If my posting seems even more sporadic than usual, it’s because I’m starting a two-week trip in Northwestern Yunnan/Southwestern Sichuan this week. It’s part of a course on Tibetan Studies offered by IES. We have seven students who will be trekking in the area; taking classes on Tibetan culture, history and Buddhism; and living the majority of the time with Tibetan homestays. It’s a very cool class and I’m excited to be a part of it.
Yesterday we flew from Beijing to Zhongdian with a nearly eight hour layover in Kunming. It was enough time for us to stash our gear and head out into the city on what was a truly spectacular day. I love Beijing, I’ve lived there off and on since 2002, but given the right opportunity I’d have a hard time saying no to a couple of years (or more) in the Yunnan capital. It was a gorgeous late spring day with temperatures in the 80s and a nice breeze to keep things from getting too hot. I spent most of the day strolling around Cui Hu Park and the streets around Yunnan University, including the obligatory salad and smoothie at Salvador’s.
We finally arrived in