Driving to Dali
Trip Start
Sep 01, 2007
1
40
58
Trip End
Oct 22, 2007
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Dali,
China
Friday, October 12, 2007
Near Dali we met our new local guide, Tzao, and headed off to see the local Bai village. The Bai are another one of the 55 minority groups who make up the non-Han Chinese population and who live predominantly in the Dali region. We visited a very small local market in a village square. The Bai's strong belief in Feng Shui includes the planting of a Banyan tree which, if it grows well, means happiness and success for the village. This square had a HUGE one but, to be honest, the village looked far from prosperous.
Rather than looking at another temple we wandered through the village and back to the market where we had a great time watching and being watched by the locals who were doing their daily shopping.
Next we had an unexpected treat of a cruise across the Erhai Lake on a "Chinese Junk" style boat. What a pleasure, blue sky, cool breeze and on the water. We headed across to the largest island where we had a walk and an ice-cream while being offered various tourist trinkets and the opportunity to eat fish or other swimming creatures grilled on a skewer, we stuck to our ice-creams. The ride back across the lake was quite windy and rough but still really pleasant to be out on the lake. The lake is named after its ear-shape and is the fourth largest lake in China at around 40 kilometres long and covering over 250 square kilometres.
We ended the day with a walk around the old town which again, sadly, has been somewhat "Disneyfied" with shops, a "Foreigners Street" of Western restaurants and newly rebuilt buildings and cobbled streets. We did some shopping in the local supermarket and then got our guide to take us to what turned out to be his favourite local non-touristy restaurant and we ate... you guessed it... fish. It was differently cooked from the Lijiang fish but equally spicy and delicious so we are definitely not "fished out" just yet. This was accompanied by freshly cooked mushrooms and greens that we picked out from the fresh veggies table outside the restaurant. Definitely a great way of choosing and eating food.
With that it was off to check into our hotel where we have a room on the 6th (top) floor with a view of the lake in the distance. It is the biggest and best hotel in Dali but for once not a faceless one, friendly staff, big and clean rooms and a nice feel to it. We slept like logs!
