tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19365580680075954562024-03-13T03:11:29.221-07:00El Millón:of the various curiosities encountered throughout the travels of Stefan HovlandAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01827559858867802149noreply@blogger.comBlogger58125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1936558068007595456.post-47147796766588053702013-01-15T13:21:00.000-08:002013-01-15T13:21:15.015-08:00Of boarding Mission Ridge;<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EmU12QoUwZc/UPWtzI5WwII/AAAAAAAACPg/QcE5lTXWWLk/s1600/Mission+Ridge+2012+025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="466" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EmU12QoUwZc/UPWtzI5WwII/AAAAAAAACPg/QcE5lTXWWLk/s640/Mission+Ridge+2012+025.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My dad and I on the top of the ridge.</td></tr>
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Right after Christmas my dad and I went on our yearly ski trip. This years we headed over to Wenatchee for a few days of skiing/boarding my favorite hill: Mission Ridge. It is the ski hill known for having the most clear days in Washington state. Again, It did not disappoint me. We had great viability looking over the sea of clouds sitting above Wenatchee. I had also just gotten a new camera to replace the one I lost in a Chinese taxi and since it was the shock-proof and weather-proof Nikon Coolpix AW100 I had to test it out.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WgjJT5XSKLk/UPWtCkqhSHI/AAAAAAAACO4/tP-X8koZelA/s1600/Mission+Ridge+2012+011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WgjJT5XSKLk/UPWtCkqhSHI/AAAAAAAACO4/tP-X8koZelA/s640/Mission+Ridge+2012+011.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We had some nice snow and we were able to fly down the great bomber runs.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EUcuokiiZhc/UPWtMLZVAAI/AAAAAAAACPA/MekqhkO1RWo/s1600/Mission+Ridge+2012+014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EUcuokiiZhc/UPWtMLZVAAI/AAAAAAAACPA/MekqhkO1RWo/s640/Mission+Ridge+2012+014.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The ridge behind us was casting cool shadows on the clouds below.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DtczNI_wL8c/UPWtWxL2AXI/AAAAAAAACPI/3gh4XTUbZKI/s1600/Mission+Ridge+2012+017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DtczNI_wL8c/UPWtWxL2AXI/AAAAAAAACPI/3gh4XTUbZKI/s640/Mission+Ridge+2012+017.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the second to last run of the day everyone on the slopes stopped to watch the full moon rise over the horizon.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-V5ese2RtaEE/UPWtfI23T6I/AAAAAAAACPQ/3ZhINZCwbRE/s1600/Mission+Ridge+2012+019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-V5ese2RtaEE/UPWtfI23T6I/AAAAAAAACPQ/3ZhINZCwbRE/s640/Mission+Ridge+2012+019.JPG" width="512" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Moon rise.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u2kCQcN3uG0/UPWtpmRRhFI/AAAAAAAACPY/D3H3BRzqlMg/s1600/Mission+Ridge+2012+020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u2kCQcN3uG0/UPWtpmRRhFI/AAAAAAAACPY/D3H3BRzqlMg/s640/Mission+Ridge+2012+020.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Awesome weather and groups of people going up to touch the Crashed B-24 Bomber wing for good luck.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SrgbUxhLPbQ/UPWt0rI9lgI/AAAAAAAACPo/dJwfud03c8U/s1600/Mission+Ridge+2012+028.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="136" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SrgbUxhLPbQ/UPWt0rI9lgI/AAAAAAAACPo/dJwfud03c8U/s640/Mission+Ridge+2012+028.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset over the cascades.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JJTlj3QajXs/UPWuBsiQ2nI/AAAAAAAACPw/rHHZY2eIBlM/s1600/Mission+Ridge+2012+030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JJTlj3QajXs/UPWuBsiQ2nI/AAAAAAAACPw/rHHZY2eIBlM/s640/Mission+Ridge+2012+030.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A snowy view of the Enchantments in the distance as seen from the top of Mission Ridge.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-COKvBiTa39E/UPWuMp1JWAI/AAAAAAAACP4/ZYIULkTQkOo/s1600/Mission+Ridge+2012+032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-COKvBiTa39E/UPWuMp1JWAI/AAAAAAAACP4/ZYIULkTQkOo/s640/Mission+Ridge+2012+032.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The microwave tower, ski patrol shack, and the windblown trees of ice on top of the ridge.</td></tr>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01827559858867802149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1936558068007595456.post-13492944490224248712013-01-14T21:01:00.001-08:002013-01-14T21:05:19.269-08:00Of hiking Buck Creek, High Pass and the Napeequa Valley;<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yUM62Y43jyk/UPRmfgYJaEI/AAAAAAAACMo/htdd0QzfrZE/s1600/DSC01483.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="428" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yUM62Y43jyk/UPRmfgYJaEI/AAAAAAAACMo/htdd0QzfrZE/s640/DSC01483.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> Me crossing the last snowfield on top of High Pass. </td></tr>
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Back during the summer I was looking at my huge map of the central cascades for some trails for my buddy Erik and I to hike. There was one hike that looked great. It was near the cabin at Lake Wenatchee, had some elevation promising good views, and made a loop that looked like it could be accomplished in three days. The trail would also be a bit of a challenge for us. It was a few miles longer than anything I had hiked before and had a four mile segment that wasn't shown on any official maps. After doing a bit of research of the area on some backpacking forums we decided to go for it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EAixE8QQ5xk/UPRmgOj4e-I/AAAAAAAACMs/YAhy23nb-dY/s1600/Buck+Creek.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="163" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EAixE8QQ5xk/UPRmgOj4e-I/AAAAAAAACMs/YAhy23nb-dY/s640/Buck+Creek.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A rough elevation profile of our hike. The mileage should actually be closer to 26 miles.</td></tr>
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In the first week of September there was a good gap of weather which promised nice conditions so we loaded up our packs and headed up to the mountains. Our trail started at the old Trinity mine site up the Chiwawa River and would take us up the ridge directly east of Glacier Peak, south over High Pass, down the Napeequa Valley, and finally over Little Giant Pass back to the car.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Pbc1ocOsXwE/UPRmkobUoMI/AAAAAAAACM0/wsx30emzM08/s1600/Panorama+2+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="256" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Pbc1ocOsXwE/UPRmkobUoMI/AAAAAAAACM0/wsx30emzM08/s640/Panorama+2+%25282%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A view looking towards Buck Mountain and the ridge that we would made our way over and down the back side.</td></tr>
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The first day of hiking was great. The Buck Creek Trail took us nine miles up a gentle slope to Buck Creek Pass where we camped the first night. The pass was a small maze of converging trails with a number of campsites scattered around. It looked like there were just two or three other people camped up there with a couple dogs. After setting up our camp we had a feast of instant mashed potatoes, stovetop stuffing, and brats. Mmmmm. Everything tastes better after a good hike.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Lfbqinp2YEU/UPRmp6MqlCI/AAAAAAAACM8/vaYZbC_wQwk/s1600/DSCF2478.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Lfbqinp2YEU/UPRmp6MqlCI/AAAAAAAACM8/vaYZbC_wQwk/s640/DSCF2478.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mountain Bog Gentian, one of the more interesting wild flowers I found at Buck Creek Pass.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RvvgW8NObks/UPRmul5l5uI/AAAAAAAACNE/8O5pMG5Du7c/s1600/DSCF2481.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RvvgW8NObks/UPRmul5l5uI/AAAAAAAACNE/8O5pMG5Du7c/s640/DSCF2481.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our campsite for the first night.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-L9NUgR-8y7w/UPRmwtZNGBI/AAAAAAAACNM/Ds04BRht_NI/s1600/DSCF2483.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="220" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-L9NUgR-8y7w/UPRmwtZNGBI/AAAAAAAACNM/Ds04BRht_NI/s640/DSCF2483.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset with a faint silhouette of Glacier Peak in the distance.</td></tr>
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The next morning we started leg two of our journey: over the High Pass Trail and into the uncharted descent to the Napeequa Valley. The first section of trail was amazing. It traversed over and along the ridges which we had been looking up at the day before. The weather was clear so we had amazing views looking across the valley at Glacier Peak.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zznp5jjdYGA/UPRm4IlL23I/AAAAAAAACOg/KzvDdeQ4V2A/s1600/DSCF2509.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zznp5jjdYGA/UPRm4IlL23I/AAAAAAAACOg/KzvDdeQ4V2A/s640/DSCF2509.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We scrambled up some rocks to go sit on the crest of the ridge.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kedMiJALiu0/UPRm8vzKlwI/AAAAAAAACNo/O9N0WRSzfhc/s1600/DSCF2510.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kedMiJALiu0/UPRm8vzKlwI/AAAAAAAACNo/O9N0WRSzfhc/s640/DSCF2510.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view looking down the ridge at Liberty Cap (left) and the Buck Creek Pass area down below.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sj2mQBhi08Q/UPRm0I5jlBI/AAAAAAAACNY/J21uzvGWKfE/s1600/DSCF2495.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="414" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sj2mQBhi08Q/UPRm0I5jlBI/AAAAAAAACNY/J21uzvGWKfE/s640/DSCF2495.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Glacier Peak, the 4th highest mountain in Washington.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Zko_vam2W9k/UPRnDvvSmUI/AAAAAAAACNw/GM30s1-q7F0/s1600/Panorama+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="202" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Zko_vam2W9k/UPRnDvvSmUI/AAAAAAAACNw/GM30s1-q7F0/s640/Panorama+4.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A panorama of the Buck Creek Valley we hiked up the day before. It is hazy due to the forest fire smoke.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nyexe3eLdsQ/UPRnIlX24JI/AAAAAAAACN4/Tm6SXfntxQQ/s1600/DSCF2522.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nyexe3eLdsQ/UPRnIlX24JI/AAAAAAAACN4/Tm6SXfntxQQ/s640/DSCF2522.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Triad Lake sitting just below the top of High Pass.</td></tr>
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From the trail reports I had read to research this hike, I learned that crossing over High Pass could be a bit treacherous. Since Erik and I didn't have the gear for safely crossing the the snowfields we had to watch every step. It wasn't bad across first fields which weren't very steep, but for the last section we decided it would be best to scramble up and over the rocks above snowfield rather than risk falling down the icy slope to the rocks below.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hOrlvLx92yg/UPRnMYMurhI/AAAAAAAACOA/QJrxe98ndC8/s1600/DSC01479.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hOrlvLx92yg/UPRnMYMurhI/AAAAAAAACOA/QJrxe98ndC8/s640/DSC01479.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me with High Pass and the Clark Glaciers in the background. The snowfield on the far left is the one we had to make our way around.</td></tr>
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From the pass we followed the unmapped trail down the hanging valley into the Napeequa. From there the trail got a tough. Not the sort of tough where you lose the trail for a minutes, but the sort where you lose the trail for a full day. We weren't lost since we knew exactly where we were in this closed-in valley, but the trail just wasn't where we thought it should be. We followed several rough paths along the Napeequa River only to have them disappear in to dense thickets of alder. We gave up trying to find the real trail so we crossed the river and followed the deer trails through the tall grass along our side of the valley. It wasn't long before Erik and I were both frustrated and exhausted from a full day of hiking so when we finally found an old campsite along the river we threw our packs off and setup camp.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-33wJwLf_wIA/UPRnRSxay9I/AAAAAAAACOk/3f_W9t9xUd8/s1600/DSCF2530.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-33wJwLf_wIA/UPRnRSxay9I/AAAAAAAACOk/3f_W9t9xUd8/s640/DSCF2530.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our camp on the south side of the Napeequa near Louis Falls.</td></tr>
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On the start of our 3rd day we could see on our map that we still had a good 12+ miles back to the car. That was a bit discouraging since we had no idea how bad the rest of the Napeequa Valley would be. We made our way through the woods along the river until we got to a nearly impenetrable wall of alder thickets. Our best way to get past it and down the valley was to wade the river while hopping between the rocks and alder along the banks. It was slow progress especially since the Napeequa is a cold river. The name means white water. Not the rafting sort of white water, but the silty, cold, glacial white water. We did this for a couple hundred yards before finding a path on the opposite bank which led to the real trail. Finally!<br />
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But the mighty Napeequa Valley still had more to throw at us.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bJeDH2KU9LE/UPRnYXEF1XI/AAAAAAAACOQ/iFbhwvSd430/s1600/DSC01513.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bJeDH2KU9LE/UPRnYXEF1XI/AAAAAAAACOQ/iFbhwvSd430/s640/DSC01513.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here I am pushing through alder thickets. Uggg.</td></tr>
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So here were are in the Napeequa Valley, tired, wet, scraped up from pushing through the brush, one bee sting on Erik, and we still have one more pass between us and the car. But good news, we were finally on a trail! It wasn't much of a trail, but it at least offered a route through the thickets. We still found ourselves going down dead ends or knee deep in mud from time to time. We encountered even more problems finding the route up Little Giant Pass. We had lost the main trail in the maze of deer trails through the tall grass so we didn't know exactly where to start our ascent up the steep ridge. After almost an hour of searching the hillside for the route and unsuccessfully trying to get a compass bearing on the featureless ridges around us, we spotted two hikers we had passed earlier that day so we followed their tracks up.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_TXeS1YpWDY/UPRngGGue3I/AAAAAAAACOY/_N4JJKXWyWs/s1600/DSC01530.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_TXeS1YpWDY/UPRngGGue3I/AAAAAAAACOY/_N4JJKXWyWs/s640/DSC01530.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The mighty Napeequa Valley. We hiked from that distant mountain at the end of the valley to where this was shot on Little Giant Pass using little to no trails.</td></tr>
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After a 2000ft ascent up the pass and a knee-breaking 4000ft descent back to the Chiwawa River Road we grabbed our victory beers we had stashed at the ending trailhead three days before and started the three mile walk on the road back to the car. Luckily we were able to bum a ride from one of the cars of hikers headed up the road. And the beers worked as an incentive for them to take two dirty, smelly hikers in their car.<br />
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In the end, Buck Creek to High Pass to Napeequa Valley to Little Giant Pass was about 8000ft vertical gain and another 8000ft down over about 26 miles. It was the longest and most exhausting hike I've ever done, but I loved it. Awesome views and amazing wilderness. And thanks to Erik for being a great hiking partner and for a few of his photos I stole.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01827559858867802149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1936558068007595456.post-37388511902246822832012-06-15T16:36:00.001-07:002012-06-15T16:36:54.301-07:00Of the food of Nanjing;<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bEtJhbeTRCc/T9uP8X-KuTI/AAAAAAAAB4M/h-mNth7SmFI/s1600/Nanjing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bEtJhbeTRCc/T9uP8X-KuTI/AAAAAAAAB4M/h-mNth7SmFI/s640/Nanjing.jpg" width="512" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Top L: super tender long noodles, Top R: pigeon egg, Middle: orange juice and our first round of dishes, Bottom: beef dish (tripe and other unknown cuts of meat)</td></tr>
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After climbing to the top of the Purple Mountains with a group of friendly Chinese coworkers, they asked me if I would like to join them for dinner. That was an offer I couldn't turn down. They asked me what sort of Chinese food I liked, but all I had eaten in China was a few little noodle dishes, street food, and a feast of Peking duck. They all started throwing out ideas of where to go and they told me about their favorite restaurants in the city. They told me about Sichuanese food and they were surprised when I said I had never had hotpot (a big pot of spicy hot broth that you cook meat in at your table). They also told me about the differences between Shanghai and Nanjing cuisine. Eventually they decide on a place so we make our way down the the mountain, hop on some buses, and head across the city as they point out sites and tell me about life in Nanjing. It was awesome! They knew just where to go.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--nLPKt1lRQk/T8_3B3QlghI/AAAAAAAAB28/gghQKSXZ74s/s1600/DSCN3983.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--nLPKt1lRQk/T8_3B3QlghI/AAAAAAAAB28/gghQKSXZ74s/s640/DSCN3983.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The girls having a little fun posing for photos on the way down the mountain.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hVrFbalf08I/T8_3Gu3qwPI/AAAAAAAAB3E/OeaqRNjf3eQ/s1600/DSCN4004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hVrFbalf08I/T8_3Gu3qwPI/AAAAAAAAB3E/OeaqRNjf3eQ/s400/DSCN4004.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I had no idea where they were even taking me, but they told me that they would help get me back to my hostel by the end of the night.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--0ovK3btPZk/T8_3kPxkXSI/AAAAAAAAB34/zh3htwrA72Q/s1600/DSCN4018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--0ovK3btPZk/T8_3kPxkXSI/AAAAAAAAB34/zh3htwrA72Q/s640/DSCN4018.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm not sure what the name of the restaurant was, but I got a picture of the front.</td></tr>
