Bathing Optional

China (South Western) : February 2003

Continents

Continents

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Hong Kong, still one of Asias top destinations, and truly an architectural marvel of a city. We came to Hong Kong to spend 10 days of worry-free time with Ashes parents who decided to spend their second Chinese New Year in a row in Hong Kong.
British era double decker buses and trams still run in downtown Hong Kong.
Interesting architecture around every corner, Hong Kong.
Mix of styles, Hong Kong.
Typical Hong Kong street scene.
Across the water from Hong Kong Island is Kowloon. Its a little grungier, a little more hectic, and a little brighter at night. For discount shopping, come over to the Kowloon side.
From the Kowloon sides, views of Hong Kong Island are spectacular.
Just some of Hong Kong Islands skyscrapers.
Famous (and historic) Hong Kong ferries make the trip between Hong Kong Island and Kowloon almost continuously.
Broader view of Hong Kong from Kowloon.
The sun begins to set.
Sun setting behind the hills of Hong Kong Island.
Hong Kongs buildings at sunset.
As night falls, the lights of Hong Kongs skyline come on.
The dark tower at left was still under construction but its size compared to its 60-storey neighbours gives an idea of just how tall it is.
The bright lights of Hong Kong as seen from Kowloon harbour.
And the other half...
Famous view down on Hong Kong from Victoria Peak.
During the Chinese New Year, the buildings of Hong Kong are even brighter. Its a little blurry but maybe you can make out the goat for the year of the goat.
Back to the main reason we came to Hong Kong : to meet up with Ashes parents, Bob and Tera, for 10 wonderful days together.
Ashe with her mom in a store all decked out for the New Year.
Tiny New Years lanterns on interesting plant.
Tiny orange tree at a temple we all visited together in Hong Kong.
All of us (especially Ashe and I) enjoying the luxuries of hotel life. What a difference from the places wed been staying in in Thailand and Myanmar!
Very typical Kowloon street.
Out on the less busy south side of Hong Kong island, flying kites on the beach with a powerplant in the background.
Ashe and her mom enjoying some seafood.
Bobs favorite place in Kowloon.
And, it being New Years time and all, we saw a few of these dancing lines pass through shops and hotel lobbies...
The percussion ensemble that followed these lions around was unbelievably loud.
Us on the ferry from Hong Kong to Kowloon.
Hong Kongs famous big Buddha, the worlds largest bronze cast Buddha.
Temple detail at the big Buddhas temple.
My good friends Susanna and Sonia (and Sonias husband) in Hong Kong.
The gifts from Burma come out. Bob in his new shirt.
Bob and Ashes brother Sterling trying on the traditional Burmese mens skirts (longjes).
Everyone finally figured it out.
Nicole trying on her Burmese skirt.
All of us in our Burmese attire.
Out for high tea at the historic Peninsula Hotel.
Sters, always smiling.
Nicole, looking good.
All of us once again after the high tea.
A photo from one of those ubiquitous photo booths that can be found everywhere in Asia. After a week together, its clear that everyone was brought fully into the world of insanity that is the Wattles family.
From Hong Kong, we took one day out in Macau, close and accessible by ferry but a world away from Hong Kong in atmosphere. The Portuguese feel is still strong in this former colony.
Chinese New Year celebrations were in full swing when we arrived in Macau.
Although Chinese, Macau still has a distinctly Portuguese feel.
Macaus streets and alleys were a really good time to explore.
Lots of colonial era buildings all over Macau (its not all casinos).
Inside one of Macaus temples where firecrackers were being set of for the New Year. It was unbearably loud.
Piles and piles of firecrackers going off for the New Year.
Bob and Tera overlooking Macau at sunset.
Us with the Macau sunset.
After a long day in Macau, we left just as the neon lights began to glow.
The East is red. Our first stop in China beyond Hong Kong and Macau was the major city of Guangzhou. Communist China has a little more sway here than in Hong Kong.
Along Guangzhous riverfront we found this momentous monument to socialist ideology.
Guangzhou is a great city of contrasts. Here the newer area of the riverwalk. Just before was the older, grungier strip.
Away from the fake feel of modern Guangzhou, we did find some interesting old streets and sights.
One was an old temple with this bronzed pagoda standing outside.
Bottom of the same pagoda.
Same temple with interesting assortment of objects on your way to the front entrance.
Guilin is one of Chinas most popular places, for Chinese and international visitors alike. It turned out that Guilin itself is an extremely tacky and ugly city, but not far away are the beautiful karst mountains that make this region famous.
