China + Vietnam Itinerary

As the trip approaches (August 1st!), here is the current itinerary (see the bootleg map above for a very rough idea):

*CHINA (3 weeks with Courtney then Kristen & Ben):

-Beijing: Get in and out pre-Olympics (with many stories, I am sure)

-Tai Shan: Go north for a bit to hike a holy mountain
-Xi'an: See the famous Terra Cotta Warriors
-Lanzhou: See Kristen! (and her Peace Corps city)
-Chengdu: Everyone heads south for pandas and a very large Buddha
-Chongqing & Yichang: Court & I cruise down the Yangtze
-Shanghai: After a crazy-long overnight train, back to city life
-Guangzhou: Court flies back to US, I fly south to meet up with Kristen & Ben

*VIETNAM (2 weeks with Kristen & Ben):

-Train through "Friendship Pass" to Vietnam
-Hanoi
-Halong Bay & Cat Ba Island
-Hue
-Hoi An
-Ho Chi Minh City
-Back to work...