I was the only frog in the well who had not tried whitewater rafting before.  Since everybody enthusiastically recommended the activity, Starbucks and I joined a half day Ayur Whitewater Rafting tour at 200,000 IDR each on our last day at Bali.  R and T intended to have some romantic time alone.

For breakfast this time round, we requested for Nasi Goreng and Mee Goreng.

I like the chillies in Bali, fiery and sweet.

The tour bus picked us up in the morning and took us to the starting point of the water rafting area.  Different companies start off at different locations along Ayur river.

Try not to bring too many things or you might be asked to deposit your bags at the staging area as there will only be a small waterproof bag in the raft to store our items.

For people who wear spectacles, the staff provides some rubber bands to secure your glasses so they don’t fall off.  For attire, most people were in simple tshirts and shorts.  A few were in swimming attires.

The whitewater rafting photos below were taken by Starbucks who brought along a waterproof camera.

5 of us were assigned to a guide.

Waiting for the rafts to be prepared.

Off we go!  One of the fun parts of whitewater rafting is to engage into water battle with other boats.  We were all wet with glee.

Falling in the river is optional.

We stopped regularly along the river especially before tight spots so that there would be ample space between different boats.

The Ramayana scenes was crafted into the walls of the banks.

A waterfall!

We all took turns going under the waterfall.

We spent almost 2 hours on Ayur river before proceeding to an area for bathing and lunch.  Lunch was a simple affair with 4-5 dishes.

When we got back to Rumah Roda, I saw a few missed calls on my mobile phone from a strange country code.  After seeing a flight reschedule email from KLM, I guessed the calls must be from KLM.  According to the email, there was an over-booking and we were rescheduled to a SIA flight the next morning with a rather miserable 75 dollars compensation voucher.

We didn’t see how KLM can expect we read their email during vacation especially on the same day as the flight departure.  And it’s apparent they would have sent the same email to as many people as possible in the hope that some of us would have accepted the reschedule.  We decided to feign ignorance and just turn up at the airport anyway.  Actually, delaying the flight to the next morning is not a big deal for us but 75 dollars cannot compensate an extra night’s hotel accomodation, dinner, transport and and additional half day’s leave.  Well, my travel insurance would probably get me another 100 or 200 dollars but that’s still not attractive enough for me to spend another night in Bali.

Back at Rumah Roda, R and T were not around and we had left our room key with them.  So I asked Ilu if she had a spare key to our room.  She playfully refused as we still didn’t get her any Starbucks treat.  Just at that moment, Starbucks appeared with a hot chocolate.  Ilu was all smiles and we could go back to our room.

With some time to spare before our arranged transport to Jimbaran for dinner, I visited Threads of Life located just beside Rumah Roda and bought A Little Bit One O’Clock by William Ingram.  In the book, William Ingram shared his stories staying with the Rumah Roda family.  It’s quite an interesting read about the Roda family.

Our driver, Ketut, took us to Jimbaran for seafood dinner before our night flight home.   One would probably be curious why there are so many Wayans, Mades, Nyomans and Ketuts in Bali.  Actually, they meant first born, second born, third born and forth born respectively.  The naming cycle goes back to Wayan for the fifth born and so on.  Females usually have different names.  Read more about Balinese names at Wikipedia.

Jimbaran beach.

Ceremonies at the beach. Along the way to Jimbaran, we also saw religious possessions.

Tourists from nearby resorts.

Kids enjoying sweet corns on the beach on a rainy day.

Our dinner place!

The food was great.  I especially like the clams.

After dinner, we headed to the airport and managed to negotiate our way to a flight seat.  Ketut waited patiently throughout in case we would need to leave the airport and find accomodations for the night.  If you need to book transport in Bali, you can find Ketut at mobile number +62 81933034876 or email lagas_200@yahoo.co.id.  He drives a comfortable Toyota.

Well, that’s all for the Bali trip. 

It rained torrendously over the night.  I had to wake up, roll down the shades and moved our stuffs away from the balcony.

When I woke up again at 630am, it’s still raining and there was a small pool of water in the room.  Just a perfect day to laze around.  But we had plans.

Not wanting to eat banana pancake for breakfast again, we preordered black rice pudding the night below.  To Singaporeans and Malaysians in the know, it’s basically Pulut Hitam.  I cannot remember having it in the past ten years because of an overdose during my two years in green.  So I had almost forgotten its good taste.

Read up a bit on rice pudding and realised that it’s a common dish around the world.  Maybe it would be a good idea to open a dessert stall that sells different varieties of rice pudding.

Daydream, delusion, limousine, eyelash
Oh baby with your pretty face
Drop a tear in my wineglass
Look at those big eyes
See what you mean to me
Sweet-cakes and rice puddings
I’m a delusion angel
I’m a fantasy parade
I want you to know what I think
Don’t want you to guess anymore
You have no idea where I came from
We have no idea where we’re going
Lodged in life
Like branches in a river
Flowing downstream
Caught in the current
I carry you
You’ll carry me
That’s how it could be
Don’t you know me?
Don’t you know me by now?

- Misquoted from Before Sunrise

It’s one of the rare times that I travel in a group where all the travelers can ride a motorcycle.  In fact, R and T had rode in Bali before.  They had also rode in Vietnam.  YC rode a motorcycle in Singapore.  But since we were four, we booked 2 motorcycles.  There were not a lot of choices and we got Honda automatics.

