rkkwan

Some of you may remember that I went to rural Yunnan in November 2006 with my parents. Well, we're going to do something similar this Christmas (and not going to Italy for a change!)

If you're suffering from insomnia, you can read my million-word trip report from last year here:
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34900413

But here's the tentative itinerary:

Dec 15-16 Houston - Hong Kong, flying Continental again.

Dec 23 Hong Kong - Shenzhen - Yibin - Leibo.

Dec 24-26 Leibo

Dec 26-31 Butuo

Dec 31 Butuo - Xichang

Jan 1 Xichang - Chengdu - Shenzhen - Hong Kong

Jan 6 Hong Kong - Houston

Leibo and Butuo are two counties in Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture in Southern Sichuan, bordering Yunnan. Yi is one of the more populous minority groups in China.

Leibo borders on Jinshajiang, the main source of the Yangtze, and is the site of a huge dam being constructed. It will be the 2nd largest dam in China, only after the Three Gorges Dam, and 3rd in the world.

Butuo is on a high plateau, at around 2,800m (8,000ft). It'll be pretty cold this time of the year.

Anyways, I'll definitely take a lot of pictures again. I'm bringing my new Canon 40D with at least the 10-22 and 17-55IS. Haven't decided whether to bring the 50/1.4, 70-300IS and/or the 430EX flash. I will have 44GB of flash memory, which will be enough for about 3,500 shots in RAW format.

I'll update this thread with the trip reports. Will probably start another thread for the flight and Hong Kong parts.

Femi

Thanks fo the heads up. I'll be looking forward to your posts. I'm developing more of an interest in rural Asia.

Kathie

Great! I'm looking forward to your reports.

rkkwan

Well, plan already changed. Now, I'm going to Hong Kong a day later. This way I can fly business class.

hawaiiantraveler

Always love your informative reports! Have fun!!

Aloha!

Shanghainese

rkkwan -- Don't you always travel in style? Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, can't wait for the 07/08 two million-word TR!

rkkwan

Travel in style? You must be kidding. Well, I do sometimes, only when I can get 4* hotel on Priceline for $80!

Really, I almost always travel budget; and this will only be my 2nd time in international business class. [First and only time was about 17 years ago, op-uped by AA.]

LarryRGV

Hi, RK. I saw a recent answer you gave on the Texas site so I knew you were a Houstonian. How are you getting to HK? If you're on Continental you must be taking the flight to Guam (with a stop in Honolulu) and connecting there with Micronesia/Continental? Thats the wsy we returned in Oct. Awfully tiring but worked out the best for our return to Texas. Better than going to Newark to catch the N/S to HK in my opinion. But I am curious to what you chose and why. Anyway, have fun. And thanks again for your help before my trip to china.

Craig

Look forward to your report and your photos. Jeane is getting a 40D for the holidays (Shhhh!).

Shanghainese

Craig -- pardon me, is 40D a plane?!

Craig

Shang - While I would love to give my lovely wife a plane for the holidays, my budget will only permit me to give her the Canon 40D camera that rkkwan referred to earlier in this thread. I never understand why people respond to a post without reading previous comments but it happens all the time .

thursdaysd

rkkwan - enjoy the business class (jealousy, jealousy)! It makes crossing the Pacific almost bearable (but I'll have to fly economy next time). I'm looking forward to reading your report.

rkkwan

OMG. It's a week from my China trip and this thread is already getting long!

Anyways, I'm flying Continental IAH-EWR-HKG as always. EWR-HKG is a 15-hour flight over the N. Pole, and then down through Russia, Mongolia and China to HKG.

Larry - this route is much faster than via GUM, almost always cheaper. This time I'm using miles, and IAH-HNL awards are very rare so that itinerary is never available. They either put you on IAH-EWR-HKG on CO, or IAH-NRT, then NRT-HKG on NW.

Yes, 40D is Canon's newer advanced amateur dSLR. I had the Digital Rebel XTi last year, but sold it a couple months ago to upgrade to the 40D. I don't think I'll bring the 70-300IS into China, but still contemplating about the 50/1.4 (large aperture lens for low light - also great portrait lens) and/or the flash. Probably will bring both, as well as my favorites - the 10-22 (ultra-wideangle), and 17-55IS (all-around lens, extremely versatile and good quality).

Shanghainese

Tsk, tsk, Craig, 40D? That is to much for me to retain. For a moment, I thought it was something from Victoria Secret!

Sorry, rkkwan, didn't mean to be disrespectful on your post.

Craig

Shang - best not to go there...

but your Victoria's Secret comment made me LOL.

beaker

rkkwan,

I know you are an experienced traveller, but unless you have relatives there, not a lot of stuff to do or see in Butuo for 5 days. There is now one ok, newish hotel.

Have a fun trip and wear your woolies!

rkkwan

beaker - My parents and I are joining a working group of volunteers from Sowers Action to check out some schools and kids in Sichuan, similar to what we did last year in Yunnan.

Sowers Action is a non-profit based in Hong Kong for education work in rural China, particularly the mountainous region in western part of the country.

From the itinerary, we'll be going all over the counties of Leibo as well as Butuo when we are there.

I know it will be an adventure.

Thanks very much for your comment. It's great that someone here knows about the region!

Jed

Have a wonderful adventure. Looking forward to your treatise on the trip.

shpap

Do you have more info on Sower? Son is working in Sichuan province and contract ends in two months. He will be traveling and might be interested in this kind of project.
Thanks.

rkkwan

shpap - www.sowers.org.hk