ITINERARY:
Day 1: Singapore - Kunming - Lijiang
Day 2: Lijiang - Ancient Tea Horse Road - La Shi Sea - Shu He Old Town
Day 3: Lijiang - Zhong Dian (Shangrila)
Day 4: Zhong Dian - Fei Lai Shi
Day 5: Fei Lai Shi - Zhong Dian
Day 6: Zhong Dian - Bai Shui Tai - Tiger Leaping Gorge - Lijiang
Day 7: Lijiang - Liming - Lijiang
Day 8: Lijiang
Day 9: Lijiang - Jade Dragon Snow Mtn - Jade Dragon Pool - Lijiang
Day 10: Lijiang - Lugu Lake
Day 11: Lugu Lake - Lijiang
Day 12: Lijiang - Dali
Day 13: Dali - Kunming - Chengdu
DAY 1 (07 August 2009, Friday)
It started off a few months ago during one of our meet up sessions, with Kuantoh suggesting if we will like to visit Yunnan for a photography trip. As it says, the rest are history.
The five of us, Kuantoh (KT), Kok Theam (KT2), Ah Hee, Benson, and I met up at Changi Airport T3 for dinner and proceeded to check in. Glenn was nice enough to send us off at the airport.
Despite flight MU5094 being delayed for more than an hour, we arrived at 崑明 Kunming airport with about 5hours to spare, waiting for our connecting flight on MU5714 to Lijing. During this time, we made our way around Kunming on foot, to capture some street scenes, as well as tried out the local delicacies.
Spotted this sign at the Kunming Airport. Wheel barrow or luggage??? hmmmm......
Kunming Airport
Some deep fried local delicacies
过桥米线 'Crossing the bridge noodles' is Yunnan's best known dish. It consists of a bowl of boiling hot oily chicken stock over paper-thin meat slices, noodles, vegetables and spices. If you haven't tried this, you haven't been to Yunnan!
It literally means 'when it smells so good, you will get off your car'
Robo cop is everywhere on the streets
Food preparation on the ground are commonly seen
On arrival in 丽江 Lijiang airport at around 1430hrs, we hopped onto a taxi to bring us to Lijiang Old Town. Carrying our full luggage with all the photography equipments, a tiring 20mins hike uphill ensues to get to the guesthouse KT recommends.
De Jing Lou Guesthouse is at the top of the hill (RMB140 for 2 rooms), overlooking almost the entire Lijiang Old Town, which was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997.
Our guesthouse's balcony view
Tucking in, finally!
Some potato patty.....like harshbrown!
Deepfried fermented beancurd, also known as smelly beancurd!
Stirfried potato stripes
Gongbao chicken cubes
Beef with potato. As you can see, most dishes in Yunnan consist of potatos.
After a filling late lunch, we wandered around the old town for some photography opportunities. Lijiang old town is famous for its orderly system of waterways and bridges.
Narrow aisles, walkways, and stairways
Ginger candy man mixing the dough
Pickles stall
牦牛肉 Dried yak beef, the Chinese beef jerky :p
What a restaurant name that is directly translated!!! hahahaha
Some delicious but oily street stalls selling a variety of local food
Making a wish
纳西族 Naxi minority tribe ladies
Lazing around
Geared for sunset shoot at the balcony of our guesthouse
Sunset in Lijiang
At night in Lijiang, the temperature drops to below 10 degrees celcius. This was all forgotten when we were busy enjoying dinner and chilling out with the local beer at the comfort of our balcony, plus watching a large yellow moonrise from behind the clouds. What a memorable night!!!
The quietness of the town at midnight. Yes, we stayed up past midnight to capture this shot in the chilling cold night.
DAY 2 (08 August 2009, Saturday)
On a chilling morning, its rise and shine to a warm bowl of soya milk and deep fried you-tiao for breakfast!
While having breakfast in the morning, this lady approched us and asked if we wanted to go sightseeing with her. Oopps... I mean she is a driver cum tour guide, not that she needs our company! Haha.
