Spend the last few days revisited some markets in Jinping(@1200m) area. Tongchang(@1400m) still filled with Miao and their unique Hani, busy as usual, and with the road work finished, the travel from Yuanyang are far more faster and comfortable. Both Nafa(@300m) and Mengla (@300m)market had been expanded with new market hall. The Mengla market became more busy, there also couple of new hotels in town offered better accommodation. Compared with Mengla the Nafa market seem quieter but still kept its charm, half of the people there seem coming from Vietnam from another side of the border. "we n [View Full Entry]

---

---

29/3/09 I never realised the market in Mengzi(@1300m) could be that huge! Just happened every corner in town, people are everywhere,especially around the old bus station area, jam with chaos. "Pu Yi", once again they identified themselve when I spot the bright orange figure and asked. I never knew there was this kind of Yi in Mengzi, never saw them in town before. Mean they only came out on market day. Silver headband set hair in tower shape, and covered with another embroidered head cloth with one end up-turn in front. Long sleeve shirt top with tight vest, belt tied on [View Full Entry]

---

---

Revisited Lengden(@250m) and Huangcaoba (@300m)market again after many years. Both are still well worth. The most outstanding sight in both market are the Pu Yi, yes...again Pu Yi, they all identified themselve "Pu". But they all dressed differently in Honghe region, still...they got one common factor, bright sharp colour! Beside the Yi in Lengden market, the rest was Dai. The market in Huangcaoba is far more bigger and more different hill tribes. Miao and Hani also there, which created a more colourful scene. Beside the local tribal group, with the more convinence road transportation, you cou [View Full Entry]

---

---

Revisited Maande again, although road condition still not good, but the scene was great. The priority here was sign an agreement with the high school, to which my tour group wanted to help, infrastructural matters, and sponsor students to higher education. After all, market was our main interest. Visited a small market in Zhongliang where dominated by Miao, this sub-group wore knee-length trousers and leg dress, long sleeve jacket full of embroidery, 2 panels on each side of the lapels, and of course the standard embroidered panel on the back of their neck. other markets in Maande and Mengqiao [View Full Entry]

---

---

Everywhere was cars and people and difficult to got a room in Yuanyang when we arrived. "why"? I asked. Tourist festival was the answer. I thought it would be finished after Chinese new year, that was why I left. Now they begin on the 28th Feb and last for 3 days. Heard there will be entrance fee for most of the site after the festival. Finally got rooms for my tour group, the normal charge for the same room was 60, and now they asked for 160 yuan. "only today" the receptionist told me, as the room had been reserved the [View Full Entry]

---

---

Spend 2 relaxing days in Jinghong, nothing important to do but the 1st priority was developed the photos for the Yao family in Lao. Hope the address was right and they got the photo. Also pick up my tour and with the luxury of our own car we revisited Xiding market, the Aini dress still filled the market with colour. And after a brief visited in Kongping market yesterday. I came again to Daiheishan for the market today. Still...dressed hilltribes shuttle through the small market, the great thing was again they updated me about their tribal name. Today I saw 6 [View Full Entry]

---

---

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 [View Full Entry]

---

---

9/2/09 After the spinning drive from Phonsavanh to Luang Prabang(@320m). I decided to spend the rest of my visa day here. Wat wat wat and what wat? Just too many that I really had no idea which wat was which wat. I didn't remembered there was entrance fee for most of the temple unless those outstanding wat. But this year seem like they put up ticket booth for many temples, not even allowed to hangout in the courtyard if you didn't buy ticket. "please buy ticket if you want to look at the temple" one sign indicated ,so I need to [View Full Entry]

---

---

31/1/09 Again...spend another sunny day on long bus trip yesterday, left the station by 8:30, and we rolling on mountain top for long time, pass the ViengTong junction then we stop at NamNeua for lunch, a nice little village with 2 guesthouse. A lot of girls did weaving in front of their house. Carried on we entered XiengKhouang area, the land lived mostly Hmong people. A huge plateau appeared when we approaching MoungKham, from there to the east will get to the Vietnam border, we turned right heading to Ponsavanh 50km away. The whole trip was travelled on paved road in [View Full Entry]

---

---

21/1/09 One bus per day leave for SamNeua around 7 am. The market was rather busy during early hour in ViengTong, I mean...compared with during the day. The weather seem like with certain pre-setting, foggy until well past 10am, then the sun came and clear blue sky. But in fact, if we ascended couple of hundreds meter then we would be above the fog, like today the bus climbed up through the winding roadup hill to over 1500m, the sun was there to greet us already, it was just after 8 o'clock, and some of the view are quite beatiful too, [View Full Entry]

---

---