LAST DAY IN LIJIANG

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On our last day in Lijiang we spent the day chilling out around the area. Only 80yuan and three minutes walk from our hotel is the Black Dragon Pool. this is a beautiful waterpark with bridges, buildings, traditional Chinese music, Naxi dancers and pools and waterfalls everywhere. Unfortunately Jade dragon Snow Mountain was covered in cloud but the scenery in the foreground was still fantastic.

Lunch was at a little restaurant nearby called Crossing Bridge Restaurant and you guessed it we had crossing bridge noodles - and they were great. My Chinese friends are always amused because I always finish my meal unlike them. I explained that in Australia when you are young if you don't eat everything you get in trouble..

After Lunch we drove only a few minutes away to a little village called Su Hu. It is a miniature version of Old Lijiang Town but is definitely worth a look. It is a lot more laid back and after a bit of browsing the shops we settled back at an outdoor tea house beside the river and sipped tea and ate sunflower seeds and popcorn for 2 hours as we watched the day go by.

More fantasic food for dinner, some more shopping and an early night before tomorrows day at airports - yuck !

SPITTING - Now I went to a catholic boys school so I know how to spit, but the Chinese are at an Olympic level. It's something i had heard about before I came here and it is pretty funny. It's funny because they are so loud and unashamed to spit pretty much anywhere. The weirdest bit is wheen you hear a loud hocking sound and you turn to see a girl spitting ... hmm.

ECO FRIENDLY - something i have noticed while here is that people are actually very conciencious about the environment. The most basic rural village has a new solar hot water system on every roof, ame in the cities. Plastic bottles are all collected and recycled. there are so many people here who ride bikes, not just one operson on eeach either - I have seen bikes carrying stuff that would be too much for my ute !. There are also electric bikes and small petrol motorbikes which you see hypermiling all the time. So while I agree there are large pollution, water, coal burning problems here (like most developed countries) I think the actual people here are trying more than Aussies.

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Photos

NAXI COSTUME
Jack's stepmum in traditional Naxi costume at Black Dragon Lake

CHILLING BY THE RIVER
rocking lounges in the shade, beside the river in Su Hu village is too much to resist so Jacks Father has a quick nap

BRIDGE CROSSING NOODLE
A boiling soup comes out and you add the ingredients (egg first) and it cooks in front of you