We decided we didn’t get enough of Arashiyama, especially the hillside. A quick snack was a beef flavored hashbrown. Seiko had this soy soup thing. I had Cherry Blossom flavored ice cream We visited the bamboo grove. Jōjakkōji Temple 常寂光寺 This temple was constructed in 1596 and is wellRead more
Day Trip to Dazu Signed up for the wrong tour. I thought I was going to some park with a gorge and waterfalls. Turned out to be to the UNESCO World Heritage site (two sites, actually) in Dazu. We stopped in some small tourist setup, Some “antique” old-town style buildings. Read more
Down from the mountain, we head back to Shangrila Old Town and then to the north to Ganden Sumtseling Monastery (松赞林寺) in the late afternoon. Built in 1679 by the 5th Dalai Lama, and the size of a small village, this is the largest monastery in Yunnan and one of the most important Buddhist monasteries in China.Read more
For my second trip to China, things are a bite more straightforward, more familiar, more comfortable. I replicate parts of my first journey for less culture shock when landing. I skip through Shanghai and land right back in Chengdu to meet with my good friend Jing and revisit my new favorite foods. This time, IRead more