article_snippet.sent: After acquiring some contacts from experts at Cornell University in New York and conducting Mr Gable own research, Mr Gable left for China last May and spent the next four months traveling.
article_snippet.sent: Mr Gable spent months learning Mandarin Chinese in preparation for Mr Gable trip, but the language barrier was still Mr Gable greatest challenge.
article_snippet.sent: In an interview on photographic blog  Slate, Mr Gable added: 'I had enough Chinese that I could get around in the big cities, but once I got into the highlands or mountains