Aaron's blog
Jalapeno peppers!
Like any big city, Chengdu is chock-full of hidden gems down every side street and alley: boutique shops, ethnic restaurants, and local hangouts. Dodo’s Cafe on Xiaotong Alley, a strip of low-profile backpacker favorites just north of the popular Wide and Narrow Alley, is one such find. Unlike the polished tourist areas in other parts of the city, Dodo’s and the other shops on the street seem to blend…
Winds Over Kambala Pass At Yamdrok Lake
When our two Land Cruisers left Lhasa for Shigatse, the weather was pleasant in the intense Tibetan sun and I barely needed a jacket. As we climbed higher and higher, though, the winds picked up and snow became a more and more constant part of the roadside scenery.
Blizzard at base camp
I could feel the blizzard almost before the Land Cruiser came to a stop. The wind was howling over the mountains and a light sleet was falling with increasing intensity, and when I looked past Rongbuk Monastery to where Mount Everest should be, all I could see was a wall of gray moving toward us.
Tibetan Noodles in New Tingri
Two friends and I had decided that we wanted to see Everest in the winter – we heard that there were less trekkers and prices were lower in the off-season, plus the thrill of being at Everest Base Camp in the heart of winter was enough to launch the trip I found myself on. We had been driving for two days from Lhasa and were at the last town on our route before we left the paved road.New Tingri, also…
World Heritage Site Wulong Karst Three Natural Bridges
If you jump on any one of the regularly scheduled fast trains leaving from Chengdu, you can be at the beautiful Wulong Karst in Chongqing municipality in only a matter of hours. Part of the greater South China Karst, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Wulong Karst National Geology Park boasts a collection of natural features sure to please anyone who enjoys the outdoors. If you decide to visit the karst, the…
World Heritage Site Wulong Karst Three Natural Bridges
If you jump on any one of the regularly scheduled fast trains leaving from Chengdu, you can be at the beautiful Wulong Karst in Chongqing municipality in only a matter of hours. Part of the greater South China Karst, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Wulong Karst National Geology Park boasts a collection of natural features sure to please anyone who enjoys the outdoors. If you decide to visit the karst, the…
Winds Over Kambala Pass At Yamdrok Lake
When our two Land Cruisers left Lhasa for Shigatse, the weather was pleasant in the intense Tibetan sun and I barely needed a jacket. As we climbed higher and higher, though, the winds picked up and snow became a more and more constant part of the roadside scenery.
Blizzard at base camp
I could feel the blizzard almost before the Land Cruiser came to a stop. The wind was howling over the mountains and a light sleet was falling with increasing intensity, and when I looked past Rongbuk Monastery to where Mount Everest should be, all I could see was a wall of gray moving toward us.
Tibetan Noodles in New Tingri
Two friends and I had decided that we wanted to see Everest in the winter – we heard that there were less trekkers and prices were lower in the off-season, plus the thrill of being at Everest Base Camp in the heart of winter was enough to launch the trip I found myself on. We had been driving for two days from Lhasa and were at the last town on our route before we left the paved road.New Tingri, also…
Jalapeno peppers!
Like any big city, Chengdu is chock-full of hidden gems down every side street and alley: boutique shops, ethnic restaurants, and local hangouts. Dodo’s Cafe on Xiaotong Alley, a strip of low-profile backpacker favorites just north of the popular Wide and Narrow Alley, is one such find. Unlike the polished tourist areas in other parts of the city, Dodo’s and the other shops on the street seem to blend…