My Dreamy Days in Yunnan

Last night, as the thief was breaking into my apartment stealing my laptop, I was busy dreaming of my old days in Yunnan. Back then, I was still a girl just finishing college, wandering on a pebbled street on some corner in Lijiang ancient town with no idea what to do with my life....

This morning, when I woke up and found everything in my living room gone, all I wanted to do was jump back in bed and keep dreaming about a girl wondering how to be herself. Then she took off for a journey to find herself deep inside, among those minority people, gorgeous snow mountains, peaceful ancient towns, magnificent rivers & gorges.
No place in China offers as much diversity, both geographical and cultural, as Yunnan. Skirting the northern part of Southern Asia, bordered by Burma, Laos and Vietnam, Yunnan straddles temperate and subtropical climates. At the foot of snow-capped mountains, boundless and nameless flowers quietly indulge in their bloom for the whole year. After the rainy season passes, every day is perfect in September & October.
My days in Yunnan were based in Lijiang, at a small courtyard-style hotel. There are lots of such small hotels scattering Dayan ancient town. Also, if you are looking for a luxury experience, Banyan Tree is elegantly located beside Shuhe ancient town. I was invited in for a short tour inside and have to admit it’s one of the best among this stylish hotel brand (However, I was told by a local man about a long story how local minorities strongly protested the construction of this super modern hotel).

The best thing to do in the ancient town is to be in a daze. Those are the words exactly written on the blackboard outside of many local cafes ---“Ideal for Daze” or “Only for Daze”. In my first two days in Yunnan, still adapting to the altitude (around 3000M), I was addicted to the daze in cafes, sitting on a wooded chair by a window totally absorbed in the ancient town. Just watching the white clouds moving in the blue sky and changing the shadow shape of the tree, half day a day will fly by without any notice.
Cafes here serve the best food -- all kinds of food. Cafe or bar owners come from all over the world, fall in love with this land and decide to stay. Chatting with them, you will get many great stories. I heard one in a small restaurant called Sakura. The owner told me the most romantic love story between him and a Tibetan girl, unparalleled by any movie I have ever seen or literature I have ever read. When sunset comes, I have to run away since the nightlife here is crazy loud which I do not enjoy. I step up to Lion Hill and enjoy bird-watching while the whole town sinks into darkness.
Standing on any path in Dayan Ancient Town, you can see the legendary Jade Dragon Snow Mountain in front of you. It is absolutely charming from the very first sight, but strangely, I didn’t feel a rush to get closer --- the mountain gives the most lasting and reliable comfort for people living beneath, like telling “I am always be here.” But one day, I decided to go, which actually takes a long time: 1 hour by taxi, 45 minutes by mountain bus, and finally 20 minutes on the cable car. Finally I reached Yak Meadow on Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. The scenery is breathtaking, but so is the altitude. You have to walk very slowly; otherwise your heart will beat like the time you had your first kiss. There are some Tibetan herdsman living on the mountain, and you can see the flocks of yak on good days.
My most unforgettable memory in Yunnan, also the one I am most proud of, was the 2-days trekking experience in Tiger Leaping Gorge. I say “treeking”… actually more than half of the way I rode on the back of a poor mule. Anyway, it was just GREAT, an experience you will remember clearly when you grow old. Tiger Leaping Gorge is a canyon on the Yangtze River, 60km north of Lijiang ancient town, a world heritage site and any trekking-aficionado knows the name.
Departing from my hotel in Lijiang, I drive 3.5 hours to Zhongdian (also known as Shangri-La). En route, you can catch a glance of the first bend of the Yangtze River. I went directly  to the gate of Daju and met my hiking guide Margo. Margo is another legend in Yunnan, an Australian who first travelled here in 1996 with her classmates. She was totally startled by the stunning beauty of the gorge and fell in love with the owner of the guest house she stayed in. 3 years later, she came back to the gorge and married that man, regardless of their different languages and cultures. Margo is the best hiking guide in the gorge and knows about every path, trekking like wind. She has a cute black dog named Baby who is probably the second-best guide in the gorge. 7 trekking hours from Daju to Walnut Garden is just dreamy. You will finally feel yourself as a real human being in nature. You smell the fresh pepper on the tree and the river quietly roaring beneath you, and you sincerely believe if you climb over another hill, the clouds will be there for you to touch.
I stayed overnight at Walnut Guesthouse and tasted their famous walnut pancake with local honey the next morning. Walking out of Tiger Leaping Gorge, I sadly realized I didn’t plan enough days in Yunnan. I bought a mini dictionary at the airport about the Naxi people’s pictography language which is still on my bookshelf today.
It’s not the end.
I will get everything back.

Article From China Master Travelog:
http://www.chinamastertravel.com/travelog/My-Dreamy-Days-in-Yunnan.html