Collect Experiences. Not Things. :')

August 29, 2005

Two Day Trek – Luang Nam Tha, Laos


Most people come to Luang Nam Tha in Northern Laos for the magnificent trekking and rafting. The area reminded me a lot of Nepal. The area has recently instituted an experimental, low impact, Ecotourism Project which follows strict guidelines on tour groups sizes, tour frequency, and limiting villages' exposure to tourism, with profits from trips ploughed back into the hill tribe economy. We spent two days trekking through endless rice patties and rain forests to spend the night at a hill tribe village (see next photo).

Hill Tribe Village Overnight Visit – Luang Nam Tha, Laos


The visit to this village was a little strange. It wasn't a "simulated" tourist village, but a "real", operating, living village. People went about their lives as we looked on. While they were extremely friendly and accommodating, it just seemed a little odd observing them living their lives. I'm not sure how I would feel if a group of tourist arrived to observe my place of residence. The village did benefit financially. Maybe if the tourist paid me to view my residence, I would mind as much. I'm sure the villagers motivation was financial, but still the village was a little to fresh.

Nevertheless, some of the highlights of the visit was purchasing handicrafts from the villagers, (albeit junky handmade bracelets), having dinner with the village chief (which include pre-dinner shots of homemade rice wine), and receiving an after-dinner massage by local village women.

August 27, 2005

Last Rough Camp in China


Andy protecting our "caveman" TV from the monsoon rains.

Last Rough Camp in China


When we are at rough camps there isn't a lot to do in the evenings, except watching the "caveman" TV (i.e. campfire). Andy and Cath were looking to make good use of the mud. As you can see they succeeded!!!

Five Rough Camps - China


Leaving Dali, heading south through southwestern China, we were scheduled to camp for 5 nights back to back. Two of the nights we camped near the Stone Forest, a national park. The next night, the third night, we were unable to find a rough camp; the land was too intensively populated with agriculture. Alternatively, we found a "truck stop" which offered very basic lodging. The following night we found a rock quarry in which to camp and due to the lack of opening ground in which to camp. The fifth night we found a vacant lot in a cemetery, however, once we set-up camp it began rain - its monsoon season (see pictures above). The rain didn't last long but it certainly poured. Finding places to camp and staying dry while camping in China was always an issue. These five nights of back to back camping were probablly the most arduous of the trip, with the exception of Tibet, where the cold weather and altitude were affecting factors.

August 24, 2005

Lake - Stone Forest - Shilin, China


The Stone Forest is a massive collection of grey limestone pillars, the tallest 30 M high, split and eroded by the wind and rain water into their present fanciful forms. Marine fossils found in the area suggest that it was once under the sea. Legend has it that the immortals smashed a mountain into a labyrinth for lovers seeking privacy.

Group Photo - Stone Forest - Shilin, China


Standing (l to r): Victoria, Kim, Roberto, James, Yi-Ching, Adriana, and Michelle. Sitting (l to r): Eva and Steve.

August 23, 2005

Bob and Fishing Birds - Dali, China


The names of these birds are Cormorants, but are commonly refered to as "fishing birds". These birds were once used to fish. A string was tied just below their crop to prevent them from swollowing the birds. They would dive into the water catch a fish and return back to the boat where the fish was removed. They are no longer used for fishing, since they are not econmically viable. There only use today is as a tourist attraction.

August 18, 2005

Update - LiJiang, China


We only have 10 more days left in China before heading south to Laos, Cambodia, and Thailand. My general impression of China, so far, has been somewhat uninspiring, except, for Tibet and Yunnan Province. Yunnan Province, the province we are currently visiting in Southwestern China, has more of a Southeast Asia feel than a China feel. And, of course, Tibet is still very unique; it’s still the city on the “top of the world”. Albeit, that will change as the Chinese Government continues to encourage more Chinese to immigrate into the Tibetan Province. Financial incentives are provided to those who immigrate. Tibetan culture is beginning to dilute.