(I suddenly recalled that I have a way overdued Bukittinggi Trip Report.)

Before the ride, we visited the local market.  We heard that to see the local produce, it’s better to visit in the mornings.

R read about a famous food stall in the market and we paid it a visit.

We were unsure of what to order and a local who spoke English helped us.

The chicken meat was really tender and the innards were crunchy.

We headed back to Rumah Roda for our bikes which we paid 40,000 IDR for a day’s rental of a bike.  Helmets were provided free-of-charge.

The GPS map I had was really helpful and I depended on it for navigation.

There were helpful signs along the way.

And kilometer stones.

Petrol here was really cheap.  When we were in the region around Amed, we did not find any petrol stations.  But there were stalls selling bottled petrol.

Our first rest point was Padangbai, a popular beach town where tourists dive and snorkel.

We stopped at Topi Inn for drinks.

Soon we were on our way.  Getting off the main roads was more fun as there were less traffic and village scenes to see.  We followed Lonely Planet’s advice to take the longer, twistier and more adventurous road much less travelled that runs from Ujung right around the coast to the Amed area

The kids loved us.  How do they know we aren’t locals?

A glimpse of the black-sand beaches.

Lunch at Wayan’s Warung in Lipa, a small village near Ahmed.

While we waited for food, R haggled over some fruits with the villagers.  She returned standing tall and proud.

Our lunch.  I really need to learn how to remove automatic focus for such photos.  I had the cuttlefish which I thought was really well-done.

After lunch, we continued our way back to Ubud via the inland route.  R and T had a fall but it’s not serious.  They remained in high spirits throughout.  Nice to be traveling with positive people.

Back in the comfort of our guesthouse, we had a scrumptious dinner.  We had ordered smoked duck aka bebek betutu the day before as it needs one day of preparation.  There were also some side dishes.  We cheered to a fun day!

Next

There are two main mountains or volcanoes in Bali for climbing – Gunung Batur and Gunung Agung.  Gunung means mountain in Malay.

Gunung Agung, at 3142m, is Bali’s tallest mountain and holds special spiritual significance to the people of the Island.  Agung is a challenging climb that involves a 6-7 hike from Besakih to the summit.  To be in time for sunrise, the hike usually starts at around 11pm.  Getting down requires the same amount of time.  A shorter climb from Pura Pasar Gunung takes 3-4 hours but the route ends around 100m below the summit.  In march, it is still a bit wet and not exactly the best time to climb Agung.

Mt Batur is a much easier climb at 1717m that requires about 2 hours hike one way.  It’s a very popular trip among tourists because of its rewarding views and relative accessibility.  Our 225,000 IDR package included pick-up from our accomodations at 300am which arrived on time.

We reached Kintamani at around 410am and met our guide who issued us a bottle of water each.  He would be carrying our breakfast for us.  I carried an extra 2 litre of water in case the climb requires it and also for the exercise.  There was a light drizzle and some of the tourists put on their ponchos which were available for sale.  Torchlights would be essential for the night climb.

As it was dark, I did not managed to get much photos.  It’s relatively an easy climb on rather barren land.  But we still need to be careful of the loose rocks on the ground and the strong wind.

At 545am, we reached the viewpoint for sunrise.  There is a small hut which sells hot drinks where we can sit around protected from the cold winds.

R curled up in sleep while we waited for sunrise.  Our breakfast were bread and hard-boiled eggs.  The world is in love with hard-boiled eggs.

No glorious sunrise because of the clouds but the views were magnificent all the same.

A cave which our guide brought us to.

The volcano is still constantly spewing steam.

Heading downhill

There are villages and fruits/vegetables plantations.

When I was his age, I was just learning how to ride a bicycle.  Even at my ripe old age now, riding a motorcycle has been met with much opposition.

Yes, my mouth is sealed.

Back at Ubud, we visited nearby River View Restaurant for lunch.

YC playing with my Sony Nex 3 camera while waiting for our lunch.

Our lunch of Nasi Goreng, Nasi Campur, Rendang and some vegetables.

Despite waking up at 2 plus am, we were still not very tired and we had a drink at Rumah Roda.  T (R’s hubby) and I tried Arak while R had fruit juice.  Starbucks well, went to Starbucks for coffee and to buy some sourvenirs.

Arak or Arrack is usually made from either the fermented sap of coconut flowers, sugarcane, grain or fruit.  Our version includes limes and honey which gives the drink a nice sweet and sour taste.

Feeling a little light-headed, we finally headed back to our rooms for a rest.  I realised that a T-shirt which I had hung out for drying had fallen to a neighbour’s place.  I informed Ilu and Darma managed to retrieve it back for me.

People of Rumah Roda.  The family and the staff.  Ilu kept teasing Starbucks for not buying her any Starbucks.

Sunday night buffet at Rumah Rodah.  The food was decent and you get a sample of various Indonesian dishes.  Don’t expect Babi Gulings or Smoked Ducks in the menu though.  Still, at 35,000 IDR each, it’s value enough.

After dinner, we ventured off to town again.  The locals were out in their traditional garbs for ceremonies and celebrations.

