Last year I backpacked across China. After doing the touristy things, we decided to take a detour into Jiuzhaigou — an eco valley. The quaint little town with a Tibetan influence was green and there was a sense of freshness in the air.
We spent day 1 walking around, trying to speak in Mandarin with the locals and making new friends. We discovered buckwheat tea and its awesomeness. Brought back a bucket full. (If you are in Mumbai, come over for a cuppa!)
On day 2, we went to the national park. In my 29 years of existence, never have I ever come across so many colors in each and every frame. Snow capped mountains, tall tall trees that suddenly open up into a lake that is as blue as it can get, flowers that reflect off a lake making it appear pink, butterflies that follow us around.
The highlight for me was not just the pretty picture, but the little animals who were well aware that the park is their home and we are mere visitors. Take this little guy for instance. After posing for pictures, he sat next to us on a bench and hung out for a while. I thought we had a moment, but a hedgehog (no, really) scurried across, only after he paused to look at us and move along in his own pace.
The idea of sharing a moment that is not driven by fear or hatred with the creatures of this world is pure bliss. If you go to China, stop at Jiuzhaigou and take in the world as it should be.
Accessible by a short flight from Xi’an or a bus from Chengdu. I picked up a map of the valley that can be useful. You can get in touch with me on twitter @abhinaya_ch or drop an email abhinaya.ch@gmail.com for details on travel / costs / info.
Happy trails!
