Blogs from Yunnan, China, Asia - page 16

Baishuitai (bai-schway-tai) - meaning, "White Water Terraces" Before the Tiger Leaping Gorge hike, Richard (hiking guide) recommended that I take a bus to visit the "white water terraces" at Baishuitai. "It's very beautiful, and my family came from that same village many many years ago", he said. The place gets it's name from the natural terrace mantles which formed over many years by gradual precipitation of the calcium carbonate mineral found naturally in the spring's groundwater. From a distance, it looks like a massive paint spill. Up close, they look exactly like white rice terraces filled with sapphire blue spring water. The park itself was very clean and had a very relaxed feel. The view from above looking down into the valley was beautiful! The sunlight shining from the West made the green wheat fields come ... read more

The Snow Mountain Tour (400 mile cycling tour!) DISCLAIMER: This post is going to blow your mind! Ted and Luanne (the innkeepers here at the Kaiwen Village Inn) asked me to evaluate their "Snow Mountain Tour", a 700 kilometer (400 mile) cycling route that forms a loop around the 5 major snow mountains north of Lijiang. What made this side-adventure so unique was that I was loaned a mountain bike to ride the whole way while Thomas, Richard's nephew as my driver, followed behind me in his van. Sorta like a pro cycling team's support car! Before I left, Ted warned that the route would be very dangerous in certain places - many sections of the road have narrow shoulders, shear dropoffs, and at times very heavy truck traffic. Other sections ascend extremely steep hills through ... read more

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

Lijiang I'm SO glad I chose to add on two more weeks to my trip itinerary before booking my flights. Discovering a place like Lijiang is the exact reason for giving myself the extra time. It's surroundings are filled with places to explore and endless hiking opportunites, various minority cultures, and awe inspiring scenery. I will definitely be coming back to visit Lijiang again next time I travel to China. Lijiang Old Town is characterized by it's confusing labyrinth of cobbled streets, rickety-looking wooden buildings, and open waterways. The only downside to this place it it gets absolutely PACKED with Chinese tourists nearly year round. I read that nearly 12% of Yunnan's total tourist population comes to Lijiang. That's HUGE! The town's tiny alleyways are frequently jammed with Chinese visitors and as you walk through the ... read more

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