kunming

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Wake to another wet morning but as usual the rain has subsided by the time we venture out.
Heading for Kunming today by plane and our taxi doesn’t arrive to 12.30. So have a nice leisurely morning to fill in. Do some washing (meaning someone else does your washing, 10 yuan per kilo).
Kathy and I walk the town while Natarsha and Thomas have a sleep in. Noodle soup again for breakfast. Yum! And cheap 7 yuan per bowl.
Off to the post office to mail some postcards. The staff can speak and write perfect English but need a lesson desperately in happiness. It seems all official people in China are not allowed to smile.
An uneventful trip from Yangzhou to Guilin airport. We travel on deserted freeways and arrive at a plane less airport. All the local traffic drives on the old roads, too many tolls on the freeways. Don’t get me wrong the airport is magnificent The airport is as good as I have seen, brand new, just few people and planes. China is embarking on a massive infrastructure project but the consumers have not yet caught up. Maybe the money would be better spent on the poor.
Our plane has been delayed because of air congestion over Kunming obviously that airport is busier than this one. Sitting here people watching I cannot see one westerner in the crowd but at least the signs are in both languages. If I spent too much time in China I would go mad with no one to talk to.
Or more important to listen to me.
The Chinese dress very neatly but I can see some western influence breaking into their fashion. Lots of writing on their shirts and many different colours. It seems ironic though all the shirts are written in English (one girl riding a motorbike has a US Navy shirt for example), yet none of them can read English. Obesity has not found its way here yet but don’t worry there is a KFC at the airport. All the men smoke, have not seen a women smoking yet.
What will happen in 30 years time when everybody’s life expectancy increases there will be major health problems. No wonder the cigarette companies concentrate here. The people are generally very happy only a few grumpy old women.
Kunming seems just a big dirty city. Staying at the Kunming hotel. Quite swanky in a Chinese way.
Ate some bad dinner and retired to bed.

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Comments

[Wannabe Travelers Wife]

Language Barrier - Reply to Mary
The Mandarin Book not being used extensively as hard to pronounce with the correct tones. We mainly get english speaking/writing people from hotels to write down the important things in life for us eg 'bus ticket to Dali'or just doing alot of pointing (of waving in JB's case!). They seem to get the drift eventually in most cases.