We had some drinks and gelato at Oops restaurant.  I was probably very lucky to travel with R, T and YC.  They take charge when needed, hold interesting conversations, are easy-going and fun.  Glad I didn’t travel alone this time.

Count the number of lizards you can find, first correct answer get a prize from me!

Next

We were woken up by the sounds of nature.  Our room boasted a splendid view over the surrounding houses.

View from our bathroom

More shots around Rumah Roda Homestay.

Rumah Roda Homestay has a restaurant on its premise.  In fact, the restaurant is listed in Lonely Planet Guidebook but not its homestay.  Anyhow, our rooms came with free breakfast.

Banana pancake and rather powdery coffee.

After breakfast, we went for a Penestanan and Sayan walking tour listed on Lonely Planet.

We started off at Ubud Palace and headed west along Jalan Raya Ubud.

After Campuan Bridge, we walked pass Blanco Renaissance Museum before heading up a steep road.

Eat, drink and exercise them away at the same time.

We got a little lost around Sayan but a helpful local led us across padi fields to Sungai Ayung river.

Near Sayan Terrance is a path down to the Ayung river.

The Sungai Ayung is the popular river where tourists go for white-water rafting.

We planned to walk along the river to Kedewatan but was misdirected by a guide to a steep and dangerous path after we refused his service.  When we headed back, he was there waiting for us.  We wanted to ignore him and go down the other path but noticed that he had made signals to his friends down at the river.  We gave up and headed back to the main roads and continued north.

Had a chendol.  It’s slightly sour compared to the Singaporean version but still a soothing drink all the same for the hot weather.

Roundabout where we turned east.

Not your usual Absolut Vodka.

Along Jalan Raya Lungsiakan, a mini bus asked if we would like a lift at 10,000 IDR each.  We haggled and I proposed 15,000 IDR for a ride for all of us back to Ubud palace.  But R refused and said 10,000 IDR was the limit for all four of us and we walked away.  The driver shouted for us to come back.  I shall now also call R The Negotiator.

Next, we visited the famed Ibu Oka for Babi Guling or suckling pig.

The special set came with some choice cuts. The meat was very tender and went well with a mug of Bintang beer.

I was the only person who has not been to Bali and I took a stroll on the grounds of Ubud Palace.

We headed to the market.

Time for some dessert.

Cool-looking bike.

The Pura Taaman Saraswati (Ubud Water Palace).  There are weekly dance performances here at night.

Nearby is Starbucks which YC is a fan of.  He shall now also be known as Starbucks.

We stopped by at Padma tourist services near Rumah Roda to find out about the different tours available and booked a Mt Batur tour for the next morning.  Of course, The Negotiator took charge.

Then we headed back to Rumah Roda for a rest.  It’s a pleasure to sit by the balcony, read a good book and watch the sun goes down.

In the evening, we went for massage.  The Negotiator got us a 100 minutes scrub and massage session at just 80,000 IDR each.  It got to be the cheapest massage I ever had!

Oh, the stuff they used for my scrub.

A night performance at Pura Taman Saraswati.

Only apes can cross.

There were ceremonies at the local temples almost everyday we were in Ubud.  Not too sure if it’s because of the upcoming festival.

Dinner at Bebek Bengil aka Dirty Duck.

Not that cheap by Indonesian standards but the food was good and the atmosphere was great.

Eating at pavilions set by lush green padi fields.  Not that you can see much in the dark.

So crispy that you can eat the bones.  Came to realised that T has married a bone-eater.

Even the toilet was nice.

It rained heavily on the long walk back to Rumah Roda.  A taxi offered to take us back for 20,000 IDR but we were too cheap to take it up.  Yet, we paid half a million IDR for our dinner.  Illogical urban folks we were.

Passed by more Ogoh-ogoh statues.

Back at Rumah Roda, we took a group photo of our wretched selves in drenched clothes.  Haha, it was fun.

Next

Our flight was in the evening so I took just a half day leave and left for the airport directly from office after lunch.  As usual, I parked my scooter at Changi Airport T3, sheltered Carpark 3B before transferring to the skytrain to T1.

There are a few budget airlines flying from Singapore to Bali (Denpasar) but we opted for KLM (Royal Dutch Airlines) as their prices were competitive.  It’s always nice to have meals on board and movies to watch during the flight.  I didn’t know Meg Ryan was so pretty until I watched When Harry Met Sally.  Youth is indeed fleeting.

Even though the plane was almost packed, YC and me had an empty seat between us.  I selected seat 33A and YC, surmising it unlikely that someone would pick the middle seat, selected seat 33C.  In the case that someone did turn up, we would just request to switch seats.  His strategy worked and we had some additional space.

We reached Bali, Denpasar on schedule and Ketut, the driver of our arranged transport to Rumah Roda Homestay in Ubud was already waiting at the arrival gate. Traffic near the airport was heavy.

Along the 1 hour plus drive, Ketut pointed out to us the various Ogoh-ogoh statues being built for the Ngrupuk parade.  The parade takes place a day before Nyepi Festival or The Day of Silence.  The Day of Silence marks the new year according to the Balinese calendar.  It’s a day for self-reflection and things come to a standstill in Bali.  There would be no fires, no entertainment, no traveling, no flights and tourists are not exempted.  It’s an interesting custom but we would be leaving Bali just a few days before the festival.  So we only get to see some of the pre-festival preparations and celebrations.