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When we got to the restaurant they led us into the back where they had a private room prepared for the group of us. We all sit down around the table and my new Chinese friend Amy grabs the menu and starts order for all of us. I took a peek at the menu which had amazing photos of all these dishes for about $3-4USD each. Amy would just flip through the menu, page by page, telling the waitress which dishes we would have. She knew which dishes were best and ordered us up about 25 different ones.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jMu6NoCVCrM/T8_3P0EkP3I/AAAAAAAAB3U/rTgsLNZAwt4/s1600/DSCN4012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jMu6NoCVCrM/T8_3P0EkP3I/AAAAAAAAB3U/rTgsLNZAwt4/s640/DSCN4012.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The dish in front was the best thing I ate in China. It is a big bowl of broth with peppers, bean sprouts, a white fish, and an amazing spice which I think may have been Sichuan peppercorns. Eventually we picked out all the good stuff till the bowl was just full of hot peppers and broth. That isn't wine on the table. It was a sweet juice which I couldn't identify and no one knew the translation to English.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UwCM8St_IW4/T8_3LbuVQsI/AAAAAAAAB3M/JVjCp39xgJI/s1600/DSCN4011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UwCM8St_IW4/T8_3LbuVQsI/AAAAAAAAB3M/JVjCp39xgJI/s640/DSCN4011.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crispy cauliflower and behind it is a dish of shrimp and peppers in broth.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0KXQXIp_Z4g/T8_3VtkJ11I/AAAAAAAAB3c/7QZswftahJ0/s1600/DSCN4013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0KXQXIp_Z4g/T8_3VtkJ11I/AAAAAAAAB3c/7QZswftahJ0/s640/DSCN4013.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">As we ate our way through the dinner the waitress would take away the finished dishes and bring out even more to put on the table.</td></tr>
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It was an amazing meal. Everything was so good. My Chinese hosts were excited for me to try the different foods. I would ask what some of the dishes were, but for many they didn't know how to translate it. Other times they would wait for me to eat it and then tell me that it was frog or something else Strange. I had so many new things. The pigeon eggs were super good. They were cooked in a dark sauce so the egg was entirely black with lots of flavor (with an odd pigeon aftertaste). I didn't like frog so much. It think it was frog hips. There were lots of chewy chunks of cartilage and bones. The rabbit was probably the spiciest thing I've ever had. Many of the dishes were packed full of red peppers. Some seemed like it was 70% made of peppers which you just pick around. With dishes like the rabbit, when we done picking out the meat, all that remained was a mound of peppers.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-H_EUEynizHs/T8_3asl-pPI/AAAAAAAAB3k/9NX9NX3HVEk/s1600/DSCN4014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-H_EUEynizHs/T8_3asl-pPI/AAAAAAAAB3k/9NX9NX3HVEk/s640/DSCN4014.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lamb ribs.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kHRCnJmYaDA/T8_3f1n6f5I/AAAAAAAAB3s/LV37Ra3FlAY/s1600/DSCN4015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kHRCnJmYaDA/T8_3f1n6f5I/AAAAAAAAB3s/LV37Ra3FlAY/s640/DSCN4015.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The group of us after the meal. If you look closely you'll see that all that's left of the dishes are the mounds of inedible peppers.</td></tr>
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It was so nice of all of them to show me around the city for the day and let me experience the best Chinese food I've ever had. And to top it all off, one of the guys covered the whole bill. Over my trip I've found that the Chinese people can be so friendly. I really enjoyed my time with them.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01827559858867802149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1936558068007595456.post-15696490650930500192012-06-14T09:46:00.000-07:002012-06-14T09:46:09.001-07:00Of the scenic lands around Nanjing;<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2B2bgv7nn3c/T8_1kAxdjJI/AAAAAAAAB0I/0ishBpLDTl0/s1600/DSCN3912.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="344" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2B2bgv7nn3c/T8_1kAxdjJI/AAAAAAAAB0I/0ishBpLDTl0/s640/DSCN3912.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Xuanwu Lake and the Purple Mountains. The large domed building is an arena called the sun palace. I hiked to the furthest peak which is about 1400ft above the city of Nanjing.</td></tr>
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My day in Nanjing started out awful. On my walk through the sprawling downtown core of Nanjing to find the train ticket office, I don't think I could have felt anymore lost or miserable. To begin with, the City of Nanjing is not English friendly like some of the larger cities in China are. There are little to none English signs and most other signs are only written only with Chinese characters. I could just barely find my way around town by comparing the tiny characters on my map with those written on the signs. To make things worse, the streets in Nanjing are horrible.
The large tree-lined avenues are nice sight, but in the spring time they leave the streets below caked with thick pollen while the air turns into potent mixture of pollen, smog, and the ghastly smells of a crowded city.
You don't even feel safe walking on the sidewalk because it is shared with masses of bikes and motor scooters which whiz past you beeping their annoying little horns. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vMqX6Fvo8SE/T8_0PzR6ziI/AAAAAAAAByg/91S883_ikK0/s1600/DSCN3893.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vMqX6Fvo8SE/T8_0PzR6ziI/AAAAAAAAByg/91S883_ikK0/s640/DSCN3893.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the quieter streets in Nanjing. This is the usual setup of a Chinese street. You have the roadway for cars separated from the special lane for parking and motor bikes.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x3OgaGFAWQY/T8_0F6gsZzI/AAAAAAAAByQ/n1QgNpfqj6E/s1600/DSCN3890.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x3OgaGFAWQY/T8_0F6gsZzI/AAAAAAAAByQ/n1QgNpfqj6E/s640/DSCN3890.JPG" width="558" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A group of men were all gathered around with their cages of birds playing Xiangqi (Chinese chess).</td></tr>
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After about 3 hours of wandering around this deceptively large town and finally buying my train tickets for the next day, I made my way to Xuanwu Lake. I couldn't have been more relieved to get out of the city and walk along the beautiful shores and causeways of this lake.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dK3IbKbBbRE/T8_2AA_0C-I/AAAAAAAAB1E/aexqNddxrMY/s1600/DSCN3945.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dK3IbKbBbRE/T8_2AA_0C-I/AAAAAAAAB1E/aexqNddxrMY/s640/DSCN3945.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The northern gate of the city wall.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-k2sPC5FVqAY/T8_1c2tbZrI/AAAAAAAABz0/XXZ_K3mwmOQ/s1600/DSCN3903.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-k2sPC5FVqAY/T8_1c2tbZrI/AAAAAAAABz0/XXZ_K3mwmOQ/s640/DSCN3903.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Buddhist Pagoda at Jiming Temple.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hLYd31XEUHk/T8_2EGtK3qI/AAAAAAAAB1M/rBPUo047llk/s1600/DSCN3951.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="352" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hLYd31XEUHk/T8_2EGtK3qI/AAAAAAAAB1M/rBPUo047llk/s640/DSCN3951.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A lakeside pavilion.</td></tr>
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Xuanwu Lake sits just outside of the northern walls of Nanjing. Surrounding the shores is a park filled with several pavilions and a collection of causeways which connect several small islands with the shore. The islands in the lake center are filled will gardens, temples, statues, and a number of small stone bridges. I hopped on a small tourist tram-car tour which sent me around the islands.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PhPsho_GCHU/T8_1sPc_PHI/AAAAAAAAB0Y/AAs4yg0d92I/s1600/DSCN3925.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="442" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PhPsho_GCHU/T8_1sPc_PHI/AAAAAAAAB0Y/AAs4yg0d92I/s640/DSCN3925.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My tram-car made a few stops along the tour for us to get out and walk around the island gardens.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-znYmQ_jkebY/T8_1xczBJUI/AAAAAAAAB0g/mVCj4oRyamE/s1600/DSCN3930.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-znYmQ_jkebY/T8_1xczBJUI/AAAAAAAAB0g/mVCj4oRyamE/s640/DSCN3930.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and the Guanyin (Goddess of Mercy) statue in the lake.</td></tr>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1fIRx2-Jf7I/T8_16PzYPtI/AAAAAAAAB0w/6l-HknVUhw8/s1600/DSCN3943.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="520" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1fIRx2-Jf7I/T8_16PzYPtI/AAAAAAAAB0w/6l-HknVUhw8/s640/DSCN3943.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ycJpYK8kvuI/T8_179YRKaI/AAAAAAAAB04/Dkhz8h6Sozk/s1600/DSCN3944.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ycJpYK8kvuI/T8_179YRKaI/AAAAAAAAB04/Dkhz8h6Sozk/s640/DSCN3944.JPG" width="350" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can see that building from all over the city.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mHM_hsZpfc8/T8_112QWJKI/AAAAAAAAB0o/MmY4AislhKA/s1600/DSCN3942.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mHM_hsZpfc8/T8_112QWJKI/AAAAAAAAB0o/MmY4AislhKA/s640/DSCN3942.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My tour tram stopped at this small temple where I was offered incense sticks, lit them, and then bowed three times in front of an alter. Since the tour was all in Chinese I didn't really know what was happening so I just went along with it.</td></tr>
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From the lake, I made my way to the Purple Mountains just outside of the city. Around the two peaks are a number of trails, large mausoleums, and military areas where photography is restricted. I started hiking the mountain, but I had no idea where I was actually going since there were no signs I could read. Eventually I met a group of Chinese coworkers all out on a fieldtrip around the Purple Mountain for the day. Several of them could speak English and they offered to show me around the mountain and even gave me a few bottles of water. I ended up spending the rest of the day going around the city with them.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BS2Ls54ZLOM/T8_2SoVSPKI/AAAAAAAAB1k/xnZAiqBRxb4/s1600/DSCN3963.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BS2Ls54ZLOM/T8_2SoVSPKI/AAAAAAAAB1k/xnZAiqBRxb4/s640/DSCN3963.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The group of us nearly to the top of the mountain.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xBiHx6SQ3ak/T8_zo6kfvII/AAAAAAAABw8/US12W3TxpOw/s1600/DSCN3976.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="378" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xBiHx6SQ3ak/T8_zo6kfvII/AAAAAAAABw8/US12W3TxpOw/s640/DSCN3976.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A view looking over Northern Nanjing.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fzYEMak-ooU/T8_2mb-0bSI/AAAAAAAAB2I/0hNBhIywWbQ/s1600/DSCN3973.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fzYEMak-ooU/T8_2mb-0bSI/AAAAAAAAB2I/0hNBhIywWbQ/s640/DSCN3973.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Amy, a super friendly local who went out of her way to show me around the city.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fKmv6h8Rn2w/T8_2zkPzTbI/AAAAAAAAB2g/pKRQf5USE4Y/s1600/DSCN3978.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="446" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fKmv6h8Rn2w/T8_2zkPzTbI/AAAAAAAAB2g/pKRQf5USE4Y/s640/DSCN3978.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me at the top of the Purple Mountain.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love the look of Chinese characters carved into trees.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A radio tower with Xuanwu Lake and downtown Nanjing in the distance. Most of my days in China had smog like this. It makes it hard to get a nice clear picture of of the view from the mountain.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01827559858867802149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1936558068007595456.post-91129993842593428072012-06-13T09:48:00.000-07:002012-06-13T09:48:01.050-07:00Of the city of Nanjing;<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--RhG4fXPv3A/T8_z51NVmMI/AAAAAAAABx0/bCAul30GUNk/s1600/DSCN3947.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="418" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--RhG4fXPv3A/T8_z51NVmMI/AAAAAAAABx0/bCAul30GUNk/s640/DSCN3947.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The skyscrapers of Nanjing.</td></tr>
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The second city on my tour through China was the city of Nanjing. With a population of about eight million people, the city is one of the smaller places I visited in China. I had a few people ask me about why I chose to visit Nanjing since it isn't a major tourist site in China. My response was that I came to Nanjing for its history. While studying the Ming Dynasty at my university I would occasionally hear about the importance of the city of Nanjing. It has been the capital city to several dynasties and its position on the Yangtze River led to its growth as a major trade city. For a time, it was even the world's most populated city.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nanjing is about 2 hours northwest of Shanghai by high-speed train.</td></tr>
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The name "Nanjing" shows its importance in Chinese history. While the name Beijing means Northern Capital (Bei = North; Jing = Capital) Nanjing means Southern Capital (Nan = South; Jing = Capital). It was capital of the Six Dynasties (229 AD), the first capital of the Ming (1368), and was even capital of the Republic of China in the early 20th century. Around the city I was still able to see elements remaining from its past as an imperial capital.<br />
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Right outside of my hostel I kept seeing signs for the Porcelain Tower of Nanjing on the walls around a park, but I couldn't ever see the tower. Eventually I found out that the tower is actually one of the seven wonders of the medieval world, but was destroyed in 1856 during the Taiping Rebellion led by a man who claimed he was the brother of Jesus. Today, there are still signs for the tower because there are plans to rebuild it.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fischer von Erlach's 1721 illustration of the Porcelain Tower.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The city walls of Nanjing are longest city walls still standing in the world.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Japanese forces entering the city of Nanjing.</td></tr>
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As capital of the Republic of China, the city of Nanjing was captured by Japanese forces in 1937 as part of the early Pacific-Theater of WWII. In the months following the fall of Nanjing, and estimated 250,000 Chinese civilians were brutally killed in what is known as the Rape of Nanking. Today the massacre is still a touchy subject since some Japanese officials are denying the massacre ever took place. After the war, Nanjing was able to develop into the important industrial city it is today.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Japanese soldier standing over the massacre victims</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A park dedicated to the nation's martyrs.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A view looking over Nanjing and the 89 story Zifeng Tower, the 8th tallest skyscraper in the world.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the canals in downtown Nanjing. It is horribly polluted and (other than stinky tofu) was the worse thing I smelled in China.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A cleaner and more pleasant canal.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01827559858867802149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1936558068007595456.post-28747087886705667032012-06-06T15:14:00.001-07:002012-06-06T15:14:17.876-07:00Of train travel through China;I started my trip in Beijing, but I still needed to get to Shanghai; 800 miles to the South. I could have hoped on one of the trains that speed across the country at 185mph, but I wanted a slightly slower sleeper train so that I could hop on at night and wake up in my destination. I booked a ticket through my hostel for a bed on one of the first class sleeper cars and headed off to the train station.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Beijing Railway Station.</td></tr>
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When I got to the station I had no idea where to go but I had 30 extra minutes so I wasn't in any huge rush to get to my train. In the huge station I looked around for the waiting room for my train, but I couldn't find anything with my train number. After looking at my train ticket a few times I noticed that it said it was departing from the Beijing South Rail Station. That is when I got my first idea that something was wrong. I took out my city map and saw that about 8 subway stops from the Beijing Rail Station was the Beijing SOUTH Rail Station. I had that awful feeling where your stomach sinks and you know you've made a mistake. I had gone to the wrong station and my train, which I had already paid for, was going to be departing in less than 30 minutes.<br />
