The stubborn flu would not budge. I had run out of meds and since I’m allergic to paracetamol, a lot of over-the-counter flu meds are out. My fever came back amongst other things and I was beginning to suspect a sinus infection. I stayed in bed.…
In the mountains about two hours’ drive northwest of Kashgar is Shipton’s Arch, or Hole Mountain to the locals, Heaven’s Gate to the Chinese. It is the world’s highest arch at 457m high (just higher than the Empire State Building) and 366m wide. Though long…
Kashgar was one of the places that I was looking forward to visiting the most. It sounded really different, a little bit mysterious, and the mix of cultures appeals to me. Its remoteness and history also appeals. It is the westernmost city in China, and…
Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province, is home to about fourteen million people and a city steeped in history, going back 3000 years. It is a city of atmospheric teahouses and also a place to come for good food. The province is also home to…
Another few hours by bus north from Lijiang and another 1000 metres higher up in altitude is Zongdian (Gyelthang in Tibetan). Zongdian was renamed Shangri-la by the Chinese government for tourism and marketing purposes. Some people choose to believe that Zhongdian is the fictional town of…
Beautiful Lugu Lake sits at 2690m and straddles the remote Yunnan-Sichuan border. It is a 6-hr bumpy bus ride on very windy roads from Lijiang. It is a laid-back place, and an idyllic place for a little R&R. There’s not a great deal to do…
This trek had been on my wish list for a while now so I was rather excited when it was finally time to put on the backpack. I had planned to do this trek with Joe, a French-Canadian who moved to Lijiang from Montreal about…
Being sick is no fun. Being sick while travelling is super no fun. Thank goodness it was only the flu, and not some weird disease that I’ve picked up. After spending 4 and a half days in bed, I am feeling like a human being…
I could immediately feel the drop in temperature when I got off the bus in the new city of Lijiang. At 2400m above sea level, Lijiang is noticeably cooler than Dali. It was time to take out my fleece. The humidity was low, the sky…
