Now In Beijing

Just ten minutes from Tiananmen Square and the resting place of Mao Zedong is a street lined with alleys and the hotel where I’m residing. A two minute walk, out my accommodation, to the right finds me in a bar/restaurant/hostel that caters to westerners. The American breakfast I had this morning was pretty good so I returned for dinner. The excellent wifi doesn’t hurt as well.

Latin rhythms and reggae fill the air and over power the contemporary Chinese tunes faintly blowing across the street. Beijing is a modern, clean, sophisticated city and compared to most other places I’ve been in China it’s like being in a different country.

When I arrived yesterday (Saturday), via train ride from Xian, I was very happy to be greeted by my friend Jenny who I met in India almost two years ago. She’s a part of the new China. Young, very intelligent, multilingual, well traveled, etc.,. Having been on the train for 13 hours with broken sleep and fighting a cold it was nice not to have to think upon arrival. She graciously figured out which bus to take from the station and patiently helped me locate desirable accommodation. I couldn’t have asked for a nicer introduction to Beijing.

Beijing is a cool city regardless of whatever one’s opinion of China is. There’s plenty to do here and I like the vibe. It’s a good thing considering I plan to spend over a week in the city before heading to Mongolia. Tiananmen Square is probably the coolest square I’ve ever been to. I suppose it’s all the history that’s unfolded upon the premises that leaves a significant impression. The square is sandwiched between the Mausoleum where Mao Zedong sleeps and the Forbidden City. The vastness of the area offers a nice open feeling with a strong breeze powerfully flying the red flag of China at the North end.

I also find the people in Beijing to be a little more open and friendlier than in other regions of China. I suppose it’s the rhythm of the city that offers something new and fresh at any given time. Whatever it is, it’s nice.

In the evening Jenny and I walked around Tiananmen Square and talked about China and traveling. Jenny is a traveler herself with a passion for India and dreams of visiting many other places.

Today, Sunday, I can’t say I did much. Jenny met me in the afternoon and we went to pick up my ticket for the train to Mongolia but the office was already closed. I must pick up the ticket tomorrow or I’ll lose it so I that’s my number one priority right now. Unfortunately, Jenny wasn’t feeling well. I hope I didn’t pass along my cold. We called it a short visit and I toured a railroad museum later in the afternoon. It’s likely one of many museums I’ll stumble upon while in Beijing.

For now I feel like I’m starting to catch a second wind. I feel considerably better this evening and am confident I'm on the backside of the cold I contracted. A sore throat that kind of plagued me for a week seems to have abated. Last night I slept great. Sleep is always the best medicine when I’m Ill.

As of late I obviously feel like I haven’t been making the best use of time so I intend to get a little more organized about what I’m doing. I can go like a mad dog and do a lot in a given amount of time but at some point I get tired and come down with a case of the lazies. Fortunately the lazy feeling never lasts too long. I see many miles of city walking in the immediate future.

Terracotta Warriors

“It’s a long way to the entrance, 3 km, it’s takes at least thirty minutes to walk there.” Basic travel 101, never trust information from a tout. However, if you’re down with a cold the brain doesn’t work as well. I paid 5 Yuan (80 cents) for a shuttle ticket because I didn’t feel like walking 2 miles to the entrance to see the Terracotta Warriors.

I got my ticket punched and joined a 6 foot wide pushing and shoving mass of tourists for almost 30 minutes knowing all along I was being stupid. Finally, I got on the environmentally friendly oversized battery operated golf cart and enjoyed a relaxing 2 minute ride to the entrance of the famed Terracotta Warriors. 3km? It would have been an easy ten minute walk for a blind man following a whistle.

Ok, in a nutshell, the actual Terracotta Warriors and the archeological find are incredibly cool and amazing. However, the way it’s set up and the overabundance of tour groups greatly distracts from experiencing the site. There’s something artificial about it even though it’s real. Kind of hard to describe.

Refurbished clay warriors neatly aligned in rows beneath a state of the art constructed warehouse style canopy made me feel more like I was walking into a special affects sound stage at Paramount Studios than a world famous archeological site. In a way I kept asking myself if the warriors were real or imitation. After all, practically everything in China is a knockoff fake. At the site everything is so set up and staged. Even the stuff that’s not supposed to look set up.

