Politics and Economics

What to make of all of this? Is the Communist Party repressive and China backward?

I'll share some insights that Chinese offered to me along the way. You make up your own mind.

One PhD Research Chemist spent some time with me on a train ride. I learned a lot from him. He had just finished school and begun working when the Cultural Revolution came. No opportunities for work continued. Educated people were killed or re-educated. Everyone fought among themselves. Bands of youth were basically state-sanctioned gangs, the Red Guard. He just stayed at home and tried to remain invisible.

After marriage, he lived in a small apartment with his family, his brother's family, and his parents. He was able to get an apartment for just his own family of four, but it was just 12 meters square (about 10 by 10 feet) with one room and a toilet. He lived there until the opening of China in the 80's. Since then he has prospered very well. His children are both studying in the US. He and his wife live in a 1300 square foot apartment now. He is buying it on a 30 year mortgage, just like the US. He is now in his sixties, and has a wealth of knowledge and perspective, which he shared with me.

First, the opening of China is total and complete. There are no boundaries. (Remember, I'm just transcribing his words.)  Western consultants are used for everything. Western knowledge is used everywhere. There are no government or cultural limitations. The government itself is one of the larger users of Western expertise. The government knows that the best way for the party to remain in power is for the country to prosper, and it will do whatever is necessary.

Next, China is a country of central control politically, and needs to stay that way. The history of China is one of invasion by foreign forces. Centuries of domination by Mongols, by Japanese, and by Western powers have left the Chinese with a firm belief in a strong central government to protect the country. Ironically, when the US complains about human rights issues, all it does is fan the flames that foreigners are threatening China and people rally to the support of the government. The US needs to reduce complaints about China in order to allow the party to reduce its control. The US has no corresponding history of being invaded and occupied by a foreign power. Think about the rallying to support the government and President after Pearl Harbor or September 11. Now imagine that centuries of history are of such invasion and occupation.

China is not ready for democracy. Neither was the US at first. Remember the long debates on who should be given the power to vote, and we started with just male, white, land owners. Today China is filled with people with little education, with no history of democracy. When China had two parties they competed with violence. (After Sun Yat Sen led the revolution that overthrew the Europeans, the Chinese had the KMG and the Communists. In fact, the US funded KMG concentration camps in which Communists were held and tortured, a fact this gentleman gracefully omitted.) There is no history of parties competing except through violence.

Combining the need for strong central government to protect against invasion, the low education level, and the lack of history of nonviolent competition between parties, it is not appropriate to think about more than one party for China, at least at this time. And, my friend added, it isn't needed either. The current party is a good one. It makes mostly correct decisions, and the mistakes are okay. (For example, he believes that the Three Gorges Dam is a mistake, and said that 85% of all scientists in China also believe so).

He also talked about how hard the Chinese are willing to work, to sacrifice to make life better for their children, and the importance of education. Clearly as a PhD he is in a unique group that values education, but again, I think about the children in the Tiger Leaping Gorge that live away from their family all week, cooking their own meals and washing their own clothes, just to get an education. And certainly it is true that in much of Southeast Asia, the merchants are ethnic Chinese. The culture is one that recognizes that hard work and education are how you get ahead.

What worries him? Two things. One is the growing difference between the haves and have-nots. Many in the eastern cities are doing well, but the western areas remain in poverty. The other worry is the growing debt. Tens of billions of dollars are being poured into development projects. Not all of them will be successful, but the debts will need to be paid. I think back to the history of Latin America and Africa, where the development aid of the 70's just produced a yoke that halted further development and increased poverty in later years as the interest on the debt came due. In fact, I just heard last week about a city in Eastern Europe that took out loans to grow after the fall of communism, and now cannot repay the loans so municipal assets that have been around for hundreds of years, are being auctioned off.

Other thoughts? One student once remarked that he and his colleagues didn't think much of the communists. But again he didn't really look to a change in one party rule.

We need to be careful in the West to not impose our values. A kingdom works for Thailand. One party is now working for China. Democracy works for the US.

And be careful in judging. Many view the US as barbaric since we still have capital punishment. We also spend more on national defense than the next ten states combined --who is our threat? We are the world's largest polluter, and backed out of the Kyoto protocol. We won't sign the landmine treaty. Regardless of your views on these issues, realize that to the rest of the world they seem very odd for a country that professes freedom and human rights, and implores the developing world to not ruin the rain forests.

Is China for you?

China is many different lands, from destitute rural areas to cosmopolitan cities, from culturally rich minorities to an oppressive Han dominance, from strict one-party rule to rampant capitalism, from the broken bodies of old people to the enthusiasm of the old.

Travel in China is easier today than previously, and will be easier still in the future. However, it is not easy. It is certainly not as easy as Thailand (especially the south) or Japan. If you are considering coming, here's some thoughts to keep in mind.

The rural and natural areas of Yunnan and Sichuan are absolutely gorgeous, and the people are wonderful. If you want beautiful nature hikes, you will not do any better. Most people who travel to China will enjoy it.

However, nothing runs on time, nothing works completely, and little English is spoken. You will have many times that you simply do not really know for sure what is going on, and will simply have to accept that. Everything takes much longer than it seems it will or should. You will ride buses that take twice as long to get to the destination as promised, and eat meals that are not what you thought you ordered. It can be quite disconcerting, especially if you are a person who likes to be in control or to have things well organized and predictable. Travel in China is neither.

Likewise, you will see poverty at the absolute worst level, and "Mao's women", old farm ladies who are completely hunched over and broken from years of toil in the fields. You will go without a clean toilet for weeks, and many facilities are just outhouses with a hole over a pit. You will put up with pushing and shoving, spitting and coughing.

But that is all eclipsed by a fascinating story that is being played out right now. Much like the heydays of the gay 90s, the roaring 20s, or the 60s, the boom-time optimism of China in today is very heady. Everything is possible, and everyone is out to better their lot. People have prospered far beyond their wildest dreams. People are working very hard, with tremendous value put on education, including learning English. Parents are sending kids to universities abroad. The positive excitement is intoxicating. China has grown quietly for twenty years, and now wants desperately to prove that it is a grown-up member of the world community. The symbolic importance of new membership in WTO, and the 2008 Olympics has buoyed the Chinese spirit, and they really feel that they are on the verge of being recognized by the world.

What does that mean for you? It depends on your temperament, budget and schedule.

First, China is very big and transportation is slow. You will choose either to fly between regions, to spend several months in China, or to just visit a couple of regions. There is no economical way to see the vast area of China quickly.

Next, logistics are difficult. If you have the time and temperament, you can travel independently. We'd venture to guess that most of our friends would not do well. It can be very frustrating. If you travel independently, you can travel economically ($40/day per couple in the East and $15/day per couple in the rural areas). You will interact most closely with the locals. You will also work the hardest to figure out where to go, how to get there, where to stay, and where to eat. At the budget prices I mention, you will also share bathrooms, deal without heat or power on occasion, and ignore the mold and pealing paint. Roughly double the cost to stay in nicer places, but still on your own.

The alternative is to travel as part of a tour, which is much more expensive and shorter in duration. But the tour guide will have local knowledge already so that you see the best sights, get there at the right time, have a guide, and have transportation and meals. For that you will pay dearly --maybe ten times what we are traveling on. Or, put another way, our two month trip would have had to be shortened to under a week, which means we would have seen very little.

So, for travel in China you need either a temperament and the time for independent travel, or the budget for a tour. Perhaps you can start with a few lessons in patience, and accepting life as it is, and independent travel will be an experience that will help you grow as an individual. It has helped us.

The Great Wall

With the new open China and capitalism, the Great Wall has become tourist attraction numero uno! 

Several parts have been rebuilt and overflow with tourists. Some of the areas that are restored have really turned into a circus. One area was deemed too difficult of a hike up hill for tourists. In fact, the wall they visit is just a little segment recently built lower down the hill as a tourist attraction, and tourists never even see the real wall. These areas are chaotic tourist centers, with touts selling postcards, drinks, and trinkets.

