Tiger leaping gorge-ous

If you ever make it to China, make sure the Tiger Leaping Gorge is on your itinerary! In fact, get thee to the the gorge immediately! It was so spectacular that I really don't have words for how I felt while hiking it. I know I say that pretty much everything I see is "amazing" or "breath-taking" or some other lame adjective but really, seeing the Tiger Leaping Gorge was one of those rare moments that you want to freeze and remember it crystal clear for the rest of your life. Its up there with the Torres del Paine, the Uyuni salt flats and the Great Wall. So I won't say too much but just show you the pictures. The hike lasted basically 3 days, starting with a killer first day. We hiked from 850m to about 2,760m, all after spending most of my time at basically sea level. It was tough but the views as we climbed higher and higher over the gorge were worth it. On the third day, we even hiked down to the gorge itself and it was amazing to see how quickly the water was rushing when we saw it from so far away. The TLG was also great because we got to stay at that these beautiful if basic guesthouses along the way with patios that looked out onto the gorge. The perfect place to rest with a cold beer after a long day of hiking. The food was good, the beer was cold and the scenery was so peaceful. I really couldn't have asked for anything better.

The Tiger Leaping Gorge.

Taking in the views of the gorge.

Our fearless leader, John, and our guide for the gorge, Sean. Both were great.

The locals have become pretty enterprising, even charging tourists for taking photos from the best viewpoints (8 yuan!). Its illegal and frustrating to have to pay but at the same time, I would rather pay these farmers who make so little rather than the Chinese government who plan on damming it.

A view of the gorge from way, way up high. The next day, we hiked down to the water. It was hard! And so steep!

The mountains on either side of the water just rose so quickly.

I guess even the farmers have to have a little (homegrown) fun now and again.

The face of the gorge staring down on some hapless hiker.

There were even waterfalls along the path. This was definitely Shangri-la, which is supposed to be in this region.

Its called the Tiger Leaping Gorge because, as the legend goes, there was a tiger that leaped across the gorge bringing all sorts of good things to the land. Unfortunately, this was the only tiger we came across (though we did see some red-faced monkeys).

Farmers working the fields in the gorge.

We hiked down to the water itself going on the most steep, narrow path I've ever been on. One step in the wrong direction and it would be OVER. We even had to climb this insane, rickety ladder for part of the way!

At Sean's Guesthouse, there was this very serious, very cranky little girl that insisted on helping out with all the chores. She would march up to our table and take away the dirty dishes, even admonishing us for not finishing all our food. She was so cute but so serious!

John, resting on Sean's patio after a long day hiking. The most amazing scenery, right outside our doors!

What's sad though is that the Tiger Leaping Gorge is scheduled to be dammed in the next few years (construction starts in 2008). I'm glad I was able to see it as it should be seen but hopefully others will be able to do the same in the future. Some conservationists are trying to put the gorge on the UNESCO World Heritage Site list to keep it from being dammed up so keep your fingers crossed!

After the gorge, we took a very long bus trip back to Dali. It would have been a normal, scenic-filled journey if it weren't for our insane bus driver, Dong Lee. She was only 25 but she was definitely the boss on the bus, ordering people around, driving like a maniac and never leaving her throne. It was an old-school bus as well with the engine right in the middle of the car, which she could access from INSIDE. Well, it definitely came in handy when the bus over-heated. She just sat in her seat, opened the engine and let the steam out. It was pretty scary but totally unbelievable. But she was very nice. We stopped for some dumplings and even offered us some weird spicy pickle-y thing to go with them (you know I loved that!).

Our driver, Dong Lee, taking care of business.

So China is coming to a close. I still have a couple of weeks in Tibet, which I've heard is becoming much more Han Chinese but hopefully, I'll still get to experience some of the Tibetan spirit. I'm currently in Bangkok right now, waiting for my flight up north again to meet my next tour group in Tibet. I'm sad that I'm almost done with China. I recognize its not for everyone but my experience here has been one for the books. I've eaten so well and seen some really unbelievable things. What I especially liked was how non-(Western)-touristy it was and how I was able to see so many different facets of such a large and varied country. I would expound more on how I loved China but its too damned hot here! Ang, I have no idea how we're going to survive in SE Asia in June!