Much like Jiuzhaigou, the draw to Langmusi was a combination of Tibetan culture and natural beauty. Two large Tibetan temples sit above the town, and beyond both lie opportunities for hiking through distinctly different environments. Just past the Sichuan monastery lies Namo Gorge, a valley enclosed by rocks and a […]
Tag: China
Zoige
Intending to leave Jiuzhaigou for Songpan, my bus broke down about an hour into the ride. A Korean girl, Israeli girl, and I decided to catch a ride with a passing car rather than waiting a few hours for the next bus. After stringing together several different rides, I decided […]
Jiuzhaigou: Tibetan Villages
One that important to realize about Tibet is the distinction between cultural and political Tibet. Politically, “Tibet” is the Tibetan Autonomous Region including Lhasa, Everest, a bunch of other cities, and China’s border with Nepal. Culturally, however, Tibet is much bigger. Tibet once controlled much of Western China, and still […]
Notes from a Bus to Jiuzhaigou
7:55am Enter bus. There are no more window seats. This 12 hour ride will not involve sleep. Already wishing I’d at least considered a plane. 8:43am 1st movie started. There is a construction worker with a bullied but ambitious son. The father dies in an accident at work, and the […]
Leshan Big Buddha
The largest carved stone Buddha in the world, I didn’t visit Leshan’s Big Buddha the first time I was in Chengdu because the sky had that China-haze going on. On this round, with a day to kill before I really wanted to head to Jiuzhaigou, I decided to give it […]
Kuqa: Aden
“The Chinese are all pigs. This is why we do not let them into our mosques.” Aden was mad, and understandably so. Whether justified or not, the Uigher people felt like the oppressed minority, and the riots in the capital city of Urumqi could only serve to strengthen such sentiments. […]
Hey there! I'm Stephen, this is my travel blog, and that's me in the poofy hat.
I'm a photographer / writer traveling since 2008, and I've been doing my best to visit amazing places.
My current focus is Central Asia, because for a hiking and camping enthusiast it's as good as it gets.