Podcasts about stone forest

Oliver and Jamie react to the final episode of the second season of Hilda!  Quite the twist at the end...

In the final part of our Intermission Crossover, the trio of Rhes, 8UT-13R and Toxone move deeper into the Stone Forest, trying desperately to keep their heads and lose their tails... All Music by: Joshua Empyre (FreeSound) Rhes (Sammi) - @GoddesSammi Toxone (Dustin) - @panda_greasy 8UT-13R (Josh) - @redpandainaywing The Force (Sam) - @SamEmery82  

In today's episode we welcome James Morgan-Jones, the author of The Glasswater Quintet, a series of psychological thrillers, with a supernatural touch. James began his career as a professional actor but after a serious accident retrained as a feline behaviourist.James Morgan-Jones was born and brought up on the Essex/London borders. His mother was Welsh and his father from the East End. He trained as a professional actor at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London and worked for several years in the theatre. After a serious accident he retrained as a feline behaviourist and now lives in West Wales.He began writing seriously after gaining an MA with Distinction from Trinity Saint David University in Carmarthen. He then embarked on The Glasswater Quintet, a series of psychological thrillers, with a supernatural touch. The novels are linked by character and place but set in different decades, from the 1940s onwards. The first book in the series, On the Edge of Wild Water, was published by Wordcatcher in the summer of 2017. This was followed by the second in the quintet, The Glass Citadel, later that year, as well as a short story collection, The Wheel and Other Stories. The third novel, The Stone Forest, was published in November 2018, followed by the fourth – Eye of the Rushes – in 2020.James is also an accomplished speaker and a respected poet. He was featured in a radio interview for World Poetry Day 2020. In the autumn of 2019 his first collection of poetry, Living Places, Passing Lives, was published by Wordcatcher.Get in touch with James Morgan-JonesWebsiteTwitterFacebookGet in Touch with Victoria BennionTo learn more about working with us visit www.victoriabennion.com

La tragedia ha golpeado con fuerza la comunidad trailrunner mundial. 21 corredores fallecidos y ocho hospitalizados es el balance de los desgraciados acontecimientos producidos por un brusco cambio de las condiciones meteorológicas durante la celebración de la Yellow River Stone Forest 100. Analizamos las causas con Paula Bueno y el español residente en China, y también corredor, Daniel Pérez.

Good News: A retired couple has turned their handmade-toy making hobby into a charitable effort, link HERE The Good Word: A brilliant quote about optimism from the great Helen Keller. Good To Know: A fun fact about New Year’s celebrating in ancient Hawai’i! Good News: A potential tragedy is averted as a homeless man saves […]

The unexplained....the unsolved.....the unknown. Every year, there are thousands of unsolved mysteries around this. From the unbelievable to the undeniable, we invite you to join hosts Luis and Naomi on an exploration of the unusual world that surrounds us. No topic is left is unexplored as we try to unravel the mysteries of the unknown. This Week we explore......The Legend of the Stone Forest or MarcahuasiHave you ever heard about the remote area known as Marcahuasi? It is in the Andes Mountains near Lima, Peru.This area is shrouded in mystery. Partly because of huge granite rocks that fill the area and their eerie resemblance to faces, animals and religious symbols. There is debate about whether the rocks were shaped by pre-Columbian civilizations or if they are naturally occurring, as many archeologists believe.Because of these mysterious rock formations, the area is sometimes referred to as the “stone forest” and there are plenty of stories and legends that have been passed down over time due to its mysterious origins.ManBitesMedia TheUnknownPodcast NaomiChusid LuisLacau AlternateUniverse Conspiracytheory UFO Aliens Government Disappearances Muders TrueCrime ScienceFiction Paranormal History Unsolved Taured Maracahuasi Thestoneforest

Comics with my Kids Episode 17 Hilda and the Stone Forest by Luke Pearson On our 17th episode of Comics with my Kids, we take a look at the graphic novel Hilda and The Stone Forest written and drawn by Luke Pearson Published by Flying Eye Books. Melody continues to tell us about her love for this book series. So sit back grab a cup of tea and listen in to what Melody thinks of this crazy expedition. After reading Hilda and the Troll then Hilda and the Midnight Giant, Melody continues on her journey along side Hilda as she faces Trolls, and being grounded. With the help of Twig and the Raven, Hilda manages to get out of trouble. Theme song provided by Bensound, Visit Bensound at Bensound.com Again we want your opinions and questions so: Email the show at 60sreboot@gmail.com MRvweYTJn1vhaiqLn93N

Lori M. Lee visits the podcast to talk folk tales, fan fiction, and her newest YA fantasy, FOREST OF SOULS. Episode’s Bookshop.org Page Episode Mentions: * The Hobbit* A Thousand Beginnings and Endings* R.L. Stine* The Giver* Naruto* Sarah Rees Brennan* LiveJournal* NaNoWriMo* The Modern Faerie Tales* Suzie Townsend* Janet Reid* Gates of Thread & Stone* Forest of Souls* The Lord of the Rings* Song of Ice & Fire* Winter of the Witch