The actual find consists of over 7,000 clay warriors and some incredibly amazing bronzes of horses and chariot etc. Quite unbelievable. They were all created under the order of Emperor Qin Shi Huang who felt the items and soldiers would help him in the afterlife.

Qin Shi Huang died suddenly and shortly thereafter his empire was overthrown by a peasant uprising. The mausoleum that housed the warriors was destroyed and everything lay to rest for over 2,000 years. In 1974 a farmer digging a well unearthed what I believe was a terracotta warrior head and the rest is history. Quite remarkable actually.

I think if you were to visit the site in the early days of discovery it would have been beyond amazing but now there’s something odd about the site. I suppose if you are lucky enough to visit when not many people are around it would be a nicer experience but for me it was really kind of hard to enjoy with so many tourists. Especially since I had my idiot hat on in the beginning and stood in that ridiculous line for almost 30 minutes! What a racket…..

Oh well, the bottom line is that if you’re in Xian, you gotta go,,,, Regardless…….

Juizhaiguo National Park - China

Although I really didn't enjoy the trip for these pictures, Juizhaiguo is a beautiful place. The most special attribute are its waterfalls. I forgot to mention in the previous post that it snowed the night before and I was able to get a few snow shots before it quickly melted by late morning.

Backed Up Blog Posts - China Update

May 21

After 4 nights in Chengdu I figured I was due to be moving on. I spent my time there getting off to a leisurely start and walked approximately 4 hours a day for the 3 days I was in the city. I strolled the streets passing through parks and visiting sights. Aside of the walks I really didn’t do much but visit with other travelers at the Hostel Café located behind the Hotel I was staying at.

Some might say a 4 hour walk around a city doesn’t qualify for a rest day. I’m a very easy going person and don’t consider myself to be type A but one thing is for sure, I always like to be doing something. I’ve always had a difficult time sleeping in per se. I guess a rest day for me is a day when I do less, or get less accomplished, than normal.

This morning finds me in Juizhaigou village right next to the entrance of the Juizhaiguo Nature Reserve. It was another 10 hour bus ride to get here but the roads are good. Eastern Sichuan is a lot different than the western portion of the province. Roads are well maintained, streets are clean, there’s not near as much garbage about, and the public toilets are relatively considerably better.

Juizhaigou is a Unesco World Heritage site and is supposed to be an incredible natural wonder. The upside for it being a World Heritage Site is that a lot of money has been pumped into properly managing the reserve. The down side is, well, guess what? Chinese tourists flock to it by the thousands to pay an outrageously high entrance fee for a chance to snap photos of one another posing next to a lake or waterfall.

The entrance fee really is absurdly high. It costs 220 Yuan plus another 80 Yuan for a bus you really do need to use. The fee equates to $45 USD for one day. You must pay the fee each day you want to visit the park. For comparison, a car load can buy a week long entrance to Yosemite National Park in California for $20 USD, or, an annual pass for $40 USD. Buy a Gold Eagle Pass for American National Parks, which I think costs around $75 for the year, and you can come and go as much as you what to any National Park in America. Not to mention some of the American National Parks are pretty darned outrageously beautiful and totally unique to the rest of the world.

I awoke this morning to steady rain so I chose not enter the park because tomorrow is supposed to be much nicer. I’m staying at a guest house that caters to western backpackers and there a number of other travelers here. A group of Chinese decided to enter the reserve today despite the rain but the rest of us have decided to wait it out.

As far as high and wild travel goes I think I’m done for the reminder of my time in China. I’ll depart China on June 7 and plan to pass through Xian for a stop on my way to Beijing. I’ll spend my remaining time in Beijing until leaving for Mongolia. Aside of some long bus and train rides I expect the travel to be pretty easy for the next couple of weeks. Overall, China has been much easier to travel than anticipated.

May 24

Internet access in China has been difficult. Due to the amount of user traffic and Chinese control over internet information it can be quite hard to access the net via wi-fi at any time. Sometimes it’s just luck that you can even get on to check your email. Once you’re on it may only work for a little while before being inaccessible for the rest of the day. Since my blog is blocked I need a proxy to access it. Sometimes the proxy works but a lot of the time it doesn’t. It’s been quite frustrating and I haven’t really been able to find a flow for the blog as on other trips.

I’ve also kind of lost my rhythm in the flow of travel. The initial rest days in Chengdu were good. Perhaps I should have stayed another day or two. Such is the case whenever you leave a place you kind of like at a given time. You always look back and think you should have stayed a little longer.

