"2012 - About Crewrower's Travels" crewrower's Profile

My 10th Philippine Trip is coming up - Dec '12

In what has become a tradition (Feb 2005, Dec 2006, Dec 2007, Jan 2009, Jan 2011, Feb 2012), I will spend part of the Shanghaiwinter in -- The Philippines!

Manila, Siquijor and Cebu (December 2012 - Jan 2013; 2 weeks)
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Anda and Alona Beach, Bohol, and Manila (January 2012)
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El Nido, Palawan and Manila (February 2011) - awesome!
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This time (Jan 2009), I will go to Cagayan de Oro and Camiguin, and get a better part of a day in Manila. It'll be a 5 day trip, followed by a week in Sabah, Malaysia.

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In Decmeber, 2007, I went to Cebu, Bohol, Dumaguete (Negros Oriental), and Siquijor
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In December 2006, I went to Boracay and Manila, and Angeles City (woah).
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In February 2005 I did a similar trip to Cebu and Bohol. Bohol was utterly fantastic, and so I could easily be lured back there this time. Other places of interest are perhaps northern Cebu (I did southern Cebu (Moalboal and others) on the last go), and hopefully the waterfalls and beaches of nearby island of Sequijor.

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Previous trips were in 1995, 1997 and 1998.

Overall 2007-2012 Travels

get family planning right & we'll be better,sooner

Aug 12 - Qiandaohu, Zhejiang Province, China
July 12 - Singapore
Mar 12 - Beijing
Jan 12 - Anda and Alona beach, Bohol; Manila, Philippines
December 11 - Washington DC & Maryland
October 11 - Hong Kong
June 11 - Hong Kong
April 11 - Hong Kong
March 11 - Beijing
February 11 - El Nido & Taytay, Palawan, Philippines; Manila
December 10 - Ellicott City, MD (US)
November 10 - Hong Kong, Beijing
October 10 - Milan, Florence, Venice (Italy), Los Angeles, Hong Kong
September 10 - Athens, Santorini, Crete (Greece), Munich, Zurich
July 10 - Hong Kong, Xi'an
June 10 - Beijing
March 10 - Beijing
March 10 - Singapore, Jakarta, Bali (Indonesia)
February 10 - New York City, Maryland
October 09 - Hong Kong
July 09 - Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Monterrey, Carmel-by-the-Sea, Big Sur, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Morgantown (WV), Marietta (OH)
March 09 - Hong Kong
January 09 - Malaysia (Kota Kinabalu, Mt. Kinabalu, east Sabah rain forrest, Kuala Lumpur)
January 09 - Camiguin, Cagayan de Oro, Manila (Philippines)
November 08 - Hangzhou (China)
Ocotber 08 - Hong Kong
September 08 - Beijing
August 08 - Singapore, Hong Kong, Beijing
July 08 - Singapore
June 08 - Singapore
June 08 - Seoul, Korea
June 08 - Baltimore, Maryland
April 08 - Zhujiajiao (near Shanghai)
April 08 - Beijing
April 08 - Singapore
April 08 - Hong Kong
March 08 - Beijing
February 08 - Singapore
December 07 - Philippines (Cebu, Bohol, Siquijor, Negros Oriental, Manila)
October 07 - Beijing
October 07 - Hong Kong, Macau
October 07 - Tokyo (Japan)
October 07 - Los Angeles, Palm Springs (USA)
October 07 - Jordan
May 07 - Tokyo (Japan)
May 07 - Maryland (USA)
April 07 - Hangzhou (China)
February 07 - Yunnan, Guizhou, Chongqing (China)
January 07 - Hong Kong, Macau

Shanghai, China resident year round.

About Crewrower

I was born and schooled in Maryland, did graduate school in Pittsburgh, and since then have lived in China.

I work in in Shanghai, China. I've lived in China for more or less the past 8 years.

I speak English and Mandarin Chinese, although I hope to raise my fluency in both languages.

Mystery Member

Thanks Stephanie for making me the mystery member of the month, and to everyone who figured me out!

Why I travel

My first trip abroad was to the Philippines with a student group. Since then I've financed 5 further trips to various parts of the Philippines, and taken another hand holding high school trip to Spain that taught me never to travel on a tour again.

I've looked at the burial tomb of Queen Anne in Westminister Abbey, only then realizing who was the person for which a county in my home state of Maryland was named. I've looked at thousands of skulls stacked in a glass case on the outskirts of Phenon Penh, only then realizing that genocide is one of the worst things we as people are capable of doing.

I've been to the 731 holocaust museum in northern China and anti war museums in Japan and Vietnam, and seen that we're often able to do the worst things to one another. I've wondered what it's like for people and their families in other places like Africa who don't even get a proper memorial.

