Somewhere in Nocturnal China

Even though our main goal in our first visit to China was to do some trekking in the mountains and explore 2 National Parks we had heard so much about (Zhangjiajie and Tianmensan National Parks, as you can see in the previous post here), we also found some time to walk around the cities where we stayed once the night had fallen and the street lamps (ubiquitous in this country wherever you go, as if it were Christmas every night of the year) had been lit. The same way a candle only breaths its most endearing power in the darkness, places that seemed totally unremarkable to us in our busy commute from hotel to station in the morning or early evening, became unique, alluring and photogenic surrounded by neon lights and lanterns.

Undisturbed Love, GX80 + Panasonic Leica 15mm

Taiping Street I, GX80 + Panasonic Leica 15mm

Taiping Street II, GX80 + Panasonic Leica 15mm

Taiping Street III, GX80 + Panasonic Leica 15mm

The Seller I, GX80 + Lumix G X Vario 12-35mm

The Seller II, GX80 + Lumix G X Vario 12-35mm

Handiwork, GX80 + Panasonic Leica 15mm

We were always tired at the end of a day full of walking with a backpack, but it was a completely rewarding experience to wander around the city streets at night, since the colors, views and particularly the smells were completely different from those of the day, showing a new face that we would have missed if we had decided to simply sleep to recover energy for the following day's excursion. It's definitely worth giving night-China a chance, for most of its most peculiar tastes and flavors (of all sorts) can only be experienced then. And don't fear, night is not a synonym of obscurity in this country, for the lights will accompany you wherever you go lighting up the atmosphere (sometimes a tiny bit too much for my taste) with multiple and unexpected hues.

Yellow Dragon Cave, GX80 + Panasonic Leica 15mm

The Lantern and the Bridge, GX80 + Panasonic Leica 15mm

Lantern Tree, GX80 + Lumix G X Vario 12-35mm

The Boats, GX80 + Panasonic Leica 15mm

Reflections in Fenghuang I, GX80 + Panasonic Leica 15mm

Reflections in Fenghuang II, GX80 + Lumix G X Vario 12-35mm

The Crossing, GX80 + Lumix G X Vario 12-35mm

Somewhere in Diurnal China

I've been living a mere 1000 km from China for almost 9 years now, yet for one reason or another, and despite being a frequent traveller all around South East and East Asia, I never took the chance to explore any of the interesting places that the continental part of that country offer. That long delay came to an end, however, a month ago, when I told myself that it was about time to see first hand some of the landmarks of the Asian giant that had always been so close at hand, and during my Songkran holidays in Thailand (or Easter holidays for those back home in Spain), I finally boarded a plane due there. I would not be visiting any big city such as Beijing or Shanghai upon my first incursion in the country, however, for I'm much more interested in nature than metropolis, so the destination was set in one of China's most iconic and beloved National Parks: Tianmenshan Mountain.

Ocres in April, GX80 + Lumix G X Vario 12-35mm

The Mist, GX80 + Lumix G X Vario 12-35mm

A flower for the Queen, GX80 + Lumix G X Vario 12-35mm

The Observatory, GX80 + Lumix G X Vario 12-35mm

The Crevice, GX80 + Lumix G X Vario 12-35mm

Rocks and Fog, GX80 + Lumix G X Vario 12-35mm

Not Only Rocks, GX80 + Lumix G X Vario 12-35mm

Bir's Eye, GX80 + Lumix G X Vario 12-35mm

Her Majesty I, GX80 + Lumix G X Vario 12-35mm

Her Majesty II, GX80 + Lumix G X Vario 12-35mm

But that was not the only National Park we visited  during our stay, for not far from it there is another hotspot for nature lovers, made internationally known by the movie Avatar: Zhangjiajie National Forest Park. The scenery was totally different from that of Tianmenshan despite being just an hour away, and the contrast between both was surprising and refreshing to us, granting us the chance to enjoy such diverse landscapes with just a short ride. Zhangjiajie Park can be explored in two areas, one of which will see you trekking along the trails build atop the rocks in the upper side, as if you were walking among the clouds on top of pointy and naked sticks of miraculously erect stone.