We instead found out about an area of the wall that is not (yet) restored, but is still in good enough shape that you can walk it. Luckily, we saw that the hotel we were staying in had a bus that runs to this section, which is much easier that taking the city bus to the mini bus station and arranging your own travel. As is often the case, we were told that the bus no longer runs, but once we paired up with three other travelers at the hotel and had a group of five, then the bus does run after all.

This section was steep and rugged. Check out the photos. The wall follows the ridge line through a mountainous region. It just goes right up the side, over the top, and then up the next hill. Imagine standing on the top, with the warm breeze, looking out at the vast distances.

The wall is heavily worn with time, revealing its construction. The outer wall was set with a stone or brick facing, and inside was a layer of massive blocks. The size is amazing when you consider that these stones had to be drug up the mountains and placed in the walls by man and animal. Within the wall is a fill of rubble. Many areas have been repaired over the centuries, with brick sections, or different types of rock. The whole wall is maybe twenty feet wide at the base and ten feet wide at the top.

Periodically, the wall has a tower. These were stations for guards, and a few included staircases up and over the wall. As somebody said, the best fortified wall is only as good as the worst sentry, and indeed some of the invasions came from bribing just one sentry.

Today, these towers serve a different function. The locals have very little income, and see the tourists as a gravy train. Some locals have made improvements, such as stairs or ladders over difficult sections, and allow you to use them for a fee. Some just seem to barricade the wall and extort a fee. One offered free use of his ladder to climb up to the second story of a tower, but charged you to come back down! That set off quite a shouting match with one unsuspecting traveler, but we learned long ago to watch out for such traps. That is just part of the new wild-west China....

Beijing

By the time we reached Beijing we were already feeling like we were leaving China. It was so easy to travel in Shanghai, Suzhou, and Beijing. Also, we were beginning to fantasize about European food: cheese, bread, wine, beer, and chocolate. We've lost enough weight to feel good and healthy, and are ready for unhealthy food again!

We also are getting tired of being viewed as walking ATMs. It gets tiring to have a constant stream of people saying "Hallo, Postcard", "Hallo, CD, watch", or "Hallo, where you going?"

We wish we had more time in China. We regret not spending more time in LiJiang, and we regret that the weather kept us off the holy mountain of Huang Shan. But we are ready to move on.

So Beijing was kind of a holding pattern, knowing that we were about to leave and just seeing a few last sites. We would just be seeing a few more tourist sites, and then be off.

It remained difficult for some things. For example, we tried to get a fax sent to us (for travel arrangements in Europe) for several days, but couldn't get both pages successfully. Also, it still took time to figure out what bus to take, and where to find the internet cafe. But in general, travel in Beijing is much easier than Yunnan and Sichuan.

Oh, I forgot to mention that we are now famous! We have been on TV and in newspapers! We had a news photographer in Shanghai take our picture relaxing at the city park. We had a TV camera crew film us sampling food at the street market in Beijing. Twice, we have had Chinese vacationers ask us to join them in a photo. I guess the white beard is a bit unusual. So far, I have been called Santa Claus, Einstein, Osama bin Laden, various artists, and a few I have forgotten. So, if you want to go to China and be noticed --grow a gray beard. That probably would be even more noticeable if you are a woman.

Beijing

Beijing is a cosmopolitan city. The World Trade Center is full of the most exclusive western brand boutiques. The pedestrian mall could be dropped right into a US city, expect for the signs. Many roads and tree-lined boulevards are quite beautiful, with grassy medians, sitting benches, and flowers. In the morning, older people are out doing Tai Chi exercises along the streets. At least one section of the city is buzzing with young nightlife past midnight. In the stores, you can buy anything, even exquisite French wine for $250 a bottle.

Even some of the "Chinese" areas were really part of an international city. For example, the food market is a famous area to eat local food. It consists of a street market of stalls with all kinds of local food (some very tasty, and others like grasshoppers, frogs, larvae grubs that we passed on). However, at this "local" market, there were only people of white skin as customers. Adjacent was a plain market with rice, noodle and vegetable dishes packed with Chinese and no Westerners.

We did splurge one night and go to a restaurant reputed to have the best Peking Duck. It really was quite amazing. The skin is puffed thick and crispy. Maybe Fran can add a good description here, but I can say that it was good!

Tiananmen Square is, as expected, a massive plaza for people to meet. However, I didn't realize that it has been effectively divided into smaller portions by placing a huge mausoleum for Mao in the center. Tiananmen to Americans represents government oppression. To the Chinese that incident seems to be distant history at this point.

The Forbidden City

The Forbidden City is, of course, where the Emperor lived and ruled. Inside the sterile walls are large expanses of lifeless plaza. There is very little greenery, just stone (and tourists). The city is laid out in layers, so the outer layer is more public, and next layer is for ceremonies and state activities, and then the inner area is the living quarters. They were probably more elaborately decorated, but again looked like a lot of hot rock to us. The exception is the inner garden in the residence, which is beautiful. Most of the Forbidden City is smaller rooms that were used for either storage of grain, or small "palaces" for kings of different regions, or the living quarters of the concubines. Also, there were several rooms that now served as tea houses, amply decorated and serving tea in a tiny cup (that are for sale). There were fascinating museums in the Forbidden City, showing artifacts of Chinese dynasties from thousands of years ago, and tracing the development of art and metal working through the ages. It helps bring ancient China to life.

Ironically, we have been looking for a place to print some digital photos for us for a month. We promised a few friends along the way that we would send pictures of themselves to them. No internet cafe or photo shop could help us. Where did we find such a facility? Within the inner residence of the Forbidden City there was a Kodak setup to take a person's picture, merge it digitally with the Emperor's clothes and background, and viola --you're the Emperor. Since it included a digital camera and a printer, we were able to convince them to let us print our pictures. Who would have guessed that the best printing technology would be in the Forbidden City?

The Summer Palace

The Summer Palace was much more to our liking. I talked about northern gardens versus southern gardens when describing Suzhou. Northern gardens are on a grand scale, including lakes and mountains. And the Summer Palace is a grand example. 

The majority of the area is a massive man made lake (dug with shovels and wheelbarrows), with an island made from the excavation. The buildings are on a jagged rocky hill, and consist of numerous small pavilions connected by paths or covered walkways. Extensive stone and wood beam construction conveys both strength and an informal natural style. 

The large plazas of the Forbidden City are absent, and instead it is difficult to see beyond the next little turn as you progress from one pavilion to the next. Famous points include the Marble Ship, and the Nine Arches Bridge to the island. Several of the pavilions were being restored --they were heavily damaged by Anglo-European warriors a hundred years ago and then not rebuilt. 

We had a great day strolling and watching the lake. Do you detect a common thread in what we like? I think if it has water, greenery and rocks or mountains then it scores well in our book....

Suzhou

We were familiar with Suzhou as the sister-city of Portland, which completed a wonderful downtown Chinese garden in 2001. We visited the Portland garden at the beginning of our journey on a sunny day in December, and it touches you in a deep, tranquil way. If you haven't gone yet, then log off now and get down there!

We didn't realize that Suzhou is THE garden city of China. We initially planned to visit Suzhou because of the sister-city relationship and the Portland garden. As we read the travel books, Suzhou also is a favorite tourist highlight. And then when Rob met us in Hong Kong to give us travel tips, he also suggested that Suzhou is a must. So off we go!

The first gardens were built in Suzhou 1500 years ago! Built by nobility, they were private gardens for their residences. Gradually, Suzhou became quite an exclusive area, with many wealthy people building their own gardens during the Song dynasty and reaching a pinnacle during the Qin dynasty, just before the European invasions (Opium wars...). At the peak, there were hundreds of gardens in the city.

In northern China, gardens are large parks, filing ravines or small valleys, incorporating views of distant hills and mountains. The southern gardens of Suzhou are much smaller, private gardens. Many are just the size of a large city lot, and the biggest are only about one city bock. They were designed as private gardens, composed of structures, rock, plants, literature, and water. The residential buildings are just one component, no more or less important than the others, and are integral to the garden. Rather than one large house, the structures are individual rooms scattered throughout the garden.

The garden is much more than just a beautiful place. The purpose is deeply rooted in Chinese beliefs. The garden is a place to improve oneself by escaping from the noisy world, and engaging in reflection and contemplation of nature and poetry.

