Aaaaaaand we’re back with last month’s series of pictures-mixed-with-stories!
What can I say about May…what can I say about China…hmm. There were a lot of good times had, many people met and too many pictures of nature taken (but so much of Western China was picture-worthy!…and that’s my simultaneous justification and apology to you for what you’re about to see). I hope, as always, that y’all enjoy perusing through these pictures. Some should speak for themselves. 😉
You may be staring at this animal thinking “it’s of the raccoon family!” Well, to put it lightly, you’re wrong. It is actually a red panda! I know right?! Pandas are suppose to be massive and fluffy…but nope, not this guy. One of my friends and I went to the nearby zoo during a free afternoon we had during debrief in Kunming. It was fascinating to see the kind of animals other countries qualify as being “zoo-worthy”.
While in our 2nd city of the month, Dali, my team and I decided to splurge and rent bikes for $2.50/day. It was a great time! We totally took advantage of having no boys around to stop us from taking epic, girly photoshoots, something I didn’t realize I’d been missing on the race.
On our last night in Dali, we went out for dinner with two girls from our hostel. The food we had, we learned, is typically what a Chinese dinner looks and tastes like (however, we didn’t know that up until that night because we’d been eating steam buns and noodles for every meal). It was a welcome change, and a great cultural exchange from the beginning of the evening to the end.
What my teammate, Nicole, is holding here is probably the best ice cream bar I’ve ever had over the course of my life (and if you know me, you know I’m not just using hyperbole). 6 layers. Blueberry gooey-something. Chocolate nuegut. Sorbet-consistency vanilla. An engulfing layer of chocolate and peanuts. …and I don’t even know what it’s called. But it became the object of my search whenever we passed by ice cream freezers at the front of street shops.
Funny story! So in an effort to try to leave Shangri-la and begin our trek across Tiger Leaping Gorge (one of the most scenic and worthwhile hikes in all of China, we’d heard), we missed our bus (partly our fault, partly our hostel’s). So we stayed in Lijiang for a day and then headed out the following morning to TLG on a bus with other English-speaking Westerners ready for a challenge. This is us waiting in the rain for our bus, hoping we don’t miss it again.
This is but a snippet of Tiger Leaping Gorge, where we trekked for 10 1/2 hours between two days. Sadly, my camera wasn’t able to capture the full scope of the mountains directly across from us. The peaks jutted up so high that most were cloaked in snow and clouds. It was always a treat to look up and find another peak peering out of the heavens that we hadn’t seen before.
Our first day of trekking, the weather was less than ideal and made for a serious mental challenge. Constant misty rain resulted in muddy slopes and pools of water which threatened to send us right back down the mountain. But we fought!…and emerged victorious! And took some devilishly warm showers that night in the Halfway Guest House!
I really like this picture! For many reasons… #1- My friend Nicole. #2- You can see part of the top of the mountains I just mentioned. #3- The edge of the rooftop. #4- The Tibetan Buddhist prayer flags are arrayed beautifully across the sky! While we weren’t able to get into Tibet, the corner of China we were in is considered and known for its Tibetan influence. So, basically, we were in Little Tibet.
I don’t usually like taking selfies…but I do when I have a gorgeous view behind me.
Yes. It is what you think it is. Coffee. And it’s true. I bought my very first cup of coffee (a carmel macchiato) EVER in Old Town Shangri-la. And if you’re asking why, I’m telling you you don’t want to know. …and yes, I did use those sugar cubes.
Look closely.
My team saw and played in SNOW at the end of May in China! I didn’t go with them (due to travel planning and an aweful cough I had developed after – believe it or not – laughing too hard at The North Face label), but I heard it was a blast. My team came back that day saying “we missed you!” And “you would have loved it!” So sweet. I’m still holding out for getting to play in snow on the race!
From Shangri-la, we journeyed north via buses. And what spectacular views met our gazes along the way!
Hands down, the most interesting squatty experience I’ve had on the race so far. Gives a whole new definition to the phrase “public restrooms”.
About to go through a 1.4 mile tunnel on our 4-day overland sprint to get to our rendezvous city on time. Nicole and I made funny sounds through a tunnel or two, and our driver was giggling and grinning from ear to ear. I’m glad some things don’t need to be translated to be enjoyed by everyone. 🙂
