Finally, we have WiFi and I can communicate again!
We stayed in Kunming for three days with our Canadian friend Carrie, in the home of her (now our) Chinese friend Zhao Ping. It was my turn to miss a day of activity but, thank goodness, I was not as bad as Michael. I was simply tired and kept falling asleep. "You must have needed that!" is what Michael's mother would have said.
Our first night in Kunming we went out for dinner and met new friends that Carrie has made during her three trips to China. We ate in a Dai restaurant where the food is normally very spicy but, our adjusting stomachs were considered and we ate pretty mild food.
The pollution in Kunming is worse than in Beijing. I don't know how the dear souls who live here can stand it
Today we travelled by bus to Dali and are staying at a lovely hotel in the ancient city. http://www.yinfenghotel.com/ if you care to take a look. We walked the old town streets this evening and found food, more tourists both foreign and Chinese and things to buy. We will stay here another night before heading north to Lijiang for a few (or more) nights then we return here. Carrie heads back to Kunming and then back to Canada.
Michael and I have not decided how long we will stay when we return to Dali before heading to the Seagull Hotel near Green Lake in Kunming where we will spend the rest of our time before returning to Beijing on the 23rd and then home on the 24th.
Perhaps, because the air is so much cleaner in Dali and Lijiang we will be deciding to add a few days of free breathing.
There is a story I missed telling you in the first blog about our tea ceremony. I do believe I mentioned that it was really a clever Chinese plan to sell us tea and assorted tea sets, etc. Their plan worked as we shall return with tea. During the ceremony the young woman serving the tea explained slurping. How to do it. How it inhances the flavour of the tea when, through the slurping, it reaches the back of your throat.
I seemed to be the only one of eleven on the tour that day willing to give it a try. I sucked in a small amount of tea and continued the slurping intake of flavour. It did reach the back of my throat but my throat objected. I never would have guessed that one could produce such a lovely fine spray that would project so very far. It was unfortunate that I was sitting so close to the demonstration and that my fine spray of lovely tea landed all over the tea tray. Thank goodness everyone thought it very funny (myself included) and we all laughed.
Our days are planned on how long and how far Marlene can go before returning to an American-style toilet. It's a pitiful thing but I just cannot face trying to conquer the Chinese method of relieving oneself.
Tomorrow night we will visit a family who have lived in Dali for thirteen years. They managed to build a home in the ancient city that was designed by the grandfather of the family. I am to teach those who are interested Zentangle.
During the day tomorrow we have booked a 1/2 day boat ride around the nearby lake.
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