Sep 1, 2008 - Arriving in the village - Yunnan, China

As we packed out things for the next 6 months in the village, we are filled with mixed emotion.As we packed out things for the next 6 months in the village, we are filled with mixed emotion....

May 1, 2008 - 'South of the Clouds'

The air is clean and crisp (quite a change from our first 10 days in China) and the temperature is perfect! We made a somewhat crazy (perhaps delusional) decision after a 20 hour train to hop onto a night sleeper bus (that very same day) in attempts to get to our most Northern destination (Lijiang) as quickly as possible. ... Arriving in Lijiang, still delirious from our dehabilitating bus ride, was like being transported into an old Chinese fairytale. ... Lijiang is a beautiful maze of narrow cobblestone streets, ancient Naxi (traditional minority group of the area) architecture, and intricate man made waterways which once powered the city. ... We caught a bus from Lijiang and headed north to begin the trek of the Tiger Leaping Gorge 虎跳峡. ... In order to catch the bus back to Lijiang we had to catch a "ferry" across the Yangtze. ...

Nov 3, 2007 - Lijiang

We arranged our air tickets so that we could fly from Jiuzhaigou to Chengdu with a connecting flight on to Lijiang. ... We arrived at the Lijiang airport around 8:00 pm and when we went to hail a taxi we were surprised to see all the drivers milling around were sturdy-looking women. ... This was our introduction to the Naxi ethnic minority; we would come to admire them more and more as we got to know several women while we were in Lijiang. ... I should tell you a little about the city of Lijiang. ... It came with a factory defect, so I stick close to 'Vicki the Navigator'! The city of Lijiang is situated on a plateau about 2000m above sea level and towering above the tile roofs to the northwest, is the colossal Yulong Xueshan (Jade Dragon Snow Mountain). ...

Nov 1, 2007 - Lijiang

Hi Everyone, Well we decided at the last moment to skip Dali and go straight to Lijang.Hi Everyone, Well we decided at the last moment to skip Dali and go straight to Lijang....

Sep 26, 2007 - Lijiang - Yunnan Province (SW China)

We've flown through Hong Kong to Kunming and onto Lijiang. ... At Lijiang we caught up with a couple of comrades (that's the term we use here) Cass a fellow river ecologist of Mel's working in Beijing and Nicole an old friend of mine from Broken Hill. ... At the center of Lijiang is an old city that was built over 800years ago in the Song Dynasty and has kept its architecture intact since that time. ... Lijiang is situated in a valley bordered by high mountain ranges, the biggest mountain being called the "Jade Dragon Snow Mountain", so much better than Austrailian names eg Mt Lofty, Blue Mountains. ...

Sep 8, 2007 - Return to Lijiang (and a trip to nearby Baisha)

Time has run out for Claire in Lijiang, so we have a late night out on the town after returning from Zhongdian, and then make the most of Claire's final day by hiring a bike and going to the nearby town of Baisha, some 9 k's from Lijiang. ... Then it was back to Lijiang and we said our goodbye's in the early evening, and I took an early night. ...

Sep 4, 2007 - Lijiang

Lijiang old town is easily the most touristy Chinese town I've seen. ... Despite the fact that chinese tour groups overrun the place from mid-morning onwards and 99% of all shops are geared towards the tourist trade in some way, the old town with its cobbled streets, little alleyways and canals make it well worth a visit.Lijiang old town is easily the most touristy Chinese town I've seen. ... Despite the fact that chinese tour groups overrun the place from mid-morning onwards and 99% of all shops are geared towards the tourist trade in some way, the old town with its cobbled streets, little alleyways and canals make it well worth a visit....

Jul 31, 2007 - Hong Kong to Lijiang

July 24-31 We arrived in Hong Kong on the 24th and took the train to Guangzhou on the 25. Now we are in Lijiang. ... It's a small city in the mountains, where the "old city" has been preserved, all cobbled lanes, canals, grey tiled roofs and red lanterns.July 24-31 We arrived in Hong Kong on the 24th and took the train to Guangzhou on the 25. Now we are in Lijiang. ... It's a small city in the mountains, where the "old city" has been preserved, all cobbled lanes, canals, grey tiled roofs and red lanterns....

Jul 22, 2007 - Lijiang

Just up the road from Dali (in Chinese terms, though actually as far as London to Birmingham)is the ancient town of Lijiang. ... Lijiang made its way onto the seemingly illimitable Unesco World Heritage List in 1999, three years after it withstood an earthquake which destroyed much of the modern city surrounding it. ... Though the network of narrow, cobbled streets, wooden houses and cute bridges crossing bubbling mountain streams are undeniably pretty, the overall effect is that Lijiang is too pristine to be true; a kind of Chinese Legoland. ... The original town planners of Lijiang had certainly not anticipated how popular it might become in 800 years' time when coach loads of tourists would cram themselves into the winding passageways day after day. ... The problem for Lijiang is that you just can't fit a 45 seater bus down its streets and so panic ensues as tour groups collide and party members lose sight of which yellow flag it was that they were supposed to be following. ...

Jan 26, 2007 - Lijiang

So here we are in one of China's ancient cities and I must say, this is one of the most lovely places I have seen in China.So here we are in one of China's ancient cities and I must say, this is one of the most lovely places I have seen in China....

Oct 24, 2006 - Lijiang

Lijiang promised to be a fascinating place according to the guide book, and actually was. ... Tour guide flags were a wavin' everywhere you looked! Lijiang town is set between several streams that run the whole length of town. ... What turned out to be the highlight of the trip to Lijiang was a visit to Tiger Leaping Gorge. ... We were feeling bad that we were causing them to go so slow as we thought that we would all be too late to catch the bus back to Lijiang. ... As feared, the last bus had already left for Lijiang! There was a guy with a four by four and he offered to take us to Lijiang for twice the going rate. ...

Oct 8, 2006 - Lijiang

Lijiang is very similar to Yangshuo and Dali in that it is a tourist trap. ... Lijiang's most famous feature is the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. ... Unfortunately, the weather was overcast while we were there so we did not see the mountain.Lijiang is very similar to Yangshuo and Dali in that it is a tourist trap. ... Lijiang's most famous feature is the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. ... Unfortunately, the weather was overcast while we were there so we did not see the mountain....