Sleeper bus
Originally uploaded by bastchild.
Monday, October 24, 2005
Gorge view
Gorge view
Originally uploaded by bastchild.
On day three, I hiked down to Tina's guesthouse, down by the road. I left the Aussies and Swedes behind to make my way back to Lijiang and Kunming. It only took a couple hours to get to the road, and from there I hired a minivan (60 RMB, ouch!) to get me back to Qiaotao, where I caught a bus (15 RMB) back to Lijiang.
At Lijiang, I bought a ticket on the sleeper bus to go back to Kunming (122 RMB), 8 hours away.
Chinese chess
Chinese chess
Originally uploaded by bastchild.
A couple of the boys were playing chess between chores.
Dinner with the Li's
Dinner with the Li's
Originally uploaded by bastchild.
For dinner, we asked to eat with the family in their kitchen.
Cracking walnuts and drinking beer
Cracking walnuts and drinking beer
Originally uploaded by bastchild.
We spent the rest of the afternoon drinking tea, beer, and cracking walnuts that they supplied for free.
Drinking milk tea
Drinking milk tea
Originally uploaded by bastchild.
On the way to Five Fingers Guesthouse, we passed many interesting plants. I asked Mr. Li about the interesting plants and he explained that they could make it into a nice milk tea. "Five Fingers" was named after Five Fingers Mountain which was behind the guesthouse. Mr. Li and his wife, family of three kids, and his mother lived at this "guesthouse". During the day, he picked corn and tended his animals, and once in a while some guests would show up.
The gorge is 3900 meters below the peaks
The gorge is 3900 meters below the peaks
Originally uploaded by bastchild.
Purportedly, one of the deepest gorges in the world.
Naxi Family Guesthouse is somewhere down there
Naxi Family Guesthouse is somewhere down there
Originally uploaded by bastchild.
This is the view from 24 or 28 bends.
Climbing up the trail
Climbing up the trail
Originally uploaded by bastchild.
On day two, we all set out at different paces from Naxi Guesthouse towards Five Fingers Guesthouse at 9:00 am. We stopped for lunch at Tea Horse Guesthouse for an hour and made it to Five Fingers around 4:00 pm. We ascended to the highest point on the trail at 2600-meters at the top of 28-bends. I think Qiaotao is at about 2100-meters.
Saturday, October 22, 2005
Eating family style
Eating family style
Originally uploaded by bastchild.
I stayed at Naxi Family Guesthouse for the first night, about two hours from Qiaotao. I met up with a couple other groups of hikers, three Swedes (the Swedish Boy Band) and a couple from Melbourne. We bonded immediately over sunflower seeds, tea, and beer, and stayed together for the next two nights. A few hours later, two tour groups showed up and the proprietor asked if we could eat together. We got 7 dishes and shared them family style for 15 RMB a person.
Confusing arrows
Confusing arrows
Originally uploaded by bastchild.
The trail is marked with arrows pointing you to guesthouses. You can't get lost if you keep your eyes open.
Wednesday, October 19, 2005
Tiger Leaping Gorge
Tiger Leaping Gorge
Originally uploaded by bastchild.
From Lijiang, I took a bus (13 RMB) to Qiaotao, about 80 minutes north, on the other side of the snowy peaks.
Qiaotao serves as the trailhead for the Tiger Leaping Gorge trek, a three to four-day trek along one of the deepest gorges in the world. There are two trails, one low and one high one. I took the high one. I hiked downstream above the Yangtze River. There weren't too many hikers on the trail. The views were breathtaking and the guesthouses on the way were the most genuinely hospitable guesthouses I have encountered in China. There are guesthouses every few kilometers from where you can buy drinks or snacks. It costs 30 RMB to enter the gorge, but a student id card gets you half off. There are several places at the beginning of the trek that have hand-drawn maps to lead you astray, I mean, on your way.
Wednesday, October 12, 2005
Yulong Xueshan (Jade Dragon Snow Mountain) at 5500 meters
Yulong Xueshan (Jade Dragon Snow Mountain) at 5500 meters
Originally uploaded by bastchild.