The gardens are well described on line. For example, check out http://www.chinavista.com/suzhou/tour/garden.html. The "big four" gardens are described very well, including some pictures.

The Humble Administrators Garden is the largest, and was the most similar to the Portland garden. In fact, some components looked like clones. It is composed of several ponds, many buildings, and walks. As one of the main four gardens, tour buses of people constantly stream in the gate, so the quiet of the garden is compromised, but in corners it still has a nice calming effect on you. This garden also houses the museum for the Suzhou gardens, and a bonsai collection with 6,000 specimens!

The Masters of the Net garden is often cited as the best garden, with the most exquisite detail. It is a tiny garden, and completely packed with tourists. With many pavilions in a small space, it also had more focus on the buildings and less on the rocks, plants and water. We didn't like it as much. However, this garden is quite spectacular at night. In the evening, the garden is home to cultural performances of story, song and dance. The audience moves from pavilion to pavilion for short performances. The costumes and ambiance are outstanding, and the colors and soft light are reflected in the ponds. The performances are each quite short --there must have been a dozen different ones to give a flavor of so many different styles.

Our favorite garden the first day was the Blue Wave Pavilion. It captured natural beauty the best, with an abundance of water, rock and greenery. It is also not one of the "big four" gardens, so was very quiet. We were able to sit and enjoy the garden the way it was intended, and put us into a great frame of mind. We stayed until closing time.

We came back to Suzhou a second day, and visited the Lingering Garden. It is a rather large garden, by southern China standards, with a wonderful balance of buildings and gardens. So many pavilions overlooked private little garden areas, or the large pond. Each pavilion was private, giving the sense of being off in a natural area. Walking from one to another involved a complex web of walkways, gates, and passages. It was designed to make it difficult to remember exactly where you were and how to get out, so that you really would just focus on the one garden you are in. We spent many hours wandering around, sitting and relaxing, staring off into the distance. The first day in Suzhou we saw several gardens, but on the second day we came much closer to experiencing the gardens as they were intended. We talked about an ideal house that would be built with concepts from the Suzhou gardens --each room stands alone in a garden, and they are connected together by walkways and beauty.

The trip back from Suzhou the first day showed the yin/yang spirit of the Chinese. They are a warm, friendly people --but are also very selfish when competing for transportation. We saw the warmth when we arrived to return the bicycles and found the rental shop closed (it was after 9PM). It was a problem for us, since we were actually staying in Shanghai and needed to catch the train. The lady in the next shop down the street couldn't bear to just leave us, and she interceded on our behalf. We could hardly communicate a word between us, but we were able to explain our situation and she explained that she would go find the shopkeeper. At first we protested, since he was somewhere else but eventually she snagged a friend who was passing on the street and sent him off on her motorcycle to fetch the shopkeeper. Ultimately, she stayed until 10 PM to help us out, getting home quite late herself. This kind of generosity is quite common in China.

On the other hand, China is a dense place, and competition for seats on transportation is fierce. At the rail station, rather than queue up for seats, the crowd pushes and shoves to reach the front. It is right and proper to force your elbow and shoulder ahead of the person next to or even in front of you, and then push hard to gain the advantage. Likewise, people jump over the barricades, run up the side, and then jump back into the crowd further ahead. Then, people will claim two seats so that they can lie down, oblivious to the fact that others must stand for the long train ride. But this really presents no problem, since those left standing will just push the others over off the extra seat and claim it!

Shanghai

Shanghai was really created by the European occupiers as a trading city between east and west. Massive initial investments created a major city, and a bit of a play land for the wealthy. Fortunes were made and lost in a wild and festive atmosphere. The city grew to meet the desires of the Europeans, wholesome or otherwise. The Chinese were repressed, and outlaw groups used to keep the order. Shanghai became a symbol of the problems of imperialism, and was the birthplace of the communist party, at least partly in reaction to the excesses of the European occupiers.

Shanghai has been asleep since the communist revolution, and is far away from the political intrigue of Beijing. However, it is very much the center of attention of much of the government now. Many of the leaders of China today come from Shanghai, including the Premier, the leader of the Politburo, and the mayor of Hong Kong. With the new open economy, Chinese leaders would like nothing better than to make Shanghai the shining example of successful Communistic Capitalism. The old Shanghai of the imperialists was in mothballs for fifty years, and is now being remade by the communists at breakneck speed. The government wants Shanghai to become the financial center of Asia, eclipsing Hong Kong (and presumably Tokyo!), on a par with New York and London. Huge investments have been made in infrastructure, including bridges, expressways, airports, and a metro rail system. Private investment from Taiwan and Hong Kong (and to a lesser degree Japan, Europe and North America) has built huge skyscrapers --an entire new urban area.

The result on the street? Clearly everything is about money. While the rich are building buildings and striking the billion dollar deals to control the future, the common people are opening restaurants, or just hawking goods in stalls or street corners. The pace is fast. There is a definite buyer-beware attitude, as the new merchants slowly learn the importance of customer relationships. There is a bit of the old wild west feel to Shanghai returning. Hopefully this time, instead of the money fueling corruption and exploitation, there will develop a true middle class.

Day One

We found a great place to hole up in Shanghai. By Chinese standards, Shanghai is now a rather expensive place with hotel rates in the $50-100 range, and even cheap horrid places charging $30. We found a nice Guest House attached to the Shanghai Music Conservancy. For just $12.50 a night, we are near a Metro line in a clean private room. Fran is enjoying the sound of music students practicing during the evenings, and we hope to attend a couple of recitals while we stay. This is convenient enough that we decided to make it our base of operations, with day excursions to Suzhou, Hanzhou, and other nearby areas. That also means we don't have to carry the packs from place to place! We were very lucky to find a room, since the place has been full non-stop. Our train arrived early in the morning, so we were just lucky to beat the crowds and get a room! We have seen many others arrive just after us and leave very disappointed!

We spent the first day in Shanghai walking. ....and walking. Maybe we overreacted to the two days confined to the boat (the Three Gorges tour), but we do enjoy walking. We planned to start in Shanghai with a tour bus to get a good overview of the city, and there is a great one-day pass that lets you get off and see all of the sites at your own pace. But somehow we just kept walking, and about ten hours later had pretty much seen the lay of the land, so I guess we don't need the tour bus after all!

The older famous landmarks of Shanghai include the Bund, the row of European banks, hotels, and other ostentatious buildings that line the west bank of the river. Now, the east bank is rapidly being built with a rather gaudy mix of neon and bizarre architecture. The pulse of the city is best felt at night walking from the Bund to the Peoples Park through the busy shopping district, along roads closed off to motor vehicles, and blazing with neon.

We get around Shanghai easily. The underground metro is simple to use, and cheap ($0.25). English is much more available than it was in the rural Sichuan and Yunnan provinces, and we also find more western treats like bakeries and peanut butter. The trend will continue, and travel will be easier in Beijing too. We are beginning to look forward to Europe with breads, cheeses, chocolate, salads, wine, and beer....and also to much less pushing, spitting and coughing. But we love China and really regret that we do not have more time. Eighteen months is such a tiny window through which to see the whole world! (Actually, we began venturing in December 2001 in the US and will return August 12, 2003, so that is really 21 months. But somehow we started saying 18 months and it stuck.)

Shanghai Acrobats

Several acrobatic troupes make their home in Shanghai, and we were able to attend a performance. It wasn't just the usual juggling and wire walking, but included several novel acts. For example, there was one contortionist who was able to balance candelabra on each hand, each foot, and her forehead while at the same time writhing around rolling from her back to front, flipping over forwards and backwards, and in general tying herself up in knots. In another act, performers stack rings up four high and jump through them, with people passing through different rings simultaneously. A very unique and impressive act was, well, I don't know what to call it. A woman balanced umbrellas on her feet. She was able to twirl them around, toss them between feet, and balance and roll them along the edge of the umbrella on her feet. She would even toss them in the air, where they would drift (they do catch air and drift away) and adroitly snatch them back with her toes. Weird sounding, but quite skillful and artful. Read more about the Shanghai Acrobats at, or see a video at http://www.shanghaiacrobats.com.