James Morgan-Jones was born and brought up on the Essex/London borders. His mother was Welsh and his father from the East End. He trained as a professional actor at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London and worked for several years in the theatre. After a serious accident he retrained as a feline behaviourist and now lives in West Wales. He began writing seriously after gaining an MA with Distinction from Trinity Saint David University inCarmarthen. He then embarked on The Glasswater Quintet, a series of supernatural/psychological novels, linked by character and place but set in different decades, from the 1940s onwards. The first book in the series, On the Edge of Wild Water, was published by Wordcatcher in the summer of 2017. This was followed by the second in the quintet, The Glass Citadel, later that year, as well as a short story collection, The Wheel and Other Stories. The third novel, The Stone Forest, was published in November 2018. The fourth in the series, Eye of the Rushes, is due for release in the spring of 2020. In November of this year James’s first collection of poetry, Living Places, Passing Lives, was published by Wordcatcher. http://jamesmorganjones.co.uk  

part two of the session i had playing cello in the replica cathedral bird accompanist ftw  

Gabe is a musician and sound engineer. Through his life, Gabe has gone through many different adventures, including several trips to China. In this episode, Gabe details how he almost died in the Stone Forest in China, and then might have gotten caught up with the DVD branch of the Chinese mafia another time... just listen to the episode... --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/alegendarysaga/message

 Our first episode for 2019!   The party arrive at The Standing Stones in the of the Stone Forest where they find themselves in a puzzling situation. Lyle disappears, Rün invents the spreadsheet, and Spartan connects with this spiritual side.   Along with a new year comes a new segment, 'What is your jam this week?' In this segment, our team shares something nerdy, fun, interesting or something they just can't get enough of this week.   Today's adventure is The Graveyard Shift by Emmet Byrne, get a copy here!   Synthwave tracks provided by Driver86, find them here!   Ambient sounds by Sword Coast Soundscapes, check them out here!   This weeks Follower Quest is to head over to our Instagram account and give us a follow! If you do follow us make a comment on the Episode 4 post to let us know you're listening.   Committee Quest is a D&D actual play podcast that showcases adventures made by the D&D community, synthwave music, and shares a lot of laughs. There is a heavy dose of retro gaming & films, and other pop-culture influences.  Want more? Head to FaceBook Instagram Twitter

In southern China's Yunnan Province, there's an eerie landscape, a 200-acre maze of sharp limestone pinnacles, some more than 100 feet high.

BEARS!!!

Time Codes: 00:00:27 - Introduction 00:02:57 - Context of the 2017 Eisner Awards 00:06:14 - Best Publication for Early Readers (up to age 8) 00:57:02 - Best Publication for Kids (ages 9-12) 01:49:53 - Best Publication for Teens (ages 13-17) 02:52:17 - Wrap up 02:53:05 - Contact us This month, Gwen and Paul discuss the three Eisner Award categories that focus on comics for young readers. And this is a jam-packed, extra-long episode! As they work through each set of nominees, Paul and Gwen discuss the value of prizing in general and the challenges faced by the judges when they must cull such a small number of texts from a pool that is increasingly deep. Inevitably, they mention many other texts that felt were strong contenders for recognition, making this episode a great resource for any parent, child, teen, or teacher who is eager to learn about this year's great comics. Eisner Awards Nominations 2017 Best Publication for Early Readers (up to age 8) Ape and Armadillo Take Over the World, by James Sturm (Toon) Burt's Way Home, by John Martz (Koyama) The Creeps, Book 2: The Trolls Will Feast! by Chris Schweizer (Abrams) I'm Grumpy (My First Comics), by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm (Random House Books for Young Readers) Narwhal: Unicorn of the Sea, by Ben Clanton (Tundra) Best Publication for Kids (ages 9-12) The Drawing Lesson, by Mark Crilley (Watson-Guptill) Ghosts, by Raina Telgemeier (Scholastic) Hilda and the Stone Forest, by Luke Pearson (Flying Eye Books) Rikki, adapted by Norm Harper and Matthew Foltz-Gray (Karate Petshop) Science Comics: Dinosaurs, by MK Reed and Joe Flood (First Second) Best Publication for Teens (ages 13-17) Bad Machinery, vol. 5: The Case of the Fire Inside, by John Allison (Oni) Batgirl, by Hope Larson and Rafael Albuquerque (DC) Jughead, by Chip Zdarsky, Ryan North, Erica Henderson, and Derek Charm (Archie) Monstress, by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda (Image) Trish Trash: Roller Girl of Mars, by Jessica Abel (Papercutz/Super Genius) The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, by Ryan North and Erica Henderson (Marvel)  

