whereismichel-2.blogspot.com: South-West China

SOUTH-WEST CHINA (Guizhou and Yunnan provinces).

03/Nov/2015 to 02/Dec/2015.

Itinerary :
Guangzhou (Canton) – Xijiang – Guiyang (Tianhetan & Hua Xi) – Anshun (Huangguoshu falls) – Kunming (Shinlin stone forest) – Dali – Qiaotou (Tiger Leaping Gorge trek) – Bai Shui Tai – Shangri-Là – Shaxi – Lijiang – Guangzhou.

1 € = 7.17 ¥ (Chinese Yuan).
1 US$ = 6.36 ¥.

100 ¥ = 13.95 € = 15.72 US$.

Chinese Time = European Time + 7 hours.

CLICK HERE for the post of my 1st visit to China (2013)

Shanghai - Suzhou - Hangzhu - Chengdu - Dazu - Dafo & Emeishan - Beijing (1) - Great Wall - Xiahe - Dunhuang - Tianshui - Xian - Beijing (2).

CLICK HERE for the post of my 3rd visit to China (2019)

Shangai - Putuo Shan - Tunxi - Huang Shan - Jiuhua Shan - Three Gorges river cruise - Chongqing - Yongding (Hakka Tulous) - Quanzhou & Chongwu - Xiamen (Kulangsu) - Guangzhou - Kaiping.

Tuesday 03/Nov/2015.
Home to GUANGZHOU (also known as CANTON) journey.

• Leaving home on Tuesday at 17:20.
• Walk to Aix-en-Provence's bus terminal, 15min.
• Flight AF7671 from Marseille Provence to Paris CDG, 19:20-20:50, 654km, 1h30, Air France, Airbus A319.
• Flight AF102 from Paris CDG to Guangzhou, 23:30-18:15 (next day), 9468km, 11h45, Air France, Boeing 777.
• Airport shuttle bus from the airport to Guangzhou Central railway station, 45min.
• Arriving Wednesday evening at the hotel, 19:30 (local time).

Paris-CDG to Guangzhou-Canton, an 11h45 flight.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guangzhou

Flight announcements at Paris Charles de Gaulle airport.

Economic Economy-Class food, although with Champaign and a red Cahors wine.

Tonight's hotel room,
conveniently located for the airport shuttle bus (today) and for the underground (tomorrow).

Tools found in the cupboard of my room.

|---| Xing He International Hotel (near Guangzhou Railway Station), Yue Xiu, Guangzhou, 288¥ (Chinese Yuan), including breakfast, ~49€.

Wednesday 04/Nov/2015.
GUANGZHOU to KAILI (Guizhou), continued journey.

• Subway from Guangzhou Central railway station to Guangzhou South railway station.
• Bullet train from Guangzhou South railway station to Guiyang North railway station, about 5h30.
• Bus nr 261 from Guiyang North railway station to Guiyang Central railway station (11km, 1h).
• Slow train from Guiyang railway station to Kaili railway station, 2h30 journey, 28.5¥.
• "Surprise" Taxi ride, about 30km, 200¥ (shared, 100¥ each)
• Night walk ~1 km to the hotel...

A long journey, full of surprises.
Unfortunately, the seats in the bullet trains from Guangzhou to Guiyang were all booked (I should have booked earlier, a lesson learned). Few places remained for the 12:00 train, without seat. So I had to wait for 2.5 hours, and had to stand in the train for nearly half of the time during the 5h30 train journey.
Next, the bus between Guiyang North station and Guiyang Central station took nearly one hour instead of the announced 20 minutes. Finally I had to take the 21:00 train to Kaili, arriving there at 23:30.
Surprise, when showing the hotel address to the taxi drivers. Discussing thanks to the Google translate tool on my tablet (fortunately with the language kits Chinese, English, Dutch and French downloaded from home, as none of the Google stuff can be accessed in China!). They pretended my hotel was about 30km distant, and asked for 200¥. Sharing the cab with another person it dropped 100¥ each (1¥ is about 0.15 Euro).
As it meanwhile became midnight, I felt there was no other option than trusting the driver.
A next surprise was when the taxi dropped me at a toll gate where I had to pay 120¥. He told me through his tablet to continue on the dark road for one more kilometer, where I should find a village.
Arriving in the unknown village, 2:00 in the morning, with everything closed, I finally crossed some drunk teenagers, and they brought me to an hotel, not mine, but at least I got a room and a bed...

http://www.travelchinaguide.com/cityguides/guizhou/qiandongnan/qianhu-miao-village.htm

"Fish every year", not clear to me what is meant with this publicity.

