China

Looks more like a mountain hike than a gorge hike, huh? Day One was about the mountains, while Day Two was for the gorge.

Looks more like a mountain hike than a gorge hike, huh? Day One was about the mountains, while Day Two was for the gorge.

About 40 miles north of Lijiang was a destination we’ve had in mind for years, Leaping Tiger Gorge. With a distance of some 12,400 feet from river to the mountain peak it is one of the deepest gorges in the world, and the 18- or 20-mile hike up in the mountains and ultimately down to the river (and back out again!) is one of the great hikes we’ve ever done. We had delayed the hike while in Lijiang for two days to give the rainy weather that was forecast a chance to clear. Boy, did that work out for us: with temperatures in the 40s and 50s and nary a cloud in the sky, it was perfect for hiking.

The gorge is created by the Jinsha River, part of the upper Yangtze River. Legend has it that, to escape a hunter, a tiger leaped across the river at the narrowest point (and our ultimate destination). Given how steep the cliff face was on one side of the gorge it’s hard to imagine where a tiger would have gone to, but it still creates a pretty nice name.

Down in the Jinsha River, where the tiger escaped a hunter and our ultimate destination

Down in the Jinsha River, where the tiger escaped a hunter and our ultimate destination

For us, as for nearly all hikers on the route, Tiger Leaping Gorge is a two-day affair. The “upper trail” as the main route is known, runs along the western side of the Jinsha River, mostly high up in the mountains. The first thing that struck us was the majesty and beauty of the mountains across the river. We’d been expecting more views of the gorge but in fact overwhelmingly what you were looking at was beautiful Jade Snow Mountain. Here on the edge of the Tibetan Plateau we finally encountered the snow-covered mountainous terrain that we’d been expecting to see in Bhutan but never did.

And so we hiked. Up, up, and further up that first day. We hit the trail just about the same time as Frederick, a 20-something Danish law student studying for a semester in Beijing. As the route turned steep Mark and I took great pleasure when he told us to continue on, he needed a rest. And up and up it went, before starting down into one of the remote villages in the area. That going down part was particularly disconcerting as we knew we had not yet reached the high point of the trail; we would have to climb back up every step we went down. Once we started back up we went through a series of 28 “bends” or switchbacks before reaching the high point. Let there be no question: that was a workout.

Mark up in the mountains

Mark up in the mountains

Me, too

Me, too

We’d made a reservation at the delightfully named Come Inn in a village known as Halfway, only to discover on the trail that Halfway is about two-thirds of the way to the end of the official trail. After having stopped for a surprising lunch – we didn’t know we would pass through a village with a hiker-serving guesthouse – we made it into Halfway about 4:00 PM, making for a solid six-hour hike. The inn was basic, with one of the hardest beds I’ve ever slept on, but it had hot water, decent food, and stunning views of the mountain face. At $40 for a room with our own mountain-viewing balcony, we weren’t complaining.

Did I mention it was cold up there? Our bags were heavy with cold-weather gear, which seemed silly while we were sweating and hiking. When we got to Halfway, though, and the sun went down, we were glad we'd packed it all.

Did I mention it was cold up there? Our bags were heavy with cold-weather gear, which seemed silly while we were sweating and hiking. When we got to Halfway, though, and the sun went down, we were glad we’d packed it all.

The next morning we were up and on the trail by maybe 9:00 AM. It was a surprisingly short and relatively easy trip down to Tina’s, a guesthouse that marks the end of the official, government-sponsored trail. We’d read that from there you can hike down to the bottom of the gorge, even to the very rock where from which the legendary tiger had leapt. We had plenty of time before our 3:30 bus to Shangri La, so off we headed with some of the friends we’d made along the trail.

It was a little shocking just how far down the river actually was, knowing that after getting there we would have to climb back every step of the way. Still, being in the gorge, after hiking above it the day before, was spectacular and made for a great counterpoint to the previous day’s hike: one day up in high elevation with views of the mountains and one day down along the river with views of the gorge itself.

