Our trip on the Trans-Siberian Railway took us through one of our most memorable countries ever. Mongolia was truly an unforgettable experience. The first half of this portion of our trip, the Gobi Desert, is presented in this brief 4 minute video. Also, you will learn that the toilets in the Gobi are almost as nice as those at home.

One of the most impressive places to visit in Beijing is, without a doubt, the Great Wall. It was as impressive in person as you would imagine. The secret to getting the most out of a visit here is to arrive as early as possible. If you delay, the crowds will be huge, but the first thing in the morning, you will be one of the only people on the Wall. The second most important thing to know is, if you are visiting the Mutianyu section, you HAVE to take the slide off the Wall when you are finished. It is a four or five minute ride down the mountain and is quite fun. You can see more in the video.

Just as an example, let’s say you are traveling down a road that comes to a T-intersection and you need to turn right because the place that you are going is RIGHT THERE on the right. Nope, you cannot turn right, even though there is a perfectly good two way street there. You have to turn left, go about a half mile down the road, do a loop around a roundabout and come back the other direction to get where you just were. It helps to visualize this when you realize that they drive on the left side of the road here, so a left turn does not cross any traffic.

All of this would not have been a problem, except we made a big mistake. We arrived in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, which is on the island of Borneo, and found that all of the action here is downtown, right on the water. There are lots of hotels, restaurants, a waterfront walkway and a big pier where you can catch a small boat to the outer islands. There you will find white sandy beaches with beautiful clear, warm water and exotic tropical fish. It is a great location to walk around and experience new sounds and tastes. So what was the problem? Well, we booked our hotel about twenty minutes away (or an hour away when there is traffic). There is a free shuttle, but it is not very convenient and a taxi is not cheap.

Ever the problem solver, Sara quickly came up with a solution: rent a scooter. Thus began my day of firsts. I have not ridden a motorcycle since 2000 and a scooter since 1985. I have never driven anything in a foreign country, which, of course, means that I have never driven on the left-hand side of the road. I have never white-lined a motorcycle (in California, it is legal, when traffic is less than 35 mph, to drive down the middle of traffic, i.e. down the white line between cars). I have never ridden a motorcycle with more than one other person on it. I have now done all of these things.

Since I had not been on a bike in over 10 years, Sara gave me three laps around the very small parking lot to get back in the swing of things. After that, we loaded up 3/4 of our family on the scooter and took off. It was then that I really took notice of the (excuse my French) f-ed up traffic patterns in Kota Kinabalu. Not only did I have to quickly get used to driving on the opposite side of the road, but they have dozens of roundabouts here, which have to be the stupidest invention in road design school. Now, I have read that they are supposed to be efficient, yadda yadda yadda. Not here. Traffic backs up for miles during the busy times with, quite frankly, not that many cars. A simple traffic light would work wonders, and the few that they have seem to efficiently move the traffic without any difficulties. Sorry, I digress.

So Sara is on the back of the bike and Ender, our four-year old is in front of me. We are armed with shorts and flip flops and set out to find our way around a new city, going in circles, the wrong way, through crazy traffic. Did I mention that Ender likes to play and did not seem to grasp the concept that it is not ok to tickle Daddy while driving 80 kph down the road. She also amused herself by singing and waving to people…and to our hotel (because we had to exit to the left out of it, drive 2 miles and do a U-turn, and go back by it to get to downtown, so she would wave to it as we passed it again).

I normally think white-lining on a motorcycle is crazy, but after being stuck in traffic for quite some time, with all the other scooters scooting by us, Sara and I had a mini-conference on the back of the bike and decided to go for it. We shot down between all of the cars and made it to downtown in record time. Ender was loving it, “Go faster, Daddy!”

The first day on the scooter was a white-knuckle ride for me. After three days, we are all loving it. I have noticed that the drivers here are very courteous and do tend to let us in when we need to be in a different lane, or need to turn at the last minute. They are kind to us obvious tourists with “For Rent” stickers on the back of our very cool scooter.

We have found that when we travel, sometimes the mistakes we make result in better experiences. This is one mistake that I am glad we made. I had as much fun riding that scooter as I did on the islands and the white sandy beaches. Don’t be too shocked to see me on one in San Diego one day soon.

