It took some time to escape the city, it seeming larger than our day and a half had led us to believe (though we also suspect a wrong turn along the way led up in a circle).

The drive to the stone forest was rather scenic, along a mostly empty expressway. The road was through hills, with many bridges and tunnels. Low intensity agriculture was in view for most of the trip. Mostly tea and vegetables growing in terraces cut into the hills.

For the first time I really felt as though I was on a mountain plateau, though more as a feeling than because of any visual cues.

The area shows more signs of the minority nationalities famous here. Colourful clothing worn by the few locals we see. Also evidence of the state of agriculture, income levels and realities of the landscape. In particular, we see a small buffalo herd and a number of horse drawn carts.

We managed to get the driver to understand that we wanted to visit the less popular section of the stone forest first (with a waterfall). This was harder than expected because the mass we have are not very helpful, with little overlap in English, Pinyin and Chinese Characters, making it impossible to decode street signs.

Having arrived in the area, we, unfortunately, and with the help of some telephone translation, discover the the section with the waterfall is closed. So, its now for the short drive back to the main park and, hopefully, for some lunch.

Yesterday was quite a lazy day too. It was raining so our walking options were limited.

We found a coffee shop for a late breakfast then took a taxi and wandered around the central area with some pagodas and a mosque. Spent a chunk of the late afternoon drinking tea and reading my novel. I tried Yunnan brown tea, which sounds altogether more illicit. Tasted more like English breakfast than other fermented teas I’ve had in China.

Dinner was taken at a busy street-side restaurant. We had a dry chicken dish served in piles of roasted chili, cumin and other highly aromatic, but unknown (to me at least), spices that were somewhat reminiscent to those in Xi’an. This dish is also served at the Robin Hood (the restaurant at the staff hotel at UNNC). Its one of my prefered dishes there but now will seem somewhat bland. Also had a spicy tofu dish and some delicious spinach.

While I enjoyed the food a lot, I suspect it was rather more spicy than I have become accustom, and I felt briefly a little faint and spacey afterward.

In all a relaxed way to spend Sunday, and it (along with early nights) has proved, despite the chilli episode, helpful in restoring my energy and health.

This is being penned, so to speak, in the hotel car on the was the the Stone Forest. Fingers crossed no language problems and some interesting photographs to post in due course, there had better be, I’m lugging my tripod along for the journey.

Yesterday I arrived in Kunming, capital of Yunnan, sandwiched between Vietnam and Tibet. It is a 3 hour flight west south west from Shanghai and sits about 2000m above sea level. The afternoon was spent wandering around the city centre.

Spent some time in a lovely Chinese garden; the locals just resting and playing games. One of the most wanderful aspects of China are these kinds of public spaces and their bubbly, but relaxing atmosphere–the gardens are usually well tended without being prissy or intimidating; the visitors active without imposing their noise on others.

This garden had lovely trees, many given the bonsai treatment and in flower. There was a magnolia tree with an enormous flower. I couldn’t help being reminded of the rather odd film of the same name and stood in the Chinese garden with my mind filled with flashes of Tom Cruise trying to emancipate men and storms of frogs. Slightly disturbing.

Later I dozed off the magnolia inspired imagery by Green Lake listening to a number of competing groups singing tradional Chinese opera. Somewhat less disturbing.

On the way home we skirted what I think was the old town which, like most of the past in China, is being rapidly erased.