Last year, during my
seven-week winter holiday, I had the incredible chance to backpack through
Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand.
Yes, I am lucky. And this
year, I'm lucky once again.
For the winter holiday I
will again be backpacking to new places in this incredible world. This time
around I'm sticking with just China, but that's no reason to think I'm not
going to see and experience some of the world's greatest sights, sounds,
tastes, and smells, nor does it mean I'll be experiencing anything like what I
already have encountered living in Northeast China. As I write this, I'm in
Lhasa, Tibet at the apartment of a good friend I'm visiting (he teaches English
here). Sitting at a cozy 11,700 feet, this city of half a million is warmer and
more pleasant that you'd think for the winter season. Tomorrow my friend and I
leave for what is sure to be the literal and figurative climax of my time in
Tibet: a five-day trip to Everest Base Camp. To see, with my own eyes, the
world's tallest mountain is an experience I never really thought I'd have. It
will be one of those times when I have to keep reminding myself the that dream
I appear to be in is actually reality. And you better believe I'll post the
amazing photos.
After about two weeks in
Tibet, I'll make my way to Yunnan province, located in Southwest China. At this
point I have no set plans--just wandering about this province for about a
month, which is probably not enough time to see all that is has to offer. With
peaks of 17,000+ feet in the Northwest and tropical jungles in the South
(containing China's greatest hotspot of biodiversity), Yunnan's diverse terrain
and even more diverse mixture of ethnicities (it contains over half of China's
56 ethnic groups) makes it a dream destination for expats and Chinese alike.
I'm sure to revel in the jaw-dropping scenery and unique encounters with the
minority groups living there. Imagine the terrain of Alaska combined with the lush
and diverse wildlife of Hawaii mixed with the diversity of New York's people,
and you might get a sense for why I'm thrilled to be spending a month there.
My
travels will render me mostly incommunicado, with the occasional and brief
internet cafe stop, so don't expect any posts or pictures until I return to
Qinhuangdao around February 18. Until then...
