We have met many interesting people during our trip and in Milin (米林), a small town about 40 kilometres away from Linzhi (林芝), we met a remarkable man Mr. Wu Tao (吳濤老闆) who did not only design and built a chain of unique guesthouses, he has changed the livelihood of the little village he resides […]
Milin, Linzhi (林芝米林) 3-9 Sept Read More »
If you are wondering how our furry children are these days, I can happily say that they are doing great. I know it sounds silly but I am proud to report that Daisy can now pee and poo in the van when she feels the need. She even walks around the van and demands food
Lake Ranwu and Laigu Glacier (然烏湖 + 來古冰川) 19-24 Aug Read More »
After almost two months since we left Yunnan Jianshui (雲南建水) in mid June, we finally entered the eastern border of Tibet and arrived at its first town called Mangkang (芒康). This is the eastern gateway into Tibet and usually people just stay the night and continue to head towards Lhasa direction the next morning. We
Tibet Mangkang (西藏芒康) 11 – 16 Aug Read More »
Our drive to Genie (格聶) from Litang (理塘) was adventurous to say the least as it was totally off the digital map and the road condition was rough. But it was totally worth it as the Genie Sacred Mountain range is simply spectacular. When we were in Litang, we asked around about the road condition
The longer we travel around China, the more we realize that we cannot make plans and expect to stick to them. Life is not about planning but more about accepting changes and being open to opportunities. We need goals but only to embrace them as a general guide. The best thing is to be prepared
Ta Gong (塔公) 25 – 29 Jul Read More »
China has many so-called ancient towns (古鎮) but they are sometimes overrated and too commercial. We decided to give Shaxi old town (沙溪) a go as from what we read, it sounds rather appealing and tends to take a back seat on the list of most popular destinations which is just what we like about
Shaxi, Yunnan (雲南沙溪) 29 Jun – 8 Jul Read More »
After the initial few weeks of total shut down, the authority slowly loosened the measures and starting from early April, tourist destinations, hotels and restaurants re-opened. We found a small Muslim restaurant right next to the mosque that suits our palette as it is less oily and spicy than most other local restaurants. The three
Life in Jianshui (建水) 28 Jan – 16 Jun, Part Two Read More »
We arrived at the small old town of Jianshui (建水) just three days before its lockdown at the end of January during the Chinese New Year holiday. It was at the height of the Coronavirus pandemic in China and we felt as if we were entering a ghost town with most shops closed and not
Life in Jianshui (建水) 28 Jan – 16 Jun, Part One Read More »
Daisy and Lavender play a key role as it is a journey of discovery and growth not just for Kin and myself, but more so for our furry children since we get to see various facets of their personalities and reactions on the road that we have never envisioned before. When we first had the
All about our cat and bird Read More »
I want to tell you more about Mr. Ma. He was a school teacher for 30 years and he probably taught all the grown ups in the village. He also worked on his paddy fields and so you can imagine how hard working he is to support his family. Although he is much older than
Yuanyang (元陽), Part 4 Finale Read More »
On the fourth day, four young guests arrived and their presence altered the mood of the guesthouse. We had not encountered any foreigners on our trip so far and hearing them speaking in English sounded out of place yet refreshing at the same time. We chatted with them at breakfast the next morning and learned
Yuanyang (元陽), Part Three Read More »
The next morning, we heard a knock on the door and got ready in a daze and went down to meet Mr. Ma. We saw his son-in-law instead and together we walked uphill in the dark and passed the village where most of the guesthouses are located. We reached the sunrise spot when it was
Yuanyang (元陽), Part Two Read More »
What really strikes us most is the people and how direct and forthcoming they are. As we have lived in Shanghai and Guangzhou for over eight years, we know that mainland Chinese are very open about their age, how big their apartment and how much they earn, etc. But here, we encountered yet another level
Puzhehei (普者黑), Part Two Read More »
We finally left Wuzhou City after spending two weeks there. Started early in the morning, we drove six hours (580 km) to Baise City (白色市). We spent two nights in Baise City then drove another five hours (360 km) before arriving at Puzhehei. Puzhehei is a turning point in our trip as it marks our
Puzhehei (普者黑) 4-13 Jan, Part One Read More »
