So, on 24 May, Geoff and I took off to Lijiang via Kunming. I have been so busy prior to this trip (I had to do a day trip to Beijing the day before), so I had no time to read up on either Lijiang or our hotel. So, when we arrived at the Banyan Tree Lijiang, both Geoff and I were pleasantly surprised! The Banyan Tree Lijiang was quite impressive. The design incorporates many local architectural features such that it blends in. And the deco……luxurious, of course! Not to mention our very own heated Jacuzzi! For those of you interested to see photos of the Banyan Tree Lijiang, go to: www.pbase.com/gztlee/btl
There are 3 ancient cities in Lijiang, Dayan (the biggest and most commercial), Baisha and Shuhe. The Banyan Tree Lijiang is located within walking distance to Shuhe. So, after resting for a bit in our villa, we walked to Shuhe for some sight seeing and dinner. Shuhe is relatively small and therefore is not as touristy as Dayan. It has a very relaxing atmosphere. It reminds us of Koh Tao, Thailand, where backpackers come and spend the day (which turns into days and then months) in the coffee shop, drinking, reading or day dreaming (see picture – first item on things to do is actually “Fa Dai” or day dream!!). Just before night fall, we stopped by a Sichuan restaurant for dinner. We had a local dish – “Du Chuan Hua Chau Dan” (fried egg with flower), it was delicious! And we finished the night with a late night dip in the jacuzzi. Ahhhhhhh……
The next day, we arranged for a hotel guide to take us to Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, the main tourist attraction in Lijiang. For a price, we were able to avoid the local tourists and the hotel car drove us straight to the cable car station at 3,356m above sea level. After we sorted ourselves out with rented jackets and a bottle of oxygen, the guide took us to the front of the queue (see what money can buy….) and boarded the cable car which took us up to the next stop at 4,506m. From there, we attempted to walk up the steps to reach the highest point allowed. It was not an easy climb as the oxygen level is pretty thin at this level. Whilst the guide (a local boy) casually went up the steps, we were struggling and fighting for air (nothing to do with the fact that we are extreme unfit!). This is when the can of oxygen came in EXTREMELY handy. Despite these odds, Geoff managed to get to 4,591m while I went all the way to the top at 4,680m and got (for RMB30) a personalized “gold” medal (it is now Tasha’s favourite piece of jewelry).
Next, we went to see Lijiang Impression, a musical directed by Zhang Yimou. It’s a life performance on a semi-circular theatre and tells the stories/legends of the minority tribes in the Lijiang region (there are about 22 of them) and is performed by men and women from these tribes. It ended with a local blessing/prayer and on the way out we were each given a pack with a piece of paper and a pencil. We were told to write down our wishes and then proceed to the alter which was a huge burner on top of a long flight of stairs. The locals believe (much like the Chinese) that when the paper with the wishes is burnt and turns into ashes and smoke, the GODs will see them and grant us our wishes! A great finish to a great performance. In Geoff’s words – Le Miserables is nothing compared to this! We finished the day with a visit to some ancient murals and a stroll in Baisha.
Day 3 was a relaxing day – what this break is all about! We spent half a day at Dayan which is extremely commercial. Once we walked in, we were asked, every 10 steps (literally), if we wanted to hire a car/bus for sightseeing. The whole town is dominated by shops selling preserved yak meat, tea leaves, clothings etc. And it has more bars and restaurants than Lan Kwai Fong! However, despite all these, it is a pretty town and we took loads of pictures and they are at: www.pbase.com/gztlee/l07
All in all, a very good break.
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