Ogoh-ogoh are symbols of demons.  They are paraded around Bali before being burnt as a representation of self-purification.  We managed to see many Ogoh-ogoh during our stay in Bali and see them as creative works of art.

Rumah Roda Homestay is conveniently located at Jalan Kajeng which is a quiet lane off the main road of Jalan Raya Ubud.  Their address and contact details are as follow:

Jalan Kajeng 24 Ubud, Bali 80571, Indonesia
Telp     : +62-361-975487
Fax     : +62-361-976581
Email     :info@rumahroda.com

We made the reservation over the internet and was quoted 225,000 IDR for each room.  The low floor twin bed room for YC and I which we requested was not available so all four of us got upgraded to the third level for the better rooms.

After settling in, we ventured out to a bar for some drinks.

Next

Bali, the famed Island of the Gods, with its varied landscape of hills and mountains, rugged coastlines and sandy beaches, lush rice terraces and barren volcanic hillsides all providing a picturesque backdrop to its colourful, deeply spiritual and unique culture, stakes a serious claim to be paradise on earth.

With world-class surfing and diving, a large number of cultural, historical and archaeological attractions, and an enormous range of accommodations, this is one of the world’s most popular island destinations and one which consistently wins travel awards. Bali has something to offer a very broad market of visitors from young back-packers right through to the super-rich.

Bali is just a 2-3 hour flight from Singapore but somehow, I had never visited the island.  So with some annual leave to clear and some good people (R, T and YC) joining for the trip, I made my maiden trip to Bali.

We visited the places and took the roads shown in the map below.  On our forth day where we rode an eastern loop to Ahmed on motorcycle, I tracked the journey on my Garmin GPS receiver.  So if you are interested in the routes in GPX format, just leave a comment on this page and I will send the download link to your email address.  You can also download very good maps from Cloudmade which makes Garmin compatible maps from OpenStreetMap data.

The Bali trip report is divided into the following sections:

1. Introduction (You are here)
2. Journey Day 1 (Arriving at Bali Ubud)
3. Journey Day 2 (Ubud Walking Trail)
4. Journey Day 3 (Mt Batur)
5. Journey Day 4 (Motorcycling to Eastern Bali – Amed)
6. Journey Day 5 (Ayur Whitewater Rafting)

Disclaimer: This trip was taken in March 2012. The information is provided ‘as is’ with no warranties and confers no rights. If you are interested to know more, please add a comment and I will update the post with more details.

Next

It’s Saturday and time to go home!  But I had a night flight so I had time for a day trip.  Xishan was my pick.

So the hotel did change the lift carpet.  Well, was I really expecting something else?

Buses outside Camellia hotel.

I took bus 5 to the interchange but could not find bus 6 which according to Lonely Planet would take me to Xishan.  So I joined a mini-bus opposite Liangjiahe to Gaoyao.

There were quite a few hikers and I followed them.

The trek criss-crossed between dirt tracks and roads.

Fried potato snack.

I followed the locals to the path on the left.

And was rewarded with a grand view.  Click on photo for a bigger view.

But I soon realised I was not on the proper route to Dragon Gate.  I had followed the hikers who were simply at Xishan to exercise with no intention to pay and visit the touristy Dragon Gate.  I asked around for directions.

At Lin Xu Pavilion where I will start the descend to Dragon Gate.

View from Lin Xu Pavilion.  Click on photo for a bigger view.

Reached Dragon Gate.

Entrance to Dragon Gate or the exit of Dragon Gate depending on which direction you are coming from.

Admission was a little expensive but it came with an audio guide.  It’s pretty informative but note that it’s in Mandarin.

Nice views from Xishan overlooking Dian Chi.

Luxury living?

Dragon Gate grotto complex is said to be hacked and crafted by a Taoist monk in the late 1700s to early 1800s.

I took a cable car from Nie Er Yuan across Dian Chi to Haigeng Park.

Sorry, just couldn’t resist.

Know why are the trees painted in this manner?

Took bus 94 to Yunnan Minorities Museum.

The museum is a nice place to know more about the different minorities in Yunnan.

After the museum, I took bus 44 to Kun Ming train station.  I am supposed to transfer to 63 back to hotel but cannot find it.

Walked around and had a Tiramisu McFlurry.

And I took a scoot cab back to hotel.

In the evening, I took a metered cab to the airport for my flight home.

That’s all folks! Thanks for reading, I will update the posts with more details when I have the time.

The photos might not look appetizing but I find the breakfast buffet pretty decent at Camellia hotel.

How to get to the various bus stations from Camellia Hotel?  Click on photo for a bigger view.

I took bus 89 outside Camellia hotel before changing to bus 193 till the last stop at Kunming East Station.  There, I bought a 29RMB bus ticket to Shilin Jingqu.  The bus moved off at 1020am and I reached Shilin at 150pm.

I paid an expensive 175RMB to join the crowds of tourists.

Photos of Shilin stone forest.

Click on photo for a bigger view.

Opposite Shilin, there is a musuem but it cost an extra 60 RMB.

On the way back to Kunming, there was a traffic accident in the tunnels and we were stuck for about an hour.  I just spent the time reading my book.

