My Travel Expreience and Itinery in Southern China - Yunan (Part 2)

The Nazi Woman in Lijiang


Workers at attention early morning in Kunming

Hello, I am really slow in keeping updates on my travel journal but I still want to do some catch up. Actually am now in Mongolia (Ulannbataar), wasn;t feeling very well, in fact I had bad stomach flu and vomitted about 4 times and diarrhoea. It was an awkful experience as I could not sleep the whole night :(

Aredi, now come back to my traveling in Southern China: We arrived Kunming, early in the morning and check into a youth hostel called The Hump, the location was great - in central and near shopping areas. It was really an experience staying there - we could not sleep the whole night. There are loud music played throughout the night. As what Shaz said, it is like putting your bed in the middle of a disco place. Also the room does not come with air condition and it is very warm to sleep in. Anyway, thank God we only stayed for 1 nights as we decide that since there is nothing much for us to do there, we will proceed to Dali (the old ancient city of China empire) earlier. As usual, I will have to find a local hospital to have my wound treated. But in Kunming the hospital is big and the system is somewhat quite troublesome for me. First I will have to regisiter my name and pay Y3 at a register counter, thank I will have to find my way to a doctor office, (here, anyone can just barge in to the doctor room anytime they want - like a fish market) After the doctor had examined the wound, he then write a something on a note and asked me to make payment, I will tend have to find my way out to look for the appropricate counter to make payment (long queue - often the people with cut in the queue very fast) Ony after you had finished paying then you will proceed to another room to have your dressing done by a nurse or doctor (whoever is available). When teh nurse saw my wound she is very professional and clean in very well for me. She was very concern, as she claims the wound was quite badly treated before. I later took some advice from her not to have my wound treated with alcohol nor any medication that will casue pain to the wound.

Dali, was great, we fall in love with the structure of the buildings and the look of the anicent city, and the culture Naxi people. I felt as if we were living in the olden period and it was great to be able to see a different setting from city lives. The toilet hostel we stayed was really something. Very old and dirty Oh gosh -we are really in China.
Dali was a place we happen to meet people whome we either have met before in the train to kunming or in Kunming itself. While roaming in the city, we met a Dutch couple Ruth and Eddy (Eddy has been teaching in Yang Shou for 6 months and Ruth was there to accompany him). It was great to have met them (as I got my companion to trek down Tiger Leaping Groge - cos Shaz does not like to hike at all) But over in Dali, we actually took a cable car up to Cang San, and up in Cang San we actually walked for about 4.5 hrs trying to get to the other part of the mountain to get another type of cable car down. To me I enjoyed the walk a lot (despite my wound knee condition) but Shaz dislike it. I even venture to walk up to a very steep slope up to a very narrow cliff to have an bird eye view of the city (but Shaz decided not to go waited for me at the foot) Often, I will challenge myself and is very curious of things or places that was strongly recomended to me.
Sometime, life is just very conicident, we met Misha (a girl from UK) we met her in Kunming on the day we arrive, and the day she leaving Kunming at the Hostel. We later help her to get a bus to Dali. For the whole time when we were in Dali we did not bump into her. But on te day we leaving Dali for Lijiang, she happen to board on the same bus as us to Lijiang. We had a good conversation journery all the way to Lijiang.

Dali was great but Lijiang is even more beautiful, the old town is like the Venice in Italy, a very quaint ancient romantic town with unique and beauitiful building structure. There are many small canals by the houses, and the water irrigation system is very ancient and interesting (there are 3 levels of the water usage - upper one is for drinking and food, 2nd is for washing of vegetables and 3rd is for washing of pots and pans) great to see and experience the sights. I even go to watch the Dongba ancient orchestra we Misha and some of the other guests living in her guest house. We truly enjoyed watching the orchestra listen to some of the old and antique musical instruments, in fact almost 1/2 of the troupe consist of people in already in their 80's. Wow, great to see them still so active in life.
On the way to Zhong Dian (Shangarila), we spent almost a day treking down Tiger leaping Gorge. When Ruth and myself saw the rapids at the gorge we were really excited as it was really a magnificent view and our almost 2 hrs of treking down was not in vain (it was a great treking and excellent sight experience), we later took another to trek back up to Tina Guest house (Where Shaz's waited for me) to catch a transport out to the town to catch another bus to Zhong Dian.
When we arrived Zhong Dian it was already 9pm, but the sky was still very bright, so we checkin to YHA and had our dinner at a very friendly Han couple small eating place. We love the place not so much of the food but the warmth and family feeling we received from this young hardworking lovely couple (they work form early morning to very late night for almost everyday). We ate at their place for most of our meals.
Next day, early in the morning 2 young beautiful Mai and Catlin from Australia check into the hostel and happen to be in the same dorm as us. We decided to take up a day trip together (hire a guide and a van) to the nearby area to see some spectacular view of the Baishuitai and the grassland of beautiful Shangarila. We had a great time together and enjoyed ourself a lot with the beautiful sights.

Hmmm.. so much about Yunnan... next will be Si Chuan (our experience about Tibetan)...

Ok ok ok... I will definitly post pic once I get to USA. as I can use my brother in law computer to download the photos.

My Travel Experience and Itinery in Southern China - Gulin (Part 1)

From a double bed dorm on the first day




Downgrade to 7 beds dorms in order to save another Y10


Scenic view of Gulin


By the Gulin lake


Life have been great to me thus far, I have not been writing to my blog, cos, am either too busy with many other stuffs and meeting my travel schedules, that I could find the time to write in my blog. So here's an update of my China trip thus far.