Shanghai Botanical Gardens

The Shanghai Botanical Gardens began serious developing in 1978, with major improvements over the next few years. There are many different gardens, including the rose garden, the peonies, the maples, the bamboos, etc. There are several ponds and plenty of space to stroll or sit. Another development boom started a few years ago, with significant new conservatories. Here in the humid land is a great succulent collection! There is also a wonderful rain jungle under glass. I had expected it to be mostly a collection of specimens but was thrilled to find instead a wonderful garden with paths, bridges, tunnels, and waterfalls housed within the glass walls.

The Shanghai Botanical garden is best known for its bonsai collection, including over 9,000 specimens! There are large areas of the garden with row upon row of young bonsai, being cultivated for future sale. We captured several in pictures.

The Market

The market area spreads over several blocks, crammed full of individual booths resembling a Saturday Market, except that it is open every day. Everything can be had for a price, especially knock-off clothing. It is comical to see the misspellings: T-shirts with "American Legened", signs for "Sick Clothes" (meaning Silk), and so forth. There are also many Timberland and Columbia brand clothes. Most brands are clearly fakes (e.g. the Nike products), but others are attempts by the authentic company to establish their brand in the fast growing market, even at very low prices. The market is loud and frenetic, with surging crowds and calling shopkeepers. Every few feet someone shouts "Hallo, CD, watch". It seems that not everyone has gotten the official message that counterfeiting is now taboo and CDs are readily available for about $0.25 each. We found a great camera case for $1.25 and some new zip-off pants for $10 (our prior ones were getting a bit baggy since we have both dropped a few pounds).

Weather

We planned the trip running from Thailand to Beijing just ahead of the hot weather. Most days in Thailand were in the 90's F, and the last couple of weeks were quite hot. Since we planned to visit two of China's "three furnaces" (Wuhan and Chonquin), we were concerned about the heat. But the concern never materialized. The first week or two was warm, but as we headed to Yunnan and Sichuan, we gained considerable altitude and beat the heat. Now, coming back down to sea level, we seem to have picked some unseasonably cool weather. It rained eight days in a row here in Shanghai before we arrived, and remains overcast. It is great outdoor weather, with temperatures around 80 F. Unfortunately, in this weather, the mountain Huang Shan is hidden in clouds, so we didn't make it there. This is reputed to be the most beautiful mountain in China, but it also is usually hidden. We just didn't get lucky. (Hey, we did get to see Fuji in Japan!) Assuming that Beijing isn't too hot, we should be in for pleasant weather for many months as we visit Europe (Jun-Jul), Africa (Aug-Oct) and then India (Nov-Feb).

World Conditions

We still are unsure if we will visit three favorite places: Egypt, Nepal, and Indonesia. I think that Nepal is getting quite unlikely as the Maoists step up their terrorist attacks. We will still be able to trek in the Indian Himalayas (far away from Kashmir). Nepal was also our gateway to Tibet, but we were able to experience much more Tibetan culture in northern Yunnan province than we expected, so it is okay if we don't go to Tibet. Besides, Tibet is very expensive (government tourism fees).

Egypt and Indonesia are both probably okay to visit, but it depends on American foreign policy and Muslim reaction. If the US continues the current pursuit in Afghanistan, we are probably fine. But if the US invades Iraq that will create many new young terrorists in other countries and all bets are off. Even more important, however, is Palestine. What little bit of credibility the US might have had in the Arab world has been thoroughly trounced by Israel's actions in Palestine and the US indifference. Israel's actions may affect our travel plans more than US action at this point.

It is sometimes a bit of a burden to travel as an American. The US footprint is so large, and everyone in the world has opinions on the US. Actually I have found little animosity in Asia, and a great reception in Japan, Thailand, and now China. We haven't traveled to any countries hostile to the US, and have found the people to be keenly interested. A very common reaction is "America, great country!" Ironically, it is mostly Europeans who complain about everything wrong with the US. As we travel I have learned a lot about the devastating affects on the undeveloped world of 150 years of European colonialism, Japanese and American imperialism, and the cold war. People have remained in horrible conditions largely due to corrupt or brutal governments supported by foreign powers. We do have a collective responsibility to correct these errors. However, unfortunately those who complain the loudest about the US also seem to be the ones with the least actually knowledge and little to add to the discourse...

Fortunately this is a small planet, so as we travel it is easy for us to stay in touch with world events and change our plans accordingly.

Jiuzhaigou - Day Two

Even in paradise, one must attend to the mundane details of life...so the day begins with doing laundry. That means scrubbing everything you own in the sink with cold water and hanging it to dry on a line on the roof.

While hanging the clothes, I see a monk duck into a nearby building. When we are finished with the chores, we decide to see if the building is a temple. As we approach it, the sound of bells and chanting confirm our thoughts. Kneeling at a small table inside are 5 monks; ancient scrolls and music instruments before them. We enter when invited and sit quietly as the chanting, gongs, cymbals and incense fill the air. A nun pays homage to the Buddha by bowing, then trims and relights the candles on the altar. We try to pay homage by meditating. The experience leaves us feeling peacefully jubilant as we head for the trails.

We ride the shuttle bus to the end of the road at Arrow Bamboo Lake (follow the link below for a map and description of the park). We spend the rest of the day walking the boardwalk trails back to Shuzheng Village. The trail skirts the lakes on the side away from the road. At one place it wanders through the dikes between the many pools of Arrow Lake. At another, it follows the rushing rivers between lakes.

We are totally impressed by Pearl Shoals...check out the picture in the album. The water runs over a very shallow shelf before it cascades over the large (and wide) falls. You can view it in a pagoda in the midst of the shoals and from the trail below. Since the rocks are calcium deposits, the formations are very interesting...knobby and in unusual shapes with many crevasses. The water sound is amplified as it echoes in the hollows between and behind the rocks.

At another place we are totally shocked...the rivers and lakes are dry! We are told that it is a seasonal phenomenon. But it is hard to believe that whole rivers with such a high volume of water dry up. As we proceed down the trail, the water does reappear in the lower lakes.

Throughout our travels we have found ourselves comparing the places we visit to Oregon. It seems a natural human attribute to find solace and beauty in landscapes like the ones you are most familiar with. Many places we have visited just don't seem as beautiful as Oregon. We have a special love of the water, mountains and forests of Oregon. But in Jiuzhaigou we have found the forests, running water and mountains that is the template which Oregon tries to imitate. We have heard that Guilin was the most beautiful place in China, but reaching Jiuzhaigou we hear the quote that Guilin the more beautiful than anyplace in the world, and Jiuzhaigou is more beautiful that Guilin. And it is true. If you ever make it to China, Jiuzhaigou is an absolute must.

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Here's a link to a China Travel Guide website for more pictures and information.

http://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/sichuan/jiuzhaigou/page1.htm

About the pictures on our website - they are taken from the photo book that we purchased as a souvenir. Our camera was broken and we didn't think we'd be able to describe the park adequately without some photos. Many of them were taken in autumn so they are inconsistent with the time that we visited.

Jiuzhaigou - Day One

From the forests of Oregon to the tropical jungles of Hawaii to the natural rock formations of Utah to mountain tops in Asia, we thought we had seen some incredibly beautiful landscapes. But we were totally unprepared for what we saw in Jiuzhaigou (jew-jai-go). The guide books call it a fairyland: that is an understatement.

Here's a quick introduction to Jiuzhaigou. It is in northern Sichuan, a high mountain area populated by Tibetan minorities. This nature and panda reserve lies in connecting valleys. Alpine mountains tower above azure lakes lying at elevations of 2,000-4,000 meters (for you Oregonians, the peak of Mt. Hood is approximately 3,000 m.). The valley floor is a mosaic of rivers, waterfalls and lakes. It is heavily forested with pines and broadleaf deciduous trees. There are many Tibetan villages in the park: prayer wheels turn and colorful prayer flags flutter in the wind.

Our Story - Day One

We arrive at the park early in the morning. The main scenic area and first village is 5 kilometers from the entrance, so we hop on a shuttle bus bound for the village. Our plan is to find lodging and drop our (heavy) bags before we explore the park.

