How's that for drama! I haven't been able to post because 1) I've been very busy, 2) I've been "aclimatizing" to this new world and to travelling alone, and 3) when I did have a chance to write my time was spent trying to figure out how to post. I've discovered that in 2009 China banned all blogs (as well as many downloading sites) - a minor detail I missed in my research! After unsuccessfully trying work-arounds using blog editors Ian's agreed to copy and paste e-mails into the blog. Thanks Ian! I'm glad to be able to have a record of my trip to look back on. Each day has been a gem, better than I imagined - I've met many incredibly friendly and helpful people, and I'm gradually adjusting to solo travelling and having only the schedules and expectations I set for myself. So far I've taken about 300 photos (surprisingly not all masterpieces :p ) but I could've taken hundreds more - there's so much I want to capture! I've only added a few as some serious editing has to be done.
Sept 9 - 13 The flight....
Was very long! 12+ hours to Shanghai from Vancouver, a 4 hour wait in the Shanghai Airport, and a mere 3 hour flight from Shanghai to Kunming. Laptop movies, talking with my row-mate, and The Nanny Diaries got me through though. The airports in China weren't what I expected - not a mad crush of rushing people. Actually, I find the pace here quite relaxed after all. The Shanghai (Pudong) Airport is very modern, clean and somewhat stark and institutional. One worry I'd had for arriving in Kunming at midnight had been about finding a ride to the hotel while in a groggy state and in a place where little English is spoken - indeed it was challenging, because my hotel - the Eway Xintiandi Kunming - was towards the outskirts of the city, 12 km from the airport and as it turned out very unknown. Neither the people at the taxi stand, my taxi driver (who spoke zero English) or the 6 people he asked along the way (including other taxi drivers out there) knew what or where it was. However, patience conquered all and I finally arrived safely at 1:30 am to a hotel that sits at the end of a long dark driveway. Although I was dying to sleep registereing was quite time-consuming because the night staff spoke little English, I speak no Chinese, and my phrasebook seemed useless - even so I was thrilled because the place looked even better than in the photos - beautifully done for approximately $50/night. Once in the room I sent a quick e-mail to Ian to let him know I'd made it and finally to bed.
Thanks probably in large part to the No Jet Lag I diligently took throughout the first flight I was up for breakfast at 9 am, where I met my first Kunming guardian angel Sun, who approached me in the dining area. Sun studied for 3 years in Austria and her English is good. She was visiting friends who live in Kunming for the Mid-Autumn Festival, and when she found out that my plans were the same as hers (to go the the nearby Yunnan Minority Village and ride the cable car up the mountain) she asked if I wanted to do them together.
It was an amazing day and the weather was beautiful. I got to see and try many new things:
- Dianchi Lake and Dianchi Lake Park.
- The spectacular Lakeview Restaurant (where Sun's friends worked) which has huge tanks of live fish, many different dining areas and an amazing menu with photos of dishes with unusual ingredients, such as caterpillar fungus.
- The cable car that went over Dianchi Lake and then up the mountain, with amazing views. Luo (sp?),Sun's friend, joined us and was quite nervous about the height, laughing and grabbing onto Sun.
- My first real meal in China (not counting the rice porridge and steamed custard bun I had for breakfast) that we had up the mountain. I learned valuable lessons from eating with Sun and Luo: it's gonna get messy, there will be a lot of food (although even Sun who ordered was surprised at the number of dishes we were served), and a lot of it probably won't get eaten. It was novel to see the side plate, bowl and cup come as a plastic wrapped set and I tried to copy how Sun and Luo approached eating their food. I wanted to treat us to lunch but that offer was soundly refused.
- Temples built into the sides of the mountain - Sun and Luo offered prayers with joss sticks at one of them.
- Total strangers talking to each other as if they were well-acquainted. I've witnessed this countless times since I've been here - one Chinese person approaching another for assistance or directions without thinking twice, and the person responding in kind.
- In the evening I did Chinese folk dancing around a fire pit with the performers and other audience members at the excellent evening show at the Yunnan Minorities Village, which celebrates the music and dancing of some of the minorities in Yunnan.
Sun returned to her home in Qingdoa (pronounced Chingdoa) the next morning and I decided to travel out to the Anning (also referred to as Anming) Hot Springs, 34 kms southwest of Kunming and about an hour's bus ride. I had planned to take a cab to the bus station at 11 am using the Chinese directions for the taxi driver that the hotel's front receptionist had written out for me. However, due to miscommunication the taxi showed up 15 minutes after breakfast (at 9:30) and rather than try and sort it out I decided to scramble my stuff together and just go with it. Which was a very good thing, because on the bus I met lovely Liu and her sweet 5 year old daughter (I have a hard time remembering names in Chinese unless I can write them down). We were sitting across from each other on the bus and the little girl said Hello, waved to me a few times and was watching me. When we arrived at the Hot Springs I was surprised to find that there are actually several establishments with hot springs and with my lack of Chinese I wasn't sure where to go next. Happily, Liu and her daughter approached me and asked if I would like to join them - it was also their first time and a driver who talked to Liu when she got off the bus showed her a brochure for "the best hot springs there". And I believe he was likely correct - at the Jinfang Hot Spring ("Jocundity, Mildness, Romantic") there are at least 20 separate pools in a natural forest setting, including pink rosewater, yellow lemon, white milk, and something very green pools, and one pool with many little fish in it that nibble soakers (an extremely unique sensation!). We all squealed at that and Liu's daughter had a very long giggle. There was a tremendous kid's pool, and a swimming pool, and various water massaging showers and beds, and also a very good restaurant where I had delicious crunchy dried/steamed fish and other tasty dishes that Liu ordered. Once again I was not allowed to pay for or contribute to lunch - but Liu did let me buy the ridiculously inexpensive bus tickets back (8 CNY for an adult). Liu told me later that her little girl had told her on the bus to Anning that she wanted to be friends with me, and I imagine that was at least in part the inspiration for us getting together. I think she was curious about me, and you don't have to be a very tall white guy (MK) to be a novelty in China - people do stare, and one boy at the hot springs got quite scared of me. As it was still the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday the hot springs was very busy and yet I was the only non-Chinese person there - at one point a man asked Liu to ask me if the teenager he was with could have her picture taken with me and I was happy to oblige. After leaving the Kunming Airport Sunday midnight I don't think I saw anyone who wasn't Chinese until on the way to Dali on Tuesday afternoon.
Liu and I parted ways when the bus got back in Kunming but we will stay in touch. I left on the bus the next day for Dali. I was sad to leave because of the wonderful time I had there and the beautiful hotel with my balcony overlooking the forest and a pond, but I was also excited to see my next stop.
Catapillar Fungus
Elephants At Xintiandi
Kunming Hotel Balcony
Lovely Sink
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