We knew that finding our accommodations at Moganshan Loft required that we take a bus to De Qing and then catch a taxi to Moganshan. What we didn’t realize is that our taxi driver didn’t know how to get to Moganshan Loft (and neither did we) nor that his three-wheeler taxi didn’t have the power […]

Anyone who witnesses a total solar eclipse knows what awe is. Our normal perception of diurnal cycles is so deeply ingrained that when daylight suddenly turns to darkness and an unfamiliar ring of light hangs over our heads, our attention becomes acute and our sense of mystery is heightened. Tears start streaming down Cynthia’s face. […]

The whole sky is cloudy, but as clouds drift in front of the sun, there are times when we can make out sun’s disk (before the partial eclipse has started) and a little later, we catch glimpses of the crescent sun, partially blocked by the moon. We take some pictures through the dark #14 welder’s […]

This morning we woke to overcast conditions and flashes of lightning in the distance. A couple of hours before the eclipse, it started raining. We sat down with a cup of coffee and checked the weather forecast. Not promising. Basically, a wide swath of clouds from Shanghai in the east to Wuhan and Chengdu in […]

The apartment we are staying in, the Moganshan Loft is in a beautiful setting overlooking Laoling Lake and a view of Mogan mountain. We have a top floor unit with an open view of the southeastern sky where the sun will be during the eclipse. With less than 24 hours to go before eclipse time, […]

Our flight arrived on time early Friday evening. We hired a taxi to take us to our hotel in the city. The concept of freeway driving here is quite different than in Seattle. Everyone is free to weave in and out of lanes without ever signaling. Any gap in traffic is free for the taking– […]

Kyosan comes to the San Francisco Airport to see us off. We take BART to 16th and Mission where we get off to visit the Gratitude Cafe, a perfect venue for a last meal before boarding our flight to Shanghai. I have a really tasty Bhutanese red rice dish and Cynthia orders a stuffed avacado […]

Here we are leaving Whidbey Island on the Clinton-Mukilteo ferry. We are incredibly fortunate to have found Susanne to be our house sitter while we’re away. Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

The day of our departure, July 16 seems auspicious. This is Mumon Roshi’s birthday. He was born in 1900 so this would be his 109th birthday. I met him in 1973 when I visited the Zen monastery, Shofukuji in Kobe, Japan. I would have to say that having tea with Mumon Roshi was a key […]

Gamow bags are airtight nylon bags, invented a few years ago, that have become popular among mountain rescue organizations, as they have proven to be effective in alleviating altitude sickness. When a person starts to feel symptoms of altitude sickness, they can be placed inside the bag. The bag is then pressurized using a foot […]