Only two words can be used to describe our Christmas/New year trip - Unbearably cold! Yes we wanted to have a white christmas, but this was really more than what we bargained for. -31 degC at its coldest, nothing could prepare us for this. Our bodies were wrapped up like giant bar changs, (rice dumplings) but our feet and hands just couldn't be insulated well enough. Imagine that water vapor could condense on our eyelashes and then freeze into tiny clumps of ice. This was truly the coldest I ever felt though theoretically I experienced similar temperatures at Hokkaido in the winter of 06. They say its because of the Siberian wind that blows from Russia. Also locals say this was the coldest winter they had for a long time, possibly due to climate change. Anyway, here are some of the photos, least I have ever taken on any trip coz my gloves were too thick to control the camera properly and my bare hand couldn't stand more than a couple of seconds out in the cold. Enjoy them, coz I probably will never go some place this cold ever again.
张学良将军's mansion
One of the buildings at 沈阳故宫
Probably China's most Majestic Beast - the Siberian Tiger
One of many Immense Ice sculptures at Sun Island
Same one with a different view
The one reason we put ourselves to the torture - 哈尔滨冰雪大世界
Got to see it to believe it (well we've done it so that's it, enuf)
My favorite piece, The Himeji Castle ice structure
