Yuanjiang look around

---

day off
5 Jun 2003

arrived Kunming last night with other friends from YuanYang. we are came for a lecture meeting here about ecotourism. cause they need to work today and I have a day free until the meeting for tomorrow. so...think I will go to visit the botanic garden here in Kunming. got the route checked out and jump into the bus. gotto switch to anther bus in the north station. it took me almost 2 hours to get there. 5 yuans for entry. actually I came here because I heard they has a fern house for exhibition. but I find the garden is so nice and peaceful..in Chinese standard(perhaps because I hadn't seen a garden for a long time), there are so many different kind of trees and plants, a huge area to explore or just relax on the grass. about the fern house, not very big but I still learn some of the name of fern I had seen in YuanYang...good start! spend almost 4 hours there then I heading back to town, of cause...do some shopping...haaa...!!! now that the SARS had gone(seen like), didn't see much people wearing mask, nor there are any check point when we came into Kunming. now the country really pushing hard for its tourism....I mean...almost bagging!!! like...the first tourist group arrive into China(Beijing) will have a special treat(kind of royal dinner).

meeting
26 Jun 2003

A long day to sit and listen to thing that I knew already. we start our meeting by 9am. there are people coming from different offices in Yunnan, I only knew some of the people there. the 1st half of the day was prepare by an Uni-student about her eco research in Yunnan. but there wasn't anything I can't find in internet, nothing new...I would say! and the afternoon was presented by a professor Yang, said to be an important people in China ecotourism study. same...gave us the general definition of ecotourism, and spend most of the time on her IMPOTANT project in ZhongDian. the whole day wasn't boring but not so interesting as well! I don't think I remember many thing they had said but one line...we build our ecotourism in our Chinese style/special...GOD!!!! I think if we will start the ecotourism in yuanyang area, think we will do it our own way, our yuanyang style!!!! as long as we keep to the eco idea!

field rearch
27 Jun 2003

we drove to XinPing last night, 1 mini bus and 2 jeeps! woahhhh....rich tourists!!!! XinPing is about 200km south west from Kunming, and with the beautiful highway, it only take about 3 hours to get there. today we was lead by the local authority from the tourist department to visit the AiLoaShan area. GaSa is 71 km away along the winding road up the GaSa river, we didn't stop in town but keep going up the mountain to visit the natural forest, on the way we past through the NanAn waterfall(I guess the lonelyplanet would like to know...haa...) not bad a scene to see on the road. this route has different things to offer...like...you can walk part of the old tea-trading route, there is an old governor mension. we stop in the small town YiuNan for lunch, and the reputed smoked ham is great!!! since the weather wasn't good... rain and foggy, we didn't hike(I think it was walking) too high up the mountain. beside... most of the people in our group are just office type, it was already great trekking in their standard! when we got back into our car, a girl scream, LEECH....most of them never seen a leech before, and suddenly the whole car was alive by movement, everyone checked their shoe and pant. and I find 2 leechs and 1 bite!!! our final stop was a Dai village which is turn into a kind of tourist village, and of cause...without much supported and managment! along this GaSa river is famous for its Dai people, and the most popular time to come here is by Chinese new year where they will hold the flower festival. actually...the image they had put into for the tourist industry in Yunnan for Dai minority is from here, there are 3 different sub-group of Dai people in the area. same...in the village, since we are came with the government people, so...people all dress up and we had our welcome drinks, and dance performent...pretty stardard treat! in fact... the village is quite nice, and I didn't seen any ticket booth for entry, so....people should go there if they are around, also you can stay with the local since they had home stay service. the Confederations Cup soccer tournament was going on in France, and last night the Cameron player Foe was dead on the field half way during the game, still couldn't confirmed what cause this sudden death. but it make me wonder how soft and helpless is life, even a strong and healthy sport player can go like this, with no pre-sign!!! we should take in everyday of our life in value, enjoy it while we can.

second day
28 Jun 2003

today we visited a natural forest and a national park. both are about 30km for XinPing on different direction. there are some quite nice terrace scene on the way, since we are in the warm area, the local are busy to plant their second crops at the moment. weather was un-stable still! rain, fog and sun taking their turn. I quite enjoy the natural forest in XinFa, especially the old man who work in the park(just handy man in the park), we had our own guide(the same guy from yesterday...commercial type), since we had a big group(more than 20 people), so some of us walk behind and we start to talk to the old man when we met him on the way, once we start to ask about different plants and trees that we took interest of, and the old man began to explain and show us some more strange or special plants. even we couldn't made out his accent, but it was fun to had him together with us all the time, too bad we didn't had too much time for he seem sad when we said we need to go, because he said there are many plants we hadn't seen yet! will come back!!! in this 2 days...we thought we could visit a running ecotourism project, but in fact it wasn't, in China...people always think taking holiday in the nature is ecotour. in fact...that's not all. ecotourism also need the local community to take part, to encourage them and help them to improve their living standard. so...I will take this trip as a guide line for our future project, whatever we had seen are not correct in the tour here, we will not make the same mistake in our project.

