YUNNAN - Too good to be true?

Kunming: Nicest city in China

My 1st stop in the Yunnan province was its capital, Kunming. The rather small city by China standards (nearly 4 million) sits at 6000 feet in elevation, yet somehow has a warm climate. Sparkling clean streets are lined with nouveau skyscrapers which dwarf the remnants of the quaint tiled roofs of the old town. Almost no one uses their horns, a pleasant reversal from Vietnam. Weekends bring countless people to the streets to sing, play music, or give other elaborate perfomances simply because, since the recent end of the prohibition of artistic expression during the cultural revolution, they now can. Large lakes and parks teeming with pink blooming cherry trees within the city limits make this one of China’s most livable cities.

Seeking sun 12 months later, I returned to “spring city”. I got some, but lots of wind and wacky weather as well. Knowing my way around a big city -as I spent 6 days there the previous year- is always a plus. Bought some more cheap DVDs (14 for $10) and some old-looking art for slightly more. The girl who sold me the art called me “xiao qi”, which I think translates to “tight-ass”, which might mean I didn’t get ripped off too bad. (more…)