China & Korea — The Final Chapter
- Reese Highbloom
- 23 hours ago
- 5 min read
February 26 – March 17th
This was it. The final stretch.
I left Bangkok late on February 26th and landed in Shanghai around 1:30am. What followed was a long, confusing entry process — customs, app verifications, figuring out how anything worked — before finally booking a Didi and arriving at my hostel around 4am.
The first thing I noticed? Silence.
No cars. No people. Just massive elevated highways floating above the city, completely empty. It felt surreal.
Of course, I still had to make my bed — waking up the entire dorm while wrestling with sheets on a top bunk at 4am. I crashed hard after that.
The next morning I took it slow. Coffee in hand, I walked down Nanjing Road, stopping for soup dumplings — still one of my favorite foods — before making my way to the Bund. From there I wandered toward Yu Garden, where the Lunar New Year celebrations were still in full swing. Lanterns, lights, crowds — a full sensory overload.
That night, on a recommendation, I found a place called Chair Club with a live R&B band. It was unreal. Whisky, beer, and a band that absolutely crushed it.
The next day I joined a walking tour through the city — government buildings, parks, Nanjing Road, and the Bund again — but the highlight was the marriage market. Parents lined the park holding sheets of paper advertising their single children. Ages, jobs, height, salary — it was wild.
On that tour I met a woman named Tova from New York. She reminded me so much of my grandmother and invited me to dinner with her and her husband that night. As a broke backpacker, I obviously said yes.
Dinner was incredible — a proper Italian meal and even better conversation. Afterward, I met some backpackers and ended up at INS, one of the largest clubs in the world. Seven floors, ten clubs inside. Honestly though, it wasn’t my scene. I lost the group, the drinks were too sweet, and the whole “table culture” made it hard to meet people.
On my way out, everything changed.
A group of Latin girls and one guy came up to me — finally, fellow Westerners. We ended up grabbing late-night noodles together, and they gave me a completely different perspective on Shanghai. Instead of waiting forever for a ride, I grabbed an Alipay bike and rode home through the empty city at night. Easily one of my favorite moments there.
From Shanghai, I flew west to Zhangjiajie, the Avatar Mountains.
The park itself felt like something out of another world. Entry required passport scans and facial recognition — efficient, but slightly unsettling. I took buses, elevators, gondolas — all to get above the clouds.
When the fog cleared, the views were insane. Towering stone pillars rising out of the mist. Other times, you couldn’t see five feet ahead. That unpredictability made it even better.
But the highlight wasn’t the famous viewpoints — it was the 7km walk along the river at the base of the cliffs. Quiet. Peaceful. Just me, the water, and the towering rock walls. One of the most beautiful walks I’ve ever done.
That night, I had one of my favorite meals of the trip — grilled skewers cooked over coal, cheap beers, sitting under a thick tablecloth while staying warm from the coals below. Simple, perfect.
Next stop: Xi’an.
The Terracotta Army is one of those things that doesn’t really hit until you’re standing there. The scale is massive. Thousands of figures, all unique. It’s hard to wrap your head around.
Back in the city, I wandered through the Muslim Quarter, eating everything in sight, before grabbing drinks with a couple of British girls that evening.
Then it was on to Beijing.
The Great Wall was everything I hoped for.
I went to the Mutianyu section, took the chairlift up, and set a goal — all 20 towers. People said it couldn’t be done in the time I had. I did it anyway.
Some sections were steep and icy, others easy, but every single view was unreal. Snow on the mountains, clear skies, endless wall stretching into the distance.
That night, through a connection, I ended up at a place called The Supermarket — easily one of the coolest bars I’ve ever been to. You walk in, grab drinks from literal refrigerators at store prices, and bring them into the club. Simple, chaotic, perfect.
The next day, I did a walking tour, tried calligraphy, and later had Peking duck at a Michelin Guide restaurant — solo, which felt slightly wrong since Chinese food is meant to be shared.
My last day in Beijing was chaotic. Security for Tiananmen Square was intense — over two hours just to get in. I barely had time to look around before racing back to the hostel and heading to the airport.
Next stop: Korea.
I landed late in Seoul and made my way to Itaewon. The next day I explored Myeongdong, grabbed samgyetang — a whole chicken soup — and crashed early. I wasn’t feeling great physically, and the exhaustion was catching up.
That night I met my roommates, including Eden from Miami who instantly felt like family. A group of us went out for Korean BBQ — unlimited meat, soju, beer — one of those meals you never forget.
The next morning was the DMZ tour.
Standing that close to North Korea was surreal. We walked through infiltration tunnels, looked across the border through binoculars, and listened to stories from a North Korean defector. It was heavy, fascinating, and unlike anything else on the trip.
From Seoul, I took the train to Busan.
There, things slowed down. Beach walks, vinyl bars with thousands of records, late-night conversations, karaoke, and way too much shopping. I met travelers from all over — France, the Philippines, Canada — and just enjoyed the final stretch.
One night ended with a photo booth session — a very Korean way to wrap up a night out.
From Busan, I made a quick trip to Gyeongju, walking through ancient tombs, visiting museums, and playing guitar back at the hostel. It was quiet, reflective in the best way.
Then, just like that, it was over.
I took the train back to Seoul, did some last-minute shopping, grabbed a final meal, and headed to the airport.
Seven months. Dozens of countries. Hundreds of moments.
And now?
I’m on my way home — thinking about nothing more than a New York slice of pizza.
Thanks for following along.
I’ll be sharing one final post soon — a reflection on the entire journey, lessons learned, and everything I’m taking home with me.
China Photos:
Korea Photos:
Reese, what an incredible journey you’ve had! So many incredible moments you will treasure for life. Thank you for your tips on Vietnam. We fly home tomorrow, only two weeks but wish it was more! Good luck re-adjusting to life back home and we will see you very soon!😘
Cannot wait to hear more atories when you return. Loved following along and so happy you chose to have this life changing experience
Amazing!!! Wow you reminded me as I was at The Bund too. I love all of those Korean matzoh balls!