We then agreed on a price of RMB10 per person to visit the 茶马古道 Ancient tea horse road. On arrival, we were surprised that the local attraction charges RMB350 per person for a half day horse riding trip around the Ancient tea horse road. When we refused and wanted to go back, the attraction guide lowered the price and eventually we settled the half day tour for RMB150 per person.
For thousands of years, this ancient road was treaded by human feet and horse hoofs in the mountains of Southwest China, bridging the Chinese hinterland and the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Along the unpaved and often rugged road, tea, salt and sugar flowed into Tibet, while horses, cows, furs, musk and other local products came out.
Horse riding along the Ancient tea horse road
View of the 田园风光 Tian Yuan Feng Guang
拉市海 LaShi Sea
What a relief!
What the duck
After a butt-aching half day horse ride, the lady guide sent us to 束河古镇 Shu He old town. UNESCO has listed it as an important component of Lijiang as it is a well-preserved example of a town along the ancient tea horse route and one of the earliest settlements of the ancestors of Naxi people.
Lunch at Shu He - Naxi fried rice, which was very spicy and saltish!! Seemed like the locals here enjoy eating very saltish food.
Deep fried potato, like harsh brown.... not potato again!!!
After lunch, all of us were pretty tired, and were drenched with perspiration under the hot scorching afternoon sun. We then decided to find a teahouse to 'sample' and do some tea tasting.
In the late afternoon, we continued shooting around Shu He old town.
While walking through some footpaths to get some photos, we were greeted by two furiously barking dogs. As we attempted to walk past them without running, we got into trouble. Being the first in the group, I walked past them. This was followed by KT and then KT2. Then, one of the dogs attempted to get into Benson's path, who then kicked the dog with his Army boots! And because of that kick, our last man Ah Hee got bitten by the other dog. When we got out of that area, we got some water to wash his wound and sent him to hospital for a jab. The wound was not that deep afterall.
Steamboat dinner with lots of beer the same night
DAY 3 (09 August 2009, Sunday)
Breakfast at the same You-tiao stall again. KT seemed to be enjoying this so much.
We proceeded to the bus station after checking out, and bought a one-way bus ticket to Zhong Dian, commonly known as Shangrila. The 30 seater bus was surprisingly clean and comfortable, much better than I had expected in this part of the world.
The county was formerly called Zhongdian County but was renamed in 2001 after the fictional land of Shangri-La in the 1933 James Hilton novel Lost Horizon, in an effort to promote tourism in the area. The novel described in great detail the stunning scenery in the area: the azure sky, the breathtaking beauty and the hospitality of unsophisticated people. In Tibetan, Shangri-La means a place of good fortune and luck.
Although a romantic name, Shangri-la does not actually refer to any specific place. The Shangri-La tour starts and ends both in Zhongdian, and this is also the transportation, cultural and commercial center.
Qian Xi Guesthouse in Zhong Dian for RMB250 for 2 rooms
Our much awaited lunch after like 4hrs on the bus journey. 炸酱面 Minced meat noodles.
Hot and deliciou 饺子 Dumplings
The local wine 纯松子 and 小杯青稞酒 that contains 42 and 43% alcohol respectively
With half a day of free and easy schedule, we walked around Zhong Dian town to capture the essense of the strong Tibetan heritage culture here.
Would you pay RMB2 to watch a movie at this place, on some old and torn sofas?? haha
Such toilets are still common found in Yunnan, where everyone can see anyone doing their 'business', be it big or small. Noticed the man squatting in the second cubicle? haha
Fried noodles for dinner - delicious, but very very saltish
Fried scrambled eggs with tomatoes - again its nice but very very oily and saltish
DAY 4 (10 August 2009, Monday)
We engaged a local driver for 2 days for RMB700 to tour 德庆 Deqing and 飞来寺 Fei Lai Shi beginning at 0630hrs. He was pretty much on time and brought us to a local stall nearby for breakfast before proceeding with the journey. This chap can't read a single word, but listens to modern pop songs as well as native Tibetan songs during the trip!