Getting back to my impression of China, I’m not exactly sure why I feel so uninspired by China. A little has to do with “sensory overload” – we’ve been traveling for 5+ months and seen so many spectacular sites already. During our four weeks in China, the Great Wall, Forbidden City and the Terracotta Warriors have been the highlights for me, but little else. Moreover, many of the cities in China look exactly the same, mainly due to the Communist Party’s construction policies and the destruction of the country’s history during the Cultural Revolution. Also, it been cloudy and rainy during our visit and the air is polluted from the burning of coal. There is a permanent layer of haze in the sky.

Nevertheless, no matter how uninspiring I’ve found China, I’m still intrigued and fascinated by the culture and history. While has been difficult to interact with local Chinese people, because of the language barrier - very few Chinese people speak English and I speak no Chinese - their unique culture and history permeates throughout. Another fascination is the economy - it’s booming!!! New modern buildings, highways, and bridges are being constructed everywhere. Similarly,, “consumerism” is also booming, which is a little surprising, given it’s a “communist” country, per say; the stores are stocked with designer and brand name items. One question still remains: when will the Chinese economy take over the American economy as the largest in the world?

Similar to other country’s we’ve visited, I’ve tried to learn a little bit about the country’s history through reading. I’ve finished two books, so far: “Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China” by Jung Chang and “Red Azalea” by Anchee Min. Both books are ban in China and appear to promote “western” views of the Cultural Revolution and Chairman Mao, which, of course, are both negative. However, it appears that the general public in China still views Chairman Mao as their “liberator”. His portrait still graces Tiananmen Square along with his mausoleum. This conflicting view of Chairman Mao has piqued my curiosity of him and his “cult of personality”. Is Chairman Mao’s “cult of personality” significantly ingrained in Chinese history or are there changes ahead as China continues to shift from a government-directed to a market oriented economy?

What are you homesick for? your bed? a clean bathroom? a type of food? I’ve received a bunch of email and this seems to be the most popular question. I have to say, the thing I missed the most, after traveling for 5+ months, other than family and friends, of course, is WATCHING MOVIES. While traveling I’ve only seen one movie at a theater in India and it was in Hindi. I have, however, been keeping up with new movie releases by reading movie reviews online and adding titles of the movies I want to watch to my Netflix list. I expect to spend at least 3 weeks watching DVDs 24/7, when I return to the States in December.

The other question people have been asking me in emails is: Aren’t you sick of the people you’re traveling with? Well, I can’t answer that question. Most of the people on the trip view this blogsite. No, I’m just kidding, everybody on the trip is wonderful and we’re all having a great time. However, once we arrive in Bangkok the current group will disperse, I can tell you the truth….again just kidding.

Note: I can update the blogsite, but I still cannot view the blogsite while in China.

August 17, 2005

August 16, 2005

August 13, 2005

Asian Market – Emei Shan, China


Close-up Asian Market – Emei Shan, China


One stop shopping: (top left) live toads in a net, (top right) cooked rabbit heads, (lower left) pig snouts, also cooked, of course, (lower right) green onions and locus flowers.

August 12, 2005

Grand Buddha – Leshan, China


Another Buddha!!! Carved into a cliff face overlooking the confluence of the Dadu He and Min He Rivers, this Buddha, the "Grand" Buddha, measures an overwhelming 71 meters high. Qualifying as the largest Buddha in the world, his ears are 7 meters long, his insteps 8.5 meters broad, and the toe itself is 8.5 meters long.

The mammoth project was begun in 713 C.E. and completed 90 years later. Below the Grand Buddha was a hollow where boat used to disappear, it was hoped that the Buddha�s presents would subdue the swift current and protect the boatmen.

August 11, 2005

Giant Panda Breeding Research Center – Chengdu, China


What would a visit to China be without seeing Pandas? We spent the good part of the morning meandering around the Giant Panda Breeding Research Center, which as the name suggest serves as reproductive research center for pandas. The center is somewhat more human than a zoo, and provides a seemingly warranted service. Most pandas live in captivity today; almost none live in the wild.

Also, on the premises was a Panda museum with detailed exhibits on panda evolution, habitats, and conservation efforts, and a documentary film on the date, mating and birthing of pandas. The doc was well worth the viewing.

