I got slowed down the past few days by a "personal plumbing" problem that seems to be resolved. It was incredibly painful and a little scary. But I am fine now and just arrived in Taiwan where I have many friends, good hosts, and a lot more English speakers around me. I spent the last few days in Sichuan visiting some of the most sacred Buddhist sites in the country. The giant Buddha statue in Leshan is literally carved into the mountain overlooking a river. It...

A great day in the Juisaigu "Nine Villages" national Park. I bumped into Erez and Batya, the 30-something couple I befriended in Chengdu and we decided to see the Park together. We move through nature at the same pace which means at the speed of a slow breath. So, we pretty much picked a section of the immense park on which to focus. It was really a perfect day. I am beat after two days of hiking at altitude. Hitting the sack early this eve after watching a few ...

Although I have heard that the traditional tea house is a dying cultural institution in most Chinese cities, Sichuan prides itself on preserving the tradition in Chengdu I never quite knew what I was ordering but the teas poured were so delicious -- complex combinations of tea leaves, flower blossoms, and other flavors. Yes houses are places people gather to pass the time playing Mojong, talking, and... Having their ears cleaned. Yes, for about a dollar a man we...

Busy 24 hours since arriving in Chengdu. Visited the Wenshu Temple, a city within an ancient city for Buddhist nuns and monks of the Kunglin order. Also took a stroll through the bamboo forests of River Viewing Park and took an early morning visit to the renowned Panda Base where they are successfully breeding bears in captivity. Met a great couple from London at the backpacker hostile where I have eaten a few meals. We will go out to dinner this eve and take in...

Since arriving in China I have been in smaller, rural, ethnic regions. So arriving in the city of Shenzhen was a real contrast. From the air I could count over a hundred high rise construction projects, next to each a vast worker compound with temporary "housing" built from scaffold material and corrugated metal. When people here talk about the "old" section of Shenzhen they are talking about the part of the city that is only 25 years old. Shenzhen is a governmen...