Looking downstream in the gorge

Looking downstream in the gorge

So we loved it. A couple days later and we’re still a bit sore, but it was totally worth it. And we had fun meeting some of the other hikers, all, of course, much younger than us. Frederick the Danish student. Frank and Andy, the former a Dutch student who’s just finishing a 15-month break from that life, and the latter a New Zealander who works when he needs to and hikes or bikes when he can. I was kind of upset to learn that he once biked from Alaska to Argentina, putting my little Alaska to Minnesota trip in 1982 to shame. Paula and Alfredo, a Spanish couple traveling in Southeast Asia for several months before returning to their home in Berlin. A professional photographer whose client – the Aman hotel chain – pays her to travel to fabulous places, stay in their fabulous hotels eating their fabulous food, and take pictures. A French woman traveling alone who made the same wrong turn we did (as did just about every other hiker we talked to; the one place the trail was poorly marked) and who took the great picture of us at the top of the blog.

The three-hour bus ride from Tina’s to Shangri La was hell, but that’s OK: the hike was worth the years we’ve waited to do it.

Loved these views of the mountains

Loved these views of the mountains

Early in the hike. The trails were good and mostly well-marked, but you really didn't want to slip off...

Early in the hike. The trails were good and mostly well marked, but you really didn’t want to slip off…

Mark working his way gradually up the mountain

Mark working his way gradually up the mountain

After a lot of climbing the first day we hiked down into this village, knowing we would have to climb all the way back out again

After a lot of climbing the first day we hiked down into this village, knowing we would have to climb all the way back out again

Blue sky, snow-capped mountains, and cool weather - we were pretty happy

Blue sky, snow-capped mountains, and cool weather – we were pretty happy

At one point along the trail we had to share it with these goats. And yes, Mark petted that cute one closest to him.

At one point along the trail we had to share it with these goats. And yes, Mark petted that cute one closest to him.

The river really was that green

The river really was that green

Didn't think I'd write a blog without cherry blossoms did you?

Didn’t think I’d write a blog without cherry blossoms did you?

Blue skies and big mountains makes for a happy hike

Blue skies and big mountains makes for a happy hike

There were lots of signs along the way. In many cases the translation was presumably lacking.

There were lots of signs along the way. In many cases the translation was presumably lacking.

Here I am hiking up the trail. Turns out, though, it wasn't the trail we were supposed to be on, so back down we went. Pretty much everyone we talked to that night and the next day had made the same wrong turn.

Here I am hiking up the trail. Turns out, though, it wasn’t the trail we were supposed to be on, so back down we went. Pretty much everyone we talked to that night and the next day had made the same wrong turn.

On Day Two we hiked down into the gorge. That's Andy & Frank with Mark, a couple of very fun guys

On Day Two we hiked down into the gorge. That’s Andy & Frank with Mark, a couple of very fun guys

The bridge over to the rock from with the legendary tiger leapt. Not sure how stable and secure it was, but it worked for us at least.

The bridge over to the rock from with the legendary tiger leapt. Not sure how stable and secure it was, but it worked for us at least.

One of innumerable gorgeous streets in Lijiang. This was early morning; later in the day these streets are just packed with Chinese tourists.

One of innumerable gorgeous streets in Lijiang. This was early morning; later in the day these streets are just packed with Chinese tourists.

Next stop on our Yunnan exploration was Lijiang up in the northwestern part of Yunnan. While the city as a whole has over a million people, tourists come here for the UNESCO-recognized Old Town. It’s as though you took the town of Dali and put it on steroids, just vastly more people and shops and lights and music and all that. Along one stretch just off the main square is club after club after club, all playing loud music, often live, with dancers on stage and bright pulsing lights and everything – and all going strong at 9:00 PM. At first I wasn’t too happy about being here, as it was just too touristy and intense. After a couple days, though, I came to appreciate it a little more.

While the old towns in Kunming and Dali that we’ve enjoyed on this swing through China have been fairly compact, Lijiang’s old town is almost three square miles in area and just a jumble of winding cobblestone streets, barely wide enough for the millions of Chinese tourists who come here. With no grid and almost no street signs, you’re all but guaranteed to get lost here as I did repeatedly. You think you’ve figured out how to get back to your hotel and … BAM! … you took a wrong turn and you’ll never find your way out.

Have I mentioned that it's cherry blossom season here? And that when we're done here we fly north to Japan where it'll be cherry blossom season all over again?

Have I mentioned that it’s cherry blossom season here? And that when we’re done here we fly north to Japan where it’ll be cherry blossom season all over again?

