will make better sense if I first tell you about my earlier trip, two years ago. China is the most surreal junction of cultures I’ve encountered. So, please allow me a rare...
I hope you’re not offended by what some call foul language, bad words, or expletives. If so, you may want to refrain from reading part three of this series. As a writer, I consider all words to be part of my toolbox. All words can be good or bad, depending on the time...
I'm now in Taishan, China, doing research for a novel loosely based on the history of my Chinese-Mexican grandmother. I'll tell you all about my experiences here when I return to America. For now, return with me to Thailand, as I continue the story of my three-day...
I'm heading to Guangdong, China next week for book research. I'll be spending a lot of time with a family in Taishan, learning their village customs. You can read the full story upon my return. In the meantime, here comes a 3-part story on my 3-day trek among...
"In Pattaya, it is hookers. Here, it is treks," a stranger said to me in a restaurant in Chiang Mai, Thailand. It was an unusual pick-up line, but factually right on the money. Just as the beach-town of Pattaya was known for prostitution, the mountain town of Chiang...
When I tell people I’m an avid traveler, I say so with both pride and shame. Pride: because world travelers tend to be among the most environmentally conscious, culturally sensitive, socially progressive people you’ll ever meet. Shame: because, as a traveler, I cause...
It's a New Year, time for your next 365-day trip around the sun, and your new opportunity to resolve on the life of adventure you've always wanted. Let my trek through China's Tiger Leaping Gorge inspire you, as you consider where you might want to go, or what you...
While everyone else is napping, watching TV, or washing dishes this holiday weekend, let's you and I sneak away, and continue Part 2 of our trek through China's Tiger Leaping Gorge... PART TWO Tiger Leaping Gorge, China At the first dim light of dawn, I woke to the...
For your holiday pleasure, and my holiday break, come with me to China for a trek through one of the deepest gorges in the world. This is a 3-part journey. For parts 2 and 3, check in with me on Christmas Weekend and New Year's Weekend, for a trip out of the house to...
Cara Lopez Lee is the author of They Only Eat Their Husbands. She’s a winner of The Moth StorySLAM and performs in many storytelling shows, including Unheard L.A., and Strong Words. Her writing appears in such publications as Los Angeles Times, Manifest-Station, and Writing for Peace. She’s a traveler, swing dancer, and baker of pies. Cara and her husband live in the beach-town of Ventura, California, where they enjoy tending their Certified Wildlife Habitat full of birds.
