We left Sichuan Province for Yunan (in southwest China, bordering Tibet), eventually settling in at the old canal town of Lijiang. We were housed and spent most of our time in the Old Town, notable for cobblestone streets that snaked over canals and between long boulevards of wooden ships and squares. So began several days of consistent rain, leaving us over the next few days in various stages of dampness. It was there that I picked up the purchase of my trip--a hand-made Tibetan leather hat for $2. Thank you, artificially devalued Chinese currency.
The hostel we stayed at was nestled in the middle of a courtyard in Lijiang. Though gorgeous and composed almost entirely of carved, stained wood and stone, the only source of heat it had was electric blankets under the sheets of our beds. As Lijiang is beginning to near Tibet and the Himalayas, its elevation and weather conspired against our thermal security. Luckily, the hostel's giant dog, Beckham (a real dog, which are more common out in the west of China than the overbred little toys that dominate eastern China), provided us with warmth and entertainment in our comings and goings over the next couple days.
We ventured outside of the city first for what proved to be a bizarre and over-produced performance commemorating the many minorities of China (non-Han minorities make up around 7% of the total population). Outside of Blue Moon Lake, a giant stage equipped with smoke machines, artificial waterfalls, and gigantic hidden speakers played host to dozens of "minority performers" that demonstrated 90 minutes of exquisitely coordinated and synchronized dances and demonstrations with occasional narrations. By "occasional," I mean very occasional and often nonsensical, vague, and offering no real information about said "minorities." I guess I went into a performance about fostering understanding of China's minorities expecting to know something more about China's minorities. Who knew?
Luckily, the next few sights saved the day. Blue Moon Lake was a quick but gorgeous park we stopped by, reminding us that natural beauty did indeed still exist outside of China's big cities. Some (hopefully) sure-footed yaks were available for rent to ride across the fairly fast-moving waters that cascaded down from the mountains. Despite there being hundreds of Chinese tourists present, of a dozen yaks available, it was only one of my fellow program participants that took the yaks up on it while we were there.
We later arrived a the big one: Tiger Leaping Gorge. As the Yangtze surges through the area's river valley, it is particularly violent and majestic at the location of the Tiger Leaping Gorge. A half-hour of sometimes-rickety steps both down to and back up from the precipice of the rapids, the Gorge continued to provide us with some much-needed and long-awaited reminder that there is still a China that isn't caked in smog and filled with aggressive, honking drivers.
You can find the whole album here.
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