To Lijiang of Yunnan China

Green. Green and more Green. As I flew from Kunming to Lijiang on Sunday morning I sat in the window seat with my jaw dropped. Green mountains lay below me. The airplane was kissing the deep blue sky and passing over marshmelowey clouds. The people sitting next to me probably never saw my face because it was glued to the window. Little villages, cities and farm land were clearly visible. The view from the airplane is nothing like I've ever seen in person. It reminded me of the beauty I've seen in scenes right out of the TV show LOST or movie Prince Caspian. I came to Yunnan because I had heard that China had some spectacular natural wonders. I hadn't even landed and I was already finding that to be true.

The contrast between Beijing and this Yunnan province below me couldn't be any more different. Beijing had sickening pollution. A day of walking outside would make anyone a little sick. I can't imagine how some of the Olympic Athletes will feel! Now I understand why Beijing will put driving restrictions on the city starting sometime in July. Odd numbered licence plates and even numbered license plates will be able to drive only every other day respectively. The pollution really poses a problem! Yet the air of Yunnan, at least from what I was seeing from an airplane, looked fresh and clean. I knew that what I was about to see and experience was going to be altogether different from Beijing. And I was right.

(The guesthouse neighborhood)
I arrived, got a shuttle bus, caught a taxi (thank God for a cell phone), and checked into a very quaint guesthouse on the outskirts of Old Town Lijiang. After getting settled in my room I took a walk in Old Town. The cobbled stone streets give the town an archaic feel. I came upon a group of elderly Naxi (ethnic minorities) men and women. They had formed a circle around a boom box and their personal belongings. Their music blared and called people to come and see. They danced for the crowds peering on. I sat down in the midst of some of their group and some of the other Chinese tourists. I felt like now I was finally in a foreign country. "One of these things is not like the other". The woman next to me, clearly a Naxi woman, cheered the dancers on. A little girl in a pink dress joined the circle for a few moments. A Chinese woman joined in on her own outside of the group. I wanted to join them but thought I better not. I might cause an international incident. I didn't want to do that on my very first night in Lijiang.

(A very poor video but it is at least a video)

I had planned to spend 2 rest days in Lijiang. I figured in two days time I could figure out how to hike the Tiger Leaping Gorge with someone(s). I found what I was hoping for sooner than expected. That first night at dinner I met a girl from Australia and a guy from N.E. China. We were strangers with a common goal; we all wanted to go to do this gorge hike. The Australian girl was on a tight schedule and needed to start the trek then next day. I wanted to chill the next day so I had a quick decision to make. I decided to join them. I was a little tired but grateful to know I'd get to do what I came to Lijiang to do--see the Tiger Leaping Gorge. I was relieved I had a group to go with. Yet there was an extra bonus with this group. One of our three spoke Mandarin! This would prove to be an important resource.