Earlier this month the nominees for the 2017 Eisner Awards were announced at the Comic-Con International website, and as Andy and Derek like to do every year, they're devoting a full episode of The Comics Alternative to a discussion of the nominations. On this week's show, the Two Guys give their impressions of the various nominees, both as a whole and on a category-by-category basis, making observations and trying to understand any trends underlying this year's selections. However, Derek and Andy resist the urge to play armchair quarterbacks, so they don't second-guess the six-member panel of judges or focus on what they would have chosen if they had been on the selection committee. As diligent comics scholars, they judicial and discerning in their commentary. At the same time, they don't shy away from pointing out a few inconsistencies and a few head-scratchers when trying to make sense of this year's nominations. You can find a complete list of the 2017 Eisner Award nominees below. So as you listen to this week's episode, please feel free to scroll down and follow along!   Eisner Awards Nominations 2017 Best Short Story “The Comics Wedding of the Century,” by Simon Hanselmann, in We Told You So: Comics as Art (Fantagraphics) “The Dark Nothing,” by Jordan Crane, in Uptight #5 (Fantagraphics) “Good Boy,” by Tom King and David Finch, in Batman Annual #1 (DC) “Monday,” by W. Maxwell Prince and John Amor, in One Week in the Library (Image) “Mostly Saturn,” by Michael DeForge, in Island Magazine #8 (Image) “Shrine of the Monkey God!” by Kim Deitch, in Kramers Ergot 9 (Fantagraphics) Best Single Issue/One-Shot Babybel Wax Bodysuit, by Eric Kostiuk Williams (Retrofit/Big Planet) Beasts of Burden: What the Cat Dragged In, by Evan Dorkin, Sarah Dyer, and Jill Thompson (Dark Horse) Blammo #9, by Noah Van Sciver (Kilgore Books) Criminal 10th Anniversary Special, by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips (Image) Sir Alfred #3, by Tim Hensley (Pigeon Press) Your Black Friend, by Ben Passmore (Silver Sprocket) Best Continuing Series Astro City, by Kurt Busiek and Brent Anderson (Vertigo/DC) Kill or Be Killed, by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips (Image) The Mighty Thor, by Jason Aaron and Russell Dauterman (Marvel) Paper Girls, by Brian K. Vaughan and Cliff Chiang (Image) Saga, by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples (Image) Best Limited Series Archangel, by William Gibson, Michael St. John Smith, Butch Guice, and Tom Palmer (IDW) Briggs Land, by Brian Wood and Mack Chater (Dark Horse) Han Solo, by Marjorie Liu and Mark Brooks (Marvel) Kim and Kim, by Magdalene Visaggio and Eva Cabrera (Black Mask) The Vision, by Tom King and Gabriel Walta (Marvel) Best New Series Black Hammer, by Jeff Lemire and Dean Ormston (Dark Horse) Clean Room, by Gail Simone and Jon Davis-Hunt (Vertigo/DC) Deathstroke: Rebirth, by Christopher Priest, Carlo Pagulayan, et al. (DC) Faith, by Jody Houser, Pere Pérez, and Marguerite Sauvage (Valiant) Mockingbird, by Chelsea Cain and Kate Niemczyk (Marvel) Best Publication for Early Readers (up to age 8) Ape and Armadillo Take Over the World, by James Sturm (Toon) Burt's Way Home, by John Martz (Koyama) The Creeps, Book 2: The Trolls Will Feast! by Chris Schweizer (Abrams) I'm Grumpy (My First Comics), by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm (Random House Books for Young Readers) Narwhal: Unicorn of the Sea, by Ben Clanton (Tundra) Best Publication for Kids (ages 9-12) The Drawing Lesson, by Mark Crilley (Watson-Guptill) Ghosts, by Raina Telgemeier (Scholastic) Hilda and the Stone Forest, by Luke Pearson (Flying Eye Books) Rikki, adapted by Norm Harper and Matthew Foltz-Gray (Karate Petshop) Science Comics: Dinosaurs, by MK Reed and Joe Flood (First Second) Best Publication for Teens (ages 13-17) Bad Machinery, vol. 5: The Case of the Fire Inside, by John Allison (Oni) Batgirl, by Hope Larson and Rafael Albuquerque (DC) Jughead, by Chip Zdarsky, Ryan North, Erica Henderson, and Derek Charm (Archie) Monstress, by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda (Image) Trish Trash: Roller Girl of Mars, by Jessica Abel (Papercutz/Super Genius) The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, by Ryan North and Erica Henderson (Marvel) Best Humor Publication The Further Fattening Adventures of Pudge, Girl