Lijiang

My plan is to merely report experiences throughout this week; internet connections are unreliable at many hostels, and I do not want to spend too much time blogging while traveling. Hopefully I will be able to upload photos within a few days too.

After flying into Lijiang we taxied to the 'Old Town' in search of a place to sleep. The Old Town is a preserved section of an originol Naxi settlement. The Naxi had been there hundreds of years merely paying China tributes in order to remain isolated. They are the last group still using a pictographic writing system. Now there is an influx of tourism and commercialization, but the Old Town keeps quite a charm. There are no cars allowed on the winding cobblestone streets, and most of the town is built on top of springs. Under every road there is running water. The downside of the Old Town is the repeating touristy junk shops throughout the windows, but there were tons of good restraunts, cafes, and guest houses. Although the Han have made a huge impact on the village, the Naxi culture is still strong.

An American teaching English in the area ran into us and recommended a cafe/bar to check out- The Sexy Tractor. The establishment was completely worth being at, with great food and company. They in turn recommended a hostel- Mama Naxi's. Mama Naxi is a loud and nearly overbearing host, but ends up incredibly helpful and welcome. We ate a 'family dinner' at the hostel and slept soundly. Mama's bannana pancakes provided a great breakfast, and she even arranged a bus for us to Tiger Leaping Gorge.