Dali

My second time to Dali, this time with my wife. The train ride from Kunming is only about 6 hours, but we got a sleeper anyway just for the luxury of being able to stretch out (and to take an afternoon nap).




Evening dancing in old town Dali.




And back for a second visit to Dali's famous Three Pagodas.





Many Chinese honeymooners were in Dali dressed up for wedding photo shoots.


I took this photo and the one below at Putuo Island on Erhai Lake. From Dali we took a taxi to the small lakeside town of Caicun, then from there a 45-minute ferry out to the island.




Back in Dali old town, practicing my drumming.


We had a visitor at our inn, who came in one morning and slept under our bed while we did yoga. Better than some of the visitors I've had at other hotels in the past, like mice and cockroaches.


I saw a lot of men smoking these metal water pipes in Yunnan Province. You can buy them online for about $50, but probably can get one much cheaper in Yunnan.
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Authentic-yunnan-stainless-steel-water-pipe-water-super-light-portable-retractable-hookah/32212273040.html

Kunming

Kunming, known as Spring City because of its great climate, is located in south-central China. From Guiyang to Kunming the high-speed train takes about 2.5 hours.





There tend to be a lot of traffic-control workers in China's cities.



My second time visiting Kunming's wonderful Yuantong Temple.



I took this photo on my way to catch a train out of Kunming. According to a TIME article, a Chinese company says it found inspiration in Keller's personal traits.
http://newsfeed.time.com/2012/04/20/chinese-company-names-sunglasses-after-helen-keller/

Guiyang, south-central China

The train ride from Guilin to Guiyang takes about 2.5 hours. The only reason I stopped there is because it's on the way to Yunnan Province. I didn't expect much because, as they say of that region, it's "without three miles of flat land, three days of fine weather, or three cents to rub together." I sometimes find when traveling that when I expect less of a place, after arriving I'm pleasantly surprised, and that turned out to be true with Guiyang as well.


My hotel room in Guiyang seemed to be set up for honeymooners, but no matter, I soon moved up the hall to a room with floor to ceiling windows.




The Chinese-hotel breakfast areas often remind me of wedding banquet rooms.


Qianling Park, in the northern part of the city, was much more than I expected.

People practice water Chinese-character writing there (what I've always thought of as an ultimate Zen activity).


They dance.


They take photos of the monkeys.


The monkeys of course steal whatever they can from unwary humans.











There's also a zoo in the park.



And a large temple.




People play music.





They get together and hone their whip skills (for some reason often without shirts).




They practice playing with tennis balls attached to elastic strings, something I've never seen before. (I bought a pair for about $3 and now sometimes practice at home -- it's definitely not as easy as it looks.)







You can even get traditional-Chinese body treatments at the park.





Vegan hotpot served up Guiyang style -- hot & spicy.

Guilin -- land of karsts

Guilin is located in southeastern China. Getting there from Hong Kong was not so simple. I first took a subway to Shenzhen, a city on mainland China. From there I went through immigration control, then took another subway to Shenzhen Train Station. Then it's about a 3-hour train ride to Guilin.





I made a special request for a room with one of these little tea table nooks, which overlooks a busy pedestrian street in Guilin.




Price list for various items in my hotel room.



There was a great little hotpot restaurant right next door to my hotel.



For about $20, the Four Rivers Two Lakes evening cruise is well worth the price.



"Cormorant fishing is a traditional fishing method in which fishermen use trained cormorants to fish in rivers. Historically, cormorant fishing has taken place in Japan and China since about 960 AD." The cormorant (with a string tied around its neck so it can't swallow food) is used to catch the fish, which the fisherman then retrieves from the bird's throat.




People were out at this fountain every day feeding the fish with baby bottles attached to a stick. The fish actually suck on the bottle's rubber nipple.


Often in China looseleaf tea is served directly in the glass, and after a few minutes slowly sinks to the bottom. At most tea cafes you're given several free refills of hot water.


With its many karsts, caves, lakes, and rivers, in China the Guilin region has traditionally been known as "the best landscape under heaven."


This boy came up to me in downtown Guilin and asked if he could practice speaking English. While he spoke with me, his mother stood off to the side filming the whole thing.


A special slicer for making cucumber face masks.


Using the double broom sweep method.



On my final day in Guilin someone suggested I visit the local caves, which truned out to be a great recommendation.








Inside the caves, Chinese tourists often touched the turtles, probably for good luck.



I took this photo at Guilin's Solitary Beauty Peak (Ming Prince Mansion).