Jabberwocky

It was cold. I needed something to keep my noggin warm. I heard that alpaca was one of the finest wools in the world. “…es alpaca.” She said. “Cuando es?” “Treinta soleis.” She replied. I took the hat and held it up to the sun like I knew what I was doing, squint my eyes as if to scrutinize the fibers. “No. Es synthetico.” I said jokingly. “Es alpaca.” She replied firmly. I put my nose to the hat and breathed in. I had saw someone else do the same several days ago. Monkey see, monkey do, right? “Eh... Es alpaca con synthetico. Veinte Soleis.” I offered. She nodded, so I paid her and walked out with a new hat. To this day I have no idea what my cap is made of. ….. “So, do ... read more

After having read about taxi kidnappings on the internet, I was prompted to make arrangements before my trip for a driver to come pick me up at the airport and drop me off at a reputable hostel. Yet here I was, wandering around the airport at nine o’clock at night, driverless. I asked the information booth where I could make arrangements for a hotel and an official taxi to take me there. At this point, it would make sense to pay more for a nicer hotel rather than wander around at night looking for the hostel which I booked. They point me up, towards the second floor, “you’ll find some travel agents there to help you.” I nodded. “Gracias.” As I walked off the escalator to the second floor, a man in a uniform greeted me. ... read more

Nothing to really report here. I spent 24 hours stopover in South Korea and did nothing but eat and gamble at the hotel by the airport. I won bunch of money gambling. I started with 10,000 Wons and ended the night with 360,000 Wons. The denominations in Korean money are really big. While gambling, I wasn't actually sure how much my winnings were in in relation to US dollars. So I was really happy, thinking that I made a small fortune. After all, I had three hundred sixty thousand Wons. Doesn't that number sound big? Eventually I went back up to my hotel room and realized that I had only won the equivalent of some three hundred some odd US dollars. Not bad, but I'm going to blow it all on all-you-can-eat restaurants when I get ... read more

I got off the bus at Sanya and was immediately lost, walking around looking for a street sign, a local asked me what I was looking for and pointed me in the right direction. Later on, I repeatedly asked random strangers for directions and they all were willing to help. Finally, one guy gave me a ride on his motorbike to the hostel I was looking for. The people here are so friendly. They call Sanya China's Hawaii. With its warm tropical climate, clean azure blue oceans, and fresh unpolluted air, Sanya has a completely different feel compared to the rest of China. The tourist boom has hit Sanya in a big way; there hotels and resorts everywhere you look. For some reason, this place is really popular with the Russians, some of the street signs ... read more

Zhongdian is otherwise know as Shangrila, marks the western most point of my journey on this backpacking trip. The city itself is prosperous thanks to a booming tourist trade. Here, it is possible to get a small peek into Tibetan culture without going to Tibet and dealing with all the hassles of getting a permit associated with it. For anyone going to Tibet, this would probably be a nice stop to get adjusted to the altitude before going any higher. I've been feeling the effects of altitude sickness here and have not been sleeping well. The thinner air makes strenuous hikes more exhausting. However, hiking around Shangrila is very rewarding, there are a number of hills and mountains in the area south of the old city. At some places, one can see the name, Shangrila, inscribed ... read more