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I grabbed my bags and ran out of the station to the plaza outside. As I was sprinting across to the subway entrance a taxi driver noticed me and pulled me into his unmarked taxi. I was able to tell him about my mistake and show him my train ticket and departure time. We made the deal that I would pay him 200 RMB ($30 USD) if he got me there in time. In China, 200 RMB could buy you about 15 taxi rides so this driver really wanted to get me there on time. We sped off the the craziest and most terrifying taxi ride I've ever been on. We blasted through a few red lights and drove on the shoulder of the freeway all while the driver was honking at cars and flashing his lights so they would move out of the way.<br />
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We pull up to the rail station with about 4 minutes till my departure time. I run into the terminal. Throw my bags through the security x-ray and ask which way the gate from my train is. I get all my bags back on then sprint across the terminal to my train. I probably looked like I was competing on the Amazing Race. I made it to my train just in time. As soon as I boarded the train and found my cabin we started moving and pulled out of the station.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My train in the Nanjing Rail Station.</td></tr>
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Now that I was finally on the train I could relax. I was exhausted, sweating, and jittery from my suspenseful and adrenaline filled taxi ride and sprint through the train station. I shared my sleeper cabin with 3 Chinese men who could speak a little bit of English. After talking with them for a little bit, they invited me to the party in the next cabin over with their coworkers. About eight of us crammed into this tiny sleeper cabin where they start offering me beers and food. My new Chinese friends were all young car designers on their way back to Shanghai from a car show. Some of the people in the group could speak English well so I told them all about my experience so far in China and how I came to China to perform with the marching band. They didn't know what a marching band was so I showed them some of the videos of the Husky Band field shows I had on my laptop. We had a great time swapping stories and sharing photos till late at night. Then they made sure I knew which stop to get off at in the morning and double checked the arrival time for me. What started as a miserable train experienced turned into a fun night thanks to these people. They were excited to have an American with them in their cabin and hear about my home, and I was just as thrilled to meet them and hear about life in China.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our train cabin party at about 120 MPH.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The station I arrived at in Nanjing (just north of Shanghai)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view of the city of Nanjing from the train station.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01827559858867802149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1936558068007595456.post-64732592672902167842012-06-05T16:08:00.002-07:002012-06-05T16:08:16.067-07:00Of the Forbidden City;<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A gate tower which separates some of the courtyards within the Forbidden City.</td></tr>
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The major site to see in Beijing is the Forbidden City. It was built in 1406 as the emperor's palace. Today it is no longer forbidden to enter since it is now a huge heritage site and museum, but there are still some sections which are off limits for visitors. It is incredible how gigantic and elegant the city is. There are 9,999 rooms and it takes up 180 acres in the center of Beijing. It is surrounded by a moat and large walls with high gates and watchtowers.Within the Forbidden City are huge courtyards, gardens, narrow walkways, and large temples all decorated with traditional Chinese designs.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A view looking down at the Forbidden City and its moat and walls.</td></tr>
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I spent several hours wandering around the Forbidden City. One of the first things that you notice are the huge crowds of people. The courtyards are filled with packs of tour groups and as you walk around the narrow corridors of the palace you feel like a cow being pushed through a stockyard. It was rare to find a nice quiet place to sit and appreciate the sites of the palace. I ended up taking a wrong turn through an unguarded door and entered a completely empty courtyard. It was amazing. There were no crowds, it was quiet, and I guess it was also forbidden. I poked my head into the Ancestral Temple and was spotted by several of the workers of the Forbidden City. They yelled a few things at me in Chinese and then escorted me back to the main palace grounds.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4ULDntEL1Z8/T767XRAVs9I/AAAAAAAABsI/KkY1cbAfVAI/s1600/DSCN3830.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="382" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4ULDntEL1Z8/T767XRAVs9I/AAAAAAAABsI/KkY1cbAfVAI/s640/DSCN3830.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Hall of Supreme Harmony, the largest of the buildings in the Forbidden City, was used for important imperial ceremonies during the Ming and Qing dynasties.</td></tr>
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The whole Forbidden City is considered a museum because of all its history as the palace of the emperors, but within some of the buildings are museums (which you have to pay extra to visit) which showoff some of the valuable treasures of the Chinese empire. There were rooms of carved jade and other precious stone pieces and a huge collection of 19th century European clocks.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rMNupVibixQ/T767skHB9YI/AAAAAAAABsg/iTjFQyAsog0/s1600/DSCN3855.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rMNupVibixQ/T767skHB9YI/AAAAAAAABsg/iTjFQyAsog0/s640/DSCN3855.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Every corner of the Forbidden City has little elements of Chinese design.</td></tr>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-awWpifMxN08/T7676yB8XEI/AAAAAAAABsw/VrA0If-pYnk/s1600/DSCN3866.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-awWpifMxN08/T7676yB8XEI/AAAAAAAABsw/VrA0If-pYnk/s640/DSCN3866.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01827559858867802149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1936558068007595456.post-83606615899122914232012-05-25T16:59:00.000-07:002012-05-25T16:59:13.852-07:00Of the food of Beijing;My main source of food in China was street food. It is delicious, cheap, and, if you can make the right choices, it won't leave you sick after eating. My hostel in Beijing was in the Sanlitun district of the city. The area had some big shopping malls, but best of all there was a street a block from my hostel filled with line of small restaurants. After it gets dark, the small charcoal grills come out and the streets are filled with the smell of all sorts of grilled meats. My favorite spot was where there were two tiny shops with two little tables out front. One shop was a bakery with all sorts of breads filled with peppers and greens. The other shop usually had a big stack of steam trays cooking away. I stopped a number to times to get a snack to eat. For less than a dollar I could get a tray of steamed meat dumplings or a pile of tasty baked goods.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XkmzwdPcUVQ/T8ALmcmFs7I/AAAAAAAABu0/v-MP0cV6slQ/s1600/DSCN3874.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XkmzwdPcUVQ/T8ALmcmFs7I/AAAAAAAABu0/v-MP0cV6slQ/s640/DSCN3874.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was my favorite place. You can seen the steam-trays, but the bakery is so small you can't even see it tucked away behind the other businesses.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CxI8tmDUJmo/T8AL38W35dI/AAAAAAAABvM/PyyB7Kf92sk/s1600/IMG_0638.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CxI8tmDUJmo/T8AL38W35dI/AAAAAAAABvM/PyyB7Kf92sk/s640/IMG_0638.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What I would get from the bakery. The top thing is a packet of braised greens. The bottom one is a bread with hot peppers and seasonings folded into the dough.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JZJjVUOY03A/T7vV1vO2yCI/AAAAAAAABkE/cte1Aiu030A/s1600/DSCN3674.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JZJjVUOY03A/T7vV1vO2yCI/AAAAAAAABkE/cte1Aiu030A/s640/DSCN3674.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From the steam place you could get the humbow or the dumplings filled with the usual unidentifiable ground meat mixture you find all over China. Then you put a scoop of hot chili slurry in your little dish and mix it up with the vinegar so you have a nice spicy mix to dip your steamed goods into.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8Ky77klP7XQ/T8ALzYp368I/AAAAAAAABvE/ZET3zwMvytA/s1600/DSCN3758.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8Ky77klP7XQ/T8ALzYp368I/AAAAAAAABvE/ZET3zwMvytA/s640/DSCN3758.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I also heard that the dried fruits in China are good. They were tasty, but I couldn't figure out what any of them were.</td></tr>
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One of the foods Beijing is best known for is its Peking duck. There are restaurants all over the city that sell whole ducks cooked-up with super crispy skin. After watching the sun set from a temple complex with pagodas and pavilions representing the five tastes, two other travelers and I went to find a place to enjoy this Beijing delicacy.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6420117O2Vk/T8ALDv7ycVI/AAAAAAAABuU/cRymMbv-GuI/s1600/DSCN3793.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6420117O2Vk/T8ALDv7ycVI/AAAAAAAABuU/cRymMbv-GuI/s640/DSCN3793.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our server chopping the duck up in front of us.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oWdGtb4J3us/T8ALNrOQ7aI/AAAAAAAABuc/VTQEqa6jlu0/s1600/DSCN3794.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oWdGtb4J3us/T8ALNrOQ7aI/AAAAAAAABuc/VTQEqa6jlu0/s640/DSCN3794.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You put the duck on a small thin pancake, add a few pieces of green onion, and add a sweet sauce before rolling it up and eating it.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IXDncnT7j1k/T8ALWB7NGGI/AAAAAAAABuk/2uE7_YE4ISo/s1600/DSCN3797.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IXDncnT7j1k/T8ALWB7NGGI/AAAAAAAABuk/2uE7_YE4ISo/s640/DSCN3797.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We also ordered up some duck liver pate and something called Monkey Head Mushroom Soup. We were all disappointed when we didn't get a big monkey head floating in a bowl. It was just like any other soup.</td></tr>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01827559858867802149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1936558068007595456.post-12461421138080644302012-05-25T14:11:00.000-07:002012-05-25T14:11:04.530-07:00Of the temples of Beijing;One of the great things about Beijing is how old the city is. All around the city are palaces, temples, and gardens build by the past dynasties centuries ago.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LWACFk4m-_I/T76538TjXZI/AAAAAAAABqY/ZGZa0RNZrls/s1600/DSCN3749.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LWACFk4m-_I/T76538TjXZI/AAAAAAAABqY/ZGZa0RNZrls/s640/DSCN3749.JPG" width="451" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The White Pagoda of Beihai Park.</td></tr>
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The first temples I visited in China were in an area of parks and islands among the lakes running along the northwest side of the Forbidden City. On the peak of the hill on Jade Isle is the White Pagoda. Its bright white tower holds a reliquary of Buddhist scriptures and relics from monks. Jade Isle sits in a small lake surrounded by pagodas and gardens in Beihai Park.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iWf2tO2jbW8/T766EFztp4I/AAAAAAAABqo/nLC3wZvRZWY/s1600/DSCN3754.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="402" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iWf2tO2jbW8/T766EFztp4I/AAAAAAAABqo/nLC3wZvRZWY/s640/DSCN3754.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A small stone bridge on Jade Isle in the middle of Beihai Lake.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RPF19eywo1w/T765YYA-lMI/AAAAAAAABp4/KQcgsKEU4M0/s1600/DSCN3731.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RPF19eywo1w/T765YYA-lMI/AAAAAAAABp4/KQcgsKEU4M0/s640/DSCN3731.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The eaves of Chinese temples are always interesting.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-a-AziyWpGkQ/T7659ZTrw-I/AAAAAAAABqg/JnDWEfm5E4Y/s1600/DSCN3751.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="418" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-a-AziyWpGkQ/T7659ZTrw-I/AAAAAAAABqg/JnDWEfm5E4Y/s640/DSCN3751.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A small pagoda in Beihai Park.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-j44FbDjAdPM/T765xeNb5FI/AAAAAAAABqQ/TErvT_Sw0f8/s1600/DSCN3743.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-j44FbDjAdPM/T765xeNb5FI/AAAAAAAABqQ/TErvT_Sw0f8/s640/DSCN3743.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">People would buy these little wooden medallions and write prayers on them before hanging them on the trees in the temple courtyard.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O9Gs9H5Xmho/T766rU8zM1I/AAAAAAAABrY/BwjQPQkXEiQ/s1600/DSCN3781.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O9Gs9H5Xmho/T766rU8zM1I/AAAAAAAABrY/BwjQPQkXEiQ/s640/DSCN3781.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The White Pagoda of Beihai Park in the Beijing sunset.</td></tr>
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Directly north of the Forbidden City is a big mound of earth rising from the ground covered with pavilions and pagodas known as Jingshan Park. This 45 meter high mound of dirt, which was built using manual labor and excess dirt of those dredging canals and motes six centuries ago, is now the highest point in the city of Beijing. Obviously not an easy talk to complete without the use of modern earthmovers and machinery. The hill has five peaks each with a structure which used to contain a copper Buddha statue representing each of the five tastes: sour, salty, bitter, acidic, and sweet. It is like a temple to food lovers. I guess I did go out to eat a big meal of Peking crispy duck after visiting the temples so there must be some sort of spiritual tie.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-U9TLSKkFqW0/T766I9D9ZbI/AAAAAAAABqw/lkMf9AHHms0/s1600/DSCN3761.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-U9TLSKkFqW0/T766I9D9ZbI/AAAAAAAABqw/lkMf9AHHms0/s640/DSCN3761.JPG" width="342" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I don't think the No Climbing sign was too far away.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AnNg4oCqUpA/T766Pt6QisI/AAAAAAAABq4/6sibm9MMJ2w/s1600/DSCN3858.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AnNg4oCqUpA/T766Pt6QisI/AAAAAAAABq4/6sibm9MMJ2w/s640/DSCN3858.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The main Pavilion in Jingshan Parks is on the highest point above the city and can be seen from all around the Forbidden City.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Tbz_Pi7udWE/T766dltz1aI/AAAAAAAABrI/ixQQvTVkDuQ/s1600/DSCN3769.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Tbz_Pi7udWE/T766dltz1aI/AAAAAAAABrI/ixQQvTVkDuQ/s640/DSCN3769.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and the view from the pavilion looking over the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square far in the distance.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-w-geUQjQS00/T766WEYcAUI/AAAAAAAABrA/JxI_o8jDYws/s1600/DSCN3765.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-w-geUQjQS00/T766WEYcAUI/AAAAAAAABrA/JxI_o8jDYws/s640/DSCN3765.JPG" width="482" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view towards the drum and bell towers north of Jingshan Park.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZGkeLQ0PcB8/T766xjwlEAI/AAAAAAAABrg/OOoGsEPHGvY/s1600/DSCN3783.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="456" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZGkeLQ0PcB8/T766xjwlEAI/AAAAAAAABrg/OOoGsEPHGvY/s640/DSCN3783.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and the two Dutch travelers I spent the day traveling around Beijing with.</td></tr>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01827559858867802149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1936558068007595456.post-77990970570689500242012-05-24T12:58:00.000-07:002012-05-24T12:58:16.422-07:00Of the National Museum of China;<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EPxkGPIDhs4/T71Y9y-goaI/AAAAAAAABn4/IDtFcPnTVDg/s1600/DSCN3683.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EPxkGPIDhs4/T71Y9y-goaI/AAAAAAAABn4/IDtFcPnTVDg/s640/DSCN3683.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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One of the larger buildings running along the side of Tiananmen Square is the National Museum of China. It is the most impressive museum I have ever seen. I never considered how nice a museum in a communist nation like China could be. Just the building it's in is incredible. It was built as one of the Ten Great Buildings of Beijing celebrating the first decade of the People's Republic of China. Inside it is filled some of the many treasures from the provinces all around China.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ilpu9_9fG5A/T71ZTHpRSBI/AAAAAAAABoQ/pXWhK-YKVT4/s1600/DSCN3812.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ilpu9_9fG5A/T71ZTHpRSBI/AAAAAAAABoQ/pXWhK-YKVT4/s640/DSCN3812.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view from the main entrance hall looking out</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FQk8yYPUxaY/T71ZEqJvNwI/AAAAAAAABoA/Ga1WHfnAQDo/s1600/DSCN3826.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FQk8yYPUxaY/T71ZEqJvNwI/AAAAAAAABoA/Ga1WHfnAQDo/s640/DSCN3826.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The inner-courtyard. It really amazes me how big this place is. There was also some intense security to get in.</td></tr>
