April 11, 2008.  Attempting to get a handle on a really busy day, Jordan writes:

Today we are on our way to Lijiang. This will be our first time traveling on a Chinese plane and we were warned that the airports are very strict! Flying here we were allowed to have some liquids in our carry-ons, but here we couldn’t have any. I did not realize that they might consider my little globe I had brought as a gift for a host family a liquid, and so they took it away at security. (Sorry Dad!)

Before continuing on to Lijiang we visited Kunming for the day. There, we met our guide who will be with us for the next nine days. While we were in Kunming we visited the Yuantong Temple. That was my personal favorite place we have visited so far. Not only was it the largest temple, but the most colorful one as well.  Half-way through our time there, the monks started chanting and man! was it beautiful. It was the most relaxing sound I have ever heard. For the first time in my life I felt “one.” After the chanting they walked around the whole temple.

The weather in Kunming is very hot and the sun is extremely strong. I had, of course, put my sunscreen in my checked luggage with my umbrella, but don’t worry Dad I’m covered; our tour guide recognized my situation and let me use her umbrella to stay shaded.

When we arrived in Lijiang by plane I was happily surprised to see how mountainous and rural it is here. Lijiang is my favorite place so far. It is AMAZING! Oh, and Sarah, Mr. Perrin says “Hi!”

Over the Bridge noodles, cook your own soup at the table.
Read more about the noodles here.

Yuantong Temple, read more about it.

The temple monks chanting and walking.

Boarding the plane for Lijiang.

Ms. Sopper writes: Travel Day:  Shanghai to Kunming to Lijiang

Mr. Perrin says, “Let’s fly half way around the world and then fly some more!”  So we leave Shanghai (Shang meaning above & hai meaning ocean) and fly to Kunming. We are greeted by our new guides Yang Ye and Steve who take us into Kunming and to a magnificent lunch at Crossing Bridge Noodles. This meal -in which everyone starts with a bowl of broth and adds thinly sliced meats, vegetables, a raw egg, flower petals and finally rice noodles and pickles and spices to taste- is a specialty of Kunming and a new favorite of our group.

After lunch we had a leisurely exploration of a Buddhist temple. The entrance was the highest point (in elevation) and we walked down to the prayer hall at the lowest point. This was a lively spot of prayer and community with monks in yellow, worshippers in black and brown, incense and candles all surrounding a beautiful pond teeming with turtles and frogs and fish.

A very short flight brings us over terraced fields to land in middle of mountains at sunset in Lijiang. We are greeted by guide Susan (Chinese name Su Han) of the Naxi minority. She is a very knowledgeable and offers great insight into Naxi culture. She tells us that because people work so hard and are so slender, the best way to address young children is to call them little fat girls and boys. She also described, as we drove along, that the bean or pea growing along side the road is ground into a fine power and made into a grey-black jelly which the Naxi eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We had some of this fine and strange and wonderful dish for lunch.