Guangzhou Central Railway Station.

Guangzhou Underground Station.

Guangzhou South Railway station, ticketing office.

Guangzhou South Railway station, waiting room.

The Chinese bullet train "CRH".

Highest speed reached during the 5h30 journey with the bullet train: 244 km/h.

|---| ??? (read below)

Friday 06/Nov/2015.
XIJIANG.

Today, I must find out in what place the taxi dropped me last night. Furtunately I still found a bedroom at 2:00AM, and I had a good rest. But what town is this?
Also, I must clarify in what town the hotel I booked should be. It's all very confuse... Yes, I am definitely in China now !

http://wikitravel.org/en/Xijiang

Hotel room...

The place I discovered from my room window when waking up. Where is this... ?

A quick study consulting the internet confirmed this was Xijiang, not the supposed Kaili.

The hotel of the first night.

Market place, where mountain people sell fruit and vegetables.

Miao grandmother with her grandchild.

People sell a lot of dried meat.

Tourists can rent traditional Miao costumes for photo sessions.

Historical houses are destroyed to make room for tourist souvenir shops.
The beautiful village becoming a kind of Disneyland park.

At the other end of the village start the rice fields, the forested hills,

and behind them the limestone mountains, tomorrow's hiking destinations.

Construction work... most probably one more shop.

One of the village gates.

Panorama from the "Sightseeing platform".

Tourists' picture shootings.

The "BBQ place" of the village. Food stalls selling street food.

|---| Gourd Home Hostal, Xijiang, 130¥.

Saturday 07/Nov/2015.
XIJIANG hiking.

A six hours hike through the terraced rice fields, to the mountain pass, to the Miao village on the other valley.
Without map, crossing just few chinese-only speaking people. With a picnic underway and a beer in the other village, surrounded by the locals.
A nice adventure, for the sights and for the human contacts, despite the poor conversations.

Approaching the "other" village.

Market, in the "other" village too.

Back in Xijiang.

Xijiang market.

Late evening dinner with the hostal staff. For those two days, I was the only guest.

|---| Gourd Home Hostal, Xijiang, 130¥.

Sunday 08/Nov/2015.
XIJIANG to GUIYANG journey.

Leaving Xijiang.

• village shuttlebus to the toll gate, 5¥.
• bus from Xijiang to Kaili, 9:30-10:45, 15.50¥.
• bus from Kaili to Guiyang, 11:00-13.50, 50¥.
• from Bus station to the Hotel, 40¥ for a 20 minutes ride (as nobody could explain me how to get in the city).
An incredible surprise at Kali's bus station ! See the first picture here below.

Incredible! This Chinese guy recognized me from the flight Paris-Guangzhou of last Tuesday. Certainly more easy for him than for me, to recognize each other, in the bus station of Kaili, four days and 1000km later amongst the one billion Chinese in China...

A more comfortable bedroom for the next days.

Pedestrian bridge with an UFO look.

A nostalgic person ?

The building slated for demolition, the nostalgic guy of previous picture was looking at.

Intense team-work at this bakery.

View from my hotel room on the 22nd floor.

|---| Novotel Guiyang Downtown, Guiyang, 413.10¥.

Monday 09/Nov/2015.
TIANHETAN and HUA XI.

Kitsch and Bicycle day.
Visit of the Tian He Tan karst region and of the Hua Xi wetlands, both are parks, some 25km SW of Guiyang.

• motorbike ride from the hotel to He Bin park bus station, 10¥.
• bus 211 from He Bin to Tian He Tan (terminus), 2¥.
• Tian He Tan karst park visit (100step bridge, boat ride through the wet cave, walk through the dry cave, Nepalese bridge over the canyon 3¥, zipline over the valley 37¥) + 67¥ park admission.
• minibus from Ti He Tan to Hua Xi, 6¥.
• bicycle ride through the wetlands, 1.5h, 20¥.
• bus 202 from Hua Xi to Guiyang, 2¥.
• city walk to the hotel, 10 minutes.