We stayed with Sara’s family and really want to express our thanks for an incredible experience. We did not write anything about this part of the trip for a few reasons. The biggest was that we just did not have time. Things were always quite hectic and the little down time that we had was spent relaxing. Another big reason is that we do actually plan on living in Taipei for a few years at some point down the road. I have a lot of good ideas for blog posts, but I want to save them for when we actually live there. It is such an incredible country that it is my goal to build the best Taiwan blog out there. I don’t want to do a half-assed job, and there is so much to write.

It is nice to have such inside knowledge of a country as we do with Taiwan. Sara’s family lives there now and her sister, Sophia (whom we have written about several times before) knows all of the best restaurants and other activities throughout Taipei and most of Taiwan. She shared much of that knowledge with us on this trip and we really did have an amazing time.

Our daughter, Ender, is really picking up Chinese and I even learned a handful of words (even some written characters). I think I could do a series of posts on learning Chinese…it’s pretty freaking difficult. I did surprise everyone in the car (including myself) one night when I read a sign with five Chinese characters on it as we passed by. Only a few thousand more to learn and I’ll blend right in…except for the height thing. I tend to stick up above everyone else (but other than that, I blend).

One thing I do want to mention is how good the food is. I can say that I am fully adapted to Taiwanese cuisine. In the whole six weeks, we only ate at one Western restaurant: Outback Steakhouse, but we went there for Sunday brunch, so I had a Denny’s style breakfast!?! Since I had already been to McDonald’s in Taiwan on several past visits, I didn’t even go there (I try to visit McDonald’s in every country). A large portion of our upcoming Taiwan blog will be about food and all of the good restaurants from which to choose. A quick reveal, though, what is my favorite? Din Tai Fung. It is famous for its steamed buns and it is unbeatable. For a quick meal on the go, though, grab a rice-ball from 7Eleven.

The last thing is to thank Sara’s parents, Michael and Michelle, her sister, Sophia, and brother-in-law, Daniel, for everything they did for us over the last six weeks. It had to be difficult to let us into their home, disrupting their normal routines. We really do appreciate it and hope that we can return the favor someday. A special thanks to Daniel for loaning me half of his wardrobe!

Last September, Sara and I had a life changing experience with our good friends Charles and Vina on the Trans-Siberian Railroad (yes, we still have to finish that story). This summer we continued down that path by living (albeit short-term) in another country. Now, we have embarked on the next stage…Southeast Asia for a month. To be continued…

In 2005, Sara and I sold our home to buy a new home which was under construction. During that period where we were living in an apartment, I became obsessed with the housing market and what I began to think might be a housing bubble. After extensive research, we decided to not go through with our new home purchase and just rent for a few years to see what would happen. Long story short, we guessed correctly and sat out of one of the worst housing value declines in U.S. history.

Since then, we have periodically looked at houses to purchase, but we have remained renters. To us, the pros of renting far outweigh the cons. We found that there was an internal tug when we owned our home to constantly upgrade things and make them nicer. New bathroom, counter tops (Granite for everyone!), flooring, etc. have a certain appeal. This conflicted dramatically with our frugal/minimalist nature. As a renter, we do not feel this tug. We still want to live in a nice place, but there is a limit to feeling like we need to “make it our own”.

Ownership

It is nice to own something, so you get to call all the shots. You can paint the walls whatever color you like, you can buy just the right furniture for each room. You can get to know the neighborhood and all of the neighbors. As a renter, you, for the most part, take what you get. You are never viewed by the neighbors as “one of them”, but as a transient who will come and go from their lives and probably not be remembered by many in a few years.

As a homeowner, what happens if your roof leaks? You call the repairman and pay, pay, pay. As a renter, you call your landlord and he takes care of it. Worst case, you move. In fact, any major disaster is met with the same mentality. The house burned down (a very real possibility in San Diego):  Is the family safe? Yes, well, I guess that $20 per month I paid for renter’s insurance is going to buy us some new stuff. Go find a new house to rent and don’t worry about dealing with rebuilding.

Taxes

One of the biggest arguments to owning your own home is the incredible tax break that Uncle Sam gives you for owning:  You get to deduct all of your interest from your income each year and pay taxes on the remainder. I have always found this amusing because it is one of those arguments that looks good on the surface, but when you start to evaluate it, it might not make as much sense.

