Dali is the most pretty old city iv seen in my life.

Situated between a mountain and a lake.. it is such a beutiful loaction! I took an early morning 7am stroll aling the cobbled streets to a cafe for beakfast. yes i actually got my ass up to do this- but only with the promise of bagels from the french-canadians.

Anyway.. On the way... behind every nook and cranny was another local charactor or a charming piece of chinese culture. Women in straw hats sweep the streets with giant brooms, the first few school kids in sailor style uniforms buy dumplings, old ladys squat over a bowl of clothes to wash, elderley men smoke on benches. A man road past me on a bicycle, towing a cart which had a full size pig carcuss in it. Cut in half at the waist both its snout and legs were in the air. legs were waving as he was riding over the cobbles. soo funny!

west of centre square is 'foreigners street'. there version of our 'china town'. western food and high priceds tourist souveneers. the best blueberry milkshake iv ever tasted was on 'second foreighners street'.. i was only one to have ice though, as i ordered first- so am expecting this to make me ill!
'Sweet tooth' is on one of the backstreets.. o my god, this is the delight of dali. a quaint little cafe that seves mouthwatering oreo cheesecake, blackberry muffins and my favourite chocolate brownie and mint creme cake. oooooooooo so sickly good.

we took Dali as a place to chill out. alot of the group were still in a sightseeing modd, but we wanted to chill. i dared to have some films developed and was pleasently suprised. they look great! however was cringing when the 12yr old cut my negatives and got her skanky fingerprints all over them and was bending them, ahhh!!!

Dali is definatly a place to grow old. we met an american and his wife who want to retire here.. at 100 USD a month, you can rent a really nice apartment that overlooks both the mountins and the lake. unbeliveable how cheap!! and the longer you stay..the rent gets cheaper. its definalty a magnificantly peaceful place to live.. me jelous.

L&N