Blue sky, white clouds, green pastures and high elevation in 香格里拉 Shangrila
Narrow winding paths in Shangrila, on the journey to Deqing
Tibetan Buddhist Prayer Flags along the side of the road
Stopped at 奔子栏Benzilan town for a short break
Along the way, we passed by the scenic 金沙大拐弯 'Big bend of Jinsha river'. See the tiny road that skirts around the mountain?
东竹林寺 Dong Zhu Lin Monastry
Tibetan monk at Dong Zhu Lin Monastry
View of 白马雪山 Bai Ma snow mountain, standing on 4292m altitude
Tibetan lady outside her home
Gui Qu Lai Guesthouse in Fei Lai Shi for RMB180 for 2 rooms
Having a game of pool while waiting for sunset
Tibetan Buddhist Prayer Flags
What is KT doing??? He seemed out of his mind!!
Beautiful sunrays in Fei Lai Si, with 梅里雪山 Meili snow mountain in the background
DAY 5 (11 August 2009, Tueday)
We woke up at 0600hrs hoping to catch the first light breaking through the clouds shining onto Meili snow mountain, but to no avail. It was drizzling instead. We left Fei Lai Shi in the morning, and headed back to Zhong Dian, where more photo opportunities await along the journey.
Merging of the 金沙江Jinsha Jiang and the 长江Yangtze River
Around the corner of the narrow winding road
Bridge across the Jinsha Jiang
Local houses in the mountains of Shangrila
A village in the valley in Shangrila
纳帕海Napa sea
Almost back to Zhong Dian town
Back in Zhong Dian, we stayed in the old town, at a place recommended by the driver - Tibetan Guesthouse at RMB180 for 2 rooms. This guesthouse is very very homely, including the decorations in the room
The children of the guesthouse owner. Love their rosey cheeks!
Overview of the Zhong Dian old town
Rich Tibetan culture in Zhong Dian old town. Shopping at the shops here are definately cheaper than the much touristy Lijiang old town. I got myself some warm clothings here for around RMB220.
Fancy a game of mahjong by the street?
Tibetan Restaurants are commonly found
Wow.... huge head-dress! Must be an exceptional scholar!!!
Giant 'Khor' prayer wheel
Ah Hee spinning the prayer wheel 8 rounds in the clockwise direction for good luck
Traditional Tibetan dance in the evening around the market square
This little girl clinged on to me as I was taking photos of the dancers.
DAY 6 (12 August 2009, Wednesday)
After some negotiations with the driver, we managed to have him send us back to Lijiang on a one way journey. He was reluctant at first, however with much persuasion and negotiation on the price, he did it for RMB800.
We took the route that passes through 白水台 Bai Shui Tai (literally 'white water terrace'), where he stopped for about 2hrs for us to visit the place (entrance fee RMB30). Baishui Tai has limestone-rich water flowing downhill and creating these crater-like terraces full of bright-blue water. It was however, very foggy when we were there.
The Dongba priest at Bai Shui Tai
After visiting Bai Shui Tai, we had lunch and continued heading south towards 大具 Da Ju. This is a valley near Da Ju.
Jinsha River at Da Ju (The small narrow road on the left is where we drove on)
Paddy rice fields on the slopes of the 中虎跳峡 Mid-Tiger Leaping Gorge
虎跳峡 Tiger Leaping Gorge
Ferocious rapids at the 上虎跳峡 Upper-Tiger Leaping Gorge (entrance fee RMB50)
Walking down to see the Tiger Leaping Gorge is an easy feat, but coming up through the narrow and steep stairway is no easy task. Here, they have human powered elevators to lift you up for a fee.
Moving further south, we arrived at 长江第一湾 'First bend of Yangtze river' for sunset. It was however foggy and was raining lightly.
By the time we got back to Lijiang, it was about 2030hrs. We found Li Na Inn (RMB260 for 2 rooms) this time as we were too exhausted to climb uphill to stay at the guesthouse we initially had on the first day.
Nothing beats a good meal with some Tsing Tao draft beer after a tiring day!
