Day 1
Yippy, we are off to another overseas trip. This time, we are heading for Yunnan, China.
For this trip, we took Thai Airways.
Breakfast was served shortly after take-off. They have Carrot Cake.
And Scrambled Eggs.
We had to transfer at Bangkok Airport.
After a short rest, we made our way to the Boarding Gate.
And began the 2nd leg of our journey.
Lunch was served. They have Spicy Fish.
And Rice with Chicken. Both tasted fine.
The Coconut dessert was the best among all the food served.
We arrived at Kunming Changshui International Airport after another 2-hour flight. The airport itself was clean and tidy.
The immigration process was smooth and orderly. Unlike some airports we have been to.
As there were three of us, the primary mode of transport for getting around the city was e-hailing cars from the DiDi app. WeChat apps also provide a similar service. Most importantly, the fare was much cheaper than in my home country for the same distance travelled.
We arrived at our hotel after a short and comfortable ride. Most of their E-Hailing car are new Electric cars.
Our spacious room for the next few nights.
Wardrobe and washing area.
Our first destination was Dianchi (滇池)
During the winter season, seagulls flew here from Siberia to escape the cold. At sunrise and sunset, many people come here to hand-feed the seagulls.
We were told that the seagull preferred banana-flavored cake.
The place was crowded with people. The Seagull took all the banana cake from our hands.
The next destination was Nanqiang Street and its surrounding areas.
The whole place was lit up brightly.
We found out that Yunnan is dotted with such Flower Biscuit Shops.
We also visited another popular street, Nanping Street.
The place was also crowded with people.
For dinner, we decided on this 云线楼 restaurant.
The whole place was decorated like an old Chinese Eating House with a center stage for an Opera performance.
The kitchen area.
We ordered their famous Crossing-the-Bridge Rice Noodles (过桥米线). The portion was huge.
First Milk-Tea of the trip. More to come in the coming days.
We returned to the hotel early as we had 2 day-trip locations to attend to the next day.
Day 2
Breakfast was provided by the hotel.
This is the Mini-Bus that brought us around for our Day Trip. Our destination in the morning was the Stone Forest (石林). The journey was about 90 minutes non-stop.
At the ticket office, we were met by local guides who would show us around the Stone Forest. The first part of the visit was to take the electric buggy to the main entrance, which is 3km away. Remember to take the package that includes the buggy. Or else it would take you 1 hour to walk to the entrance.
We arrived at the main entrance after a short 5-minute ride.
This is the site map of the Stone Forest. We only cover a few of the important sites.
Some of the sites we visited. There is always a story for each of the stone formations.
According to the guide, this is considered the Low season.
We completed the site in 2 hours. Afterward, we bought some fruits from the local stalls. Some of the fruits were new to us.
Has anyone seen this fruit before? I tried the sample provided but didn’t like it.
Lunch was served at a nearby restaurant. Do you know what was beside the peanuts? Yes!!! Bamboo worms. Anyone interested?
After lunch, we ride the bus for another 90 minutes and arrive at our 2nd destination of the day: Jiuxiang (九乡).
The entrance to the site.
Jiuxiang Scenic Area (九乡) is famous for its vast underground cave systems, dramatic karst landscapes, and picturesque gorges. Jiuxiang is often called the “museum of karst caves.” We explored stunning limestone formations, roaring waterfalls, and crystal-clear underground rivers, all set within a lush, mountainous backdrop.
The Lion Hall (狮子厅)
The caves were lit up with colorful lights.
Outdoor bridge.
This is the Twin Waterfalls (双瀑布). It was also where the Chinese movie “The Myth” by Jacky Chan was filmed.
Another waterfall.
Those do not feel like walking back up can hire these carriers.
I wish I had hired them; it was quite a tiring uphill walk.
From the top of the walkway, we continued with a ropeway ride. It was the open-cage type, and it was quite fun.
That was the end of our day-trip. The bus brought us back to Kunming and dropped us off at GuanShang Old Street. (关上老街)
The streets were full of shops selling Silver, Tea, and souvenirs.
For dinner, we decided on 8 types of Mushrooms. Kunming’s specialty foods.
First, chicken and 8 different types of mushrooms were brought to the table.
They were placed into a hot pot and had to be cooked for 20 minutes before serving, as some mushrooms are poisonous.
After which, we added the other ingredients.
2nd cup of Milk/Fruit tea for the trip.
We had a train to catch the next day, so we called it a night and returned to the hotel.
See you in Dali.