Paying 67¥ I got three tickets, not knowing their purpose. It was for the electric golf cart rides between ticket office and the actual park. Another one for the park, and the last one for the boat ride. Nepalese bridge and zipline tickets came on top.

There are many foodstalls in the park. This one offering BBQ with tiny fishes.

In front of selfie girl, the wet-cave entrance (right) and the exit (left).

Kitsch lighting in the wet-cave.

After the boat tour in the wet cave, follows a stroll through the dry cave.

Looking backwards through the dry-cave entrance.

Also the lighting of the 1.5km long dry-cave parcours was really kitsch !

The dry cave exit leads to a Nepalese (toll) bridge.
Once more, even if it was not that much, 3¥, Pay !

Picture being sold from my 400m zipline adventure. I negotiated one for 10¥.

The zipline runs over the canyon, from one rim to the other rim.
The fun ride takes less than a minute.

In the local bus from Tian He Tan to Hu Axi.

A ride of one hour, mostly on a dust road full of potholes.

Negotiating the bike rental without much success, spent 20¥, the normal price.

Hu Axi river (flower river).

Brand new Confucius temple, with nobody there, despite the giant granite staircase,

flanked by a series of escalators.

A wedding party.

Jiaxiu Pavilion, Guiyang's most famous monument.

Guiyang by night, colors reminding me on the cave lightings.

|---| Novotel Guiyang Downtown, 503¥.

Tuesday 10/Nov/2015.
GUIYANG to ANSHUN journey.

Before leaving Guiyang, I must still visit there the Hongfu temple, near the summit of Quianling Shan mountain (1300m), and also the Renmin square with the tall Mao statue.
Anshun is just a two hours bus ride distant, so that might be managed all in one day.
• checkout at the hotel.
• motorbike ride from the hotel to the Quianling Park,15¥.
• park visit and climb to the Hongfu temple.
• walk througj the town centre, from North to South.
• visit to the lovely Jue Yuan temple and the Renmin square.
• walk to the hotel to retrieve my backpack.
• motorbike ride from the hotel to the bus station near to Guiyang's train station, 15¥.
• 14:30 coach towards Anshun, 1h30, 35¥.
• city bus 4 to Anshun's train station, and check-in at the hotel.

Cash problems.
This afternoon, neither Visa, neither MasterCard, worked on any of the ATM's nor the hotel point of sales. Will do another tentative tomorrow morning, as I am soon running out of cash...
(Next day, the cards were still failing, at the hotel reception, and for two banks. Eventually, I managed to get cash at Bank of China ATM's, with both cards !).

"Words fly away, writing remains" is the saying...

Even if here they write with water on the granite pavement !

Lost in translation ?

The entrance of the Hongfu temple in the Quianling park, reached after a soft 30 minutes climb.

As usual, devote people burns incense like crazy.

Several hundred statues of Buddhist saints.

Quickly inspecting these, I found only four female saints.

While making this picture, the teacher proudly smiled about her student's elegance.

Another lesson of elegance.

As a matter of fact, there was a big cacophony of mixed loud music and songs around.

The tiny Jue Yuan temple in town (no pictures allowed) holds a spicy vegetarian restaurant.

Tall Mao statue on Remin Square.

Funny, right in front of the statue there is the Wall mart entrance.

Also here, people dancing in public with loud music.

The Wallmart entrance, facing the Mao statue.

This american settlement finally closed down !

Coach from Guiyang to Anshun.

Leaving Guiyang, Indian style poverty.

|---| Seven Days Premium Anshun Railway Station Square Hotel, Anshun, China,187¥.

Wednesday 11/Nov/2015.
HUANGGUOSHU Falls.

Asia's largest waterfall.
The big Huangguoshu waterfall measures 81m wide and 78m high. It is located 45km from Anshun and is easy to reach from Anshun.

Here is how it goes:
• city bus 3 from the train station to the eastern long distance bus station (its terminus), 15 minutes, 1¥.
• bus from there for the Huangguoshu Waterfall site (its terminus), about 1h, 22¥.
• admission ticket for the national park, 90¥ (if I remember well).
• transportation ticket, 50¥.
• car transportation to the Tian Xing cluster (Natural Wonders, Tian Xing Cavern and Yunlianzhitan Waterfall), included.
• walk between these spots and visits.
• the trail ends with an optional ropeway, 10¥ (I took it).
• transportation by golf-cart back to the entrance of this first cluster, included.
• car transportation to the Huangguoshu cluster (Bonsai park and Huangguoshu Waterfall), included.
• visit of that all, also the gallery behind the waterfall.
• an escalator is available to exit from the valley, 30¥, I skipped it.
• car transportation to the bus stand of the sites, included.
• direct bus from there to Anshun's train station, 22¥.