Indulged myself with pineapple beer and fried chicken.

Some evening shots of Kunming city.

Realised that the lift carpet at Camellia hotel actually tells you the day of the week.

I finished Steve Jobs by 8pm and watched 10,000 BC on TV until bedtime.

Next

My local phone’s credits had been used up.  Well, it lasted quite a while and since I only had a few days left, I did not bother to top up its value.  So I used the hotel’s phone and made reservations at Kunming’s Camellia Hotel.  The basic room cost 160 RMB with breakfast.  The staff informed me that upon reaching Kunming West Bus Station, I can take bus 82 until the last stop and change to bus 5 alighting at Sheng Ti Yu Guan.  Camellia hotel is just across the road.

I had a breakfast of noodle soup before the 930am bus to Kunming.  I spent most of the time in the bus reading Steve Jobs.   An entry in my notebook contains this Hindu quote:

In the first 30 years of your life, you make your habits. For the last 30 years of your life, your habits make you.

Quite true in a way.  Somehow people seemed less adaptable or less willing to change as they aged.

At around 2pm, I arrived at Kunming West Bus Station.  Before the long distance bus turned into the station, I had spotted bus 82 at a cross junction.  After I exited from the station, I first checked the bus stop outside and noted that bus 82 does not pass this way.  So I walked down the road to that cross junction and found Bus 82 at a bus stop there.

At Dong Feng Da Jie, all passengers alighted from bus 82.  I followed suit.  I spotted bus 5 at an earlier bus stop.  But I decided to walk across the shopping district towards west as I figured if bus 5 is going to Camellia, it should be heading that direction as well.  I turned out right and took bus 5 for another 2 stops.

It had been a lucky day for me on local transports.  Maybe it’s the 1 RMB good luck charm I picked up at Tiger Leaping Gorge working its effects.

At Camellia Hotel, I bathed and rested for a while before I ventured out.

Note that Kunming is still 2000m in elevation so it can get quite cold.

A popular chain store of Yunnan Guoqiao Mixian aka Yunnan Cross the Bridge Rice Noodles.

I ordered a simple bowl of rice noodle soup at 6 RMB.  The soup base was excellent.

Reminded me of the movie Se7en.

After dinner, I visited Walmart for some aimless shopping.

Last I checked, there was only one flavour of Pocky.  It must have been a long time since I checked.

Bought some snacks and continued reading into the night.

Next

I woke up sweaty.  The electric blanket at Mu’s Inn was the most effective one I had used so far.

I packed up and left at around 9am.  Unfortunately, it was too late to catch the train to Dali.  A staff then guided me through the old town maze to the main road where I caught a cab to Lijiang long distance bus station.

There were only 3 tickets left for the next bus to Xiaguan (Dali City).  I showed my passport and paid 53 RMB for a ticket.

At around 120pm, the driver dropped a few of us at a Y junction where one road leads to Dali old town.  I joined 2 locals on a cab and asked the driver to take me to any budget hotel.  He took me to Yi Sheng Hotel near the south gate of Dali old town.  The room cost me 60RMB.

I was pretty tired.  After a quick lunch, I took a nap.

At 530pm, I woke up.  I visited Dali old town and found that it’s not as atmospheric as Lijiang or Shangrila.  Or maybe visiting too much of the same sights have dulled my senses.

Monkey king and pigsy.

I always admire people with natural talents in areas such as language, music, art and sports.  I think it is because I have absolutely little talent in these areas.

Dali speciality.  I gave the snack a try, not too bad.

A little too early for the crowds.

Tablets are now a tool for photo-taking.

Paid 2 RMB to climb up a tower for some views.

Aunties and uncles dancing the night away.

Talent at work.

Somehow, I did not have the mood to visit Cang Shan and Erhai Hu.  So I arranged for a bus ticket from my hotel to take me to Kunming tomorrow morning.  There were a few bus types and I picked the cheaper one.  It cost 110RMB for the 4 – 5 hours drive.

I asked the hotel for dinner recommendations and they directed me to the roadside stalls just outside the hotel.  A staff even brought me to the stall and helped me pick the dishes.  She also ensured that the stall did not overcharge me.  The following cost me just 14 RMB.

I have noticed the following in quite a few hotels -  switches in the wrong orientation and hot/cold water supply in the opposite direction.

I spent the rest of the night reading Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson.  This man sure had an interesting life.

Next

It’s Yulong Xueshan day.  I woke early at 7am and took a stroll.  It’s quite cold but that’s not a surprise.  Afterall, Lijiang stands at an altitude of 2500m.

Taijiquan as morning exercise.

Kids going to school.

Back to Mu’s Inn for breakfast.  I had a set meal which cost only 11 RMB.   It consists of soya bean drink, pickles, dough stick, hard boiled egg (yes!) and a Lijiang speciality called Baba.

Met up with Zheng and we proceeded to Aladdin for the day tour to Yulong Xueshan.  Aladdin is a popular travel company in China which promises only worthy sites and no shopping.  I paid 630 RMB (after discount) for the day tour which included Impression Lijiang (Yinxiang Lijiang), Yulong Xueshan and Blue Valley.  Buying impression Lijiang, Yulong Xueshan and chairlift tickets separately already cost 550 RMB.  So I thought the tour was of excellent value.

