Head in the clouds

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On my second day in Dali, feeling refreshed, I decided to climb a mountain.

They recommend that you attempt climbing the mountains as a group because solo hikers are likely to be mugged, so I latched onto a group of American travellers who were staying at my guest house. They were such a lovely group of people. A father, who was an english teacher as well, his Chinese, non-English speaking girlfriend, his two grown up daughters, a boyfriend of one of them and an American guy who, like me, had latched onto the family in order to scale the mountain unmolested.

It was hard work, but god it was great! I have to admitt that we cheated a bit, there is a chairlift that takes you half way up the mountain. But we climbed the rest of the way, nearly to the very top. We climbed so high we were actually in the clouds. Hot and heart beating madly I touched a cloud. We stopped for a break at a waterfall where the water was cool and clear and wonderfully refreshing. In the shifting light next to that creek, among the clouds and the tips of jagged green mountains, I saw a green more vivid than I have ever seen before. I took a photo, but I dont think it will do it justice.

On the way back down we had a view of the city and the lake and the far away horizon that looked just like a post card.

That night, stiff and happy, the Americans took me out to dinner at one of the Western restaurants. We had pizza, REAL wood oven pizza with mozzarella cheese. I had forgotten how good cheese is. And I had my first beer in two months, local beer that cost less than a dollar for a long neck. It was probably horrible, but that night, with my head filled with clouds and among good company it tasted great.

The next day it rained all day and I watched dvd's. I couldnt think of a better way to spend a wet day.

On the fourth day I hired a bicycle and went riding around the farms around the lake. It was magical. Bouncing along through rice fields with no one around but the occassional farmer hunched over his crops, and the clouds, my constant companions. I visited some beautiful little villages, all build hundreds of years ago. They had little cobbled streets lined with crumbling stone houses, the doorways of which were occupied by sleepy eyed old people and grubby faced children.

And I learnt two interesting but very painful things that day. I rode 20km without breaking a sweat, thinking how easy and pleasant it was. When I started to get a bit hot and a bit hungry I headed home. Isnt it funny that you never notice you are going downhill with tailwind until its time to come home. I rode 20km uphill with a fierce headwind in the heat with no water and by the time I got back I wanted to die.

It turned out that was only the beginning. In a few hours I wanted to die a few times over. Another funny thing about altitude sunburn. I just didnt think about it. The next day my knuckles and my nose were blistered and everyone was turning to look at the angry looking lobster girl walking along the street. All I can say is at least my shoulders were covered.

So I got burned, but I cant hold grudges. Dali was lovely, the best place I had been so far.

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