On the way to Shangri-la we stopped to hike Tiger Leaping Gourge and 2 day walk for us sleeping at a
great guesthouse for one night. the hike was wonderful one of the best.
We loved the naxi bread we had for breakfast.
On the morning of our hike we went into the town of Qiagtou and they had a market of ethnic minorities well worth
the photos as you will see. All and all it was a great time. then we took the bus up to Shangri-la.
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Our routing, traveling by bus
We flew to bangkok, then to kunming, bus to Dali, bus to Lijging, bus to shangri-la
then we got on a long bus ride to panzhilian or also called Jinjiany, wanted the train but alas no seats so another
sleeping bus to Chendu. there are 3 beds across two levels. I had the top middle, quilt, pillow and trying not to fall out going around the turns. A long hall and i had a great massage in Chendu for $5. We stayed at Slims guesthouse, restaurant
bar, close to shops and night dancing in the park. Bus numer one.
Then we took a bus to Leshian to see the
giant buddah Da ju sculpted into the hills and extend my papers for another month but they only gave me 3 weeks. Ok i will work with it.
We then moved to the Panda Guest house and went up to Emei Shan mountain the holy mountain,for the 2 day hike. You walk these
little little stairs up and down the mountains to the guesthouses and monastaries. 2 day walk.
Lots of monkeys which Katherine will tell you all about. Beautiful scenery. We slept in a monastary and had
breakfast the monks prepared.
katherine finshed the 2 day hike and we returned to Chendu.
We took a side trip to Huanglongrxi.for the day.
then i took the train to Golmud and train back to Xining in Quinhai, bus to Kunbum, bus to Xiahe bus back to
Xining train to chendu in soft sleeper and back to Bangkok, plane to chaing mai, bus to Bangkok and then back to the states.
then we got on a long bus ride to panzhilian or also called Jinjiany, wanted the train but alas no seats so another
sleeping bus to Chendu. there are 3 beds across two levels. I had the top middle, quilt, pillow and trying not to fall out going around the turns. A long hall and i had a great massage in Chendu for $5. We stayed at Slims guesthouse, restaurant
bar, close to shops and night dancing in the park. Bus numer one.
Then we took a bus to Leshian to see the
giant buddah Da ju sculpted into the hills and extend my papers for another month but they only gave me 3 weeks. Ok i will work with it.
We then moved to the Panda Guest house and went up to Emei Shan mountain the holy mountain,for the 2 day hike. You walk these
little little stairs up and down the mountains to the guesthouses and monastaries. 2 day walk.
Lots of monkeys which Katherine will tell you all about. Beautiful scenery. We slept in a monastary and had
breakfast the monks prepared.
katherine finshed the 2 day hike and we returned to Chendu.
We took a side trip to Huanglongrxi.for the day.
then i took the train to Golmud and train back to Xining in Quinhai, bus to Kunbum, bus to Xiahe bus back to
Xining train to chendu in soft sleeper and back to Bangkok, plane to chaing mai, bus to Bangkok and then back to the states.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Chendu, opera, Leshan Buddha, Emei Shan sculpture of puxian, Wannian Si Xixian Chi monesary
travelers.
This is a picture of Dr Ho in Baisha town. famous Herb doctor.
Qinghai tibetian plateau, Xining, yellow hat Sect and the former home of the currnet Dalai Lama, Ta er si
T
Ta er Si monastery 1560 yellow hat sect whith 700 monks stuying at the 6 schools and 1000 monks living there
These are some photos of the Labran Monastery Labuleng Si, Gelupa Yellow hat sect which i went to from
Xining Quinghai province on the bus through through the grasslands where the bus stopped and we all got
off stretched our legs and lay down to look at the clouds
with the tibetians in costume and they were chanting all the way.
On arrival i got my guesthouse and went on a english guided tour with 8 other interesting people through the monastary which lies on the Tibetian plateau, frountier zone or Han chinese, tibetians, and Muslims.
There are 700 monks studying there and 1000 monks living there. Pilgrims from all over come to walk the route around and pray.
This is one of the most important tibetian monastaries outside of Tibet.
shangri-la, food at market, monestary in shangri-la
Katherine is out in the hills with some Yaks.
This is the good market where we had our great meal in Shangri-la
photos of shangra-la and tigers leaping gorge
Trying out the hats at the Qiaotou market town before we hiked tiger leaping gourge. Below is Katherine buying some teas from this woman who grew them..
Tiger Leaping Gourge
Katherine walking the gourge
Our restaurant in the guest house at the gourge and ever changing view of the mountains. it filled up with people
as they came in from the hike. Great vegetarian food.
 buying some tea   |
| Early morning Bai market in Yousuo |
as they came in from the hike. Great vegetarian food.