The excursion to Juizhaiguo was one I wish I hadn’t taken. It first entailed a 10 hour bus ride. The following day was cold and rainy so I just hung out. Fortunately the next day was nice and clear but I paid a crazy price for admission and mindlessly followed another traveler which led to a poor use of time. In turn I had little opportunity to see some unique waterfalls which are the main attraction in my opinion. For the final day I endured another 10 hour bus ride back to Chengdu. I came down with some kind of sinus problem/infection the day I left for Juizhaiguo which just added to a loss of enjoyment. Not to mention there were plenty of high impact Chinese tourists to enhance the experience.

While returning to Chengdu I developed probably the worst case I’ve ever had of a stuffed up ear due to elevation change. Once back in the city rechecked into the hotel I had stayed at previously and called it an early night. I fell asleep totally exhausted and deaf in the left ear. Definitely a travel low and one of those days you just feel like packing it in and heading home.

Juizhaiguo is quite beautiful but nothing too special in my opinion outside of the waterfalls. The waterfalls are really wonderful but given the cost of admission, tons of tourist, and hassle getting there it wasn’t worth it for me. For another traveler it might be different. A Chinese tourist away for a long weekend with a bag full of cigarettes, an 8 gig camera card and his favorite loud buddies might find it to be a trip of a lifetime. I’ve spent a lot of time in some outrageously beautiful places in the past so my personal standards and expectations are probably a bit different than most.

As of late I feel like I’ve been wasting time as I obviously haven’t been enjoying myself the past few days like I feel I ought to. Such is life and things can’t be perfect all the time. The plan now is to leave tomorrow morning for Xian to see of the Terracotta Warriors. From there I’ll press on to Beijing.

I’ll now be doing most of my travel by train. I’m pretty tired of long distance busses. The intention is to ride the rails all the way from Chengdu, China to Western Europe. One leg at a time, buying tickets as I go. I’ll pay a little more, when reasonably affordable, for a better berth or seat. I’ll also take night trains to avoid having to pay for accommodation along the way.

May 25

This will surely be another dated blog post but what the heck. Not sure when I’ll be able to update my blog again. I’m currently riding the rails on a long 19 hour trip to Xian from Chengdu. I made the wise choice to pay extra for a soft sleeper which is essentially a 4 bed berth with a door as opposed to a 6 person berth without a door. I’m sharing it with a nice young Chinese couple who are students. One speaks some English. It’s much more comfortable, there’s less riff raff, and it’s a lot quieter than hard sleeper.

The sinus problem I developed last week seems to evolved into some kind of a cold or something. Although I don’t feel particularly good I don’t feel all that bad either. It’s no surprise I’d pick something up considering all the bus rides, weather changes, tons of people, and the bad air of industrial China.

I had originally intended to do a 3 day hike up a series of mountains to some temples before leaving the Chengdu area. Considering how I’ve been feeling and the problem I had with my ear the other day I decided to head on to Xian sooner than later which I think is the right choice.

Being on a train for a long period of time is kind of like being on a boat at sea. The only thing I don’t like is that on nicer train cars you don’t have many options for opening a window. On a boat you can always fill your lungs with fresh air and bathe your face in the wind. Nonetheless, having chosen the upgraded berth allows me to relax and gives my body a chance to kick whatever kind of bug I’m dealing with while still getting from point A to B.

While in Xian I’ll go and see the famous Terracotta Warriors and hopefully be able to hop a train to Beijing for the weekend. I’ll be spending a good week in Beijing before heading to Mongolia. I hope to find some comfortable accommodation in Beijing where I can relax. When I’m not feeling well or am in a stressful city I don’t mind paying a little more for accommodation.

All in all I’d say China has been an experience of mixed reviews and I’ll save my final opinion for later. There are some things I like about China but plenty things I don’t care for. Most notably the cigarette smoking that has bothered me here more than any other place I’ve ever traveled. 300 million Chinese smoke. Also, Western China gets the award for nastiest toilets I’ve ever seen. Worse than India. Naturally, when you’re on the road and not feeling up to par a lot of things are not going to come across in the most positive way.

