DALI TO KUNMING

It's been a long time between entries but big brother closed the blog site down in China. Maybe the didn't like some of the comments that were being posted.


The leg from Dali to Kunming was a bit of a mix between the sweet smell of lush pine forestted peaks and deep valleys with villagers planting rice and a variety of green leafed crops to the heavily industrialized with a constant thundering of thousands of blue trucks laden with black coal, boulders used for ther ever present road works and bricks from the numerous kilns.

It was on this leg of my journey that a came across my first other touring cyclist in China. He was a Chinese cyclist endeavouring to cycle across China from east to west. Quite a challenge because he was hoping to cycle in high alps in the north west of Yunnan Province. I gather that is why he was so heavily laden with packs on his bike. Wit broken communication we excanged tales, took a few photos, said Zaijian and pedalled off in opposite directions.

The closer I got to Kkunming the more I realized that it was just another big city (over 1 million) so to escape the blue monsters I decided to make a right hand turn about 30km west of Kunming and head south to the rolling hills of the Yuangang rice terraces. A wise decision because this route took me through the picturesque Fuxian Lakes tourist region with its hot springs, waterfalls and the national parks of the Xiushan region.



Being a foreigner and then a cycling tourist as well makes you a very novel attraction in most cities, towns and vilages. Old people just look and stare with a blank expression and probably think - What the xxxx!!! Children just want to say "Hello, what is your name? My name is ---- Where do you come from?" Their limited rote vocabulary of Englilsh. Groups of teenage girls just want to say hello and then give a little giggle. - don't know what the giggle is all about.

AH1N1

Cycled into the town of Tonghai at the southern end of the Fuxian Lakes District. Found some accommodation, settled into my room and had a much needed shower. Was just about to crack a Dali long neck ( tastes like dog's xxxx) when there was a knock on the door upon which I was greeted by four very official looking people dressed in white gowns. Somebody must have informed the local hospitlal that an alien had landed and feared that he may have a fever, cough and aching joints and was a likely carrier of swine flu. One official produced a thermometer (don't know where he wanted to stick that) and another produced a whole ream of paperwork wanting to know my every movement for the last 2 months. After a two hour ordeal it was established that my temp was normal (under the armpit) and my whereabouts were verified via my passport I was given the all clear to crack that beer and have a much needed beer.

Yuanyang Rice Terraces

Deep in the south eastern region of the Yunnan Province these rice fields come with a very high recommendation as a must see. These beautifully sculptured rice fields spring to life at sunrise and sunset as the sun's rays glisten from the water filled terraces. It was here that you wished you had one of those expensive cameras with a foot long lens.



Shiping

Well I was lucky to stumble across this gem of a town Listed with a heritage tag, the "Old Town" has all of its original sturctures and cobblestone street charm minus the hordes of mini buses full of tourists of Dali and Lijiang. In the evening you can walk the narrow dimly lit alleys and be invited into family homes to taste bbq bean curd and tofu whilst watching family members playing cards.


Dragon Boat Festival

This traditional festival commences on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month of the chinese calendar and runs for four days (28th - 31st May) Whilst cycling through the towns of Yuanjiang-Majiang and Shiping each town put on colourful street parades and evenings of traditional dance. It is also time where people savour sonjie which is a triangular shaped desert wrapped in bambo leaves and filled with glutonous rice and a variety of sweeteners such as dates, banana, raisins and mango - yummy !!!