Ticket counter for the Huangguoshu Scenic Spots. 90¥ (but that's not all) !

Ticket vending machines are almost all down

A few meters later there is another barrier.

They claim 50¥, and can't explain where it corresponds to (they don't speak English).

Finally I bought that ticket, still ignoring its purpose.

Soon later I discovered it covered thetransportation within the site.

All along the path people tries to sell fruit, drinks, and many nonsense items.

More locals trying to selling nonsense stuff.

A teahouse halfway the trail.

They sell more than tea.

The resurgence.

The Tian Xing cave, is located halfway the trail through the Tian Xing bridge Scenic spot.

The biggest room is more than 50m in height and 150m in diameter.

Rapids.

Yunlianzhitan waterfall.

Panoramic cable car.

Bonsai park.

Many steps and staircases to reach the waterfall.

Huangguoshu waterfall.

This was an excellent day excusion, despite the rainy weather. The cave visit was more impressive than the one from Guiyang (apart from the boat and the zipline, not present here).

|---| Seven Days Premium Anshun Railway Station Square, Anshun, China, 187¥.

Thursday 12/Nov/2015.
ANSHUN to KUNMING journey.

Before leaving Anshun I must find time to visit the Buddhist Donglin temple (1405).
• train Z53 from Anshun to Kunming, scheduled 13:17-19:35, 6h18.

Anshun.

Anshun, smaller, more popular streets.

Anshun.

Anshun, Donglin temple (Buddhist), 1405.

Donglin Temple.

Anshun, Fuwen Miao temple.

Fuwen Miao temple. Beautiful spiraling stone carved dragons.

Fuwen Miao temple. Confucius with his friends.

Confuse literature.

Anshun many of these shops, all aligned, selling dice gamble tables.

Anshun, revolutionary monument.

Anshun.

Anshun, Wang Ruofei's former residence (revolutionist and later statesman).

Base for patriotic education.

Propaganda style museum.

First time I missed a train.
He left 15 minutes earlier than my ticket, the train table and the display tells.

I was already aware of late trains, but not about advanced trains !

For the kind station personal this was not a surprise.

They recommended for a next trip to arrive about half an hour before schedule...

|---| IC Holiday Shuncheng Serviced Apartments, Kunming, China, 178¥.

Friday 13/Nov/2015.
KUNMING.

Temples, social park life, and Carrefour supermarket.

Kunming is a medium sized Chinese town, 1.1 milion inhabitants, capital of the Yunnan region, 46 million inhabitant s.
Known as the "City of the Eternal Spring" because of the Clemenweather, and considered as one of China's most laid-back cities.

• Taxi ride to the Bamboo Temple, 100¥ (return !).

Kunming, Jinbabiji square, big lanes, wide footpaths, and huge shopping malls.

Kunming, technicians repairing a traffic camera (see also next picture).

Like a monkey in a tree, without any safety feature but his colleague.

Qiongzhu Si, or the Bamboo Temple, 12km out of the city center. The ticket office.

The peaceful temple is famous for the 500 terracotta sculptures,

the work of 6 sculptors for ten years at the end of the 19th century.

Bamboo temple.

Bamboo temple. The university scanning some (or all ?) of the sculptures.

Bamboo temple.

Bamboo temple. The vegetarian restaurant, and monk rooms on the upper floor.

Bamboo temple, the menu.

Bamboo temple, the restaurant kitchen.

Bamboo temple. Just some of my plates. Other followed. All together 28¥, about 4€.

Bamboo temple.

Cuihu Gongyuan, or the "Green Lake" park. Indeed, the pools are green,
despite all the efforts spend by these guys.

Green lake park.

Green lake park, full of people.

Green lake park. Visited by sea gulls.

Green lake park. Senior and also younger people spontaneously chanting.

Green lake park. Senior and also younger people spontaneously dancing.