Aladdin tour agency is located at Yuhe Guangchang, north of Sifang Jie, besides the water wheels you see above.

We were issued bottled oxygen and warm coats for the tour.  I ended up using neither of them though.

Our tour guide, Lao He.  It’s always nice to have a tour guide explaining the sights and making sure everything goes smoothly.

If you have read Lonely Planet, you would know that there are 3 locations with chairlifts up Yulong Xueshan – Dry Sea Meadow (Ganhaizi), Cloud Fir Meadow (Yunshanping) and Yak Meadow (Maoniuping).  We stopped over at Dry Sea Meadow or Ganhaizi for some photo-taking first.  This place used to be a lake and thus its name.

Click on photo for a larger view.

Before we headed for the mountains, we went to watch Impression Lijiang (or Yinxiang Lijiang) at a 3000m+ outdoor theatre inside Yulong Xueshan park.  It’s a cultural show about the minority tribes in Lijiang with a special focus on Naxi.  Directed by Zhang Yi Mou, it boasts a cast of over 500 people.

Photos from Impression Lijiang.  There was a scrolling marquee of Mandarin and English subtitles.  But note that there were some speeches in Mandarin.

We were each given a cap to shield ourselves from the hot sun.

I thought the show was pretty interesting and moving.  If anybody knows where I can find the music they used in the show, please let me know.

After the almost 2 hour show, we headed to Yulong Xueshan proper.  There, we had a simple packed lunch.

Then we took a chairlift up.

The chairlift took us to 4506m.  We were allowed to climb a further 130m.

Excellent views at Yulong Xueshan.  Translated to English, Yulong Xueshan means Jade Dragon Snow Mountain.  Or, it is also known as Mt Satseto.

Click on photo for a bigger view.

This was the highest we were allowed to ascent.

Click on photo for a bigger view.

My initials again.

Last sight of the tour was Blue Valley.  I did not see any ticket office here so it’s probably a free tourist attraction

Map of Blue Valley.

Poor man’s Baishuitai.

I finally learnt how to adjust the shutter speed of my camera.

We were back at Aladdin at 5pm.  After arranging to have dinner with Zheng at 7pm, I took off to Black Dragon Pool.  It’s a huge park and I did not climb Elephant hill as it’s getting dark and it seemed very isloated.

Sneaked a peek of modern Lijiang.

More shots of Lijiang old town.

Can’t live without KFC and Pizza Hut can we?

Oh, a small Panda sourvenir I got from Chengdu Panda Conservatory.

Dinner time.

Special promotion, 1 RMB per bottle.

We had Mao Niu Ruo Dan Ba (Yak Meat) and Zhu Shun San Xian (some shoots, I can’t really translate).

Saw this hanging outside one of the restaurants.

Zheng had some very useful iPhone apps with him which gave us information on nearby restaurants, bars and sights.  That’s how we came to a bar called Bamboo.

This artiste has released her own albums and is supposedly well known in Lijiang.  I stealthily recorded one of her performances.  Let me know if you want to listen to it.

After a few bottles of Fenghua Xueyu beer, we left Bamboo at 10pm.  Bidded farewell to Zheng as he’s going to Lugu Lake tomorrow while I am heading to Dali.

Next

I woke up at 7am and did not see any majestic sunrise.  After a breakfast of hot steaming noodles, I set off at 810am.

Those mountains you kept seeing in the photos belong to the Yulong Snow Mountain Range.

Sometimes trails split into 2, just keep a watch out for arrows.

Woah, I found money!  Maybe I will get lucky today!

The famous 28 bends.  It really wasn’t that bad.

I  wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o’er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced; but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazed—and gazed—but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.

William Wordsworth

Tea Horse Guesthouse

These are the arrows you need to follow.

Spot the farmer.

Wonderful views guaranteed throughout the hike.

You will pass by farms and animals.

These goats were very scared of me.

Even though I do not think the trek is too strenuous but I feel it might pose a problem to people who’re afraid of heights.

Pray for a smooth journey at a temple along the trek.

Reached Tina’s before 1pm.

A better map over at Tina’s.  They recommended me to go down to Middle Tiger Leaping Gorge via Tian Ti Guesthouse.  The views there were supposedly better.  Going down one route and coming up a different route would incur a double admission charge.

To get to Tian Ti Guesthouse, just cross the bridge for a short 5 mins walk.

But before that, I fueled up with a plate of egg fried rice and a bottle of vitamin drink.

I paid 10 RMB for access down to Middle Tiger Leaping Gorge.  I also booked a 4pm bus to Lijiang.  The driver will stop at Qiaotou to wait for those who need to retrieve their bags from Jane’s.

Well, do you want to live life safely or dangerously?  You have a choice here.

Gorge scenery.

I will try to post a video of the rushing waters one of these days.

Heading back, it’s scarier than it looked.

That’s Haba mountain range in the background.

I reached Lijiang at 7pm.  I met a fellow traveler, Zheng, at Tiger Leaping Gorge who’s also on the same bus.  As I have not booked any room for the night, he helped me check his hotel for vacancy.  There’s one and I took it.

The chosen hotel was Mu’s Inn and it’s located near Mu’s residence, south of Sifang Jie.  Getting there is rather tricky with the maze of cobbled lanes.