on my own again
29 Jun 2003

I stay behind last night while the group going back to Kunming. and I going to MokSa today. the same road to GaSa, but tee off by the GaSa river down river to the east instead of west. I can feel the bumpy road now while I was on the bus instead of a jeep, and it got me sick. arrived into MokSa after 2 hours, a small town at the altitude of 700 build on a gentle slope with 3 paralle street...a simple town. funny....so far I couldn't find any internet place except a small one in XinPing which cost 3 yuans/hr and not even can access into hotmail! strange....almost everywhere in China you can find internet nowaday..strange! check into a small hotel with an electric fan...cause it was too hot! gotto lay down for a while, doesn't feel well after the bus ride. woke up after 2 hours with a better spirit, took a walk around town, heading down to the river passing through couple of Dai villages, the area wasn't poor(not rich as well) I guess...the houses are quite ok, they grow many different crops, rice...cane...cron...and many fruit too. still rain once in a while and suddenly a huge rainbow with an arc lay across the valley...beautiful! ate my lunch and dinner in the same restaurant, cause they are nice people and food are good, espcially the dry beef! in fact...the whole town are friendly(at least within all the people I met) there are many motor taxi because they had a Dai culture village about 4km away, but I had no intention to go there. still can see some women(old woman) in their costume(the popular image they use in the brochure to promote the Dai in Yunnan), since most young women only put on their costume when in festival(or you can see more in the culture village) unlucky I didn't catch the market day here, perhaps there will be more chance to spot the minority.

YuanJiang
30 Jun 2003



seen like a good day today. at least there is no rain when I woke up. took the bus to ManXian where there is a market today, a small market in this small village, almost finish while I arrive, in fact it was only 10:30am, I does start early! still can see some local Dai women in their costume doing selling/buying thing. took some pictures, and I think I enjoy taking picture here, all the women like being in front of the camera(I guess), they just laught and said...I'm not pretty, I'm old...and you should tell them they are pretty and the costume are beautiful, beside...there are no young woman wearing any costume around. people are quite nice here too, stop in a small noodle shop for a mixian, very tasty soup with mince meat. hang around a bit with the people there, and they all came up with many market dates for me. and there is one on the way to YuanJiang today as well, so...I took another bus to HongJiang about 20km away, the market in HongJiang wasn't very attractive, prehaps it was late I don't know! but it was set inside a market area, I saw some Hani women, they didn't wear costume but Han style dress, some women still has their head dress on. and there are some Dai as well which is different from XinPing, here they dress more like the Zhuang or BuYi people, but only the old woman will put on their costume now. the trip from MokSa to YuanJiang is on a country back road, quite a nice ride in the Red river valley with a lot of green. there was different fragrance in the air, you feel like driving through a orchard, mango, litchi, granetmelon, banana, sugar cane....many more that I couldn't idenitfy. finally arrived in YuanJiang, and check into a hotel which had air-con and....including breakfast!!! only cost 30 yuans/night. what a luxury...haaa....!! why not...it probably my last stop before my big trek through the AiLao mountain back to YuanYang. and that is my main subject for this trip. finally find an internet place here in town, so...able to put into some writing in my diary, there will be difficult to locate any computer after YuanJiang cause I will be in the mountain. but...you never know....everything strange might happen in China. YuanJiang seen like a brand new town, a lot of construction works going on as well. this is the kind of place you will see the real China. the new rich and the poverty. people pour into new town looking for labour work, earning a few cents a day, sleep in dirt cheap places or even just sleep outdoor at night. night in YunaJiang is lively, beside they had a lot of shops in town too, all those labour worker just hang around the electrican shop watch free tv show, while towner taking their dogs for a walk, rich child with a bike or roller, anoher part of the town by the river gather another crowd, mostly old man, and I find out why after hang around a bit, there was many women walking around offering themself kind of escorting...for tea drinking, watch a movie or disco(right..disco...I saw one in town!) I had a whole roasted duck for dinner tonight, that was why I was still out at 11pm, to help my digestion!!! anyway...night still young but I think I turning in.

