We are now in Yunnan - Kunming to be precise - and tomorrow we head off to Lijiang.  We are here trying to get a Vietnamese visa and should have had it this afternoon.  But the Vietnamese are playing hard to get and have to make some more enquiries!  We will know tomorrow!

Our route is likely to take us from Lijiang next weekend - after we've done Tiger Leaping Gorge (the deepest in the world) and another look at the Yangzi River - to Jinghong and from there overland to Laos. We've been in touch about some accommodation in Luang Namtha (Laos) where we will stay a few days before, hopefully, heading down the Mekong River to Luang Prabang.

Kunming is a really nice city although not very old.  It is much fresher here as it's at 7000 feet and it is smaller than our previous 5 Chinese cities. We've eaten well - last night's meal cost us 40p although admittedly it was street food (meat skewers, courgettes skewers, fried bean curd and grilled tofu followed by fresh fruit).  Tonight's was a little dearer at £2 but it was sitting down to rice, eggs, meat, veg, etc and a few beers.  This was followed on the way home by fruit skewers - sort of like lightly coated toffee apples - and a foot bath and massage.  Bliss!  This life ain't bad!! 

Talking about food, we have to say that the food in China has been fantastic, much more varied and tasty than the Chinese food back home.  And for those of you who read our rather disparaging comments about breakfast in the Beijing postcard, well we've certainly changed our minds after experiencing a few more of them on our travels.  The hotels we've stayed in (apart from the one in Beijing obviously) do an excellent Chinese buffet breakfast full of variety and choice.  They set us up for the day and we never tire of them.  Today, just for a change and because it was available, we had a western style breakfast.  It was done very well and we enjoyed the change, but it wasn't as satisfying and we're looking forward to our Chinese breakfast tomorrow.