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The collections cover just about every period of Chinese history. The first room you see is filled with all the communist art. It was probably my favorite because I love nationalistic sculpture. Along the walls of the room are huge paintings depicting the struggles along the path to revolution and epic paintings of Mao's rise to greatness. Other galleries are filled with the most intricately carved natural resources of China. One room was devoted to gigantic carved jade pieces, another was sculptures made of ivory, while other rooms were full of works made of wood and precious stones. Another gallery covered Chinese history from the stone-age societies to the end of the Qing Dynasty.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eRp4ErbER0s/T71ZMYsLs9I/AAAAAAAABoI/UJMjahVes4I/s1600/DSCN3809.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eRp4ErbER0s/T71ZMYsLs9I/AAAAAAAABoI/UJMjahVes4I/s640/DSCN3809.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nationalistic paintings and statues.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NBUBux5RGks/T71ZrWeXTTI/AAAAAAAABoo/qMbVfs2_MvI/s1600/DSCN3818.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NBUBux5RGks/T71ZrWeXTTI/AAAAAAAABoo/qMbVfs2_MvI/s640/DSCN3818.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A huge scene carved from many pieces of ivory.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ukesa_vAKOg/T71ZirVqv7I/AAAAAAAABog/isNLQ7VZ0zE/s1600/DSCN3817.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ukesa_vAKOg/T71ZirVqv7I/AAAAAAAABog/isNLQ7VZ0zE/s640/DSCN3817.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A wooden relief carving.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-T2eG_KEj1KQ/T71ZZxMWjeI/AAAAAAAABoY/eLyr5RnUkJI/s1600/DSCN3814.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="368" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-T2eG_KEj1KQ/T71ZZxMWjeI/AAAAAAAABoY/eLyr5RnUkJI/s400/DSCN3814.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Statue of Buddha</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TwiBuYr5dgM/T71Zy0SV6qI/AAAAAAAABow/KLQdggNTCDs/s1600/DSCN3824.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="312" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TwiBuYr5dgM/T71Zy0SV6qI/AAAAAAAABow/KLQdggNTCDs/s400/DSCN3824.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm not really sure what it is, but it is old.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BTbYPV0Vku8/T71Z5gB0T_I/AAAAAAAABo4/TwHRGUlgVG8/s1600/DSCN3825.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BTbYPV0Vku8/T71Z5gB0T_I/AAAAAAAABo4/TwHRGUlgVG8/s640/DSCN3825.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In the 19th century Chinese loved European clocks and watches. This museum and the Forbidden City have collections of some of the most interesting and elegant clocks in China. This one is my favorite.</td></tr>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01827559858867802149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1936558068007595456.post-21011989774133015852012-05-23T16:44:00.000-07:002012-05-23T16:44:13.243-07:00Of Tiananmen Square;Directly in the center of Beijing is Tiananmen Square. It is about one third of a mile across and about half a mile long making it the 3rd largest square in the world. The square is filled with thousands of Chinese tourists visiting the nationalist monuments dedicated to Mao and the revolutionary martyrs of China. In the middle of the square hundreds of people line up everyday to view the Chairman Mao Zedong's preserved body in the mausoleum. On the north side of the square is the entrance to the Forbidden City with the huge portrait of Mao hanging above the gate. On either side of the square are the impressive communist era building for the National Museum and the Great Hall of the People which is China's parliament building. Being one of the few non-Chinese people walking through this important Chinese square I got a lot of attention. Sometimes it was people asking to take a photo with me while they practiced their English. Other times it was pretty Chinese girls chatting me up trying to lure me into tourist traps.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m6UfKlxnb-0/T71Xka7ZhlI/AAAAAAAABmQ/iHhiD2WHaLg/s1600/DSCN3692.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m6UfKlxnb-0/T71Xka7ZhlI/AAAAAAAABmQ/iHhiD2WHaLg/s640/DSCN3692.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The carvings on Monument to the People's Heroes tell the story of the Chinese revolution leading up to the founding of the People's Republic.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8sLQe5mJXig/T71XqgwhF5I/AAAAAAAABmY/VRTzZ2a0jZc/s1600/DSCN3690.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8sLQe5mJXig/T71XqgwhF5I/AAAAAAAABmY/VRTzZ2a0jZc/s640/DSCN3690.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Chinese seal above the Great Hall of the People. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IwsYRV0s6YU/T71YviwE-7I/AAAAAAAABno/BTo3VEG_KGU/s1600/DSCN3715.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IwsYRV0s6YU/T71YviwE-7I/AAAAAAAABno/BTo3VEG_KGU/s640/DSCN3715.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The entrance to the Forbidden City</td></tr>
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<br />
I had heard about the typical Chinese tourist trap before I came to China so I knew what to watch out for. During my day around the square and site-seeing with a Dutch traveler I had met, we had about a half dozen Chinese girls come up to us. They usually start the conversation by asking where you are from and what you are doing in China. Quickly the conversation leads into her asking if you want to go to a bar/tea house/coffee shop that she knows of. Supposedly the way the trap works is that at this tea house (or what ever it ends up being) she suggests you order a specific drink. When you finally get the bill you find out that the drink you had was super expensive and you are stuck with handing over $150 for a crappy drink.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-44-vTLmTlFI/T71X3Fsn5fI/AAAAAAAABmo/TgMRR8V0gPE/s1600/DSCN3696.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-44-vTLmTlFI/T71X3Fsn5fI/AAAAAAAABmo/TgMRR8V0gPE/s640/DSCN3696.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She couldn't speak any English so her boyfriend had to ask me if she could get a photo with me. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fGh9bNFnHXQ/T71YKZ-fXeI/AAAAAAAABnA/Fu8euaFpNWc/s1600/DSCN3702.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fGh9bNFnHXQ/T71YKZ-fXeI/AAAAAAAABnA/Fu8euaFpNWc/s640/DSCN3702.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There used to be a big city wall here that was torn down to open up the square. All that is left now is this gate tower and several others around the square.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HAP1EM_S3Do/T71XcTPTSEI/AAAAAAAABmI/wJvYidbnHIY/s1600/DSCN3686.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HAP1EM_S3Do/T71XcTPTSEI/AAAAAAAABmI/wJvYidbnHIY/s640/DSCN3686.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> Monument to the People's Heroes with Mao's mausoleum behind it. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JCwnwIvdFc0/T71Yndn2ZvI/AAAAAAAABng/fCdF9wvyzM0/s1600/DSCN3714.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JCwnwIvdFc0/T71Yndn2ZvI/AAAAAAAABng/fCdF9wvyzM0/s640/DSCN3714.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another remnant of Beijing's city walls in the square. This was a defensive archer tower.</td></tr>
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One of the craziest things about Tiananmen Square is the security. To enter the square you have to pass through a security station and have your bags x-rayed. Once you are actually in there square you'll have about a dozen cameras watching you from every angle making sure you don't act out. The last thing you would want to do here is where a "Free Tibet" t-shirt. You probably also don't want to mention the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 with the iconic image of the man standing in front of the line of tanks.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3aFlANsEXvs/T71XvpyaJFI/AAAAAAAABmg/mSyBARc-rp0/s1600/DSCN3694.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3aFlANsEXvs/T71XvpyaJFI/AAAAAAAABmg/mSyBARc-rp0/s640/DSCN3694.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Several groups of soldiers march around patrolling the square. They also have plan-clothed soldiers which mix into the crowds to keep an eye on everybody.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wH-PlgG_a7s/T71Y2tkgCjI/AAAAAAAABnw/oX_0Q5X7DWI/s1600/DSCN3806.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wH-PlgG_a7s/T71Y2tkgCjI/AAAAAAAABnw/oX_0Q5X7DWI/s640/DSCN3806.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the crowd lined up to see the body of Mao. You can also see all the light poles with security cameras on them.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZqEA-YcAflM/T71YQgG0MkI/AAAAAAAABnI/JJYoowcsFwo/s1600/DSCN3708.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZqEA-YcAflM/T71YQgG0MkI/AAAAAAAABnI/JJYoowcsFwo/s640/DSCN3708.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just south of the square is an area that looks like it is China Town of China. The narrow lantern-lined streets are filled with a bunch of little shops and restaurants.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_trlRQjg-OI/T71YZfnE5hI/AAAAAAAABnQ/Q3qQ-IHXbQk/s1600/DSCN3710.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_trlRQjg-OI/T71YZfnE5hI/AAAAAAAABnQ/Q3qQ-IHXbQk/s640/DSCN3710.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A cool building under renovation.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mXOzi_9_cdU/T71YDOfOdvI/AAAAAAAABm4/7n6yWqDg_TY/s1600/DSCN3699.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="456" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mXOzi_9_cdU/T71YDOfOdvI/AAAAAAAABm4/7n6yWqDg_TY/s640/DSCN3699.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There are also a number of old European diplomatic offices near the square.</td></tr>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01827559858867802149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1936558068007595456.post-37727004997241609852012-05-22T15:56:00.000-07:002012-05-22T15:56:57.699-07:00Of the Beijing ancient observatory;On my walk around Beijing I found the Beijing's observatory from the Ming and Qing dynasties. It was built in 1442 on a raised tower of the city wall. All of the cast bronze celestial instruments sit 50 feet above the city with just the same view of the night sky as there was half a millennium ago (except for the smog and light pollution). Research stopped in 1929, but the observatory has earned a world record for nearly 500 years of continuous use.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lwlpG7Nj7NU/T7vVrLtQEvI/AAAAAAAABj0/pZQvGEO1tOc/s1600/DSCN3665.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lwlpG7Nj7NU/T7vVrLtQEvI/AAAAAAAABj0/pZQvGEO1tOc/s640/DSCN3665.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and the collection of various astronomical instruments. The wall and platform behind me is the ancient observatory.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vmuRFfw4lII/T7vVLNope3I/AAAAAAAABjM/IbWDO9YDdos/s1600/DSCN3655.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vmuRFfw4lII/T7vVLNope3I/AAAAAAAABjM/IbWDO9YDdos/s640/DSCN3655.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The observational platform is fulled with a number of instruments built in the 17th century to track the movements of the stars and planets. This is the Ecliptic Armilla: made in 1673 for the purpose of determining ecliptic longitude difference and latitude of celestial bodies.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9iAZfIgzSJo/T7vde8L2QrI/AAAAAAAABkk/uW1-oBB6SHg/s1600/Photograph+of+the+observatory+in+Beijing+about+the+year+1925.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="489" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9iAZfIgzSJo/T7vde8L2QrI/AAAAAAAABkk/uW1-oBB6SHg/s640/Photograph+of+the+observatory+in+Beijing+about+the+year+1925.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The collection of instruments in 1925.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3tdpCo2mSTQ/T7wTS1-5YDI/AAAAAAAABlw/0xHHT8_VG2w/s1600/Observatoire_de_Peking.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="441" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3tdpCo2mSTQ/T7wTS1-5YDI/AAAAAAAABlw/0xHHT8_VG2w/s640/Observatoire_de_Peking.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A European drawing of the observatory from 1737.</td></tr>
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For many years these instruments were the most advanced in the world. Most were designed by a Jesuit Missionary in the 1670s for the emperor of China. Since they were for the emperor a lot of work went into the bronze casts. Many of the instruments have dragons on the bases to show the connection between the emperor and the specialized field of astronomy. In 1900 when the 8 foreign armies invaded Beijing the observatory was looted. All of the ornate bronze instruments were carries off by soldiers. For a year several pieces stayed in front of the French embassy in Beijing while others were carried off to Germany. It wasn't until 1921 that all of the astronomical instruments were returned.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XrVQtFCK2wU/T7wM5yn0AmI/AAAAAAAABlk/JliOz62DQcE/s1600/700.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="448" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XrVQtFCK2wU/T7wM5yn0AmI/AAAAAAAABlk/JliOz62DQcE/s640/700.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The stolen instruments on display in front of Potsdam Palace in Germany.</td></tr>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PHOmsxl6eRU/T7vVWho4NPI/AAAAAAAABjc/GAM6SiEYop0/s1600/DSCN3658.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PHOmsxl6eRU/T7vVWho4NPI/AAAAAAAABjc/GAM6SiEYop0/s640/DSCN3658.JPG" width="464" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-n9_3NDRj8ik/T7vVTNoo1yI/AAAAAAAABjU/iFAtUlQ2Q6w/s1600/DSCN3657.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-n9_3NDRj8ik/T7vVTNoo1yI/AAAAAAAABjU/iFAtUlQ2Q6w/s640/DSCN3657.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the carved stones around the instruments.</td></tr>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01827559858867802149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1936558068007595456.post-62342294249483236682012-05-22T14:14:00.000-07:002012-05-22T14:14:59.589-07:00Of the city walls of Beijing;I continued my morning jet-lagged walk around Beijing and found a section of the old city walls. China loves big walls. Everyone knows of the Great Wall of China, but there are so many other walls in China. Many old cities of China have segments of the past defensive walls still standing. Beijing's wall system mainly dates to the 1400s, but over the 20th century there were slowly dismantled to make way for railroads and an inner-city freeway. Now, all that remains are a few sections of wall with several gate and watch towers scattered around the city.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the Dongbianmen section of the wall I visited. You can see the restored wall section and the watchtower in the background.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YmjXC--jfYE/T7vdhpgnqlI/AAAAAAAABlE/FSHFXjPcAVc/s1600/mapDongBianMen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YmjXC--jfYE/T7vdhpgnqlI/AAAAAAAABlE/FSHFXjPcAVc/s640/mapDongBianMen.jpg" width="595" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A map of Beijing's old defensive wall system with the Dongbianmen wall section I saw marked.</td></tr>
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Some areas of the wall have been restored while others are kept in a crumbling state. The section I visited had a large area which had been made safe to walk atop and an old unrestored section that stretched for another mile through the city. Most noticeable is the 30 meter high watchtower which was first built in 1440. It was a large defensive tower built at the Southeast corner of the city walls. In the past it would have been filled with hundreds of archers ready to fire arrows out from its 144 square windows. Today it is a museum about the city walls of China.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">China's largest corner tower.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XbFRbxSickk/T7vdg415qhI/AAAAAAAABk8/aQGTZooMu4U/s1600/Dongbianmen+1895.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="507" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XbFRbxSickk/T7vdg415qhI/AAAAAAAABk8/aQGTZooMu4U/s640/Dongbianmen+1895.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The same watchtower in 1895. What was once a moat along the wall, is now a small park.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jd1_wsXfJjU/T7vdgQY29KI/AAAAAAAABk0/Cfrnzk7j_Po/s1600/Qianmen+Gate+%2526+Camels+-+Peking.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="434" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jd1_wsXfJjU/T7vdgQY29KI/AAAAAAAABk0/Cfrnzk7j_Po/s640/Qianmen+Gate+%2526+Camels+-+Peking.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A 1900-1930 shot of the tower with a camel train.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A view looking down the unrestored section of the wall.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uRbf2_N2wKU/T7vUkqHO2GI/AAAAAAAABic/O2Iod1qpye4/s1600/DSCN3637.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uRbf2_N2wKU/T7vUkqHO2GI/AAAAAAAABic/O2Iod1qpye4/s640/DSCN3637.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The backside of the watchtower.</td></tr>
