Kunming

On my way to the China border, we stopped to spend a day in Kunming. We found it to be a surprisingly lovely and charming city. I came to the far reaches of western China with absolutely no expectations, having no frame of reference from which to form them. Having now made some, I definitely plan to return to Kunming, to spend more time there, and as well in surrounding Yunan province (including the stone forest, the hot springs, and the chariming towns along the old 'tea horse' road). Kunming wasn't a city that advertised its Chinese-ness foremost. In many ways, in was just another new and different place. In certain moments, however, there was no doubt that it was very much a part of China - particularly the TV, ads and billboards, and the pictureesque small towns we passed through in the country, filled with stone houses with tiled roofs coming to carved peaks on either end. The food was definitely different from the Hunan and Szechaun (and absolutely made up) styles that predominate restaurants in the states (though very very tasty!).

We took the public bus to the city center, and enjoyed an afternoon downtown wandering from one market from another, interupted only by eating delicious snacks. We browsed a crafts market, and a tea market. Kunming is famous for its tea - it comes from over the mountains, where it is grown, fermented, and packaged into round tea 'bricks' for easier travel along the 'tea horse road' to Kunming for sale, and shipment across China. Each shop is happy to prepare a taste of any tea for you, and this was one of oru favorite expereinces. (I am now carrying quite a lot of Chinese tea for teh remaining many weeks of my journey). We went to the dried food market (roots, mushrooms, fruits, nuts, fish, and other unknown things that we were ensured were edible, but didn't necessarily look it), the prepared food market, the raw meat market, the clothese market, and one that was a crazy mixed assortment of all of the above. We snacked on dumplings and bean buns, and made an unexpected but overwhelmingly enjoyable find for dinner - we stumbled upon a centuries old inn now used just for dining - the rooms upstarirs are for private parties, and there are tables set int eh courtyard, amongst the bonzai, looking up at the balconies lit by lanters, that seemed a scene straight from crouching tiger hidden dragon... we expected sword fighters to fly in over the roof at any moment. The atmosphere was idyllic, and the food to match - we ate 'bean curd with odor of hot tile' (yes, it did come on a hot tile, and yes, it did smell like it), 'noodle of Yunan style of small pot' which came is a VERY LARGE pot (I don't think we ate half, and all left stuffed', pumpkin and potato stir fry (all agreed this was the favorite - so deliscous!), and spinach bao tse.

In the evening we enjoyed chinese style massages (which, frankly, we were unable to differentiate from thai style, except that the room we were in had odd viewing windows at both ends (curtained during our visit!)). Our hotel provided a most enjoyable Chinese breakfast buffet in the morning, which primed us for another morning of adventure before our departure. As all of my toiletries had been confiscated on the way to Kunming (I had forgotten to check all of my liquids, and at any rate, teh Chinese rules allow even smaller quantities than the US does! - such that I had to throw away (so painful) my organic lavender lotion with spf (there is no equiavalent to be found here...) my tom's of maine toothpaste, my newly arrived repel mosquito repellent (fortunately, I have another bottle), my shampoo, and my face wash) I was in need of purchasing replacements, before departing to teh border where toiletries consist of 'soap'. After many inquiries, and objections from us, we were informed that the only practicle option for aquiring these goods was the 'Super Walmart' around the corner. I don't patronize Mr. Walton's establishments in the states, and was crushed to be reduced to it abroad, but I must say, all my needs were met there, and at bargain prices... we justified it by rationalizing that all of the products were made in China, so we were really supporting the local economy....

All in all, we enjoyed our stay in Kunming very much (in addition to the fact that it was a much appreciate day off!), and I truly do hope to return sometime soon. I will try to upload pictures when I'm back in BKK, but daren't try from this terrible connection here (posting this is a stretch, though the connection seems to be _ok_ late at night, so I will try to post a few more comments in the next coulple of days)