weberwest Loc: Ferndale WA

From late October to early December 2013 we took an interesting trip to the Far East and South East Asia, covering Sichuan in China, 4 cities/regions in Myanmar, a bus tour to Northern Thailand and eventually wound up for a month in Hong Kong where we lived in the 80's and where my wife originally hails from.

The pictures in this second part of my calendar images for 2013 come from the beautiful region of Jiuzhaigou at the edge of the Tibetan Plateau near Chengdu in Sichuan/China. Jiuzhaigou literally means "Valley of Nine Villages" and features 9 ancient Tibetan villages where life carries on in pretty much the same way as it always has. The area is famous for its series of clear lakes with astonishingly blue water and wonderful waterfalls. We were very lucky to be there at a good time in very late October to view the fall colors of the trees reflecting in these spectacular waters. This is followed by a few candid shots of Pandas in the famous "Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding" with some close-up shots of these cute creatures. The second part of todays post shows a few pictures of beautiful and exotic Myanmar with a Royal Barge in the former capital Yangon, its ancient temples on the Plain of Bagan, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a scene on Inle Lake. It closes with a colorful palette in Northern Thailand and a Christmas ambience in Hong Kong.

I have not yet presented any of these on UHH, but plan to do so in the future. For those interested: You can find albums with a much more in-depth view on my photo-website under the CHRONOLOGICAL tab in 2013 in the "South / East Asia" group. I recommend viewing the abbreviated version under the link "Short". Website: www.weberwest.weebly.com

Please note when looking at the website photos that these pictures were shot with a crop sensor D90 in jpeg and very minimally processed in Picasa. I did not have the tools nor the skills at that time to make the necessary level and perspective adjustments nor could I do many of the other tweakings that are available now.

Notes
TRIP INTRODUCTON: Set # 1 provides an introduction. Please use the link below if you would like to review it:
https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-682502-1.html

EARLIER POSTS of this series: To view, access my profile via the link below, then click on the figure behind "# of topics created" for the list of posts:
https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/user-profile?usernum=45105

Thanks for visiting, for best results I recommend viewing the downloads and look forward to your comments and questions.

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1 - China/Sichuan Jiuzhaigou Valley National Park - Shuzheng Valley: Sleepy Dragon Lake

(Download)

2 - China/Sichuan Jiuzhaigou Valley National Park - Rize Valley: Five Flower Lake

(Download)

3 - China/Sichuan Chengdu - Chengdu Panda Base: Evaluating the next course

(Download)

4 - China/Sichuan Chengdu - Chengdu Panda Base: Close up of a feeding panda

(Download)

5 - China/Sichuan Chengdu - Chengdu Panda Base: Lying down to eat - just like the ancient Romans and Greeks did

(Download)

6 - Myanmar/Yangon - Kandawgyi Lake in the center of Yangon: Karaweik Royal Barge, replica constructed in 1972, behind a wooden boardwalk - here used by 2 monks

(Download)

7 - Myanmar/Bagan - Pyathadar/Pyathatgyi temple: View of ancient temples and pagodas on the historic plain of Bagan

(Download)

8 - Myanmar/Inle Lake - A boatload of about 15 friendly, waving young nuns in traditional pink garb waiting at the side of a canal leading to Inle Lake - in front a female and male chaperone (not in calendar)

(Download)

9 - Thailand/Chiang Mai - Borsang Umbrella Village: I love Borsang - Many decades ago, when viewing a picture of Chiang Mai, I first saw these colorful umbrellas, so instead of the usual scenery or temple photos, I bring you this Thai handicraft

(Download)

10 - Hong Kong/Tsim Sha Tsui East - Commercial buildings with the customary Christmas and New Year's Decorations

(Download)

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Love number seven!

weberwest Loc: Ferndale WA

Thank you Bill, that Plain of Bagan is a very interesting area with an unfathomable density of temples small and tall amidst the green jungle. During the height of the Pagan Kingdom in the 11th to 13th centuries, more than 10,000 temples, pagodas and monasteries were constructed in this plain, of which the remains of over 2200 temples and pagodas survive - it is mind-boggling and a pure visual delight! - Glad you liked that shot - Joe

OutBack Loc: North Central Florida

Lucky dog.

weberwest Loc: Ferndale WA

Thank you OutBack for looking in on the ongoing series!

NMGal Loc: NE NM

Joe, another colorful series. Looked up Myanmar and found it formerly was Burma. Good to know.

Umnak Loc: Mount Vernon, Wa.

Wow Joe!
#2, 6 & 7 are just incredible but they are all wonderful shots!
Rob

lnl Loc: SWFL

That’s an interesting reflection in #2. It almost looks like an old-fashioned double exposure on film (the water reflection part). It’s nice to see the photos as Myanmar and Tibet are pretty much off-limits right now for travel. As much as we like to see the beauty of the countries and the amazing structures within, current governments don’t make it easy. It seems restrictions are becoming more the norm. I can only hope for less polarization than what we’re seeing around the world right now.

weberwest Loc: Ferndale WA

Thanks Kathy for your kind words - sorry, I meant to mention that Myanmar was formerly named Burma, more people are probably familiar with that name. It is in the news right now again because of the military take-over, poor people over there, they are so kind and happy, but the military keeps on barging into the life of these poor souls. It is a very interesting country, and I am glad we made it in when we did, looks like we are in for a repressive government for a while again.

weberwest Loc: Ferndale WA

Thank you Rob - yes, the landscape and the foliage and the water in Jiuzhaigou were just unbelievable, got lots of waterfall pictures there but somehow they didn't make it into the calendar - it is very tough to show a year's full of travel in a dozen pictures in a calendar - if you have time, look at the Sichuan part, it was such a swell land! And Myanmar/Burma as well, called the "Golden Land" with all its gold-covered pagodas, and in the Plain of Bagan the terra-cotta pagodas and temples, over 2000 of them, just unreal, has to be seen!

weberwest Loc: Ferndale WA

That location in Sichuan was just a wonderful place, the colors and the mirroring were often quite unreal. The location is at the edge of the Tibetan plateau, but still within Sichuan. There were so many more interesting pictures in that album, I would highly recommend to have a look at this, actually at all the albums of that trip, Myanmar/Burma was equally exotic and had been nearly closed off for a long time - and seems to heading that way again. Even Northern Thailand, while much more visited, is still very interesting as well, too many people in my opinion just visit Bangkok, or the beaches, but the north has untold treasures to view. And to close it off: Hong Kong - who would think that you find a very active bird sanctuary there (used to be a park where my wife, when growing up in Hong Kong, would frequently visit), among all the other intriguing places in that great place, that seems also caught in a downward spiral. My hope goes with yours that sanity will return to this world, but somehow I don't see it.

UTMike Loc: South Jordan, UT

This was a colorful set, much appreciated in the cold, gray weather, Joe!

weberwest Loc: Ferndale WA

Thanks Mike, glad my pictures could bring a happier note into a gray day - Joe

kpmac Loc: Ragley, La

Beautiful colorful and well-composed set, Joe.

weberwest Loc: Ferndale WA

Thanks Ken for continuing with me in this series - Joe