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The walls of Beijing kept invaders out of the city for centuries. It wasn't until the 20th century that walls were taken by foreign armies. In response to the anti-European Boxer Rebellion in China, in 1900 an army of eight European and American armies attacked Beijing. The city walls held for two days against the cannons and 20,000 Anglo troops. The troops overran the wall and entered the city where they looted, raped, and killed before capturing the city and forcing China to pay the equivalent to $60 billion in war reparations.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NLPzGz-wcy4/T7v5JNikjYI/AAAAAAAABlY/uQRuP8_sHWE/s1600/Siege_of_Peking%252C_Boxer_Rebellion.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="392" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NLPzGz-wcy4/T7v5JNikjYI/AAAAAAAABlY/uQRuP8_sHWE/s640/Siege_of_Peking%252C_Boxer_Rebellion.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An American painting showing the August 14th, 1900 Allied Relief Expedition assault on the outer walls of Peking.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sKku61opAMw/T7vUVfI8f2I/AAAAAAAABiM/1QLANYuQoZ0/s1600/DSCN3625.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sKku61opAMw/T7vUVfI8f2I/AAAAAAAABiM/1QLANYuQoZ0/s640/DSCN3625.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Chinese cannon on the restored wall section.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ILAWtJSFALM/T7v3_qQL1DI/AAAAAAAABlQ/7G-DD0jwiDc/s1600/2279012188_243d27eba7_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="406" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ILAWtJSFALM/T7v3_qQL1DI/AAAAAAAABlQ/7G-DD0jwiDc/s640/2279012188_243d27eba7_b.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The damaged tower after several days of bombardment.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eZ6dk06aZ7g/T7vU_CfkzkI/AAAAAAAABi8/VbngJp_XNXc/s1600/DSCN3639.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="386" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eZ6dk06aZ7g/T7vU_CfkzkI/AAAAAAAABi8/VbngJp_XNXc/s640/DSCN3639.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">When the Anglo forces took over this section of the wall they carved their names and dates into the walls bricks. The Chinese call it "criminal evidence left by the Russian and American invaders."</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UqAo_3nHhX4/T7vT7CjmMpI/AAAAAAAABhs/cNSUXzbkf_g/s1600/DSCN3613.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UqAo_3nHhX4/T7vT7CjmMpI/AAAAAAAABhs/cNSUXzbkf_g/s640/DSCN3613.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the buildings on the wall.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zvYOtvDPgT0/T7vUOEyBJbI/AAAAAAAABiE/n27R8JE6Ssg/s1600/DSCN3620.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zvYOtvDPgT0/T7vUOEyBJbI/AAAAAAAABiE/n27R8JE6Ssg/s640/DSCN3620.JPG" width="530" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After the Anglo invasion in 1900 arches were cut into the wall to open the city up to the growing rail system.</td></tr>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01827559858867802149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1936558068007595456.post-21400580060146957672012-05-21T21:08:00.000-07:002012-05-21T21:08:10.094-07:00Of Beijing and dealing with Jetlag;I set off for China with my big backpack crammed full of a few changes of clothes, power adapters/chargers, a potpourri of just-in-case medicines, and one large University of Washington Marching Band uniform. I guess I'm not the most efficient packer, but I was mainly happy that I didn't have to deal with hauling my heavy tenor sax around China with me. My flight was direct to Beijing from Seattle so all I had to deal with was a 12 hour flight and time zone change of 15 hours.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ldTIapuzcUs/T7rFPiGc_CI/AAAAAAAABbw/tAqXZSqkzUU/s1600/DSCN3572.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="230" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ldTIapuzcUs/T7rFPiGc_CI/AAAAAAAABbw/tAqXZSqkzUU/s400/DSCN3572.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">As we flew over Alaska I was able to get some good views of the Eastern Aleutian Mountain Range from my window.</td></tr>
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I arrived to a wet and rainy Beijing evening. It was easy getting from the airport to the correct subway stop to find my hostel, but after I getting back up to street level I was completely lost. Since it was dark and cloudy I couldn't figure out which direction was north. All I could do was show people the Chinese characters for the address of my hostel and go the direction they pointed me in. I also discovered how hard it can be to cross the street in China. Cars don't really stop for pedestrians in China so you have to plan out how you'll get across there street. Sometimes you can make it across quickly, but other times you'll end up standing in the middle of the road with cars buzzing by on either side of you.<br />
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Eventually I found my way to the SanLiTun Youth Hostel and got myself checked in. By this point it was about 8:00 PM and I was dead tired from my long flight and the 15 hour jump of timezones. I went down to the hostel's common room/bar to get a beer and chat with the other travelers. A got a bunch of suggestions of which places are worth seeing in Beijing, but it wasn't long before my eyes were slowly closing due to my lack of sleep and jetlag.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm not sure how big of a problem firecrackers are, but I saw a lot of these signs in China.</td></tr>
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I woke up the next morning wide awake at 5:30 AM and could not get back to sleep. I got up and prepared my little daypack with maps, cameras, and my Lonely Planet China guide before heading out to see the city. It was still early, but since the rain from the previous day took down all of the smog, it was clear and sunny out.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Breakfast street food! It is a crispy fried pancake with and egg cracked and fried on it. With a sauce, meat, and lettuce inside. It was really good.</td></tr>
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From my hostel I started walking south and got to Ritan Park also known as the Altar of the Sun. It was first built in 1530 as a altar for the emperor to make sacrifices to the sun. Most of the park was built up in the 1980s since the Ming Dynasty building were destroyed in the 20th century, but there are still several ancient cypress trees dating back several hundred years. The park is no longer used for animal sacrifice, but when I went through, it was packed with old people doing tai chi, singing, or preforming group dances for their morning exercises.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Ritan Park gate</td></tr>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01827559858867802149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1936558068007595456.post-80156069193161965532012-05-21T15:00:00.001-07:002012-05-21T15:00:39.335-07:00Of a trip to China;One month ago I left on my trip to China. Since the Husky Marching Band was heading to Shanghai for a week to perform in an international music festival, I decided to head to China a few days early, meet the band in Shanghai, and travel around China after everyone else in the band has gone back home.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Nj3PSj7S8yM/T7q3Bc5GhnI/AAAAAAAABaY/h9zWFp77EnQ/s1600/IMG_0662.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Nj3PSj7S8yM/T7q3Bc5GhnI/AAAAAAAABaY/h9zWFp77EnQ/s400/IMG_0662.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and my bags</td></tr>
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I got back home last week and now I can start sharing my photos and stories of traveling China on my blog. Because of the Chinese censorship of the internet, I was not able to post on here while actually in China. You can't even get on facebook, twitter, or youtube because of the restrictions of the Great Firewall of China.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5Y5qAvXJDfQ/T7q3IaUTM0I/AAAAAAAABag/N2qzzVNJQXs/s1600/DSCN3829.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5Y5qAvXJDfQ/T7q3IaUTM0I/AAAAAAAABag/N2qzzVNJQXs/s640/DSCN3829.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Forbidden City</td></tr>
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Over my three weeks in China I saw only a little bit of the gigantic country. It took forever for me to make a travel itinerary because I kept finding out about amazing spots all around the country that I wanted to go to. Even the week before I left I wasn't even sure where I'd go in China. I knew I wanted to see the Terracotta Warriors and climb one of the incredible mountains of China. Other than that my only plans were fly into Beijing and meet the band a week later down in Shanghai.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bLnUcjdVrJc/T7q3sTmBgXI/AAAAAAAABbY/Yo8djXkqOGs/s1600/DSCN4087.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bLnUcjdVrJc/T7q3sTmBgXI/AAAAAAAABbY/Yo8djXkqOGs/s400/DSCN4087.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My sax and I in front of the Bund in Shanghai</td></tr>
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In the end, I saw a number of cities in a 2,500 mile loop I made by train around Central-Eastern China. I met many great people: Chinese who took the time to show me around their city, and other amazing travelers. All of the places I visited in China were so incredible different from anywhere I have ever seen. The cities are gigantic, the history goes back thousands of years, the skies are choked with smog, and the culture is so different from what I'm used to in America. It was an amazing trip and I can't wait to share some of my photos and stories.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TQ-tZ_wLRDA/T7q3MogiwBI/AAAAAAAABao/rx1hQWYcrAU/s1600/IMG_0519.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TQ-tZ_wLRDA/T7q3MogiwBI/AAAAAAAABao/rx1hQWYcrAU/s640/IMG_0519.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Climbing Huashan (Mt. Hua)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A terracotta archer</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-B1mn5ZyPDns/T7q3f8VtFwI/AAAAAAAABbI/w_RaISHB1qM/s1600/DSCN3643.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="432" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-B1mn5ZyPDns/T7q3f8VtFwI/AAAAAAAABbI/w_RaISHB1qM/s640/DSCN3643.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It isn't the great wall, but it was still alright</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The West Lake UNESCO heritage site</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1jBUZH3u7jw/T7q3mRywsuI/AAAAAAAABbQ/GfAAi_2MvrU/s1600/DSCN4111.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1jBUZH3u7jw/T7q3mRywsuI/AAAAAAAABbQ/GfAAi_2MvrU/s640/DSCN4111.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Busy downtown Shanghai streets</td></tr>
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<a href="http://elmillion.blogspot.com/p/my-route-through-china.html" target="_blank">Click for a map of my journey around China</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01827559858867802149noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1936558068007595456.post-79951181096881850752012-04-12T15:36:00.000-07:002012-04-12T15:36:10.976-07:00Of the mountain towns of San Martin and Bariloche;I spent one night in the town San Martin de los Andes, Argentina in a tiny guest room in the house of a man I met at the bus station. I guess when it isn't the height of tourist season, the local lodge owners look for anyway to bring in a few more bucks. The town lies in a low valley on the shore of an Andean lake with thick green pines along the shore and snowcapped hills in the background. I did a quick walk through the town, but I didn't have much time to see any real sites since I arrived late the night before and my bus to Bariloche was leaving that morning.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xuqmjGuNdU8/T4YfISeDc_I/AAAAAAAABW8/19A3diT77M0/s1600/DSCN2615.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xuqmjGuNdU8/T4YfISeDc_I/AAAAAAAABW8/19A3diT77M0/s640/DSCN2615.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking up into the Andes from the shore of Lago Lacar in the town of San Martin.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>To get to Bariloche there are two main routes from San Martin. I was hoping the "Camino de siete lagos (the road of seven lakes)" which passes through the middle of the Andes would be open, but it was closed for winter. That wasn't too much of a problem since I had had a good amount of busing over small Andean roads the day before. The route I took went south along the eastern Patagonian side of the Andes before heading back into the mountains to reach Bariloche.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TlPQuHvDppU/T4YfQUsPc1I/AAAAAAAABXE/ekMLWvL2ky4/s1600/DSCN2645.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="378" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TlPQuHvDppU/T4YfQUsPc1I/AAAAAAAABXE/ekMLWvL2ky4/s640/DSCN2645.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking back those big Andes Mountains interrupting what would just be the flat expanse of Patagonia</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qisOEw4BIi8/T4YfVJGMpHI/AAAAAAAABXM/otDFuUEqikA/s1600/DSCN2660.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qisOEw4BIi8/T4YfVJGMpHI/AAAAAAAABXM/otDFuUEqikA/s640/DSCN2660.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The incredible rock formations at Confluencia on the way to Bariloche. The road beyond this was filled with amazing pillars of rock jutting out from the hill sides. Sadly taking pictures from a moving bus is not easy in low light.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UqrHm6rnkvo/T4YfcSUEfhI/AAAAAAAABXU/q6Qow6YNTk0/s1600/DSCN0001-4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UqrHm6rnkvo/T4YfcSUEfhI/AAAAAAAABXU/q6Qow6YNTk0/s640/DSCN0001-4.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the way back into the mountains to get to Bariloche</td></tr>
</tbody></table>My bus took a two hour scenic detour along the shores of Nahuel Huapi Lake in order to stop at the small town of Villa la Angostura. This town is actually only 25 miles from the Puyehue eruption which was still active. It was hard to tell because of all the snow that was coming down but there was volcanic ash all over the area. Nahuel Huapi Lake, a huge 45 mile long lake with arms that stretch into the valleys of the Andes, had areas covered with a thick sludge of ash left from the eruption. Many of the other lakes I saw had amazing light-blue colors from all the ash in the water.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NlDNBgm8MuY/T4YfqNoaDiI/AAAAAAAABXc/QovV4t-wDsM/s1600/Panorama+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NlDNBgm8MuY/T4YfqNoaDiI/AAAAAAAABXc/QovV4t-wDsM/s640/Panorama+3.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The interesting hue of an ash filled lake.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uUAFpF-Ak3Q/T4YgBXiKEwI/AAAAAAAABX0/EUSdSnu6UMU/s1600/DSCN2718.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uUAFpF-Ak3Q/T4YgBXiKEwI/AAAAAAAABX0/EUSdSnu6UMU/s640/DSCN2718.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> Nahuel Huapi Lake from the top of the Bariloche ski hill. The lake is so big that is has legends of sea monsters like Loch Ness. The island you see is the site of a 1950s laboratory and its failed nuclear experiments. I'm thinking that this sea monster known as Nahuelito is actually some radioactive mutant that got out.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>That afternoon I made it to my destination: San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina. I wanted to go to this city because it is known as one of the best ski resorts in Argentina and is well connected by bus to Buenos Aires. I had given up hope of skiing South America because it was a bad winter for snow and Cerro Catedral, the ski hill at Bariloche hadn't opened yet. When I get to Hostel 41 Below, an amazing ski hostel in Bariloche, they tell me that opening day skiing would be tomorrow. Turns out that all the snow I had gone through the day before gave the ski hill more than enough snow to open the lifts up. I couldn't pass up this day of skiing.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WG_4UDb_Qx0/T4YfzLNa0nI/AAAAAAAABXk/AklMkxpG_vM/s1600/mapa_pistas_2011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="374" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WG_4UDb_Qx0/T4YfzLNa0nI/AAAAAAAABXk/AklMkxpG_vM/s640/mapa_pistas_2011.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trail map of Cerro Catedral</td></tr>
</tbody></table>That next morning I managed to get myself out of bed early and a little hungover from a night of partying with the other skiers in the hostel. Hostel 41 Below was able to set me up with all the snow gear I needed and pointed me and the other skiers towards the ski bus to the resort. They were super helpful getting me a good rental price on a snowboard too. In Bariloche it had been dumping down snow, but by the time we got to the base of the mountain, about 30 minutes outside of town, the snow had stopped. Once I was on the chairlift, the clouds started breaking apart to reveal the amazing views of the Andes and blue skies.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uCMCR_WO7-s/T4Yf64105YI/AAAAAAAABXs/Jaz0tFDLfAk/s1600/DSCN2708.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uCMCR_WO7-s/T4Yf64105YI/AAAAAAAABXs/Jaz0tFDLfAk/s640/DSCN2708.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the way up the Cerro Catedral</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Q4klExuUA8s/T4YgLCR6LEI/AAAAAAAABX8/PREdwVi3NKk/s1600/DSCN2716.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Q4klExuUA8s/T4YgLCR6LEI/AAAAAAAABX8/PREdwVi3NKk/s640/DSCN2716.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A view looking off into the back side of ski resort. I hear it is a popular hiking spot in the summers.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>By the time I got to the top of the mountain it was perfect skiing conditions. Sort of... There were incredible views looking across the ski resort, down towards the city, and across Nahuel Huapi Lake. There was also a lot of fresh powder. About 3 feet of it. The only problem with that was that outside the groomed runs there was no base of snow under the powder. If I lost momentum and sank down into the powder I could feel my board scraping the rocks below.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mtD3AIiWyok/T4YgSvkNUxI/AAAAAAAABYE/2RCuMd7tyiQ/s1600/DSCN2725.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mtD3AIiWyok/T4YgSvkNUxI/AAAAAAAABYE/2RCuMd7tyiQ/s640/DSCN2725.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A view of the main ski-able area of Cerro Catedral. You can also see the line of lodges and food shacks stretching up and down the hill.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RwtiOtNHZSk/T4YgnV35ZEI/AAAAAAAABYM/14Yl45y6Zjk/s1600/Panorama+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="176" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RwtiOtNHZSk/T4YgnV35ZEI/AAAAAAAABYM/14Yl45y6Zjk/s640/Panorama+1.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Panoramic shot of the ski lift and the view from the top.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I had an awesome day of skiing. I met up with some travelers from the hostel on the hill and skied a number of runs with them. By the time I got back to the hostel it was nearly dark and I was exhausted from a full day of skiing so I sat back and watched some of the Copa America and cheered for Argentina's soccer team with the rest of the people in the hostel.<br />