The springtime air is cool and crisp as we huddle together for warmth on the hard seats of the bus. A recent rain has left drops of moisture on the trees; leaves and pine needles shimmer like diamonds. The morning sun shines golden through the peeling bark of copper birch trees, the translucent red/gold squares seem to vibrate in the clear mountain air. On the hillsides, the new green leaves of the broadleaf trees contrast with the dark green of the conifers. Next to the road is a creek, rushing/ foaming over rocks in its path. Rod and I exchange looks of awe for the landscape - and we haven't even seen the first waterfall yet!

The approach to Shuzheng Lake is accompanied by ohs and ahs. We turn to look at the lake; our jaws drop open. The turquoise color seems artificial - how can water that color really exist? It is so clear that it is difficult to judge the depth - logs meters below the surface seem inches away. The mountains and trees are reflected crisply on the calm surface.

We soon discover, though, that Shuzheng Lake is not one lake, but a group of 40 lakes stretching for 13 kilometers. Each lake flows into the one below it, separated by calcium deposit dykes. The water flowing over the dykes form interesting waterfalls the entire width of the lake. It washes the roots of the mature trees and plants growing on the dykes. We can hardly wait until the bus stops so that we can walk the area.

The bus does not stop as expected at the village (nothing ever happens as expected in China), but pushes on to Long Lake at the end of the road. We pass many other colorful lakes and waterfalls on the trip, each different than the last. At Long Lake, we make a forced departure form the bus for the obligatory souvenir stop. We are swarmed by vendors in colorful Tibetan traditional clothes, but all we really want to do is shed our packs and get set up in a guesthouse. A woman approaches us and dresses us in traditional clothes. We decide it might be nice to have a picture of us looking Tibetan sitting on a Yak. We change our minds, though, when the price gets jacked up to pay for the clothes, yak and photo. We give the clothes back and rush for the closest bus, feeling once again the familiar anger at being nothing more than a walking dollar sign.

We manage to find a bus to take us back to the village at Shuzheng Lake. It is a dusty village, the humble buildings separated by narrow cobblestone streets. Women in the main square reverently approach a long line of prayer wheels, turning them as they recite their prayers. Colorful flags adorn the entrance.

We meet some Americans who recommend a nearby guesthouse. As we walk thorough the gate to the guesthouse, we feel that we are in the right place. The gate and roof beams are colorfully painted in the Tibetan style. When we reach the room, we are pleased with the interior. It is brightly painted with murals and there is a small shrine with a Buddha statue against one wall. We pay our $7.50 for the room, and then find out the downside...there is no hot water, the toilet does not flush, there is no heat and in the evening, the power goes out. Nothing is ever as expected in China.

We dump our bags hurriedly, anxious to view the lake. We follow the path along the lake which turns into a boardwalk. Don't believe what Lonely Planet says about Jiuzhaigou - there are more hiking trails than you can cover during your visit. The trails are all on boardwalks (which are NOT being ripped out) and are very well maintained. The boardwalks actually act to limit the impact of foot traffic on the fragile land. We walk for hours, stopping often to soak up the beauty of the waterfalls or to identify trees and birds or to admire the rhododendrons and azaleas in bloom. We stop only when hunger overcomes us and dusk darkens the trail.

The Dam

We reach the dam just before sunset. It is smaller than I expect, smaller than Bonneville or the Grand Coulee dams. It is directly above the city of Yichang. In the twilight of a cloudy day, the gray dam is quite ugly. Many Chinese rush to the top deck of the ferry to get their picture taken in front of the dam. The water flows freely around the right end of the dam, and we cruise silently by.

I think a little about the dam. We have seen so much new construction in China. Expressways that opened just two years ago have lanes closed for repairs, as the roadway washed out. I don't think I have been in a building or on a bus yet where everything works. (I lost track of the number of leaky facets or toilet flush mechanisms that I have fixed). In the 1970's two major dams in Chain broke, killing thousands of people. I shiver to think that the world's largest reservoir is being built upstream of the world's largest population center, with Chinese engineering.

The Gorges

We boarded the boat in Chonquin, and rode it for two nights and two days. The first stretch is nothing spectacular, but is a nice peaceful boat ride. Unfortunately the rain kept us under cover a bit more than we wanted, but it was still enjoyable. We spent most of the time up on top. Wrapped in raincoats, it was still enjoyable to get out in the air, to see the river, to see the views. In fact, we inadvertently panicked our guide when he did a nose-count and couldn't find us!

The pretty part is the second day. To start the day, there is a side trip up a smaller river to the Lesser Three Gorges. This is the most beautiful part of the trip (check out our photo page!). The river is quite narrow and swift, and smaller boats are used for this trip. The river runs fast, curves, turns under, bounces off of rock faces, scoops up shoals, and joins in big standing waves (class 2.5). To get up the stream, the captain needs to read the water just right, avoiding the rocks and the most powerful currents. At one point, the crew must help to pole the boat through a narrow and powerful current. At another, all of the passengers must exit and walk around a bend to lighten the boat.

The Lesser Gorges are full of mist, with hints of successive hills behind each other. The gorge walls are green with ferns and moss. We see monkeys in trees along one cliff. Swallows inhabit another cliff. Waterfalls tumble down the sides. The boat pushes on.

We stop for lunch at a frenzied shore bank full of food vendors. The smells and shouts fill the air. Buckets of live fish serve as the menus. The pay toilets are filthy, and drain into the river. The boat will stop for just 30 minutes. We settle down for a quick lunch. Back on the boat, we are still missing three people, and wait to leave. 35 minutes, 40, 45. At fifty minutes, the guide spots the missing people talking and eating slowly at a lunch table, and tells them to come. We expect them to quickly join the boat. Instead, in full view of everyone waiting, they continue to slowly eat their meal, talking and joking. The boat waits. The guide visits them again, and we can hear the shouting. They continue eating. Finally, after 70 minutes, they join the boat and we move on. We think to ourselves of the number of times we have seen Chinese go out of their way to help someone, but then also of the number of times they have total disregard for others.

Back on the ferry, we head through the bigger Three Gorges. We can see numerous villages and cities along the river. Most are quite high up the shore, having been chased up the river bank by centuries of flooding. Very few structures are even close to the water level. We read that millions of people will need to be relocated before the reservoir fills, but it appears to us that many are already high enough. Periodically along the shore are signs proclaiming 150 meters, presumably the flood level at that site. In some areas, there are recent ruins below the sign level, where previous lives have been left behind, and new shiny buildings are higher up the hill.

Transportation

Generally, we have found that if we book transportation through a travel agent we get unpleasantly surprised. Sometimes the actual bus is quite a bit rougher than the one shown in the picture by the eager agent. Other times, it doesn't leave as expected, or takes forever to get to our destination. We have done better visiting the bus and train stations ourselves to make our reservations. Nonetheless, the Three Gorges trip includes a shuttle to the bus station in Chengdu, then the long distance bus to Chonquin, then a shuttle to the dock, then booking the actual ferry, and then a bus from the destination dock on to the next city. With that many steps, we were too likely to have one or more steps take too long or not have seats, and get stranded. So we crossed our fingers and bought a full package from the travel agent at the Traffic Hotel in Chengdu. We looked at the pictures, and even had them call the ferry to confirm the actual facilities on the ferry leaving the day that we would go.

The surprises started immediately. The 7:30 AM shuttle bus was late. And while we explicitly asked if the long distance bus leaves from the new bus station in the SE of the city (that's where the faster luxury buses are), and the agent said yes, the shuttle took us off to the north, stopped in the parking lot of another hotel, and ushered us off the bus. The driver spoke no English, and he sped away. Other westerners were also getting dropped there and we congregated together to see what was next. Soon, a private bus arrived to take us to Chonquin. Not as fast as promised, but it was comfortable and even had a TV screen with English language movies!

The next surprise was at the ferry dock. The first clue was when the guide was quite concerned that one couple had booked first class (out of the five classes). We stood on the dock looking at quite a variety of boats while he ran around frenetically. Finally he came back happy, and told the first class travelers to head off toward a particular boat. Then he led us back up the hill. After crossing through the mud we headed off toward an area of much less attractive boats. Some were just barges. Some didn't look seaworthy.

The pictures of the boat had a nice dining room with white linens. The actual boat had a tiny room with about six tables covered with plastic. The phone call had reported that second class cabins had private bathrooms. On the actual boat, these had disappeared. The picture of the boat had a nice deck on top for viewing the gorge. The actual boat just had a roof.