Yuantong temple.

Yuantong temple, turtles.

Yuantong temple.

Shopping at Carrefour supermarket.

Chinese customers like chicken feet, often used as snacks.

|---| IC Holiday Shuncheng Serviced Apartments, Kunming, China, 178¥.

Saturday 14/Nov/2015.
SHILIN, the Stone Forest.

Despite the mass tourism, the Stone Forest remains an enjoyable place.
Fortunately most tourists don't enter deep in the park. For instance, for more than an hour I met nobody on the trail, I was alone in the wonderful environment.
• taxi to Kunming East bus station, 30min, 50¥.
• bus from Kunming East bus station to Shilin, 1h30, 36¥.
• Stone Forest park entrance, 175¥.
• bus inside the park, 25¥.
• bus from Shilin to Kunming East bus station, 36¥.
• taxi from Kunming East bus station to the hotel, 50¥.

Kunming East bus station.

Kunming East bus station. Checkin for the Stone Forest busses.

There must be one leaving every five minutes.

Stone Forest is organized like a Disneyland resort.

I counted some 200 electric mini busses to transport the tourists between parkings,

bus terminal, ticket counters and the park entrance.

Entrance gate.

Fortunately most of the visitors stay in the first part of the park,

leaving the majority of the park quiet.

Their interest is restricted to wear fake Sani dresses, shooting selfies,

souvenir shopping, and making a lot of noise.

Narrow gap, just matching the width of my backback.

|---| Kunming IC Holiday Shuncheng Serviced Apartments, Kunming, China, 178¥.

Sunday 15/Nov/2015.
Kunming.

Kunming : the Bird and Flower market, the Zhenqing Guan temple, the Lake Dian with the Western Hills and the Dragon gate.
• taxi from Kunming to the ropeway departure at the East side of the Lake, 45¥ (two sections, one way).
• entrance to the Dragon Gate, 40¥ (?).
• bus down to Gayao bus terminal, 12.5¥.
• city bus number 6, 1¥.
• motorbike ride to the hotel, 20¥.

The "Bird and Flower" market.

A stone shop !

Strange fruit. Have a look to the Buddha-shaped green fruit in front !

Sweet potato stall.

A musician exercising a strange instrument.

Chinese noodle shop in front of the train station.

Luxury apartments are being sold in a tent placed in the middle of the street.

Smart home sellers. Apparently they had a campaign offering a holiday trip to the customer.

They tried to convince me too, but I didn't understood anything from what they argued.

Zhenqing Guan temple (Taoist).

Built in 1991 and already demolished...

The Dian Chi lake, about 10km South of Kunming. 300km2.

The toll gate for the Dragon Gate park.

Lost in translation ! With "Warm Tips", they meant " Audio Guides"...

To obtain blessings and good luck, people must throw a coin in the bassin,

hoping it is landing right into the mouth of the under-water Dragon.

|---| Kunming IC Holiday Shuncheng Serviced Apartments, 178¥.

Monday 16/Nov/2015.
Kunming to Dali journey.

• Train from Kunming to Dali, 12:00, 5h, soft sleeper, 166.5¥.

Still in Kunming.

Kunming, view from my apartment onto the school, holding a ceremony.

Police protecting the Railway station.

March last year there was terrorist attack in this station killing 29 people.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_Kunming_attack

Bull statue, in front of Kunming's railway station.

Waiting room number three. There are four such waiting rooms in the station.

Each car of train has his own (kind) hostess.

Soft sleeper cabin, quite luxurious.

The hostel entrance.

My bedroom for the next days.

Reminds me on Laos, good souvenirs.

|---| The Jade Emu International Guesthouse, Dali, China, 100¥.

Tuesday 17/Nov/2015.
DALI.

Bicycling around the lake and an excellent lunch.

- Electric bike rental, 50¥/day.

Bicycle Day !

Often constructive discussions to define the road to take,

based on feeling rather than on facts as the map was by far not sufficiently detailed.

Crossing the crowd and traffic in confused conditions.

The market.

Sometimes a misleading "feeling" sent us to dead ends.

Happy to have reached the Erhai lake.

Arrived at the pier, a first resting place.

Lakeside restaurant for a nice lunch.

Restaurant kitchen and cook.

Indeed a nice lunch ! Spicy chicken wings, three fresh fishes (still alive in a basket before being cooked), many different vegetables, and rice.

