June 25

10:11 AM

 

            This morning we started back to Chengdu.  After a short while we stopped at a Tibetan Buddhist temple.  We gave donations and in return received white scarves which they put on us.  This is a very old Tibetan tradition: scarves are given as a blessing.

            We also got to see the Living Buddha there.  He blessed us: we kneeled down before him and he chanted and touched our heads.  I always think this type of religious chanting sounds cool.

            The Tibetans use prayer flags.  I am not sure exactly what function these flags play.  They were all over the hillscape.

 

 
Tibetan Temple

 
Prayer flags on the hillscape

 
High in the mountains

 

            Just a short while ago, we left a store were we tried Yak meat.  The taste is similar to beef.  Several of the group bought some.  [U.S. Customs confiscated some people's.]

 

11:47 PM

 

            We went to another park, Huang Long, at 1:00 PM.  Huang Long has many interesting water-pool "step" formations.  Not as pretty as Jiu Zhai Gou, but wonderful in its own right.  Here we took a 3.8km walk up to a temple, final elevation also 3.8km.  I was the second person up and back, making the trip in about 1 hour each way.  First was Erica.  Everyone else lagged WAY behind.  I was happy to have been so fit.  On the way up I took only one five-minute break.

 

 
At Huang Long

 

 
At the top of the 3.8km climb.  Shot by Erica.

 

            Our hotel here has a couple of problems.  First, the bathroom door can only be opened from the outside.  This is because there is no doorknob on the inside.  Also, the switch for a light fell into the casing.