Before we get started, allow me to apologize for the delay. I started school this week and so have been busy with that as well as handling some other things I do here in Kunming. Also, if you’re wondering where my photos of Emei Shan are, the truth is…I didn’t take any! The ones I [...]
Having made up my mind to go to Litang, I set out in Zhongdian to discern two logistical elements: How long would the journey to Litang take, and would it be possible to find accommodation in Litang during its popular annual horse festival? Responses varied wildly. Everyone said the journey to Litang required two days, [...]
What is Tibet? This might seem like a silly question, yet the varieties of possible answers might surprise you. First, there’s the simplest explanation. Tibet is the name of an “Autonomous Region” within the People’s Republic of China, similar in stature to other autonomous regions such as Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia. Yet how Tibetan is [...]
For a woman who claims the honor of being your mother in China, Mama Naxi doesn’t disappoint. Short, fiery, and with a voice that could break a pane of glass, Mama Naxi is the proprietor, cook, maid, travel agent, caretaker, security guard, and all-around presence at her eponymous guesthouse, located in Lijiang’s Old Town. Michael [...]
Dali, a town nestled between the mountains and an odd, ear-shaped lake, often marks the first stop after Kunming on a tour of Yunnan. It isn’t difficult to see why. Dali represents the three elements that attract people to Yunnan in the first place: beautiful scenery, minority culture, and a laid-back vibe. Like its northern [...]
From July 19 to August 12, I traveled from Kunming to Chengdu, capital of China’s Sichuan Province, via the minority towns of Yunnan’s northwest and the Tibet-Sichuan Highway. In the next series of posts, I will provide vignettes and photographs of some of the more memorable and interesting moments of the journey. First, though, a [...]
For my first-time readers, welcome to my home on the web. Sit back, grab a drink, and stay awhile. For those of you who read No Borders No Limits, welcome to the new pad. Beginning today, all new material will be presented here, and NBNL will lay dormant, so please change your bookmarks accordingly. NB: [...]