DAY 7 13( August 2009, Thursday)
We got up early today to have breakfast at our favourite stall that sells fresh dumplings and soya milk with You-tiao.
For the first time in this trip, we booked a one day tour at RMB184 from a travel agent to visit 千龟山 Qian Gui Shan in 黎明 Liming. Along the way, the bus had a minor accident with another bus and we were put on hold for more than an hour.
Finally, when we arrived at the foot of Qian Gui Shan, it was already lunch time.
View of Liming and surroundings
Loving stone pillars - Shaped like an embracing couple of lovers, this pillar is regarded as 'Loving pillar' by the local Lisu people.
A very tiring trek to the top of Qian Gui Shan in Liming
Native old man at Qian Gui Shan
After days of local native food, especially being sick of too much potatoes, we decided to try some western food for dinner. It's not too bad afterall.
DAY 8 (14 August 2009, Friday)
Today was our free and easy day, so we got up very early to catch sunrise at 黑龙潭 Black Dragon Pool. However, the weather conditions did not permit us to see the sun rise rays. We had a couple of shots there before proceeding to breakfast and then each of us went out by ourselves to run our own errands and do some shopping, etc.
As I was unable to get my VISA extention from the China Embassy in Singapore, I had to apply for my VISA extention here. All Singaporeans are allowed to enter and stay for 14 days in China, so I had to go to the Lijiang police headquarters and get it applied for a fee of RMB160.
When this was done, I did some shopping around the old town and went for a 1hr massage for RMB59. What more could you ask for, at such price!?
Tried their local KFC for lunch. The chicken is not too bad, but the mash potato sucks, especially the gravy covering it.
In the evening, I bought a bottle of local wine, claimed to be distilled with 50% alcohol!! It was real high even with just a sip of it. And that was our company for the rest of the night at the BBQ grill stall just outside Li Na Inn.
DAY 9 (15 August 2009, Saturday)
Today Benson and I booked a local tour at RMB390 to visit the 玉龙雪山 Jade Dragon snow mountain, as the rest of them have been there on their previous trips. Looking from Lijiang old town in the south, the snow-covered and fog-enlaced mountain resembles a jade dragon lying in the clouds, hence, the name Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. It consist of 13 peaks, among which Shanzidou is the highest one with an altitude of 5,600 meters.
We had to queue for an hour before boarding the cable car to get to the top of the snow mountain. From there, it was another 20minutes climb to trek to the peak of the snow mountain at 5608m elevation. At high elevation, where oxygen is limited, it was difficult to breath, let alone trekking uphill to the peak. Many had to purchase the oxygen tank to help them in breathing.
Also included in the tour is the visit to the Baishui River. The water of Baishui River comes from the snow mountain and it is really very cool, but the yak cows can stand the temperature of the water.
Back in Lijiang, it was again some sunset and twilight shots of the old town.
DAY 10 (16 August 2009, Sunday)
Today, their journey has came to an end. Their flight is leaving Lijiang in the afternoon to Kunming, where they will be transfered back to Singapore. As for me, I'm continuing my trip in Yunnan and then move on to another province.
I had booked a 2 day tour to 泸沽湖 Lugu Lake at RMB300, departing today. Lugu Lake is an incredibly beautiful lake, nestled high in the Himalayan mountains (at 2685 meters above sea level). The lake straddles Yunnan and Sichuan provinces, with the border between the two running right through the middle of the lake. It is surrounded by mountains and has eight islands and many bays and beaches. There are many villages scattered around the lake, with the best-known villages being Luoshui and Lige.
Lugu is home to Mosuo tribe, a sub-clan of the Naxi ethnic minority of Yunnan, famed throughout the world for their matriarchal society, which centers around a practice known as 走婚 'walking marriage’. A ‘walking marriage’ begins with the man signaling the object of his desire using a discrete tap of his finger to her palm while clasping her hand. If the lady deems the man worthy, she can signal back with three taps, or she can choose not to respond at all. In the event of the affirmative, the man can then sneak to her home at night until the morning. Yet come dawn, the man has to leave, hence walking marriage.