We couldnt take more than an hour in Guilin itself so we took a walk east along one of its rivers.
A little further the countryside turned fantastic.
Only miles from Guilin town center we found stunning views like this.
Amongst the towering karst peaks, villages like this one.
Another riverside village with karst mountains in the background.
We even found a staircase winding its way up one of the karst peaks, climbed it, and were rewarded with this view.
A short half hour bus ride from ugly Guilin is beautiful (but touristy) Yangshuo. This was the view from our guesthouse. Yangshuo is built literally amongst karst peaks.
Yangshuo buildings and peaks.
Streetside dim sun, Yanshuo.
Just for the tourists, streetlamp in Yangshuo.
Ashe reading in our windowsill, Yangshuo.
Evening in Yangshuo.
As usual, our best times were in the countryside. We took some mountain bikes and started on our way out of Yangshuo. This was our final glimpse of the town.
Countryside around Yangshuo.
Typical home.
Meat hanging out to dry, Yangshuo countryside.
Friendly locals.
On our bike ride we were headed to the Moon Mountain and when we came across these vendors out in the middle of nowhere we knew it was a popular destination.
Man taking his camel out for a walk along the highway.
View from Moon Hill.
View from Moon Hill.
Amazing topography like this is what makes the Guilin/Yangshuo region so famous.
View in the opposite direction from the peak of Moon Hill.
And another direction from Moon Hill.
Still in the Yangshuo countryside and along the River Yi.
Farmers taking a break at the end of a long day.
Water buffalo.
Water buffalo at twilight, coming out of the River Yi.
Sunset in karst country.
Sunset over rice paddies with karst mountains beyond.
Sunset over the Yi River.
From Yangshuo we took a couple buses north across the provincial border and into Chinas poorest province, Guizhou. Our first stop was the village of Longsheng known for its amazing stepped rice fields.
Here we are in this perfect little mountaintop village.
Homes and rice terraces.
We went for a walk our first evening in the rice terrace village. One terrace was made into a path that wound around the hill, while all other terraces were planted with rice.
Layered rice terraces winding their way around the hillside.
More rice terraces.
Someones home almost blending into the layered rice terraces.
Early morning view from the small attice we stayed in.
Ashe saying her goodbyes to the wonderful family who took us in for a night or two.
From the rice terrace village we came to Sanjiang where the Dong minority people still live as they have for centuries.
Typical dwelling for Dong people in Guizhou provinces south east corner.
Traditional Dong bell tower. All Dong villages have one or more of these towers used as a meeting place for locals.
We took a very memorable walk from village to village, all the while following and periodically crossing the small creek that sustained all the villages along its length.
Inside one of the drum towers we found locals playing this card game.
Inside the same drum tower we also found portraits of a couple of Chinas better known past leaders.
One of the more outstanding traditional Dong bridges we found while walking around the countryside near Sanjiang.
Woman gathering something underneath bridge.
One of many villages we visited in our few days near Sanjiang.
We were dropped off in the middle of nowhere by a bus driver who had driven much too quickly along unbarricaded, winding, mountain roads.
After walking about 6 miles we finally found our intended destination: the amazing Dong village of Zhaoxing. It turned out to be well worth the trouble of finding it and one of our very favorite stops in all of China.
A few canals divide the town up into several districts.
Vegetables hanging in Zhaoxing home window.
Carved figures on building eave.
Drying herbs.
View along one of Zhaoxings canals.
A local custom -- we saw many of these long cloth ribbons hanging around town.
Back alley vegetables.
Returing home from a day out in the fields.
Little boy walking along one of Zhaoxings cobbled streets.
Entire out on their roof.
Another local returning home from the fields.
Father carrying baby.
Old man sporting great Mao jacket and hat.
Mother with child in Zhaoxing crowd.
Beautiful, hand-woven and embroidered baby-carrier.
So many different characters, Zhaoxing.
Another elaborate baby-carrier. This baby is dressed like a little prince!
Smoking -- the old way and the new way.
Girl on fence, Zhaoxing.
Grandma with grandchild.
Canal-side barber.
Another grandparent with grandchild.
One more local child, Zhaoxing.
Our final day in Zhaoxing we went hiking up from the valley and to the nearest town about 3 miles uphill.
It was a long, long combination of buses, trains, and overnight sleeper buses, but we finally made it to southwest Chinas premier city, Kunming. It turned out to be our favorite of Chinas big cities because it was clean, the air was fresh, and the city a great mix of old and ultra-new.
