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Published: July 16th 2008
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An example of the local Dali script
Just like Inner Mongolia, where you can see the Mongolian script, all signs in Jinghong had both the Dali and Chinese one From Mohan, on the border with Laos it was an easy bus ride of about 4 hours to Jinghong the capital city of what is called the Xishuangbanna region of southern Yunnan province.
The name actually comes from Thai language:
Sip Sawng Panna meaning
12 rice growing districts.
Remarkably for Chinese standards, only one third of Xishuangbanna's population consists of Han Chinese, splitting up the rest in one third Dai people and another third in a variety of minorities, that can also be found in parts of northern Laos, Thailand and Myanmar.
Unfortunately for me, the rain was relentless, so a lot of exploring was out of the question. I got as far as the bridge crossing the Mekong, which made me really wanting to explore the whole length of it once.
It's pretty amazing how that river comes all the way from Tibet and flows through / along another 4 countries to finally meet the South China sea in the south of Vietnam. Definitely an area of China to explore a little longer next time...
I bought my sleeper ticket to Kunming in the afternoon (after the usual hassle) and saw some really nice modern sleeper busses parked
in the bus station at that time, thinking I'll probably be on one of those tonight.
.....Well, think again. I got the oldest looking basterd of a bus to be found in Yunnan I reckon.
And the ticket I received showed me that I had to share my bed with a number of other people on the what I like to call ''communal bed'' in the back of the bus. Immediately HATED the trip, and looking at the mouldy damp blankets on the bed, simply told the bus lady
NO! No way I'm sleeping there. So got one on the side of the bus, which was remarkably shorter than teh one in Vietnam.....
Anyway, as almost expected, at around midnight the bus suddenly made a noise it wasn't supposed to make it it would've been in good health, and I soon realised we had broken down.
Total waiting time (in the middle of absolutely f*cking nowhere): 3 hours! Luckily there was a small shelter where I could sit reading my book whilst the rain was falling down and they repaired the bus.
In Kunming I was surprised by the accomodation. Proper backpacker hostels as you would find in OZ
or NZ with all ammenities there.
Wasn't too keen on it mylf though, so moved to Camelia Hotel, which suited me much better. (So that's a recomendation for you future Yunnan traveler..)
A very nice city on a sunny day, I can imagine, but for me just a very wet collection of buildings.
After a nice breakfast buffet in the hotel and lazing around until it was nearly check out time, I relocated to a nearby restaurant where I had some lunch and read the China Daily.
And then it really was all over. Time to head back to Hohhot and work and every day life.....
I was really surprised by the size and architecture of Kunming international airport... not exactly what I had expected. But like almost every other place and airport in China I've been, construction was under way to make it a modern and efficient point of transit for air travelers (so I read on a sign).
Maybe one thing to consider for the local government would be to relocate (if possibe)....??? I mean the bloody thing is like in the centre of the city. You don't even realise you've arrived at the aiport, it's more like
Jinghong
Mekong riverside being developed. a shopping centre or a stadium....
Anyway, thanks to a major thunderstorm in Hohhot, halfway on the flight from Beijing, the captain notified us that we were going back to Beijing airport!! AArghh. After an hour sitting on the plane, and another hour in a waiting room in Beijing, we finally arrived at 3 a.m. at Baita airport....
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