Dec 3, 2009 - Days before my trip @ PEK

[4 Nov/09] 我的旅程进入了1个月的倒计时，可对于这次旅行的准备工作却刚刚开始。 周日去图书大厦，想买几本关于印度文化和宗教的书，最后只收获了两本旅行指南类，一本游记类，一本跨文化研究类的书籍。看来要在我出发前恶补目的地的常识，只有求助万能的wiki了。 那天正巧北京百年不遇的下了那么早的一场大雪，穿着秋装的我抱着一摞书走在街上，手已经冻得没有知觉，于是乎跑步取暖。 十几年前，一个雨天，我背着70L的大包结束了一次旅行，手里也是捧着一摞书，是旅途中买的图册。那应该是我刚开始做驴友的年月，满中国的转悠，囊中羞涩的我整天为要不要参观买门票的景点而思想斗争，同样斗争的还有要不要买那种厚的可以当板儿砖防身的风景画册。恰巧那次旅程——也许是我budget control的比较成功，抑或是碰到了什么打折促销——我居然买了3本画册。担心画册在背包里压坏了挤烂了浸湿了晤中暑了，我愣是一路抱着他们回了北京。北京的老天爷似乎也要考验我的虔诚，好死不死的下雨裹乱，我只能一手撑伞，一手配合着胳肢窝抱着三本请来的神仙。一路有惊无险的坚持到家门口，一个踉跄，手里的书们四散飞去，仰面躺在了一滩滩积水中。 同样的地方，盛夏换成了初冬，雨天换成了雪天，白天换成了傍晚。正当我忙着与北京第一股寒潮做斗争的时候，突然脚下地面的摩擦系数清0，我的双脚一起向前方水平面45度方向运动，接着就是收腹挺腰，0.[4 Nov/09] 我的旅程进入了1个月的倒计时，可对于这次旅行的准备工作却刚刚开始。 周日去图书大厦，想买几本关于印度文化和宗教的书，最后只收获了两本旅行指南类，一本游记类，一本跨文化研究类的书籍。看来要在我出发前恶补目的地的常识，只有求助万能的wiki了。 那天正巧北京百年不遇的下了那么早的一场大雪，穿着秋装的我抱着一摞书走在街上，手已经冻得没有知觉，于是乎跑步取暖。 十几年前，一个雨天，我背着70L的大包结束了一次旅行，手里也是捧着一摞书，是旅途中买的图册。那应该是我刚开始做驴友的年月，满中国的转悠，囊中羞涩的我整天为要不要参观买门票的景点而思想斗争，同样斗争的还有要不要买那种厚的可以当板儿砖防身的风景画册。恰巧那次旅程——也许是我budget control的比较成功，抑或是碰到了什么打折促销——我居然买了3本画册。担心画册在背包里压坏了挤烂了浸湿了晤中暑了，我愣是一路抱着他们回了北京。北京的老天爷似乎也要考验我的虔诚，好死不死的下雨裹乱，我只能一手撑伞，一手配合着胳肢窝抱着三本请来的神仙。一路有惊无险的坚持到家门口，一个踉跄，手里的书们四散飞去，仰面躺在了一滩滩积水中。 同样的地方，盛夏换成了初冬，雨天换成了雪天，白天换成了傍晚。正当我忙着与北京第一股寒潮做斗争的时候，突然脚下地面的摩擦系数清0，我的双脚一起向前方水平面45度方向运动，接着就是收腹挺腰，0....

Nov 16, 2009 - Lhasa - Dancing Ladies in the Barkhor

I went for a walk around the Barkhor and was very lucky to see a group of ladies, in traditional Tibetan dress.I went for a walk around the Barkhor and was very lucky to see a group of ladies, in traditional Tibetan dress....

Nov 16, 2009 - Lhasa - The Potala

The Potala.The Potala....

Nov 16, 2009 - Mommy!!

Mommy!!!! Thank you sooo sooo much for my package!! My mom sent me a huge package with enough Christmas presents for all of my friends here in UIC plus the whole rest of the school.Mommy!!!! Thank you sooo sooo much for my package!! My mom sent me a huge package with enough Christmas presents for all of my friends here in UIC plus the whole rest of the school....

Nov 15, 2009 - Tibetan Opera

A Night At The Opera, as Freddy Mercury and the boys from Queen named one of their albums.A Night At The Opera, as Freddy Mercury and the boys from Queen named one of their albums....

Nov 15, 2009 - Lhasa - Shey Monastery

Sera monastery is one of the “big three” monasteries in Tibet. So I have augmented them with a few shots of what Lhasa looks like now that the Chinese have “rebuilt” it…. ...

Nov 15, 2009 - Xizhou - embroidery, art and comorants

Another guide on another boat would start singing something about Dali and Er Hai Lake and the other guides and boatmen and women on the other two or three boats would join in. ... Then Joan and I went down to Dali and had dinner at a Uigher cafe. ... I'd overheard him angling to get a round of golf at the Dali golf course so I jumped to the conclusion he was very straight and had probably been dragged along. ...

Nov 15, 2009 - Lhasa - Jokhang and the Barkhor

The Johkang temple/monastery is the most celebrated temple in Tibet.The Johkang temple/monastery is the most celebrated temple in Tibet....

Nov 15, 2009 - Guilin - retreating from the cold

Well we are in Guilin capital of Guanxi province haven flown here a couple of days ago.Well we are in Guilin capital of Guanxi province haven flown here a couple of days ago....

Nov 15, 2009 - Kunming - city of good food and trees

Dear all Kunming is a city that is lay back and human in scale. ... Expecting a bone jarring ride, instead the comfortable bus from Dali immediately went onto a toll road for the next 350 Km or so to Kunming - a good quality expressway that tunnelled through mountains and sped over valleys. ... Kunming's a charming place. ... Anyway if you get to Kunming do go and see it. ...

Nov 14, 2009 - Gyantse to Lhasa

The drive today took in Kharola Glacier, Turquoise Lake - Yamdrok Tso, and a high mountain pass that we didn't stop at because you would have had to pay to take photos. The last photos show the hotel I'm staying at - quite beautiful, in the old Tibet area of Lhasa. ...

Nov 13, 2009 - Gyantse

In Gyantse we visited the Pelkhor Chode Monastery. ... The internal buddhas are quite exceptional.In Gyantse we visited the Pelkhor Chode Monastery. ... The internal buddhas are quite exceptional....