Asia, a mysterious area we never thought we would visit! In this 5 week trip, we combined a pre-cruise visit to three cities in China, a 21-day cruise on Oceania Nautica from Beijing to Bangkok, a couple of extra days in Bangkok, and a week in Japan (Kyoto and Tokyo).

We flew into Shanghai and home from Tokyo (Narita). Tour guides and groups were arranged by David, a fellow traveler on the cruise through Cruise Critic. We left home in wintery weather (March 3, 2014) and arrived home to the tail-end of winter (April 10)!