trip to yunnan 云南

Trip to yunan



Highlights:

Day 1:
Landed in Tengchong, Yunnan (云南). The brilliant blue sky was a stark contrast to the perpetual haze of Beijing. We visited a quaint traditional town called Baoshwin.., known for being the last stop in China of the lesser-known Southern Silk Road. It was clear that the town (and entire area) had geared up for an influx of domestic tourism with new roads and freshly renovated buildings.

Day 2:
Visited two of the 97 or so dormant volcanoes that surround Tengchong. Stopped by a wetlands tucked between a 54 hole golf course and a traditional farming village. In the afternoon, Cam and I were the only one’s gutsy enough in the group to experience the volcanic hot springs 温泉. We brought our bathing suits and lounged in tea, aloe, and alcohol-infused sulfuric water alongside middle-aged men. Unfortunately cameras were not allowed, but trust me, it was a glorious experience. Especially the rat that we saw in a sitting area.

Day 3:
Visited tombs of KMT soldiers that were only recently cleaned up by the communist government after being left to disrepair. Dropped by a tropical rain forest park with a water fall called the “silk” waterfall.
In the afternoon, we visited a primary school located in a very poor area. Truly a heartwarming experience. We spent the first hour or so sitting in on their classes. Then we were split up in twos and each pair was thrown in front of a class for an hour. We sang happy birthday, barney songs, and learned how to mumble a few Chinese songs as well. I also learned how a few dance moves of the minorities. Ended the visit with some basketball with the kids.

Day 4:
We were then brought to a Dai (minority group) and saw their farms and temples. That night we ate a restaurant with a show a kilometer from the Myanmar border. Us 18 were the only ones in the audience so there were actually more performers than there were people eating. Cameron was married off to a Dai woman as seen in the pics. Ended the night with some quality mafia games.

All in all, a great time and bonded really well as a group. Classes start Monday for us so in the process of getting everything in gear for that.