Maybe we have become a bit jaded, but we weren't put off. We knew to discount whatever the travel agents say. All in all, the bus got us here and it isn't a bad boat. We came to have a couple of days on the river, and see the Gorges, not for a luxury cruise. We're happy.

We even had time in Chonquin to get a new digital camera. Unfortunately, our Nikon 800 quit working in Thailand and we lost two weeks of pictures before getting it repaired in Chiang Mai. It died again in Dali, so we didn't get any pictures of the Tiger Leaping Gorge, Jiuzhaigou, or other places for the past couple of weeks. We haven't found a competent repair shop, so did some research on the internet while in Chengdu to get a replacement. Armed with specs on twenty cameras (and US street prices) we were able to find a great camera shop in Chonquin and get a new Nikon 775 for just $25 above US street prices. I guess we will ship the other one back to the states to get it repaired and then sell it?

The Three Gorges

We first visited the Yangtze River up in the mountains of northwestern Yunnan, where it ran thick gray from sand and silt, like glacial melt. We hiked along the river as it crashed through the Tiger Leaping gorge, cutting a swath through mountains 15,000 feet high. Further upstream, the Yangtze ran within 30 miles of the Mekong River. These two rivers diverge by thousands of miles before reaching their destinations. If the Yangtze, so critical to Chinese civilization, hadn't been able to cut through, it too might head south to Indochina and arguably the history of China would be very different.

We joined the Yangtze again in Chonquin. Here it already resembles a tame industrial river. It is wide and flat, full of traffic. But that would be misleading. The current is swift and the power of the water is still clear. The Yangtze River periodically floods huge areas of China downstream, taking thousands of lives and wrecking billions of dollars of damage. The floods also nourish the most fertile lands of China, helping successfully feed 1.2 billion people. The Chinese have dreamed for decades of damming the river to stop the floods, and now the dam is being built. Heralded by the Chinese as a symbol of development, the dam is also a poster child for environmentalists about ecological destruction. The dam will create the largest reservoir in the world.

The area to be flooded includes The Three Gorges, where the Yangtze pierces through the last hills/mountains before the long journey across flat western China. This has always been somewhat of a tourist area, but since the reservoir will obliterate the gorges by 2009, it is now a very popular destination for sightseers eager to get a glimpse before it is gone.

Zhongdian

We are now very deep into the ancient Tibetan Kingdom. The area has been carved into provinces, of which only one is now known as Tibetan, but the area still looks and feels like Tibet. The women wear the Tibetan dresses, and the villages have the Tibetan stupas and monastery.

We talk with one Tibetan woman on the street. Forgetting the strict ban on speaking the Dali Lama’s name, when we hear that she is a Buddhist, we tell her that we had attended his recent teachings in Dharmsala. The Dali Lama had been sick a year earlier, and rumors spread that he had died. With strict government control of information, this was the first that she heard that he was alive! Her face suddenly lit up with the most immense radiance, and then equally quickly she realized how risky it was to be on an open street with the name of the Dali Lama mentioned so her face instantly lost color, her posture sagged and she left without a word. We are sure however that she would quietly let others in the village know that their spiritual leader was still very much alive.

We stay the first night at a backpacker jaunt, with many other travelers. However, we have a problem.  We routinely keep 2-3 weeks of local cash on hand and restock at banks or ATMs (yes, even here in deep rural China) every week, so we have a runway of 1-2 weeks if we get stuck. Then we also have VISA card, travelers cheques, and the universal greenbacks as additional backup.

In New Dali, the ATM was not working, but we still had plenty of money so pushed on. Then we extended on hike in Tiger Leaping Gorge longer than planned, and spent a little more. There was still little worry, since Zhongdian is a larger village –it is county seat. We arrive and the banks are closed for May Day. No problem, we’ll check tomorrow. The next day the bank is still closed. In China there are several banks, but only the Bank of China is allowed international exchanges. The other banks are open and sympathize with our plight but cannot wire an ATM or bank withdrawal  We check around to the hotels that cater to more up-scale western tourists. They can accept travelers cheques, or exchange greenbacks for local currency. However, they can only provide those services for guests at their hotel. We are spending less than $5 at the backpacker jaunt down the road, but figure we could have one upscale night and consider the increase rent to be just a kind of ATM fee. We query about the price -- $70 a night! Yikes, we live off of that much for a week or two! We walk out considering additional options.

The next day the bank is still closed. We find out that it will be closed all week for the May Day holiday. That’s a problem. We circle around to a few more local businesses to see if anyone will exchange the travelers cheques or greenback and come up dry. The next day is Friday and we are just about out of cash. We do not have enough cash to get through the weekend until the banks open on Monday. Rod is calculating the options –we have a tent and just enough money (27 cents) to buy some rice and hike into the hills for the weekend.

Fran is not at all comfortable with hiking into the hills. She is scared. She heads back to the hotels that cater to the western tourists. In Asian Buddhism, it is very unusual to show frustration or anger publicly  Instead the spiritual teachings are to be able to remain inwardly calm (not just stuff it). If they see others in stress, then it is very uncomfortable and they try to help promote calmness. So here we have a culture clash. Fran was getting scared and frustrated, and the Tibetans were trying to he help her calm down. Since they were not helping her with the real problem (exchange the travelers cheques!) she only got more frustrated, which made them focus even more on calming her down.

Returning to one hotel to plead for the third time, Fran goes bezerk! The desk clerk explains again that she cannot help, while she scans the lobby and manager’s door. As she continues to say she cannot help, she pulls out $20 in local currency. Fran hands he the US $20 bill and takes our travelers cheque. The clerk continues to repeat that she is sorry she cannot help, as we tuck the money into our money belt and leave. She likely took considerable risk to help us.

Rod leaves with great memories of Zhongdian, a beautiful Tibetan village high in the mountains that the Chinese government is renaming Shang-ra-la to promote tourism. Fran leaves with considerably different memories and has no desire to ever return. Sad.

Tiger Leaping Gorge

The Yangtze River begins high in the Himalayas in western China. Shortly after the so-called "first bend" in the far west of Yunnan province, the Yangtze pierces through the mountains to head east, unlike the Mekong which passes only 30 miles away and yet ends up thousands of miles south in Vietnam.

Piercing the mountains is no small task. The mountains are routinely above 3,900 meters (13,000 feet), and in fact the Tiger Leaping Gorge slides between the Jade Mountain at 4,900 meters (16,000 feet) and the Haba Snow Mountain (only a bit shorter). From the top of the gorge down to the water is a remarkable 3,900 meters (13,000 feet)! That is one tall gorge!

The gorge has become quite well known in recent years, and attracts an international crowd. Nearly every place we visited in China was mostly filled with Chinese vacationers, but not Tiger Leaping Gorge. This was full of Europeans and Australians.

To get to Tiger Leaping Gorge, you pass through LiJiang. We skipped it and went straight to the trail head. Later we passed through LiJiang again and regretted that we didn't spend more time there. It has a large old town area that has been converted completely to tourism, with tiny cafes and shops in a beautiful setting. The Jade Mountain towers over the city. The old town is full of tiny winding cobblestone alleys and masonry buildings, with shade trees and flower pots. Tourists just hang around town for a few days taking a welcome breather from the difficulties of traveling in China, sipping Espressos and eating pizza.

The road to the Gorge is undergoing construction (and reconstruction). Many parts are gravel, potholed, or single lane. The road is built onto the rock landscapes following the river, and many workers are building roadway the old way. The bus stops for occasional dynamite blasting. Adjacent areas have been converted into quarries and stone blocks are being cut by hand and drug to the road bed. The workers live at the construction sites in simple shelters made of blue tarp, sometimes perched on flat areas only a few yards wide between the road and the cliff dropping to the river.

We don't speak Chinese, but manage to tell the driver where we want to get off. We follow along on the map, but it is simple. The highway eventually joins the Yangtze, and then the hike starts when the river turns away from the road into the gorge. We follow the river, and then surprisingly cross to the other side. Unsure, we just stay on. Then the road leaves the river, and the bus keeps going. However, the driver seems to remember where everyone wanted to go, and has made a couple of unprompted stops for other people already. We trust he knows what he is doing, and sure enough, he pulls over a few miles later and lets us know we have arrived. We pile out, the bus speeds on, and we look around.