But it’s a really nice place.  Room was 130RMB per night with private bathroom.  They also offer free wifi, free use of washing machines, free pickup from airports and free use of bicycles.  Mu’s Inn website can be found at www.lijiang123.com and their contacts are 0888-5130360 or 0888-5130373.

Note that one need to pay Lijiang’s conservation fees of 80 RMB which I paid at Mu’s Inn.  I am not sure if you can get away without buying at other lodgings.  But if you intend to visit sites such as Yulong Xueshan, you would need to purchase it anyway as it would be checked.  To encourage people to buy the conservation ticket, there is even a biannual lucky draw where results can be found at the official website of Lijiang Old Town.  My draw date is 6th January 2012, wish me luck!

Coffee place with free use of computer and complimentary fruits!

Out to Lijiang Old Town for walkabout and dinner.  It’s quite cold and I was in my slippers.  I had some abrasions on my feet from all the rubbing against my slightly loose boots at Tiger Leaping Gorge.  It’s a lesson I did not learn from my Mt Ophir climb in Malaysia earlier this year.  Story for another time.

How can I resist BBQed Yak Meat sticks?

Even though it’s the off-peak season, Lijiang was still crowded.

Place for dinner!

A sample of their menu.  The dishes to try are the Naxi specialties.

I thought I was resigned to egg fried rice.  Luckily, I now have somebody to share a variety of dishes.

Naxi scripts.

Next

I wasn’t going to visit any major monasteries so I decided on a few climbing exercises in the morning.  First place to visit was Guishan (Turtle Mountain).

Always remember to do the kora clockwise.

View from the top.

Next on the agenda was 100 Chickens Temple.  I just love the name.  Slightly hard to find, the hill is a short but tiring climb.

Can’t be called 100 Chickens Temple without a chicken right?

Spinning the prayer wheels.

As you probably guessed, Zhongdian aka Shangrila is also a Tibetan town.  As mentioned in one of the earlier posts, parts of Yunnan belong to the ethno-cultural region of Tibet.

The name Shangrila came from the book The Lost Horizons by James Hilton.

View from the top (Click on photo for a bigger view).

Back to Shangrila old town.

I have wondered how these cobbled paths are built.  Since there was a fair bit of construction going around, I was able to hang around and observe.

My breakfast of soya bean milk and mochi.

Actually, I originally planned some motorcycling in Shangrila to places like Napa Hai.  But when I called Kevin from Turtle Mountain Gear and Outfitters, I was told that there were some recent accidents involving foreigners riding in Shangrila and it’s best to lay low for the time being.  It’s not exactly legal for a foreigner to ride a motorcycle in China without local license.

So I checked out the cycling/bus tours to Napa Hai instead.  But it appeared to be the low season and an operator advised me that the place was not very scenic at this time of the year.

With no specific sights ito visit at Shangrila, I decided to move on to Tiger Leaping Gorge. At 1145am, I took bus no. 1 just north of the old town to the long distance bus station.  Keep a watch out for the long distance bus station as bus no. 1 doesn’t end its service there.  When I reached the long distance bus station at 1210pm, I jumped onto a bus that was just about to leave for Lijiang.  I paid 30RMB to stop at Qiaotou where I will intend to trek the Tiger Leaping Gorge high trail.

Scenery en route to Qiaotou.

The bus dropped me here.  On the right is the bridge mentioned in Lonely Planet Guidebook.  Head left for Jane’s Guesthouse.

Lunch at Jane’s Guesthouse.

Same as Emeishan, I deposited a bag at Jane’s.

I planned to take the high route as recommended by most  i.e. Jane’s Guesthouse > Naxi Guesthouse (stay for the night) > 28 bends > Tea Horse Trade Guesthouse > Half Way Guesthouse > Tina’s Guesthouse > Middle Tiger Leaping Stone > Tina’s Guesthouse > Qiaotou (by bus).

Continue the road down Jane’s for maybe 10 mins until you see the sign below.

Take the road on the left.

For the beginning of the hike, the path is all paved.

Watch out for the sign below to know you are on the correct Tiger Leaping Gorge trail.

Scenery along the way.

Sometimes I did find the route slightly confusing as there were branch-offs.  But I guessed they all eventually led to the same path.  Anyhow, I followed this horseman from Naxi Village where I intended to stay the night.

Now the path has changed.

Mandatory photo shoot location.

But you got to pay for it.

They claimed a world class toilet with a world class view.

Continuing with the trek.  You can do it on horses too.  The prices quoted to me were quite fair.

The route from here onwards were quite straightforward.  As long as you see such signs along the way, you are on the right track.

Reached Naxi Guesthouse at around 4pm.  It took me 2 hours plus from Jane’s Guesthouse.

I took a basic room with private hot shower.

Corns aplenty!

Views from the guesthouse

The food prices here were fair.  The family was also very friendly.  There was even a computer with internet access.  I could probably stay here for a few weeks.

My comfort food – egg fried rice for dinner.

Next

The last day of our group trip and we finished it off with an easy panda tour.  Couldn’t really say we have been to Chengdu without visiting the adorable pandas could we? 

Some parting shots of Sim’s Cozy – the travel desk, reception and bar/restaurant.

J and CY had american breakfast, CC had cereal while I had banana pancake for breakfast.

