Wednesday, December 10th, 2003 – Day 295
The station was only 5 minutes from the hotel. The bus to Kunming was at 8.45am. I had written the date and destination down so the ticket seller could understand. There were about a dozen people on the bus. It was a quite long 9 hour journey but the scenery made up for me. It was so vast and big from the resevoir lakes I saw 3 hours in to the mist covered mountains. I looked the mixture of green rice paddies and near red clay. It went on as far as the eye could see. I was glued to it. Indeed I finally understood the size of this Country. My 9 hour journey barely makes a dent and I know now I must spend my month in Yunnan Provence only.
We stopped once for lunch which was nice. The toilets in China are brutal. The piss and crap areas face each other. To go for a crap there are 4/5 holes in the ground with a knee high wall separating them. There is no water or toilet paper. As you go you look over to see 3 or 4 other people beside you squatting own and look head to see 3/4 other going for a piss 2 feet away. Its very public. I suppose if used in the west it would stamp out gay toilet sex.
We got to Kunming at 5.30pm. it was getting dark and I walked towards my chosen hotel. I passed it twice. The reception looked too posh. Anyway I booked in a single room with shared bath for 40 Yuan. I don’t get a key. Its a massive building with 8 floors. Its pretty Stanlist with floor attendant (cue: bulky woman in uniform) ion each floor. You need to ask them to open your door. If you go to the toilet (more public craping and uni-sex showers) you close the door and have to ask them to reopen it.
It a big city with a Urban Population of 1.69 million. There are some massive buildings here and its like Blade Runner with large flashing neon lights. Some Neon signs are as big as houses.
History: inhabited by Chinese for 2000 years; remaining a remote outpost until the 8th century, thereafter, becoming a secondary capital of the kingdom of Nanzhao which centered to the northwest of it at Dali, obtained wide fame in the Ming dyansty. It is one of the major cities that mainland Chinese go to as tourists, over 2,000,000 per year, with another 800,000 foreign tourists visiting annually. The city is nicknamed “City of Spring” due to the fact that it is covered all the year round with the rich verdure of trees and plants. Endowed with a pleasant climate, the city’s 15,000 square kilometres of land is adorned with more than 400 kinds of flowers.
I stayed in the local area buying fried potatoes for 1 Yuan and looking at the DVD shops and markets. DVDs are only 6 Yuan.
It was a very cold and wet night. Luckily the hotel provided 2 blankets as well as a duvet. I had a bad sore throat and a cough. The hotel is called the KunHu Fandian at Beijing Lu (Going North from the Train or Bus stations) and is a big red building plenty of dormitories for 25 Yuen Renminbi and 4 beds. (Shared bathroom)
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Kunming (10-12-2003)
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Click on the picture to see it in its original size
Kunming (10-12-2003)
Thursday, December 11th, 2003 – Day 296
I walked to the the Camelia Hotel (Chahua Binguan) where you can find also the Lao Embassy. I need a Laos Visa to get out of the country to make my way back to Bangkok for my flight to Hong Kong. It is 270 Yan for a 15 Days VISA which you get in 3 working says. As I want to leave Saturday I had to get an express visa (ready next day) for 400 Yuan. I still had a sore throat.
I spent the rest of the day walking round the city centre. I visited the Bank and different parks. It was quite nice. I found it hard to find a NET cafe. It took me a few hours. I finally found one near the park for 3 Yuan an hour. You can get access at the Camelia Hotel for 10 Yan an hour. If took me 1 hour to walk from the NET CAFE to my hotel.
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Click on the picture to see it in its original size
Kunming (11-12-2003)
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Click on the picture to see it in its original size
Kunming (11-12-2003)
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Click on the picture to see it in its original size
Kunming. They excercise at night and in the mornings. Will describe in greater dstail later on. (11-12-2003)
Friday, December 12th, 2003 – Day 297
I was up at 9.00am. It was cold but dry. I wanted to go to Qiongzhu Si ( Bamboo Temple ). There was a public bus stop for buses thee (12km) but when I got there there was none to find. A lady wanted to drive me for 20 Yuan (2 euro). Its normally round 8 Yuan but I was stuck and I still had a cold. It took about 25 minutes to get there.
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Kunming Bridge. Many birds as people fed them. Thousands of the feckers… (11-12-2003)
On the Yuan Hill and about 12 km northwest of Kunming is the bamboo Temple. It was the first temple built after Zen Buddhist was introduced to Yunnan early in 1279 when a Buddhist Master gave a Buddhist sutra to Hubelei Han (the first emperor of the Yuan Dynasty).
The present Bamboo temple was rebuilt in the Guangxu Era (1833 to 1890).The group sculpture of five hundred arhats colored and molded by Li Guangxiu, a great sculptor from Sichuan and his disciples.
The entire architecture of the Bamboo Temple was built with the natural landscape of the hills. It consists of five ports, including Tianwang (Heaven King) Temple, Fanyin Pavilion (with 216 arhats images), Tiantailai Pavilion (with 216 arhats images), Daxiong Temple (with 68 arhats) and Huayan Pavilion (rebuilt in October, 1989).
In the temple, there are many historic relics, such as the ” Tower Stele in Memory of the Death of the Eloquent Buddhist Master ” , ” Imperial Edict Stele ” in Mongolian and Chinese languages as well as scenery spots, including peacock fir of Yuan Dynasty, Courtyard of Depository of Buddhist Texts and Cemetery of Monks.
From the Bamboo Temple, a one kilometer long winding path among mountains will lead you to the Country Park which was just built in 1990.
Entrance was 4 Yuan (.40 Cent). It was nice interesting. Many locals were burning incense sticks and praying. As mentioned above I had meant to get a bus at the Dianchi Cinema and the entrance of Yunnan Hotel. The public transport in Kunming is really good and you can use the bus to go everywhere except to the Bamboo temple where you must get the public bus and a private minivan where you can?t go further.
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Click on the picture to see it in its original size
Kunming (11-12-2003)
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Click on the picture to see it in its original size
Kunming (11-12-2003)
On the way back I waved down a passing min-van. He did not understand the Roman or Chinese characters in the he Lonely Planet but his gestures assured me he was OK and would get me into some part of the city. It was 5 Yan. He dropped me off at a bus station. I had seen the number 26 bus pass my hotel and chose that. You drop your money into a big bucket. I did not know hoe much to pay, so I dropped in 2 Yuan. It brought me to my hotel. I got back for 7 Yuan.
I then walked to the bus station where I purchased a ticket to Dali for 64 (6.40 Euro) Yuan. It leaves at 7.40am. I had lunch nearby. For 4 Yan, I got a bowl of rice and my choice of four meals or vegetables. I then walked to the Laos Embassy for my Visa. it was ready. Alot of walking done today.
After looking for hours for a NET cafe yesterday, I found three today within 100 metres f each other. Prices are 1.5 Yuan an hour. Puts the 10 Yuan an hour at the Cmaelia into perspective. You can buy all the Sopranos series, Ally McMeal, Buffy Angel here for nothing. Very bulky though and I doubt I would watch them later.
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Click on the picture to see it in its original size
Hekou (09-12-2003)