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<a href="http://elmillion.blogspot.com/p/map-of-my-journey-by-bus-through.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Click to see a google map with my route through the Andes!</span></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://elmillion.blogspot.com/2012/04/of-perilous-journey-across-andes-of.html" target="_blank">Read Part 1:</a></span><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://elmillion.blogspot.com/2012/04/of-perilous-journey-across-andes-of.html" target="_blank"> </a><a href="http://elmillion.blogspot.com/2012/04/of-perilous-journey-across-andes-of.html" target="_blank">Of the perilous journey across the Andes; of Mamuil Malal Pass</a></span><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
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</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01827559858867802149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1936558068007595456.post-76099606744036243422012-04-12T11:58:00.001-07:002012-04-12T15:39:31.559-07:00Of the perilous journey across the Andes; of Mamuil Malal PassI left Chile a number of months ago in July, but I still have a large collection of my photos and stories from my journey across South America. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tO8yG8UZkgs/T4Y6nhxo8gI/AAAAAAAABaA/KqnNyCVkcP0/s1600/Chile034.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="416" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tO8yG8UZkgs/T4Y6nhxo8gI/AAAAAAAABaA/KqnNyCVkcP0/s640/Chile034.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
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It was in early July, the middle of South America's winter, I finished my classes at the Universidad Austral de Chile. I left my host's house the day after classes at about five in the morning. Still a little bit drunk from saying all my farewells the previous night and working with only two hours of sleep, I grabbed my huge packs and gruelingly walked the two blocks in the pouring Valdivian rain to the bus station.<br />
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I was sad to leave the town of Valdivia, but still excited and somewhat nervous to start my the last leg of my trip towards Buenos Aires, Argentina. The previous week I had gone to the bus station to buy my ticket to Bariloche, a ski town just on the other side of the border, but I discovered that I could no longer cross to Argentina due to the current erupting state of the Puyehue-Cordón Caulle volcano. Using my Spanish skills which I had refined in my semester in Valdivia, I went around the many ticket booths at the bus station asking about alternate routes to Bariloche, Argentina. I've never been more proud of my Spanish skills than when I walked out of that bus station that day with a number of complicated bus passes and the satisfaction of knowing I throughly searched that bus terminal for the best prices and routes they had to offer.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sGRopscNLvE/T4YxrpD7ynI/AAAAAAAABZ4/iK48h24egIA/s1600/DSCN2038.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sGRopscNLvE/T4YxrpD7ynI/AAAAAAAABZ4/iK48h24egIA/s640/DSCN2038.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A view of the eruption of Puyehue-Cordón Caulle which I shot from just outside Valdivia. This was the first day of a several month long eruption which closed airports across Argentina, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand.</td></tr>
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Now, returning back to my early morning departure from Valdivia. I got on my first bus of the journey to take me to a small bus stop on the side of the highway two hours north. From there I nervously awaited my next bus across the Andes. My mom had given me the rule of no buses across the Andes in the middle of winter, but I didn't have much for other options. I'm sure not going to take a small prop-plane across the Andes (not just a because of the daunting stories of survival and cannibalism you hear about, but because volcanic ash was still closing local airports). I knew that the route between Valdivia and Bariloche was a perfectly safe mountain pass easily comparable to any highway going across my native Cascades Mountain Range, but that route was closed since it went along the base of an erupting volcano. I was hoping that the bus I was taking would be going over another major mountain pass. I was wrong.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jz9lbkoKsgc/T4YehbJFSbI/AAAAAAAABWM/TEoLIyGuRFo/s1600/MAPA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="302" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jz9lbkoKsgc/T4YehbJFSbI/AAAAAAAABWM/TEoLIyGuRFo/s640/MAPA.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This map shows the section of the Andes that I passed through to get to San Martin (bottom right).</td></tr>
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As the bus made its way from the lover central valley of southern Chile into the Andes Mountains, the torrential rain which had been going for a few days turned to snow. And soon that snow was piled up two feet high along the sides of the road. The bus had to stop for an hour as we waited for the snow plows to open up the pass to traffic for the day. As the bus went higher into the mountains, more and more snow was piling up on the road. Eventually, it came to the point where the driver asked everyone to move to the back of the bus to give the rear tires more traction. By this point I could tell that this wouldn't be just a quick trip across the pass.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UUELvuySTLE/T4YexREPojI/AAAAAAAABWk/EdtFxfFAHtA/s1600/DSCN2596.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UUELvuySTLE/T4YexREPojI/AAAAAAAABWk/EdtFxfFAHtA/s640/DSCN2596.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The road to the border crossings blanketed in snow.</td></tr>
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As we got closer to the border crossing, our road became narrower. In most sections two cars, let alone one of them being a buss, could just barely pass by each other. There was a point where a Subaru trying to get past us had to back up a quarter mile before finding a pullout on the road. We made our way around a series of sharp switchbacks to finally peak at the top of Mamuil Malal Pass. From there the road flattens out at about 4000ft elevation through forests of snow-covered <a href="http://elmillion.blogspot.com/2011/05/of-araucarias-of-villarrica.html" target="_blank">araucarias</a> trees at the base of the 12,200ft perfect cone-shaped volcano Lanin.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H-n235Pg0bs/T4Ye5J_3cvI/AAAAAAAABWs/bihmAUaXCSw/s1600/DSCN2599.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H-n235Pg0bs/T4Ye5J_3cvI/AAAAAAAABWs/bihmAUaXCSw/s640/DSCN2599.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Man, I love araucania trees. Also known as monkey puzzle trees.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-86VBAzgmGLg/T4Yep9V9tLI/AAAAAAAABWc/ZO1Yv6oQ92I/s1600/DSCN2589.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-86VBAzgmGLg/T4Yep9V9tLI/AAAAAAAABWc/ZO1Yv6oQ92I/s640/DSCN2589.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So much of the bus ride was through forests of these prehistoric looking trees.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
The Argentinian and Chilean border crossing stations are about a mile apart from each other on an incredible road which winds around the snow-capped trees. I can't even compare this road to one in the states. It is just the tiniest international pass tucked into the mountains. It would be like taking one of the logging roads in the heart of the cascades in the middle of winter with a narrow semi-plowed road. In the summer when this place isn't in the snow, it is still just a primitive dirt road connecting Chile and Argentina.<br />
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As we continued over the Andes the road improved. One minute there is snow all over out my window and then the next minute it is all gone. It was the start of Patagonia, the rain shadow of the Andes. It wasn't long before we were driving through semi-arid deserts looking back at the Andes.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xjkW-WsHMd8/T4YfBSdmFOI/AAAAAAAABW0/JnCbIl4m9B0/s1600/DSCN2603.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xjkW-WsHMd8/T4YfBSdmFOI/AAAAAAAABW0/JnCbIl4m9B0/s640/DSCN2603.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In the Andes...</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cWE_aAj6eik/T4Zcy0YVx4I/AAAAAAAABaI/eXehgW6HaT8/s1600/DSCN2606.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cWE_aAj6eik/T4Zcy0YVx4I/AAAAAAAABaI/eXehgW6HaT8/s640/DSCN2606.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Out of the Andes</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
The town of San Martin de los Andes was the next stop on my route. To get there, the road, which now resembles a modern highway, skirts along the eastern side of the Andes before heading back into the Mountains. I originally planned to just pass through San Martin, but since what was supposed to be a 4 hour bus across the Andes turned into an all day journey through the snow and Andean forests, I had to stop for the night and continue towards Bariloche in the morning.<br />
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<a href="http://elmillion.blogspot.com/p/map-of-my-journey-by-bus-through.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Click to see a google map with my route through the Andes!</span></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://elmillion.blogspot.com/2012/04/of-mountain-towns-of-san-martin-and.html" target="_blank">Read Part 2:</a></span><a href="http://elmillion.blogspot.com/2012/04/of-mountain-towns-of-san-martin-and.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: small;"> Of the mountain towns of San Martin and Bariloche;</span></a><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
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</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01827559858867802149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1936558068007595456.post-59954855550303564062011-12-07T13:29:00.000-08:002011-12-07T13:29:53.396-08:00Of my final days in Valdivia;I arrived in Valdivia, Chile in the end of March and Left mid July. Since it was the city where I was living and studying I got to know the city pretty well. On my bike I saw just about every corner of Valdivia and the surrounding countryside. I met many great students at the university and I got to know a few great professors at UACh. And I can never forget about how caring and friendly my host family was.<br />
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<table style="width: auto;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/-ZQbg3LE-S9ghRHYB69D9tMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="480" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-0Dfd66D8t0A/TpYUZ3R2kMI/AAAAAAAABQE/lPS71C03_pc/s640/DSCN2504.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: right;">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/114574272228963217373/ChileW16?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite">Chile W16</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>In my last few weeks I was busy writing papers, preparing for finals, and getting ready to travel. One day the skies were all clear and it wasn't too cold (this was just before the winter solstice) so I went down to Niebla on the coast to write one of my essays.<br />
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<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/7-PwSQ7fp2DCB7om868KEtMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="480" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-P-d5WVXzbfA/TpYUYTMQ7II/AAAAAAAABP8/2WCKe1yAdK4/s640/DSCN2493.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
I got a bag of clam empanadas from the market and found a nice place on the beach to write about South American literature. I didn't really want to write so I spent a good amount of time taking photos on the beach. <br />
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<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/XYAyF_69yt00D4MAmDyf4dMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="480" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-BCODubzkgks/TpYUZQzQW4I/AAAAAAAABQA/m3dSgyv222M/s640/DSCN2498.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/KMxcVFXOifvSMyEg2SWXH9MTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="300" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-0_yQZrg3KF0/TpYUVAhg25I/AAAAAAAABPw/krbbRvjH3oQ/s400/DSCN2482.JPG" width="400" /></a><br />
Part of the empanada making process.<br />
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<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/e6s5SU4UaGjjZOE_2lhqi9MTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="300" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-1DVUXIeB39o/TpYUUoJ_qmI/AAAAAAAABPs/omeKzmWbPnk/s400/DSCN2471.JPG" width="400" /></a><br />
The market at Niebla. Most of the booths are selling empanadas, shish kabobs, or chicha.<br />
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<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/qqEoyxaPYYNyPt-pm3jtwNMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="300" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-FZQUV8299Gk/TpYUWDgAlYI/AAAAAAAABP0/3nFiS2HJ3HI/s400/DSCN2485.JPG" width="400" /></a><br />
This is apple chicha which is like apple cider.<br />
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<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/cV9fxMcoPbHHV_31IpNZYdMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="300" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-G4Ev8nCNqO4/TpYUitqUueI/AAAAAAAABQo/sF81n5p-QtQ/s400/DSCN2555.JPG" width="400" /></a><br />
Before Chile's first football game in the Copa America all the flags came out.<br />
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<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/yt-l3plTBPEgeUahf2C8V9MTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="480" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-W9ezHo6xHls/TpYUcZ7tDtI/AAAAAAAABQM/2jsIgB1vMiI/s640/DSCN2523.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
There were still plenty of protests going on in the city. For last few weeks my classes were held in buildings outside of the main island campus since the Chilean students took over the school. For about a month the university professors were not allowed to hold classes while the students blocked off the entrances and held a camp out on campus. This is a photo I took from my bedroom window. Most of the student marches would end at this university administration right next to my apartment. Over the months I saw lots of demonstrations with banners, megaphones, and noisemakers.<br />
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<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/II9V88nxzoXsODMjt7TjndMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="300" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-2RhzMPh4Nas/TpYUdDeLA5I/AAAAAAAABQQ/hAIfUTA5I14/s400/DSCN2532.JPG" width="400" /></a><br />
They have trolls in Chile too.<br />
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<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/RO78GNQnKEwkRIsFFaD3J9MTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="480" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-yPSrqd_eVzI/TpYUhze1DSI/AAAAAAAABQk/Lg0gx-VFy1A/s640/DSCN2551.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
A statue next to my apartment.<br />
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<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/PrhTuqwBkNIzx-7X_4VKdNMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="480" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-LX2j-7QJTCg/TpYUfwou3bI/AAAAAAAABQc/U0CiyE4gUvI/s640/DSCN2544.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
Mi casa. I lived on the 3rd floor in an apartment with my host mom and brother.<br />
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<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/FTrSLJrdq5ODA-gymcnnNNMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="480" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Nr-1JBoiJyQ/TpYUg1Vp02I/AAAAAAAABQg/4zfdhHEPSyk/s640/DSCN2547.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
My favorite empanada spot in town. I don't think it even had a name. But when ever there was a fresh batch ready they would put up a big sign saying 3 empanadas for 1.000 pesos. This is about $2 USD for some of the biggest empanadas you could ever eat.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01827559858867802149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1936558068007595456.post-55105750461088559502011-11-30T23:23:00.000-08:002011-11-30T23:23:57.068-08:00Film Feature: Valparaiso<table style="width: auto;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/ctmyJSBXOBSg5RhZuLoCtdMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="800" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-HDxPryCOkh0/TsV-AtdmxGI/AAAAAAAABSY/TuX2Qvq03kE/s800/chi029.jpg" width="533" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: right;">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/114574272228963217373/VinaValpScan?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite">VinaValp Scan</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>I love looking at the old maps of South America. This one is a stained glass map at the Valparaiso Maritime Museum. <br />
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<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/5vMpWaZV8P6iUgRiOebDwtMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="416" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-eT-WTHneQDo/Tta2NJmuYQI/AAAAAAAABS8/CYUShnTHkzg/s640/Chile003.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
