| 
Waiting to board Lucky Air from Kunming
to Dali.
The Western Hills from the plane. The hills appear to be
a woman lying down. We will climb the hills and visit the
temples when we return to Kunming.
Cailey, Maisie, Grace and Brandy working on journals on the
flight.
A modern Dali structure in the background with more traditional
rural Chinese workers in foreground.
We stayed in a traditional Chinese Inn in the old town of
Dali
Roofs of the old town viewed from our hotel. Dali
has a very modern section as well.
Dali old town street life, stalls and street vendors.
We hiked up CangShan; the stairs to the pathway were very
steep.
A rest during the hike.
Doors open, warm breezes, Dali dining at its best!
Brandy
pours tea in AACE's favorite restaurant in Dali.
Ms. Sopper leads the way through Dali streets.
|
Oliver's
Trip Diary:
Grace, Jesse and Oliver (our writer of the
day) upon
arrival in Dali.
Today
was a day that none of us really knew
what was going to happen. Even the
itinerary questioned the schedule.
We
woke up early for a half an hour flight from our sister
city, Kunming, to the ancient city
of Dali. This flight may have
been short but it covered many different types of landscapes
below us. Right after take off Drummond and I noticed some
amazing mist that was hugging the hills that lead up to
the Tibetan Plateau (200 miles east
of Dali). In fact, I thought
that one of them looked very similar to the main island
of the United Kingdom.
The
hills continued until we reached the
Dali airport where the city led right
into
snow- capped mountains. For any of you that have seen
The Sound of Music: the scenery of the
city next to the hills
was very similar to the setting of Salzburg.
The plane ride was very interesting to many of us because
we hitched a ride on a bus similar to one that you would
use to get around in New York City out onto
the tarmac. However odd the method of travel to the plane was, the plane
ride itself was very uneventful. Once we got off the
plane a half hour later that
feeling was drastically changed.
Dali is probably the most beautiful city that I have seen ever. Immediately
after stepping off the plane into the 65-degree weather we were hit with
not only the
humidity but also by the serenity of the landscape around the airport. There
were absolutely no dealers trying to sell us post cards as they were in Beijing
and Kunming. There were just some Buddhist Monks and us.
Forty-five minutes later we had entered through the gate to the old city
in Dali. The contrast within this part of the city was massive. There were
current day
shops selling cell phones that were housed within buildings that were built
during the revolution in 1949. However odd this was, though, the city never
failed to
be attractive.
We were not able to enjoy the city or our incredible hotel for very long
because we were off for a very lengthy hike up one of the hills surrounding
the city.
Yes, five hours of hiking up a hill to see pagodas that we never were able
to experience; for we were not able to make our ascent of the hill quickly
enough
to reach the pagodas. The scenery on the way up was so incredible that it
did not matter that we didn't reach our goal. We think Vermont is the Green
Mountain
State... think again. I had never seen so many conifers in my life. For five
hours it was perfect green trees surrounds by a tranquil stream with a view
of New City Dali and the lake that it is built around.
After the defeat dealt to us by the hill, we went back to the city and prepared
for a meal with our friend, mentor, and guide Wu Laoshi (Professor Wu). The
meal was of course delicious and prepared us energy-wise for the first walk
around
the city. The city was even more glorious at night than it was earlier in
the day. The buildings were all lit up and the shoppers were out at the perfect
numbers.
We were able to wander around the streets to our pleasure (in groups of three
or more of course) weaving in and out of stores and investigating the nightlife.
All in all, the day was definitely one of relaxation (besides the 17+ miles
of walking) allowing us to break away and enjoy the serenity of what rural
China
really is. Well, that is all and I look forward to seeing all in two weeks.
Ms.
Sopper writes:
This
little hotel in Dali has a thermos of tea-hot water
on the desk and a container of tea leaves waiting when
we return from an adventure into the mountains above
the city. So join me in a cup of tea and a brief description
of our day. We flew in this morning on Lucky Air in
plenty of time to enjoy a full day of meals and walking
in the mountains and even another breathtaking cable
car ride. From the Dali airport we passed through the
new part of town and into the old part where our hotel
was revealed to us tucked between a very old market
place and an exquisite five-star hotel in the final
stages of construction. The Dali gu cheng bu luo ren
hotel is built around two courtyards and each of our
rooms faces one or the other of them. The alley leading
to our hotel had one door like all the others but with
Arabic writing across the top reminding us that we
are in among the most ethnically diverse regions of
China.
One interesting feature of this city is the accommodation
for ice-melt. There are streamlets running downhill through
the market place in formal-garden-like structures. The
new construction seems to be borrowing this idea in building
waterways around the rooms. There is still snow on top
of the mountains (I'm telling this to Vermonters) and one
of the great features of the walk today was the waterfall
flowing from the icy peaks through the mountains and down
the hill.
At the mid-point of the mountain, where we picked
up the cable car, we saw a human-sized "chess" board
with pieces it looked like it would take considerable human
effort to move. The side of the mountain appeared to be
mixed residential, agricultural, and ancestral tombs. The
housing being built seems to pick up a lot of the same
architectural features of the houses in the old part of
the city. Many of the new buildings seem to be built around
courtyards and with very thoughtful space for gardens and
walkways. From the cable car we climbed a good set of stairs,
paused to catch our breath, and began the walk around the
mountain. The walk around the mountain was long and the
path was beautifully paved with colored stone and in patterns
and decoration that spoke to considerable planning and
even more labor. We paused for snacks. Everyone was able
to move at about the same pace so that made for a nice
group hike and the views of Dali were outstanding. The
sun was hot and the air was clear. It was a great afternoon.
On the way to lunch we passed through the old market and
saw a lot of things we wanted to see again. There were
tea shops with tea in most unusual shapes. Scarves and
batik fabrics in fabulous colors attracted the attention
of more than one or two of us. We ate lunch in an old house
built around a courtyard. On the way into the restaurant
we passed tanks of future menu items and you'd be proud
of this group, no one flinched. Among the new treats at
dinner was fried goat cheese, most delicious, served with
a salty and peppery powder. The same salt and pepper powder
accompanied a pork dish. So much exquisite flavor in these
meals. We all struggle to leave the table even way after
we're full. The more intrepid, (or foolish - take your
pick) among us experimented with the hot peppers in the
dishes. Sure they're meant as flavoring and condiment,
but some of us just need to know how hot food can get.
It turns out it can get pretty hot. Wu Laoshi tells us
this ret hot wonder pepper is a specialty of the region.
We were impressed.
Cang Shan bridge
Bai weaver, in one of the Dali shops. The Bai
are one of "25 minority cultures living in
the Yunnan province, nearly half of the country's 56 diverse
cultural groups".1
|
