Kunming, enroute to Beijing

It's been quite a while since I've last checked in (what a trite blogger refrain) and as I sit in the lobby of the anywhere Haishi Hotel in Kunming, I thought I'd post to save myself from boredom as I await tomorrow's flight back to Beijing after a long and extensive spring break trip through Sichuan and Yunnan provinces. My favorite part was Chengdu, its pandas, nearby giant buddha, hot pot, leafy streets, temples, and fun-loving locals who we partied with on our second night in town, and from which my throat has not yet recovered--i guess chain smoking a pack of cigarettes wasn't such a good idea.

But now I'm in Kunming and at a hotel close to the airport for my three hour flight. Yunnan was beautiful, its rice-paddied hills speckled with white walled villages. Its two historic towns we visited Dali and Lijiang were picturesque and interesting albeit both completely touristic-ified and slightly less authentic for it. In Dali I got to visit a truly beautiful temple complex situated on the slopes of mountains and with views of the lake below. In Lijiang I met one of the 8 remaining Dongba script masters, and received a written scroll of goodwill from him.

Pictures are soon to follow after I get back to my comfortable dorm room. Zai jian for now!!