Hi All, who have stayed with my reports for the past 5 years:
Well, as expected, my second career as an English Teacher has come to an end. However, as I feel young in mind and spirit I intend to rediscover myself, for a third time, as an International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Examiner. To that end I have managed to secure a 12-month Business visa for China, with possibilities to continue examining in Europe (as I have an EU passport).
Just recently I went on a 10-day holiday in one of China's more interesting provinces, namely, Yunnan. I was fortunate to be able to travel with with a long-time Chinese friend, without whom the 10 days would have been more of an ordeal than a holiday, as I would have been literally lost on a number of occasions with no Mandarin to save myself!
Kunming
The trip took us to Kunming (capital of Yunnan) where the highlight was visiting an area which showcased the costumes and culture of China's 26 ethnic groups.
Kunming photos:
- Traditional style hotel next to the 26 ethnic groups park
- Lake as part of the park with traditional and modern buildings in the background
- Beautiful scene of the bridge across the lake
- My friend, Sharon, liked to try on some of the colourful ethnic dresses
- Sharon, trying on some of the colourful ethnic dresses
- Ethnic dress no. 2
- Ethnic dress no. 2
- Ethnic dress no. 3
- I decided to try one on as well!
- I decided to try one on as well!
Dali
From there we moved on to Dali and for the first time I stayed at a Backpackers hostel which came highly recommended: not only did I enjoy the atmosphere there, but it was situated across the road from the entrance to the ancient Old City.
In Dali we took a cable car a long way up the Great Gorge of Cangshan Mountain, walked even higher up, and finally decided to walk back to base rather than taking the cable car. It seemed a good idea as we could take in the breathtaking scenery, even though there were no signs indicating that was the way back. After some 2-3 hours of walking with almost no other trekkers in sight we came across a couple who had decided to walk the whole way up the mountain: after a quick exchange we opted to give them our return tickets for the cable car, for which they were very grateful. Later on there was another solitary couple walking up who appeared rather distressed as they had hoped to walk back to base but had found that the track we were on was in fact heading back up the mountain in a wide circle! They figured they must have taken a wrong turn and were encouraging us to join them going back up the mountain. However, as we had not seen any other track we decided to continue down (mind you there were absolutely no signs anywhere!).
After some 30 minutes we also found that the track started to ascend and turn in a circle up the mountain! Decision time: turn back, with an exhausting 3-4 hour climb back up the mountain, or continue along the track with a possible unknown destination (perhaps another mountain peak!). Logic prevailed (we had not seen another track, and a couple had walked up from base) so we decided to soldier on. After some considerable tiring and depressing uphill walking we finally saw a very welcome sign indicating that we were, in fact, heading in the right direction (hoorah!)...
If that wasn't enough exercise, the next day we decided to hire bikes to ride alongside Dali's huge lake, passing a number of ethnic villages along the way. After some 30km we decided to head back home, completing an interesting and enjoyable 60km ride.
Dali Photos:
1. Dali Old City at night
2. Great Gorge of Cangshan Mountain, looking down
3. Me giving 3 wise men some advice on the next move
4. to 6. Long trek back to base
7. One of the temples close to base
8. View of Dali and Lake from base of mountain
9.to 11. 60km bike ride along the lake road
12. Sharon posing for a photo in order to take a shot of some old local men relaxing in a local village.
13. Peaceful view of greenery, Dali, and mountains in front of distant white clouds.
Lijiang
Next stop was the Old City of Lijiang where, although mid-summer, it rained most of the time and the temperature dropped - I had brought shorts, sandals and lots of short-sleeved tops, so was restricted to jeans, sneakers, and a windcheater.
However, the weather was kind to us the next day when we took a trip to Tiger Leaping Gorge - high in the mountains and regarded as deeper than the Grand Canyon. The bus took us to the top of the more difficult part of the Gorge where we walked a fairly easy 2-hr or so to the bottom where we could almost touch the Jinsha River (a primary tributary of the upper Yangtze River). We even went "the extra mile" off-tour, to a famous large rock (often photographed in travel magazines).
While that was a lot of fun with spectacular views, the hard climb was ahead of us, including climbing a couple of steel ladders bolted to the side of the mountain! Nearing the top there was an option for us to let a donkey take us up the final couple of kilometres, but I chose exhaustion over the dangerous-looking ride. As I was soaked through with perspiration, and no thought to have brought a change of clothes, the very long bus trip back to Lijiang was most uncomfortable and rather cold, resulting in a cough that I retained for many days.
