Friday, April 29, 2005
02/04/2005~05/04/2005 My Yunnan Trip- Lijiang part
D1: Hong Kong to Shenzhen, Shenzhen flies to Kunming and Kunming to Lijiang
It took us almost three hours to reach Shenzhen Bao An airport from Tinshuiwai. Since I booked CZ electronic tickets, we went straight forward to the CZ ticket counter to pick them up. The price is quite good (55% discount) and we managed to buy the return ticket for An from Lijiang back to Shenzhen (decent price as well, which gave me a wrong idea and I did a mistake for my return ticket, but it will be mentioned later)...
Good arrival at Kunming and then we transferred to Lijiang. We went directly in the airport shuttle bus, which costs 15 yuan per person. Along the road, the fields are freshly green. Especially when we were landing overlooking from the sky all kinds of green and golden squares of rape flowers. This let me think about Luoping, a place they say is the place with most of rape flowers. Should be really nice to go and see during the right season.
Instead following the usual routine (arrive at the final destination and get a taxi in 6 yuan to reach the main North entrance of the old town), we took off before the final destination and we walked from the south side and entered the old town.
Well informed by all kinds of guesthouse inside the old town, we decided to look around and find a nice one. The 2nd choice was Mulaoye Inn, and it is very nice!!! The room is decent almost like any 3 to 4 stars hotel standard (more over they have really big nice yard). Happily we settled down.
A good meal is definitely needed after almost a whole day travel. Then it came to the funny part. We often lost our direction. Few road names on the highly recommended old town map, and when we asked several locals where we are the answers are always they don't understand the map but the Square Market direction is somehow this or that way. It recalls to me when I was in Venezia. Always lost myself when I was wandering. The more difficult part is An has a good sense of orientation but he can't read Chinese map. And I am really bored of translating everything to him. No more translation!!! I need relaxation, not translation. I tried to lead a little bit but An with his big nose sensed out wrong direction. At the end we found the compromising way: simply ask for the road. Before I starved to death we arrived Mamafu, (so-called first western restaurant in Lijiang). But I had no intention to take western food, we were in Lijiang so we should take local food- Naxi food. :-)
Soon it arrived with five dishes as well as the local rice wine 15 degree - Sulima, which is quite nice. One really good thing about travel ? you always discover the local food costs are really lower than the ones in Shanghai or Hong Kong.
With a full stomach we asked our way back to the Mulaoye Inn.
D2: Natural wakeup with the sun shinning above and birds singing
Immediately we understood the roads. Not so complicated as Venezia. After all, it is much smaller. We went into a bar for our breakfast. The guy is a qingdaonese, has been already operating this bar in Lijiang for 8 years. Firstly was amazed by his way of describing his Northern egg pan cake, but turned out quite disappointing. So we decided to be his once and for all customer.
Then we let our feet to carry us around the town. Exploring and checking randomly is the most relaxing thing. Generally speaking, this town is really commercial. Filled and packed with every kind of stores, mainly little souvenirs, but the nice thing is you can always find things interesting inside.
We have chosen a road to lead us to reach the part of the hill so we can get a whole view of the town. That was really beautiful. All the roofs look like connected with the light and shadow playing hide and seek.
There are several features of Lijiang: Water channels, Yulong snow mountain, and the newly but old style of houses (actually its 90s' earthquake has destoried everything in the town) which combined a unique Lijiang in China. Try to image, a old town, is quite normal. But a town with water is alive. Moreover, a town with a snow mountain is spiritual.
Night we remained at Sakura bar- the most famous bar in the old town. That was really noisy and alive. The bar street is passed through by a water channel, so the bars lie two sides organize to make a singing competition. People will get mad there with lots of drinks and willing to do things they might not dare to do in the normal life.
We waited up to midnight and An said happy birthday to me!!! According to my birthing time I am not yet born. But he is very much welcomed. xixi
D3: xixi, BIRTHDAY!!! Half a day tour to Yulong mountain and yufeng temple with its 10 thousand-flower tree, and then big celebration.
Breakfast in left bank bar, a perfect location to watch people passing by. Likewise, I became one of their views too.
Before I entered into the happy part please allow me once again to complain for a while . I really hated the system of ticketing all over China, mainly some famous spots. At the end we have to pay 120 per person as the entrance fee and 80 yuan more for the cable car. Luckily I have chosen the minor cable line. If choose the main cable car, the costs will be 180 per person. Sometimes I do think it is a kind of robbing. The snow mountain is really normal if compared how much bugs you have paid in order to see it. So strongly recommendation: no need to see Yulong Mountain at all.
This 10 thousand-flower tree is so famous because it's legendary story. It has been saved by a Lama (Tibetan monk) during the period of Culture Revolution. And is said even he is 92 year old, he still takes care the tree by himself everyday. What we can call him in Chinese 花痴.