While in Beijing I’m looking forward to visiting a Chinese woman who I met on a train while traveling India almost two years ago. As is the case you meet people from all over the world when you travel and sometimes you actually keep in touch. Such is the case with Jenny. She’s a part of the new China. A young professional with a masters in linguistics and speaks very good English.

There is also a couple who I went to college with who now reside in Beijing that I haven’t seen in years. I hope to catch up with them but they’ve been difficult to track down. I don’t anticipate it’s too likely I’ll see them but there’s still a chance I suppose.

From here on out its Terracotta Warriors, The Great Wall, The Forbidden City, and catching up with a friend or two with rest in between……

May 26
I arrived in Xian at 5:30 am this morning. I finally gave into denial and declared myself officially sick when I realized I had lost my voice overnight while restlessly trying to sleep on the train. At this point I’m deeming my illness a bad cold with runny nose, sore throat and general malaise. Once out of the train station I celebrated my sorry state with a McDonald’s coffee. It was just enough to rally the required energy for finding some accommodation.

I checked into a cavernous single room with private bath in the basement level of a pseudo nice hostel. Somehow it seems oddly appropriate and comfortable. There’s a TV with one English news channel and the air from the air conditioner seems remarkably clean. So far I haven’t smelled any cigarettes and I’m praying I’ll go the night without the background odor of second hand smoke so prevalent in China.

I walked around a little this afternoon trying to figure out how I’d get to Beijing by Sunday but somehow a 10 minute walk felt like a little too much so I’ve hardly done a thing all day. The good news is that I think my faucet nose is slowing down and I think I have a decent chance for a good nights sleep.

I still plan to go see some Ricotta, I mean, Terracotta soldiers soon. If I want to avoid a bait and switch tour complete with pimps pushing “Rare” jade I’ll need to hop a couple of buses on my own… I’ll see how I feel in the morning……

Pit Stop Chengdu - Travel Fatigue

The ten hour bus ride from Litang to Kangding was very uncomfortable. The roads were rough and bumpy as we crossed over several passes well above 4,000 meters. The worst part were the surprise pot holes that lifted me off the seat and slammed me back onto my rear thus aggravating an already sore lower back. I began feeling a bit nauseous towards the end of the journey as we topped the last pass through thick fog and snow.

By time I arrived in Kangding I was feeling totally exhausted. Bus rides, foreign culture, cigarette smoke, unfamiliar places, nasty Chinese toilets, language difficulties, odd food, etc., etc., were all taking its toll. I call it cultural travel fatigue. Anyone who ventures within a foreign country for an extended length of time is bound to have a case of it. The cure? Go someplace for a few days that’s clean and comfortable, find a good place to stay, hang out with other westerners, and eat whatever western food you can. Also, plan to do nothing and avoid busses and public transportation. In 3 to 4 days you should be ready to go again.

Although I was feeling totally exhausted I boarded another bus the following day (yesterday) for Chengdu. When I arrived at the station to buy my ticket there was no one in line. The lady at the counter had minus zero patience and immediately grew quite angry with me as I fumbled through my phrase book to make sure I got on a bus with a toilet. I had been a little sick the night before so I wasn’t sure how I was going to do on the bus ride.

The whole ticket buying process probably took around 3 minutes and by time I left I think the lady was about to blow a gasket. As one traveler put it, “When you arrive in Kangding you will know your back in China”. I’d been spending quite a bit of time in Tibetan regions which are very different from the Han regions. Han Chinese make up the vast majority of Chinese culture.

It cost me 10 Yuan more to be on a nicer bus with a toilet. Also, I was shocked and overwhelmed with joy to see that the bus was non smoking. The driver still smoked but everyone else abided by the non smoking rule which was a miracle. In China I think just about every male smokes and does it as they please. The cigarettes they smoke are cheap and disgusting with second hand smoke that literally makes a non smoker want to puke. What’s really interesting though is that I have not seen one single woman smoke. I predict someday women will take over China as all of the men will die young and impotent.

The bus ride to Chengdu was nice and smooth. Aside of a short section of construction the roads were paved. Partway through the ride a nice young Chinese man sat next to me wanting to practice his English. The only drawback was his bad breath but I was able to find out what bus station I’d arrive at so I could accurately decipher my Lost Planet (Lonely Planet) guidebook.

