In the Footsteps of Tibetan Pilgrims at Labrang
It smells like Tibet. Of yak butter melting in candle flames and dark-pine branches smoking through layers of heated stones. The scent jolts me back to my time in Lhasa, a combination of ingredients that is uniquely Tibetan. Prayer beads, small and large, sombre and bright, adorn the wrists and necks of passersby. Colourful sashes, […]
The Handbook to Civilised Sightseeing in Gansu 甘肅
“There is one secret to successful sightseeing in Gansu and most of China. When visiting a relatively famous sight, expect to see a thousand tourists gathered around, that way when there are only two hundred of them before you, you’ll be pleasantly surprised.” – The Handbook to Civilised Sightseeing in Gansu (Unknown Author) Last year, the […]
Xinjiang 新疆 – Our Gateway into China
“Let China sleep, for when she wakes, she will shake the world.” – Napoleon Steaming stacks of bamboo baskets are smoking against the cold morning air. Chestnuts are roasting among scorching black beans, stirred steadily in a blackened wok. White and pink fuzzy flat peaches perch neatly in rows opposite carts mounted high with the […]
Road Trip Gone Wild at the “Roof of The World”
My head hits the roof of the Toyota Land Cruiser waking me up from my early morning “pass out”. The smooth roads leaving the Tajik capital of Dushanbe give us false hope for the journey to the start of the Pamirs. In reality, the roads are perfection until you reach President Rahmon’s hometown of Danghara, […]
Kicking it Up at the Murghab Horse Festival
Metallic horse hooves pound the tundra as dust particles vibrate into the crisp air. Crowds have gathered patiently in a vast plateau surrounded by dramatic lunar peaks. At the edge, electric towers set up a barrier, barely holding up cascading wires; the rods occasionally setting off loud twangs with sparks as a surcharge goes through […]
