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13/3/2011

We drove to TuanShan today - an old but well-preserved tin merchants' village which now has World Heritage status. It was a peaceful and warm day, with only two other tourists in the whole place. After wandering around there (with Dad trying his magic tricks on any unsuspecting child he saw) we drove back, stopping at Double Dragon Bridge [see photos].

The bridge seems to be out of all proportion to the lake it crosses, partly because the lake has largely dried up in the intervening years, and partly because the lake is small enough to be walked around in 20 minutes. Still, the bridge is still an imposing and impressive spectacle.

In the evening we tried Jianshui's famous barbecue. We passed on the bamboo maggots, but Jiajia was keen to try the chicken feet and tongues!

Zhu lake our hotel?

12/3/2011

A 4-hour drive today saw us visit JianShui, a town south of Kunming which retains a lot of it's old town whilst not yet deluged by tourists. Jiajia had worked her usual magic, with a friend of hers managing to get us a room at the best hotel for a third of the usual price. And what a hotel is it was [see photos]. . .

We had rooms in the Zhu Family Residence - a 100 year old mansion with a lake, dancing hall, gardens and hundreds of beautifully decorated rooms. Daytime visitors were paying £5 a ticket to view the courtyard where we were staying! The bedrooms were smallish, but ornately decorated and with very modern bathrooms. And in the mornings and evenings the whole tourist spot was all ours to explore. You can explore it too by clicking here.

Trying out our dressing gowns in front of our bedrooms

More photos from our HeiJing trip

10/10/2010

Not to be mist

8/10/2010

The beautifully-carved shutters of the windows of our hotel room look out onto a delightful courtyard surrounded by wooden rooms and complete with its own stage. Jiajia couldn't resist a little dance (to minimal applause it must be said!). After exploring the many ornate rooms and corridors in the hotel (in which we appeared to be the only guests), we headed into town and found a steep path that led to a small temple. The lady in charge there was really friendly and seemed a little put out when we politely declined her invitation to share lunch.

In the afternoon, we decided to brave the rain and low-lying mist clouds and tackle the 500+ steps leading up to FeiLaiSi or "Fly Here Temple"!. Flying there would have been a less painful option! The promised views were mostly clouded over, but we did get a glimpse of the town for brief moments [see photo]. And of a small crab on the steps of the temple, which wasn't quite what we expected!

The Temple itself was fairly run-of-the-mill, but we appreciated the chance for a sit-down out of the rain, before attempting the slippery return route.

By the time we returned to HeiJing, it was time for a well-earned meal, a shower and a soft bed for our aching limbs!

We'll leave tomorrow, and hope to find a quicker and less hazardous route back.

Heijing (not Beijing)

7/10/2010

Jiajia and I took a late holiday break today to the town of HeiJing, north of Kunming. We went by car (rather than by train) which turned out to be a mistake. Heavy rain, landslides, water buffalo, reckless oncoming traffic, potholes, herds of goats and a disheartening lack of signage led to the "4 hour" journey taking us over 6 hours. HeiJing itself is over 500 years old and was built on the riches of nearby salt mines. The ornate and traditional buildings of that era are still here to be seen, along with cobbled, pedestrianised streets, ancient temples and a river which seems to be going from "near-empty" to "surging" with the non-stop rain!

The highlight of the visit so far has been our hotel. It's very traditional [see photo] and about 150 years old. The rooms are fairly modern within though and the main street of the town is just a 5 minute walk away. Now if only the rain would stop!

Card say thank you enough

6/9/2010

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I occasionally raid my display of postcards for use in lessons (an "Eden Project" postie came in useful in a recent lesson, and I managed to find cards from all four nations of the UK for another) and yet my wall display at home remains very healthy! Many thanks to family and friends who so faithfully remember me on their travels - much appreciated!