As we rounded into the Bus Station at Chengdu I noticed a tourist information center like you might see in Europe. This is a rarity in China and the first one I’ve seen. Instead of roaming around the city looking for the right accommodation I decided to inquire first. I was happy to find a nice pleasant Chinese woman there who spoke some English. She happily made a couple of calls for me and in the end recommended a hotel right around the corner from the Bus Station. She said it was good and many foreigners stayed there.

I checked into a simple spotlessly clean single with air con and shared bathroom across the hall. The bathroom is super clean and on par with the finest western standards. All for the price 80 Yuan per night which converts to around $12.25. It’s very comfortable and I like it a lot. Right behind the hotel is a hostel that caters to westerners and has a café with a good variety of western food at backpacker prices. There’s also a pleasant common area for travelers to chill and hangout. So, I’ve got the comfort and quality of a nice hotel with the benefits of a backpacker hostel all in one. Perfect! Just what I need right now.

As for Chengdu it’s a world away from where I’ve been and I haven’t really been in city since Kunming. Chengdu represents the new China. Lots of well educated young professionals, modern conveniences, clean streets and sidewalks, etc. etc… Despite being the 5th largest city in China it seems pretty relaxed and has a good feel. I originally planned to skirt around Chengdu but right now I’m happy to spend 3 or 4 days here.

Litang - Western Sichuan, China

Litang is a rough and dirty Tibetan town full of character and the friendliest people I’ve met in China. It took me a day and a half to get here via buses over rough moutain passes but the roads were better than expected. I spent a night in Xiancheng along the way. The scenery has been high and spectacular. Litang is over 12,000 feet in elevation. Western Sichuan is wild country.

Aside of the hacking, spitting, and smoking, not to mention the dust, the bus trip to get to Litang was good. I thought I might be the only westerner on the bus but there were a few others. I met one German, one Dutch, and three Israelis on the ride over. All of us seeking a less touristy more authentic China experience.

There’s nothing touristy about Litang. It’s been referred to as a Tibetan Wild West. Nomads live in the hills and men who look more Native American than Chinese ride around on motorcyles wearing cowboy style hats. Traditional clothing is common and Tibetan Bhuddism is very a much a part of day to day life. It’s very common to see people walking around with spinning prayer wheel in hand.

When I first arrived it was raining. A dirty, mostly vacant main street made me wonder what I was doing here. Early in the afternoon it cleared and a short walk later I immediately began to like the place. As I strolled around I was greeted often. When I asked to take a photo people smiled and posed unlike most everywhere else where no one wants their photo taken. It’s a sign that the locals aren’t too accustomed or tired of tourists.

My afternoon walk took me up to a Monestary as I walked with the German and two Israelis I met on the the bus. We continued beyond the monestary up anohter 1,000+ feet or so to a hill like mountain top decorated with prayer flags for a grandstand view.

More Mountain Roads and Local Busses

Today and yesterday have been rest days in Shangri-la. Internet access has been really tough so forgive me of any repititious continuity flaws of the last three posts. Today I went on a nice walk up to a large Tibetan temple as monks went about their daily chores.

Tomorrow I will head off on a two day 400 km bus journey over what is suupposed to be spectacular mountain scenery. I'll be leaving Yunnan for the spicey province of Sichuan. My destination for this segment is Litaing.

I don't think many western travelers follow the route I'll be taking. Most backtrack to Kunming and head up to Chengdu but that seems rather uninteresting in comparison to the high wide open country near the Tibetan boarder. The first day takes around 9 hours to get to a village for a night. The next day takes around 5 to 6 hours to get to Litaing. I question if I'll see any other westerners until Litaing but you never know.

I'm not sure what to expect or what the roads are like. There's only one bus a day that leaves at 8 am. I'm sure I'll be packed in with a load of locals for an authentic better or worse experience. Yes, the real western China. Isn't that what I'm looking for?

The Short Report - More Words and Photos From The Himalaya

I'm now back in Shangri-la after week away in the Chinese Himalaya of far western Yunnan province near the boarder of Tibet. The journey began with a 10 hour bus ride along exposed mountain roads passing over 5000 metres 3 times on the way to Deqin. From there it’s a couple of local taxi rides along bumpy mountain roads to the the entrance of Meili Snow Moutain National park.

First I visited Mingyon Glacier before moving on to a steep long climb over an impressive pass into a valley resembling what I’d imagine Shangri-la to be really be like. Glacieated peaks scraping the sky above 6000 meters with valleys falling into Upper and Lower Yuebang villages. Aside of an occasional satellite dish and cell phones with unbelievable reception, little has changed.

