MY EXHILARATING & MEMORABLE HOLIDAY IN YUNNAN - PART 3

Foreword:This is the continuation of the two earlier postings. Please refer to Part 1 and Part 2 first in order to grasp a better overview of the flow of my group's travel itinerary to Yunnan. Here are more photos and captions............

* Still around Lijiang side:

( The glittering silverware specimens in Xinhua Village.)

(Flowers of plants grown from the bed of this lake in Xinhua.)

*Shangrila side:

 

(The holy Songzanlin Lamasery - home to different hierarchies of Buddhist monks.)

 

            (Boat ride in Pudacuo National Park to get a good overall view of the landscape.)

(Two scenes........environment and atmosphere exuding tranquility and serenity....captured during the boat ride.)

*FINALLLY.....FOOD!

(The most popular Kunming noodle...literally translated into English, the ingredients served in this big bowl is called "cross the bridge rice noodle". I savoured this very much....hot appetising soup and fresh ingredients. Local folklore has it that.......once upon a time, there was a scholar aspiring to be a high court officer. He would cross the bridge from his home to the other side of the river to study in peace in preparation for the arduous qualifying exam. However, he still failed to pass after a few attempts. One day, his wife cooked for him a bowl of noodles together with special ingredients as lunch to pep up his mental and physical energy. Immediately in the next exam attempt, he scored good grade. He then dedicated his success to his wife and called her recipe as "cross the bridge rice noodle".)

                                  (Hot pot cuisine....or what Malaysians call "steamboat".)

(Common for restaurants to serve above 10 varieties. This was captured before a few more came out)

                                         (Roast suckling piglets sold at a pedestrian street.)

The family home in a village in Linjiang of our private guide, Luke. He invited us for lunch, specially cooked by his mother.)

                                              (Home-cooked style..........looked simple but tasty.)

In Summing Up

Yunnan offers flair for insights into varied traditional cultural practices and sightseeing. Note: Fitness and the ability of acclimatizing to thinner oxygen at high altitudes, especially the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, will be required to fully enjoy a holiday. "Altitude sickness" is common to those who are not so fit. We had standby oxygen cans for our use when any of group members experienced giddiness or breathlessness. We had also been advised in advance to bring sufficient thick winter clothing for the visit to the snow mountain to avoid frost bite. Yes, the trip was a bit physically taxing but exhilarating and memorable to me. All in, I spent RMB6,600 (equivalent to RM3,500), inclusive of some "light" shopping. I do not hesitate to recommend our private guide, Luke, to friends who may have Yunnan in mind for holiday. His contact number: 86-13708432280.

The End.......