Blimp, by Lee Marrs (Marrs Books) Hot Dog Taste Test, by Lisa Hanawalt (Drawn & Quarterly) Jughead, by Chip Zdarsky, Ryan North, Erica Henderson, and Derek Charm (Archie) Man, I Hate Cursive, by Jim Benton (Andrews McMeel) Yuge! 30 Years of Doonesbury on Trump, by G. B. Trudeau (Andrews McMeel) Best Anthology Baltic Comics Anthology š! #26: dADa, edited by David Schilter and Sanita Muizniece (kuš!) Island Magazine, edited by Brandon Graham and Emma Rios (Image) Kramers Ergot 9, edited by Sammy Harkham (Fantagraphics) Love Is Love, edited by Sarah Gaydos and Jamie S. Rich (IDW/DC) Spanish Fever: Stories by the New Spanish Cartoonists, edited by Santiago Garcia (Fantagraphics) Best Reality-Based Work Dark Night: A True Batman Story, by Paul Dini and Eduardo Risso (Vertigo/DC) Glenn Gould: A Life Off Tempo, by Sandrine Revel (NBM) March (Book Three), by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell (Top Shelf) Rosalie Lightning: A Graphic Memoir, by Tom Hart (St. Martin's) Tetris: The Games People Play, by Box Brown (First Second) Best Graphic Album—New The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye, by Sonny Liew (Pantheon) Black Dog: The Dreams of Paul Nash, by Dave McKean (Dark Horse) Exits, by Daryl Seitchik (Koyama) Mooncop, by Tom Gauld (Drawn & Quarterly) Patience, by Daniel Clowes (Fantagraphics) Wonder Woman: The True Amazon, by Jill Thompson (DC Comics) Best Graphic Album—Reprint Demon, by Jason Shiga (First Second) Incomplete Works, by Dylan Horrocks (Alternative) Last Look, by Charles Burns (Pantheon) Meat Cake Bible, by Dame Darcy (Fantagraphics) Megg and Mogg in Amsterdam and Other Stories, by Simon Hanselmann (Fantagraphics) She's Not into Poetry, by Tom Hart (Alternative) Best U.S. Edition of International Material Equinoxes, by Cyril Pedrosa, translated by Joe Johnson (NBM) Irmina, by Barbara Yelin, translated by Michael Waaler (SelfMadeHero) Love: The Lion, by Frédéric Brémaud and Federico Bertolucci (Magnetic) Moebius Library: The World of Edena, by Jean “Moebius” Giraud et al. (Dark Horse) Wrinkles, by Paco Roca, translated by Erica Mena (Fantagraphics) Best U.S. Edition of International Material—Asia The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye, by Sonny Liew (Pantheon) Goodnight Punpun, vols. 1–4, by Inio Asano, translated by JN PRoductions (VIZ Media) orange: The Complete Collection, vols. 1–2, by Ichigo Takano, translated by Amber Tamosaitis, adaptation by Shannon Fay (Seven Seas) The Osamu Tezuka Story: A Life in Manga and Anime, by Toshio Ban and Tezuka Productions, translated by Frederik L. Schodt (Stone Bridge Press) Princess Jellyfish, vols. 1–3, by Akiko Higashimura, translated by Sarah Alys Lindholm (Kodansha) Wandering Island, vol. 1, by Kenji Tsuruta, translated by Dana Lewis (Dark Horse) Best Archival Collection/Project—Strips (at least 20 years old) Almost Completely Baxter: New and Selected Blurtings, by Glen Baxter (NYR Comics) Barnaby, vol. 3, by Crockett Johnson, edited by Philip Nel and Eric Reynolds (Fantagraphics) Chester Gould's Dick Tracy, Colorful Cases of the 1930s, edited by Peter Maresca (Sunday Press) The Realist Cartoons, edited by Paul Krassner and Ethan Persoff (Fantagraphics) Walt & Skeezix 1931–1932, by Frank King, edited by Jeet Heer and Chris Ware (Drawn & Quarterly) Best Archival Collection/Project—Comic Books (at least 20 Years Old) The Complete Neat Stuff, by Peter Bagge, edited by Eric Reynolds (Fantagraphics) The Complete Wimmen's Comix, edited by Trina Robbins, Gary Groth, and J. Michael Catron (Fantagraphics) Fables and Funnies, by Walt Kelly, compiled by David W. Tosh (Dark Horse) Trump: The Complete Collection, by Harvey Kurtzman et al., edited by Denis Kitchen and John Lind (Dark Horse) U.S.S. Stevens: The Collected Stories, by Sam Glanzman, edited by Drew Ford (Dover) Best Writer Ed Brubaker, Criminal 10th Anniversary Special, Kill or Be Killed, Velvet (Image) Kurt Busiek, Astro City (Vertigo/DC) Chelsea Cain, Mockingbird (Marvel) Max Landis, Green Valley (Image/Skybound); Superman: American Alien (DC) Jeff Lemire, Black Hammer (Dark Horse); Descender, Plutona (Image); Bloodshot Reborn (Valiant) Brian K. Vaughan, Paper Girls, Saga (Image) Best Writer/Artist Jessica Abel, Trish Trash: Roller Girl of Mars (Papercutz/Super Genius) Box Brown, Tetris: The Games People Play (First Second) Tom