Yi-Ching – Chengdu, China


It's been great having a native Chinese speaker amongst the group. Yi-Ching is from Taiwan and has been part of the group since Istanbul. At a ripe old age of 28 years old, this trip marks the first time Yi-Ching traveled outside of Taiwan. She expects to travel in South America for another 6 months, once our trip finishes, before returning to Taiwan.

Chengdu Opera – Chengdu, China


A group of us spent the evening at the Chinese Opera. I've been to the Opera at the MET in NYC, however the opera in China was very different. The opera in China featured slapstick, eyeglass-shattering songs, animal hand-shadows, fire-breathing acts, and puppetry. It was definitely a new experience and an evening enjoyed by all in our group that attended. Entertainment has a way of transending language and cultures.

August 06, 2005

Great Wall of China – Beijing, China


We spent the afternoon trekking a 10k portion of the Great Wall located 110km northeast of Beijing. The trek took approximately 3 hours.

August 05, 2005

“Emperor & Concubine” – Forbidden City - Beijing, China


“The Last Emperor” - Forbidden City - Beijing, China


Tiananmen or “Gate of Heavenly Peace” - Beijing, China


The quintessential picture backdrop for anyone visiting China. The gate pictured is the gate that Mao Zedong proclaimed the People's Republic on 1 October 1949, hence his gigantic portrait.

While in Beijing, a group of us rented bikes and spent the day cycling around the city on a self-guided tour. A great way to view the city, and great exercise. The city is geared toward cyclist. There wide cyclists lanes along all roads. Even the freeway and the cars are very conscience of the cyclist and tend to look out for them.

Tiananmen Square - Beijing, China


My fellow cyclist, Kath and Alex, are in the foreground of Tiananmen Square, vast desert of pavement created by Mao in the heart of Beijing. During the Cultural Revolution, Chairman Mao, wearing a Red Guard armband, reviewed parades of up to a million people here. In 1976 another million people jammed the square to pay their last respects to Mao. The square became a household name in the West in 1989, when army tanks and soldiers cut down pro-democratic demonstrators.

Alex with a Flat Tire - Beijing, China


Everything isn't fun and joy.

August 04, 2005

Summer Palace - Beijing, China


This dominion of palace temples, gardens, pavilions, lakes and corridors was once a playground for the imperial court. Royalty came here to elude the insufferable summer heat that roasted the Forbidden City. It was a cool place to just hang out for the day. We rented a small electric boat and cruised around the lake. Such a stressful life.

Kim Trying to Retrieve her Ticket – Beijing, China


Kim, the rock climber in our group, dropped her entrance ticket over the edge of the lake at the summer palace. She tried, using her rock climbing skills, to retrieve it. Unfortunately, after Kim several unsuccessful attempts the ticket sunk.

August 01, 2005

Terracotta Warriors – Xi’an, China


Ranking up there with the Great Wall and the Forbidden City as one of China's top historical sights, the 2200 year-old Amy of Terracotta Warriors remains stunningly well preserved: a perpetually vigilant force standing guard over an ancient imperial necropolis. In 1974, peasants digging a well uncovered what turned out to be perhaps the major archaeological discovery of the 20th century: and underground a vault of earthed and timber that eventually yielded thousands of life size terracotta soldiers and their horses in battle formation.

Terracotta Warriors (Collage) – Xi’an, China


It was difficult to photo a true perspective of the clay warriors. I've combined a few photos to form this collage. What I found most amazing about the warriors is the fact that they weren't discovered until 1974. Farmers have been farming the land over these warriors for almost 2200 years, unbeknownst to them the artifacts below. It makes you wonder what other historical artifacts have yet to be uncovered from ancient civilizations. What is also astonishing, at least to me, is that this civilization (more or less) existed during the time of Abraham, Christ and Mohammad. I haven't done any detailed research, but my guess is that these guys didn't even know this civilization existed and they were able to create the three great monotheistic religions without acknowlegding these other civilization, such as this one in China. Why did God only speak to these guys in the Middle East and not China?