First stop of the journey is the 丽宁十八弯 Lining 18 bends. Termed the 18 bends because there are 18 bends on the narrow downhill slope.
On the second stop about 2 hours later, it was lunch break. Being alone in the group, I got to know few other tourists in the bus. They are generally students on vacation break, from different provinces. Through lunch, we got aquinted easily by sharing a meal with each odering a dish.
Padi rice field outside the food centre
We proceeded with the journey after lunch, and all was smooth till the entire traffic came to a halt. The driver alighted from the mini bus and went ahead to check out the situation. As it was hot and stuffy in the bus, everyone got out too. To our surprise, a car had actually slid down the cliff and had to be pulled up! The joint effort by the passer bys helped the car back on the track.
Finally we arrived in Lugu Lake
Here, we went on a boat ride to Rock Island, in the middle of the lake
Tibetan temple on Rock Island
Arriving at Lige Town, we checked in to Lugu Dreaming Guesthouse
Lige Town
Sunset over Lige half island
On a Mosuo home visit cum dinner, we tasted the Mosuo local food, listened to them sing, and danced around the camp fire. As the saying goes, if a Mosuo person can talk, he/she can sing, if a Mosuo person can walk, he/she can dance!
DAY 11 (17 August 2009, Monday)
The minibus departed Lugu Lake in the morning for Lijiang and halfway through the journey, there was yet another car accident where it had slid of the road and went down the cliff. Looks like driving in such roads isn't easy!
On arrival in Lijiang old town, I put up at Mu Shi Guesthouse for RMB100 a night. Room looks pretty decent, and comes with free wifi connection.
DAY 12 (18 August 2009, Tueday)
Leaving Lijiang old town with lots of great memories, I bought a bus ticket to 大理 Dali for RMB64. Got a special rate at the Hua Zhong Hua Guesthouse for RMB50 as the travel consultant at Lijiang's tavel agent helped me secure the rate.
大理古城 Dali ancient town
Pumpkins for sale
Grilled milk crackers, one of Yunnan's 18 oddities
Dali's 白族 Bai-minority tribe costumes
Street scene around Dali old town
Now you know why kid's pants have an opening at the backside? Sounds disgusting eh?
In the afternoon, I manage to do a half day tour to visit 苍山 Cang Shan for RMB100. View of Dali town and 洱海湖 Erhai Lake from the cable car up to Cang Shan.
苍山大峡谷 Cang Shan Grand Canyon
Waterfall in Cang Shan
Some sunset and twilight shots back in Dali in the late evening.
DAY 13 (19 August 2009, Wednesday)
I got to get up at 0630hrs to catch the 0800hrs bus from Dali to Kunming, where I got my connecting flight from Kunming to Chengdu. As this is the school holiday peak period, most flights are full since a week ago. So leaving with not much options, I only manage to get my tickets to Chengdu via Kunming.
The aircon express bus from Dali to Kuming leaves at 0800hrs, costing RMB133. On arrival in Kunming, I still have about 3hrs to spare, so I spent some time at Kunming Airport's KFC while waiting for flight 3U8819's departure at 1640hrs.
To be continued on 四川风味 Flavours of Sichuan........
MORE PHOTOS
Photos Part I
Photos Part II
VIDEO
七彩云南 Colours of Yunnan 2009
FAST FACTS
Travel Insurance: S$34
VISA Extension: S$17
Flight: $609
Transport: $77
Accomodation: $84
Tour & entrance fees: S$328
Food & beverage: S$185
Shopping: S$70
Prepaid phone card: S$22
Miscellaneous: S$138
TOTAL EXPENDITURE: S$1564
EXCHANGE RATE
S$1.00 = RMB4.69
TRAVEL GUIDES / NEWS / MAGAZINES
Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yunnan
China Vista
http://www.chinavista.com/travel/yunnan/yunnan.html
China Travel Guide
http://www.travelchinaguide.com/cityguides/yunnan/
Wiki Travel
http://wikitravel.org/en/Yunnan
Eighteen Oddities
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eighteen_Oddities_of_Yunnan
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