Monday, August 15, 2011
Goodbye Kunming, Hello Dali
Our next stop out of Kunming was Dali. Dali is an old walled city in western China. It sits on the edge of Erhai Lake at an altitude of around 5500ft. surrounded by the 12,000ft Jade Green Mountains. Yunnan was at one time independent and Dali was the main center. The majority of the inhabitants are (were?) the Bai people who number about 1.5 million. They have lived for centuries - maybe back 3000 years - and were rulers of the Nanzhao kingdom. The Bai are one of the 56 minority groups in China, most of which are in Yunnan province and rapidly becoming more "minority" in their own lands.
We were headed to this old walled city, famed for its beautiful architecture, but first arrived at Dali City on the bus. A real shocker eye-opener. The Chinese are busy building and paving and lighting everywhere we looked on a massive, explosive scale. Lighting up things in ways that don't make much sense. In las Vegas maybe, but Dali City in southern Yunnan? The west here is being developed at a pace that seems unprecedented in human history. I guess it's getting crowded in eastern China and the government is doing everything to create a glittering brand spanking new place to catch the overflow. We came into the old Dali form Dali City about 20 minutes away on an 8 lane, mostly empty, overly-lit highway, passing huge multi-story building after building each lit from top to bottom outlining the edges with moving multi-colored neon lights. Insanity? I'll let you decide. No wonder the Chinese are having to dam their magnificent rivers - where is all this electricity going to come from?
We get into Dali at dark, find a room at the MCA Guesthouse ($24./night for a double) and venture out. What is that huge and guadily lit-up monstrous structure we see looking down our street? There is a carnival atmosphere. What in the world is that glowing behemouth? We thought we were coming here to visit an ancient and preserved walled city. On closer inspection we see it is actually the South Gate of the old city of Dali, all jazzed up and bedecked in lights on every level. Kind of takes away the romance and mystery of seeing an ancient place. Out in front are Chinese dressed up in kitchy versions of traditional Bai costumes, unrecognizable in their guadiness. And hoards of Chinese tourists. I've been in a lot of crowds in my life - think Carnival in Rio, peak time in Las Vegas, etc - but never have I seen such masses of people. And all shopping, shopping, shopping. Old Dali - the once magnificent center of the proud and noble Bai people - is now a huge shopping center. And the Chinese are into it big time - it's like all those years of pent-up desires under theCommunist rule has exploded in this new ecomony and its huge new middleclass can't get enough.
To their credit the Chinese tourists in mass are really well-behaved - no drunks and vulgar clothing and loud behaviour. They all just seemed too intoxicated with buying things.
We were headed to this old walled city, famed for its beautiful architecture, but first arrived at Dali City on the bus. A real shocker eye-opener. The Chinese are busy building and paving and lighting everywhere we looked on a massive, explosive scale. Lighting up things in ways that don't make much sense. In las Vegas maybe, but Dali City in southern Yunnan? The west here is being developed at a pace that seems unprecedented in human history. I guess it's getting crowded in eastern China and the government is doing everything to create a glittering brand spanking new place to catch the overflow. We came into the old Dali form Dali City about 20 minutes away on an 8 lane, mostly empty, overly-lit highway, passing huge multi-story building after building each lit from top to bottom outlining the edges with moving multi-colored neon lights. Insanity? I'll let you decide. No wonder the Chinese are having to dam their magnificent rivers - where is all this electricity going to come from?
We get into Dali at dark, find a room at the MCA Guesthouse ($24./night for a double) and venture out. What is that huge and guadily lit-up monstrous structure we see looking down our street? There is a carnival atmosphere. What in the world is that glowing behemouth? We thought we were coming here to visit an ancient and preserved walled city. On closer inspection we see it is actually the South Gate of the old city of Dali, all jazzed up and bedecked in lights on every level. Kind of takes away the romance and mystery of seeing an ancient place. Out in front are Chinese dressed up in kitchy versions of traditional Bai costumes, unrecognizable in their guadiness. And hoards of Chinese tourists. I've been in a lot of crowds in my life - think Carnival in Rio, peak time in Las Vegas, etc - but never have I seen such masses of people. And all shopping, shopping, shopping. Old Dali - the once magnificent center of the proud and noble Bai people - is now a huge shopping center. And the Chinese are into it big time - it's like all those years of pent-up desires under theCommunist rule has exploded in this new ecomony and its huge new middleclass can't get enough.
To their credit the Chinese tourists in mass are really well-behaved - no drunks and vulgar clothing and loud behaviour. They all just seemed too intoxicated with buying things.
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