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Published: March 8th 2010
Well another week has passed, and we have but more miles under our belts. After leaving Lijang our journey took us through some more beautiful countryside, where as the previous leg we had travelled over mountains this time we headed through the valleys. The countryside was very pretty with the fields all laid out with Canola, broadbeans and wheat. Everything here is so tidy, even the fields!!! The farmers seem to work very hard with little or no mechanicial help, just the occassional water buffalo. The roads and lanes still continue to be lined with the most beautiful trees, some just breaking into bloom.
We arrived in the old town of Dali early afternoon and stayed at a great hostel run by a guy from Melbourne. We were very spoilt, our own room with ensuite all for about $7AUD. We met some great people there and even ran into our Kiwi friend Lynne from Chengou. That afternoon we had a wander through the old town and enjoyed some great food. Dali is the end/ beginning of the old Burma road and has a really interesting mix of people . There are several different local tribes as well as the muslin
traders from the silk road. It makes for a great mix of colour and excitement. The city was similar to Lijiang in as much as it has the river running through it, but the streets were wider and it had a different feel to it, more of a lived in town as opposed to a tourist town like Lijiang. Dali also sits on a huge lake 250sq klms! making it very picture perfect.
Another of Dalis' attractions is a huge mountain ( National Park) that sits right behind the Old Town. We had decided in our wisdom??? that we might like to see it from the top. So after a cable car ride and some very steep steps Lynne our Kiwi friend, Dean & I started our 14 klm hike around the mountain. It really was beautiful up there as we had chosen a perfect day, you could see for miles and miles. The mountains are covered in native Azeleas and Rhododenens which were just starting to flower. We had been told that there were little stalls along the way were you could get food and drink, think we may have gone the wrong way as we never found
them, but hey we made it out alive. We had stopped along the way for a smoke and whilest Dean was off talking to some guy about the price of oil, Lynne and I had planted ourselves on a log to enjoy the scenery when a very angry Chinese soldier matched up to me and demanded that I hand over my lighter. He didn't speak any English but that didn't stop him getting he point across. We immediately thought it was because of fire, but no, just 10 feet from where we were all the soldiers were standing around having a smoke. Maybe he just needed a light! So after a really nice hike with tummys rummbling we made our way down the mountain. This time on a old chair lift, very quiet and peaceful with donkeys and mules wandering around.
Whilest in Dali we had had a quick add up of days left on our Visas, times the number of kilometers left to travel and decided that a flight may be the way to go, so booked an hour flight for a couple of days time, from Kunming to Guilin.This would save us another 18 hour train journey.
So we set off again, this time another bus trip to Kumming. We had met a Germany girl who is studying Chinese here and she recommended a Hostel to us, so with everything booked and feeling pretty good about things off we went. When we arrived there the hostel called "The Hump" wasn't as nice as we were getting used too but hey a beds a bed, and it was only for one night. It had been another long day and neither of us really felt like walking to look for food and decided on eating in. Bad mistake!!! the worst thing that I think can happen when you are travelling is, FOOD POISIONING. Dean & I got a really bad dose. I was up all night, poor Dean was a bit green around the edges, by hey he is tough! The next morning we managed to get to the airport, and whilest waiting, took turns minding the bags whilest the other headed for the loo. The flight is really just a blur but we managed it. On the 30 klms ride to the city the other end, the poor cab driver must of been wondering what he had done
to deserve this, me in the front looking half conscious, and poor Dean being sick in the back out the window. Anyway from what we saw of Guilin it seemed like a nice place, quiet tropicial with lots of palm trees and big limestone outcrops everywhere. Unfortunately neither of us felt much like sight seeing and spent that afternoon curled up asleep.
We had been told about a Bamboo boat which was going to our next distination Yangshuo and thought that it may be a fun way to get the 2 hours down the river. But at 10.30pm that night a knock on our door from the reception told us that "No boat tomorrow, Chinese Premier going to Yangshuo so hide Bamboo boat?" maybe that was a good thing, we will never know???? So another bus.
