Monastery

There are stories everywhere. Today I found one in the deep, lovely mountains and the crystal river that meandered through the gorge, sometimes morphing into a lake, sometimes becoming a plunging waterfall. You see, I was in search of a monastery, and I accidentally found two. Well, sort of.

Note my poor choice of attire for the occasion. Anyway, I'm going to share the monastery photos later, with their own photo story. Trust me, it is a tale of its own. Today...

The trail started at the base of the mountains and most turbulent part of the river, with some traveler lodges and a bridge spanning the water. I fell in love with this little red house perched on a rock all by itself. I really don't understand how it balances.

The trail managed to wind through the mountains while traveling alongside the river/lake at all times. It felt like a combination of The Great Wall of China, Hadrian's Wall, and Loch Ness. At one point the river forked off and the left branch disappeared into the mountain, while the right branch merged into a dam. I was struck by the contrast of shimmering water and corroded cement. It looked a little like a geode cracked open, center shimmering, plain rock surrounding.

The mountain air was a refreshing contrast to city air. Lungs expand, oxygen exchanges, life continues. This air has a crisp, cool quality that leaves you expectant at the end of each breath. Even if survival did not require you to keep on breathing, you would.