It has been a week we have been resting in very laid-back Luan Prabang, Lao, on the Mekong river side. One thing we’ve learned during the past four months is that travel rarely equal vacations… So, time for some holidays … Continue reading
China, land of superlatives
China is crowded, everyone knows that (more than 1.3 billion people live there). And when China is on summer vacations it is difficult to find a historical or natural or sacred site that is not packed with students, families and … Continue reading
Eimeishan whistler…
Mount Emei, is a holy buddhist mountain in the Sichuan province of China. As soon as we arrived here, we a heard strange noise coming from the forest. Let’s see if you can find who is the whistler… Emeishan whistler … Continue reading
Xiahe and Langmusi, a taste of Tibet
Souls may find elevation in Xiahe, not only because it is suspended at 2920m above sea level. The Labrang Monastery is a holy site and pilgrims travel long distances across highlands to come and bend here. In the rising sun, … Continue reading
Turpan et Dunhuang, oasis d’échanges et de croyances
Selon certains guides, Turpan est la vallée de la mort de la Chine. “Enterrée” à 154 mètres sous le niveau de la mer, cette ville-oasis de 60’000 habitants voit en effet son thermomètre grimper à près de 50 degrés durant … Continue reading
A green camel in the Chinese desert
Today we met with Ran Li Ping, Water Resource Protection Project Officer at the Green Camel Bell (GCB), a Chinese environmental NGO based in Lanzhou (Gansu Province). The Green Camel Bell’s work is focusing on environmental education and communication, community … Continue reading
Kashgar, Xinjiang door step to China
We just arrived in China, after a 10-hour jeep ride through the Torugart Pass. Legendary caravans have been replaced by monstruous chinese trucks full of our so-called needs. As a first stop-over in the Xinjiang region, we discovered Kashgar, a … Continue reading
Leaving Kyrgyzstan behind
We have just left Kyrgyzstan to continue our trip to China. Unfortunately there are no pictures for us to share because we haven’t been able to visit the country of horses and wild plains. Instead we spent 12 days in … Continue reading
Voyage entre deux terres
Nous quittons un pays, le Tadjikistan, pour en rejoindre un autre, le Kyrgyzstan. Nous laissons derrière nous les sommets blanchis du Pamir, pour découvrir les plaines, les gorges et les lacs bleus d’altitude du pays des chevaux. Les journées de … Continue reading
Osh, between fire and sun
Osh is Kyrgyzstan’s second biggest city. During the Silk road period, the city was a major hub. The Mongols smashed it in the 13th century, but Osh recovered and prospered like never before. Its bazar is still the longest of … Continue reading
Pamirs, le vrai toit du monde
Le clavier n’a pas été très actif depuis quelque temps, nos jambes, par contre, oui ! Deux treks de 6 et 7 jours nous ont emmenés sur les traces des bergers pamiris et de Marco Polo. Un ensemble de sommets … Continue reading
On the Roof of the World, eco-cultural tourism in Pamirs
We discovered the Pamir Mountains inTajikistan, a fantastic playground for trekking, climbing and mountaineering. Endless valleys succeed to high plateaus at 4000m high and beyond. Sharing the same roots as Iranians, Pamiris also have a deep sense of hospitality, despite … Continue reading