NaRou
1 Jul 2003



can't believe it!!! couldn't sleep well in an air-con room!!??? yeah...perhaps it had been a long time... anyways...take the best out of the room, stay until 11am for my bus to NaRou, a mountain village said to has very beautiful rice terrace scene. 66km from YuanJiang, the trip was very pretty, it winding up the mountain, I think we wound over more than 30 bents, and you can see all the curving lines the higher we climb, yes...there are some very nice rice terrace scene on the way up. I saw there are many prisoner working along the highway, to help mentain the road or plant tree, I think it was a good idea for those people, they should do something back to the society for their crime or mistake instead of just kept inside their cell. almost 3 hours later we arrived at NaRou, at the altitude 1700m, very small village with only a short street, at the end of the town is the market place. located(nothing difficult since it was a small place)a brand new guesthouse at the end of the street, Mr Yang and his son start the guesthouse business this year since there are some Kunmingner came here in winter for photo the terraces, and hoping the town will become famous one day, and it is a nice house if they mentain and run it in a right way, at least they has a great view and has a roof balcony(my type). finally bargain down the price to 20/night with a great window terrace view. rain pour dow once in a while, so I stay in with the owner to gather some information for my hike later. here in the area mostly Hani people, only has one Yi village in the region. to walk to Honghe area where I will have 2 choices, to either DaYangJie or CheGu(my planned destination from here), and it will be just a couple of hours(never trust the hour they told you...they walk fast!) right...seen like everything set! rain stop and I took a walk out in the country, very muddy and I just hike a little up the hill behind the town, where there is a pool some people doing fishing. the place is quiet and peaceful. back to town before dark.

market day
2 Jul 2003



woke up with a sun rise from my window and a green terrace under my window, almost as good as the scene from my house in YuanYang. some local youngster came back from the city for summer holiday with friends, they stay in the house last night, and a bit noisy this morning, said they are going to catch some fishes in the terrace today. sky look cloudy and I was bit lazy, the market not starting up until noon(the local told me), so...just lied on bed and watch tv! can't do that for long...few hours the most...haa....!!! better go check out the market. they had build a new market place at the end of the street instead of let the villager doing their business on the street, I know it will be easier to maintain and cleaner, but...it lost the charm...the atmosphere of the market, beside...it is only one a week, it won't be that difficult to maintain, even the local said so! the market was lively, its got all the element a market should had. the entrance of the market you will see the women gather for indigo dye, some live stock exchange as well. once inside the market place, on the left hand side is my favor area where all women gather selling chicken, mattress, rice....and of cause...the honest weight! if you don't trust the amount of things you had buy, you can come here and weight the goods to check if the seller is honest or not! here in the market all you see are Hani, the head dress it simillar to YuanYang but without the 3 pieces of silver buttoned strap, long sleeve shirt and a small short sleeve jacket on top, it can be in black, blue or white with some stitching on it. below is a big farmer pant, a lot of women wear no shoe. and I can see some man in costume as well. there are another tribe of Hani in the market as well, they came from HongHe area. YiChe is how they call them, dosen't wear much of their costume now a day but only the white hood hat, as a friend had descript...if you didn't know it, you might think she is going to a funeral!!! spend half day to check out my route for tomorrow, with some help by the local, finally located the trail, I decided to go to DaYangJie tomorrow instead of CheGu because there is market in DaYangJie tomorrow. they said the terrace in this part of the mountain is very beauitful even the YuXi TV took their shoot here. but in my opinion....no compare with YuanYang!