Quickly, let’s look at an example. Let’s say you want to buy a $300,000 house. You will need to put down $60,000 as a down payment. Now that is money that is tied up and cannot be used for anything else. If your house goes down in value, that is the part that goes down first. You will still owe the bank $240,000. The normal interest rate these days is an amazing 4.5%, so your payment on a 30-year loan is $1216 per month. That is not the important part in this argument (you will need to look at comparable rent for this to be relevant). The important part is the interest. In year 1, you will pay $10,721 in interest. You can also deduct some taxes, but I do not want to get too confusing here and I am not an accountant. So, look at that, you get to knock $10,721 off of your income in year 1…awesome!! Except, as a renter last year, Sara and I took the Standard Deduction on our taxes. This is the deduction that Uncle Sam gives us non-homeowners who cannot come up with enough itemized deductions each year. What was our Standard Deduction last year? $11,400. Oops. And I didn’t have to pay any property taxes, homeowner’s fees, or fix anything that broke. Now, as I said each situation is different and the more expensive the house, the more you get to deduct, but as a sole argument, it doesn’t quite wash. Also, keep in mind that at the end of year 1, you still owe over $236,000 on your $240,000 loan.

Freedom

I think the biggest advantage, though, is the fact that Sara and I both thrive on ‘change’. We like things to be different from time to time. I have known Sara now for 11 years and in that time we have lived together in seven houses. We stayed for three years in one because Sara was pregnant and we just did not feel like moving with all of the baby gear. When you own your home, it is much more difficult to move. As a renter, when the lease is up, you are free. As an owner, the mortgage is always weighing on your mind. Yes, there is a mythical date 30 years in the future when you’ll be free, too, but in the meantime, you’d better not move or refinance, because guess what? That 30-year clock resets to Day 1.

Some people like the security of owning their home. They feel safe knowing that they always have a place to come home to. I can understand that, but I find that I feel safer knowing that with fairly short notice, I am free to make a change to my lifestyle. If I need to relocate for a job, I have the whole world as a option. I am not tied to a house. If I need to put my child in a better school, I’ll just find a house in that area and rent.

Travel

Please keep in mind that this whole argument is for those who like to travel and the best illustration that I can give is the fact that Sara and I have just packed up everything we own into a storage unit and are now in Asia traveling for two and a half months. We saved over $2500 per month by not having any significant housing expenses at home and can use that money for travel. If we owned, we could still rent out the house, but that is quite a hassle. When we return in August, we’ll just rent a new place and be back to normal.

Conclusion

Renting is not for everyone, but neither is travel. I believe, however, that if you have the travel mindset, you probably will be happier renting your home at least with the knowledge that you can just pack up and go if the urge overwhelms you. As I have said before, my home is where the majority of my underwear is.

The Great Wall

Beijing has a lot to offer, but if you only have one day there, here is a solid itinerary:

Start the day as early as possible with a quick, simple breakfast of traditional pastries, bread, or cake and milk tea at 85°C.

Take a taxi or bus ride to the Great Wall (Mutianyu Section). If you get there early, there won’t be many tourists and you can see it and go. Take the cable car to Tower 14 and then walk on the Wall back to Tower 6. Then ride the toboggan to the bottom, buy your “I climbed the Great Wall” t-shirt, get back in your taxi and head back to Beijing.

Temple of Heaven

Arrive back in Beijing for shabu-shabu lunch at Honyuan Hot Pot. This is an incredible meal that you cook yourself in your own hot pot. Not to be missed.

After lunch, go to the Temple of Heaven Park to walk off your meal. This is a huge open air park with lots of locals walking, hanging out, playing cards or musical instruments. You can walk for an hour or two and then head over to the Forbidden City for a view of how the emperors lived. From this historical site, head across the street to Tiananmen Square to a site with more modern significance.

Take a taxi to Da Dong Roast Duck Restaurant for a Peking Duck dinner that is both traditional and modern (not to mention delicious).

Head back to the train station or airport for your next stop.

Tiananman Square

There are many more things to see in Beijing, of course, but these are some of the top tourist sites. If you want to get more personal with the locals, you

will hopefully be staying a bit longer and can take your time. This itinerary is for the traveler that is pressed for time and wants to see the highlights. If you are the type that eschews the tourist crowd, you will want to steer clear of the Forbidden City, as it is packed with people. However, I would still suggest seeing the Great Wall, just go really early. It is worth it.

The Golden Pavilion, Kyoto, Japan

Of all the historic sights of Kyoto, Kinkaku-ji (the Golden Pavilion) is perhaps the most famous.  So on Flip’s first trip to Japan, we couldn’t miss it.  Among all major tourist attractions, some border the gaudy and almost cheesy, and with the name “Golden Pavilion”, that’s what we would expect.  So we were pleasantly surprised to find a tranquil garden with limited visitors.  On top of it, the cherry blossoms were blooming all around Kyoto.  It turned out to be one of the least “touristy” tourist sights we have ever visited.

