That was unusual. At 8.40 am there was still no sign of Lotus and given the extraordinary punctuality of every "friendly China guide" it was almost cause for concern. At 8.45 Lotus pulled up outside the hotel, sitting side saddle on a motor cycle! Apparently there had been an accident on the freeway (surprise surprise with the way everyone drives!) and after being stationery in the bus for so long, Lotus jumped off and hailed a scooter....."it's the local way...

Lotus was waiting for us at the railway station and helped us make the quick getaway from the station to Mr Driver and breakfast. The first sightseeing stop on the agenda was the Stone Forest - a two hour drive from Kunming. I am not sure what happened on the way because the gentle rocking of the vehicle put me to sleep before we had travelled too many kilometres. But Mac assures me it was more of the same......high rise accommodation, pockets of farmland, cars ...

Last day in Lijiang and thanks to Lily we have a 2 pm late checkout. What a bonus! Gave me time to repack the luggage and restore some order while swapping winter clothing options for summer. We are leaving the cooler mountain regions and heading for warmer coastal climes...an expected 30C in Kunming tomorrow.Lunch was at 3 pm in a restaurant near the Black Lagoon and we were driven there by Lily's husband Peter (previously known as FLNMWLTCSF) and as soon as...