Gauld, Mooncop (Drawn & Quarterly) Tom Hart, Rosalie Lightning: A Graphic Memoir (St. Martin's) Sonny Liew, The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye (Pantheon) Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team Mark Brooks, Han Solo (Marvel) Dan Mora, Klaus (BOOM! Studios) Greg Ruth, Indeh (Grand Central Publishing) Francois Schuiten, The Theory of the Grain of Sand (IDW) Fiona Staples, Saga (Image) Brian Stelfreeze, Black Panther (Marvel) Best Painter/Multimedia Artist (interior art) Federico Bertolucci, Love: The Lion (Magnetic) Brecht Evens, Panther (Drawn & Quarterly) Manuele Fior, 5,000 km per Second (Fantagraphics) Dave McKean, Black Dog (Dark Horse) Sana Takeda, Monstress (Image) Jill Thompson, Wonder Woman: The True Amazon (DC); Beasts of Burden: What the Cat Dragged In (Dark Horse) Best Cover Artist (for multiple covers) Mike Del Mundo, Avengers, Carnage, Mosaic, The Vision (Marvel) David Mack, Abe Sapien, BPRD Hell on Earth, Fight Club 2, Hellboy and the BPRD 1953 (Dark Horse) Sean Phillips, Criminal 10th Anniversary Special, Kill or Be Killed (Image) Fiona Staples, Saga (Image) Sana Takeda, Monstress (Image) Best Coloring Jean-Francois Beaulieu, Green Valley (Image/Skybound) Elizabeth Breitweiser, Criminal 10th Anniversary Special, Kill or Be Killed, Velvet (Image); Outcast by Kirkman & Azaceta (Image/Skybound) Sonny Liew, The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye (Pantheon) Laura Martin, Wonder Woman (DC); Ragnorak (IDW); Black Panther (Marvel) Matt Wilson, Cry Havoc, Paper Girls, The Wicked + The Divine (Image); Black Widow, The Mighty Thor, Star-Lord (Marvel) Best Lettering Dan Clowes, Patience (Fantagraphics) Brecht Evens, Panther (Drawn & Quarterly) Tom Gauld, Mooncop (Drawn & Quarterly) Nick Hayes, Woody Guthrie (Abrams) Todd Klein, Clean Room, Dark Night, Lucifer (Vertigo/DC); Black Hammer (Dark Horse) Sonny Liew, The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye (Pantheon) Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism The A.V. Club comics coverage, including Comics Panel, Back Issues, and Big Issues, by Oliver Sava et al., www.avclub.com Comic Riffs blog, by Michael Cavna and David Betancourt, www.washingtonpost.com/new/comic-riffs/ Critical Chips, edited by Zainab Akhtar (Comics & Cola) PanelPatter.com, edited by Rob McMonigal WomenWriteAboutComics.com, edited by Megan Purdy and Claire Napier Best Comics-Related Book blanc et noir: takeshi obata illustrations, by Takeshi Obata (VIZ Media) Ditko Unleashed: An American Hero, by Florentino Flórez and Frédéric Manzano (IDW/Editions Déesse) Krazy: George Herriman, A Life in Black and White, by Michael Tisserand (Harper) The Life and Legend of Wallace Wood, vol. 1, edited by Bhob Stewart and J. Michael Catron (Fantagraphics) More Heroes of the Comics, by Drew Friedman (Fantagraphics) Best Academic/Scholarly Work Brighter Than You Think: Ten Short Works by Alan Moore, with essays by Marc Sobel (Uncivilized) Forging the Past: Set and the Art of Memory, by Daniel Marrone (University Press of Mississippi) Frank Miller's Daredevil and the Ends of Heroism, by Paul Young (Rutgers University Press) Pioneering Cartoonists of Color, by Tim Jackson (University Press of Mississippi) Superwomen: Gender, Power, and Representation, by Carolyn Cocca (Bloomsbury) Best Publication Design The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye, designed by Sonny Liew (Pantheon) The Complete Wimmen's Comix, designed by Keeli McCarthy (Fantagraphics) Frank in the Third Dimension, designed by Jacob Covey, 3D conversions by Charles Barnard (Fantagraphics) The Realist Cartoons, designed by Jacob Covey (Fantagraphics) Si Lewen's Parade: An Artist's Odyssey, designed by Art Spiegelman (Abrams) Best Webcomic Bird Boy, by Anne Szabla, http://bird-boy.com Deja Brew, by Taneka Stotts and Sara DuVall (Stela.com) Jaeger, by Ibrahim Moustafa (Stela.com) The Middle Age, by Steve Conley, steveconley.com/the-middle-age On Beauty, by Christina Tran,  sodelightful.com/comics/beauty/ Best Digital Comic Bandette, by Paul Tobin and Colleen Coover (Monkeybrain/comiXology) Edison Rex, by Chris Roberson and Dennis Culver (Monkeybrain/comiXology) Helm, by Jehanzeb Hasan and Mauricio Caballero, www.crookshaw.com/helm/ On a Sunbeam, by Tillie Walden, www.onasunbeam.com Universe!, by Albert Monteys (Panel Syndicate)

