Shangri-La, Yunnan, China – Images by Jamie McDonald
I write this on the eve of our departure from Shangri-La. I’ve more or less recovered from the cold that had me holed up between Sean’s Cafe and my room. Today was spent at Ganden Sumtseling Gompa, a 300 year old Tibetan Monastery on the outskirts of Shangri-La.
Walking around the monastery is a great way to spend a few hours, and though I loved it I couldn’t help but be slightly cynical at the government’s ‘improvements.’ The old LP is printed in 2007 …

Five days without an update, and that must surely have more to do with the dreadful internet speed over here in China than it does to do with my work ethic!
I’m sitting in a bar in Dali, Yunnan. A peek over my right shoulder and I can see that for the first time in the two days that we’ve been here the rain has stopped. At approximately 3000m above sea level it should have come as no shock that it is wet and cold, but in a country known for …

As the numbers on the distance marker on the Dukes Highway to Adelaide tumbles the reality of my departure is slowly absorbed. That and the fabulous little countdown widget on my mac which indicates hours rather than days till I get on Qantas flight QF97 to Hong Kong.
I’ve been working as a professional editorial photographer for a relatively short time; five years, but in that time I’ve had an exhilarating career, covering The Ashes cricket, AFL Grand Finals, PGA Golf, Federal Elections, ATP Tennis, music festivals, motor racing, Asian Champions …

OK, awake now!
Apologies to all about the lack of post attached to the pictures, but I recall it had been a very long day.
We’re now in Sapa, in the North-West of Vietnam, and we’ll try to work our way back chronologically from the first post.
If I double up on anything I apologise, but whilst writing this is Sapa, I’m not sure when it will get posted as there isn’t any internet up here. (edit – now in Ninh Bin, south of Hanoi – still chasing an internet connection!)
We arrived in …