My adventures in China

A trip of 10 days - Kunming

We are at last arrived to the final district, the Yunnan(云南).

It's 11pm, we go out the airport and the temperature is pleasantly hot; we can open the windows when the taxi is running! The city seem to be modern like it's write in the Lonely Planet, road are new or in process of construction and enlighten with many decoration. We arrived on the Jinmabiji Place(金马碧鸡) where we can find many bars, clubs and restaurants. There are many youth people and the atmosphere is animated. In the Hump hotel, we decided to take a shower after have found towels and buy shower gel which are not available in the room, a little frustrating. There isn't also soap to just wash your hand... Because of the club, the room is very noisy, however, Cyril fall asleep and I decide to go to the main room to get Wifi. The place is pleasant, the big room is compose of a bar, billard, sofa and a computer space. The terrace is composed of a cover part and the other is outdoor, very enjoyable with the temperature.

On the morning we decide to wake up at 10am, a little of rest will not be bad because we had a average of 6 hours sleeping by night. The morning is consecrate to a breakfast on the sunny terrace, planification of Kunming visit and about the next travel to the other cities. At the begin of the afternoon we start with the visit of the Grand View park (Daguan Gongyuan/大观公园) where we discover a Japanese garden with many bonsai. We go near a little lake where hundreds of seagull entertain the visitors who throw food and they succeed to catch this during they are flying, very amazing.

Then we take a boat to go the the east lac side, the cross is about 10 minutes and allow us to contemplate the landscape of Xi Shan which we want climbing. We take a cable car and a little bus to arrived to the Dragon Door. Many galleries which give a very beautiful view of Kunming. We do a part of the descent by walking in the wood and we go to meet Philippe in the downtown of Kunming.

Arrived to the Green Lack, we taste "Noodles crossing the bridge"(Guoqiao mixian/过桥米线), which is a speciality of Kunming, the name come from the fact that an intelectual chinese people decide to to go a island to study, his wife cooked for him created dish and must cross a bridge in order to give these. One of the dish was appreciate and the name is for honor the woman. We go for a walk around the lake where there are many little shop, musician and dancer who are animating the place. We visite the University which is really clean and class which is uncommon for Chinese University. We finished the night by an Italian bar, named The Box and go back to the hotel.

We refused, with great to the despair of Cyril the invitation of a beautiful brunette who propose us to join  heir table, but like we have a plane early  at 10:30am on the next morning we have to got sleep to have a rest.

Enven if Kunming is not really interesting as a touristic place, I think it's good to live their because of the activity, the greenery, lakes and for the eternal spring. The city is at 2 000 meters of altitude, the temperature stay good and even is the summer. However there are many things to visit around the city like Stone forest(Shi Lin/石林), Xi Shan(西山), Dali and Lijiang.

A trip of 10 days - Chengdu

Chengdu, is done! We spent 2 days in the Sichuan capital, we arrived at 5:30 am after 17 hours of train, we directly go to the Sim"s Cozy guest house and the name is a really good choice because it's a really magic place:

Owner of this youth hotel are globe trotter, ambiance is relax and warm, we can read everywhere many little notice about "how work" the place. They pay a special attention to the environment with the no wasting or for example the select of scrap that's a like and approve. Room are clean without be luxurious and have dvd player and TV. It's possible to take some DVD and books for free. The outdoor is made of shack and water, we can meet some rabbits and cat who are free in the hotel. One of the main build is made of wood is the bar/snack/terrace where we can have a rest, eat something or do a party, that's what we done with Sergey, Melanie, Marie and 2 Israelite that I don't remember the name. Of course the place is cover by Wifi which does not work perfectly during our passage. Employees of the hotel are very nice and cookers make very good dish. Anyway, a place that I strongly recommend and which is instrumental in my vision of Chengdu.

About the city, we have visited a rebuild pseudo-traditional street which contain a park(Wu Hou Ci/武侯祠), it's a charming place and it's pleasant to walk into this. Then we go to the commercial district of the city(ChungXi lu Street/春熙路), to resume it's look like the classical american street with many buildings. During the afternoon we visit the city,in reality we take 3 hours to go the a restaurant. Indeed, because of the Saint valentine's day many Chinese people move so all the weren't any taxi available and public transport were full. Bus were our only mean of transport but the lack of informations and indications did not help us. Moreover the restaurant that I have notice in the Lonely Planet book were very bad. This snack(LongChaoShou Canting/龙炒手餐厅) seem to be a canteen and serve food that I really didn't like, which is very uncommon for my part in China. Then we go to the People parc with an artificial lack where it's possible to do barque. Many Chinese people come to the Tea house where they can relax and play some game. You can meet there Mr Lee who propose us to visite a Sichuan opera on the next day:

He bring you to the "backstage" of the opera where you can see the actor making up and the 4 performance. The experience was interesting, you can see a real opera for Chinese people and not a touristic place... Actors wear beautiful colored costume and you have tea for free. The atmosphere is very different from our occidental opera; Chinese people speaks about character and performance and many seem to know it by heart. You must go with a Chinese people because the performance is also theatrical and it's interesting to understand what is happening.

 

We also try the one of the Sichuan speciality, the hot pot (伙埚) and for sure it's very spicy. It's a metal dish where there is a kind of juice with many spicy and spice which you make boiling and you have just to put your ingredients into this; beef, chicken, fish, mushroom... Even if I use to eat spicy I can say that my mouth were burning, very great! I advice you to go to this restaurant, ChongQing QinMa HotPot (重庆亲妈伙埚) about 10 minutes by walking from the Sims's Cozy.

I write this post since the Chengdu airport to go to Kunming where we will spend the night and the day after and then go to Dali.

A trip of 10 days - Xi'an

A 10 days trip,

That's why I began on Tuesday with Fabien, Stéphane,  their families and Cyril. The way: first Xi'an with everybody, then go with Cyril in the south of China; Chengdu, Kunming, Dali and finally last LIjiang.

I blog this note since one of the Bell Tower Starbucks which is a center of Xi'an and Presently all is ok.

Yesterday we visited the famous terracotta army and watch the greatest water-sound-light show of Asia. Today we went the impressive and sportif Huat  mountain, wich enven if the fog, was a nice exploration. Tonight, we will discover Xi'an downtown and specially the musulman street. We will take the train again tomorrow for 17 hours direction Chengdu. Start at 1:30am and arrived at 7:00am(or may be 5:00...) to go directly to the famous Sim's Cozy hotel Garden that I advise. Then we will visite Chengdu city, we have plane nothing yet but I think that the simple fact of walk will be a pleasure.

The day after we will take a plane direction Kunming for just one day and go then to Dali and the day after to Lijiang. I share with you some photos that I have took.