'Pope Hats' by Ethan Rilly from Adhouse has four absorbing issues out-- and at last, you can get the second one! For a long time out of print, with the recent reprinting of issue 2, Paul finally gets to read the full story, and talks about what good comics it is, in the vein of Clowes, Seth, Huizenga, Ware, and Tomine. Find Pope Hats at http://www.adhousebooks.com/ Paul also mentions other comics he's reading and may discuss: When We Were Kids by Andy Warner (Irene) http://andywarnercomics.com/store/20090080 The Games We Played by Ryan King and Daryl Toh (Tiny Fugu) http://studygroupcomics.com/main/the-games-we-played-ryan-king-daryl-toh/ 557 by Fred Noland http://frednoland.com/store/store.htm Hilda and the Stone Forest by Luke Pearson http://amzn.to/2gC26pW The Owner's Guide to Terrible Parenting by Guy Delisle http://amzn.to/2fYU2eH Lake of Fire by Fairbairn and Smith, No Mercy by de Campi, McNeil, Lee, Kill or Be Killed by Brubaker and Phillips (Image), Ether by Kindt and Rubin (Dark Horse) http://amzn.to/2gC3c52 Black by Osajyefo and Smith and Igle (Black Mask) http://amzn.to/2fYNi0z The Castoffs by MK Reed, Brian Smith, and Molly Ostertag (Roar Comics) http://amzn.to/2gBWbRG The Nao of Brown by Glyn Dillon (SelfMadeHero) http://amzn.to/2h1uYEM