A street in Valparaiso with its odd curb bumps. I'd imagine those would be very annoying if you aren't looking where you are walking.<br />
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<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/jL5ldj5fhHNFSmHIgVZVQNMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="416" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-cvC2pJyxQsU/TsV9tti4QWI/AAAAAAAABR0/9m3PEKn8zZs/s640/chi016.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
Plaza Sotomayor and a lone woman ranting about something in front of the building of the navy. Since it was my first few days in Chile and getting used to their Spanish I have no idea what she was saying. But, no one else was paying attention to her, so I guess I didn't miss much.<br />
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<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/QJv2ZkuXFx_CZv97olKjidMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="422" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-dc45k_jFZoI/TsV91stZoGI/AAAAAAAABSE/eTJg0HUKOTo/s640/chi021.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
Looking out over the city from the properly named Artillery Hill.<br />
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<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/1OUmRT0sXva3Vp_IOrb0R9MTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="417" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-ut0u4864Y0M/TsV9u3hs9XI/AAAAAAAABR4/T2-DdK_N5eQ/s640/chi017.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
The base of the Monument to the Heroes of Iquique. It is probably a safe guess that if there is a guard watching the monument all day then it must be important.<br />
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<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/QahOhzk6dci0rEU1g4kJStMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="800" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-Qmul1vG0-Es/TsV-DPY_aQI/AAAAAAAABSg/6jBesRZ3yHY/s800/chi031.jpg" width="524" /></a><br />
The top of the Monument to the Heroes of Iquique. It is remembering the death of Arturo Prat, one of Chile's naval heroes, and the other men who died in the battle of Iquique during the War of the Pacific (1879-1883).<br />
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<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Q9nqgLf0qivtCBmF06IvP9MTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="800" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-Z-boMnUAnQY/TsV-CE3CoJI/AAAAAAAABSc/VW3DcBozAtk/s800/chi030.jpg" width="533" /></a><br />
A naval guard in Plaza Sotomayor.<br />
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<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/UYfWPYX4Ukt3obHVCNJCB9MTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="421" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-G1uiHD8plQY/TsV9n2TpO2I/AAAAAAAABRk/DQhhFv8ICoY/s640/chi012.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
Another big gun from the Maritime Museum.<br />
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<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/MuYSMlCTpISApuCwLIMM-NMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="800" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-R5BIf3sN_Fc/Ttb4UHYSoTI/AAAAAAAABUA/SoPt5nBvhwE/s800/Chile041.jpg" width="522" /></a><br />
Not all of Valparaiso is old buildings, monuments, and museums. It also has a number of newer tall buildings packed into its twisted and narrow streets.<br />
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<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/IRSP4NZVA2yow92wduTh5tMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="800" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-7nPuXleuN9E/Ttb4VVZQwmI/AAAAAAAABUE/snfkUo9kgEs/s800/Chile042.jpg" width="530" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/by3ynSOsV5dY_jrk4btUJNMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="259" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-z3ZxZrm547M/Ttb4SzQ3JjI/AAAAAAAABT8/mciBTrXQ3iI/s400/Chile040.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/QxZ_g0P9_1vUfG8ZyEeUrNMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="260" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-KLdaRHNGgEU/Ttb4RZqt3UI/AAAAAAAABT4/lV4onKLokmM/s400/Chile039.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/gRjSPHnvIuc6TagUX9ymBNMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="261" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-oUiV3Nh1ZUg/Ttb4OZ8_ORI/AAAAAAAABT0/2cixFKgqFiM/s400/Chile038.jpg" width="400" /></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01827559858867802149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1936558068007595456.post-51400692373028323802011-11-30T15:48:00.000-08:002011-11-30T19:49:12.408-08:00Film Feature: SantiagoAfter my flight got into Santiago, Chile last March I had a few hours before needing to be at the bus station so I explored a small section of the city.<br />
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<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Q_TPb6bgFJ--nKeob9Eq_w?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="416" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-B92GPSy0bjo/TsV9rttm5gI/AAAAAAAABRs/NIctack62qU/s640/chi014.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
This was the first picture I took in Chile. It isn't anything exciting, I just need to make sure my camera survived the ride in my checked luggage. I took my free time to walk around the Park Quinta Normal, but it was still the morning so none of the museums were open.<br />
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<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/37GMFz-xneE1BIWYwxPeag?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="416" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-0RFESlpN4Vs/TsV9p843J8I/AAAAAAAABRo/jAdVNrLm1Nw/s640/chi013.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
Then I came across this cool building. It is the Artequin Museum. I later found out that it was built in France in 1889 to represent Chile in an expo. The whole pavilion was then shipped by boat to Valparaiso, Chile and then overland into Santiago in 1893.<br />
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<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/TxPjvIk0zcYwyGARKOdDDNMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="461" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-qgsEVsZTLoQ/TtbAIXfXRrI/AAAAAAAABTs/aCalRV2PsMU/s800/paris.jpg" width="600" /></a><br />
The same building in France; 1989<br />
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<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/_YjV__iUaqI7E6-wN_Uf1w?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="416" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-iYUY27H0T2M/TsV9sT5Cm_I/AAAAAAAABRw/jfCFbGJ9f3A/s640/chi015.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
Along with the street dogs of Chile there are always street cats.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01827559858867802149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1936558068007595456.post-83011721579530071552011-11-04T13:50:00.000-07:002011-11-04T14:02:06.538-07:00Of the Territorial University of Washington;150 years ago today the Territorial University of Washington opened its doors to students for the first time. It was opened on a donated section of land from Seattle pioneer Arthur Denny in what is now downtown Seattle. The university moved in 1895 to its current location. Not much remains from the original building other than a hand full of photos, 4 heavily restored fluted columns, and a a leased tract of land downtown. Today the students and graduates of the University of Washington celebrating the great history of this school and 150 years of higher education.<br />
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I've collected a few photos which show the original building of the University of Washington in the young city of Seattle. The links to the archives lead straight to their respective records pages where you can find links for larger original copies.<br />
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<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/VdFRhZA-kF8yA1Ylfv_DlQ?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="349" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-BwPzyfHXQzU/TrRD9cFXjKI/AAAAAAAABLk/s3XV6_lnUAc/s800/Territorial%252520University%252520on%252520opening%252520day.jpg" width="479" /></a><br />
The Territorial University on opening day November 4th, 1861.<br />
<a href="http://content.lib.washington.edu/cdm-ayp/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=%2Fuwcampus&CISOPTR=600&DMSCALE=100&DMWIDTH=802&DMHEIGHT=684.20625&DMMODE=viewer&DMFULL=1&DMX=0&DMY=0&DMTEXT=%25201861&DMTHUMB=0&REC=9&DMROTATE=0&x=440&y=415" target="_blank">UW digital collections</a><br />
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<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Ogp8tuptG9eJfRFFpjuc6Q?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="232" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-Xin_Bxhh2mM/TrRGh_MJymI/AAAAAAAABMA/MwqEBmvLdDM/s800/BE5D4C8E09AD998AA93E34C48283FD06.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
An early shot of Seattle looking over what is now the downtown core and waterfront showing the Territorial University and Elliot Bay<br />
<a href="http://www.digitalarchives.wa.gov/Record/View/0E6B46D211B11F4CD1B1861F0E200DAD" target="_blank">Washington State Archives - Digital Archives</a><br />
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<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/LAIww8Rxihx5SRbS0NZqVA?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="681" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-QQJWk8lYVN4/TrRJ4j__AHI/AAAAAAAABL8/_pHj0OLWGEY/s800/View%252520from%252520Territorial%252520University.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
A southern view over 1870s Seattle from the original University of Washington location.<br />
<a href="http://www.digitalarchives.wa.gov/Record/View/09FC524562C1997EA645BA0B86CDCD59" target="_blank">Washington State Archives - Digital Archives</a><br />
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<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Q8xMCjUlCAJF_Ha8YQyTkg?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="587" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-Lowk3wd0BtY/TrRJmANsSgI/AAAAAAAABME/KJPVDr23-zU/s800/65590.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
A section from a photo of Seattle's waterfront.<br />
<a href="http://clerk.seattle.gov/~scripts/nph-brs.exe?s1=University&S2=%40date%3E18000000+and+%40date%3C%3D19000000&S3=&l=100&Sect7=THUMBON&Sect6=HITOFF&Sect5=PHOT1&Sect4=AND&Sect3=PLURON&d=PHO2&p=1&u=%2F%7Epublic%2Fphot1.htm&r=4&f=G" target="_blank">Seattle Municipal Archives Photograph Collection</a><br />
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<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/uxORS-Bgxk7sNyIAA_HSnQ?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="384" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/--JoBjvC4PZk/TrRSNNAN5NI/AAAAAAAABMM/yQMC47B2es4/s800/1.JPG" width="800" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.historicmapworks.com/Map/US/36289/Seattle+1878+Bird+s+Eye+View+23+5+x+38/Seattle+1878+Bird%27s+Eye+View/Washington/" target="_blank">One of my favorite old maps of Seattle</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01827559858867802149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1936558068007595456.post-64205919359580271482011-11-03T14:49:00.000-07:002011-11-03T14:49:39.549-07:00Film feature: Valparaiso<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/DBmZYt4OOGw0CBunNf6FaQ?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-TK-Dps-RNY8/TrGB-7CUWzI/AAAAAAAABJA/nN-lkqPO2dw/s800/img004.jpg" height="800" width="523" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/114574272228963217373/ScannedPhotosChileW1?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite">Scanned photos Chile W1</a></td></tr></table>A view of Valparaiso, Chile from Ascensor Artilleria, one of the few still functioning funiculars in the city. A funicular is the proper term for a tram that makes its way up a hillside through the use of rails and cables. This funicular is from the turn of the last century and for a few pesos will slowly take you the 80 meters to the top of the hill.<br />
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<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/26wCO-vs-oAjq9s_vTkVjA?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-iwZthFXQBzw/TrGB6wxl3pI/AAAAAAAABI4/N-5GwRx3u3Y/s640/img002.jpg" height="425" width="640" /></a><br />
Two standards of Chilean cuisine: the pisco sour and a bowl of seafood.<br />
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<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/GH8ndZ8XK64ThaasoolHMg?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-D8KIWdUNIFI/TrGCDRuBZZI/AAAAAAAABJI/_j-riLeeZgY/s640/img006.jpg" height="421" width="640" /></a><br />
Looking down the old city streets of Valparaiso filled graffiti on all the walls and the occasional gringo with the Chile guidebook out.<br />
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<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/aTOsJmp_WPAg47RKGyp8tg?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-ZkUIbvDW1ZI/TrGB891RmiI/AAAAAAAABI8/M2NGcB-A5Xg/s800/img003.jpg" height="800" width="521" /></a><br />
It could be a window or it could be a door. I'm not sure, but I love those sorts of architectural elements which Valpo has a lot of.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01827559858867802149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1936558068007595456.post-25730567468024780272011-11-02T14:37:00.000-07:002011-11-02T14:37:27.686-07:00of analog photograhpy; of my first week of film in Chile;In my months in Chile and traveling people saw me carrying around my camera and shooting a photo here and there. When I wanted a photo of myself I'd have to get someone else to snap it. One of the first things people would notice is that there is no display screen. Then I would have to explain (in spanish) that it is a film camera and that they only have one chance to shoot a great photo with it since I don't want two shots of the same thing. A lot of people were excited to take a real film photo and interested in the camera since has all the classic mechanical sounds of a reflex camera when you hit the shutter. It was also a lot of fun for me to line up shots, put more thought into my photos, and to have the surprise of seeing my film developed. So far I've had 8 rolls developed, I have 2 more ready to go to the photolab, and one roll half finished still inside my camera.<br />
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<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/UcidbqEPLcKOsdXbehMv2w?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-pZFPrBQkpmM/TrGsSKgPN8I/AAAAAAAABLY/0Rwm-mquKVI/s640/DSCN3418.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a><br />
My Minolta Maxxum my sister found for me on craigslist before I left for South America.<br />
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I've been playing around with the scanners at the UW trying to find the right settings for my photos. I'm not sure if I like the vintage look where there is dust on the scanner or if I want be a clean preservationist and dust down the photos/ scanner to give a clean copy. But either ways, here are a few photos from my first week in Chile. <br />
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<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/tV26lReCwPVXJdna9eS2jA?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-jdY8ontd95E/TrGCFOf84FI/AAAAAAAABJM/3fnKZlKaIpk/s640/img007.jpg" height="421" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/114574272228963217373/ScannedPhotosChileW1?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite">Scanned photos Chile W1</a></td></tr></table>An old city bus in the coastal city of Valparaiso, Chile<br />
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<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/oUii_KV9ANetUoVNbMLoNg?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Qbr1A5VpffE/TrGCAaskJvI/AAAAAAAABJE/g4eSBB8rqls/s640/img005.jpg" height="420" width="640" /></a><br />
A shot of a crumbling wall in Viña del Mar, Chile<br />
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<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/-6KbVEtmmkwrOk8tXb44Sw?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-hpXPoLcTk00/TrGCLjTYS6I/AAAAAAAABJY/9FhDcSkUlXI/s800/img010.jpg" height="800" width="500" /></a><br />
A large araucaria (monkey puzzle tree) in a plaza in Viña del Mar, Chile<br />
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<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/3WY8GsgspOh4otV4x-68Ng?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-CCy-adK8MY4/TrGCJ5ffOGI/AAAAAAAABJU/DeyV7aRWrmg/s800/img009.jpg" height="800" width="520" /></a><br />
The view of one of the hillsides from my hostel in Viña del Mar, ChileAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01827559858867802149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1936558068007595456.post-20183795210050580542011-11-02T12:57:00.000-07:002011-11-02T12:57:01.209-07:00Of my return;<div class="MsoNormal">I have been back home in the States for three months now and I feel it is time to continue this blog. I still have a lot of photos, stories, and other interesting fact to share from my travels. I haven't been posting because of how busy I've been. In my last few weeks in Valdivia, Chile I was busy with finals, planning my next travels, packing, and also just spending my last days in Chile with all the new friends and awesome people I've met. While traveling Argentina and Uruguay I had no time to post because I was busy going from city to city and having the time of my life. Even after getting back into the US in the start of August I was still busy traveling. I only had a few days to rest and start unpacking my stuff before leaving to spend the next two weeks between the Leavenworth/ Lake Wenatchee area. Then university football season started. I spent the next few weeks busy with music and marching rehearsals and going to UW football games. After having been in the US for about 6 weeks I counted and figured out that I had only slept in my own bed for less than 10 nights. But now, my schedule is normalizing. My bags are all unpacked and have settled back into my home. And since I now have free time during the day, I hope to share more stories and photos of my travels and just what I've been up to through this blog.<br />