Typical Chinese farmer trucks.

Ferry boat.

Once more, lost in translation.

Women washing their vegetables in the Lake.

Drying red peppers.

Dali market.

Two pears for me.

The big pagoda.

Wedding ceremony : husband carrying his bride on his back all the way.

Dali streets.

|---| The Jade Emu International Guesthouse, Dali, China, 100¥.

(Click to EXIT)

Wednesday 18/Nov/2015.
DALI to QIAOTOU (Tiger Leaping Gorge) journey.

Decided to skip the Lijiang destination for a while, as I will have my return flight to Hangzhou from this place. So I must anyhow stay there later on. So I can continue directly to the Tiger Leaping Gorge.
Built a great team to do the two days hiking trail through the gorge:
- a New yorker, 60+,
- a Swedish couple,
- a girl from London,
All gathered in the hostel of Dali, and teamspirit confirmed by biking together for one day.
• bus from Dali to Lijiang, 10:30, booked through the hostel, including pickup at the hostel, 2.5h, 75¥.
• private bus from Lijiang to the guesthouse in the gorge, 300¥/5p.
• entrance ticket to the gorge, 65¥.

Breakfast muesli.

During the minibus ride from Dali to Lijiang.

Lijiang bus station, where we changed for a private minivan to the guesthouse

at the entrance of the gorge, another 2.5 hours.

Managed to rent a minivan for our five, nearly same price as taking the bus.

Dirty "bathrooms" along the road !

Entrance of the gorge, once more to pay !

Money flies, especially in China

The nice but primitive hostel.

|---| Jane's Guesthouse, Qiaotou, Yunnan, China (extremely basic).

Thursday 19/Nov/2015.
Upper Tiger Leaping Gorge trek.

An intense and most beautiful hiking.

Departure from "Jane's Tibetan Guesthouse" at 8:30, after having taken breakfast.
The main backpack was being carried to the "Tibetan Guesthouse" (20¥ for the transportation).
Hiked this trail with a Swiss couple, as my previous partners planned to stay next night(s) at the "Halfway Guesthouse".
The "Tea Horse Guesthouse" was reached at, with a 20 minutes break.
The "Halfway Guesthouse" was reached at 14:50, with a 20 minutes break.
The "Tibetan Guesthouse" was reached at 17:20.

Total distance walked: 34km in 9h including breaks. Exhausting !

A nice evening dinner was offered by the guesthouse staff, they just killed a 200kg pig that day, and (as they said) as we are approaching Chinese Newyear (even if that event will happen three months later...).

08:11 The people leaving the hostel for the "Tiger Leaping Gorge" trail,

as a matter of fact, all of the hostel guests, and all non-Chinese.

08:17 A last view on the inner court of the hostel.

08:27 This is where the road splits. The trail takes the left hand side of the fork.

09:03 Drying corn at a clean farmhouse, just before the trail path will start.

09:04 This is where the trail leaves the dusty traffic road.

The path is very streep for the first hours (not only for the memorable "28 bends").

09:14

09:39 A lot of energy drinks seem to be swallowed here !

09:56

10:05

10:18

10:28

10:32 Naxi Family Guesthouse.

10:43

10:51

11:18 Apart from drinks and snacks, people sell some "smart" stuff as well.

11:31 The first of the famous 24 bends. In my opinion not the worst climb of the trail.

12:02 Refused to pay toll to the very upset woman, after having reached the top,

also the end of the famous 28 bends.

12:12 Still proud to have refused paying that woman.

13:43

13:55

14:28

14:50 The "Halfway Guesthouse".

15:28 First meeting of the mother-goat with her lamb,

born just minutes before this picture was taken.

15:26 Cascade with milky water.

15:31 Milky water from the cascade is threatened here to recover the chalk.

16:00 A Tibetan temple.

16:48

(Leaving the visit deep in the gorges for tomorrow).

17:17 The hostel for tonight.

It took 9h for 34km, not so bad.

Invited by the hostel staff.

Here we are !

The sacrificed pig's head.

Electric wiring of my VIP room bathroom.

|---| Tibetan Guesthouse, Tiger Leaping Gorge, Yunnan, China, 100¥.

Friday 20/Nov/2015.
Tiger Leaping Gorge II.

