Travelling in the Southwest

The past week I have been travelling in the southwest region of China (Yunnan Province to be exact). It has honestly been super mellow with not too much excitement, but good fun. The Yunnan Province is absolutely gorgeous with a balance of mountains and farmland. It has been wonderful getting out of the cement block of Shanghai and being able to just be in open land. I have spent three days hiking and two days biking, seeing amazing sights (I will post pictures when I return to Shanghai). Right now I am in a town called Dali. Of all the days, today has been the best. To start, it was warm. I was able to wear shorts and a shirt all day and sandels. How my feet have missed the sunshine. My friend, Claire, and I rented bikes and biked down to the is lake and all around these coutryside villages. It was amazing to get lost in the alleys of these villages and see the locals' daily rountines. There is a lot of farming aroung here and everything is done by hand, no machines. We were able to bike through the peoples' fields as they picked potatoes, green onions, and other vegetables. As I was on my bike looking at the farm fields with a snowy mountain backdrop I could not think of a cooler place to be. Never in my life did I ever think I would be biking through the countryside of China, but here I was. To top it off, I was able to wear my Rainbows! How I miss wearing sandels. I am convinced that moments like today will be among some of my top memories of China. While I love Shanghai (I cannot think of a better Chinese city to live) I also love getting out to explore.

With April about to start, I realize I only have four months of China left. Who knows, maybe I will return when I finish my Credential, but for now I just have to experience what I can while I am here. This summer I am going to do a bit more China travelling. I am debating between the Sichuan Province and Inner Mongolia. I know that both these regions have areas that, like today, have been untouched by the Western World's influence, and would be cool t check out.

Tomorrow is the last day of my holiday and I will either bike again or check out a minority village (not sure which). Pictures of my travels will be posted soon.