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I have a collection of photos from my last weeks in Chile, traveling Argentina/Uruguay, and scanned copies of the 35mm photos I shot abroad. For now, I have a small selection of photos from the last several months to give you a taste of what is soon to come to the blog.</div><br />
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/3pXkEPUuY-GuXg2A_nGujw?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="480" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-9UpDyiMvwpA/TrGDC26g4zI/AAAAAAAABJo/tUx7BVSjfPE/s640/DSCN2502.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
View of the Pacific fron Niebla, Chile<br />
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<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/_py_VAYcbs1qs2SWIpfZUA?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="379" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-_PmtVpUMZNw/TrGDQr2wgUI/AAAAAAAABJs/ExhLM2qOu6M/s640/DSCN2645.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
The Andes and Patagonia<br />
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<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/0WqPh1YBHOr-9TOD4xj_fA?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="480" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-BPgLbvtxUnA/TrGDYhIy0EI/AAAAAAAABJw/ZC3iTsMS8QU/s640/DSCN0002.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
Snowboarding at Cerro Catedral, Bariloche, Argentina<br />
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<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/JEq67JGrQlZ9W99wWDizMQ?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="640" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-PV1niTS88ro/TrGDxNk27WI/AAAAAAAABJ0/k_iC0XwU5XM/s640/DSCN2769.JPG" width="480" /></a><br />
The canals of Tigre, Argentina<br />
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<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/iOPrpcJWvKTVdiivuiKm8w?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="640" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Sa8FSgyuA9A/TrGEAaq81ZI/AAAAAAAABJ4/ROxoKEXAciY/s640/DSCN2944.JPG" width="480" /></a><br />
The historic town of Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay<br />
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<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Ox5Irm4GjeYUsnDCmgBnfw?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="640" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-u4abmoBDTzI/TrGCzSurwlI/AAAAAAAABJg/Twwu37GHHak/s640/DSCN3050.JPG" width="480" /></a><br />
Montevideo, Uruguay<br />
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<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/e22MkIs8q1p0XaNjuJw-3Q?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="640" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-BTt612zsf_w/TrGEkciyPvI/AAAAAAAABKE/UZoQJ9MFoxQ/s640/DSCN3238.JPG" width="480" /></a><br />
My rasta friend in Buenos Aires, Argentina<br />
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<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/KiKjtpiJ81G3i0cBROrgXA?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="640" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Pm647ajrvBY/TrGE1vw3ArI/AAAAAAAABKM/o4s60KfbxeI/s640/DSCN3154.JPG" width="480" /></a><br />
Buenos Aires, Argentina<br />
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<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/9edfeU13FwpeH0XWzQQdhw?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="480" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-R7xyVXOJi38/TrGEsmOX3QI/AAAAAAAABKI/EqsQwTQIg6Y/s640/DSCN3284.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
Partying in the BA<br />
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<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/a70PxN-Mlj1JozHj4VLP6g?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="480" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-tm_qoBRgKuY/TrGFQUv1dGI/AAAAAAAABKU/9tlstwaRrAc/s640/DSCN3344.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
Returning to the US and camping near Leavenworth, WA<br />
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<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/5ITQ-7Rxrl8WS-h6sQUxQA?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="480" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-b3QKYF2oCyA/TrGFWzuq-kI/AAAAAAAABKY/g8Q7bEqA-Rk/s640/DSCN3392.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
Vacationing at Lake Wenatchee<br />
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<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/26wCO-vs-oAjq9s_vTkVjA?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="425" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-iwZthFXQBzw/TrGB6wxl3pI/AAAAAAAABI4/N-5GwRx3u3Y/s640/img002.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
Photos from my Minolta Maxxum 35mm film Camera<br />
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<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/JRfqVkzHgCPjcALRHcaMqw?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="481" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Dnx-Fi10kbQ/TrGX3K9pKYI/AAAAAAAABLE/Plv0qVwZKUs/s640/IMG_0180.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
Nebraska? Yep, I went there too.<br />
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<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/tFsLuMMaOHPYq7KgWtdoYA?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="427" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-fD8ULVKoCso/TrGYTSAU2tI/AAAAAAAABLI/ybgPIS2OcdQ/s640/IMG_2082.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
Husky Marching Band<br />
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<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/pi-MR9-6_LsgFf8EDH1xHA?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="427" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Z1HaO0xhMy8/TrGYX2yh2fI/AAAAAAAABLM/t9049MuFnvQ/s640/IMG_0184.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
Go Dawgs!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01827559858867802149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1936558068007595456.post-28552746010210304432011-06-30T13:40:00.000-07:002011-06-30T13:40:01.663-07:00Of the road to Corral;<table style="width: auto;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/kQTZEhA_uE8sDGVCztyAng?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="480" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Xo6Sww-uuxU/TgzRI3-a2hI/AAAAAAAAA-g/GdSvK-mF3GE/s640/DSCN2411.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: right;">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/114574272228963217373/ChileW14Bike?feat=embedwebsite">Chile W14 Bike</a></td></tr>
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This last weekend I decided to go for a big bike ride. I set off at about 10 in the morning after picking up a few empanadas and a bar of chocolate to put in my pack. It was a day of perfect blue skies, but it is also officially winter in Chile so it was very cold out. There was a bit of frost on the ground which is rare for Valdivia. It usually never gets below freezing here since it is so close to the cost. Anyways, I was ready to be biking for just about all the daylight hours. (Which isn't many since it is winter)<br />
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<table style="width: auto;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/0TMQAtESq-g7E8AGPR8z6w?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="480" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-s0qNUoo_awQ/TgzRJsPCfMI/AAAAAAAAA-k/IECTI5sGZIo/s640/DSCN2417.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: right;">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/114574272228963217373/ChileW14Bike?feat=embedwebsite">Chile W14 Bike</a></td></tr>
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<table style="width: auto;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/RQFLkD0-1fbuZvhF0NUEBA?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="300" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-0GKJ5QXV4BY/TgzRGnseLaI/AAAAAAAAA-U/FTge85HWsmg/s400/DSCN2400.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: right;">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/114574272228963217373/ChileW14Bike?feat=embedwebsite">Chile W14 Bike</a></td></tr>
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<table style="width: auto;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/2-E5Owurxl2ZDnyBp3erzA?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="640" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-6nFQ9bzZnyw/TgzRHEQXC0I/AAAAAAAAA-Y/d4hqmz6B3lA/s640/DSCN2405.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: right;">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/114574272228963217373/ChileW14Bike?feat=embedwebsite">Chile W14 Bike</a></td></tr>
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I decided to ride the road to Corral. Corral is a small town out on coast across the river/bay from Niebla and Isla Mancera. Most people just get there by boat from Niebla because the is is just a 15 cruise and then a quick road back to Valdivia. I took the old road which connects Corral to Valdivia by land. It is a small and rough dirt road that passes through the Valdivia forests, several small communities, and the coastal mountain range.<br />
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<table style="width: auto;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Sy7F6WN9gXw4yznWOdu_PA?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="480" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-ZRezj6gzeLs/TgzRMc_rEbI/AAAAAAAAA-0/ViiJM3B0aZE/s640/DSCN2433.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: right;">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/114574272228963217373/ChileW14Bike?feat=embedwebsite">Chile W14 Bike</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/6iHjkxrtbh2UnxkgXBm2hw?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="640" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-f-D8WcJctuY/TgzRH9t2lnI/AAAAAAAAA-c/XFycjVcWPrU/s640/DSCN2410.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: right;">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/114574272228963217373/ChileW14Bike?feat=embedwebsite">Chile W14 Bike</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/wCbZZAtf8On52UtX9LdVNQ?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="480" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-bnbNiUFSnsw/TgzRF19Z9uI/AAAAAAAAA-Q/wngZ6nErEjM/s640/DSCN2396.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: right;">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/114574272228963217373/ChileW14Bike?feat=embedwebsite">Chile W14 Bike</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/JRbDL4-V4XH4zxTJcfKI6A?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="480" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-otYT-hsz1v4/TgzRLlwyWHI/AAAAAAAAA-w/elYec0_LPD8/s640/DSCN2427.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: right;">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/114574272228963217373/ChileW14Bike?feat=embedwebsite">Chile W14 Bike</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/_PYv-lGk1Az4c_WFYTRk4g?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="480" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-cTxVv2fsdf8/TgzRM9k9q2I/AAAAAAAAA-4/UU5qmmXUPRw/s640/DSCN2434.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: right;">I love all the colorful Chilean fishing boats around Valdivia. From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/114574272228963217373/ChileW14Bike?feat=embedwebsite">Chile W14 Bike</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/1H6jQchq-POUD-iTO1-7zQ?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="480" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-PSrTBweqgn8/TgzRNhMZFQI/AAAAAAAAA-8/wNM1GttbAKs/s640/DSCN2439.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: right;">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/114574272228963217373/ChileW14Bike?feat=embedwebsite">Chile W14 Bike</a></td></tr>
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After about 5 hours of biking I made it to Corral. Now I know why everyone just takes the boat to get there. It is a LONG road. It twists all through the back country and the hills. It was amazing, but it wore me out. I had to make my way up steep muddy hills and lots of rough road. All that make it a slow ride. By the end my bike wasn't looking that great. But I'll be selling my bike soon since I don't have mack time left in Valdivia. For the amount that I've used my bike here, I don't care how much I can sell it for.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/nh_nMHI4XPEvUvsc8qmXZQ?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="300" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-dOnjjl2fF0k/TgzROVCBrWI/AAAAAAAAA_A/-khPMbmexEA/s400/DSCN2440.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: right;">Corral was probably the town hit worst by the 1960 Chilean tsunami. I don't think that this building was from that time, but arround the town they keep little plaques reminding people just how high the wave was when it hit. They say it was a 10-12 meter high wave. From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/114574272228963217373/ChileW14Bike?feat=embedwebsite">Chile W14 Bike</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/30m7Ou6OjjwOv7OAb8hgpA?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="640" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-mFtl71w4fPk/TgzRP-wu-cI/AAAAAAAAA_I/WO7YoZz_EJM/s640/DSCN2453.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: right;">Corral also has an old Spanish fort along the coast. From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/114574272228963217373/ChileW14Bike?feat=embedwebsite">Chile W14 Bike</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/RcQJHAvb5ZXvtIL1toUesQ?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="602" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/--VKL69poOSU/TgzRPBoggNI/AAAAAAAAA_E/nl5u7vK7it4/s640/DSCN2451.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: right;">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/114574272228963217373/ChileW14Bike?feat=embedwebsite">Chile W14 Bike</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/sS2fZXJG8XeGU2HMGybOsQ?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="480" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-vbA1jWDUanA/TgzRRhGiglI/AAAAAAAAA_U/dUMRLCYJEzo/s640/DSCN2461.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: right;">The town of Corral. From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/114574272228963217373/ChileW14Bike?feat=embedwebsite">Chile W14 Bike</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Uzzkg3TFJTDzC-cPVhw2Xw?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="480" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-rSRU93vXdTY/TgzRQzvoQ-I/AAAAAAAAA_Q/g6SyNJmAolo/s640/DSCN2459.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: right;">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/114574272228963217373/ChileW14Bike?feat=embedwebsite">Chile W14 Bike</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/h7_uHQaf9p3FkhS_ZDCWjg?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="480" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-XhI8dTNU5QM/TgzRQfGOB8I/AAAAAAAAA_M/zyr_gpaG_gE/s640/DSCN2455.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: right;">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/114574272228963217373/ChileW14Bike?feat=embedwebsite">Chile W14 Bike</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/1XzamlO5ue_RCq2SoHuwhQ?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="480" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-BdVF4lQPRr0/TgzRSEr1wlI/AAAAAAAAA_Y/McZ2p5xjkNI/s640/DSCN2466.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: right;">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/114574272228963217373/ChileW14Bike?feat=embedwebsite">Chile W14 Bike</a></td></tr>
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But that isn't the end of the day. I had done 72km and reached Corral, but I still needed to get back to Valdivia which is another 18km after crossing over the bay to Niebla. Luckly the road to Valdivia from there is paved. I was able to speed back home: getting back just before sunset. In all it was 90km or 55 miles of biking. I don't think I would ever do that ride again. It was amazing, but by the end I was tired and fed up with making my way constantly going up and down muddy hills. It was a good experience and now Chileans think I'm crazy when I tell them I took the road to Corral by bike. Not even many cars take that route. I only had about 8 go by me on that road and most of them were full of forestry workers.<br />
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Click below for a few panoramic shots and a map with the route traced out.<br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" height="640" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=206843707576958278770.0004a6f3bcbaf6725f72d&ie=UTF8&ll=-39.890246,-73.280869&spn=0.337181,0.438766&t=h&z=11&output=embed" width="640"></iframe><br />
<small>View <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=206843707576958278770.0004a6f3bcbaf6725f72d&ie=UTF8&ll=-39.890246,-73.280869&spn=0.337181,0.438766&t=h&z=11&source=embed" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">Corral Bike Ride</a> in a larger map</small><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/24386962@N00/5888834564/" title="Panorama 6 by Hovlast, on Flickr"><img alt="Panorama 6" height="461" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6050/5888834564_120f93fae1_b.jpg" width="1024" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/24386962@N00/5888264501/" title="Panorama 3 by Hovlast, on Flickr"><img alt="Panorama 3" height="286" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6018/5888264501_484ff4c3b3_b.jpg" width="1024" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/24386962@N00/5888261399/" title="Panorama 1 by Hovlast, on Flickr"><img alt="Panorama 1" height="429" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6051/5888261399_71d448a5bb_b.jpg" width="1024" /></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01827559858867802149noreply@blogger.com1