You can only reach the Tibetan Yuebang villages by horse or foot and it takes 6 to 8 hours depending. Stroll down the single lane of that passes through each community and your very likely to be dodging yaks, horses, pigs, chickens, an odd pesky duck and the by product of digestion thereof.

I spent 3 nights in the Valley in the company of 4 others. A South African couple, a young woman from England, and a young professional from Shanghai. I would only see 3 other westerners, two French and one other Brit. The only people who really know about the the area are Chinese and they tend to be a little more adventurous side because its not an easy area to get to.

This has been this highlight of my Chinese travels thus far and is really more of what I’m interested in. Here are some photos of the people I hiked with as well as villagers along the way.

Trekking In The Himalaya Of China

We crossed the mighty Mekong on the way up to a trail upon the slopes of 6,700 meter Kawa Karpo. Our first hike took us up to Min Yong Glacier where we gained close access via a creative route built of scaffolding and boardwalk. A good days walk brought us up and back to the village below where we hired transportation that delivered us an hour later to a bunkhouse turned primitive hostel with no toilets and a nearby puddle of a hot spring.

We dined on fried noodles and weak beer while pigs and Yaks milled about. Later in the evening a band of Tibetan pilgrims arrived and invited us to join them for Yak butter tea before turning in between dirty blankets to keep us warm in the cold damp air.

In the morning we were greeted by clear skies and a steep long climb while dodging streamers of prayer flags and pack horses hauling supplies wirh adventurous Chinese tourists out for the May Day holiday week. I filled my camera with photos that could not possibly reproduce the beauty. In a moment of inattention a horse knocked me off the trail. I popped back up with a lightly scraped arm and we hiked on to Yubeng valley to make it our home for the next 3 nights.

The following day we hiked up to an avalanche strewn basin below 6,000 meter peaks with clinging ice falls. Traversing snow to the right side of a valley blocked by steep cliffs brought us to an overhanging waterfall sacred to Tibetans. I was the first to arrive and was shortly followed by a small group who fell prostrate before the waterfall in prayer. They then passed through the water three times as a cleansing ritual.

The following day revealed more stellar weather as I leisurely roamed around the valley pausing by a river for 2 hours and hiking up to a remote temple ascending to the sound of one man chanting.

Three nights in the villages of Yubeng passed with the snap of finger. We hired a local guide for a different route out. He led us down a long thin valley with a violent flowing river powered by strong spring runoff as he rolled prayer beads between his fingers and mubled a prayer. As the valley opened we followed a relatively thin trail cut along an exposed steep cliff until we rounded out to a broader valley back to the mighty muddy Mekong at Nimong village.

From there it was a long trip back to Shangri-la but this time the blazing sun turned the muddy road of a week ago into a dust festival. Thus ended a wonderful week in the China Himalaya.

Stepping It Up - Into Himalayan China

To get to anything really remotely resembling the idyllic Shangri-La one must leave Shangri-La for a ten hour bus ride over mountainous roads. Of course the road is pretty bad. The way is mostly dirt and single lane at times with troubling landslides, rock fall, and construction. Never mind the exposed drop off on either side at any given time. Added comfort comes with rain, a full load and people smoking as they please. For a moment you might wonder what you’re doing but sometimes you might have to go through a little hell to get to heaven. Actually, the bus ride really isn’t really that bad if you’re not bothered by discomfort and a little danger.

The bus had been driven over from Deqin the day before and it had taken 20 hours due to road construction and landslide. It arrived in Shangri-la at 6am and the driver was able to get a good one hour sleep before hopping back on to drive a fresh new load of passengers back up to Deqin. At the bus station I met two other westerners for the ride. A young British lady by the name of Rosa and an older Italian woman making a long single night journey to catch a glimpse of the holy Tibetan Mountain, Kawa Karpo. I also met a young Chinese professional by the name of Sean who speaks good English.

From Shangri-La the Bus wastes no time climbing up into the heavens. The guide books says the route passes over 5000 meters three times. The road is quite bad and downright dangerous at times but our driver was excellent and obviously well experienced. I imagine he does it so often that he could do it in his sleep. Relatively speaking, I felt like we were in good hands. Although it’s a hard trip now, China is in the process of blasting, digging and tunneling one heck of an amazing new highway. Someday it will be a breeze getting to Deqin but for now, it’s an experience.