At 7 yuan we bought a cake in a local bakery and with a nice bottle of Yunan rou hong we started our celebration. Then it followed with per-concert snacks and an indeed impressive Naxi ancient music concert. Actually it is wrong to be named as Naxi ancient music because this music is ancient Han/Chinese music. It has been so well preserved in Lijiang area, however has disappeared in the rest of China. Personally speaking, the most amazing thing is the members of the band, the majority is 70 to 80 years old nonni. When they presented at the beginning of the concert I thought they were there just for showing up. Image dozens of nonni with colorful Chinese traditional clothes, it is already a pretty good marketing method. Upon the music started they suddenly became all alive, energetic and active. All are with a unique ancient instrument. Xuanke, their band leader, a guy has spent his 1/3 life in the prison, is extraordinary. He is at his 70s. And it was my first time in China watching somebody freely said what he thought in the public. Hehe, his current un-replaceable position let nobody can do anything against him. That's pretty funny.
Then we ordered a 6-person-quantity Korean food for 2 of us. After a fight of eating, we went back for a good nanna.
D4: An's departure and my true adventure time
An left back to HK. And I moved from Mulaoye Inn to youth hostel.
I decided to take a noodle for my lunch. There I met Isabelle. She was alone too. It caught my attention that she managed to order her food from the kitchen, as the menu is written only in Chinese. Then we started to talk. She is a French movie producer arrived here for a documentary about Naxi culture. She was inside the mountains near Lijiang- a little village, which is not yet with electricity. We had a pleasant chatting and decided later on to have a Chinese massage and dinner together. So I went straight to left bank for my afternoon reading. It was really enjoying under the companion of nice French songs. Looking out from the window I saw the little water channel full of fishes. That's another fun of here, throwing little pieces of food to feed the fishes. After I took an hour of internet chatting with friends through msn, just to let them be jealous about where I was and what I was doing, I went back to the hostel.
Soon, I got to know my roommates, Daniel and Sonny- two NZ boys has been traveling around world. Sonny is a Chinese but went to NZ when he was 8, so he speaks good Chinese but hardly can read; Hirosawa- from the name is easy to tell he is a Japanese, a kind of nice type, only one among us really is making a local living inside the old town. No sightseeing, just talk with the girls working inside the hostel and tease with mimi ( their cat, a super chanmao谗猫, just few Yak meat let him become a super fan of mine, xixi); A girl - Molly, Cantonese girl but works in Shanghai; V - another weird guy, a Vietnam born Chinese, but with Australian passport and works in Melbourne, speaks cantonese but not Mandarin. Suddenly, I felt I was inside an international troop, with Chinese guys but speak English. Hehe, funny?
I decided to make the 2nd step as I felt I have been spending too long time in Lijiang. Sonny and Daniel went with me to get some info about Tiger leap gorge. The result is quite disappointing; the post everywhere shows out is just a kind of travel agent notice. I want to do with someone but not travel agent.
Rushed back I went to meet Isabelle. It sounds weird but true, I seldom make massage inside China, like an experience you might get here (inside a decent hotel at night there are some anonymous people calling for massage services, often they hang up the phone when they hear a woman's voice) But I do like massage, and I try to have in Thailand and Vietnam. So it was really brand new for me the Chinese type body massage. I was screaming at some certain points and I got sore everywhere!!!
Isabelle is a brave type. She wanted to try the hotpot, which came out very spicy, even for me. She was tearing when she ate. Even without feeling her lips it looked she enjoyed the food. At the end, she also treated me for the dinner. :-) Nice woman!!! 10 years elder than me, she had two babies, living with the babies' father but they are not married. It was something new for me. Excellent part of the travel: I always learn things.
Later comes to the part of Lugu lake...
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by gattomatto
11:17 AM
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Thursday, April 28, 2005
me on the tiger leap stone
For more photos of yunnan trip please check my photo album :-)
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by gattomatto
1:55 PM
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Thursday, April 21, 2005
Really pissed off with Magnetic
Last night I received an email from two college students in Netherlands saying they got my e-mail address from the big boss of Magnetic Germany. And they wanted me to help them for their Magnetic Autocontrol market research in China. Moreover, they have seen the presentation I did for Magnetic products in China...
What the hell is that???) I did a presentation to Magnetic because one year ago they would like to hire me after interviews with their big bosses in Germany and Australia.They called me back with specific answer that they wanted to hire me but it ended with no further news at all. And now, they passed my info to 2 college students. What they think?? I am a person with nothing to do and enjoy passing free of charge market information??