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Be LEAF it or not

15/6/2010

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I drove the 8 hours back to Kunming yesterday, braving heavy rain, wide-bodied trucks and some outrageous overtaking manoeuvres on the steep mountainside roads! It was probably a rather extreme way to get back into driving after 5 years doing virtually none, but despite Jiajia owning a nice automatic car, she hates driving and was happy enough to let me take the wheel! The trip was definitely worth it though - we had a fantastic time. It was especially nice for me to see Jiajia getting to know the LEAF family for herself before they leave for pastures new. Now we'll both miss them

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Last ditch market for baskets

14/6/2010

Our last half-day in Simao and Jiajia was keen to get some souvenirs. So the LEAF family took us to a large market which at this time of year seems to specialise in roots [see photo]. They were on sale everywhere and, even with his encyclopedic knowledge of local foliage and how to cook it, Ali was bemused at what it could all be used for and why it was only on sale at this time of year. But there was also lots of fruit (which keeps Jiajia happy) and we all munched through fresh corn-on-the-cob.

Then we found the "woven items" section of the market. Lesley and Jiajia were in their element (with Edi's help) thinking of alternative uses for what are basically handmade items for farmers; egg boxes become knitting wool holders, bird cages become lamps, etc. I was just wondering how they thought they would get it all back to the car, when I noticed they were all looking at me... Next came the cloth section of the market. Ali and I sidled off to let the girls wear themselves out.

Customs and costumes

12/6/2010

Our arrival in Simao coincided with the last day of a Festival in the main square celebrating the cultures of various local minority groups. Our band of foreigners got as many stares and photos taken as the minority groups did, though they certainly looked a lot more impressive than us in our jeans and T-shirts! We visited each replica ethnic house (think bamboo, rope, grasses) and bought some of the various wares for sale in each.

Simao aka Pu'er aka Ning'er

12/6/2010

Simao is a town in the south of Yunnan Province, about 4 hour's drive from JiangCheng where I lived for a year in 2006-2007. It's amidst fields of "Pu'Er tea" [see photo - tea plantations and Simao are top right], which is why the tourist-minded Government tried to rename Simao as Pu'er some years ago (and then had to rename the real Pu'er as Ning'er) ...it hasn't really caught on!

Getting out into the countryside is a real breather from city life. The journey down to Simao goes through some gorgeous scenery with cloud-shrouded mountains, swathes of forests and roads that cling precariously to the sides of sheer drops. It's a cliché, but true, that the pace of life there is slower and the locals are much friendlier. The wildlife is more evident too. This enormous spider, fully 30cm across, wasn't given a second glance by the nonchalant students on the LEAF's campus. For Ava and I, it was certainly worthy of a photograph.

We met up with the LEAF family for a yummy, locally sourced, cooked breakfast before the wildlife interupted us again, with an enormous swarm of bees passing the window [see photo] and settling on nearby roofs and phone lines. Quite a sight.

Dargon Boat Festival

11/6/2010

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This weekend is "Dragon Boat Festival" (or "DARGON Boat Festival" according to some shops!). With no classes at school, Ava and I have made a snap decision to drive down to Simao to meet our good friends, the LEAF family, there. It seems a good chance to stretch my driving muscles and to say our goodbyes to LEAF who are nearing the end of their five years in China.

Ava made the wise decision to get her car serviced yesterday, but only 20 minutes into our drive today the ABS braking system started bleeping and flashing. So we headed for a garage and let them diagnose the problem, before setting off again. Over seven hours later we arrived in Simao. The 550km (350 miles) journey is mostly expressway, although lots of sections had been reduced to one lane for roadworks, and the last 100km is a windy two-way road where getting stuck behind sluggish trucks and overtaking on blind corners is the norm!

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Boated and bloated

2/5/2010

The undoubted highlight of my trip to Shenzhen (apart from spending time with my other half, of course) was visiting this 40,000 ton decomissioned Soviet aircraft carrier, complete with MiG fighters, helicopters, tanks and missile launchers!

