After a quiet night at the not so grand Er Yuan Hot Springs Resort, I woke up to a cacophony of birds singing their morning symphony. I recorded a few minutes of it…

Out to breakfast (now a little weary of noodles and oily veggies for breakfast) and then onto the bikes for the final 55k of biking. Yesterday, we were nasty filthy on arrival, riding through both pavement and dirt. Today promised more of the same. Actually, I drafted behind the lead car for much of the ride, so while it was wet and dirty and cold, it wasn’t particularly difficult, neither was it particularly scenic. It’s difficult to top those earlier mountain and Tiger Leaping Gorge days.

Andy and I rode together for most of it. He had lots to say about his prior day of getting lost; feels Jah shares blame. I listened… But mostly we talked about the fascinating state of Thailand politics; the current “reconciliation” debate which would essentially pardon Thaksen for all his crimes and allow him to return from exile. I remember when I got stuck in Thailand when the red shirts took over the airport a few years back. After that, 91 people were killed in violence in Bangkok. The intricacies and factions that Andy spoke about were so interesting. We both agreed that the US is fed too little international news, and that Al Jazeera has become a most respected news outlet, while American networks and Fox, CNN, and the like are too unbalanced and insular to be worthwhile sources for understanding the state of world politics.

We arrived Dali around noon, making the bike run pretty nonstop. Only two of us completed the full 55k as people kept dropping off due to various reasons.

A quick shower, then off to a little shop for lunch. Most of these little places display the available vegetables out front and some of the displays are gorgeous.

At our lunch spot, Andrea Germany noted that the old guy cutting up the veggies had a cigarette in his mouth. That started a whole discussion about smoking in public; China vs everywhere else. It seems that about 50% of people smoke, and they do it just about anywhere; about the same percentage seems to be hacking up lugies just about anywhere too. What’s most funny to me about this very common public pattern is you’ll hear a big ol’ deep throated hack coming from what seems like the depths of someone’s soul, and when you look, more often then not the world class hacker will be a woman.

Dali has an “ancient” town that is full of shops; tons of interesting stuff for sale; even western style espresso shops. Aaaahhh, an espresso is a true delight after days of Nescafé instant!

Have I mentioned that it is impossible to find floss here??? What simple things we so easily take for granted…

I experienced shopping brain freeze with so much available. I did purchase a few more gifts, but was stalwart in not purchasing any more textiles since I already din in Lijiang.

Still raining, we all met for dinner, then off our separate ways. I was hanging with Kathryn, Paul, and Kathy, but Paul and Kathryn were in shopping mode again, and I needed a break from that. Jah and Jimmy had earlier talked about going to Bad Monkey Bar, so Kathy and I headed there. Never saw them, but had a drink there among the eclectic collection of locals, dreadlocks, and westerners.

Back at the hotel by 10 for a quiet sleep and mentally preparing for the five hour drive to Kunming marking nearly the end of this very interesting and rewarding trip.

Day 12 – Xia Shan Kou – Dali This morning is the last riding day as we head to the historical town of Dali (1900 m). Cycling along a flat paved road between the towering Canshan Mountain range and Er Hai Lake, we should arrive in Old Dali in time for a late lunch. This fascinating town is home to the Bai people, one of the nation’s largest minorities and once the centre of the powerful 8th-century Nanzhao Kingdom. Dali is an ex-traordinary town to explore with its gated city walls, bustling old streets and lakeside setting. In the 16th Century, Dali was an important gateway for cultural exchange and trading with Southeast Asian countries. Today, it is a melting pot of different ethnic groups, reflected aptly in its amazing architecture, cobbled streets and colorful markets. Landscape Hotel. Ride 55 km. B L D