SaPa – Lao Chai – Ta Van – Giang Ta Chai – SaPa , North Vietnam October 7 – 9 “Lovely jubley!” The cockney slang for “awesome” came from neither of the two good- looking Brits sitting across from me. Like mine, their surprised faces broke into enormous grins as they watched 23 year-old Thom,… Continue reading Hill Tribes
Month: October 2009
Beasts of the Bay
Ha Long Bay, Vietnam October 5 – 7 In North Vietnam, legend tells of a family of dragons that, many years ago, descended upon the country to protect her people from the legions of invading Chinese and Mongolians. The dragons spit enormous pearls upon the earth, demolishing the enemy and sparing the peace-loving Vietnamese people.… Continue reading Beasts of the Bay
River Town
Yangshuo, Guangxi Province, China September 20 – 24 Reflecting on the past month spent in China, I am preparing to put pen to paper but am suddenly compelled to give up my seat to a family of water buffalo passing by the river’s edge. Ryan and I jump up in unison, a squealing, lunging Oliver… Continue reading River Town
The Good Earth
Zhongdian, Yunnan Province, China Without hesitating to shake the granite out of our shoes, we had hopped a local bus from Qiatou and the vistas of Tiger Leaping Gorge to press on north to the very brink of the Yunnan and the frontier it shared with the Tibetan plateau. Zhongdian, or “Shangri-La” as the local… Continue reading The Good Earth