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Published: February 25th 2009
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12/2/09
Crossing the border back into China yesterday I decided to stop at Mohan(@900m), been there few times but never stay, so at least to see what they had offer there this time. Took the chance while the other passengers still in custom and my backpack could kept safe in the bus, I looked around for room. "50 yuan,same everywhere" one owner said to me when I tried to bargained, it discouraged me to looked further when I hit 40/room. Anyway...room were plenty in this one street town laced with nice looking 2-stories apartments on both sides , all accommodation's standard were similar, clean and all with AC. Right...not much you could do or see in Mohan, a place only for Chinese traders. But no problem, in China, T V and internet, and fruits and beer are cheap.
Picked Mengman(@700m) for today destination by way of Mengla. Tour along Nanla river on a paved country road, Mengman is another border crossing point in Mengla county, the closer way get to MuangSing in Lao, but this border only for Chinese citizen. I was hoping to find news for market in the area, but the same answer "market everyday". Mengman is a
Dai township, very small with a market place, I could spotted Miao and Aini once in a while by part of the costumes they wore.
Plastic tree and banana were the main crops in the area, took a walk any direction and you could lost yourself inside the field, in fact, the forest of gum tree made a pretty scene, and in the area lived many Aini(but no daily costumes), and their house are the same style like the Dai, but Dai village mostly had a temple right next to the village gate.
Note
Bus Mohan to Mengla 17 yuan
Bus Mengla to Mengman 15 yuan
15/2/09
Coming to Mengah(@1100m) yesterday, an ugly towm but settled in a nice valley surrounded by sugar cane and tea. A small episode happened on the bus trip yesterday. We departed Mengman with a full bus, but the driver still wanted more passenger and kept us wait and wait, people on board began to made noises and complained and it made the journey inside the bus quiet and unpleasure. Driver tried to drive faster in the winding road to made up with the lost time, it only send more women put
head inside plastic bag...puke! "stop,! Stop! "an old man and his wife screamed,he said his wife lost her false teeth when she puke in the plastic bag, and threw the bag out of the window afterward. everyone began to laughed, and the atmosphere was light up and people began to talked to each other and gave out suggestion for a searching team. But for 5 minutes we couldn't located the red plastic bag in question. the woman look sad, not only she need extra money to replaced the false teeth, but more important was she might not able to eat normal for a while. She was the only one felt quiet for the rest of the journey.
The main crop in the area are sugar cane, tea and flax. And Mengah town lived mostly Dai people, house style are a little different from Mengman, the A-shape roof came all the way down to the next level, so you wouldn't see any wall and windows.
Market today in Mengah, but not busy, "wooo...people are busy in sugar cane harvesting! "an old man told me. Looked around, excepted the usual Dai women dresses, I couldn't see any other costume in the market.
Yes...I saw a black turban wrapped head. "are you Lahu? "I asked as this area also lived many Lahu people. "no, I am Han" the woman replied. Look closely, yes...I saw the same in YongNing last year in Ninglang area. "are you Han?" I asked another turban head woman, "no, I am Lahu. "she replied. Looked closely, yes...a little different, she had a knee-length dark apron, and together with a rectangular panel in front like the Miao. Again I asked another wrapped head woman and this time she said she was Bulang. Haa...she dressed exactly like the Lahu only without the front panel. "we changed the way of dress nowadays, we used to wear skirt" she said. So...that was it, together with couple of Aini women, it made up the whole tribal scene in the market. People here are extremely nice and honest, it made the walk around rather comfortable and relaxing.
Note
Bus Mengman to Jinghong 45 yuan
Bus Jinghong to Menghai 13 yuan
Bus Menghai to Mengah 7 yuan
16/2/09
DaiMenglong(@650m) used to be busy and crowded with chinese tourist, or to be more precise...gambler! As many chinese came here exited the country into Burma
heading for the casino. Most of them were government official or people with connection and privilege, to stopped the money liquidated underground, chinese government blocked this venue and DaiMengLong was deserted. But even without the patronage of the gamblers, you could still feel the richness around town. Houses are nice and tidy. Plastic tree surrounded the valley, about 2km from town was the only sight in DaiMengLong, the Manfeilong stupa, which was more than 800 years old, the whole white structure was composed by 9 towers(1large + 8 small) in octagonal form and with a round foundation. Very beautiful.
No market date in this area too, mean..."everyday has market"!
Note
Bus Jinghong to DaiMengLong 15 yuan
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