Bike Riding & lost again !!!
Trip Start
Sep 03, 2009
1
31
46
Trip End
Oct 24, 2009
Lijiang, Yunnan, China
Friday, October 9, 2009
Huge statue of Maotse
Black Dragon Pool
Dressed up chinese posing for photo
View from bridge
Peaceful scenery
16th century bridge
Pavilion where they played chinese music
Willows on the paths
Another classic sign
Head off to find the old town of Shu He & this is where we got soooo lost!!! We asked people every 50 metres & kept getting different answers. Sometimes they said turn left & would point right but 99% had no English & would point. We ended up on a backroad going past corn fields towards the mountains. We had been told & it was 5km & only takes 30 mins & we could not see any town in sight. One cute old naxi lady was laughing at us and pointing in one direction & then the next. We didn’t know where we would end up ! We passed many women working hard in fields & carrying heavy loads
Riding to She He
Lovely naxi lady who gave directions
Eventually found a main road, so thought we might finally be on the right track. After many more askings and many more pointings we found it!!!! It is just like Lijiang & an old town closed off to vehicles & full of cobblestoned streets & streams. Way less tourists and had a lovely peaceful feel. Grabbed some food here before heading off for Baisha 3 km away.
People we passed on the road
On the road
On the road
On the road
On the road
On the road
On the road
She He Old Town
The drinks get chilled in the cold spring wat
Love this dog sleeping
Again people were so helpful and when asked would point us in the right direction. Came into this very small old town that had just a handful of tourists. As we wandered down one street this old lady came over & put a book in my hand & it was full of comments of people having been to her house for tea, She was motioning me to follow her so we went down another street & up an alley . We came to her home in a small courtyard & we were seated on small stools around a low table & bought out a glass of green tea & plates with sesame seeds, peanuts in their shell, cake & wrapped nougats. Found out she was 72 years old & had 2 children ( all through sign language) She was so smiley & lovely & very tiny – only coming up to Nathans chest!!!
Had some lunch here
Lunch break
Heading towards to Snow Mt - the top is in cl
Past crops
Left her house & the alley was blocked by a large bull & cart. There was no way I was going past a bull but it was the only way out & say I ran past hoping he wouldn’t kick me. Wandered up into the small town square where some traditional naxi musicians would start playing when a tourist entered the square & had a sign asking for donations. Another big bull wandered down the street, but this time on a lead!
Baisha Village
Our 72 year old lady who invited us to tea
She was sooo tiny!!!
Corn drying in someones courtyard
Wandered up this street which had some tourist cafes & 1 place for accommodation. Out wandered Dr Ho, who I had read about in Lonely Planet – a famous herbalist who is well known in the west & has been featured in several documentaries. He showed me photocopies of newspaper artivcles & that he had been on Channel 7 in Australia on the Great Outdoors. He is a Dr & a herbalist & people come from all over the world to be treated withy hos herbal treatments. He does not charge people if they cannot afford it. He looks like the typical old chinese man with a long beard & traditional clothes. He is 86 years old & his wife is 85 year. He speaks several languages & gets his herbs from the mountains behind him . Snow Mountain is 5000 metres & is behind the village.Gave us a cup of his healthy green tea & then left us to chat to some newly arrived westerners. Quite a brilliant man!
The Famous Dr Ho - aged 86
Dr Ho's son & 85 year old wife
Plying majong - I think???
Had a snack break here
Stopped for a drink in a cafe & triede some Naxi cake which was pretty good, but nothing like our cake. Time to ride him as now 4.30pm & e actually made it back to Lijiang in 40 minutes but still had to ask directions at every crossroads.
Heading back to Lijiang
There is a person under this carrying it all
I was looking for this hotel to find out where the shuttle bus to the airport leaves from & asked in this shop. This girl who could speak English was trying to explain where it was & decided to hop on her bike & take us there. So sweet & helpful!!!.
Back at the hostel at 6pm, booked a mini bus to take us to Tiger Leaping Gorge for 30 yuan each & will pick us up near the hostel at 7.50am
Nath - where we had dinner
Lijiang streets
A rooftop cafe in Lijiang
Lijiang streets
