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HongKong 14 sept 06 - 18sept
Expiring chinese visa is the excuse that brought us here! Since it'll take a week to renew the visa, we agreed that a side trip to HongKong is better! Eat, drink but no shopping… hohoho… poor Shyan!
Yunnan 04 Sept 06 - 11 Sept 06
Scrambling pass throngs of Chinese commuters with our 15kg backpacks require lots of aggressiveness. We worked hard until we were finally stood on the correct platform to board our train from Guangzhou to Kunming, gateway to magical Yunnan.
Stepping through the narrow door of carriage 12, our jaws dropped. WOOW amazing!! Triple deck bunk beds! Never seen this before. And the best part, we have somehow purchased ticket to the "Penthouse" deck,! It's 2 metres above ground with surround sound (the train announcement speaker is just an arm's length away) and we'll be here for the next 25 hours.
That's not the end, there's another 12 hours bus ride to Lijiang. Shyan was totally traumatised by the cramp sleeper bus and the people in it. They spat, they littered, they smoked in the bus, not forgetting the pair of smelly feet behind me!!
Although I've been to Lijiang many times, I've never had the chance to experience it the way I had on this trip. Spending a good 2 days exploring the beautiful ancient town, nosing into little alleys, whiling time in an 'ang mo' café, and getting caught in the rain. Yeah, weather hasn't been kind to us, we took turns falling ill.
We checked into a nice youth hostel for Y60/nite. Cosy room, attached bath, free broadband to connect my laptop… all in a traditional Naxi courtyard house. Shyan believes LJ is every photographer's mecca, and took heaps of photos.. Hee… we were quite obsessed with taking sneaky shots of the locals… check it out in our album.
Only on our last day in LJ, did we play tourist. Paying expensive ticket prices to see the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain (Yu Long Xue Shan). Took the costly cable ride up to 4500m, the supposed best view point of the mountain, to see….. clouds, white misty clouds! Hmm… guess we're not so lucky. Honestly, we agreed that we've over-paid for this trip. Full stop.
Finally, it's time to indulge ourselves in a little affordable luxury. Springing for the most expensive bus ticket for the 3.5hr ride to Dali, the other must-see in Yunnan. The package includes 2 drivers who don't smoke in the coach, a pleasant looking stewardess, 1 tiny bottle of drinking water and built-in toilet that no one uses. Our most comfortable ride, and Shyan can't be more pleased.
Ah! We love Dali. It may not be as charming or well-restored like LJ, with its flowing streams, stone bridges and weeping willows, with no government funds to spruce up the tourism scene. Hence, it is a genuine Bai minority town, that has evolved with time. 2 quiet days for us, a great getaway from trigger-happy tour groups. Sitting in a café, eating a sandwich, sipping Chinese tea and watching people.. Shiok!
After vegging for a day, we decided to do a little sightseeing. To visit Er Hai Lake, the 7th largest freshwater lake in China. Strolling for an hour along rice fields, we came to CaiCun pier, with nothing to offer unless you are willing to fork out Y130 each for a 2hr ferry ride. Of cos, I refused. I've taken the ride too many times, and know what to expect. It was just too expensive. A tourist trap, like the Jade Dragon Mountain.
Instead of getting stuck in a ferry for hours surrounded by loud Chinese tourist, we made a U-turn and found ourselves on a horse carriage. The horse man took us to a remote village where we got on a real fishing boat, sailing with real fishing nets. The interesting bit is: Apparently, it is illegal for the fishermen to offer rides to tourist on Er Hai lake. We found out later in the evening that an English lady's boat was 'hijacked' by the marine authority's speed boat that same afternoon. Thankfully, she got away alright. We saw the same speed boat, and went hiding quickly behind some bushes, so it missed us… wonder what happened to those fishermen.
After, spent a lovely evening at Jim's Tibetan café, exchanging tips and stories with other travelers, over a few beers. (That's where we met the English gal.)
GuangZhou 01 Sept 06 - 03 Sept 06
The most beautiful sight in Guangzhou is... Starbucks. My salvation in this concrete jungle of industrialisation and commerce. I adore not just the coffee, but the invaluable free wireless connection, where I can try
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