Have spent a very relaxed last few days in Jinghong. Despite looming development, Jinghong very much remains a laid back jungle town. Unlike the normal giant Chinese metropolises you can walk from one side to the other in less than an hour. Plus the palm trees and peacock/pagoda lamp posts everywhere make it a beautiful city. Peacock Lake is the place to go to see everyday traditional Chinese life in action. Retired men take their birds for a walk and gather to play chess, mah-jong and gamble. Ladies take their grandchildren for a walk and join in impromptu karaoke with a portable amplifier. This was our favourite place to wander.

There appears to be some wonderful places to visit in the region - village treks, jungle walks, hidden waterfalls, botanical gardens...However we opted to save them for when Isaac's a bit older and can fend off the snakes for himself! I'm very satisfied with my fix of tropical sun and palm trees for now :)