For all of the challenges here – the crowds, getting lost, the noise – it’s easy to see why UNESCO would recognize the cultural importance of Lijiang. It was another important way station on the ancient Tea-Horse Road connecting China to India through Tibet. It was also the political and cultural capital of the Naxi people, still the primary minority ethnic group here. Interestingly, according the Lonely Planet anyway, the written Naxi language is the only hieroglyphic language still in use.

Even more interesting, the Naxi were a distinctly matrilineal culture. The matriarch is the dominant figure in the family, and a child’s paternity was considered relatively unimportant. Daughters, not sons, inherited property and village disputes were judged by elderly women. This even extends to the Naxi language: when the word for “female” is added to a noun, the word is enlarged, while the word for “male” diminishes the noun. Thus a “female stone” is a boulder, while a “male stone” is a pebble.

Mark on one of the Old Town's picturesque streets

Mark on one of the Old Town’s picturesque streets

Our activities here consisted of walking around, getting lost, walking around some more, and getting lost some more. Because the economy is overwhelmingly aimed at Chinese tourists it was sometimes a struggle to find restaurants with English translations but eventually we succeeded. One day we walked to the neighboring town of Shuhe, close enough that it’s also part of the UNESCO heritage district, and that was fun. We continue to be astounded that outside of tourist areas we find just mile after mile of what certainly look to be comfortable middle class developments.

We thought we were going to ride a big cable car up Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, a huge snow-covered mountain that sits behind Lijiang, making it feel more like Switzerland than what I imagine China to be like. Sadly it was not to be. We took a taxi out of town maybe a half hour to get there only to discover that because of the weather the cable car and hiking trail were both closed. Kind of a wasted trip.

I spent one lovely afternoon in the park around Black Dragon Pool just north of the Old Town. Oh, and did I mention cherry trees?

I spent one lovely afternoon in the park around Black Dragon Pool just north of the Old Town. Oh, and did I mention cherry trees?

Lijiang bustles at night

Lijiang bustles at night

We were supposed to be in Lijiang for three nights and then we would be off to hike nearby Tiger Leaping Gorge. The weather, however, had other ideas. When we got to Lijiang the weather was beautiful, but it soon turned cold and wet. When we checked the forecast, we saw more cold and rain for the two days we were supposed to be on the trail. After that, though, it is supposed to turn sunny and relatively warm, so we just extended our stay here two days. As I write this the night before our departure the forecast still looks perfect for the next two days so it seems to have been a good choice.

Finally, one last word on an oddity that just perplexes us here: the challenge of getting tea in restaurants. I’ve heard it said or at least implied that there’s a lot of tea in China. Yet overwhelmingly when we go into a restaurant they bring us a pitcher of hot water, with nothing to turn it into tea. Just hot water. Mark, of course, has been studying Chinese and can ask for tea. Usually they don’t understand what he’s asking for and will just point at the hot water. Occasionally we’ll see tea on the menu, and then it’s often more than many or even most of the dishes. I can accept that you don’t get cold water at a restaurant here, ever; it’s just not what they do. But tea? Never did I imagine it would be one of our most challenging issues.

Tea is a problem but the food is still amazing. This meal included, clockwise from upper right, a pork and pepper dish, the best cucumber salad we've had, yak stew (it was as good as you might expect yak meat to be), and kung pao chicken. I'll be happy to see menus that are easy to order from, but the food here - particularly the local fresh vegetables - is great.

Tea is a problem but the food is still amazing. This meal included, clockwise from upper right, a pork and pepper dish, the best cucumber salad we’ve had, yak stew (it was as good as you might expect yak meat to be), and kung pao chicken. I’ll be happy to see menus that are easy to order from, but the food here – particularly the local fresh vegetables – is great.

Next stop, two days hiking Tiger Leaping Gorge, one of the deepest gorges in the world and a key reason I’ve wanted to come to Yunnan for years now. We’re hoping the weather forecast proves accurate.

Mark at lunch in the small town of Shuhe near Lijiang

Mark at lunch in the small town of Shuhe near Lijiang

Black Dragon Pool Park

Black Dragon Pool Park

And another shot from the park

And another shot from the park

Pretty much every afternoon we were here there were costumed, traditional dancers in the main square. Come nightfall, though, the dancers here are under neon disco lights!

Pretty much every afternoon we were here there were costumed, traditional dancers in the main square. Come nightfall, though, the dancers here are under neon disco lights!

Here we are in the Old Town

Here we are in the Old Town

Lunch al fresco. The first day we ate here it started raining, but we came back for better weather.