We had been told by the hostel that to catch the bus, we were to go outside hostel, cross the road, wait under a big tree and a bus with BA?A on the front ( thats the closest to english letters that we could make of the Chinese characters) which come pass and just jump on! we asked which number? no number,
just under big tree? Anyway we didn't need to worry, we hadn't even crossed the road when out of the blue came a bus with a mad women hanging out shouting BA?A. I showed her our trusty piece of paper and in no time she has the luggage compartment open, packs thrown in , us pushed on the bus and we were on our way. We decided that they were a husband and wife team ( we like to call them "The A Team"). His job was to keep one hand on the horn at all times, whilest trying his best to keep in front of all other buses travelling in the same direction, hers, was to hang outside the bus shouting BA?A and drag anyone who looked remotely like wanting to go to BA?A into the bus whilest it was still moving, Quiet a practised art I would think! Anyway after a few laughes we did in fact arrive in Yanshuo ( BA?A).
It is a really pretty town town on the Li river surrounded by large Limestone outcrops. Unfortuately I was still not feeling the best so the next day Dean headed off with some Italian guys for a 16klms bike ride up a mountain. When they arrived they then had 800 steps up to the top for some beautiful views. He says it nearly killed him. But the photos are lovely. Along the way up the steps an old lady tried to sell him some postcards, she walked all the way to the top, and down again still with the postcards inhand. Eventually Dean relented, he decided anyone who can do that without even puffing deserved his dollar. From Yangshuo we then headed to Nanning for our crossing into Vietnam. Nanning is a much bigger city than we imagined and there we stayed in a home stay Hostel. The Hostel is located within a housing complex and a bit difficult to find but really nice. An Americian guy runs the hostel and has the three floor penthouse unit. Very nice. That afternoon we had a few quiet beers at the local with him and some other ex pats.
Which now brings us to yesterday and our trip back into Vietnam. The quickest and easiest way across the boarder we were told is by bus, so off we set again. It took us about three hours to reach the border. The Chinese side was all very organised. We left the bus, was picked up by electric bus and in orderly file entered the customs hall. Then one by one, making sure that we stay behind the yellow line our exit visas were checked and we were let out the other side. Very easy! Back in the the electric bus and we headed for the Vietnam side. Another story alround. There were people hanging around everwhere. We pushed our way through, and were told to complete our forms. Which I did, I then was told to give them to a guy at a window, which I did, he then tore them in half, I was then told to take that to another window, which I did, I was then told that I needed the piece that he had taken???. In the middle of all this an Americian guy was telling Dean that if we wanted to be through the progress in under a couple of hours, we would need to put some currency into our passports when we handed them over. Dean told him in no uncertain terms that he was not going to pay someone to do a job which they were already getting paid for. Anyway back to the forms, I went back to the orginal window and asked for our forms back! Oh my god. After sometime of trying to explain what I needed the guy just gave me everyones form! I still didn't find ours.I'm afraid it was very hot and I was beginning to get a bit cross! I told him I didn't think that I should fill in more forms just because his buddy ....ed up! Anyway I did fill in more forms, and this time Dean took them to where they had to go. Well the guy who I had just shouted at, came out of the blue, pushed Dean to the front of the queue, went and had a quiet word to the customs guys, who all had a good laugh and we were processed in no time at all. The guy told Dean on the way back to me, that he had explained to the customs that Deans wife was having a very bad day and that Dean deserved a break! They all waved us goodbye, smiling and we beat a hasty retreat.
Anyway, back on the bus, another 6 hours and we arrived in Hanoi. When the bus dropped us we jumped on two motorbikes with the packs and were at our hotel in about 10 mins. The guy orginially had Deans pack on the front of his bike, with one major problem he could not longer see over the handle bars! So Dean than put it on his back, next problem with Deans weight and the weight of the pack the front wheel was almost off the road! anyway we did make it eventually. After we raced out to get some local currency, the bike guys were off with their $4-00 and everyone was happy.
It was nice to be in familiar surrounding again. We received a really nice welcome here, they were at the door waiting and there were big cuddles alround, Very nice..... the journey continues..........
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keith and sue.
non-member comment
laugh a minute.
Sounds like you guys are having a ball! We keep getting mental pictures of Dean sorting out the locals and solving the world's problems along the way. Would love to be looking over his shoulder for a laugh!! Hope you both are fit and well again, take care and keep it coming !! Keith and Sue.