Arrived on 13th June at Gaung Zhou, just for couples of hour at the train station, got my camera Nikon 5200 stolen, how sad :( but soon got my report done and my demage claim is on the way, thanks to June my insurance agent.) Then we catch the 5pm train to travel to Gulin.

We arrived Gulin on 14th June morning, we could not locate the YHA, as had been given wrong directions, but soon after couple of minutes and making phone calls, we managed to locate the place (it is a very nice and comfortable hostel, Y35 person for a double bed room). We soon settled down with our stuffs, had a good bath, afterwhich out we go shopping and finding food to eat, wondering down the streets. We then bumped into a foot reflexology salon and managed to get our feet massage for only Y30 for a full 1hr, great relaxation and tension relief.

[We travel with no fixed itinery and really play by ear, to see what pops up. Eventhough, I have my Lonely Planet travel with me, but my concern have always been looking up for lodging and transportation only. So for the tour and sight seeing part, I often will depend on the local people recommendation, often time, with God's blessings, we will meet the right people to share with us places of interest and able to get the best tour deals. ]

So we booked a cruise tour to Yang Shou on 15th June, it is a 4hrs crusie ride by the Li'tang river, a very scenic crusie (almost like the Doubtful Sound experience in New Zealand, except for the warm weather) We met a newly wed couple from Suzhou who was having their honeymoon and it was great, they are very friendly and lovely young couple. They even invited us to visit them when in Suzhou, which we will do it when we get there. On the crusie, I met an old man, who is in his 90's - I believe, but he was traveling alone and he shared with me that he loves to travel and the nature, am very happy for him that he is doing this for himself, regardless of his age and means.

What can I say about the cruise except that the beautiful scenery is fill with natural grey stone mountain and unique natural craving structure and serene river, the weather was great (though a bit hot). I spent sometime at the upper deck just admiring the beautiful scenery while the gentle breeze beat onto my warm face.

When we finally touch down Yang Shou harbour, we were stormed by the local individual tour vendor. I was especially fansinated by this young 18 year girl, she kept checking on me, and wanting to share with me what she has to offer to me. At the point in time I was only interested in looking out for either mine or Shaz's name to be flashed out by the staffs in the YHA hostel which we have prior booked in Guilin. Unable to locate our name and the gal offered to bring us to the hostel as she claimed knowing the way there.

Somehow, I was drawn by her sincerity and enthusiaium to close a deal. And after checking with her all the prices and places of interest in Yang Shou, I promised I will give her a call when I settled down at the hostel. Of course, being Joy, back in hostel I began to enquire about the same type of tour and price they ofter. It so happen to be that the gal wasn't trying to rip us and was quite honest in her pricing, and all she actually asked was a Y10 a day fee for her service to bring us to places (in end paid her Y20, cos we were please with her)

Of course, needless to say, I fell down from my bicycle while riding towards a well-known cave for a clear water dip and mud swim. So for most part of the day, I went to the local clinic to get my wound treated. i almost fainted while the local practioner poured alcohol on my wound, it was really extriciating painful (more than whatever I had ever beared)

However with her added service, we got to see a sneak out performance by a small boat on the river. The performance was magnificiant, the actual price could cost us at Y300 but we only pay Y30 to steal the show. It had about 600 performance, with full blast colourful lighting, bright colourful costumes. With the performance coming for all 4 corner on the water bay. This is actually a production and investion of Zhnag Yi Mo, a famous critic Chinese movie director. I love the show and the way I get to see it.

Next day 16th June at Yang Shou, we rent a mini motor bike (very cute and fun) for only Y38 for the whole day, to ride around town and go to some part outskirt to see the river and paddy field and visit the famous Minority culture Garden.

I soon felt that my wound is now getting any better, and thus decided to go to the local hosiptal to get my wound treated again. And least to my knowlegdge, my wound was quite badly infected and need to get 5 types of jabs immediately, So I stayed in the hospital for the dips. While struggling with my immobility, Shaz who is a health freak, refused to step into the hospital, decided to go back to the hostel to wait for me, but thank God I had the young gal to keep me company, and I actually had a wonderful time sharing and talking with her about my experiences and listening to hers.

To be honest with my feelings, at that moment I was quite disapointed with Shaz, I felt she was only concerned about her own self very much and quite careless about my handicap situation. Given the same event to have had happened on her, I would have sticked by her to see to whatever she needs she may have. Well, isn't this all about looking after each other needs while traveling together. Hmmm... anyway, thank God for my independency and always sending me good guidance angels along my way to support me.
After the long 2.5hrs of dip at the hospital, we took the night bus back to Gulin (1.5 hr journery). To catch the early morning train ride (estm 28hrs) to Kunming (Yunnan).

On the train, we met another young chinese couple who is working in Kunming. Since the journey is so long, we had a chatted and we had culture informnation exchange conversation. Having this conversation, I realised that I was very blessed being Singaporean, given the freedom to travel and visa free to many nation. Am so grateful that our government had done a great job in foreign relation. Most Chinese nationality do not have the freedom as much as we do to travel out, and if they do , they need to have alot of money for bond and the procedures can be quite tedious. Also most of the average workers salary only range from Y600 to Y2000. And for the guy he is a supervisor of a factory (consider a high post) and his pay is only Y1500. His girlfrend only gets Y600. Hmmm... after all the conversion, there is actually not much left for travel at all.
China is so big and population is the largest in the world. There is just too many mouth to feed. But to my amazment, I do not see alot of beggers on the street begging for money (unlike some other 3rd world nations I had visited).

Ok, look out for my part 2 article on my exciting journey in the province of Yunnan soon ;)
my email: joydive@gmail.com