It rained for much of the trip and the four of us, who met on the bus, teamed up for a taxi to Feilai Si as soon as we arrived in a very wet and cold Deqin. Deqin is not the most attractive town but the mountains are quite impressive. Feilai Si is more desirable and affords a grand stand view of 6,740 meter Mt. Kawa Karpo. In Feilai Si we found accommodation at a hostel and hit the street for slim pickens in the order of food. In the process we met a nice young South African couple and invited them to join us over bowls of bland noodles.

The main reason for visiting the mountains in the vicinity of Kawa Karpo is that it offers some good hiking possibilities. The area is within the Shangri-la Meli Snow Mountain National Park. I was pretty unaware of what the region had to offer but with a little investigating and some good advice in Shangri-la I figured it might offer just what I was looking for.

Although I boarded the bus by myself and was fully prepared to figure out everything on my own by evening I was a part of a hiking group. Myself, Sean, Rosa, and the S. African couple decided to trek together. It would be more fun and easier for all of us. I love how this kind of stuff naturally happens when traveling. Language would not be an issue as Sean is Chinese and Rosa speaks good Chinese. We made plans to meet in the morning then hire transportation to take us for an hour and half drive to the a village where we could hike up to Ming Yong Glacier. Our plans after that were to head over to another trailhead for the night. The following day we planned to hike over a pass and into a valley with two villages that can only be reached by foot or horse. We planned to base ourselves out of the valley for some more hiking.

High Big Sky - Western Yunnan

Last night I had a Yak steak sandwich. It perked me up like a kid on Christmas morning. I guess I really needed some rich and powerful protein. All day I had pedaled around a broad valley to view the seasonal Napa Lake amidst beautiful grasslands under a big sky. The area really reminds me of the American West except all of the cowboys are Tibetan and all the Cows are Yaks.

The bike I rented fit me well but the bent front rim made it a little wobbly. Not bad though. I passed Buddhist Stupas, construction of traditional buildings being built in the old world way, and Tibetans who smile every time you look at them. This part of China is mostly Tibetan and a refreshing change from Han Chinese who tend to be nice enough but not particularly warm and friendly.

Today I got some good information from a local who speaks really good English. He said China is being really strict with foreign travelers in Tibet because of the 60th anniversary of liberation. Well, I'm not going to get into the issue but I will say that some westerners are pretty well informed about what went on 60 years ago and aren't too happy about it. The real issue that concerns China, from what I can decipher, is that they don't some westerner going in and stirring up some kind of political uprising. Fair enough, considering some have been pretty vocal about Tibet. I think if this was not a concern Westerners would probably be free to travel as they please. So, in a way I think a few Westerners traveling Tibet in the past have kind of screwed up travel for Westerners of today. It took me a little while to figure this out and I can understand China's reservations on foreigners traveling there. What's too bad is that I know 99.99% of travelers just want to go to Tibet to enjoy the beautiful scenery and experience the colorful culture.

Since I've pretty much thrown out the idea of going to Tibet I've decided to experience as much of the Tibetan culture as I can within the Yunnan and Sichuan provinces. My plan now is to take a bus to Dequin and trek around the 6,740 meter Mt. Kawa Karpo. The scenery is supposed to be amazing with glaciers, waterfalls, and airy peaks. High, wild, and off the tourist track. I'll likely see a few more adventurous backpackers but don't expect to see many. The road to Dequin tops 5000 meters 3 times on the way from Shangrila. I plan to spend a few days trekking around Dequin then I'll return to Shangrila. I'll then head to Litang. From Litang I'll likely go to Ganzi and inquiry about the possibility of crossing into the Qinghai province via a high route close to the Tibetan boarder. The travel should be very interesting with local buses and questionable facilities. I'm not sure how internet access will be but I'll post when I can.

So, tomorrow I'll board a bus at 8:20 am. From what I can tell it will take anywhere from 6 to 10 hours to get the Dequin. Apparently there's road construction along the way.

Caught Up In The Journey - Destination?

