Llama to lama

From llamas in Ecuador.....

Near Chimborazo

..... to lamas at Beijing's famed 雍和宫 （yonghegong) temple, it's been a long and varied trip.  Coming up on our 7 month anniversary on the road!

The most important Buddhist temple in China outside of Tibet, 雍和宫 is home to an 18 meter tall gilded Buddha carved out of one piece of white sandalwood.  I couldn't photograph the whole thing, but here is the bottom.  It's remarkable that this huge temple complex has survived both foreign occupation and the Communists.

I missed seeing my peonies this year, but was pleased to see these wonderful plastic peonies outside the temple.

Great people watching at the temple.  Even modern Beijingers like this mom in heels and fancy track suit and her punk/guido son lit incense and kowtowed to Buddha.  She stayed on her cellphone throughout the entire visit.

This man was wearing almost the same track suit!  If only I could get them in the same picture for a direct comparison of who truly rocked the look.

Today was overcast and thankfully cool, and the temple was a peaceful oasis.  Very soothing, as we are starting to look and feel ragged.

Oscar and Neil shared a quiet moment walking out under the ginkgo trees.  We were on our way to a scrumptious vegetarian lunch next door.  We will get our meat fix eating lamb hotpot with cousins tonight.

Tomorrow, we leave Beijing for Taipei, and one last weekend of relatives and over the top eating!  (Some kind of yoga/cleanse regimen is surely in my future, perhaps in Bali.)