End of Times
Tomorrow I fly back to Shanghai to wait for my return flight. All good things come to an end and the mighty hour glass is tick-tocking at a hectic pace!
At the end of a long trip, a relaxing beach holiday is usually in order. However, due to a shortage of beaches in Yunnan, I have settled for two lazy days in Lijiang followed by four more in Dali. Lots of good food and good discussions with fellow travellers Stuart (UK/USA/world), Mark (Canada) and Frank (Hangzhou, China) and weather, which would make any Finn glad on a July day. I shall be missing this weather no doubt before soon.
Yunnan has been a wonderful place to travel. The ubiqutous mountains gradually get loftier and snow capped moving further North in the province, rivers meander in gorges and fertile valleys with lakes, villages and fields open up here and there. This area is agricultural, not industrial, since it is prohibitably far from the sea routes used to ship the goods to the East and West - so the air is still clean and fresh and the landscape untainted.
One notable difference compared to Vietnam is the lack of motorbikes - and traffic in general. Instead heavy and bulky burdens are carried in from the fields either in traditional big baskets strapped to backs or on push carts. Life goes on largely as it has for centuries before, though television and Chinese and South Korean soap series have certainly wormed their way into the hearts of the population. Most of the popular soap series are set in old imperial times with richly dressed courtisans, magicians, emperors and samurai featuring more often than modern housewives and businessmen.
People are very nice here. Not as open and easygoing as in e.g. Cambodia, but willing enough to return a smile with a smile and very curious about foreigners. And in some way, I feel more at home in this culture, where friendship and smiles demand a bit of effort and are not gratuitously offered wherever I go - more like back home I guess. Another refreshing feature is the honesty of the people regarding money. The price you are asked for is more than likely the correct price of the item or service in question, not the +300% starting tourist price of Vietnam.
Anyway it's cheaper here. The prices remind me of prices back home - with the exception that they are in Yuan, not in Euros, and one Yuan is about 10 cents. So a plateful of freshly made meat and leak dumplings costs 4 Yuan, accommodation in neat dormitories around 25 Yuan, A four course meal for three a total of 40Yuan, a half litre bottle of Liptons Ice Tea 3 Yuan, a 10km taxi ride around 14 Yuan... so just like back home!
So a last night in Kunming and tomorrow final Shanghai days. It's back to the zeppelins for me!
At the end of a long trip, a relaxing beach holiday is usually in order. However, due to a shortage of beaches in Yunnan, I have settled for two lazy days in Lijiang followed by four more in Dali. Lots of good food and good discussions with fellow travellers Stuart (UK/USA/world), Mark (Canada) and Frank (Hangzhou, China) and weather, which would make any Finn glad on a July day. I shall be missing this weather no doubt before soon.
Yunnan has been a wonderful place to travel. The ubiqutous mountains gradually get loftier and snow capped moving further North in the province, rivers meander in gorges and fertile valleys with lakes, villages and fields open up here and there. This area is agricultural, not industrial, since it is prohibitably far from the sea routes used to ship the goods to the East and West - so the air is still clean and fresh and the landscape untainted.
One notable difference compared to Vietnam is the lack of motorbikes - and traffic in general. Instead heavy and bulky burdens are carried in from the fields either in traditional big baskets strapped to backs or on push carts. Life goes on largely as it has for centuries before, though television and Chinese and South Korean soap series have certainly wormed their way into the hearts of the population. Most of the popular soap series are set in old imperial times with richly dressed courtisans, magicians, emperors and samurai featuring more often than modern housewives and businessmen.
People are very nice here. Not as open and easygoing as in e.g. Cambodia, but willing enough to return a smile with a smile and very curious about foreigners. And in some way, I feel more at home in this culture, where friendship and smiles demand a bit of effort and are not gratuitously offered wherever I go - more like back home I guess. Another refreshing feature is the honesty of the people regarding money. The price you are asked for is more than likely the correct price of the item or service in question, not the +300% starting tourist price of Vietnam.
Anyway it's cheaper here. The prices remind me of prices back home - with the exception that they are in Yuan, not in Euros, and one Yuan is about 10 cents. So a plateful of freshly made meat and leak dumplings costs 4 Yuan, accommodation in neat dormitories around 25 Yuan, A four course meal for three a total of 40Yuan, a half litre bottle of Liptons Ice Tea 3 Yuan, a 10km taxi ride around 14 Yuan... so just like back home!
So a last night in Kunming and tomorrow final Shanghai days. It's back to the zeppelins for me!
Comments
Täällä on luvattu jo monta viikkoa lämpenevää ehkä jo ensi viikolla, eli no worries!
Voisitko mitenkään, pikkuisenkaan, harkita jatkavasi bloggailua Suomessa? Voisit arvioida - preferably in English - kotikontujemme kulttuurisia, kulinaristisia, luonnontieteellisiä, poliittisia sekä sosiologisia ilmiöitä. Ainakin alkuun.
Olet todistetusti joutunut toinen toistaan hurjempien haasteiden eteen siellä maailmalla, mutta meilläpä on ruokatavaroiden lasinsiruskandaali.
STT:n mukaan "Poliisi tutkii lihapiirakkaa siruepäilyjen vuoksi".
(Voi piirakka-parkaa: toivottavasti ne isot vihaiset poliisit uskoo piirakan olevan ensikertalainen, niin selviää sakoilla :)
Tervetuloa takaisin ymmärrettävien einesten onnelaan!
Arvaan, että makustelet jo mielessäsi lähikauppasi herkkuja kuten Snellmanin "Aidolla savulla lämminsavustettua savustettua Perhekalkkunaa" (?) sekä Jalostajan "Padat Kana-, Nakki-, Italia- ja Merellinen 150g" (---)!
PS. Jos sitten kuitenkin haikailet takaisin etnisten herkkujen euforiaan, mene suoraan ravintolaan, jossa saat Chicken Tandoorin lisäkkeenä pizzat, lihapullat, kermaperunat, leipää, riisiä, chicken wings, kakkua, kahvin ja salaatit. Vain 15€!
***
Safe & Happy Travels back Home!
tervetuloa kotiin! Toivottavasti viivyt Shanghaissa kuitenkin sen verran että ehdit tavata Mauri Pekkarisen. Lähetimme maamme ykköskaartin toivottamaan sinut tervetulleeksi.
Alles hat ein Ende nur die Wurst hat zwei,
PRT