Dotted around the "theme park" which surrounds the ship are various items of military hardware and dozens of these bizarre soldiers. They look like statues until they suddenly move and you realise they are actually actors painted to look metal! This one took exception to me tapping his helmet (and their guns make a loud bang when fired too!) Still, not much fun for them wearing full combat gear in 30ºC heat.

The aircraft carrier itself sports a variety of weaponry, as well as it's complement of aircraft, and looks an awesome fighting machine. However, we'll never know for sure - it was decomissioned after 20 years service, having never been involved in any conflict! Down in the bowels of the ship, things get more surreal, with a 4D film showing a simulated attack on the ship (somehow including a swarm of rats and a mine railway!?) and then a great song and dance show recreating the transformation of happy Russian peasant farmers into Soviet soldiers who then all go off to war to get killed. Nice!

To finish the day off perfectly, Jiajia surprised me with a half-birthday treat at a fantastic, if rather expensive, steak restaurant. The lamb chops were delicious (a rare dish in China), the salad bars and bread were free and we both ate far too much.

Jiajia had endured, rather than enjoyed, the boat visit and, coming so soon after the "Dwarf Empire", she just kept muttering "Biantai laowai"... mentally disturbed foreigners!

Mayday mayday!

1/5/2010

Shenzhen was just a small fishing village until 1979, when it was designated a "Special Economic Zone". It's now a modern city with a population of nine million. With a few days off work because of the May Day holiday this weekend, I decided to fly to Shenzhen today to meet up with Jiajia, who has been there for a week already, buying stock for her shop. The contrast between the rampant consumerism here [see photo] and the drought and poverty in the villages I visited just a few days ago is quite stark. I find I mix in both circles, without being trapped or feeling comfortable in either. Sometimes it's quite unsettling.

Railly?

20/3/2010

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"The Dream?" "The Reality?"

The Yunnan government has been announcing some ambitious plans recently for making Kunming the hub of Asian railway travel. They are already building a high speed rail network to Shanghai in the East, and perhaps even to Taiwan, via tunnel. To the North, bullet trains will reach Chengdu and Chongqing in 3 hours instead of the current 19+ hours. Heading South, Chinese engineers will be forging high speed tracks through Thailand and Malaysia, to Singapore. And to the West? Nothing less than a high speed rail link to London is promised by 2025! It may all sound a bit fanciful, but this is the country that completed the "impossible" rail link to Tibet under budget and ahead of schedule. This is the country that already has 350kmh (217mph) trains whizzing between Beijing and Shanghai. Don't underestimate China's "track record"! Hey, maybe in 15 years time I'll be able to catch a train home!

"The Dream?" "The Reality?"

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"Field" cold. "Cart" get warm. Oh "deer"

19/2/2010

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Field
It's been really nice to be out in the countryside again. Being city-based now has definite bonuses (luxury food options etc), but my heart will always be in China's countryside. I've spent five years there, compared to just two in the city, afterall. Still, the odd dip into rural life keeps my city life real, and reminds me what's important in life. Teaching may be tough at times, but who'd want to swap it for a farming or litter-sorting career?

Cart
Jianshui's sunny and warm weather deserted us this morning. There was rain overnight and we woke to a very cold and cloudy day. Thankfully our sightseeing was done during the fine weather, and Ava and I leave for Kunming today. It's cold there too, apparently, but at least we can wear more clothes (I didn't even bring a coat on this trip!). On arrival at Jianshui's bus station we were told the next seats were for a bus in 5 five hours time. Thank goodness then for the

local black market - we were on our way within the hour for a small "fee". I'll take away fond memories of Jianshui, with its cobbled streets and horse and cart transport.

Deer
And life in rural China always brings it's oddities and confusion. My favourite on this trip was the "wheelchair and life-size deer" display in the chemist shop. Kudos to anyone who can think of a valid reason for that combination!

