Asia Trip: Day 161 - Chengdu 成都 => Danba 丹巴 (6/23/19)
Daily Highlights:
Woke up and took the 9:30am bus to Danba
Listened to SO MANY podcasts
Stretched a lot at the rest stop
The woman beside me on the bus helped me get to my hostel and catch a cab
Met two Isreali guys and we walked around the town together
Met some Chinese guy and chatted for about half an hour
Went to the town square and watched the dancing
Made friends with all of the kids, made origami for two of them and they loved it
Came back to the hostel, talked with Mom and caught up
Had a beer and some Baijiu （我喝了一瓶啤酒俺的一点儿白酒）
我很喜欢这个地方。丹巴人又高心又很好。我看过很多藏族文化和东西。The bus ride here was absolutely incredible! The vastness of the landscape, the sky scrapping mountains and driving into and through the fog. This area truly feels foreign, unique and holy.
Listening to all of the podcasts was so cool. The Joe Rogan podcast with Jamie Metzler was so good, talking about genetic mutations, AI and technology. He also had a unique perspective on China and essentially how they are a very young country trying to find an identity and creating their culture.
We went to the town square and made friends with all of the kids. It was such a cool feeling to show them the origami ad give them the cranes. It’s wild how something so small and trivial could have such a big impact on someone and make them so happy. I LOVE this area and will thoroughly enjoy my time in in Western Sichuan.
Asia Trip: Day 162 - Danba 丹巴 (6/24/19)
Daily Highlights:
Woke up, got baozi, and went to the Zhonglu village with a random Chinese family
So beautiful to be up in the mountains
Came back, napped for a bit, watched avatar and looked into buses to Tagong (taking the 7:00am bus tomorrow)
Went to the Jiaju Tibetan Village
Incredible culture, so beautiful and tranquil
Always good to gulp the fresh mountain air. The air just tastes different up there; cleaner, crisper and simpler.
Talked to some old ladies who tried to sell me fruit and other people at the top
Hitchhiked back to the village in the dark - definitely a first
Did burpees on the roof
Finished Avatar - SO DAMN GOOD
I am shocked by how genuine, nice, and giving everyone is here. It’s incredible. Friendly hitchhikers, vendors legitimately giving away free food, people waving and saying hello, and the kids are incredible. This whole place feels so special. It’s such a contrast to the police cameras and the mountain of police everywhere. It’s pretty crazy to walk around because I think many people here have not seen foreigners before and a lot of people gasp, point, yell, and want to touch my hair. It’s like stepping back way into the past, it’s a pretty crazy feeling.
View from the morning hike
Zhonglu Village - Part I
Zhonglu Village - Part III
Zhonglu Village - Part II
Zhonglu Village - Part IV
View of the tradition Tibetan homes in Jiaju Village.
