Adventures in Yunnan... Blog 1

We finally made it to Yunnan Provine in Southern China bordered by two recent major disasters: the earthquake in Chengdu and a monsoon to the south in Myanmar (Burma), yet the region is seemingly rather unaffected by either. Rather, rainy season has engulfed the region and we've been attempting to sight see amidst major downpours. Alas, the joys of global warming!

After two days of jet lag recuperation in Kunming, a rather bleak communist style city with blinking neon lights everywhere, I was more than ready to immerse myself in rural(ish) China. We took a five hour bus ride to Dali through rolling hills, rice paddies plowed by oxen knee deep in mud, and the acclaimed Dinosaur valley, which is rapidly transforming itself into a new theme park as I write this email. Change is visible everywhere in China, even in the most remote areas. New roads have been built overnight throughout the region and signs of commercialization are difficult to escape.

We arrived in Dali last night to the pleasant surprise of an old town well preserved with large Ming style entrance gates, Venice like water flowing beneath the cobblestone streets, and tons of shops and restaurants indicative of the cultural diversity of the region. It is well equipped to handle the backpacker adventurer type (totally my style) with bikes, horses, tai chi, and yoga on offer at every corner. How "authentic" this town really is remains to be determined and the throngs of domestic and international tourists has visibly changed this town into a tourist-pleasure seeking city.

Communication remains (and will continue to remain) extremely difficult, but I remain confident in the language beyond words of smiles, hand signals, and pointing at a pictures and drawings. The pocket phrase book quickly became my most important asset. :)

I hope this finds everyone well! More reports to come as we make our way to Er Hai lake and eventually the infamous Tiger Leaping Gorge.