The view from the lounge at the Ancient Town Youth Hostel is amazing. This was in the morning before the snow starts to melt in the hot sun. This youth hostel was a pain to find, but worth it for the views. I got a room with tv and ensuite for 80 RMB.
Candles on floats
Candles on floats
Originally uploaded by bastchild.
During the day, these ladies sell goldfish to send downstream. At night, they sell candles on floats to send downstream.
Lijiang
I left Dali yesterday as the weather warmed up and the skies cleared. It was a nice three hour ride on a smoke-free bus (40 RMB) to Lijiang. I had some great views on the way here. The air feels very dry up here. Lijiang is another UNESCO World Heritage Site. This city was rocked by an earthquake in 1996 and a lot of the old architecture stood up better than the new buildings. The main attraction here is the old town, a maze of narrow alleys and running streams that weave up and down the hillside. There are a lot of old women and men dressed up in traditional costumes of the Naxi, the local ethnic group here. There is also an awesome mountain within view: Jade Dragon Snow Mountain or Yulong Xueshan.
At night, the town is lit up as a lot of the buildings have lights set up under their eaves. It's beautiful. Tomorrow I am headed to Tiger Leaping Gorge for a few days to hike on a trail.
At night, the town is lit up as a lot of the buildings have lights set up under their eaves. It's beautiful. Tomorrow I am headed to Tiger Leaping Gorge for a few days to hike on a trail.
Menu items in Dali
The restaurants in Dali all have their ingredients set up outside. You just point to what you want and what to mix with it. It's delicious.
Trail carved into the cliff
Trail carved into the cliff
Originally uploaded by bastchild.
There is a great paved trail carved into the cliff that reaches from the top of the cable car around the mountain. It doesn't go as far as described in the guidebooks as there is a wall that blocks the path, but it was a good 30 minute hike to a cascade.
Over Three Pagoda Temple
Over Three Pagoda Temple
Originally uploaded by bastchild.
Three Pagoda temple is one of the oldest standing structures in southwestern China, or so says the Lonely Planet guidebook. The largest of the pagodas has 16 tiers that reach up to 70-meters in height. It was built in the 9th-century.
Walled city of Dali
Walled city of Dali
Originally uploaded by bastchild.
I took a cablecar ride up Zhonghe mountain which is behind Dali. It cost 60 RMB for the roundtrip which was about 25 minutes one way. It is wierd that in town the tourist shops and even the guesthouse is trying to sell oneway tickets for 60 RMB and roundtrips for over 80 RMB when you can buy it for less at the cablecar station or from the many touts on the way.
Sunday, October 09, 2005
Hot pot
Hot pot
Originally uploaded by bastchild.
Last night I enjoyed this hot pot dinner. I was warned that it would be expensive by the restauranteurs. "How much," I asked. "Around 40 Yuan," she replied. That's about $5. One side was spicy and the other side not. Perfect food for the cold temperatures outside.
Dali walls
Dali walls
Originally uploaded by bastchild.
Dali served as the capital for Yunnan for 500 years before being incorporated into China. Now it is a thriving tourist city.
Old bus station in Dali
Old bus station in Dali
Originally uploaded by bastchild.
"Bus station for the old town of Dali. No tickets for Kunming, Lijiang, Zhongdian and other destinations."
Spider Alley
Spider Alley
Originally uploaded by bastchild.
On the way to the lake, I passed through a road bordered on both sides by rice paddies. On the way back I noticed that the trees and telephone lines were covered with spider webs to some massive spiders. Not for the arachnaphobes. This one had a small bird in it. It was already dead.
At the lake pier
Yesterday, I rented a bike for the day and rode from Dali to Erhai Lake and around the area. The weather has been a little cold and overcast. Dali lies at the base of a mountain that is next to this large lake. There are supposed to be stunning views here if the clouds and mist ever leave.
The Tibetan Cafe and Guesthouse
The Tibetan Cafe and Guesthouse
Originally uploaded by bastchild.
Pretty nice rooms here in Dali for 60-80 RMB.
Bad Monkey
Bad Monkey
Originally uploaded by bastchild.
I went to this bar in Dali. There were a bunch of expats living in Dali teaching English or learning Mandarin.
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