Tiger Leaping Gorge

After an early start to the morning I hitched a ride all the way to the start of the Tiger Leaping Gorge trek.  This is where I met Alberto and Oscar, two really cool Spaniards on a trip to China.  When I asked them why they decided to travel in China they jokingly said "to learn from the enemy."  Their words are meant light heartedly but I think there is a lot to learn from China.

The three of us spent the two days to do the hike together.  There are many high hills to conquer and enjoy along the trek.  We enjoyed them all.

At the end of the day I was surprised to bump into Stu and Sumi.  It was like bumping into old friends.

China Hitchhiker Pro!

My plan was to hitch a ride all the way to the Tiger Leaping Gorge and by pass Lijiang.  I'd gotten wind that Lijiang is a tourist trap town.  The folks that told me were right... kinda.

It was to late for me to make it to Tiger Leaping Gorge by the time I arrived in Lijiang so I made the most of it by staying the night.  I had to make my way through the warren of alleyways in the Old Town to find a hostel.  This was really disorienting but quite fun.

After dinner I explored the town.  I will describe Lijiang as the world biggest themed Chinese trinket shop!  Go, but don't go.

Delicious!

Daigo took me to a great "hole in the wall" for breakfast.  The porridge served was very tasty.  To bad the beautiful girl that usually works there wasn't in that day.

Three Pagodas Temple

I'd met some folks in Kunming who'd advised me to see the Three Pagodas Temple in Dali and then not worry about seeing any other temples.  They have the right idea!  Entry to tourist spots in China are very expensive so you have to pick and choose what you see and do.  I spent most of the day ambling around the grounds of the temple and monastery.

That afternoon I chilled at the hostel and bothered Daigo, a Japanese guy who had spent the previous three years living in the UK.  It was weird hearing his English accent and the lingo he used.

The Freshness of Dali

The week I spent in Kunming freshened me up to carry on my travels.  I also used the time to meditate on my decision to stop travelling and find a job in China.

I met Shane and Mao Mao in my dorm room.  Mao Mao is a very energetic girl from Hainan Island and Shane is an American student studying on the same island.  They invited me out to dinner with some friends of theirs.  I enjoyed the time we spent together and the conversations we had.

I took the decision to stop and work in China.  

Ruined A Man's Life!

There was a character that hung around the hostel.  I had met him a few times and had the general broken English conversation one has with such characters that hang around hostels.  He definitely wasn't staying there.

At breakfast I met Stu and Sumi.  Stu is an Scotsman travelling around China with his Chinese girlfriend.  We all got chatting to the character and with Sumi's help we learned that he is a tour guide and takes people into the Chinese "outback" to learn how people can live a simple life in the bush.  We had all already planned on leaving Kunming so in an impromptu decision we decided to go for a few days with this character.

To cut a long story short we landed up in a bank with the characters wife berating him for lying to her and demanding a divorce while we patiently waited for her to repay us our money.  The guy definitely wasn't "with it" but I don't think he could help himself either.  That was an education... don't tell lies!

Stu, Sumi and I landed up on a night train with standing tickets ie. no seat!  I got off in Dali while the two of them carried on to Lijiang.

Formulating A Plan

I spent a lot of days in Kunming not getting up to much.  But I did have an opportunity to speak to a lot of English teachers living in China.  Being the public school holidays the tourist spots were flooded with said foreigners.  My conversations with them had lead me to the idea of stopping my travels and finding an English teaching job in China.  My original plan was to head back to SA and then find a job in the middle east.  But China is just so exiting at the moment I can't let an opportunity like this go bye-bye.  Still meditating on it.

Blown Away By China

China is a great place!  It is far more than I expected.  After travelling through South East Asia I really expected China to be at the same level (or similar level) of development.  It's not.  It's kinda shocking how advanced China is compared to it neighbours.

After taking it easy the day before I headed out for an amble around town.  Another surprise is how quiet the city is.  All the motorbikes are electric and no loud vehicles with outboard motors plaguing the streets.