Chengdu is the capital of Sichuan, that region of China famous for its spicy food. Chillies are a vital ingredient in almost every dish but what’s not well known is that chili peppers originated in South America – not Asia – and have only been part of Sichuan cooking for around 300 years.
Continue reading “Chengdu – Home of Mouth-Numbing Sichuan Pepper”
I’m stopping over in Chengdu China on my way back from visiting the “Stans” of Central Asia. Chengdu is famous as the home of the endangered Giant Panda. The weather here is perfect for them – warm and wet – just what you want for growing lots of bamboo. I’m very lucky that it’s actually clear and sunny! A rare occurrence, especially in winter, and a great opportunity to capture some photos of people enjoying themselves outside.
Continue reading “Chengdu China – Home of the Giant Panda”
Urumqi, China isn’t on anyone’s travel bucket list. My good friend, Charles, and I only ended up here due to bad planning. And a cheap flight. As I mentioned in an earlier post, it has terrible air pollution and there’s just really very little for a tourist to see. Or is there? If frequent travel has taught me anything, it’s that everywhere is interesting and how much you like a place has a lot more to do with your state of mind than the place itself. Here are a few of the things I enjoyed seeing in this rarely visited city. Continue reading “Finding beauty in the most unexpected places”
The same snowstorm that turned Almaty into a winter wonderland also hit Urumqi, only much harder. It feels kind of crazy to be back in the same city where we began this trip six weeks ago… but it sure does look different now. Continue reading “Freak Snowstorm in Urumqi, China”
Kazakhstan is our last stop in Central Asia before heading back to China for our flights home. It’s a huge country but we just have time to see Almaty, the capital city.
As we set off to explore this very modern metropolis, the forecast calls for a bit of snow. Little do we know how much of a storm it will turn into. Continue reading “Caught in a snowstorm in Almaty, Kazakhstan”
When I discover a new place that I really like, I tell myself I’ll come back. There’s always more to discover. When I love a destination, I can’t escape the feeling that I’ve just scratched the surface. I need to come back. That’s definitely true of Tajikistan’s Fann Mountains. Continue reading “Tajikistan’s Fantastic Fann Mountains”
After an epic road trip on the Pamir Highway, we are very happy to arrive in Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan.
Much like Bishkek (the capital of Kyrgyzstan), Dushanbe is a Soviet city with wide welcoming avenues, leafy green parks, and proud monuments. Communism may have failed but it left behind some nice cities. Continue reading “Dushanbe, Tajikistan”
