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We made it to Yunnan (Not you naan... ahh the mighty boosh) province and after figuring out flights and visas in rainy Kunming we went up to Dali, ganja capital of China. Andrew has been chased in the street by some old ladies offering him a smoke. (we didn't partake)
Old Dali is a gorgeous old town with lots of traditional dress, cloth, etc. We are close to the Tobetan plateau so have had some traditional tibetan food, including yak steak. And also tried some of Jim's No 1 special hooch, from a massive bottle with all kinds of roots and other stuff in it. Quick way to get warm!
Spent the day with an awesome minivan driver who took us all around the villages that surround Er Hai Lake. Had a tea ceremony in a traditional Bai minority house, visited some old people who seemed to be friends of the driver, saw where the batik cloth is made, visited a local temple where the female shaman/priest told fortunes with coins, and almost got stuck in many potholes and puddles as it was pouring.
Yesterday we went 2600m up Mt Congshan, luckily a much clearer day with a beautiful view. Walked about 4 hours to a lovely waterfall, some pretty sheer cliffs on the way, and had the 'family dinner' around the fire with the Americans and British staying up there too (and the dog and cat). After the walk in the cold air we were pretty ecstatic when the owners offered to make us a choc cake for after dinner, which was served straight from the oven... bliss. Beautiful and quiet up there, made us realise how much noise there is in the cities, was great not to hear a car horn for an entire day and night.
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Kelly
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Home is the Higherland
Glad you guys had a good time up in Cang Shans - that cat was just a wee kitten when we were there, very playful and cute! We were also offered lots of the local specialty in Dali, though I was chased by ladies who wanted me to ride horses! Keep up the great writing and happy traveling!