We got off the bus terminal and Jorn led the way into Lijiang Ancient Cultural Town. The sun was setting and we walked quickly through the twisty tiny streets, more like alley ways, filled with ancient architecture and decorated with wooden carvings. The streets were lit with warm red lanterns hanging over moon shaped archways and doors. I tried to keep up with Jorn as I looked around totally fascinated as we zipped through the streets. My head was pretty dizzy by the time I made it to the hostel. I could not remember where I was what and was totally disoriented. As it turns out Jorn's hotel is right across from mine.
This hostel had free internet and movie room. My first concern was laundry, access to washing my dusty stinky clothes and hot showers. The hot shower times were evening after people have checked in for the day and morning before people check out. Not having clarity in hot water times can result in very cold showers. My room was on the 4th floor, one bunk among the 9. It was the cheapest accommodation available and with ear plugs I didn't mind all the people in the room. The interesting part about the room set up is each bunk had its own curtain to close off the bunk. This little addition of separation made of sheet bedding material really made a big difference in the experience of privacy among the many.
In my room were two men who planned to travel to Sichuan by train. You would have to first take the first bus of the day to Pan Jr Hua for 57y, hop onto a local bus to the train station and then from there catch the last train to Emei at 5:10p for 130y on a hard sleeper top berth. These two men were heading out to Sichuan the next morning and said I could join them if I wanted to.
How interesting my trip has been, unplanned, no particular goal or direction, I don't even have a lonely planet guide, and I don't know how to search on the China Google engine "baidu", yet, the answers come just when I need it from where is my next destination and how to go about it, including where to sleep. This kind of traveling really scares some people, totally unorganized, destination free, ungoal oriented, without time constraint, completely about the process, the journey, the discoveries, no room for the categorizing of conventional travel success or failure.
On my 4th floor there is a beautiful deck and a lounge. The deck over looks the entire town of ancient architectural roofs lit by red lanterns. It was a beautiful and an amazing sight. I spent a lot of time looking at the view before going to bed that night. It was nostalgic and romantic in its own way.
My room was filled with Japanese tourists. They are heading to Vietnam by traveling south to the border, a country I would like to visit one day myself. They all spoke Japanese, they formed a group on the internet to do this trip together. This method I hear is quiet popular now, it is especially so in Hong Kong.
I dropped my bags off and set up my bed and organized the evening for myself. I wanted to walk around and see the town even though I was very tired, plus I desperately needed to locate an ATM that will take my card. I walked to the main eating area and checked out what was popular. I followed the river and walked over many arched bridges. The entire town was red in the evening lit by the red lanterns. I discovered hot pot or shabu-shabu was the most popular here. People don't actually come with their families. That this was a popular company, staff retreat, or vacation spot in China. Most sit down spots are catered to groups. I ended up with BBQ vegetable and rice cake kabobs for dinner. It is an easy way to get a variety of vegetables for my diet without extra additives. It is simply cooked over wood and dusted with salt and pepper.
On the way back to rest for the evening I passed by the cultural performance area where dancers performed cultural dances and sang tribal songs. Other parts where there were bars, also had karaoke and I think people who are drunk or maybe they weren't but just sing terribly should really spare everyone else's ears. Or maybe this is just the tactic of bar owners to get everyone else to drink more so they wouldn't mind the terrible singing and they are not going to remember a thing the next day anyway.
After returning to the hostel, I picked up my machine washed laundry to hang dry. I ended up befriending the entire female staff at the hostel. I don't know how this happened, or may be I just don't remember but that's how it worked out. They wanted to hang out with me and chat with me. We had to schedule times for different days during their off work hours to do so.
On the same floor a man from Shanghai chatted with me about going to Zhong Dian. He asked me what my plans were after Lijiang. I planned to go to Sichuan to Mt. Emei. He told me I shouldn't take the train or bus that it is all too difficult and confusing that I would get lost, etc.... He went on and on only to fill me up with fear, all to sell his pitch about how I need a man to travel with and he is the candidate and that I need to go to Zhong Dian with him because it's a good place to travel. He didn't understand that I just came from there or maybe he didn't care and just wanted some one to accompany him. I didn't fall prey.
After shower, I crawled into bed and realized I was in a bit of cultural shock or shock of some sort. I had just come from the quiet town of Yubeng where there are less than 20 families and no more than two dozen tourist, surrounded by pristine majestic wild mountain where the lives stock graze right in front of your door steps and the only noise is really the pigs squabbling, to a kind of Universal Studio type place full of people, tight alleys, and things to buy everywhere. I was in shock from sensory overload. Maybe I am just tired and in need of good rest that I haven't had in the last two weeks.
