Travel the Path

Took a trip to the Stone Forest (石林) again! This time, I figured I’ve save the stone postings, and share some other amusements instead.

A path through the forest.

I’d like to make a banner image from it – it seems relevant as my path, adventure, trail, journey, pilgrimage, or whatever as I travel and live. But it’s pretty much sideways. Any ideas? You can try it out by taking the image from flickr (it’s Creative Commons licensed, you just have to attribute it to me and this blog) and comment with a link to the result. Actually, I’d love to do a rotating banner, but apparently that’s not possible without knowledge of CSS?

These fish in one of the ponds get so excited about the feed from visitors, they jump out of the water to get it! You’d think they don’t get fed 30 times a day… (which, at 2元 a bag, of course they do!) Getting splashed is half the fun.

And, last but not least, a great sign. Because who can resist, when you’re being called an angel and not merely a traveler?

LaJiao 辣椒

At a picnic, my friend was talking about culture in China versus America. I agreed with several things she said, but then was surprised, amused, and flattered by what came next! A rough translation:

“We like you, because you like spicy chili peppers. So it seems like you’re like us, like you’re Chinese.”

Oh! Well, thank you.

tree root

root

This tree has somehow survived among the rocks of the Stone Forest (Yunnnan, China). I liked the texture and brown colors of this root, not to mention the way it grows up and around for no apparent reason. Perhaps to make me like looking at it.

beautiful in white

beautiful in white

A week ago, this tree was in bud. Cold as I was the evening I saw it, I admired the tree’s will to bloom, bringing life with the coming of Spring.

Days later, my camera arrived, and I was glad to see the tree again… changed, and reminding me of that annual truth that I sometimes forget to believe…

Spring will come again!

sunset

sunset

There’s nothing so visually delicious as a sunset.

There’s also nothing like getting home too late on the first day with your new camera. Nothing like realizing that the evening’s a bit too dark, and the trip to the park an artistic failure.

But then again, you wouldn’t have seen the sunset with your own eyes if it hadn’t been for the pull of the outdoors calling you to bring your camera into it.

There’s nothing so delicious as a sunset