Monday, September 21, 2009
Friday, September 11, 2009
trip to yunnan 云南
Trip to yunan
Highlights:
Day 1:
Landed in Tengchong, Yunnan (云南). The brilliant blue sky was a stark contrast to the perpetual haze of Beijing. We visited a quaint traditional town called Baoshwin.., known for being the last stop in China of the lesser-known Southern Silk Road. It was clear that the town (and entire area) had geared up for an influx of domestic tourism with new roads and freshly renovated buildings.
Day 2:
Visited two of the 97 or so dormant volcanoes that surround Tengchong. Stopped by a wetlands tucked between a 54 hole golf course and a traditional farming village. In the afternoon, Cam and I were the only one’s gutsy enough in the group to experience the volcanic hot springs 温泉. We brought our bathing suits and lounged in tea, aloe, and alcohol-infused sulfuric water alongside middle-aged men. Unfortunately cameras were not allowed, but trust me, it was a glorious experience. Especially the rat that we saw in a sitting area.
Day 3:
Visited tombs of KMT soldiers that were only recently cleaned up by the communist government after being left to disrepair. Dropped by a tropical rain forest park with a water fall called the “silk” waterfall.
In the afternoon, we visited a primary school located in a very poor area. Truly a heartwarming experience. We spent the first hour or so sitting in on their classes. Then we were split up in twos and each pair was thrown in front of a class for an hour. We sang happy birthday, barney songs, and learned how to mumble a few Chinese songs as well. I also learned how a few dance moves of the minorities. Ended the visit with some basketball with the kids.
Day 4:
We were then brought to a Dai (minority group) and saw their farms and temples. That night we ate a restaurant with a show a kilometer from the Myanmar border. Us 18 were the only ones in the audience so there were actually more performers than there were people eating. Cameron was married off to a Dai woman as seen in the pics. Ended the night with some quality mafia games.
All in all, a great time and bonded really well as a group. Classes start Monday for us so in the process of getting everything in gear for that.
Highlights:
Day 1:
Landed in Tengchong, Yunnan (云南). The brilliant blue sky was a stark contrast to the perpetual haze of Beijing. We visited a quaint traditional town called Baoshwin.., known for being the last stop in China of the lesser-known Southern Silk Road. It was clear that the town (and entire area) had geared up for an influx of domestic tourism with new roads and freshly renovated buildings.
Day 2:
Visited two of the 97 or so dormant volcanoes that surround Tengchong. Stopped by a wetlands tucked between a 54 hole golf course and a traditional farming village. In the afternoon, Cam and I were the only one’s gutsy enough in the group to experience the volcanic hot springs 温泉. We brought our bathing suits and lounged in tea, aloe, and alcohol-infused sulfuric water alongside middle-aged men. Unfortunately cameras were not allowed, but trust me, it was a glorious experience. Especially the rat that we saw in a sitting area.
Day 3:
Visited tombs of KMT soldiers that were only recently cleaned up by the communist government after being left to disrepair. Dropped by a tropical rain forest park with a water fall called the “silk” waterfall.
In the afternoon, we visited a primary school located in a very poor area. Truly a heartwarming experience. We spent the first hour or so sitting in on their classes. Then we were split up in twos and each pair was thrown in front of a class for an hour. We sang happy birthday, barney songs, and learned how to mumble a few Chinese songs as well. I also learned how a few dance moves of the minorities. Ended the visit with some basketball with the kids.
Day 4:
We were then brought to a Dai (minority group) and saw their farms and temples. That night we ate a restaurant with a show a kilometer from the Myanmar border. Us 18 were the only ones in the audience so there were actually more performers than there were people eating. Cameron was married off to a Dai woman as seen in the pics. Ended the night with some quality mafia games.
All in all, a great time and bonded really well as a group. Classes start Monday for us so in the process of getting everything in gear for that.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
hello beida
Hello from Beijing! I flew from Shanghai to Beijing on Monday afternoon and have spent the past couple days getting acclimated to my home for the next few months. I've been spoiled for the past two nights for dinner as my father's classmates have taken me and some friends out to dinner both nights. Donkey, surprisingly, doesn't taste all that bad.
here are a smattering of pictures from pre-beijing:
here are a smattering of pictures from pre-beijing:
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