Needles I, GX80 + Lumix G X Vario 12-35mm

Needles II, GX80 + Lumix G X Vario 12-35mm

Needles III, GX80 + Lumix G X Vario 12-35mm

Needles IV, GX80 + Lumix G X Vario 12-35mm

Panorama of Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, GX80 + Lumix G X Vario 12-35mm

The second area is, as one would expect, the lower side, walking along winding paths around the feet of those same rock formations, that present a totally different view from this perspective, atmosphere that was, besides, enhanced by the rainy and misty weather that accompanied us throughout our trek down there.

Misty morning, GX80 + Lumix G X Vario 12-35mm

The Stream, GX80 + Lumix G X Vario 12-35mm

At Home, GX80 + Lumix G X Vario 12-35mm

We were not disappointed by the majestic views and the jaw-dropping scenery of the mountains we had seen during our 3 days, for they were wonderful beyond praise. The weather was also very enjoyable, so the whole experience was a blast. A couple of warnings for Western tourists, however, for I was shocked by 2 facts that, being European, I was not prepared to face while trekking in nature, one being the noisy behavior of the hordes of local tourists that populate every trail of the parks (screaming from one viewpoint on top of a mountain so that the tourists hundreds of meters away atop another peak can hear you and yell in return seems to be common trade) and the "taming" of nature for tourism-sake (something that in my home country, unfortunately, also happened decades past along the cost, but that, as of now, hasn't happened in mountainous areas as far as I'm aware, for we like maintaining nature as pristine and unspoiled as possible), so be ready to find concrete trails, bridges, elevators, toilets and even markets in the most remote and unexpected places to please the hordes of tourist that visit every park. Nature at the service of people, so to speak.

On the Fringes of the Yellow Dragon Cave, GX80 + Panasonic Leica 15mm

Fenghuang, GX80 + Lumix G X Vario 12-35mm

Selfie risks, GX80 + Lumix G X Vario 12-35mm

The Pathway, GX80 + Lumix G X Vario 12-35mm

Winding Road, GX80 + Lumix G X Vario 12-35mm

Being such an overpopulated country, it's hard to avoid human crowds wherever you go, and the same can be said for the pictures, chances are high that they will be dotted with human presence. There is no point in fighting it, so the best one can do is to incorporate the people and the buildings into the images (for they are, in the end, part of the landscape as much as the mountains and the trees) and try to blend in the country as best as one can. Each country has its idiosyncrasies, and a tourist, from my point of view, should never judge or much less blame what locals do while being abroad; it's hard to get rid of one's cultural and social prejudices, but we have to remember that we are visiting their own country, after all, and, if anything, we are the "intruders" there, so to speak, so it's wise always to keep a low profile and do as Romans do, as the saying goes. In conclusion, our first incursion in China was a very exciting and memorable experience, and all we could think about upon our return to Thailand was that most likely it won't take another 9 years to visit it again.

Young Mao, GX80 + Lumix G X Vario 12-35mm

The Gang, GX80 + Lumix G X Vario 12-35mm

After the Rain, GX80 + Lumix G X Vario 12-35mm

White Christmas

 December 2007. We had been moving all our belongings to a new house and the winter just came as we finished the exhausting, long-awaited process. Cold, white winter under a new roof seemed like the perfect way to end a year that had brought with it some changes that, like every decisive and life-changing event, were not yet fully understood as such It had been a different year, some new friendships grew in unexpected places while others that seemed future-proof were about to end, but I was not aware yet how determining those signs would be in the long term.

Kitchen views, GX80 + Panasonic Leica 15mm

Balcony viewsGX80 + Panasonic Leica 15mm

La Gorga, GX80 + Panasonic Leica 15mm

I did not know for example, among other things, that the Christmas that was about to begin would be the last one I would enjoy back home with all my family in 10 years, nor that I would never feel below zero temperatures in the same amount of time. Fast forward to last month, December 2017, and after all these long years I had the chance to finally make it all the way back home to spend some long yearned for Christmas like the ones that punctuated every winter of my childhood and adolescence without fail.

