
Lijiang old town is a beautiful place to see in China. The small town has streams running under cobble stone foot bridges and through the town square. Shuhe is similar and a little less crowded. It's just a bus ride (or taxi) of 20 minutes out of Lijiang.

We skipped it.


We enjoyed talking with Mr Li in 龙余湖 Longyuhu. He had been in the Chinese army for some years back in the 50's and had a lot to talk about. He lived in a very modern looking stone house with an old tractor in front of it. I asked if I could take a picture and he was very agreeable. He asked me if I'd like to come inside, so we stepped into his entry area and snapped this picture. His town was at the base of Snow Mountain. The weather was perfect and the people friendly. One old man was squatting over a pile of boards, pulling out nails and straightening them. Our visiting friends talked with him while I snapped pictures.

But the woman in charge was not going to hear of it. She was firm and wouldn't give up a penny. She complained that we'd only make the horses sweaty and that would mean more work for her later, when she had to wipe them down.



We finally made it back up to our inn on the hill and watched the moon come up over the city. We opened a bottle of imported wine and talked of our experiences of the day while sitting on our veranda.
Travel is such an exhausting endeavor.
See the show:
Music: De Ushuaia A La Quiaca and Pampa by Ronroco.
(See the photos: Lijiang photos on Flickr.com.)
...dave
Happiness is not having what you want. It's wanting what you have.

Yet, some of the events we see everyday here are so strange that to describe them would make you think I was just making stuff up. They are just too weird to the American mind-set to absorb.
For example, we often go shopping in a high-end mall nearby. We can buy anything from photo equipment (Nikon pro cameras) to imported furniture from Thailand. There is even a jewelry floor of jade, diamonds, silver, gold, etc. Well, you get the idea.
Last week I paused in front of the photo store while a woman held her five year old son over a trash can to pee. When she saw me (a blue-eyed stranger) she turned toward me to stare. The result was that the aim of her boy and subsequent stream was diverted to the store glass behind the trashcan and then cascaded onto the floor.
The concept of small children using the bushes, public planter boxes, or even the store entry stairs for a toilet is beyond me. Yet, no one here seems to be the least bit bothered by this custom. Last Saturday a 10 year old kid used the Starbucks planter box seating area! It was not more than 20 feet from the entrance. His mother stood by checking her phone messages. Ten minutes later another kid used the planter box as a runway for his toy airplane, ran it through the "water" and flew it over his head.
I know you think I'm making this stuff up, but I swear to you, this is an everyday occurrence. In fact, every kid not potty trained wears "split pants" that is, pants with the crotch un-sewn. It's always open. The kid does not wear diapers. This is convenient for the parents. When the kid has to go, they hold the squatting kid in their arms over the closest gutter or sidewalk plant to relieve themselves.
And I used to complain about lazy dog owners walking their pets in the park.
...dave
Build a bridge and get over it. - Anon