Fenghuang is a very picturesque city in Western Hunan. It was developed as a tourist site about 8 years ago, so it retains some of it’s charm despite being thick with Chinese tourists. Along the lanes right next to the river there is loud music after 8 PM well into the night. During the day it’s halfway mellow.
That last one is of a local liquor store. Myung didn’t know exactly what was in those containers and we didn’t ask. It’s gotten almost boring to ask. Every region has it’s own firewater. A good alcoholic could have a field day, or a field year, just sampling all the liquor here and there.
The people living there are Miao, and many of them continue to where there traditional clothes. Also, the tourists like to see them in that attire. Naturally, many are getting in on the tourism business.
Fenghuang will keep your finger on the shutter button, for sure. Here are a few more of the dozens of pics in our cameras.
All that whaite? They are the sheets from guesthouses along the river hanging out to dry. Adds color, don’t you think? There is definitely no shortage of rooms to rent in Fenghuang, all with a view.
That last one was some kind of performance. Myung couldn’t understand them, so I don’t know what it was. Some kind of comedy. My not knowing what this was about underscores how wondeerful it is to have Myung around to educate me. She’s of enormous logistical assistance too, as you can imagine. China wouldn’t be that easy without her. Well, it’d be easy enough, in a way. I’d get along, but I’d be getting a small fraction of what I’m getting out of it. I’d be my usual dumb donkey self, trying to not get in a bad way somehow and understanding only this and that. She brings the Chinese perspective as well as communication skills. And she’s good company.
We left there for Kunming, Yunnan. As I feared, it took about two and a half days to get there. The good news is that it was a lovely bus ride. We learned later we could have taken a very long sleeper bus from near Fenghuang all the way to Kunming, but we would have missed a lot of scenery. Southeastern Guizhou and most of Yunnan are temperate, and spring has sprung.The most dazzling thing was kilometer after kilometer of these bright yellow fields of rape blossom. Rapeseed is a major source of cooking oil here and in Korea. They are a little out of focus because they were taken from the bus.
That just about brings us up tp date. Kunming is nice enough, from what I could tell, for a city of a million people. From there we went to Lijiang, another old city. That’s where I am now, in an internet place with Christmas music playing. Chistmas was evidently popular around here, judging by the Santa Clauses still up and the music. Valentine’s Day yesterday was popular, too. I’ll be in touch with you as soon as possible. I can get a visa extension here in Lijiang, so we’ll be in China for another month. Tentatively, we’ll go to Myanmar after that.
Tidings of comfort and joy to you all.
