Chimney Corners Around the World, Part 1

November 24, 2015 by Torrie Hazelwood in China, Travel

I've known Katie since we met in 2003 at Chimney Corners Camp for Girls. Our cabins shared an overnight site and we've been friends ever since. Now, we are in China together - Katie teaching English for a year and hosting me as I pass through Guangzhou. Hugging a Chimney friend is one of the best feelings no matter what, but seeing a familiar face waiting at the airport for you, and having them be a camp friend, is one of the simplest things that makes me so incredibly happy.

*Katie overlooking the Pearl River at sunset, Guangzhou, China*

Haba, Haba, this Place is GORGEous

November 22, 2015 by Torrie Hazelwood in China, Travel

Aside from staying in Dukezong Old Town, I was able to explore some of the natural beauty Shangri-La county had to offer, including Tiger Leaping Gorge and the White Water Terraces. While I lost one of my lens caps to the gorge and was nearly duped into paying for incense a man shoved into my hands at the Terraces, I couldn't help but hang my head out the window as I rode through the mountains and marvel. Every now and then I'd glimpse a snow capped mountain (though none of them seemed to be THE snow capped mountain) behind those that were covered in trees while there were others that appeared bare, revealing gray and red stone. Nestled in the valleys were small towns and terraced fields. In one of these vallyes I tried, for the first time, the red rice grown in the area. (It tasted just like white rice, but the red made me eat it with an enthusiasm that had waned after a few weeks of eating rice so often).

*Tiger Leaping Gorge, Shangri-La, China*

Haba Mountain, Haba, Shangri-La, China — *Haba Mountain, Haba, Shangri-La, China*

*White Water Terraces, Shangri-La, China*

*View from hostel in Haba, Shangri-La, China*

[Think 'N SYNC] Bai, Bai, Bai

November 22, 2015 by Torrie Hazelwood in Travel, China

Xizhou, a town in Dali, marked the last part of my time in Western China. The Bai ethnic minority group makes up a majority of the population in this area and their handicrafts, incuding sewn landscapes and portraits and a special tie dye technique, can be found everywhere - though beware of getting factory made products instead of handmade. In Xizhou, the people are laid back, the architecture remains intact (thanks to the government's protection) and the old alleyways are smattered with artisan coffee shops just waiting for a hipster to come along and Instagram it (just kidding, IG doesn't work in China). After learning about the area from the incredibly knowledgable staff at The Linden Centre, my final day in Xizhou included a bikeride around Erhai Lake and watching the sunset behind the mountains while sipping coffee with some new friends.

*The beginnings of thread for traditional sewing by Bai women, Xizhou, China*

*Visit to the rice noodle factory where steamed rice is put through a press and turned into various rice products, Xizhou, China*

*Tie dying technique class with Bai women, Xizhou, China*

*The colors of Erhai Lake, Xizhou, China*

*(One more photo from my bike ride around Erhai Lake for good measure) Xizhou, China*

Attn. Chimney Corners Camp: Shangri-La is a Real Place

November 13, 2015 by Torrie Hazelwood in China, Travel

Chimney Corners Camp for Girls had led me to believe that Shangri-La was a make-believe magical land since I was 8. Turns out, it's a real life magical land complete with the rare Black-Neck Crane, thousands of fluttering prayer flags, and some of the most friendly locals I've encountered thus far.

*Thangka Center, Dukezong, Shangri-La, China*

Adjust Your Altitude

November 08, 2015 by Torrie Hazelwood

Ganden Monastery

The Roof of the World

November 06, 2015 by Torrie Hazelwood in Tibet, Travel

I have some things to say since my arrival in Tibet, many of which involve going into the no-go zone of politics. But since I would like to be allowed back into China in the future, I need to be careful about what I put on the internet and will withhold my thoughts. Instead, here are a few images of the beautiful places and people of Tibet.

ShangHAI, ShangBYE

November 05, 2015 by Torrie Hazelwood in China, Travel

This gray day started out with a walk to the Shanghai Propaganda Poster Art Center, which led me through the French Concession. The architecture of the homes in this neighborhood do, in fact, resemble those seen in France and other parts of Europe. The area is quiet and the trees lining the street caught most of the rain before it reached the ground.

This also marks my last full day in Shanghai and I spent time wandering the pendestrian street of East Nanjing Road. As the rain began to pick up, people selling umbrellas at the entrances/exists of metro stops seemed to appear out of nowhere. For a mere 10 RMB (roughly $1.60USD) they offered coverage for commuters emerging from the underground. After walking in the rain for a few hours I ducked into a small restaurant that had an open store front so I could continue to hear the rain - the neon was bright and the noodles hot.

The Ancient Water Town of Xitang

November 04, 2015 by Torrie Hazelwood in China, Travel

If you can get past the women trying to sell half price tickets and telling you they can get you in the hidden side entrance, the two hour bus ride out of Shanghai will not disappoint. The old style houses lining the canal present a view of China a lot of tourists (Chinese and foreign alike) seek. Spotted in Xitang: a hosteling international hostel, a place where you can stick your feet in a fish bowl and have the fish eat off all the dead skin, and, true to form, selfie sticks for days.

How Now Mao?

November 01, 2015 by Torrie Hazelwood in China, Travel

Fudon University, Shanghai, China

I spent a lot of time with Mao while I was writing my thesis last year and this statue was like seeing an old acquaintance - one that I side eye and think "I know what you're about and I know what you've done".

Fudon University, Shanghai, China

P.S. The Chinese government held an intervention for me and I am now on a social media cleanse. I am currently testing the age old question "if you didn't instagram or snapchat it, did it even really happen?!"

The Not So Secret Garden

October 31, 2015 by Torrie Hazelwood in China, Travel

In a city with a population of nearly 26 million, it is difficult to find a place not completely overwhelmed with people. In the heart of Old Shanghai, the Yuyuan Garden maintains a relatively peaceful atmosphere. With its small waterfalls, coy ponds, and architecture from the Ming dynasty, it provides a moment of calm (if you can dodge the hundreds of waving selfie sticks).