My time in China was coming to an end and I decided to spend my last few days in Yunnan province, known for its rugged, raw terrain and multi-ethnic demographic.
Josh and I gave a nonchalant goodbye and I made my way to Yangshuo's bus station.
Upon my arrival back in Guilin, I went to Guilin's near abandoned alternate train station.
As I waited for my 18-hour night train to Kunming, Yunnan's capital city, a group of ladies started dancing in the terminal to the delight of the other passengers.
My train arrived nearly an hour late and since I had booked my ticket at the last minute, I was relegated to a hard seat. The hard seat is much cheaper than a hard sleeper but with a near 90 degree angle and inability to recline even in the slightest, I knew it was going to be a long night.
To make matters worse, the already narrow, rock-hard bench I was sitting on was shared with a violent brat slapping his unassertive mother, screaming and generally disturbing everyone around us.
The ticket taker soon asks me a useless question (judging by the dopey grin on his face) and the starts yelling through the whole train car to find someone who could speak to me in English so I could answer his inconsequential question as everyone looks on laughing.
To add to the already uncomfortable ride, dark-skinned minorities try to smoke in a windowless train car filled with babies. I motion for them to smoke outside the car and they surprisingly oblige. Not to mention the man across from me pulling out his rotting toe nails one by one.
The only saving grace was all the adorable Chinese babies crawling around the train car, although it was disturbing to see them eating food off the ground considering it was likely glazed in human excrement.
As soon as I arrive in Kunming and off that infernal train, I hailed a cab to the Thai consulate to get a 2-month Visa. I made it just in the nick of time and I would receive it the next day.
From there I walked to my hostel, The Hump (http://www.thehumphostel.com/), and checked in. To my surprise, Camille and David, the two Quebecers we met in Songpan were also staying at the hump.
After visiting the Tang dynasty's West and East pagodas, I joined Camille and David on a stroll around Green Lake Park.
Kunming, known as spring city for its mild climate and relaxed atmosphere, was a nice continuation to Guangxi province and a stress reliever after that train ride from hell.
The next morning, I went to the Thai consulate and picked up my passport. From there, I hopped on a bus to Dian Chi or Lake Dian. I walked along its banks until I reached a gondola which brought me to Xi Shan, know in English as the western hills.
I became what I hate by taking a chair-lift to the top rather than walking. The chair-lift brought me to Dragon's gate: a group of grottoes and sculptures made by Taoist monks in the 18-19th century. While not that impressive, it provided fantastic views of Dian Chi and Kunming.
That same night I had booked a night-train to Lijiang, Yunnan's unfortunate version of Disney World. I managed to secure a bed this time, so the 12-hour journey was much more enjoyable.
I had to move around Yunnan quickly because my ambitions were high and my time short, so as soon as I arrived at my hostel in Lijiang, the peaceful Garden Inn, I booked a van to bring me to Tiger Leaping Gorge the following morning.
Lijiang is a UNESCO world heritage site and a truly beautiful city. As a consequence to its allure, like all of China's famous sites, it welcomes thousands upon thousands of local tourists per day.
While not as saturated as Pingyao during national holiday, it is still quite busy considering I was visiting on a week day.
I explored this ancient Naxi (one of Yunnan's many ethnic minorities) town, with its many narrow lanes, cobblestone streets, bridges and delicate waterways.
I climbed 'looking at the past' pavilion which gave me a great view of Lijiang and the nearby Jade Dragon Snow Mountain.
The following day I would be headed to Tiger Leaping Gorge, one of China's great hikes. The most amazing thing is unlike the other hikes we have done in China, this one has absolutely no stairs!
Hurray!!!
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