Week 14 - China

We stopped at Leshan on our way to George's home town, Mt Emei, to see the giant Buddha. This is apparently the largest standing Buddha in China and it was enormous. Fortunately we got there early and it was  pleasant walking down the steps looking at this Buddha which had been carved into the cliff. The walk past the Buddha's feet and back alongside the lake was lovely and peaceful and the gardens were beautiful with waterfalls, exquisite gardens and lakes with little pagodas on them. As we came to leave, we could see the queues of people waiting to walk down by the side of the Buddha and for once were grateful that CJ had insisted on an early start. Sandra led the way back through the crowds waving her fan in the air and saying in a very British loud voice "excuse me".

With a friend in Giant Buddha Park

The Giant Buddha carved into side of cliff

A group of us in pagoda in Giant Buddha Park

In the temple

At Mt. Emei, after a cooling shower, I headed to Teddy Bear's cafe where Teddy, the puppy sat on my lap and eventually fell asleep. There seems to be a special breed of dog in China which look rather like a poodle but have very soft fur and are chocolate brown. They are adorable and I would have loved to pop Teddy in my backpack (if there was room!). Later in the evening I walked up the Cultural Corridor of Ru Shi Dao along a little river. It was a delightful walk with very few people around, just the babbling brook and extremely noisy cicadas. In fact everything in China is noisy. The people shout, car horns are repeatedly sounded and tour guides use megaphones even if they are only talking to a group of five so it is hardly surprising that the cicadas are noisy to make themselves heard. My walk ended up at the Monastery where I shamelessly attached myself to a party of Italians who had an English speaking Chinese guide. They were more interested in me and my trip than in the Monastery although I liked hearing about the life there. Apparently there was an Intrepid Travel Group staying there but I didn't meet any of them. It was a lovely chilled out place and I could just imagine going on a retreat there for a few days - or maybe not.

Bridge over river on way to Monastery

Inside the Monastery

The elephant with six tusks

The following day was over dreadful roads. The Chinese office that we use that given bad information and instead of the highway we were expecting it was more like a dirt track. However, the scenery was stunning as we made our way along a gorge with long bridges being built. The road building effort in China is amazing and the bridges which are replacing the narrow mountain roads are airborne feats of engineering. Unfortunately we were looking up at them as we bumped along the cart track! We reached the town of Xichang at about 9.00 p.m. It was a Las Vegas type town with enormous hotels and many flashing lights. Against my better judgment, we went out for dinner and had the worst meal ever. The food was so hot and spicy and there were nasty looking feet and beaks in it. It was also full of Sichuan pepper which numbs your mouth and leaves a very strange after taste.

On road to Xichang

Our breakfast was in a dumpling shop next to the hotel and whilst we did not know the system we ended up with rather nice dumplings filled with a sweetish soya bean paste. Our destination was Panzhihua where there was a Walmart. We all rushed off there to buy Western supplies of food and in my case two new teeshirts. Coming back was interesting as there were four hotels of the same name in the town. Fortunately Melissa and I were with Colin and Wendy otherwise we would still be there trying to find our way back.  Breakfast was in the hotel and the most disgusting dumplings in a cockroach infested dining room. Needless to say not many were eaten. It was a long day past beautiful rice paddies, vines and interesting villages. We stopped at lunch for noodles (60 p.). George, our guide, has been wonderful organising our meals and everything else. He is a lovely person and has enhanced our Chinese experience no end.

On road to Lijiang

On road to Lijiang

Traffic accident on road to Lijiang - the Odyssey men
got out there and organised it all!

Our hotel in Lijiang had seen better days and for the first time we experienced grumpy hotel staff who were not very helpful. The rooms were damp and dark and some extremely small. Sylvia and Russ’s door did not shut and there were various other problems. The town, however, looked really interesting and we were looking forward to exploring when we weren’t so tired.

Lijiang

In Lijiang

View from my seat in cafe in Lijiang

Making candy in Lijiang

 Breakfast in the hotel cost 30 yuan and sounded like it would be good. Scrambled egg, bacon, hashbrowns etc. The reality, however, was that it was cold and there was hardly anything left so we had to complain again and again to get any action. No-one was planning to repeat the experience the following day. Walked with Sandra and Keith into town and saw the restaurant where they ate the previous night and looked in amazement at their breakfast – going there tomorrow!


Lijiang is a lovely town. Maybe a little touristy but very well done with lots of interesting little shops. We walked higher and higher and ended up in a café where a young man was playing a stringed instrument like a vertical harp. It was lovely sitting there looking over the roofs of Lijiang, drinking green tea and listening to the music.

Listening to music in cafe overlooking the town of Leijing

One of the alleys I went and explored

Later we came across John’s massage parlour. It was a surprise to discover that John was a woman. Melissa had a body massage while I went and had a coffee in the One Hundred Years Lane. The café was on a little river with bridges over it. The town is called the Venice of China and whilst you would have trouble sailing a gondola down the little canals, it was very picturesque. I then went back for my foot massage which was wonderful – I would like a few more of them. The town was filled with people in native Naxi costumes and there seemed to be a holiday atmosphere.
The following morning went for the biggest English breakfast which I was unable to finish. It was delicious with eggs, bacon, sausage, mushroom, hashbrown and baked beans. I pottered about the shops buying a few souvenirs. My backpack is definitely getting heavier and more difficult to close but everyone has the same problem!

Our next stop was Dali where the hotel was clean, dry and comfortable! Dinner was beautiful fresh vegetables cooked just right with no fiery spices. As usual there was far too much but it was very enjoyable.

Little girl playing in the waterways of Dali

Dali

Interesting sign!

West Gate at night

The town had a decidedly western area with café offering banana pancakes, milkshakes etc but we also walked through the very Chinese area. We booked to have a roast dinner in the Bad Monkey bar which turned out to be excellent even if they bizarrely gave you yorkshire pudding with roast chicken. The town did not have the same appeal as Lijiang and it was easy to see the sights in half a day so we headed back to hotel, collected our laptops and spent the afternoon in the GoGo Bar drinking milkshakes and emailing and skyping until it was time to have our roast dinner which was an hour late due to the oven blowing up! It was interesting to sit and watch the hippie types who seem to have invaded the town.