Descend in the fabulous gorge, with the famous ladders
- 10¥ to use the first path (descend into the gorge).
- 15¥ to continue on the next path (platforms and ladders).
- Bus from the guesthouse to Bai Shui Tai, 15:10, 2h, 50¥.

Leaving the guesthouse.

Pay, pay, pay, in Money, money, money land.

As for the electric wiring in my bathroom (refer to one of the previous pics),

the safety along this trail is more than questionable.

Yes, indeed, "c'est la Vie" (still alive...).

More of that questionable stuff.

Now to the famous ladders, to leave the fabulous gorge.

The famous steep ladders, more than 80 steps.

View from the bottom...

A very last warning message.
Not recommended for the faint of heart !

View from the top.

Leaving the spectacular gorge with my Swiss friends.

|---| Guesthouse in front of the pool, Bai Shui Tai, China, 80¥.

Saturday 21/1/2015.
BAI SHUI TAI.

Beautiful and peaceful white pools terraces. Pumakale (Turkey) like.
- entry ticket, 30¥.
- offering to the Spirit, 1¥.
- public bus to Shangri-La, 14:30, 2.5h, 30¥.

The hotel, located right in front of the pools.

The hotel kitchen.

Crossing the road, paying attention to a lot of these Donkeys.

The ticket counter for the white bassins.

The entrance to the site. The pools are reached after a 500m uphill walk.

Difficult negotiations with these guys, claiming 2¥ for an incense stick,

as an offer to their God.

Negotiating again for the offer to their God (or Spirit?).

Finally it was OK for 1¥ each.

The holy well.

Selfie with my Swiss friends when leaving the pools.

Bus for Shangri-La.

Along the road.

Road works.

More important road works, holding the bus for over an hour.

The hotel in Shangri-La.

The hotel room in Shangri-La.

Nice, but very, very cold. No heating in almost all places here.

|--| Tibetian Garden Inn, Shangri-La, China, 100¥.

Sunday 22/Nov/2015.
SHANGRI-LA.

Shangri-La... It's cold in Tibet !
Visit of the huge Tibetan monastery and a quick visit to the old town (mostly burned down two years ago, being rebuild now).
- city bus number 3 to the monastery gate, 1¥.
- entrance fee for the monastery and local transportation, 125¥ !!!
- city bus return to downtown, 1¥.
- laundry service 20¥.

Back in town.

Some tourists walk with oxygen bottles.

Is this a water reservoir ?

(For the answer, see next picture).

No, it's not a water reservoir. It is a giant prayer wheel (most probably hiding a reservoir).

Visiting the Long March propaganda museum.

Photo shooting in the Long March museum.

Monday 23/Nov/2015.
SHANGRI-LA to SHAXI journey.

Less cold there !

• bus from Shangri-La to Lijiang, 11:20, 4h, 58¥.
• bus from Lijiang to Jianchuan, 17:10-18:30, 1h20, 23¥.
• minibus from Jianchuan to Shaxi, 18:40-19:30, 50min, 13¥.

Through the bus window, landscape between Shangri-La and Lijiang.

Through the bus window, yaks.

Through the bus window, a car accidentthat happened right in front of us.

The driver and one passenger must still leave the car.

Fortunately the bus driver was alert and managed to stop the bus right in time.

The next minibus driver, however, took plenty of risks,

and we faced some near-accidents before reaching Shaxi.

Arrived at dark in Shaxi.

|---| Horse Pen 46 Guesthouse, Shaxi, Yunnan, China, 80¥.

Tuesday 24/Nov/2015.
Shaxi.

Visit to the temples and caves of Shibao Shan.

• entrance to the site 65¥.
• minibus transportation within the site, 40¥.
• shared car returning to Shaxi, 20¥.

Shaxi, main street. Few tourists, mainly local people in the streets.

Walking to Jianchuan. The first parts is along a traffic road.

Some ten kilometer later...

An intensive climb to the temple.

The temple entrance.

Zoom onto the grotto above the temples.

People drop banknotes in the temple pool.

Overlooking the first temple complex (Buddhist).

Painted Dragon.

A steep path runs from the first temple complex to the top of the mountain

(along a water cistern and a stupa).

Devoted people put wooden sticks between rock openings, wishing for a longer life.

