The Island Explorer

It felt like a movie, this trek. I felt like I was part of a movie set, with new scenes after each trail bend. The next day I woke up at 8AM, hoping get back on the hike by 9AM. My plan was to leave for Shangrila at 2PM, after reaching Walnut Garden where I would have lunch. So, after a heavy breakfast, I went ahead alone. There was still group of young backpackers behind me, but I didn't mind them yet, until I passed the waterfall that flowed right on our path. The waterfall was a sight, as it crashed gracefully onto our path. I stopped to feel the cold yet fresh water. I also got the chance to speak to the group of backpackers that was on my back. Turned out they came from the Tea Horse Guesthouse, the place where I should have stayed. The group was mixed, like almost everyone, except for two from Denmark, were all solo travelers as well. There was a Japanese and an Albanian girl. The rest were all guys from Australia, Israel, and Finland. They told me to join them, as they cont

When I first planned my trip to China, I never thought I would end up exploring Yunnan. I was just supposed to go to Guilin and Yangshuo for a week. That was it. Now, I am on top of a mountain facing another mountain so close to me I could touch it. Down below was the great Yangtze River. Welcome to the Tiger Leaping Gorge. Touted as one of the MUST THINGS TO DO BEFORE YOU DIE, trekking the TLG is indeed something life-changing. The Tiger Leaping Gorge is one of the deepest in the world. The Yangtze cuts powerfully through a massive mountain range, and the result is a spectacle. Located around 120 km from Lijiang, the TLG has become of the fastest rising tourist spots of China. I haven't heard anyone in my trip who didn't recommend taking the trek up its trail. And so I did. From Lijiang, I took a mini bus to Qiaotou, the starting point for the trek. The bus took two hours, along an already spectacular scenery. We reached the TLG Gate, and someone came in the bus to collect the

I made it into Lijing after 4 hours in a small bus that constantly stopped for passengers. We even had to load some sacks of rice along the way. I dozed off for most part of the trip, so the next thing I knew, we were approaching a city, that is the new Lijiang, on a cloudy day. The bus stopped in front of what seemed to be gate of the Old Town. My inn was located inside the Old Town, the main attraction of Lijiang. I got down and tried to ask for directions. Unfortunately, nobody could understand me, so I tried calling the inn. I was told to go to Sifang Square, where I would meet someone to escort me to the inn. Turns out I was far from Sifang Square, and with the maze that is the Old Town, I got lost. Lijiang Old Town (or Ancient Town) is a labyrinth of cobblestone alleys. The place was huge, way bigger than Dali. I began to like it though, as you really feel you're in a Chinese movie set. Preserved shop houses lined the alleys, streams flow everywhere. I followed the crowds, un

It was quite a struggle deciding on moving onto Lijiang or stopping by at Dali for a night. The German I talked to lived in Dali for 5 months, teaching English, and she couldn't stop sharing good things about Dali. So, with that, I decided to extend my stay in China, and catch a 4-hour bus ride to Dali in the morning. I arrived in Dali at 1PM, and the weather was fair. It was sunny but it grew colder than Kunming. I took a taxi to my guesthouse, the Jade Emu near the West Gate of Dali Old Town. It wasn't inside the old town, compared to all the other guesthouses, but the place was easily accessible as it was near the highway already. The guesthouse was spotless and the beds were comfortable. China really has great hostels. I only had a night, so I immediately unloaded my stuff and asked the receptionist the way to the Cangshan Mountains. I have read that one could take a chair lift to a village on top. So that's what I did. I took a sort of tuktuk to the mountain park entra