Blogs from Jinghong, Yunnan, China, Asia - page 2

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Asia » China » Yunnan » Jinghong March 8th 2013

We left later the next morning on what was to be our second last day in China. Mr Jong collected us and our luggage (which seems to have grown in the last two months) and we drove on the same road that we had travelled by local bus on our search for the elusive Manna'nan a couple of days before. Mr Jong was unaware of the village as well so where the guide book got the information from remains a mystery. Our first stop was in Jinuo Shan, a tiny village where a small minority group called the Jinuo live. The women of this minority wear a distinctive white peaked hood. When we arrived we felt as if we were back in Zhoaxing in Guixhou Province as a pig slaughter was just about to begin. The ... read more
Dai women in the gardens
Tossing and rolling the tea leaves
Preparing the chillis

Asia » China » Yunnan » Jinghong March 4th 2013

Bus trips in China are often confusing - the bus stations move, drivers tend to drop their passengers outside of the terminals (often streets away) or you end up at a totally different bus station than the one that your guide book mentioned. And that is after you have had the challenge of actually purchasing the ticket! That is Jerry's job - I'm more than content to look after the luggage whilst he battles the queues and language difficulties. Upon our arrival in the busy traffic of Chengdu two and half hours later our bus stopped and everybody got off - it was not the bus station we had left from previously and should have returned to but a city street. We had no idea where we were... After being deserted by all the other passengers ... read more
The view when we opened our curtains first morning in Jinghong
It was hot.....
Heat induced snooze...

Asia » China » Yunnan » Jinghong September 19th 2012

I get to Xishuangbanna and stay at possibly the world's worst Hostel. If you are ever in the area do NOT go to Many Trees International hostel. If the morose and relentlessly barking dog weren't bad enough then the surly receptionists with little to no English and crap mis information, the absene of decent restaurant or bar, the hardest – plywood beds with risible 2 inch sheets for mattresses, dirty toilets, stained bathrooms make up for it. Its vile. What's worse is i've told a couple of people in Dali i'll be there who promptly follow – I feel guilty. There is a nice hostel with adjoining cafe and restaurant in Xisuangbanna– its called the Mekong. Stay there. Now that we are on the border to Laos its nudging 30 degrees again. The city is hot ... read more
Outside the hostel
Goodbye bamboo

Asia » China » Yunnan » Jinghong October 14th 2011

I've heard it said that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. That being the case I can announce that I am totally in love with China. The food has been more than great. We have enjoyed the food immensely and haven't had to worry about our health. How often can you say that about traveling in the hinterlands? First, let me mention the fruit. I think it was Chongqing where Jacob, for the 25 hour train ride south, picked up a citron, a large yellow citrus fruit reminiscent of grapefruit but larger, almost as big as a bowling ball. The four of us dubiously watched him peal the citron. Indeed, it resembled a dry grapefruit and promised to be just about as good. But, lo and behold, we liked it. Not a ... read more
Jim enjoying sumptious dinner in Chongqing
Pickled veggies in Menghun market
Fruit stands piled high in Menglun

Asia » China » Yunnan » Jinghong October 13th 2011

We are back in Jinghong, the capital of Xishuangbanna prefecture, the three-county region at the very southern tip of Yunnan province that we have been exploring for the past week. While we are enjoying the ambiance of this small tropical city, we are also using it as a base for further excursions to the countryside: a pretty great bike ride along the river yesterday and an incredible visit to the Yiwu tea mountain today. Yesterday morning Kathy, Karen, Jim, and I rented bikes in town and followed the city bike paths and dodged traffic until we got to the outskirts on the east side of the Lancang (a.k.a. Mekong) River. There we found the river road, which, contrary to the report in Lonely Planet, is not built up and touristy. Heading south towards Menghan the road ... read more
Lancang River south of Jinghong
Jacob and drying tea
Tea and mountains

Asia » China » Yunnan » Jinghong June 19th 2011

Yes I am leaving China, it has been fun, but it has been enough as well and I am looking forward to something new. And yes this blog will be about my last week in this country, with a few thoughts about it, and my trip and time here, and a few thoughts totally disconnected from China and my leaving it. As such it might seem a bit incoherent but, ah well, at least it is a tad different. Coherency is over-rated anyway! Lets start with my feelings on leaving China. To be honest I am happy to be leaving. I like China, don't get me wrong, but I have been coming back to this country three times in the last year and a half and I have been roaming it for a total of seven ... read more
Kunming
Kunming
Kunming

Asia » China » Yunnan » Jinghong February 16th 2011

Day 11 This is our last night in Xi Shuang Ban Na, tomorrow we are flying to Kun Ming until friday, then it's back to Beijing on Friday and head home on Sat. Today was pretty cool...first stop was a JiNuoShan Village. This village was a way better than the other villages we went to yesterday. The JiNuoShan were found in 1979 so they have had much more time to develop themselves and seem to be doing very well. They make their money solely on tourism. They have opened up their village to the public to see their way of life. One of the interesting things that I have learned is unlike the rest of China, girls are very important and the boys are less significant. There is no limit on how many children they can ... read more
13 Days in China
13 Days in China
13 Days in China

Asia » China » Yunnan » Jinghong February 15th 2011

Day 10 I not sure where to even start on todays adventures....Wow! What an amazing day! I feel like I'm Anthony Bourdain or Samantha Brown from the travel channel. We are doing some pretty amazing stuff. Today we started off with breakfast at the hotel. I just was not in the mood to be pushed and walked in front of with no regard. I think I was feeling a little tired from the trip. In China there is no such thing as personal space. I always thought Asian's were so rude when they came to America. What I realize now is that they are not being rude it it just their way of life. Survival of the fittest lol. It's funny even when you drive a car their is no such thing as your own lane. ... read more
13 Days in China
13 Days in China
13 Days in China

Asia » China » Yunnan » Jinghong February 14th 2011

Aixiang, a man with a broad smile and a three pack a day habit, has spent all of his fifty years living next to the Mekong. He knows the 20 mile stretch between Ganlanba and Jinghong like the back of his hand, but of the other 2,800 miles he hasn't much idea. He constantly referred to the 'old days' - meaning the 70's, when he was a teenager and during the course of the day he spent with us he told us how 'his' river had changed. When Aixiang was a lad, the river offered it's bounty up to surrounding villagers. They fished, they collected river moss, and they panned for gold. We came across ladies fashioning the moss into paper-thin pancakes - green lace tracery spread onto circular orange boards - before being slipped off ... read more
Lady With Green Gold.
Pancakes!
An Array Of Pancakes.

Asia » China » Yunnan » Jinghong February 14th 2011

Day 9 Wake me up I must be dreaming! We were on our way to the airport this morning and I was gazing out the window of my delapetated barely running cab and listening to our angry Naxi speaking woman cab driver yelling at someone on her cell phone....and I thought to myself I feel like I'm dreaming. How cool is it that I'm experiencing something that not many people will have a chance to do in their lifetime. It is so cool to experience different cultures and see how people live in different countries. Many times in our China journey I have felt like I was in a movie. Today we spent most of the day traveling to our next city...XishuangBanNa. It is located in the southern tip of the Yunnan province. When we got ... read more




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