We are at the end of a tiny town, one road wide and three blocks long. We start looking for the "Backpacker Cafe", which is the place to get information, leave bags, etc. It doesn't exist anymore, and the old location is vacant. We manage to find the general direction to the trail across the river, and check into a hotel for the night. We wander around and find a different cafe across the river that seems to have good information on the hike. It turns out that everyone calls it the Backpackers Cafe except the owner, who has his name on the sign instead, and he moved the location. Somehow, everyone is supposed to find him away, and I guess we did. We have a nice dinner. After we return to the hotel, the power goes out. We step outside and find the entire town stopped. There is now a line of cars and trucks stopped in the road from one end to the other (waiting for construction dynamiting down the road), and the whole town is black. We finish the night by candlelight. A typical day in rural China.

The next morning we get an early start. We read about a Nasi family just a couple of hours up the gorge that has a bed and breakfast, and plan to get there for breakfast.

The directions to the trailhead are to just wander down the road, and follow the arrows through the school. We manage to figure it out easily enough. The school turns out to be a residential school --the children spend the week there, returning to their families on the weekends. There are no provisions provided by the school except for the location. The kids (10-13 years old) do their own laundry, sweep the school, and other chores. They even cook themselves --as we pass they are finishing off breakfast, having cooked on open charcoal fires, and are beginning to clean up before school. They learn to work hard and take responsibility for themselves, in exchange for an education.

The trail begins to climb gently past a few fields, shacks, and other paths. We begin to see the mountain rising on the other side, although they disappear into the clouds above. We can't really see where we will climb to, but the guidebook says the first four hours are all uphill, much at a very serious incline. I think it rises about 4,000-5,000 feet, but there aren't any topographic maps and we are unable to communicate enough to ask anyone. We brace for a stiff climb.

After just 90 minutes we are at the Nasi family house for breakfast. We stop and have a great meal of potatoes, tomatoes and eggs. Everything on the menu is straight from the garden. Quickly we regret not hiking up to this point last night. The family is very friendly, and while they understand no English (or Mandarin Chinese for that matter), we feel very welcomed. The house is built around the four edges of a square, with an open courtyard in the center. The bottom level includes space for the animals and storing grain, as well as the kitchen. The upper level includes the sleeping rooms, with a balcony overlooking the courtyard and across to the gorge.

We hike on, not pushing real fast but not stopping much either. The trek is rated at nine hours of hiking today, and we don't know how we will compare to their times so we figure to keep moving. No need however. It later turns out that we are at the top in three hours.

The route up is called "28 bends" for all of the switchbacks. Locals differ on how many switchbacks there really are, with estimates from 29 to 34. There are some small ones that nobody counts, but it is unclear about others. Fran stops counting past 40.

The views are well worth the climb. Since the trail mostly goes upwards, the view doesn't change by going down river, but instead by going up. Looking across, down below is the same view as the last viewpoint, but a new one is now directly across. First the view is of the silty, muddy river. Above that is vegetation and contoured farms. One farm is built along a narrow stream. The beds are perhaps only 50 feet wide, but the terraces climb up the hillside from several hundred feet. The farm is more vertical than horizontal. We watch it as we climb, and it slowly disappears. Above that zone is different vegetation, then a zone of dark jagged rock, then softer lighter rock with a bit of grass, then another color of rock topped by snow glaciers, with jagged peaks at the top. As you climb more of the upper zones come into view, and the ones below drop off.

We decide to spend the night up in the gorge rather than hike down. It is just too beautiful. We stop at the local favorite guest house, but it seems to be too busy, too noisy, and not friendly. We wished we had stayed at the Nasi house last night. We hike on to Five Fingered Mountain Guest House. It is a simple guest house, much like the Nasi family in which we had breakfast. Again, everything on the menu is in the garden or running around the yard. There is just one other group of hikers, three men of whom one can speak a bit of Mandarin.

The family consists of one very old woman, well hunched over and under four feet high. She later tells us she is 72. She slowly ambles over to us, her wrinkled hands extended from under her hunched frame and her head lifted to reveal a very welcome smile. She speaks, but we do not understand the words. The eyes and hands however extend a deep "welcome" and she invites us to tea.

The family includes a man in his fifties, two younger women, and one little boy. There may be four generations here, with many missing family members. It is a hard life. Westerners sometimes refer to such hunched-over old women as "Mao's women", since their bodies were broken with years of toil. However, nothing has broken this Grandma's radiance.

We relax and enjoy the hospitality with tea. We order dinner, and it is great. We watch as the preparation starts with a trip to the garden for the vegetables. Afterwards Grandma invites us into her den, a dark windowless room with a few sticks burning in the center of the dirt floor for heat. She has a heavy pot of water for tea on the fire. She smokes and talks to us with her hands, her eyes, and her words. We motion, and think we have exchanged our ages, our number of children and their ages, and such. Much is lost, except for the warmth of her heart.

Later the family eats. However, they consider it too rude to eat without inviting their guests to join, so we must sit at their dinner table with them. There is barely enough rice for them, and just a few other treats. We take a small pinch to not offend and then allow them to eat their meal as we all sit at the table. One of the younger women speaks some Mandarin, as does one of the travelers, so a few words get translated from English to Mandarin, and then to the local dialect. But mostly communication is with gestures and smiles. This is a very gracious and generous family. The man opens a beer to share, so I buy a beer also and we all share the two of them.

The next day we decide to extend our hike by going part way up Haba Snow Mountain toward the glacier. The family is very concerned that we might not be safe, and offers to guide us for a few dollars. But we would rather just stroll along ourselves for a few hours, and do not intend to go to the more dangerous parts. We are unable to convince them. The other travelers also want to go up the mountain unguided, but we encounter considerable resistance. Eventually, we just begin to wander off and the family decides that they need to move their goats up the hill, so one of the women needs to go up the same trail. They just can't bear to have us travel alone. We have a nice walk and our escort stays with us for several hours. Eventually, we turn around and the other travelers continue, and the escort returns with us. We all pay her a small sum, but really believe she came just because we were guests and it was her responsibility to ensure our safety.

Later we hike down all the way to the water. The upper trail is fine, but down by the river there are a few tricky areas. One involves holding onto a cable while climbing down a vertical rock face. We are glad that Jamie showed us a few rock climbing techniques last year! Once we locate a few key toeholds it is not very difficult.

Fran has several "character development" moments on this trek. With her fear of heights, the peak was the first challenge, since the trails have drop-offs of literally thousands of feet. The rock climbing descent was also enough of a challenge that she wanted to find a different route back up. We did, but then encountered the bigger challenge. One segment was a rickety wooden ladder up a vertical rock face, with a couple of rungs broken. It was actually more stable than it looked (or we wouldn't have used it) but it took some nerve.

Coming out, we encountered several people who took the trail the wrong way (from the east instead of from the west). That end has major road construction, so the entire trip consisted of walking into a head wind on a hot dusty gravel road past road construction equipment and dynamiting. Needless to say, the simple choice of direction (which was wrong in some guide books) turned the hike of a lifetime into a horrible, sweaty trudge. We talked some of them into taking the other hike, just to overcome their horrible day and leave with good memories.

Unfortunately, the camera was not working during this hike, so there are no pictures.

I noticed in our message board that several of you made reference to Fran traveling with an Old Goat. I assumed that meant this hike, since there were many goats. In fact we had to scramble off the trail twice to let goat herds pass by. Since the camera wasn't working, and we hadn't written up the stories yet, I am impressed that you figured out that we saw goats!

New Dali

Dali is a small city by a large lake in northwest Yunnan province. It is know for its cobblestone streets and traditional stone architecture. It is well written up in Lonely Planet, so it has become a tourist destination. It is also a great place to kick back and recover from the extremes of traveling. Fran, having just come down with a cold and weary from the long bus ride, does just that for the first 24 hours upon arriving in town.

