Yunnan

Day 2. Our first stop. A "kuan yin" temple which is a few hundred years old.

A rather uncomfortable seating position for me because I can't find the space to rest these long legs of mine. Probably the best meal we had on the entire trip though.

Got elevated down around 100 feet before going through this uninspiring boat ride. The water was murky and the boat was crude. They should introduce the 360 degree speed boats like those in NZ.

Entering the cavern complex.

Checking out the formations in the cavern.

After a long climb within the cave, we got cabled back to the starting point. Not the safest way to cross ravines over a hundred feet deep. You worry about losing your belongings too. However, I suppose the element of danger adds to the excitement.

Day 3. Beautiful rock formations.

As you can see, I'm the videocamera-man.

My uncle getting a piece of the action.

Day 4. A memorial park of a famous general from Kunming in the olden days.

These sea gulls originate from the north to spend winter here. Pretty well fed too since the tourists are generous with their offer of bread.

Posing with the "masterpiece" of this old scholar.

The restaurant is called "Alcohol Forest" and they brew some potent wines. Probably the cause of my severe diarrhoea during the night. Our slick-tongued tour leader is the one wearing the internal red sweater. After lunch, we had a 360 km coach ride to Dali.

Day 5. Contains many huge "kuan yin" statues.

Entrance to the ancient city of Dali. I could barely stand up at this point.

Sampled the chinese tea and cultural show of the 'White Clan'. As the name suggests, they have a preference for white clothing.

Sampled the cuisine of the 'White Clan' which was basically the same except for a special pot of stew. Obviously, I was in no position to comment since I hardly ate any.

A very nice tree with deep pink Sakuras.

It is midwinter and the butterflies are prudent enough to avoid the cold. Turning out to be a Sakura tour instead. An ardous journey to Lijiang was next.

Arrival in Lijiang. The coach lacked power and I was sitting just in front of the engine (back row). Almost cooked my behind in the process. Lijiang is one of the most modern towns in China after it was leveled by an earthquke and then rebuilt in the mid 90s. Since it was quite remote, prices tended to be cheaper than Kunming and our group had a field day (or rather night) here in the ancient city.

Day 6. A very old tree. Can't remember its significance.

Stalls that always appear near the exit of tourist sites.

Restaurant at the base of the mountain. It offers a pretty good view.

For Chinese standards, the architecture of this building is pretty unique.

The chairs are designed to hook your hats or jackets. My appetite had improved somewhat after the perils of the previous day.

We ended up on this side of the mountain since the group failed to reach a unanimous decision to pay extras and visit the snow-capped side. It was a pretty long and steep climb from the base.

This is the closest that we got to the snow-capped peaks. The clans in this part of China have this weird culture that glorifies dark and fat girls. Therefore, most of them look no better than their horses. Hee... hee...

View of the mountain from the riverside.

More pretty Chinese architecture.

A nice view across the lake

A nice falls (probably man made). Since it was running late, we were forced to have dinner here before going back to Dali. The coach was really slow and we arrived at the hotel at 11.00 pm.

Sunrise with the pagodas in the background.

A very beautiful scene and a good setting for the "kuan yin" temple at the end of the path

The tallest pagoda measures 69.13 metres in height. What a cool number! After that, it is another long coach ride back to Kunming. The disconcerting returns legs have rubbed some of the shine off the entire trip.

Traveled up to the Dragon Gate Mountain. We took the option of taking a sky lift to the top instead climbing on foot. It was a wise decision. Rubbing on the dragon pearl is supposed to bring luck.

My considerable reach barely allows me to touch the jewel on the 'God of Fortunes' hand. Many people thought they were monkey reincarnates when they tried to jump to it without considering the risks. Thus ends the footage of my trip. TQ for supporting my website.

Temple in Kunming

Day 2. Our first stop. A "kuan yin" temple which is a few hundred years old.

Now playing: Chinese Dance (P.I. Tchaikovsky)

Yunnan, China (2001)