The bad thing is I have to turn down these two fresh students, who really hope I can help them for their research. Bastard!!! Why they don't simply ask the help of GM in Magnetic China, who is "no one is more expert than him" in the filed?? This quoted phrase is described by me in my reply to the students. Finally, I got my little revenge.
Now need a chocolate to reward myself. :-)
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by gattomatto
4:28 PM
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Saturday, April 16, 2005
Meili Snow Mountain
Here I am in Deqin, waiting for the 11:00AM bus from Deqin to Kunming. I will arrive at Kunming 9:00AM tomorrow.
I have to adjust my schedule as I stayed one more day in Deqin for the Mingyong Glacier. And I suppose I have spent too much time in lijiang as well. Anyway, I will write all things down once I am back Hong Kong.
Have to admit that I am really lucky this time, among the three days in Feilai temple, I got 2 days to see the main peak Kawaboge (6740M), specially the first morning all its 13 peaks have shown up...
Although it is not so high compared with Everest, mountain itself is full of legends and Tibetan Buddhism culture. It is considered one of the eight Holly Mountains for Tibetan people and has never been conquered by human beings. The famous story is in 1991 a climbing team of 17 members from both China and Japan attempted to climb the top. Failed at 6470M due to bad weather and the next morning they are all killed at Camp 3 (5100M) by the avalanche. Their bodies have been found only 7 years later in a place of Mingyong Glacier (4000M). That is indeed a tragedy. But the amazing part is during their trip to the peak, there are hundreds of local Tibetans and monks gathered in Feilai temple to pray not to allow them to reach the peak. And as they prayed the mountain got angry and killed all. But this story doesn't finish. 5 years later another expedition from China, Nepal and Japan wanted to climb again. They got a very similar weather forecast when they tried to reach the summit. Considering the bad experience they decided to return to Base camp in order to wait a better weather. But once they returned the peak showed a beautiful weather. Fooled by the weather the team returned once again but immediately came across with snowstorm. Again during their climbing there are monks and Tibetans from three monasteries nearby praying day and night to prevent this climbing. So the third and the last trial ended in vain. From that on, Meli Mountain has covered with a mysterious ring.
Since it is not so often to be seen by visitors, the people, who is able to see the peaks at the first time is regarded as really fortunate person. The joy I had that morning was really indescribable when I saw that 13 peaks.
Oh oh, have to rush to catch the bus. Is going to have a big pain in my ass. :-(
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by gattomatto
9:42 AM
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Monday, April 04, 2005
Happy birthday to myself
;-) :-) :-)
Suddenly realize in Hong Kong, 4th April is Children's day. Hehe funny... Instead in China, my birthday is only one day away from "qingming festival", not so exciting...:-(
Another good reason digged out to love HK.
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by gattomatto
6:49 PM
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Friday, April 01, 2005
购房小记 －看房记后续篇
原以为签好临时合同，就可以好好松一口气。下面的步骤就只是按步就班。所以很是高兴的开始计划去云南的旅行。不想麻烦不断。真应了这句“好事多磨”。。。
先是对方迟迟没有将临时合约回签。据说大老板去日本渡假(复活节)，这一拖就拖了一个多星期。昨天还告知说合约最早会在下星期三签还。我自然是暴跳如雷。生生要给推迟两周，结果自然是交房装修也会被推迟。同时还有银行贷款的问题，一天没有临时合约，就不能开始正式申请。无奈之后，只能接受现状。谁知峰回路转，今天却突然得知合约已于昨日签好。可是，我接下来的安排又不行。。。只好继续与对方商量。头痛之极。一直想当然的以为香港是法制社会，很多操作应该比国内正规的多。其实全然不是这样。我还是得象个刺猬，竖起浑身的刺以防一不小心吃亏了去。安说香港人究其根本就是海盗。他在香港一年的工作经验使他从乐观主义者越发走向悲观。在丛林中生活，不适应就只有被淘汰。但是为了适应而丧失一些很珍贵的本性，那就得不偿失了。
突然想起去年和诺诺的一番对话。她说她已经不适合在国内的生活。在日本近５年的生活，使她对中国式的丛林生活早已无法适应。虽说讨价还价有它的乐趣所在，但如果在任何事上都必须谨慎再谨慎，就很痛苦了。
终于在最后一刻，把所有的事情都安排妥当了。我将获得两周的清净。原本希望能呆到四月底回香港，可是理工大学的面试通知使我不得不再一次改变计划。不过这两周的时间可以让我完成丽江／泸沽湖／德钦／大理一线了。同时不会再次遭遇黄金周期间恐怖的人流和超不合理的价格。
呵呵，又可以上路啦。不知为什么这一路认识的朋友少了计算和提防后，我发现朋友这个定义可爱了许多。
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by gattomatto
3:21 PM
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