Picnic time (not so health, and ooo-so-fake

Near the top of the mountain, this tourist-ignored temple,

maintained by two old people even not begging for money.

Old buildings in the Temple court.

The charming temple, in poor condition.

Reached the top of the mountain.

The second temple, surrounded by the caves.

Cave with Buddhist religious rock carving.

Another cave.

Another cave, this one representing in the center a Vagina

(seems to be unique for Buddhist rock carving).

Back in Shaxi, awaiting evening dinner.

|---| Horse Pen 46 Guesthouse, Shaxi, Yunnan, China, 80¥.

Wednesday 25/Nov/2015.
SHAXI to LIJIANG journey.

Bicycling to the historical river bridges, the White Dragon Pool and through the countryside. In the afternoon leaving for Jiliang.

- bicycle hire from the Hostel, 20¥ (bicycle in poor shape!).
- shared minibus from Shaxi to Jianchuan, 13:50-13:40, 50min, 13¥.
- shared minibus from Jianchuan to Lijiang, 14:50-15:50, 1h (higway), 40¥ (while the other passengers payed 30¥...).

Map obtained from the hostel. Not very useful, as it is not at all to scale.

Fortunately I let them write down the name of the village and that of the pool,

such to ask locals for directions... about ten times !

An abandoned bridge from the old "Tea-Horse" road.

Farmer family working in the fields.

The "White Dragon Pool", destination of my two hours cycling tour.

Back in Shaxi, in front of the old bridge of the old "Tea-Horse" road.

Shaxi, in front of the theatre.

|---| Dongba Hotel, Lijiang, Yunnan, China, 100¥.

Thursday 26/Nov/2015.
LIJIANG.

Lijiang... another mass-tourism carnage site, but still a beautiful region.

|---| Dongba Hotel, Lijiang, Yunnan, China, 100¥.

Friday 27/Nov/2015.
LIJIANG.

Bicycling around Lijiang : Baisha village, Liuli temple (frescoes), Beiyue Si temple in Yulong, Yufeng Si temple (camellia tree), Dr Ho (physician), brewery.

- bicycle rental, 30¥.
- entrance fee for the Liuli temple, Baisha, 30¥.
- entrance to the Beiyue Si temple is free.
- entrance fee for the Yufeng Si temple, 25¥.
- Naxi music theatre, 20:00, 100¥.

Lijiang, main square.

Getting a nice bike, perfectly tuned this time.

Baisha.

Baisha, Liuli temple frescoes (14th century).

Yulong village, Beiyue Si temple.

Yufeng Si, picnic

Yufeng Si, the "Ten Thousand Flowers Camellia", over 500 years old.

Secretly cared by the monks during the Cultural Revolution.

Yufeng Si.

Hell !

A kind and lovely Chinese lady that asked me for a picture, and I got one in return.

Baisha.

Dr Ho, Naxi herbalist, world famous, 94 years old.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/The-famous-Dr-Ho-I-presume.html

Dr Ho's practice.

Dr Ho's natural medecine storage room.

Leaving Dr Ho.

Local brewery in Baisha, my beer being prepared.

Gezondheid !

Naxi music concert.

20 musicians playing and chanting for just 15 people in the theatre...

|---| Dongba Hotel, Lijiang, Yunnan, China, 100¥.

Saturday 28/Nov/2015.
LIJIANG to GUANGZHOU journey.

- admission to the Lion Hill Scenic area, 50¥.
- taxi ride to the airport, 17:00, 20min, 80¥.
- flight from Lijiang to Kunming, China Eastern, Boeing 737, 20:05-21:10, 1h05.
- flight from Kunming to Guangzhou, China Eastern Airlines, Boeing 737, 22:15-00:20, 2h05, (arriving 29/Nov/2015), 660¥ for both flights.
- Airport shuttle bus to the hotel,17¥.

|---| Xinhe International Hotel Guangzhou Railway Station, Guangzhou, 288¥.

Monday 30/Nov/2015.
GUANGZHOU.

Qingping market, Orchid garden, and King Nanyue mausoleum.
- metro ride from the train station to Huansha, 3¥.
- metro ride from Huansha to Yuexiu Park, 3¥.
- entrance fee for the King Nanyue Mausoleum museum, 5¥ (60+ half price).
- entrance fee for the Orchid Garden, 4¥ (60+ half price).