Like all good tourists, we wore our panda tags faithfully.  We would be visiting The Giant Panda Breeding Research Base just 18km north of Chengdu city.

The place is huge and makes for a nice walk.

Slightly camera shy pandas.

Ah, this is better.

The red panda.

Some interesting signage around.

Mama pandas at the breeding center

Cute little babies and their gawking fans.

More pandas

Reach.

Panda sourvenirs are hot sellers!

Haha, I like the pose of this sleeping panda.

Baby pandas.

We watched a short documentary about pandas and the breeding base.

The family of Meimei.

Who has visited the breeding base?

Some familiar faces.

We were back at Sim’s Cozy at around 12pm.  We reached the airport at 1pm plus and had lunch at a restaurant there.  I gave the set lunches a miss and had a 58RMB bubble tea.

Goodbye my friends. Here were our games tally.

As my flight was not due till 8pm, I spent the time reading The Hotel on the Roof of the World by Alec Le Sueur at a quiet area near the international departure gate. The book is a humourous account of Alec’s stint at Holiday Inn in Lhasa.  Commenting on the unrealistic expectations of foreign tourists in TIbet, he said:

How do you expect a Tibetan who has only lived in filth and squalor, surrounded by inefficiency and incompetence, to check if the room is correct for one of Europe’s top bankers?

Oh, in between the readings, I had a fantastic prawn burger from KFC which was one-third the price of the bubble tea I had earlier.

The flight to Zhongdian aka Shangrila was on time.  Because the Lonely Planet warned about finding a taxi at Shangrila’s airport, I was a bit worried arriving so late.  But my concern was unnecessary.  I got a 30RMB ride to the old town easily.  There, I called up Cobbler’s Hill Inn and a staff soon arrived to bring me to their place.

Cobbler’s Hill Inn is a 300 year plus building located within a short walk from the main square of the old town.

I visited the cafe at the ground floor for dinner.  A charming little place.  And the lady boss as well.

Hot chocolate and curry rice.  I think my friends would have liked it here.

Next

CY was feeling better today and had a healthier appetite during breakfast.  As usual, my companions were ardent fans of hard-boiled eggs.  I went for Tsampa which I had read about but had not tried as I wasn’t sure how to prepare it.  The restaurant staff sensed my confusion and helped me mix the ingredients (roasted barley flour, sugar, buttermilk) and knead them together using a spoon.

Here’s the end result:

I couldn’t find an appropriate description of its taste until CC said that the paste-like Tsampa tasted like cereal.  That’s pretty accurate I thought.  Wait, I checked the definition of cereal and it seems that Tsampa is indeed cereal.

Whatever it is, Tsampa is the main staple of Tibetans and is often called the Tibetan national food.  During Buddhist rituals, Tsampa-throwing is performed during festivals and funerals to different meanings.  During the Cultural Revolution, Tibetans were forced to grow rice instead of Tsampa.  Many Tibetans died of starvation as a result of the failed experiment.  The phrase “Tsampa Eater” (vs “Rice Eater”) was often used to arouse the feeling of unity among Tibetans for political purposes.  Maybe I can officially call myself a one-off “Tsampa Eater”.

We left Shigatse at around 930am.  We would be heading straight to Lhasa airport for our flight back to Chengdu.

Because we had an itinerary of stipulated timings, we cannot reach the next check point early.  Interesting har?  So there were a lot of time to spare and we often stopped for photo-taking.

We reached the airport just after 2pm.  Our flight had been rescheduled from 530pm to 4pm.  Well, that’s good news for us.  I gave Sim’s Cozy a call to inform them of our new arrival time.

We bade Dawa and the driver farewell and thanked them for the enriching trip in Tibet.  It’s been an eye-opener and it’s one of the few places in China where I would really like to return for a longer stay.  Hopefully, independent travel in Tibet would be possible by that time.

With time to spare, we decided to have a quick lunch at Dico’s.  We had seen this fast-food chain in Tibet and Chengdu and finally had a chance to give it a try.  It’s good!

Standing at 3,570m, Lhasa Gonggar Airport is one of the highest airports in the world.  It’s surrounded by mountains with elevations ranging from 5,362–6,126 m.

View of those majestic mountains from the plane.

I usually travel budget so it felt really nice to have some in-flight meals.

At Chengdu Airport, it took us a few minutes to locate our driver.  Our stay tonight would still be the excellent Sim’s Cozy.

It’s our last dinner together in China and we had the famed Sichuan Chuan Chuan Xiang (hotpot).  While most locals went for spicy borth, we opted for a mixture of spicy broth and chicken broth.  We ended up dipping most of our skewers in the latter.  The staff watched with amusement as we carefully selected the skewers and picked only 1 or 2 pieces of each item.  Our lack of adventurousness and appetite were evident in the final bill.  It came up to just 104RMB which included a 1.5 bottle litre of Coca Cola and fried rice.  Haha, it’s a fun experience though.

To work off the dinner, we went for some table soccer and table tennis.  CC was surprisingly good at table tennis.  Crouching tiger, hidden dragon indeed.   Of course, J is the master.  He’s the sort of guy who can balance a basketball on a finger and use the other hand to keep it spinning.  CY was on att b, light duties so she helped to keep score.  We played until midnight before calling it a day.

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