I’m participating in the online adventure travel and photography magazine LetsBeWild.com’s Wild Weekly Photo Challenge for bloggers.  This week’s Challenge is: Wanderlust! – my entries for other weeks can be found here.

Near the giant Buddha at Le Shan in Sichuan, China, a tiny pavilion clings to the steep mountainside, overlooking the expansive river below. Part of the charm of China is the dotting of the mountainous landscape with these pavilions and temples that are difficult to reach, and must have been even harder to build. The location gives them a sense of majesty and separation from the mundane world, often seeming as otherworldly and spiritual as the mists enveloping them.

When I think of “wanderlust” images of such mysterious and off-the-beaten-path places spring to mind.  To me, wanderlust embodies the spirit of adventure and the quest for the unknown.  Spirituality and a yearning the unknown are closely linked, and so a small often overlooked part at a Buddhist historical site seemed appropriate for this challenge.

What does “wanderlust” mean to you?

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stamps and more

Available at my Inner Bodhisattva Zazzle store.

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A few shout-outs to some other entries that I liked:

• travelsandtriflesshares a variety of different kinds of nature photos, my favorite being “Golden Hour, Kiawah Island, SC”
• salmonfishingqueen includes photos from multiple trips, including a rather unusual macro shot of the fiddle of a fern in the rainforest.
• abstractlucidity shares a gorgeous vivid photo of Makapu’u Beach here on my home island of O’ahu.
• sianakdesa has a beautiful shot of beach, trees, and mountain in Indonesia.
• travelspirit333 has multiple beautiful photos from around the world, including golden hour in the Namid Desert and a fiery sunset at Lake Malawi.
• fallingallovertheworld reminds us of how big the world is with a photo looking down at an expanse of mountains in Italy.
• happyandsimple shares a colorful photo of a monarch butterfly that almost feels like a painting.