I’ve been close to a month on the road and as always time is passing very quickly. Travel has been much easier than anticipated and in all honesty not quite as exiciting as I thought it would be. I’ve had some great days but for the most part it’s been pretty much a ho hum experience. I’ve been to enough places in the world that my definition of exotic foreign travel has evolved and changed. For someone who has never traveled outside of the west, China would probably be kind of a mind blower. For me, it’s Asia as I’d more or less expect. What’s nice about it is that I’m very comfortable traveling here. At I times I find myself in a more contemplative state of mind.

Words get in the way of communication and plans can get in the way of life. Be open to all you see. It’s impossible not to have an opinion but try not to judge. Although people and cultures can be so different everyone has the same to desire to live a peaceful happy life amidst family and friends. Day to day existence is survival for everyone. Some pick up a hoe and walk to the fields while others pick up a laptop and drive a BMW to work. The end goal is the more or less the same for everyone. Some are more concerned with the health of their portfolio, others the health of their Yak. Me? I live in the in-between, circumnavigating the contrasts of existence and my role amidst it all.

I guess you can say I’m compelled to stockpile a mixed load of life experiences. In a interesting and exciting way I feel it’s all leading me somewhere. Somedays I question what am I really doing? Why do I feel this drive? At the same time I feel like I’m right where I’m supposed to be so I just trust the feeling and do my best to stay present in the now. Caught up in the Journey but not really sure of the destination.

A Place Called Shangrila & Tibet Not Likely

I’m now in Shangrila. It’s an old city that changed it’s name to attract tourist to a 10,000+ ft. rarified air environment full of Tibeten culture. Yeah, it’s touristy but not too bad and it still retains a certain kind of charm. It reminds me a lot more of the American west than some idylic mythical Shangrila. The area consists of a broad filled valley surrounded by hills and distant mountains under a crystal clear blue sky. The nights are cold, the air is dry, and the days are just right. Tibeten temples, stupas, and prayer flags decorate the surrounding area. The people are low key, nice, and the Tibetens always seem to be smiling.

I was hoping to make arrangements to travel into Tibet from here but China is not making it easy. It now takes 10 days to acquire a permit and unless I want to fly. I’ll have to depart out of Chengdu if I want to go overland. The travel agencies here are saying I will also be required to hire a guide at around 1,000 rmb a day which is outrageous when I know I could hire a guide on my own for about a 100 rmb day. Supposedly everything has to be set up through an agency beforehand. Tibet is looking unlikely. Too expensive and too much hassle. As of now I’ll pass through Chengdu anyway so I’ll check the situation there. However, 10 days to get a permit really makes planning inconvenient. For one, I don’t want a guide and I generally don’t like to plan too much beforehand. Plans have a way of getting in the way. Apparently foreigners are not allowed to travel anywhere in Tibet wihtout a guide. My only real chance now would be to stumble into a group of backpackers trying to put something together out of Chengdu.

My curretnl plan is to travel western Sichuan, off the tourist track, on local busses to some high villages. Some above 13,000 ft where real Tibetan culture can be found. I really like the gentle nature of the Tibetan people as there is a lot of Tibetan culture where I am right now. Not to mention the Yak yogurt and Yak meat is amazing. A Tibetan man told me last night that Yak meat is very powerful and I have to agree. In this part of the world I’m sure it’s all range feed, all natural, and quite healthy.

Tiger Leaping Gorge

Tiger Leaping Gorge was a welcome relief from the busy cities and Chinese tourist destinations that I’ve been passing through. It's a canyon gorge formed by a river that passes between 5,596 meter Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and 5,396 meter Haba Xueshan. There’s a nice 2 day trek up along a high route above the river.

It appears to be relatively popular with westerners but not Chinese. The Chinese prefer a bus tour to a particular point along the river with a short day walk to glimpse a view of the steep cliffs that rise above the valley. The High Route avoids the circus below and can only be traveled by foot or horse. Along the way you pass through some villages that offer basic but good accomodation and decent food. I spent two nights in the Gorge but kind of wish I had spent a couple of more as there are other hikes aside of the High Route.

The short trek really reminded me how much I like hiking and walking. Right now I think that’s mostly what I’d like to be doing. However, hiking is not well developed in China, good maps are impossible to find, and information dubios. Nonetheless, I do seem to stumble upon some pretty good day walks everywhere I go but there’s nothing like shouldering a pack and heading off for a week, month, or more traversing long distances with everything you need on your back.

As for Tiger Leaping Gorge I’ll let the pictures do the talking…….