Road to childhood, GX80 + Panasonic Leica 15mm

San Sebastián hermitage, GX80 + Panasonic Leica 15mm

Road to childhood II, GX80 + Panasonic Leica 15mm

Road to childhood III, GX80 + Panasonic Leica 15mm

In the summer of 2008, following a hunch, I had applied to a job overseas (in Singapore, no less than 11,000 km away from my home country, Spain), and, once I got the job, I packed my things and said goodbye to 29 years of comfortable life in a question of just 3 weeks. My mother couldn't believe what was happening, as it went all so fast that she had no time to bring herself to the idea of me leaving to such a faraway, unknown place. I, on the other hand, to be honest, didn't want to think much about it, and I decided that it was time for a change without putting much thought into it. I just caught the opportunity on the fly and went along with it.

Boltaña, GX80 + Panasonic Leica 15mm

Boltaña II, GX80 + Panasonic Leica 15mm

Boltaña III, GX80 + Panasonic Leica 15mm

Boltaña IV, GX80 + Panasonic Leica 15mm

Umbrella in Boltaña, GX80 + Panasonic Leica 15mm

It was intended to be a one year experience in a language school, but it was soon extended to 3 when I moved to neighboring Malaysia for another 2-year contract at a local university in Kuala Lumpur, then it stretched once more to 6 years when I continued traveling up North, this time to Thailand, to work at a university in Bangkok, and finally last summer I passed the 9 year mark in the same city but starting anew at an International School. All these years  populated by countless experiences, travels and restarts, but, for different reasons, not a single one of the 9 Christmas that came to pass would be enjoyed back home. Until the last one.

Boltaña V, GX80 + Panasonic Leica 15mm

Boltaña VI, GX80 + Panasonic Leica 15mm

Boltaña VII, GX80 + Panasonic Leica 15mm

Boltaña VIII, GX80 + Panasonic Leica 15mm

As if honoring a decade of tropical Christmas (mind you, I didn't spend them alone, for my family came to visit me on 4 of those Christmas, which happen to coincide with my birthday as well), I booked a flight well in advance and I cleared all my other postponed holiday destinations, and I said to myself that it was about time to return home and relearn what a real family Christmas meant. And so, full of anticipation, the day of my trip came at last and, with the warmest clothes that I could find buried in the bottom of my evergreen summer-wardrobe, I departed.

Sagrado Corazón, GX80 + Panasonic Leica 15mm

The bell tower, GX80 + Panasonic Leica 15mm

Red concrete mixer, GX80 + Panasonic Leica 15mm

Winter textures, GX80 + Panasonic Leica 15mm

Sorrosal waterfall, GX80 + Panasonic Leica 15mm

And what a wonderful time I had! My family, spread around different (and distant) provinces of Spain, gathers together around my grandfather in my hometown every Christmas, and the warmth of being amongst all of them at once, celebrating what traditionally had always been a time of food and talks, was surprisingly emotional and rewarding. Not only that, but the weather shared my excitement and dressed the land with crystalized frost and steamy mist every morning, and it even snowed copiously one December morning towards the end of the year, as if welcoming me back home with all the bells and whistles of a proper, Pyrenees Christmas.

Loudenvielle, GX80 + Panasonic Leica 15mm

Loudenvielle II, GX80 + Panasonic Leica 15mm

Loudenvielle III, GX80 + Panasonic Leica 15mm

Loudenvielle IV, GX80 + Panasonic Leica 15mm

The three weeks I spent back home ended much faster than I wanted, and I left with confronted feelings, equal parts gratitude for offering me a taste of a long-missed tradition and sorrow because I ignored completely how long it would take me to have another chance like that again. Whatever happens, it was an unforgettable holiday amongst loved ones and the images scattered through this post are only humble traces of them.

The Pyrenees, GX80 + Panasonic Leica 15mm