Back to Kunming for the bus to Vietnam

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  Kunming, Yunnan, China
Sunday, September 24, 2006

I took the day bus from Lijiang to Kunming so that I could sort a few things out in Kunming before heading on to Vietnam. I had a really good chat with a Chinese guy on the bus called George. He was on holiday in Lijiang and was heading back home. He spoke very good English and told me a lot about Chinese culture, as well as buying me lunch at the place we stopped at (Thanks George!).

I grabbed a taxi from the bus station back to the same hostel at which I stayed a few days earlier, The Hump. I could have booked a bus to Vietnam for the following evening, giving me an extra day in Vietnam, however I wanted to sort all my stuff out and post some things home, so I stopped in the Hump for two nights.

I wandered around the city centre in search of some good, cheap places to eat, and found the best noodles I'd had in China, all for Y2.5 (about 18p!!!)

George, the Chinese guy from the bus to Kunming

. They were so good, I ordered another one, much to the amusement of the women who worked there.

I met a German guy who was staying in the same dorm as me, so on my last evening in China we headed out to check out the numerous clubs scattered close by. It was good craic; one place had a wannabe Michael Jackson having a drinking contest with a guy wearing what looked like pyjamas?...It was a good night, and a good end to my time in China.


I enjoyed China, but I'm looking forward to getting into Vietnam. China was a difficult country to travel through; there are so many Chinese tourists that there is no real desire to cater for Western tourists (unless you want to pay through the roof for it). Add to this the fact that very few Chinese people speak English, and I don't speak Mandarin, it makes for some frustrating situations! After just over 5 weeks in China I'm still not sure if I am used to the spitting yet; the Chinese spit everywhere, and some look at you in disgust if you blow your nose into a tissue. It's a dirty habit they have, but it's their country and they can do what they like, I just wonder how people are going to react when they come here for the Olympics!

It's been a roller coaster ride through China, and if you look at my map you can see I've covered thousands and thousands of miles, but I've seen some of the most amazing sights in the World. It has so much to offer that you could spend a whole year travelling around it and not see it all, and I've only had a small glimpse. If you have a sense of adventure and want to see some awe inspiring sights, at the same time living it up in cheap yet posh hotels, China is the place to go! Don't miss out!

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