I've been to baseball games in Baltimore, Los Angeles, Arlington TX, Beijing and Tokyo. One "good seat" at an average baseball game costs more than the average person in China earns in two months.

I've never lived at either end of this wealth spectrum and feel lucky for that.

I've walked sections of the Great Wall in northern China and have seen a cat intentionally strangled alive from an alley wall in southern China.

I've slept on the street in Hong Kong, airports in Tokyo and Vienna, and on a beach in southern Taiwan. I'd hope to not repeat any of that, but oh the joy of youth! Likewise I've stayed at some of the best hotels through Asia and appreciate that, but still guess when it's all said and done I'll be talking about why I was on that street in Hong Kong (which was, incidentally, on June 30, 1997, the night Hong Kong was returned by the UK to China).

I've driven through Jordan by myself with no map and no Arabic and found everything I was looking for, and a bit more. I've spent a week seeing Slovakia from a college mate who drove me around to show me his country of which I knew nothing about.

I had the privledge of waking up for 4 years in college to watch the sunrise in Baltimore (morning rowing), and a year in Pittsburgh watching that same sun set over the Monagahlia (coaching rowing in afternoons).

I've swam in pristine but not famous ocean waters in Malaysia and the Philippines, and swam in formerly pristine but now over touristed beaches in 3 times as many countries.

I've been accidently bit by a stray dog in South Carolina (she didn't mean it) and have hit a stray dog in Siquijor, Philippines (I didn't mean it).

I've seen amazing things ancient people have done in places like Ankor Wat (Cambodia), Petra (Jordan), and Xi'an (China).

I dream of going to more countries in Asia and getting to Africa before long.

I've seen scores of people begging for food in Dumaguete (Philippines) and had no joy in giving them what little I did (such a fleeting feeling as you leave your vacation but they can't leave that life).

I've riden my bicycle through parts of China's Hebei, Anhui, Jiangsu, Yunnan and Guizhou provinces. Each day of that is worth a week of travel experience.

I love living abroad for the little shocks one sees every day, like the chicken with it's hind tied to the back wheel frame of a bicycle with spring onions sprinkled on the concrete ground before it - in my apartment complex!

I've been to Myanmar and would like to go back. I'd really like to see North Korea but have little interest in seeing the South. I'm saving the developed world of Europe and North America for old age if I make it that long, though I'd take a trip to Australia or New Zealand any time if possible given its relative close proximity. I think traveling has made me better and helped me see I'm not good enough, definitely not as smart as I thought I was, but without a doubt luckier than most.

October 2007 - Jordan

Off to Jordan I took a short trip to Jordan in October 2007. Rented a car and drove all around the country (Madaba, Kerak, Dana, Petra, Aqaba, Wadi Rum, Amman) The trip was as as magnificient as it was short!

This was a busy travel month as I took separate trips from Shanghai to Jordan, USA, Tokyo, Hong Kong, and Beijing.

Feb 2007 - 2 week bike trip in Southern China

I took a 2 week bicycling trip through the rugged mountainous region of Yunnan and Guizhou provinces in February 2007. Check out my Yunnan, China page on VT for some info and pics from the ride, and also a ride in Febuary 2006 I did there. If you have experience cycling in remote areas and would like to join me for this ride, drop me a line and we can chat.

Intro Updated Dec 20, 2012
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Comments (138)

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DAO Apr 3, 2013 at 1:36 AM

Happy Belated Birthday Chris !
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planxty Oct 24, 2012 at 3:57 AM

Hello Chris, thanks very much for your kind comments on the forum. You will have a great time in Siquijor and Dumaguete, I spent five months there this year and loved it. Speak soon, fergy.
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ViajesdelMundo Oct 22, 2012 at 8:48 AM

HOLA, Chris! good to see you in the Forum; we just returned from a visit to meet our 2nd granddaughter who is now 5 mos, and her big sister already 3+ years! trust you 2 are enjoying yours and all is going well.
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Usctwin Apr 1, 2012 at 5:19 PM

Hi Chris, hope you had a great birthday!
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DAO Apr 1, 2012 at 9:51 AM

Greetings and Happy Birthday from Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso!!
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mehulraj Apr 1, 2012 at 2:04 AM

birthday wishes from india, Mehulraj
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paulhanson Mar 31, 2012 at 11:55 PM

Enjoy the day!
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Helenbb Mar 31, 2012 at 11:22 PM

sheng ri kuai le.
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asiantraveler Mar 25, 2012 at 8:30 PM

happy birthday man
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ViajesdelMundo Oct 30, 2011 at 1:29 PM

First time I've seen you on here in awhile---and CONGRATS on your baby!!Glad things are going well with you. I have just signed onto a tour (2nd one in my life) to Israel and Jordan, departing in 3 wks.