Saturday, June 28, 2008

3/4/08

Up at 7am to catch a bus to Lijiang at 8am. This was a public bus and it was full by the time we got out of Dali. It was an OK trip over two mountain ranges. Lots of rice fields and fields of peanuts. Into Lijiang at midday then a short walk to the MCA hostel. This was worse than the last place. Very rickety and our floor had a noticeable slope towards the door. Went down town for KFC lunch then back at about 4pm. Discovered that our power plugs fit here so recharged my phone and camera. Off for dinner with the group to a genuine Chinese restaurant with items such as fried wild termite with mushroom, fried bullfrog with pickled pepper, fried honey bee with red chili, pig stomach with chili oil- sauce, mixed cactus and pig stomach. John ordered prawns and that is exactly what he got - a bowl of shrimps. We ended up sharing our dishes to even out the bad choices with the good choices. After dinner we went to a Naxi cultural show which wasn't that good. It basically showed their worship to heaven, ancestors and harvest. Afterwards back to the rickety hostel.