From Jiuzhaigou to Chengdu by coach

Flying into Jiuzhaigou and leaving by bus is not so good an idea as it increases the chances of getting altitude sickness. This was what happened to me when I arrived at Jiuzhaigou because I did not get to acclimatise to the sudden change in altitude gradually. It would have been better to have taken a coach up to Jiuzhaigou and leaving by air instead of the other way round. Fortunately I was not too badly affected after the first day.

The coach journey was something I did not want to think about while I was on the bus as the best way not to scare yourself unnecesarily is to just put your trust in God and believe that when the driver errs in his judgement, God will put things right. As the bus driver swung around the corners of the winding roads and descended the mountain at speeds we did various things to distract ourselves from imminent disaster. Sleeping, reading, listening to music, chatting. Me? I just pointed my camera at the passing scenery and concentrated on getting good shots. That of course was just make-believe for what miracles could happen with just an autofocus digital camera. Still, it was a good record of the journey as we drove through interesting scenery especially encountering snow shortly after we left Jiuzhaigou which was totally something we did not expect.

Sedona - Cowboys and Red Indians

My second visit to USA was made in the first week of February 2003 and I took an early flight out to Phoenix on the second day of Chinese New Year. I spent a week in the US, very close to Las Vegas but did not have enough time to drop by for an IR preview. I managed to spend two of the seven days with a friend on day-tours to Sedona and the Grand Canyon in the last two days of our trip. Before my memory reaches a point of no recall, I thought I should put on record what I saw there. I do not remember the exact names of the places visited and so the photos will have to do more work here.

The first stop of our Sedona itinerary was to this cliff where a certain Red Indian tribe made their homes that were safe from intruders being high above the ground.

The characteristic landscape of Sedona that those of us who grew up with Cowboy and Red Indian movies are familar with.

We visited a small church that had a magnificent view of the Sedona landscape.

Houses blend into the surroundings.

The town of Sedona.

Rock formation that resembles a ship. You can see different formations elswhere.

Next, we were brought to a small town on the edge of a defunct copper mine.

There was a museum, souvenir shops and interesting bits of history that fed our interest.

From this mining town, we got a panaramic view of the Sedona landscape.

Next - The Grand Canyon.

Bangkok with the family in 2004

We watched the sunset on the rotating platform of the observatory floor of the Bayoke Hotel.
We went on a Chao Phraya River cruise stopping by at the usual tourist places like this palace covered with decorative porcelain pieces.
Photo-taking sessions dressed in costumes of your choice.
Buying everything from sandals to souvenirs.
Walking around the city of Bangkok.
Praying at the Erawan Shrine.
Meeting an old friend who greeted us the Thai way.
Visiting a War Memorial.
Taking a day-trip to the Bridge on the River Kwai at Kanchanaburi.



Taking a train ride to have a bird's eye view of the River Kwai.
Taking the train to the Chatuchak Market.
Looking at food that were so inviting.




Shopping at Mabunkong.