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Visit tin villages

17/2/2010

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Jiajia and I traveled into the countryside today to a small village called Tuanshan (pron: twarn sharn). It was once the thriving centre of a family made rich through the tin trade. The elegant courtyards, houses and theatre have given Tuanshan "World Heritage" status as well as being on the list of the 100 most endangered such sites. The nice thing about the place is that, although there were a smattering of tourists around, it is still very much a lived-in village. Some houses had little shops selling curios, another had turned their courtyard into a small restaurant, but generally life was unaffected by the trickle of camera-wielding outsiders. We were even invited into a couple of houses for a sit-down and chat, with no ulterior motive other than to show hospitality and stare at the foreigner close-up.

On the way back from Tuanshan, we stopped off at this magnificent bridge - one of only two such "17-arch" bridges in China (the other one being in Beijing)

Looking quite a bit older than it's actual 200 years, Jiajia and I were a bit perplexed as to why it had been built there. The central tower was apparently to guard the bridge from unofficial crossings, but it spans more of a small lake than a river. We walked back around the outside of the "lake" in under ten minutes. So why the need for an enormous bridge? It did seem a bit overkill!

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Confucius or con UFO sshhh?

16/2/2010

Jianshui (pron: jen shway) is a small, well-preserved town about a 4 hour bus ride from Kunming. I last went there some 13 years ago, but only to visit teachers I was training at one of their schools. I also passed through the town about 2 years ago en route to the YuanYang Rice Terraces. I saw this gate (on a roundabout) then and decided to return and explore the old town sometime. So Jiajia and I headed there today.

Jianshui's two claims to fame are it's "chaodofu" (smelly tofu) and the Confucius Temple (one of the largest in China). I'm not a big fan of the former, but the Temple was very impressive - large, active and very well-kept (if expensive, at 60RMB or £6 a ticket). It also helped to be there on a warm and sunny day.

The highlight for me, though, was spotting this UFO hovering above the temple. It was a pinprick spot [see red circle] but, when I zoomed in on it with my camera, an odd and fascinating shape was revealed. Not very "aeroplane" or "balloon"! It stayed in the sky for some minutes, but when Jiajia and I glanced back after chatting about it, the object had completely disappeared. Very spooky.

Dashing off

12/12/2009

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I dashed off for country number 94 this morning. The Isle of Man just about counts (semi-autonomous government, its own stamps and money, geographically separate from the mainland, etc).

Just yesterday, Dad and I were only discussing the dinky little planes that fly into London City Airport. Today I found myself in one of them. My "Bombadier Dash Twin Turbo-prop" made it to Douglas airport in just over an hour. I'm only here for two nights, but that's plenty long enough to tick off another "country"!

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Packing it in

28/9/2009

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Tomorrow is my last day in China for a while. I think I've managed to pack everything into a smallish bag and a rucksack, aided by the promise of a wardrobe of hand-me-down clothes on arrival from my brother Dave (ie I haven't actually packed any clothes!). Ava helped me with some gift shopping this morning (shopping is not my forte) and then watched me pack with the repeated refrain, "You'll never get it all in that bag".

At this moment I have very mixed feelings about returning to the UK for 3½ months. It's certainly about time after 4 years away, and I'm really looking forward to seeing my family and friends again. Also it has long been my plan to take a long break and try to get to my 100th country this year. But on the other hand, I'm returning in less than great health (not good for a packed itinerary of visits and travels) and I know that as soon as I arrive in the UK I'll start missing China, my life here, my friends and, of course, a certain young lady...

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Having a Basha

21/9/2009

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Overlooking the town of CongJiang is the Miao village of BaSha, where the twentieth century seems to have been completely ignored. Ava and I had a very special morning just wandering around watching a way of life that still includes pigs living in houses, hand-dying of clothes, kids gasping when they see their faces appear on the digital camera screens, and men carrying swords and hunting rifles.

Unfortunately, another bad dizzy attack meant we had to abandon thoughts of walking the 10km back to CongJiang and instead hailed a passing minibus. A frustrating end to a delightful day.

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Unremarketable

19/9/2009

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For our last day based in Kaili we decided to head out to a market in the nearby village of ZhouXi. As it turned out, it wasn't anything particularly special, although there were plenty of Miao people buying and selling.

