After five years working in London, I decided it was time to move back to Los Angeles, but not before taking a year off to see the world. I gave up my great job with Lehman Brothers in Administration and a fantastic flat (and roommate) I’d lived in for over three years, packed up all my belongings into some 60 cubic feet of boxes and said farewell to the wonderful friends I made in London. Before setting off for Asia, I spent seven weeks in the States including a weekend getaway in Chicago with my best friends from high school, corrective eye surgery in Philadelphia, Aud and Rob’s wedding in Bermuda, 13 days in Israel on Birthright (with a side trip to Petra) and time in quiet Oak Park with my parents and sister. Then, on July 18, 2010 at 1am, with only 13 kilograms in my 50L backpack and a small shoulder bag, I boarded a flight to Singapore. The goal of my adventure is not one of self-discovery or mending a broken heart but a journey of true desire to explore the world, experience new cultures, taste various cuisines, explore beautiful wildernesses, meet local people, and maybe learn some Spanish along the way. What lies below are my stories (or more of a daily recount of events) from the road.

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Stone Forest

Sunday, September 12, 2010
  • Morning at Daguan Park – stroll around the lake and see a temple.  Watch people practicing meditation
  • Qiongzhu Temple – worst bathroom of the trip, no doors, just waist height separators and a hole
  • Lunch near Stone Forest – duck, egg soup, goat cheese, rice – not very good
  • Stone Forest – a huge forest made of stones which were under water millions of years ago.  Incredible structures that have eroded over time to form various shapes and a beautiful landscape.
  • Back at the hotel to get ready for dinner
  • Pastry shop to buy some moon cakes (traditional “cakes” which are eaten during the harvest festival on September 22)
  • Dinner with Charles at a local restaurant near our hotel

Funny story: There is a tradition in one of the nationality tribes where unmarried women wear hats which have a triangle flaps sticking up just above their ears to signify that they are available.  When a man is interested in a woman, he will try to touch one tip to let her know he’s interested.  If a man touches both tips, then it means he wants to marry her. Once the gesture is made, their marriage is mandatory.  If a man backs out, there are severe consequences.  So, out of fun, dad tried touching the tips of a few women. They all dodged out of the way before he got close and shyly smiled as they realized his intention.  Funny to watch dad’s attempts of this interesting tradition.
Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

World Travels Map