Lunch al fresco. The first day we ate here it started raining, but we came back for better weather.

The streets are all this beautiful

The streets are all this beautiful

A city of flowers

A city of flowers

Art

Art

We ate here twice. The name was - emphasis on past tense here - Blue Papaya Italian Restaurant. Except it wasn't Italian. At all. The TripAdvisor reviews were definitely a little confused by the name and the menu. My theory is that they thought "Italian" was an adjective that just meant good food. When they learned it was more specific they painted over the Italian so now it's just the Blue Papaya [pause] Restaurant.

We ate here twice. The name was – emphasis on past tense here – Blue Papaya Italian Restaurant. Except it wasn’t Italian. At all. The TripAdvisor reviews were definitely a little confused by the name and the menu. My theory is that they thought “Italian” was an adjective that just meant good food. When they learned it was more specific they painted over the Italian so now it’s just the Blue Papaya [pause] Restaurant.

We ate one meal at our hotel, something we don't normally do. But we were tired of struggling with difficult menus and we knew this one would be in English. That's shredded, dried yak on the right, some chicken something on top, and the spiciest stir fried chicken dish we've ever had below. We assumed they would "dumb it down" in a place where a lot of Western tourists stay, but boy were we wrong. Even Mark couldn't eat that one!

We ate one meal at our hotel, something we don’t normally do. But we were tired of struggling with difficult menus and we knew this one would be in English. That’s shredded, dried yak on the right, some chicken something on top, and the spiciest stir fried chicken dish we’ve ever had below. We assumed they would “dumb it down” in a place where a lot of Western tourists stay, but boy were we wrong. Even Mark couldn’t eat that one!

And yes, there were even nice places for Boston Bear to eat

And yes, there were even nice places for Boston Bear to eat

A fabulous lunch at a sidewalk cafe on the main old town street

A fabulous lunch at a sidewalk cafe on the main old town street

Shaxi is certainly one of the prettiest towns we’ve ever visited. It’s as though you’re walking through a movie set of Olde China. And in fact, it is apparently a common location for filming Chinese movies and TV shows.

This is a little town with a big history: starting from about a thousand years ago it was an important site on the old Tea-Horse Road that linked China through Tibet into India. India wanted China’s tea, China wanted Tibet’s horses, and thus a major trade route was born. Trade, you see, contrary to the current administration’s biases, can make both sides better off. The route was important into the 20th century, when it was used to carry supplies from India to the allies fighting the Japanese in China.

One of the almost ridiculously cute side streets in Shaxi

One of the almost ridiculously cute side streets in Shaxi

At any rate, while most of the way stations of the ancient Tea-Horse Road have been wiped away, Shaxi is considered the best preserved of the few remaining locations. And it is, indeed, just a pretty town where you can hang out, drink tea, have more great Chinese food, chill out … and drink vodka.

Sitting in the main square having tea was a pleasant way to spend a late afternoon

Sitting in the main square having tea was a pleasant way to spend a late afternoon

Shaxi's main square

Shaxi’s main square

Vodka, you ask, in China? On our first night we were walking home after dinner and passed a tiny little bar that had a couple bottles of Absolut on display. We stopped in and saw there were three flavors available, Ruby Red, Pears, and Vanilla; we chose the Ruby Red. The girl serving had to open the bottle as none of them had been opened yet. Then she poured the biggest shots ever. Huge. More than I would ever pour for myself. All for about $5 each. Typically we complain that if you ask for a shot of something they measure it so carefully and ensure that they give you a little less than a full shot to they don’t ever, ever spill anything. Not so here, just a very large free-hand pour. We went back the next night and same thing. In fact, after paying for two shots each, the bottle was over half gone. Best bargain ever.

And to make things just a little stranger, after our first night we walked past the now-closed bar on our way to breakfast … and saw an empty Absolut Pears bottle on a table in the bar. Was that possible? There were a couple guys sitting at a table while we were there; had they drunk an entire bottle of vodka after we left? It appears so. When we went back that night the unopened bottle we’d seen was gone. That is some heavy drinking.

OK, that’s more about vodka than I probably needed to write. The big activity for us, besides just hanging around, was a climb out of town up to the Stone Bell Temple, some of which dates from the 9th century and includes a, well, unusual sculpture of what the plaque said in translation was a “female reproductive organ.” As the plaque puts it, “To find the worship of the female organ in a shrine so sacred to Buddhism is a unique feature in the Buddhist cave art not only of China, but of the whole world.” And you’ll only see it outside of Shaxi, after a pretty brutal, steep two-hour climb.

