Cape Canaveral, Florida 23nov2020
Rooftops of Lijiang
Beautiful early morning view from my hostel’s 3rd floor.
I love to get up early and explore places with the feeling of being virtually alone. Fortunately, I got that feeling this morning. This is a small square that by the afternoon, was overrun by tour groups with flag-waving guides.
Water Wheels
‘Water Wheels,’ divide the ‘Old Town’ from the ‘New Town.’
Early morning shot of a canal on the ‘New Town’ side.
Chairman Mao. In a square near the business district. Taller than a mountain.
‘Old Town’ Scenery
My hangout for coffee and Tibetan beef momo dumplings. LAMU’S HOUSE OF TIBET. Tibetan Beef Momo Dumplings. Delicious!
Smells Like Dead Spirits
‘Bridge connecting two important trade streets back in the day. When they used to travel via horse carts…‘New Town’ Waterway
Naxi woman
The Naxi created a written language over 1000 years ago using an amazing system of pictographs. The ONLY hieroglyphic language still in use.
Three wells that people still use for drinking and washing clothes.
Three Friends in a Cafe
Lijiang has been the base of the Naxi minority for the last 1400 years. Naxi women wear blue blouses and trousers covered by a blue or black apron. The traditional cape apparently symbolizes the heavens.
“I was lost for about two and a half hours in the windy, maze-like streets of Old Town…and came upon one of the coolest places ever — providing me with one of the coolest moments in my life...I happened upon this little door…it said ‘bar,’ but…it was just one room, dark room, with a voice that said (i couldn’t see anyone) ‘come in.’ I said ‘no, thanks’ and walked away…but ended up returning due to the intrigue…one room with a couch and pillows….”
So, this is it. My dream dwelling. He just lies on the couch and listens to music…So, from the doorway, you can see the whole room. There’s no bar, really. He just hangs out here to relax during the day then has jam/drinking sessions with his friends every night…
This is my favorite aspect of the room. A small stage with a chair and amplifier…a solitary black and white photo on the brick wall of hands strumming a guitar…a mini-horse’s saddle (?), half-drunk liquor bottles….just love it!
Sorry for the blur — it was so dark in there, but I hate using a flash, distorts the color too much…so, this is him. We didn’t exchange names, he didn’t speak much English…see his guitar and the Bob Marley pic. We’d try to speak a little, then he would just recline and listen to his Chinese rock music…
As I walked in, the beer shelf was to my right. There were only two kinds of beer, 1 Chinese and 1 Budweiser. I opted for the Chinese and then asked how much. He said ‘no money. free.’ And that’s how my afternoon with this cool guy began…
Lijiang, China. June 2009
Bogotá, Colombia. October 2012.
September 2012. Bogotá, Colombia. “Updating & Streamlining My Blog”
Yamen Hostel, Pingyao. 30 rmb/ nt. around 5 usd.
One of a million archaic archways leading to homes and courtyards…
Sakura Cafe. The place to hang when you’re in Pingyao.
The Apple Pie at Sakura Cafe. It’s a whole pie. Naturally, I expected just a piece. I was even getting impatient, asking them how long it takes to get a piece of pie out here. Then, this came. I was like, a whole pie? How much? It was what it said in the menu…24rmb…in general, the Chinese eat big portions of everything. In KFC or McDonald’s, couples will get two sandwiches, chicken on the side, and ice cream for dessert….I love to watch the Chinese eat unabashedly. Whereas, in Vietnam, they sit in KFC for hours to see and be seen with a small fries and small Pepsi…not the Chinese!!!
Men on Bike Carts in a Narrow Alleyway
Looks like a house built into the wall
The best-preserved ancient walled city in China – Pingyao.
Pingyao residents
Through another winding gateway
Its residences and shops, and even the government office are all STILL in the style of the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) Dynasties
The most sedate cats and dogs in the world. Maybe they’re opium-heads? I dunno. It’s a bit disconcerting. I watched an owner play ‘chase’ with her dog today and the dog didn’t make a sound…just ran all around the room…I kept watching and thinking ‘Bark, dammit! Bark!’
April 2009. Pingyao, China.
