After Xi'an, I went South to Kunming, the capital of Yunnan province, a popular spot with tourists looking for a bit more of the Southeast Asian feel and warmer climates. Unfortunately, that meant some rainstorms as well, so I only stayed about a day before taking some side trips to the Northern edge of the province. Stranded the first night looking for my hostel that was closed down, I was helped by the nice owner of a local bar who called and called until we found another place. The next day, another unpleasant experience of standing in the pouring rain for ten minutes until finally finding a taxi to the bus station didn't do much to help the situation, but I was soon on the way to Lijiang, a small city about 9 hours to the North. I arrived to the edge of town where the taxi from the bus station dropped me, not being able to drive any further into the cobblestone streets and canals of the old town. An almost quaint little place, the winding streets and waterways make it quite difficult to find anything, but I eventually found the small alley of my hostel and got a nice deal on a single room, allowing some rest away from the dorm rooms in which I usually stay. The next morning, I explored the town, a surreal but nice recreation of the way ancient Chinese cities used to be, full of tiny streets, red lanterns, willow-lined canals and street vendors. The only problem is the large amounts of tour groups that invade the city, myself included. Overall, the town is definitely worth a look, though you can't expect the tranquility that the photos would make you expect.
(One of the major streets just a few minutes from my hostel. The wooden planks lead into the restaurants and shops that line the roads.)
(As you can see, there was a little bit of rain here as well, but it was nothing compared to the storm that drenched me back in Kunming.)
(Getting close to the top of the city, I was hoping for some nice views, but it was mostly just cloudy and roofy.)
(In the afternoons and evenings, young men and women dressed in traditional clothing stand outside these doors, trying to bring you in to their restaurant.)
(In spite of the tourist feel, this place was still pretty great if you could find a secluded alley like this one.)
(More of the canals. At this point, I was realizing that the jelly filled bread that I had for breakfast was not sitting well, so I spent the afternoon in bed, hoping to fight off an impending sickness, with the trash can nearby, just in case. As it turned out, my body managed to fight it off in less than a day, and fortunately, I didn't have to see that breakfast again.)
(At night, the streets glow red. Not with blood. That would be a whole different kind of attraction.)
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