| April 12, 2008 - Lijiang - DAILY TRIP DIARY |
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Luke
is in front of the The first day we spent in the Old Town of Lijiang was amazing. The little shops were filled with great trinkets and we saw many traditional Naxi dancers in the middle of the square. The next day we went to the Tiger Leaping Gorge and the Black Dragon Pool. The last day we went up to the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and then went to Dali. Having read about the pool’s beauty, I was looking forward to seeing it. The beauty was stunning. I had read in online journals that it had sparkling emerald water and that description was correct. The pagoda in the middle was the Naxi and Dongba museum and I was disappointed that we were not going in but in reality the Naxi were all around us and our tour guide was even Naxi. The tour guide told us of many legends and stories of the Naxi people. The whole three days in Lijiang were a Naxi experience. Because I had studied so much of the Naxi culture I expected Old Town Lijiang to be less modernized and more traditional. I thought this because Old Town Lijiang was the Naxi capital and had mostly Naxi residents. The Old Town turned out to be very modern with narrow streets and small shops lining the streets. The next day was Tiger Leaping Gorge and Black Dragon Pool. Tiger Leaping Gorge was great but I really wanted to see Black Dragon Pool. Between Mr. Perrin’s science lesson on how loud shouting made the pond bubble and the stunning water and architecture surrounding it, I was completely satisfied. We ate dinner across the street from the Pool and before the food came we saw Naxi people dancing in the restaurant’s courtyard. We got up and joined them. On our last day in Lijiang we went up Jade Dragon Snow Mountains and walked around a meadow full of yaks. The highpoint of the afternoon was when we all got to ride yaks. On the plane ride I recounted the events in Lijiang. This was when I realized that studying wasn’t enough and that experiencing the Naxi dance and a real yak ride and visiting the capital made it so much more real. The three days in Lijiang were a learning experience that I’ll remember my whole life.
Ms. Sopper writes: Lijiang: Tiger Leaping Gorge and Black Dragon Pool The black jelly, we learn, is called Ji Dou Lian Fen and it is a favorite among the Naxi people. If you’re ever in this part of the world and are served something kind of grey/black and squishy, TRY IT! Not only is it tasty and nutritious (what Chinese food isn’t?) but it is also a great kick to eat something so very unusual and unlike anything we get even at our really good Chinese restaurant at home. Our journey today took us over mountains and through villages where we saw Chinese agriculture and village life on our way to our first glimpse at the Yangtze River. If you take a look at a map of China and find where the Yangtze seems to decide to stop flowing east and makes a radical turn north, then another turn south to continue out to Shanghai, that first turn is where we were today. Traditional farmhouses have open attics where crops are set to dry. In addition to fields of strawberries, rice, wheat, and canola flowers, we saw corn drying in the attics and hot peppers hanging from the fences of these houses. We were all amazed to see people in traditional dress going about their business which is to say farming and moving farm products on their backs. Nothing easy about this life! Tiger Leaping Gorge is a deep crack in these mountains through which races the Yangtze. Legend has it that a tiger made the leap with the help of a large rock in the middle of the rapids and now –if you look closely- you can see the tiger. We had a wonderful hike with magnificent views. Eating lunch at the Gorge, we were treated to more Naxi specialties. Naxi traditionally eat fatty pork, potatoes (three meals a day), greens, and drink pu’ er tea sometimes with yak milk. In addition to all these spicy delights, we were served yak meat and Ji Dou Lian Fen. Our students are incredibly open and adventurous! They are trying everything activity and approaching the new and unfamiliar with great grace and diplomacy. They are a huge hit in China. Everywhere we go people want to pose with them and smile from busses and shout hellos from across the street. It is exhausting but great fun. |
Jackie is the other
writer for today; she is standing on the path Today was our first full day in Lijiang. And oh wow! it is completely different than Shanghai. We began our day with a breakfast consisting of rice, soup, noodles, and the luxury of sugar. This was a traditional Naxi morning meal. Heading to Tiger Leaping Gorge we all gathered on the bus and prepared ourselves for another long journey. I was pleasantly surprised to be presented with gorgeous landscapes and Chinese houses and fields of green, yellow, and brown. The sights were breathtaking. I took tons of pictures trying to capture all the beauty. For four hours I watched out my window and pointed things out to my bus-buddy all the roaming animals, people, and interesting signs. In Shanghai there is traffic and very modern roads. In Lijiang, by contrast, the roads were less crowded with many twists and bumps, and constant improvement being done as we drove by. We traveled through hair-pin turns on narrow roads until we came into sight of the Yangtze River and Tiger Leaping Gorge. The hike through the gorge was combined mountainside trails and cave-like tunnels through the rock. My favorite part was getting hit with the spray from the rapids. It was proof that I was no longer researching it…now I was there! After the long bus ride back to Lijiang, we went to Black Dragon Pool. Again, the views were stunning! We saw lots of ancient and traditional architecture and intriguing statues. To finish off the night we went into old town Lijiang were we were able to do some bargaining and sight-seeing. The town was brightly lit and very beautiful. I feel like I’m getting the hang of bargaining so when we go back to Shanghai I will be a pro!
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