Around The World in ... 80 days?

Haven't written anything on this blog for a long time, like six years.  Thinking about reviving it to be a blog for our upcoming travel. Not sure if this is the right format, but I will begin to experiment with it.  Can I post maps?  Pictures (of course), video, music, etc?
Let's see what happens ...

So at right is a picture of the Great Wall of China - that's where we're going first.  We stay in and around Beijing for the first week or so. 

There is a lot that goes into planning a trip like this - for example, deciding how much baggage to take (we're gonna be taking only backpacks), and what do you do about haircuts ... or cell phones (most American phones don't work overseas).

The planning process has taken about nine months so far, and there are still a few blanks to fill in. 


Here is an attempt at a map to show where Beijing is: