Monday morning in Dali

Not long after breakfast here,came out without pen and paper and feel like writing.I'm at a loose end while i wait for a few of the gang who are at the post office before we hire a few push bikes to wander round on and see the place.Foreigner street seems to be the best place for food which of course is where we had breakfast this morning.Last night was entertaining,Sunday evening and i managed to get chinese take-away from a local restuarant across from the hotel for the pair of us (Lorna and myself). When i got home Lorna was still in her pyjamas had spent the afternoon chilling out and catching up on some rest.The local kitchen i went to was not the cleaniest of places but lots of fresh produce to choose from,when i asked for meat while doing a chicken impression the lady took out a freshly plucked chicken by the neck and proceeded to chop away at some meat from the legs.I still can not get used to chewing my meat with bits of fat on it but i am improving,i pull the faces but less vocal about it all,quitely putting the discarded bits on the side of my plate.I was given some tea while i watched my dinner being cooked in a tiny kitchen with little space to manouvere.Got back to the hotel and had plenty to eat for the two of us.Unfortunately no sunday film on the telly otherwise it would have been just like a Sunday evening at home.

I hoping to see a few of the sights of particular interest is the Pagodas of the Chong Sheng temple,the city walls most cities in China have walls.If i remember correctly Lijiang did not have any which made it unusual.Also there is a lake about 3km from the town centre,hence the need for a push bike.

Dali has a more laid back feel to it,although it probably has just as much tourists about the place it has a more relaxed feel and i would love to have more time here already.At times it feels we are constantly on the go,i know i'm on holiday but i hate to feel rushed.Whats the point in going about the place madly to see all the sights? I can not possibly get to see everything and feel the whole holiday spirit too,so eating locally and a few of the sights is plenty to get a feel for the place.However if you visit this city you may be plagued by local women trying to sell you jewellery when they exhaust trying to sell you stuff they whisper to you if you want any hashish,which grows wild here.I can only imagine they are all working as undercover police and i'd be arrested on the spot.

Will let you know how i get on cycling about Dali later this evening x x x

Well it's just gone half nine here in the evening and i'm not in the nearest A+E department after cycling around the place this afternoon.Hired our bikes for about eighty pence.Visited the pagodas didn't pay the entrance fee into the park where they were as far to expensive so settled for a view from the road.Then it was off down the road to Erhai lake,we thought we might have been able to cycle around it but unfortunately not,so settled on a cycle back to the city walls which we followed for awhile before returning into the heart of the town.I didn't knock down any of the locals despite the place being thronged for a Monday.After spending the day here i still think the place has a nice feel to it and should be on anyones tourist destination if they ever decide to visit south China.About to finish the night off here currently in a place called Jack's which serves good local food plus anything to satisfy the western palate.Tomorrow another early start and we travel to the border,i do believe we bush camp before crossing over the border into Laos,so it could be a few days before you hear from me again.    Ave   x x x x x x x