Lijiang Photos:
1. Lijiang Old City
2. and 3. On way to Tiger Leaping Gorge
4. Going down to the river
5. Fast-moving river water
6. Went the "extra mile" to take photo of huge rock in middle of the river (no time to cross the final bridge to the rock)
7. the long trek up the mountain
8. Looking back, from the top of the gorge.
Shangri-La
The 4th city was a 4.5 hr bus trip over some high mountains and onto the plateau of Shangri-la, very close to the Tibetan border: more rain and not summer wear. Again, an old and ancient city in the way of its traditional architecture. The main tourist attraction was the Potatso National Park where one is supposed to be close to heaven: both for its beauty and elevation of 4,000 metres. The tour within the park was well organised, containing three stages:
1. A 3.4 walk around the scenic lower Shuhudu Lake.
2. A bus ride to the top of the 4,000m plateau, with splendid scenery, and where the air is very clean and fresh.
3. A 4.2 walk along the upper Bitahai Lake, Yunnan's highest lake at 3,500m above sea level.
A day well spent. We were lucky that the rain held off for most of the day, only experiencing some light showers towards the end of the day. At the start of the tour we had been persuaded into buying oxygen bottles, but found that they weren't really needed; although I experimented with a few puffs, I didn't notice any difference. I wondered whether it, in fact, did contain oxygen, or was meant more as a 68rmb ($10) placebo effect!
Shangri-la Photos:
1. - 2. Shangri-la city
3. Old City square
4. - 5. Sharon couldn't resist dressing up one more time, fascinated by the animal-skin hat, and the dog posing for photos
6. Welcome to Potatso National Park
7. Walk around the lower Shuhudu Lake
8. The upper Bitahai Lake
9. Inhailing oxygen for a placebo effect.
10. Clean, fresh air, close to 4,000m
11. Sharon wanting to feel close to heaven
12. Me saying "well, this is the famous Shangri-la"
13. A last view of the beautiful and serene Shangri-la.
After 10 days travelling mainly by bus, we had the choice of spending a continuous 18 hours on a bus trip all the way back to Kunming, or catching a one-hour flight: I think you guessed right!
Although I haven't travelled anywhere near as much as some of my teacher colleagues, I have managed to see a bit of China in the past 5 years. Moreover, with my IELTS venture there will be the opportunity to take in more cities before I leave this very interesting country and people.
In my initial China Reports I was intrigued with some Chinglish I had come across and was happy to share it with you; with time I became rather blasé with seeing so much of it. However, I recently came across a piece that was shared in a Teachers' Forum. True or not, I found it to be hilarious:
Hotel in Beijing...A friend went to Beijing recently and was given this brochure by the hotel. It is precious. She is keeping it and reading it whenever she feels depressed. Obviously, it has been transliterated (translated) directly, word for word from Mandarin to English !!!.
Getting There:
Our representative will make you wait at the airport. The bus to the hotel runs along the lake shore. Soon you will feel pleasure in passing water. You will know that you are getting near the hotel, because you will go round the bend. The manager will await you in the entrance hall. He always tries to have intercourse with all new guests.
The hotel:
This is a family hotel, so children are very welcome. We of course are always pleased to accept adultery. Highly skilled nurses are available in the evenings to put down your children. Guests are invited to conjugate in the bar and expose themselves to others. But please note that ladies are not allowed to have babies in the bar. We organize social games, so no guest is ever left alone to play with them self.
The Restaurant:
Our menus have been carefully chosen to be ordinary and unexciting. At dinner, our quartet will circulate from table to table, and fiddle with you.
Your Room:
Every room has excellent facilities for your private parts. In winter, every room is on heat. Each room has a balcony offering views of outstanding obscenity! You will not be disturbed by traffic noise, since the road between the hotel and the lake is used only by pederasts.
Bed:
Your bed has been made in accordance with local tradition. If you have any other ideas please ring for the chambermaid. Please take advantage of her. She will be very pleased to squash your shirts, blouses and underwear. If asked, she will also squeeze your trousers.
Above all:
When you leave us at the end of your holiday, you will have no hope. You will struggle to forget it.
While I've never had a chambermaid squeeze my trousers, but I did have the hotel in Lijiang launder my clothes, as trying to dry clothes after hand-washing was near impossible in the humid weather.
Well, on August 4th I'll be back in Melbourne for a few weeks, visiting family, friends, and some of my newly-arrived Dalian students at LaTrobe University. I will then return to China to try out my new venture: only time will tell how long that will last.
Until my next report, Zai jian... Renzo
