I went with Noah Berger to the China Conservation & Research Center for the Giant Panda, Wolong Nature Reserve, Sichuan Province, 9/2-7; by myself to a Wild Wall weekend in Huairou County outside Beijing at the farmhouse of William Lindesay and his wife Wu Qi, experts on the Wall, 9/8-10; to the Red Capital Ranch, recreation of a Manchurian hunting lodge, outside Beijing also, 9/10-12; and back to Beijing, Lu Song Yuan Hotel, 9/12-19.
China Photos
Chiang temple up the road from Wolong
Wall on one side is a dragon’s body
Leg on the dragon wall and beribboned chicken
End of wall in back of temple
Dragon’s head
Road side of temple
Dog at a nearby restaurant
Crossing river to the Center
Naughty 1-yr-old in the waste cart
Won’t get out
Gets scruffed out
In the incubator while mother nurses twin
Fresh bamboo time for a group of 1-yr-olds
One of the youngsters was always up here
Climbing over each other
Photo op with 1-yr-old, trained to pose for apples
Was it something I said?
Six 1-yr-olds just fed
Before we had 5 minutes with them for photos
Noah about to be bit in the leg
Noah getting bit in the arm
About to get my leg bit
Panda bath
Hua Mei, whom I saw in San Diego as a cub
Nap time
Trout stream through the Center
Someone was always at the top of the stumps
Youngster and hills around the Center
Second group of 1-yr-olds
Badminton: Noah & 51-yr-old Tibetan woman
Very young panda’s turn in incubator
Unnursed baby brought in 5-hr police car ride
Noah looking dubious with 3-yr-old Yang Guang
Yang Guang after photo session
Huairou County, about 2 hrs from Beijing
Saturday I climbed up there
at 4:30 am, before breakfast!
The others got there by daybreak
From the Wall
Amazing
Just amazing
The first signal tower we climbed to
In case you didn’t believe me...
He Hongli, my guide & the weekend cook
Overgrown section of the wall to walk on
Looking up from the valley, near Xizhazi
William Lindesay & the three young guests
Wu Qi, William Lindesay’s wife
My room in the farmhouse
Main room & courtyard, both for dining
L-shaped farmhouse
Sunday’s climb from the valley
Looking toward the previous day’s walk
A different section of the Wall
From the Wall
Wild Wall landscape
More Wall landscape
And more
On the way down
Back in the valley
The Wall on the ridge at Red Capital Ranch
Ranch room
Shishi outside my room
Ranch pavillion
Ranch dining room
Lu Song Yuan in a hutong (alley), Beijing
Lu Song Yuan dining area
From the dining courtyard into the lobby
Roof guardians, Yonghegong, Beijing
Wax man, National Museum, Beijing
Smog at 3pm, Beijing