Our haven was Karen's Guesthouse...a pleasant and inexpensive place to live while in town. Karen is a young Bai (the local minority group) woman, who at 20 decided to start her own business. She likes to cook, so she wanted to open a cafe. After receiving a loan from a family friend, she rented a building and prepared guest rooms. While waiting for her license from the government (which can take quite a long time), she quietly rents rooms very reasonably for 10 Yuan per bed. We were very impressed with the capitalistic opportunities available today in communist China. That a young woman can have so much success speaks volumes of the changes in China since it opened to the west. It also says a lot about her. Karen made our stay in Dali very enjoyable - sharing stories of our lives and sharing her food.

We were actually fortunate to arrive in time for the Third Full Moon Fair (Sanyou Jie). The Buddhist roots of this festival have long been overshadowed by commercial aspects of modern life. Today it is an extra festive market attended by seemingly everyone in the region. The streets are filled to overcapacity by people representing every minority group and with foreigners like us. Vendor stalls line miles of streets selling food, every imaginable product, carnival games and even a trip to the scale to find your weight. Horses, motorcycle taxis, tour buses and cars vie with pedestrians for every spare centimeter on the streets; their honking adding to the cacophony of voices speaking many languages. Vendors with megaphones add their message to the din. The colorful traditional clothing of the minority groups is as diverse as the skin color and facial structure of those who are wearing them. And everywhere is the dust; swept across the dry hills by the fierce wind.

We awoke early for the opening ceremonies of the festival. After pushing and shoving through the crowds on the street for an hour, we arrived at the stadium. Thirty to fifty thousand people, like us, strained to see the main field over the heads of those in front. On the field were 1000 performers, dancing to a common rhythm while dressed in their different traditional clothes. Colorful banners and flags fluttered from their hands. It was truly an expression of their ethnic differences and of their unity as peoples of China.

The horse racing began with a flourish after the dancers cleared the field. First the women, then the men raced in heats of four, for the winning flag. Riders on bareback racing like the wind on their ponies competed with jockey style riders on full size horses. One skilled rider rode bare back and without reins; clutching the pony only with his powerful knees; his arms flying and gently striking the horse’s mane to spur him on. All wore their traditional dress.

The stadium cleared after the racing ended. We followed a group to the older part of the city, the part that has escaped the hordes of tourists. Many parts of the city remain simply a place where people live and work. And for us it was an escape from the constant refrains of "Hello! Where you go? Taxi? Watch? CD? Postcard?"

The streets of old Dali are a meandering, narrow concrete ribbon between old brick buildings. As we walk, we see areas of mustard, bean and wheat stalks lying on the streets. As we see one truck going back and forth over a pile of bean stalks, we discover what is happening. It is harvest time and the easiest way to separate the seeds from the stalk is to thrash it by foot and vehicle power on the streets. Down one side street we see a group of people set up a large winnowing machine. Two people feed the bean stalks into something like a garden shredder. The person at the other end gathers the beans into large bags as they feed out the funnel. At another place, a woman sets up a simple room fan next to a pile of mixed seeds and chaff. She lifts the pile by basketsful, depending on the wind to separate it into two piles. All of this work is going on during a festival day....the farmer in China works hard and long.

In the distance we see twin golden pagodas rising above the humble building of old Dali. Our walk towards them is interspersed with the calls of the horse taxi drivers...Taxi? The taxis are colorful carts with surrey drawn by pony...they look interesting but we decline their offers. We make it to the pagodas, but are unable to take pictures (our camera is broken). You can see them though at http://www.cnto.org/images/dali.gif.

We walk long into the evening, enjoying the sights, smells and general hubbub of the Third Full Moon Fair. But if you plan such an excursion, take our advice; pack your earplugs, for the noise is unbelievable.

The days spent in Dali are so different that they demand separate web pages. Day One provides a picture of the city and the festival crowds. Day two is a picture of our real love - outdoor hikes.

Rising out of the outskirts of town is a cable car, connecting the city to the foothills of the 1500m (5000 ft) mountains. We read in our travel guide that there is a temple/ monastery and a trail at the end of the cable car run. Partly as an escape from the crowds and partly for the sheer enjoyment of fresh air and stretching the leg muscles, we begin the hike up the mountain. The trail winds up the steep slope (at least there aren't stairs as there have been on just about every hike we've undertaken!) under the cable car.

We soon discover that we have entered a graveyard. In fact, the entire surrounding hillsides are covered with graves. We are a bit uncertain at first if we should proceed - we don't want to show any disrespect. Our discomfort disappears, though, when we meet many families picnicking near the graves of their ancestors. The language barrier keeps us from asking the many questions we have about their funeral customs. From our perspective, what a missed opportunity!

Upon reaching the temple, we find that it is little more than a museum to a religion that was shed by the Party. The view is spectacular, though. We can see the whole city and the farm fields surrounding the large lake. The mountains on the far side of the lake are equally clear. What is even more amazing than the view is the fact that we can hear the festival crowds, even though we are miles away. It is a very audible drone punctuated by horns and megaphone buzz. Is there no escape even in the mountains?

We decide to have lunch before we continue the hike along the face of the mountain. There are many restaurants nearby, displaying their fresh food in front. The experience of selecting food in this part of China is not one that the average American is used to. Our Chinese friends will probably laugh at our squeamishness. You simply choose your ingredients. In one basket is the forest mushrooms...another the lichens...another the fresh greens in water...peppers, onions, tomatoes...small live eels wiggling in a bowl...snails in water topped by a basket of frogs...fish swimming in tanks...chickens and their eggs. All of this to be prepared fresh for you. At the moment of selecting food, we ponder the wisdom of vegetarianism and choose a plate of vegetables and rice.

After lunch we set out for the hike along the trail. It is said to connect to a monastery 11 kilometers away. In reality, the trail seems more like an ancient highway, just wide enough for carts and foot travel. It is constructed of flat flagstones, tightly fit together. Fran obligingly watched Rod as he marveled at the trail. He talked on for some time about how this rock fit with that and how ingeniously it was constructed. Fran listened and set a fast pace to overcome the travel weariness, hoping that Rod would follow.

The serpentine trail stayed at the same elevation, going deep into a creek crevasse and out to the points of the slope. The mountains it traversed were breathtakingly beautiful, covered with pines. At time it seemed little more than a shelf carved out of the steep slope, granite cliffs above and below. The creek waters gushed forcefully down the mountain, clear and fresh in the many pools and waterfalls they formed. At one point we followed a sign on a side trail in Chinese, not knowing what discovery awaited us. We found a Buddhist shrine and a little further up a ledge where monks must have meditated for centuries. The rocks to the ledge were well worn. The heights were dizzying as the granite cliffs descended sharply into the valley below. One could quite easily picture a mystic perched on his shelf in the mountain mists. The whole mountain had a spiritual feeling in its beauty.

Quite enjoying the walk and the scenery, we decided to hike the entire trail to the monastery. Around dusk we reached the end of the trail and the highlight of the day. We did not find the monastery, but what we did find had us wishing we had more time for exploration. Quite simply put, we found a creek flowing between gorges. But that description does not do it justice, it does not begin to describe its mystic beauty.

I shall attempt in words to describe the creek as we did not have a camera to capture the image. (Note: The mountains run north to south, with the creeks running from the west). We were able to climb to a high point looking down on the creek as it flowed out of the gorge to an open area below us. Looking west the sun infuses the steep rugged cliffs with gold. A few windswept trees poke from the upper heights, the lower covered by deep green vegetation. The higher mountains in the distance poke up behind the gorge cliffs, also highlighted by the setting sun. Below us a trail, mostly steps, winds up along the stream. At one point it crosses the stream by suspension bridge. At the uppermost point the trail disappears around the bend of the gorge, only adding to the mystery of the place. The call to continue our exploration around that bend is hard to ignore. (Those of you who know Fran well, know that it is difficult to stop her when she just has to see what's around the next bend in the trail!)

But ignore it we do as we are still miles away from town with no idea of how to get there. As any lost hiker knows, we follow the stream as it pushes down the slope. Just as full darkness descends, we reach a road and hail a passing bus. We soon recognize the bus stop right in front of the guesthouse door, entering with the lingering beauty of the day still in our minds. We will carry that image in our hearts and minds for many years to come.