Exploring life
We all know these days people like it easy and quick, especially when it comes to information. Sometimes easy and quick might be great, but sometimes it might also be beneficial to dig a bit deeper - to understand the underlying dynamics, to look at the bigger picture. But obviously in a time when we... Continue Reading →
One of the most fascinating things about living in a Tibetan monastery for one month certainly is to witness and attend different religious rituals and festivities. Now let me take you on a little magical journey... 1. Arrival of Lama Zopa Rinpoche The arrival of Lama Zopa Rinpoche, one of the founders of Kopan Monastery,... Continue Reading →
1,5 years have passed since I did the one month November course at Kopan monastery. For a little while I was wondering whether I would and/or even should finish this blog post - but going through my photos, my notes and even more important my memories I decided it would be a shame not to work through everything I... Continue Reading →
And then I finally did it. I had been thinking about this idea for quite a while. The November course at Kopan monastery. One month in a monastery in Nepal. Sounds exciting? boring? crazy? weird? Well, I came across all sorts of facial expression when I talked to people about my plan - including my... Continue Reading →
Before coming to Kashgar I had never heard about the Karakoram Highway. This changed when one night in the hostel I met a lovely elderly British couple. They told me about their travels and mentioned that their recent trip to the Pakistan border along the Karakoram Highway was one of the most amazing things they have ever done... Continue Reading →
"Very few cities in China can claim such allure and mystery like the city of Kashgar", is written in my guidebook and I totally agree. Even though Kashgar is also located in Xinjiang province, the flight from Urumqi takes almost 2 hours, covering a distance of around 1500km. And I really enjoyed those 2 hours. No,... Continue Reading →
With only a few weeks left in China I really wanted to explore more of this huge country. But where should I go? Well, a few things were clear. 1. I had no interest in visiting another Chinese city, which all kind of look the same to me. 2. I did not want to visit a... Continue Reading →
In general, I am not a big fan of modern buildings. Don't get me wrong, some of them are absolutely fascinating and the architecture is mind-boggling. But I am far more intrigued by old buildings and the stories around them. However, as most people know, in Beijing - as in most other Chinese cities - there are lots and... Continue Reading →
Most tourists who come to Beijing will not leave without having visited some of the hutong areas. Hutongs are alleys formed by lines of traditional courtyard residences and this is what all of Beijing used to look like until around 1949 when with the founding of the People’s Republic of China many of the old hutongs of Beijing... Continue Reading →
On a hot Sunday afternoon in August it suddenly dawned on me that I only have a few more Sundays left in this city. Although I have already seen quite a few of the famous, not so famous and rather infamous sights here in Beijing I have never been to the Olympic park. I was at... Continue Reading →
