Dali Asia Star Hotel

... lovely courtyard and a terrace to just sit and relax. It also has a couple of double rooms. The toilet/shower are the only thing that I do not appreciate. So after running into Caroline, who I met at N's Lodge in Zhongdian, here in Dali we checked out two other places and I decided to move into the place she is staying, The Lily Pad Inn and Guesthouse. I got my own spacious room for 20RMB and the shower and ...

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... from the Tibet border that is renowned for its glaciers and unmatched natural beauty. However, once in Shangri-la our plans quickly changed. We spent the day in Shangri-la, visiting the biggest Tibetan Buddhist monastery in western China and then dancing with some locals in the city square. The city itself was not what any of us expected. Although the city is touted by the Chinese government as the "real" Shangri-la, as described in the book The Lost ...

... seven, and it took aaaaages to find a bar, eventually we found a whole street of them in the tourist district. Apparently the whole going out thing doesn't really appeal to the Chinese! We went into the one the Americans recommended. quite the experience was had by all! It was very laid back with a load of couches up and downstairs. All the barmen were white- English, American, Mexican, very nice and generous with the free drinks for the ladies! Walked in the door and what do ...

... unkept. It has 3 wooden beds with dusty mattresses and wooden frames covered in wax from candles burned by previous occupants. It is dark insight. The only light comes through the glassless windows that face the corridor. The corridor windows, opposite my room, are covered with carved wood shades overlooking the monastery inside yard. Even on a bright day it is very dark. There's no electricity either. Neither is there a hot water. And no meat. Breakfast ...

... Kong. I bought some snacks from a supermarket for tomorrows trip out of the town knowing that there may not be much on offer. Next day in Dali and I had a good nights sleep which helped with my cold and I felt better than the day before. I had breakfast just along from where I ate last night and then hired another mountain bike for a day's cycling around the sights outside of the town. Dali lies between a mountain range known as Cang Shan which reaches a peak of over ...

... i felt like i'd just won Eurovision! After that there was a mad stampede to get through the gates and see the flowers. Our VIP necklaces didnt help us at all then as all the rabble that the police had been holding back suddenly surged forward and i felt like my shoes were hardly touching the ground. Through the gates there was a main walkway with flowers either side, and on the other side of the flowers were large and small dragons ...