The two highlights for me were, firstly, feeling a lot better than yesterday and, secondly, snapping this photograph when the opportunity suddenly presented itself. Now just how cute is she?

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Wow... Miao! Sick... clinic!

18/9/2009

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Today promised a lot and, after a shaky start, delivered the goods. The shaking was down to a nasty attack of chest pains and dizziness on the bus as we headed to XiJiang - the largest Miao village in China, and indeed the world. By the time our bus arrived I was finding it hard to walk and breathe, so I was ushered straight to a local clinic and seen immediately by two doctors and a policeman! It was a really nice change from my usual solo travelling to have Jiajia there sorting everything out while I was laid out flat with the room spinning.

After consultation by phone with my usual doctor in Kunming, I was given the usual Chinese remedy of "have a rest and drink lots of water". An hour later, however, I was feeling a lot better and after a short walk to get lunch, I felt fine. We then had a wonderful afternoon exploring the fantastic city-sized village.

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Gejia out of town

17/9/2009

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We left Duyun today and travelled 3 hours to Kaili, a pretty town surrounded by small ethnic minority villages. After finding a hotel, Ava and I took a bus out to one of these, inhabited by Gejia people. The Chinese government class the Gejia as a subset of the larger Miao group, but those we spoke to in MaTang Village were not at all happy about that, pointing out the differences in their clothes, songs, language, beliefs etc. The village wasn't at all touristy and we were able to watch the people going about their, fairly tough, daily life [see photo].

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Willow you believe it?

16/9/2009

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Jiajia and I set off to try and find my "Chinese daughter" today. 15 years ago, when living in Duyun, I stumbled across a village during a walk in the countryside and met an old lady with a screaming baby. Nicknaming it "Weeping Willow" and, hearing that the tiny girl's parents had abandoned it, I said I would keep in touch and visit with gifts when I could. Thus, a little connection was made and I tried to bring or send postcards, photos and small gifts over the years. I managed to find the village and the family 3 years ago when I revisited Duyun. Once again this time, we received a very warm welcome from the "Gran" but heard that Willow was now a boarder at a school 30 minutes away. Unfortunately I had promised to give a lesson at Wang Hui's school an hour later, so there was no way we could get to the school and back in time. After looking through a box of photo souvenirs of my previous visits, which the family keep, we started to leave. Unknown to us though, the uncle had headed off on his motorbike as soon as we arrived and collected Willow to meet us! I could hardly believe it when she walked in and said, "Hello Foreign Father" to me in Chinese! She has grown such a lot, though still very petite, and I hardly recognised her. It was such a moving surprise to see her, and also to introduce her to Jiajia (who is now "Honorary Mother", according to the Gran!).

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Home grown town

15/9/2009

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My first two years in China were spent in the sleepy town of Duyun. It's now a thriving city with skyscrapers where there used to be creaky wooden houses, and parks where there used to be fields. Even the College where I used to teach is now a Middle School and a big University has been built in the outskirts. Thankfully some things never change and it was such a pleasure to share meals with various old friends there today. They'd been rustled up by Wang Hui [see photo] who was my best friend when I lived there. She's now married with a delightful son and a kind husband who spent today faithfully taxiing us from place to place around town. And despite having travelled extensively throughout China, I still believe the dumplings in Duyun [see photo] are the best anywhere!

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Archient

Zhu lake our hotel?

More photos from our HeiJing trip

Not to be mist

Heijing (not Beijing)

Card say thank you enough

Be LEAF it or not

Last ditch market for baskets

Customs and costumes

Simao aka Pu'er aka Ning'er

Dargon Boat Festival

Boated and bloated

Mayday mayday!

Railly?

"Field" cold. "Cart" get warm. Oh "deer"

Visit tin villages

Confucius or con UFO sshhh?

Dashing off

Packing it in

Having a Basha

Unremarketable

Wow... Miao! Sick... clinic!

Gejia out of town

Willow you believe it?

Home grown town

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