Here is the route we have taken since leaving Phoenix in November. We started in Bangkok, Thailand, and have made our way north until reaching Dali, where we are currently relaxing and eating large Chinese dinners.
This marks our route in China. The blue line shows where we've been - not very far! The dotted yellow lines show where we are thinking we might head - making our way through Chengdu to Beijing, then around Mongolia, then back through China to go to Tibet. Currently, we are in Lijiang -- the circled spot.
On what was to be our last day in Laos, we rented a motorbike to tool around the area. There's not much traffic there - I think gas (~$1/liter) is really unaffordable for the people.
Here is Christi, pretty in pink, ready for the ride. Later that day she will eat something that will make her violently ill, causing us to overstay our visa by one day. Fun!
We took a "sleeper" bus to Kunming - you get a bunk that is 1' by 5' with a blanket and pillow. We had the top bunks in the back of the bus - hanging on for dear life replaced any possible sleeping. Here is Christi, very glad to have finally made it to Kunming and be off that bus. Note: she is holding the utterly useless Lonely Planet China guidebook - a fake, photocopied version bought in Laos for $3.
Old meets new - Kunming is a thriving modern metropolis, but here is a little piece of old China right in the middle of town.
We left Kunming and headed for Dali, a restored "old" city, complete with cobble-stoned streets, horse carts, and a wall that surrounds the city. Here is the top of one of the city gates at night, taken from the top of our hotel.
The "supermarket" of Dali. This market changes locations every day, so that all the local tribal people can buy goods once a week. The women where baskets on their backs to carry their purchased items, similar to a shopping cart at Safeway.
In Lijiang, we ran into a Naxi (local tribe group in this area) in front of Mao Square doing some tradtional dancing ...in front of Mr. Mao (statue of Mao on right).
Here's a video of the gals dancing the traditional Naxi dance.
Christi was impressed with Chairman Mao. A new Commie convert?
We walked further, exploring Lijiang, and came across the Black Pool Park, which has this "Shangri-La-ish" view. We felt at peace...
In the Old Town of Lijiang, Christi finds peace over a stone bridge a couple of hundred years old. No, I don't think she's a Commie. Still has some sense of spirituality in her.
Update: January 16, 2007 - Zhongdian, China
This area of China is often referred to as "Shangri-la" meaning "paradise." It borders Tibet and the Himalayas, and is where the Yangze River begins (which flows east to Shanghai). It is also incredibly cold here in the middle of January!
The deepest gorge in the world (or in China?) is just north of Lijiang between the villages of Qiaotou and Daju. It's called "Tiger Leaping Gorge" because myth has it that a Tiger once jumped across the Yangtze River here.
Christi is approaching a village where we stopped for breakfast. These villages are inhabitted by the Naxi tribe and Tibetan people. They've terraced the mountainside and raise goats here. The goat-hearder in front of Christi is an American guy named John we met on the bus to Qiaotou.
Okay, maybe John isn't really a goat-hearder... but this guy is!
Tauru and John, practicing their "steel-blue squatting" pose... GQ is calling...
At the top of the "28 bends" - a steep set of switchbacks... phew!
After we finished the trek, we walked the 20km (13mi) back to Qiatou! Wow! Here is the low road just above the Yangze - I think i could jump across that... grrrowl!
We'll, we're through the "backdoor" between the provinces of Yunnan and Sichuan by taking a 4-5 day run skimming the Tibetan Plateau. It was a challenge in terms of transportation -- we just took rides in strides but eventually made it to our desired destination. It was COLD! January, along the Tibetan Plateau up to 4100m (some +13k feet!) in Litang in January? Are you crazy!!! FREEEZING. So we're "outta here." Heading for warmer temps... We made it to Chengdu to see the Panda bears, then soon after that ...we're OUTTA THERE! Warmth, here we come.
Map shows our China trip so far. Entered China via Laos Dec 30th, then up north, then skim along Tibet, then east towards Chengdu. Blue arrow shows where we're "outta there." Going southeastward in search of warmth. Temps west of Chengdu along Tibetan border was in the teens at night (Fahrenheit). Yikes!
Here's Christi in Zhongdian. Rooms in China DON'T have heaters!! Bundled up in her jacket and wearing the warm caps (we eventually called them "party hats") in our hotel room. COLD! Outta there...
In Zhongdian, though, we found some good eateries. Here's Christi eating a rice/beans meal with ham and eggs in a clay pot. Pretty hearty.
It was so cold in Zhongdian that you don't even need a freezer. Here's the "meat department" of Zhongdian.
We then finally got to Litang, which is at some 4100m... so that's ...well, times 3.3 to get feet ...like some 13-plus thousand feet. That's cold!! Here's a Tibetan vendor basking in the sun, the only source of warmth.
Here's another vendor... a truckload of veggies from more warm places where these things can grow. This is how markets are in or near Tibet. Vendors out in the streets.
We then got out of Litang and started heading east towards Chengdu, which is at 500m... probably around 1600 ft. Here are our new buddies... the shared taxi guys. Check out the dude on my left with that looooong sleeve. This is how Tibetans dress... they use the sleeve to hide their arms in to keep warm. We're all a merry bunch...
Christi wanted to get in the fun, too. We're merry with our "party hats." YEAH, we're headin' for warmer weather, the wonderful land of warmth...
Leaving Litang and looking back at the town on the Tibetan Plateau. See ya!
The road in no-man's land. Windy along the river all the way down to civilization...
A Tibetan building along the road... out in no-man's land.
Yaks, cows, cross-breads, whatever they are... grazing against the backdrop of... well, nothing. Just plain nothing.