A pretty steep climb here. We thought that temple thing up there might be near the top but there was A LOT more to climb after we got that far.

A pretty steep climb here. We thought that temple thing up there might be near the top but there was A LOT more to climb after we got that far.

Views like this make the climb worthwhile

Views like this make the climb worthwhile

And finally, the Friday market. We were supposed to leave Friday morning for Lijiang but saw that there’s a famous weekly market in Shaxi on Friday morning, the kind of market that dates back to the town’s role on the Tea-Horse Road, so we decided to make a later-than-usual departure. At first it seemed like a pretty run-of-the-mill market, the only oddity that it was starting relatively late. We’re used to local markets getting going early, but by 9:00 it still wasn’t in full swing; my guess is that’s because at 7:00 or 8:00 AM the temperature is still in the 30s here. At any rate, once it was going it was actually pretty impressive; it just went on and on and on, a really huge market. And clearly meant for the local economy as opposed to some tourist thing.

Just some of the produce from Shaxi's famous and ancient market. The mushrooms here are particularly interesting, just a huge variety used in the local cuisine and we haven't died yet, at least.

Just some of the produce from Shaxi’s famous and ancient market. The mushrooms here are particularly interesting, just a huge variety used in the local cuisine and we haven’t died yet, at least.

And that was it for Shaxi, a quick two-day stop. Next we have three-night stay (or possibly four nights; we have one spare night before we fly from Yunnan) in Lijiang, perhaps the biggest of the tourist towns in the region.

We don't get a lot of cat pictures these days, but here's one. She wasn't that friendly, actually, but she was at least willing to pose briefly.

We don’t get a lot of cat pictures these days, but here’s one. She wasn’t that friendly, actually, but she was at least willing to pose briefly.

One of the walls at our cute little $60-a-night hotel in Shaxi.

One of the walls at our cute little $60-a-night hotel in Shaxi.

Another shot of the main square

Another shot of the main square

A view from the hike

A view from the hike

Me, trudging up, up, up...

Me, trudging up, up, up…

Shaxi is set in a valley with a ton of agriculture all around it. This field of blossoming ... something? one reference we saw online suggested it was a kind of  sorrel, but I wouldn't know ... made a great place for a long afternoon reading break.

Shaxi is set in a valley with a ton of agriculture all around it. This field of blossoming … something? one reference we saw online suggested it was a kind of sorrel, but I wouldn’t know … made a great place for a long afternoon reading break.

Mark is sitting on the ancient Yujin Bridge, once a part of the Tea-Horse Road

Mark is sitting on the ancient Yujin Bridge, once a part of the Tea-Horse Road

An artsy capture of tea

An artsy capture of tea

Mark is using Google Translate to help us in a restaurant where there was no English-language menu or even pictures to choose from. You turn on the app, hold your phone over the Chinese symbols, and your screen displays a reasonable translation. Amazing how technology makes all this possible.

Mark is using Google Translate to help us in a restaurant where there was no English-language menu or even pictures to choose from. You turn on the app, hold your phone over the Chinese symbols, and your screen displays a reasonable translation. Amazing how technology makes all this possible.

Breakfast both mornings was at this tiny little street stall up the hill from our hotel. The noodle soup contained more carbs than we should eat but it was amazingly good. And cost something like $1.10 each.

Breakfast both mornings was at this tiny little street stall up the hill from our hotel. The noodle soup contained more carbs than we should eat but it was amazingly good. And cost something like $1.10 each.

More food, this our first lunch in town. In back was a great eggplant dish while the dish on the left was some pork thing with pickled vegetables that was one of the best things we've had yet in China.

More food, this our first lunch in town. In back was a great eggplant dish while the dish on the left was some pork thing with pickled vegetables that was one of the best things we’ve had yet in China.

And another meal, beef with cucumbers in the upper right, that same pork-and-pickled thing we loved, and an egg dish with what the menu said was "tree bark." We're pretty sure it was mushroom, but whatever it was, it was great.

And another meal, beef with cucumbers in the upper right, that same pork-and-pickled thing we loved, and an egg dish with what the menu said was “tree bark.” We’re pretty sure it was mushroom, but whatever it was, it was great.