We found WiFi tonight in a bar in Shangri-La old town. We’re now at the end of our 3rd day on the tour in rural-ish China.

The countryside is amazing, particularly today, but even these small ‘towns’ are more like cities-probably bigger than Leeds, just made very recently in the ‘old style’ to attract tourists-mostly Chinese- with a few white people thrown in. We’ve seen 4 today!

We left Chengdu by flying to Kunming where the tour company was based (1 1/2 hrs, 90 quid). We killed some time in the afternoon, mostly by eating and visiting a market selling fruit, birds, puppies and snakes/reptiles/rabbits/birds. Absolutely no idea what was for eating and what wasn’t! It doesn’t help that Troy, my student, gets his pronunciation muddled sometimes and keeps asking us if we want to eat ‘snakes’ – but he definitely means snacks!

At the end of the day we took a sleeper train to Dali (11pm-6am) – it terms out that the term ‘sleeper’ was a bit of a joke. Bunk beds 3- tiers high (i was in the middle and i reckon my bunk was as wide, long and tall as my coffin will be one day!) the Chinese man below me snored and wouldn’t let us open the window so it was stiflingly hot, and the train stopped on a very regular basis, presumably to let a train coming towards us use a passing track, and would indicate this by sounding the horn, every 30 mins all night long. When we got to Dali i had a right grump on!

We were met at the train station and taken for breakfast (rice porridge, kind of. Think hot water with rice pudding at the bottom. Then try eating it with chopsticks…)

Our first trip of the day was to a TV set for a show that we’ve never heard of. It was about a princess and an emperor and possibly some dragons. I can’t remember what was true and what me and Flea made up to amuse ourselves. Troy was impressed by it all anyway. After that we went round the old town (recently built) and looked at lots of tat but didn’t buy any. It started to rain.

We got taken round a lake, still raining (about 18 degrees!) and visited an island with stuff on it, then got the ferry back. We watched some dances about tea on the ferry (I’m not sure they were supposed to be funny) and then got dragged by the tour guide round a jade shop and a silver shop. He was angry that we didn’t buy anything. Oh well.

Our hotel room that night was awful- we had to change- and eventually got one that was clean but there was still a broken shower held together by string and limited hot water. Guess that’s what happens when you go 2* in China…

On day 2 we went to LiJiang and visited the old town- more tat and more rain, but got some good food from the BBQ street vendors. They tried to take us to a lake where they were going to charge us extortionate amounts of money to ride horses /see birds (like £60) but we refused and so annoyed our 2nd tour guide. Think they get commission for these extra places they try to take us to.

Then we went to another old town (Shuhe) which was very very pretty but still full of tourists, tat (and rain). Had lovely rivers running throughout though so was a nice place to spend the afternoon.

In the evening, our hotel was cleaner but still no hot water. We stayed in (pot noodles for tea!) having been promised that we’d get hot water eventually but it never happened. Oh well!

Today we spent 6 hours in the van going from LiJiang to Shangri-La but it was by far the best day yet. In the morning we travelled past Jade Dragon Mountain which would have been stunning if it weren’t for clouds and rain.

Clouds started to clear when we got to the First Bend of the Yangtze River so had some lovely views of paddy fields and lots of water and mountains. After lunch we went to Tiger Leaping Gorge – one of the best things I’ve ever seen. Google search for images if you want to avoid looking through my photos!

Finally we spent most of the afternoon driving higher and higher and further north to Shangri La – we’re now at 3100m above sea level.

Today’s guide tried to convince us to buy oxygen masks on the way here -con artist- luckily we knew better. On the way here we travelled across some awesome plains with yaks grazing, Tibetan flags strung up across stone temples and huge groups of people watching bare-back horse racing: it looked like a scene from Last Man Standing. The guide also tried to con us into buying silver swords (he promised they’d get through airport security!), hiking gear, and spending a night in a local persons house watching dancing and singing because ‘Tibetan people are violent and it’s not safe in Shangri La at night’.

We asked him why it wasn’t safe and he said it was because our hotel is near a bus station and a night club! We pointed out that we’re from Leeds (he didn’t understand) and that we’ve managed to survive 3 weeks in huge Chinese cities where the cars and motorbikes drive on the pavements and ignore pedestrian crossings.

Anyway, he was annoyed again that we didn’t do what he said but we’re having a lovely evening browsing the old town, eating yak meat, and avoiding all kinds of danger presented by buses and bars. Actually, the bars might be dangerous as i don’t know how beer goes down at altitude – though i have a good idea. I’ll let you know!

Tomorrow we go to a Tibetan Buddhist monastery (i think) and perhaps hot springs. That’s not on the schedule so i don’t know how awkward the tour guide’ll be – we’re meant to be going to a national park but due to the rain we don’t think it’s worth it.

Tomorrow eve we’re back in LiJiang for shopping and then the next day i cant remember whats happening – but it’ll end with another train back to Kunming over night.

Once there we’re having a day trip to the stone forest (again get on google images) and then fly to HK on the 7th.