Jingdong – Dali

Jingdong – Dali (Yunnan)
10th May 2014             215km          19-26’C

Today’s ride from Jingdong to Dali took us through rural villages and up mountains, climbing to 2500M at the highest point.  It started out as a dreary rainy day, but by 11am the sky had cleared to blue and it was perfect for riding at around 21’C.

I stopped to remove my raingear, and amused a few ladies by the side of the road, who were trying to sell strawberries.

Passing through Nanjian was interesting, it is one of those towns that has sprung out of nowhere.  Everything is brand new and shiny, new roads, huge new buildings, shops. It is like a city has just appeared in a matter of moments, in the middle of rural China.  The Chinese development machine is truly amazing.

I arrived in Dali in the early afternoon, and took a walk around the old town.  More amusement for the other tourists, all of which are Chinese. Dali is a tourism town, the old town is surrounded by an ancient stone wall and the streets, mostly pedestrian are filled with tourist-like stores. The mountain and lake backdrop to the town are its saving features.   Tonight a dinner of previously unseen vegetables and two large frogs, cooked in garlic & chilli.  I watched them being dispatched and prepared, and within minutes back on the table. Fresh!