As soon as I saw the name “Church on Spilled Blood“, I thought we must visit this church.  I guess I just have an affinity for the dramatic.  Perhaps that’s why I am so fascinated with Russia as a country in the first place.  I hope I am not offending anyone by saying this, but throughout its history, Russia has never been dull.  From our experience on this trip, the culture, the people, their unabashed spirit, and even the cuisine, took me by surprise time and time again, and in a good way!

Back home, people asked “why Russia?”  Very few seem to comprehend why we were going.  I can’t explain, but I am glad we went.  And I will be glad to go back someday.

All of us at the Mutianyu Great Wall

Our trip to the Great Wall started with an early morning pick up from our drivers. Unfortunately, they turned a 45-minute ride to the wall into a 2-hour tour of the outskirts of Beijing. I was under the assumption that since the Great Wall stretches for thousands of miles, you could just drive north and you would eventually hit it. Apparently these guys didn’t get that, and they had quite a time locating it. Once we got there, though, it was about as incredible as I had imagined it would be. The Wall itself is built along the top of a mountain range, so not only did the ancients build a really long wall, they hauled all of the materials to the top of a mountain to do it.

Charles & Vina at the Great Wall

According to a survey in 2009, the Great Wall was announced to be approximately 5,500 miles long. To help fully comprehend this, the distance from San Diego, CA to New York, NY is 2,432 miles. Although the exact history  is not known, it is commonly understood that the Wall started sometime before 200 BC as a series of walls to keep out foreign invaders. It was eventually unified under the Emperor Qin and then extended or repaired by each succeeding dynasty up through the Ming in the 1600′s. Contrary to popular opinion, the Great Wall is not visible from space (under favorable conditions it might be seen from low-Earth orbit), and from the Moon it is the equivalent of spying a human hair from two miles distance.

Vina & Charles on the toboggans

The section of the Wall that we chose to visit was Mutianyu.  We rode a cable car to Tower 14 and were nearly alone on the Wall. The pollution was a bit lighter here, so the view was good, but not incredible. The real thrill came with the imagination that at one time soldiers manned these walls to defend their country against the barbarians from distant lands. About mid-way through the walk, we said farewell to Sophia, her husband, Daniel and their son, Charlie. They had to return to Shanghai and we were officially on our own.

Scorpion shish kabobs at the night market

We walked the rest of the short distance to Tower 6 and made our way to the toboggan. The toboggan is a slide that takes you back to the entrance to the park and is well worth trying out. Each person climbs on to their own sled and then slides down a concrete path, using a hand brake to maintain control. The ride is at least five minutes and is quite fun and can be very fast if no one is in front of you.

You can buy a delicious centipede at the night market

As night fell, we had a few hours before boarding our train. We decided to hit the local night market which we had heard had some fairly exotic food. We were rewarded with a chance to try such fun things as starfish, snakes (with or without skin), sea horses, beetles, pigeons, crickets, centipedes (small or large) and scorpions. We watched a girl eat a scorpion and then went to KFC for some ice cream.

A very brave girl eating scorpions

At last, nine days into our trip, it was time to embark on the Trans-Siberian Railway route. Only, it wasn’t the Trans-Siberian Railway. Our first stop was going to be Datong, which was only an overnight ride, and it made more sense to just take a local train to get there rather than the more expensive K3 Trans-Sib train. We boarded a very local, very run-down train, climbed in our bunks for the night, and went to sleep knowing we had officially begun our Trans-Siberian journey.

Joshua Tree National Park, California

Our first trip to Joshua Tree National Park was a really special memory.  In 2003, Mackenzie had just turned nine.  We decided that it was time to introduce her to camping.  Since it was going to be her first camping experience, we thought that we should make it an easy one for her.  So, Joshua Tree was a perfect choice, close to San Diego, well-organized camp ground, flush toilet, and fresh water.  What we didn’t expect was the stunning scenery.  I have seen pictures of Joshua Tree countless times, but nothing quite compare to being there.  After a peaceful night sleep, we woke to a cold crisp morning.  Hot chocolates were made and donuts shared.  I took this picture on our way out of the park.  We have been back there many times.  Last year, we took Ender for the first time.  I think we hooked the girls on Joshua Tree!