I had taken an afternoon train to Dali after doing some final sauntering in Lijiang's charming streets and riding a bus with a man holding a falcon on his arm. I thought it was hilarious but none of the Chinese passengers even batted an eye.
Go figure.
I arrived in Dali after dark and thankfully there was a bus that took me nearly all the way to my hostel, the Lily Pad Inn.
After having a discussion with the helpful staff, I had decided to climb the Cangshan mountains the following day.
Although mostly stairs, it was nicely shaded and there was a donkey path next to the steps which was far more enjoyable than the stairs.
I wasn't planning on climbing all the way up but instead went to Zhonghe Temple and admired the views over Dali.
Dali is a Bai community (another chinese minority) city and has a reputation of being the original backpacker hangout in Yunnan province.
A lovely small town/city, Dali has a laid-back feel that allows you to enjoy the tranquility of the town or explore the beautiful countryside.
Lately there has been an influx of local tourists, but where in China doesn't have mandarin tour groups these days?
After my hike, I just wandered around Dali's streets in search of Bai street-food and a place to rest. As luck would have it, as I was snacking away, I saw Andy and Suzy, the German couple we had met in Yangshuo.
I spent the afternoon chatting with them and enjoying the cool breeze and warm sunshine.
I asked if they wanted to visit Dali's iconic 3 Pagodas. Suzy wasn't feeling too well but Andy said he would join me. We walked quite some distance before finally reaching these beautiful structures.
The pagodas were built in the 9th century by engineers from Xi'an. The tallest is 70m and the two smaller ones flanking the central pagoda are still 42m high!
Since I love pagodas to begin with, I took my time to admire them from all angles.
Although you couldn't go up them, they were still very impressive.
Behind them were numerous rebuilt pavilions and temples, each one slightly higher than the last, giving beautiful views over the pagodas and the distant Erhai lake.
As we were trying to leave, they had locked all the gates and Andy and I found ourselves locked inside with the pagodas. We walked around in search of anyone to let us out and eventually found an unlocked gate.
I went back to the hostel for a bite to eat and I met an Australian guy named Corey.
I invited Corey to join me at Bad Monkey, a bar frequented by expats, where I was to meet up with Andy and Suzy for some drinks.
The following day, Corey and I decided to rent bikes and cycle around Erhai lake.
Erhai lake sits at 1973m above sea level and is dotted with tiny minority villages along its banks.
Our original plan was to bike along the lake until the road diverged from the lake, but after cycling for 2 hours and being still really far from that point, we instead decided to go to the tongue of the lake: a small outcrop on the west bank of the massive lake.
The ride was really scenic and had a nice mix of villages, natural beauty and farm land.
Dali is known in China for its strong, incessant winds. Those winds were unfortunately in our faces as we were headed back to the town. My legs were positively throbbing by the time we dropped off the bikes.
I had arranged to meet Andy and Suzy at Bad Monkey again before I made my way back to the hostel and headed for my night train to Kunming. Unfortunately, Andy was now feeling sick so I didn't get to say goodbye to both of them.
I went back to the hostel to get ready to leave. I was greeted by the owner, who told me I need to go to the ticket office immediately to pick up my ticket because there was only one bed left. I had asked her when I first arrived in Dali if I should book the train right away and she assured me that I would not have any issues.
I rushed to the ticket office and asked the clerk but the beds were already all taken. I thought alright, I can settle for a seat. Then she said there were no seats left: I would have to do this overnight train standing room only.
I bought the ticket and returned to the hostel to pick up my things. I was rather furious to say the least. I do things in advance to avoid situations like this.
The owner apologized repeatedly, but I just picked up my bags and headed to the train station.
I got on the train and it quickly filled up with seated passengers and then suckers like me who had standing room only tickets.
Sitting on a hard seat overnight is shitty enough, standing over night is ten times worse. Not to mention the entire train-car laughing and staring at the only Laowai standing in the aisle.
Two nice girls gave me a literal inch of space on their seat for around an hour but it made my ass numb more than anything.
The seven hours passed at a snail's pace and when we finally pulled up to Kunming' station at 5am I was more than elated.
I caught a cab back to Hump hostel and passed out immediately on their couch since I hadn't slept at all on the train.
I set my alarm for 8am and checked into my room. Unfortunately, I didn't opt to sleep, I still had one site left to visit: the Shilin rock forest.
I grabbed a local bus and made it to the east bus station in an hour. I then caught another bus which took an hour-and-a-half.
The Shilin rock forest is a naturally formed karst relief southeast of Kunming. It comprises perhaps hundreds of limestone pillars jutting out of the ground near ponds, forests and flowers.
I had no idea before going just how popular this site was, but as soon as I arrived, its popularity was more than evident.
Most formations have been given a name or have large Chinese character on them, and unfortunately the most interesting ones are the ones that are surrounded by hundreds of tourists (yes, all Chinese).
I did manage to find some quiet areas where I could reflect on my time spent in China, seeing as though it was my last day in this vast country.
Josh and I were overwhelmed by the amount of people at the forbidden city in Beijing on out first day in China. After 2 months, that same feeling was as fresh as ever at my final attraction. My time at the touristic zoo which is China had come to an end.
Up until now, this has been the longest I've spent in a country other than Canada. The wealth of cities, natural beauty and ancient history are unparalleled. The sea of humanity that surrounds you is unfathomable and infuriating all at the same time, especially coming from a country as vast and sparsely populated as Canada.
While our western sensibilities and patience are often challenged and pushed to their limits, I cannot fault the Chinese: if everyone were to wait patiently or be overly courteous to others, no one would ever get anything done or even accomplish the simplest goals that they set for themselves.
While I do understand, it was still an exercise in anger management in many instances.
China will always hold a special place in my heart and is in a bizarre situation for its simultaneous rejection and apparent desire to embrace western culture.
For all the challenges this country has posed to me, I'm confident that I can now push my way to the front of lines and throw elbows with the best of them!
I'll miss you China!
No comments:
Post a Comment