Even a trip to China !
This time, This is the famous region of Yunnan which will be our destination, to escape this month of January to the cold and the grayness of Beijing and other northern cities (and Europe !).
We land in Kunming, big typical Chinese metropolis with its large buildings, his frenetic urban renewal and its major axes, which is more a node of a tourist destination transport. The mountains of the West (XI Shan) are still worth a visit (the cliff walk is quite striking).
Yunnan is poorly served by train, but the bus lets go everywhere for a pittance, but in any relative comfort (don't forget the earplugs if you spend five hours next to a child who braille !). We thus arrive at Dali (in fact the new city of Xiaguan, 30 km from the old town, and we catch a taxi for the last part !). Dali is a historical city and classified, Nice to go in season hollow, probably a little less in high season because of the hordes of tourists and the scorching heat. But the main interest is the Erhai Lake, with paths arranged along the shoreline and through the small villages of minorities. More sports for, It is possible to make the circle complete (a hundred kilometres still, but it is flat). In the case of “Petit” hollow, There are small restaurants where vegetables and cuts of meat are exposed in a showcase, you will explain (in Chinese) you want to eat and how to prepare. For those who love fish, the freshness is still better warranty : you choose the fish directly in the basin, to have to table a small quarter of an hour after !
A number of markets are held in the surrounding villages, Youth Hostels can you learn and even organize excursions (but it's probably better by bike). Otherwise the chain of mountains bordering the Lake, at 4000 m, offer stunning panoramas. There is the choice between a cable car which stops halfway for hiking in the mountains, or the highest in Asia (and probably the most expensive !) which takes you almost to the top, where hiking trails are also arranged. But be careful, physical effort at 4000 m above sea level is quickly tiring…
The next step in our journey, After returning to Kunming, was the rice terraces of Yuanyang.
There are actually two cities that bear the name of YuanYang : Nansha, the new town, and Xinjie, the old town, that alone is interesting. To get there, There is a bus per day (a little after 10: 00) from the bus station South of Kunming. Luck whether complete, It took going through Gejiu, industrial city any (which boasts a huge mosque), then by Nansha !
At Yuanyang as in many other places of China, Tourism “consumerist” went through there : He must now pay to have access to the landscaped views ! And as in many other places, I don't step on that this money will benefit local villagers…
The landscapes are really striking, especially at sunrise and sunset. During the day, It is interesting to visit the villages of minorities, especially Shengcun a market day. Women still wear their traditional costumes, which includes a necklace of coins, of which some are stamped “French Republic – 1937” !