safe home
4 Jul 2003



That was what had happened on the 3rd of July. Slept early last night for the walk today. Mr Yang knock on my door this morning since I told him I would like to start early to make it to the market in DaYangJie, so he thought I was still sleeping. Suddenly he ask me if I can take a picture of his house, think this must be his first property and he is proud of it, or perhaps he want to send the picture to his families or relatives somewhere, anyways... I feel alright to do him this favor, took his address and promise to send it back once I arrive home. Off I go onto the road I had checked yesterday, sky was clear, air was fresh and the sun in front of me, seem like a good start for the day. There was no difficulty to located the trail, passing through ChePu and I was on the right track to the river crossing. all the village are build with yellow mud brick cube , and a dark Chinese style tile roof, look very tidy and nice. After about 1000m descent I was facing the river, but there was no bridge, I said to myself there was no way I will walk back up the same way from here, as the other shore is only 5m away! So I walk up and down along the river to see if there was another places where I can cross by stepping on stone or rock but there was none! So...I choose the narrow point with less current. Tied my shoe on my backpack, with my short on I stepped gingerly into the water. 2 steps...only 2 steps out there I was carried away by the water. Funny....all my thought was my camera!!! All happened in a split second, trying to struggled and grasp on whatever nearby but there was nothing, I was kept drinking water. a image of my dead body floating on the river somewhere down stream was flash through my mind. I think I had gave up fighting for my life, and there was a sudden peaceful feeling, all I waiting for was the final blow on the rock, I was expecting the collision on my head. At the same time my short had began to wash away by the current from my body, perhaps the shame brought me back my sense and I start struggled again, maybe I didn't mean to die on that day. surprisingly I was hit on a big rock on the other side of the river(instead of the side that I had came from), and I just wrapped my body on the rock like I was holding my mother when I was a little kid. But the water kept pulling me away everytime I try to move my feet when its left the rock's surface. At the same time I realized that the joint of my right shoulder had been dis-located when the sharp pain almost lost my grasp on the rock. I must look funny while I lwas stuck on the side of a big rock with half of my naked butt above the water, I didn't know what to do but only know I wouldn't let go this time since I just got my life back a minute ago. I began to testing and searching for a stand or supported area with my feet underwater, and thank god I find one! I screamed to ease off the fear and the pain, and push with all the energy I got to lift my body out of the water. I didn't know how long I'd lay on my belly there. I'd cried but there was no tear. Again....perhaps the shame brought me back my sense that I was still naked from below, and I realized my pack was still on my back. I don't think I want to described more about the pain from my shoulder from now on. Anyway....unloaded my pack...took everything out(wet)...put on another short(my favor one). And I saw there was cuts, bleeding and many bruise on my body, but how strange I felt no pain from it. Suddenly I remember I had my phone here with me, switched it on but there was no signal, I should use China telecom next time!!! No help....the only option was walk up the mountain to DaYangJie and lucky I still got my 2 bottles of water. Through another painful procedure to put on my shoe, throw away almost everything excepted my camera(didn't know if it still work or not), not because my pack was heavy but I couldn't manage to put them back into my pack with one hand. Something merciful happened on my way up, I felt a sudden release when the joint of my right shoulder got back to its place by itself. I didn't need to scream as long as I didn't move my right arm from now on. The hike wasn't that difficult beside I took it real slow. I notice there was signal on the phone when I was more than half way to DaYangJie, so I call my friend from the NGO see if they know anyone in the region that could gave me a hand. When my friend began to consoled me and asked how was I and was I ok then I couldn't hold it anymore, I was weeping over the phone, 3 hours ago I was that closed to dead, there was no one can help, no one comforting. while up the mountain, I had encounter some people which I try to made them understand I need help, but they just stared at my bleeding feet, look scared, or some kids just laughing at me while I limping, funny walk with only one arm moving. I didn't blame them cause in here....getting hurt is a normal thing for the local, as long as you can walk without big problem and you are ok. I'd live by myself almost all my life, never needed or wanted to depended on anyone, looked strong ain't I?!? perhaps I'd miss something!! So the sudden comforted from friend really drove my tears out like raining. but the stupid pride in me still wanted to hide it by pretending coughing. Later my friend call me back and said they find someone in DaYangJie who can arrange a jeep brought me to HongHe where I could attended by a doctor. I was passing through a village before DaYangJie, the local saw my feet was still bleeding and took me to a local doctor, who plastered some unknown white powder on my wound and wrapped it up with a quite primitive way, but I couldn't refused this hospitality. After 4 hours from the river I was arrived in DaYangJie, the market was under its busiest hour and a lot of hood-hat Hani can be seen. someone had waiting for me at the entrance of the village and took me to the local clinic, took some time to clean up the unknown white powder and redressed my wound with 2 stitched. After I ate my B-lunch we drove to HongHe with a jeep. After 3 hours on a muddy bumpy dirt road we arrived into HongHe, another guy from the NGO took over and lead me to the hospital. X-ray??...no!! first up to the 4th floor consulted by the doctor, then back down to ground floor for the x-ray...no...pay for the film first! got the diagnostic paper after 20 minutes and need to walk back up the 4th floor for the doctor to decipher the words that had written on that paper, finally had been told that there was nothing broken in my body and my heart felt ease. a medicine list had been scrawled, back down to groung floor to pay then up to second floor to get the medicine, walk over to another building for injection....lucky I wasn't that serious injure, at least I still can walk! Now....everything was set, and I had check into a comfortable hotel for the night(in my backpacking standard). Still my shoulder was so pain that I hardly slept last night, I wonder what it would be like if there wasn't any pain killer. Coming back home to Yuanyang this after, my arm still couldn't move freely without pain but it was far more better than yesterday. I hope I will get a good sleep tonight. And I swear to myself that I will never make that kind of stupid move again!

---