Dali

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Stayed at Friends G.H in Dali which is cheap, convenient and frequented by chinese. Dali is a bit like Lijiang in that it is a tourist haven. Busloads of chinese tourists turn up each morning, taking zillions of photos. However it does have a more authentic feel because there are many real time shops interspersed with the souvenir ones and many indigenous Bai people are getting along with their daily affairs, selling produce at the market and at their street stalls. Interestingly enough Bai people can have two kids because they are a minority group.

We went to a great little place, Apricot Flower for lunch where the food is very fresh. We decided not to go for the frogs which were swimming around a basin in the courtyard. Took a walk around the town, to the locals' market where alot of chili grinding was going on, and the blacksmiths' area with allsorts of metal items were made on site. Then took a rickshaw to San Ta pagoda. The entrance is a bit hefty at 120yuan so we just took a snap from the outside.

Next day we hired bikes and cycled around Lake Er Hai. The east side is far more enjoyable because the road runs by the lakeside and it is a lot more rural than the other. It was fantastic from the point of view that we saw how people live in the countryside. It's a busy time being harvest season so there was a lot of activity in the fields. All sorts of crops were being harvested incl rice and tobacco. The rice is collected in sheafs, then thrashed into a lge wicker basket. Passed many a bent-over old womnan hauling a huge full basket on her back....back breaking stuff. Also saw some women pulling their menfolk along in carts!!!

Lots of fishing going on also, mainly in the reeds not too far from the shore. They were drying their teeny prawns and sprats on the side of the road so there was a grand smell of fish in the air

There were lots of hellos from the kids and thankfully not many beeps from the drivers as the roads were quiet. We stopped at Haidong for lunch which we got from a fruit stall and played a game of pool outside a hairdressers, half the balls were missing which speeded up the game. We next stopped at the Sky Mirror Pavilion which has some lovely quiet pavilions which look out over the lake. We bought some battered fish from the lake and ate it in one of these. Could have spent hrs here but had to cycle on.

An unscheduled stop was at this little island, Putuo where the locals were bringing out all their produce and cooking on the island. Only about 40m out so the boat was pulled out by a rope. We went out for a look. They were only stoking up the fires so they mostly ignored us. The island was really only a large rock with a temple and all these women cooking...really strange.

We continued onto Nanzhou island and there is a delightful little g.h there, where we seemed to be the only other guests besides two chinese men. There is also a large hotel on the island which is a bit soul-less and takes up the entire island almost. The place we stayed has quirky rooms, tame egrets and fish in ponds which they pluck out for dinner. Our room was called 'listening to the waves' and we did. The beach was right outside with some weird naked sculptures propped in the water. The food was really good...we had fish stew.
The next morn we took a walk around the island.....many fishermen around the island taking their nets in. A very picturesque place.

The cycle back to Dali is busier...you pass thru a few town tho nothing remarkable.

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