Ise, Mie, Japan

Entrance to Ise Shrine

After Izumo Taisha in Shimane the second most important shrine in Japan

Ise, Mie, Japan

A back street in Ise City, Mie, Japan

Ise Shrine 

Apparently, making a pilgrimage to remote Ise (before modern 

transportation made getting around so easy) is the source 

of the ubiquitous Japanese custom of giving "omiyage" (souvenirs).

A mist shrouded Ise Shrine, Mie, Japan

Kashikojima, Mie, Japan

A sleepy and scenic bay known for its cultured pearls.   

China

The Great Wall of China. A friend had told me it would be more

dramatic and impressive than I expected and it definitely was.

It was the off-season and we had this section virtually all to ourselves

Forbidden City, Beijing, China

The Forbidden City, Beijing. It's an amazing place with lots of places

to wander around. It was also one of the coldest days I've ever experienced.

I look a little demented but I'm just looking forward to eating another delicious lamb skewer.

A scenic canal town outside of Shanghai. We missed the bus out there

and paid about $50 for a taxi. It cost us $2 to get back to Shanghai on a local bus.

Asking some local kids for directions. They didn't speak English so we'd have to write

down the Chinese characters of our destination and they'd point us in the right direction

Trying to decide between the watermelon or pineapple. Where is it coming from in mid-winter?

Standing on the glass-bottomed observation deck of the Pearl Tower in Shanghai.

I was hoping it might help me overcome my fear of heights but it didn't work.

One of the street food stalls just down the street from our hotel in Shanghai.