Wow! It’s been a long time since the last post, but we have been going strong and there is a lot to catch up on! Casey and I have enjoyed our time in both China and Tibet and have ventured forth into the unknown of Mongolia! I have a lot of information to cover, so I’m taking a slightly different tack and writing about location rather then day-by-day. Welcome back and enjoy! To listen to our more then overdue podcast click here!Vientiane & Luang Prabang, Laos - Mar 28th to Apr 3rd After enduring Vientiane in all is ‘grandeur’ (or incredible lack there of!), we decided to continue on to Luang Prabang, the popular pinnacle of Lao tourism. Luang Prabang was a truly beautiful town, isolated from the majority of westernizations. The town was very laidback, making it easy to lose track of days. With the sites of the town consisting of a mighty 32 wats, the Pak Ou Buddha caves on the Mekong and the magnificently formed Kuang Si waterfall, it was easy to see why Luang Prabang was a highlight for anyone venturing into Laos. We joined a tour to see both the Buddha caves, which were naturally occurring caves consisting of Buddhas of all shapes and denominations, and the waterfall. The waterfall and associated pools were a truly majestic sight. Deposits of calcium had created a tiered waterway while simultaneously making the water an intricately deep turquoise. Casey enthusiastically photographed the landscape before we both relished the opportunity to swim in the beautifully temperate water. Feeling that we were finally ready to farewell South East Asia, we organised a bus to Kunming in the Yunnan province, China, but not before I had the displeasure of joining Casey in the age bracket of the mid-twenties.Kunming, China - Apr 4th to Apr 9thAfter successfully entering China with near to no issues we reached our first point of call, Kunming. Kunming was our first real reintroduction to the western world in two months! Tempted by Maccas, KFC and a Chinese fast food chain, Dickos, we needed to employ self-control to avoid blowing our budget and maintaining our semi-authentic cultural experience. This was also where we fruitlessly tried to satisfy our hunger for fried dumplings, which in hindsight aren’t as common in china as Australian Chinese restaurants depict. An hour and a half from Kunming is a popular local tourist attraction that Casey was desperate to see, The Stone Forest. As the name suggests, the attraction was in fact an impressive forest of stone. Unfortunately, the forest was partially ruined by the sheer number of tourists and the attempt to convert the natural beauty of the site into an artificial amusement park, a more then common occurrence around China. The amount the Chinese government was involved in controlling the population was slowly becoming evident as we discovered we were blocked from accessing Facebook and our blog, and the number of police had multiplied since our time in parts of South East Asia where we didn’t even know what a policeman looked like. We then continued on to Guilin, only a torturous 24-hour seated train ride away. Guilin, China - Apr 10th & Apr 11th Guilin was a quaint town that we were using as a gateway to the awe-inspiring town, Yangshuo. We still enjoyed Guilin; where you can find a plethora of differing and exotic Chinese foods including self-selected skewers fried in a chilli sauce that really stimulates the taste buds!Yangshou, China - Apr 12th to Apr 16thYangshou is the town that inspired the floating mountains in the blockbuster movie Avatar. It was incredible to see landmasses rising from the flat surrounding terrain in such close proximity to buildings as if the locals were oblivious to this formidable backdrop. The main tourist street, West St, was saturated by Chinese tourists (that included all nightclubs), which was refreshing, having recently escaped the tourist demographic of South East Asia. After seeing bike rental businesses all around town, Casey and I decided that would be the best way to see the incredible landscape. We, of course, needed to do this in style so we hired a tandem bicycle. We inevitably were a spectacle, as people did not see two large bearded westerners riding a tandem bike regularly. Yangshou was a truly magical location and it was easy to see why this was such an iconic site.Shanghai, China - Apr 17th to Apr 21stAfter another grueling 24-hour seated train ride we arrived in westernized Shanghai. Now, Shanghai is an amazing city and is definitely one of my favourite cities we’ve visited thus far. Casey having visited China twice before was able to act as my tour guide around some of the ‘cultural’ sites such as the main shopping street, East-Nanjing rd, and a local electronics market where sales people were ruthless for a sale. Not only were we targets for people trying to lure us to teahouses, but Casey is convinced he was offered ‘services’ by a guy in the male toilets. It was also in Shanghai we decided to obtain visas for Mongolia, which ended up being incredibly easy and falsely foreshadowed what we would expect from our next country, but more about that later. The highlight of Shanghai for us, and inevitably the people that have to look at us, was the shaving of our beards. I bravely opted for full facial hair removal where as Casey decided to only trim his facial monstrosity. As we farewelled our homeless look and welcomed back a small amount of class, we prepared for the jewel of our Chinese adventure, a tour in Tibet.Lhasa, Tibet - Apr 22nd to May 2ndOur visit to Tibet had been an impromptu decision whilst we were in Luang Prabang, and even though we had to join an intensively organised tour to see this mysteriously isolated area, the organisation of permits and payments still added complication to our very fragile plan. Whilst in Shanghai everything had finally come together (except monetary issues with the company that continued into our first few days in Lhasa, involving calls from our travel agent ‘Debbie’ whilst we were inside sacred Buddhist monasteries...). We had organised to catch two 48 hour trains to both arrive in and depart from Lhasa after our eight day tour of Lhasa and the Mount Everest Base Camp (EBC).We boarded the train in Shanghai and both got comfortable in our hard sleepers on the highest level in our cabin of six beds. This was an interesting train ride for numerous reasons, not only did the train reach an elevation of 5000m while we ogled the beauty of the Tibetan Plateau, but we also had to adjust to having about 50cm between our beds and the ceiling of the cabin. Elated to have arrived in Lhasa, we were welcomed by the sight of extremely heightened security. We were collected by a guide holding a sheet of paper garnishing our names and taken to our three star hotel, which was possibly the nicest we had stayed in thus far. Lhasa was exquisite! As we drove through the streets for the first time, we were met by a strange mixture of present day domineering China fused with the repressed, yet courageously prevalent, Tibetan culture, all on a formidable backdrop of snow capped peaks. Every Tibetan person we met was so merry and friendly, solidifying our opinion of the Tibetan people as the kindest and warmest we have encountered thus far.The following morning (whilst I was battling with a slight level of altitude sickness) our freshly formed tour group visited the oldest Buddhist temple in Lhasa, the Jokhang temple, and the surrounding Barkhor st, a remnant of old Lhasa. This was followed by a visit to the Potala Palace, the rightful residence of the exiled 14th Dalai Llama. The Potala Palace was magnificent, a structure that commanded respect by its sheer position above the town and the deep religious significance the palace held to each and every Tibetan. The intricacies of the palace were a marvel in themselves as we caught a glimpse of the spiritual ideologies that form the cornerstone of Tibetan culture. Throughout the following days we saw a multitude of monasteries such as the Drepung monastery, the Sera Monastery and the Tashi Lhunpo Monastery. All the monasteries we visited were unique in so many ways, differentiated primarily by the founding denomination of Tibetan Buddhism or the particular focus of worship. Unfortunately, due to the number of monasteries we visited, it became increasingly difficult to distinguish them from each other, however, this did not subtract from their individual majesty.  