Beautiful Lijiang

  Lijiang, China
Friday, August 31, 2007

We arrived in Lijiang after a long and tiring bus journey and we were picked up by one of the workers in our new Guest house and taken by taxi to Mama Naxi's Guesthouse, a much praised and written about hostel. If we'd have had to find the place by ourselves we would quite probably have not found it, 'cos it is in the middle of the old town and many of the local taxi drivers don't know where it is.

Bridge over stream

We were settled placed in a very small room with smelly toilets and decided the next day to ask for something larger and less smelly, we were successful and found to our surprise that Mama Naxi is not one Guest House but three, all of them within 3 minutes walk of one another and all of them run by one women by the name of Mama, at least that is what every one calls her.

Guesthouse no. 3

Guesthouse

The Naxi people have a matriarchal society which means that the women are the leading force in the family and this can definitely be seen amongst the Naxi, for instance Mama and the way she runs her Guest houses.

It was cold outside

She is a force to be reckoned with and at the same time one of the most generous people you could ever meet up with, our stay in her guest house was a real pleasure.

Oner of the many monks in town

Lijiang like Dali is a completely rebuilt town and although it was built especially as a tourist trap it is also a lived in town with real residents going about there every day existence.

Stream in town

Lijiang like Dali is a very beautiful town maybe even more so because unlike Dali with its arrow straight streets, Lijiang is is a town of spaghetti like twisting and turning streets.

Major stream near the town center

It is very easy to get lost in the town but after a short time one gets used to it and can learn to navigate it,

Blocks of tea

after all it is a small town. We found that in the old town of Lijiang unlike Dali it is very expensive to eat out in restaurants but one doesn't have far to go to eat out a lot cheaper in the new town.

Above the town and looking down

Flags decorating Stupa

Whilst in town we one day took a taxi from Mamas guest house towards a small monastery on a mountain outside of town, the ride there and back was atrocious,

Monastry on mountain

it was one mass of enormous pot holes the whole way. Once there on the hillside and in spite of the almost never ending rain or drizzle it was like being in another world.

Offerings

The forest all around was very old and some of the trees one could only guess at their age by their girth. Right up behind the not so impressive monastery there was a path leading up to a sacred pool containing very large fish swimming lazily to and fro. Leading into the pool there were and because of the rain lots of streams draining into the pool. I felt like it was really if not sacred pool at the very least magical. We spent several days in Lijiang enjoying the town and its many advantage points and views, a lovely place Lijiang.
Next stop Zhongdian or as it is better known Shangrila.

Water wheels

Wall opposite the water wheels

Major stream by the water wheels

In town

The old town of Lijiang

When it gets cold