"DALI Travels with Joo" a Dali Travel Page by l_joo

Dali pronounces Taa-li
The "Real Original" Dali cuisine. The reason was two restaurants side by side in Dali city centre both adopts same title, but somehow one of them figures out a more superlative title by self-proclaimed - the real original. Hence we successfully tasted the real original Dalinese cuisine. Furthermore enjoying the sky-blue mountain of Jade-Dragon.

How to get there?
After Jinghong and the roast beef, five of us bought the sleeper-bus ticket cost around 120 yuan each and it took us 26 hours to reach Dali. That was the first ever sleeper-bus I came across for a total of 26 hours. At one point, our bus tyre was obstructed at a mud-spattered village on a rainy night. This road is not normal country but much thrilling where the whole trip was driving on mountainous terrains. Certain roads even have to squeeze through village houses. At one place, our hands can nearly touch the paddy field that built on the slope. Sceneries needless to say were ‘yi liu’ and matchless. The only complaint I have is the limitation of spaces for stretching four limbs. Everybody has to take off shoes before getting onto the 2x6 ‘bed’. While getting out for toilet, we again have to take off our shoes. In such condition, imagine passengers with ‘aromatic’ foot taking off shoes, yet in China, on bus smoking and spitting are common culture, therefore if you are luxurious 5 star tourists, you should instead, try the Chinese sleeper bus.

Tri-Cups of Dali Tea
A tradition of Dali according to Bai inhabitants. Visitors will be welcomed by 3 cups of tea as a pleasurable tradition. We pay 20yuan each for this inside the old wall. When we drink the tea, they courteously asking visitors’ feel. Each of us replies our feelings to but just leisure talk not for serious.

Souvenir stores
Around the Dali wall were tourist souvenir stores. Five of us went into a tea shop. Shop owner immediately served us tea in cups. As we are tourists, they always try to sell us their ‘best’ tea. Suddenly a tea by the name “king of tea” claimed by the owner already into the tea pot. The price of course is 3000 yuan but special offer to us 2000. We said thanks and run.

Dali lake
One afternoon we decided to visit Er Hai by boat. The boat sent us to 4 spots including a small fishing village on the other side of the shore. When we are about to walk in, a guy sitting on a small table reaching out a hand to collect entrance fees. According to him, any visitors who want to enter their village must pay visiting fees. We asked whether we can see a ticket and they reply is no.

Visit the Jade Dragon mountain
None of us wants to go up there as the day is already so cold. Furthermore extra clumsy clothing and shoes are needed, so we skip that.

10 yuan per head
Our bus drop us on the main street of Dali city (the modern part). We make sure we get to the ancient town of Dali to look for guesthouses. About 5 minutes later we can sense the power of this ancient Dali kingdom. Five of us walking from one guesthouse to another. The first one cost 70 yuan per room, okay but we try going for the second one just next to it and surprisingly it costed only 10 yuan per head. Where on Earth can you find such a price for such a beautiful room? Guesthouse owner named Jacky was ethnic Tibetian. Later he helps us to buy bus ticket to Zhongdian. Those who want to arrange special 4wd into Tibet can look here.

Where to stay?
It is a village similar to Thailand’s Khao San Road. Backpackers in big cluster strolling on the streets. English are widely spoken in this kind of place meantime words like Dali beer, Dali guesthouse, etc all at once suddenly appeared. So here we are in this ancient old town of Dali.

Portray Dali
One hour before our bus entering Dali, we can see far ahead a huge wide open city surrounded by high mountainous terrains. My opinion tells me this city must be crazy to build on top of the mountain and yet the populations are also crazy in that large numbers. According to the lady that served us tri-cups of tea, this Dali in their history never beaten by any outsiders but until the Mongols.