We did have the privilege of seeing monks debating in a courtyard, which they use as a method of revising their teachings. This was a very impressive sight as we were able to see monks in their natural environment.Travelling from Lhasa to EBC was incredibly impressive as we skirted the beautifully vibrant Yamtso Tso Lake and scaled vastly steep mountain ranges whilst enduring frequent police checkpoints and permit checks. After staying a night in the very authentic Tibetan Rongpuk Monastery, which is the first EBC, we were taken to the second and third Tibetan EBC. Mount Everest was a spectacular sight! Casey and I were truly mesmerized by the beauty of the peak and the highest point on Earth, a sight that makes you ponder the magnificence of nature. We had reached the pinnacle of our tour, so we then began the decent back to Lhasa and inevitably our return to reality outside of Tibet. We boarded another 48-hour train, this time to Beijing, continuing to gestate the experiences we had gained and the memories we will forever cherish. I cannot mention our time in Tibet without mentioning our German friends Thomas and Hanna. It was more then a pleasure to meet them both and a definite highlight of the tour and our travels thus far.Beijing, China - May 3rdto May 8thArriving into Beijing demonstrated that our time in China was drawing to an end before we departed to Mongolia. We were determined to be proactive and visit the Kazakhstani embassy to obtain visas for our distant arrival; we, unfortunately, were met by about fifty well-prepared Chinese nationals, which ruined even the slightest chance of obtaining even the forms required. Determined to make sure this day of enthusiasm was not in vain, we continued to the train station to buy tickets to the Mongolian capital, Ulaanbaatar. We were again met with disappointment as we were told that they could not sell international train tickets at the train station and we would have to visit the “International Hotel”. After visiting said hotel and refusing to pay the $200AUD for a ticket, we determined that we could reach the border town by train and, at the insistence of our hostel manager, would still be able to leave the country before our visa expired, which is profoundly frowned upon by Chinese customs officials. We booked a tour to see the Great Wall of China, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. As amazing as the Great Wall really is, the highlight of the day was getting to toboggan down after walking the steep incline of the wall. The construction of the Great Wall is truly impressive and it’s hard to believe that it stretched as far as 6000km. As Casey had already seen the Forbidden City, I ventured to the well-known sight solo before meeting Casey at the Chinese national museum. The Forbidden City was amazing and is definitely a testament to the Chinese dynasties of the past. However, I must admit that the number of security personnel and cameras around the Forbidden City and Tiananman Square was a true spectacle in itself and took away from the whole experience. Casey and I were able to use our time in Beijing to not only decide on our plans for the next few months, but also book some flights to ensure our continued world journey.We were both ready to say our goodbyes to China and boarded the train to the tiny border town, Erlian, the only point where tourists can cross from China to Mongolia.Zamin Uud, Mongolia - May 9th to May 11thWaking up in Erlian still in possession of all our belongings was a good start to the day that, unbeknown to us both, was only going to get longer. We fortunately met a nice Dutch couple that we decided to accompany across the border. Now, the border between China and Mongolia can only be crossed by car, and only certain cars are allowed to cross. So after an hours walk to the first border checkpoint we had to pay for a jeep. After paying a guy and getting into his vehicle we waited by the side of the road waiting for him to drive before another vehicle pulled up that we were ushered into. This new vehicle crossed the first checkpoint, but the driver was then abused by a solider and made to turn back. We, again, waited at the first checkpoint until we saw our first driver exiting from the second checkpoint guard station. We then successfully managed to cross the second checkpoint and were dropped at Chinese immigration and the vehicle entered the line so we would be met on the opposing side to continue our journey. We crossed immigration, relieved to know our visas were still current (with only four hours remaining), and continued to wait for our driver. After waiting 45 minutes we came to the upsetting conclusion that we had been left at the first immigration stop and would need to find another ride to continue. This was quite an issue as most cars had people hanging out the sides at any rate and luggage on the roofs and bonnets. Luckily, a jeep was just about to leave the third checkpoint and saw an opportunity to make some money and welcomed us in, there were now nine people crammed into the jeep. With Casey sitting on my lap and both our packs unsecured on the bonnet, we arrived at Mongolian immigration before repeating the process and arriving in our first Mongolian town, Zamin Uud. When arriving in the barren wasteland that was Zamin Uud, we headed straight to the train station to secure train tickets to Ulaanbaatar that night. We discovered that there is no order in the train station, after waiting two and a half hours in one line, Casey had moved, yet it was possibly a metre in the wrong direction whilst being sandwiched between two Mongolian women. I, joined by my Dutch friend, was lucky enough to reach the front of the line where after waiting for two hours was told that the tickets were sold out and that we were unable to buy tickets for the following day until morning. Leaving the train station incredibly frustrated we eventually found an incredibly overpriced hotel that had a shower but no water. We then ventured to a restaurant and managed to consume a very oily meal that was supposed to resemble a steak.The following morning we again went to the train station to try and secure tickets for that night. There were four police officers present that had managed to form three almost orderly lines in front of the three ticketing booths and were stopping people from joining at any point. Casey and I, each with one of our Dutch friends, joined two separate lines. The police presence was great until they decided to leave when I was still ten people away from the window. This caused an abrupt amount of both pushing and general chaos. Luckily, the police returned and we were able to buy four tickets to the capital. Whilst on the topic of chaos, I have almost been hit by cars twice since our arrival in Mongolia. My theory is that no one needs to drive properly because the police are busy maintaining order in the train station… We easily jumped on the train and arrived in Ulaanbaatar the following day, but I’ll leave that for the next blog. Our opinion of Mongolia so far is not great, but we are hoping that the border town is not a true reflection on the remaining country. We have found this to generally be the case in other countries and still have high hopes for the remainder of Mongolia. That brings us to now. There was a lot of time to cover and I’ve skimmed over some truly amazing experiences and locations, but it’s a pretty good overview of what we’ve been up to. Our time in China and Tibet was amazing, the people and the landscapes are truly incredible, and I feel lucky to have been able to see so much of it in such a small amount of time.To keep you all in the loop, Casey and I have booked a few flights for the next few months for: Astana, Kazakhstan to Tbilisi, Georgia; Casablanca, Morocco to Amman, Jordan and Cairo, Egypt to Buenos Aires, Argentina. Also, Casey has enrolled to do a two week course in intercultural experience in Germany and I have enrolled in a two month long intensive French course in Lyon, France. So we definitely have some pretty exciting things to look forward to in the coming months. As always our love goes to our friends and families and we hope everyone is well and enjoying their own adventures. We are now back on the radar and have unrestricted access to Facebook and the blog, so we’ll make sure we don’t leave it too long.Keep posted.