Wandering Fractal

Rock formations of the park. Only 50 km from Ulaanbaatar you can find the Gorkhi-Terejl national park. It's a bit less wild than the rest of Mongolia (you will find tourist camps a bit everywhere), but it's easy to reach from the capital and offers some beautiful landscape. I took a public bus to go there. It was already the low season and the number of bus per day went from 2 to 1. I didn't have any difficulty to find a Ger to sleep during the night. I just went to what looked like a tourist camp and asked. The next day I hiked some more in the park. I really enjoyed the sensation of freedom. You could walk to any place that looked interesting. To go back, I had already missed the only bus to Ulaanbaatar so I hitchhiked. Luckily the first car that came by stopped. It was a group of Korean Christian missionary. They were so nice they even invited my for a late lunch at a Korean restaurant on our way back to the capital. Ariyabal meditation temple.

Buddhist temple. The Mongolian practice a version that is close to the Tibetan Buddhism. One of the highlight of our Gobi tour was to discover the lifestyle of the inhabitant of the desert. They live mainly from livestock: sheep, goat, cow, camel, horse. They eat the meat and the milk of the animals. I could even try the Airag, fermented horse milk. It was sparkling and sour. I'm glade I could try it, but I didn't ask for a refill. The skin and fur of the animals is used to make clothes and the Ger (yurt). They also sell their animals to make some money and buy what they can't get from the land. It's a harsh way of living with little water, extreme temperatures and having to work 365 days per year (no break when you take care of the livestock). But the nomad we met were always smiling and had an incredible sense of hospitality. They would always give us the best food they had, even if it was something very rare and expensive for them. One of the local family ...

Xi'an is one of the end of the silk road. This position has given the city a multicultural vibe. A friend of Switzerland joined me in China for a week and a half. We stayed in the Muslim quarter. It's inhabited mainly by the Hui people. They are the descendants of the Persian and Arab merchants and still practice Islam. Since they where well integrated into the Chinese culture and marriage with the Han were frequent, it's hard to differentiate a Hui from a Han if it wasn't for their clothes. Men's wear white caps and women wear scarfs. They also have developed their own cuisine and it's delicious. The Muslim quarter is always bustling with people and I would really recommend staying there. Another attraction in Xi'an is the wall that protected the old city. You can walk on it and go around the city. But of course the main reason travelers come to Xi'an is to see the Terracotta Army. The site is located outside the city and can be reached by publ...

Giant Buddha statue carved from the cliff. The city of Leshan, south of Chengdu, host the world largest Buddha stone statue in the world. Carved in the cliffs of the Minjiang river, the Buddha sits peacefully. It's size is awe inspiring and the fact that it was constructed more than 1200 years ago makes it even more impressive. To go there, I took the first bullet train from Chengdu to Leshan (booked the day before). It was too early for the subway and I had to take a taxi to the train station. After taking a bus from the Leshan train station, I arrived at the Buddha just for the opening. It wasn't too crowded and the air was still cool. I had plenty of time to admire the statue. After that, I walked in the park, where they have tombs and temples. To go back to Chengdu, I took a bus from the terminal next to the train station. It was a perfect day trip from Chengdu. Stairs leading to an old abandoned house. A dying caterpillar dangling from its thread. Mol...

Spicy noodles. Chengdu, capital of the Sichuan province. I must confess I went there mainly for the food. Spicy, sour and the numbing effect of the Sichuan pepper. The cuisine is varied so you never get bored. Chengdu is also a good place to drink tea in one of the many parks. One day, with a fellow traveler, we went to the Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding. It's one of the main attraction of the city. We were expecting a natural reserve where they take care of the animals, but it was just a zoo. The Pandas lives at high altitude were the air is cooler, but in Chengdu it's crazy hot. The animals mostly stays in their caves with air conditioning. You need to queue to see them behind a glass. The worst was the 2 hours we waited to see the baby pandas. If you have time, moving to the reserves in the mountains of Sichuan looks like a better option. If you really want to go to the Research Base I would advise to go for the opening. We arrived at 10:00 in the morning a...

View from the Lotte center. Last stop in Vietnam : Hanoi ! I stayed in the old quarter where the streets are always busy. Scooters, eateries, shops, everything happens on the street. You never get bored, but you also need to stay wary. The traffic is hectic. In comparison to Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi feel more "communist". Grand avenue, bulky concrete buildings, statues to the glory of past leaders. Two of the place I found very interesting were the Hỏa Lò prison and the Ho Chi Minh museum. They were heavy on propaganda, because they would tell only one side of the story. The prison was built by the French, but then used by the Vietnamese to hold the captured american pilots. It is now a museum. During the French era you can see the horrible conditions in which the prisoners had to live. Strangely only the french guards are blamed, but most of the pictures show Vietnamese guards that were working with the colonial government. During the Vietnamese era, only good thing...

On the Thới Sơn Island in the Mekong delta. Ho Chi Minh city is a bustling megalopolis with many sights. The city has like the country a lot of history to tell. If you want to see temples, the Jade Emperor Pagoda is a must see. It's a small worshiping place with mostly locals. You can admire the figure of the Jade Emperor, but also the turtles and fishes in the ponds. If you want to learn more about the Vietnam war, head to the War Remnants Museum . It depicts the horrors of the war. It's less a history museum and more a memorial to make sure that the victims are never forgotten. If you are more interested by the times of the french colonization, check Notre Dame Cathedral and the Central Post Office . If you want to go shopping, go to the Chợ bến thành market , or if you want a less touristic experience take a bus to the Binh Tay market in Cholon. Cholon was a town made by Chinese immigrants, now a quarter of Ho Chi Minh city. During my time in the city, ...

The temple of Ta Prohm was left as it was found. Most of the other sites in Angkor have been restored, but it was decided to do as little modifications to those ruins as possible. Thus trees can be found growing atop the temple, giving a mystic atmosphere to the place.

Wall relief in Bayon. Bayon and Baphuon temples are found inside the fortifications of Angkor Thom. Bayon. Pig roaming freely in front of the Bayon temple. Monk in front of Baphuon temple. Baphuon. One of the gate of Angkor Thom.

Statue of Vishnu. When I got into the ancient city of Angkor, I was expecting to see an impressive temple, and I did. Angkor Wat (Wat means temple) is huge, full of sculptures and just by itself worth the trip. But I was not prepared for what came next. The ticket gives you access not only to Angkor Wat but to the whole city of Angkor. The ancient Khmer capital is gigantic and Angkor Wat looks small when you see it on the map of the city. The place is full of temples, moats, gates and other ruins scattered around a forested area. I bought a 3 days ticket. I payed 60 USD, but the price is going up regularly, so don't be surprised if it's more expensive. The first 2 days I rented a bicycle to go around Angkor. It was really hot so I went early in the morning and came back around noon. The last day I hired a tuck-tuck to go to places further. Even with 3 days you don't have time to see everything. There are even ruins of the Khmer kingdom that can be reached only by ...