One of Kunmings Ming-era pagodas at sunset.
Kunmings most famous sight : the Black Dragon Pool and pagoda.
The Black Dragon Pool complex has lots of hidden treasures.
Local graphic characters, similar to hieroglyphics.
Another view from Kunmings Black Dragon Pools side temple.
Falcon at the Black Dragon Pool temple.
We visited a lake near Kunming and hiked up into the hills only to find the trail lined with vendors selling none other than wonderful Mao keepsakes.
Up in the hills we also visited an important local temple with this guardian at its gates.
Temple detail.
Blossoms at that same temple.
Roses in bloom.
Miniature tree in blossom.
Temple chair.
Temple pond and bamboo.
Temple gate.
Temple painting.
Temple entrance!
Flowers in bloom.
Kunmings main Buddhist temple.
From Kunming we went to the old city of Dali, high on a mountain plateau. Dali is a walled city with gates like these at every entrance.
View over downtown Dali.
Dalis most famous sight, a group of three Ming-era pagodas.
View across to the mountains from one of Dalis gates.
Another view from the gate.
Intricately carved mouldings surround each window in the gate.
Dali even has this interesting church.
One day took some bikes and went for a ride outside Dali and along the lake to the next town.
Ashe by the fields of blooms.
Back streets of the town we discoverd near Dali. This town was a virtual maze of alleys like this one.
Detailed facades, small town near Dali.
Muslim cuisine.
Homeless man -- Socialism at work.
Street market.
Ashe always looks beautiful.
Another vendor at the street market in the small lakeside town up the road from Dali.
Ashe getting her hair done by a local lady.
Another day in Dali we decided to hike up into the mountains which rise high to the west of town center.
Half-way up the mountains of Dali we found this temple.
Ashe all bundled up in the mountains over Dali.
Maciej at that same temple.
Wonderful temple art.
Incredible 3-D carvings.
View down over Dali and the plateau from the mountainside temple.
Another view over Dali and its three pagodas.
Us, hiking high over Dali.
Up in the mountains.
Pack horses we met on our way back down to Dali.
Sunset views over Dali.
Lijiang -- our next stop after Dali and perhaps the single most amazing town we stopped in during our entire time in Asia.
Lijiang is an inexhaustible maze of alleys winding their way seeminly without direction through rooftops and buildings like these.
More Lijiang rooftops.
View over Lijiang with stunning mountains beyond.
Closer sunrise view of the mountains just beyond Lijiang.
Even closer.
Up on the hill that divides Lijiang into old town and new town sits this fabulous pagoda.
Down in the alleys of Lijiang, Ashe takes a break by this grand gate.
One of the more famous, historic mansions in Lijiang.
From the streets of Lijiang, those grand peaks are still visible.
Lots of views like this in Lijiang -- cobblestone streets, arches, and old wood and brick buildings.
One of the most interesting things about Lijiang is its people. It is a matriarchacal society with women dressing in traditional blues and whites.
More women on the streets of Lijiang.
Old lady on the streets of Lijiang.
Small gathering.
Blossoms and roofline.
Statue of Mao in Lijiangs new town.
Me, my little red book, and Mao.
In addition to its many, many alleyways, Lijiang is also full of little canals like this one.
More canal-side scenery, Lijiang.
A good look at the traditional garb of Lijiangs women.
Typical side street, Lijiang.
Tending the fields.
Local market.
Boy in the market.
Lijiang at night takes on a completely different look. Heres a view along one of its canals.
Building lit up with lanterns.
Lanterns closer up.
One last look at Lijiangs lanterns.
From Lijiang we took a day out at the Tiger Leaping Gorge, a phenomenal hike through the Yangtze Rivers most spectacular valley!
The mighty Yangtze on its way east.
We knew we had chosen the right hike when we saw those peaks just ahead...
Another view of the Yangtze River as it makes its way through the most stunning part of its trip across China.
Along the Tiger Leaping Gorge trail we came occasionally across a small dwelling like this one.
Sweeping view along the Gorge.
Incredible scenery greeted us around every corner during our Tiger Leaping Gorge hike. Here, a local makes her way up the same donkey trail we walked.
Typical mountain dwelling of tile, wood, and brick -- very sturdy structures.
Donkey high in the mountains.
We ate lunch at a local home along the trail and met their cute little puppy.
View down onto the Yangtze River.
Craggy peaks like these all around.
Dusk view in the Tiger Leaping Gorge with the locals taking their donkeys in for the night.
At the far end of the Gorge we came across a village constructed for the People, by the People -- one of many failed Communist re-settlement colonies.

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