Yunnan, China - prrrrl
I have two weeks to explore this province. I do not do whirlwind breeze through tours so I will only have time for two or three locations. Come along!

Frying pan into the fire Frying pan into the fire
Lijiang, China
Going to Lijiang to escape Beijing's bitter cold winter is like jumping from the frying pan into the fire. Or rather like jumping from the refrigerator into the freezer. No central heating anywhere! It's COLD at night here. The night was saved, however, by a heated mattress pad. Cozy! Can I see the Sunrise from my bed, please?
written by  prrrrl on March 1, 2012 from Lijiang, China
from the travel blog: Yunnan, China

Rat in maze test 1: FAIL!
Lijiang, China
Lijiang's Old Town is a maze of narrow curving alleys criss-crossing up a River bank. I'm dropped off at the edge and told to go down then turn left. It's 9:30 in the evening and very dark. Hmmm... I had picked the Panba Hostel for several reasons, one being that it was one of the few accessible by car in the Old Town. Since I knew I'd be arriving at night that feature was very attractive to me. Now I was set adrift in the maze in the dark. There was more than one way to go down. Would there be more than one way to turn left? I asked directions two times - itself astonishing as the streets were nearly deserted at that hour - the second being the most helpful. I'm blogging from the Panba right now. Phew!
written by  prrrrl on March 1, 2012 from Lijiang, China
from the travel blog: Yunnan, China

Rat in maze test 2: SUCCESS!
Lijiang, China
Eat a hostel breakfast? Not if I can help it. Bad American food is not my idea of a fun time. I took off through the alleys and to stay returnable to my cozy mattress pad, I decided to go straight. That went through the market square, clear across Old Town to a tri-belief temple turned function hall. I explored the NW corner of Old Town with a 'turn right at each intersection' plan so i could retrace my steps with a series of left turns. I started recognizing alleys and could forego the retrace. I did find breakfast along the way, an egg pancake sprinkled with diced scallions. When I came upon Naxi dancers in the Market Square I was excited. My camera can take video! Then the battery died. No more alley exploring till I can record my cool finds!
written by  prrrrl on March 1, 2012 from Lijiang, China
from the travel blog: Yunnan, China

Rat in maze test 3: FAIL!
My routine is to get up early to wander the maze, getting pictures before the crowds descend. I stop for breakfast early in my wanderings and stop for lunch at the end. Breakfast - check! Wandering - check! Lunch - no check. Where are the restaurants?? Not find a restaurant in China? Weird! I finally stop a smiling gentleman and ask him. I also tell him I prefer cheap, having heard earlier that the restaurants in this World Heritage Site are pricey. He suggests some snack eateries and even walks me to the street as that's the direction he's headed any. Perfect! I enjoy a nice lunch in a local eatery, not a tourist trap. Now to find my way back to my hostel. I think I'm south of the Old Town and my temporary abode is on the east side. Just walk northeast, right? I walked & walked and was eventually totally outside the Old Town. Oops! I can either back track or go around this huge athletic Field. I go around hoping I can reenter Old Town on the other side. Despite one dead end alley that I had retrace my way out of, it worked, obviously, as i'm here to type my Story. But I put many kilometers on my new hiking boots that day.

Five on a bus
Palled [pal-ed?] up with a gang of other solo travelers to bus to Bai Xia, rent bikes and explore the villages & remote temples. Once in Bai Xia, a quaint little village with many shops selling Chinese handicrafts and antiques [making me feel like I was in Beijing at the Dirt Market] we hunted for a bike rental. Despite assurances back in Lijiang that there were such establishments, there were no bikes for let to be found. Now what? We had endured standing room only on a very tightly backed bus for a trip several villages outside Lijiang. Hike? Just one sight was 8 kilometers out so we would only have time to see one thing. Rent a mini [as in smart car size] van for half the day seemed the best solution. We tried. The hostess at a cafe tried. No mini vans for hire. Now what? We decided to take the bus to the last stop and walk 2 kilometers to a 'sight'; I'm not sure if it was going to a temple or village. But, travel such as we do rarely goes entirely as planned: we met a senior citizen on the bus that was Naxi minority from Lijiang but currently living in the US. He showed us his Missouri Drivers License. He told us that he was going to see a temple with great views. We tagged along with him. He hardly spoke any English but all but one of our five solos turned group could speak Chinese to varying degrees. The bonus was he sort of knew where he was going and could speak the local Naxi when directions were needed. The first temple was nice, free to enter, small and gave me several good pictures. The second involved slogging up a hill & through some woods only to find out there was an exorbitant entrance fee of $17. We took pictures of the outside with its Tibet style banners and hiked on to a near by lake. Only the lake was not so near by. A second[third] attempt to hire a vehicle also proved futile and we walked back to the bus stop. This time we actually got seats. Well, three of us did. Back to Lijiang for dinner. Not the most effective touring day but pleasant none the less.

Tiger Leaping Gorge! Or, the near perfect day
Qiaotou, China
So much to catch up on...
Day One: Just about ideal. 9am bus, not too early, came right to our hostel so no sloshing to the long distance bus station and all for only 5rmb [81 cents] more than the public bus.
Bumpy ride to be expected in this part of the world. Mei ban fa [nothing I can do about it.]
Short walk from drop off point [that doubles as a bag storage service] to local restaurant for very good meal with two as yet unknown to me vegetables. [In this part of Yunnan, menus are rare. A refridgerated display case holds tubs of veggies that you point to then discuss how it is to be cooked. I do not understand all the cooking methods. When I don't, that's the one I pick!]
Hike started in perfect weather with sunny skies and fluffy clouds. Mountains visible from the start. We make the Naxi Family Guesthouse in 2 hours, the posted time.
Naxi family almost ignores us but does serve us Yunnan tea with a fresh mint leaf for a very nice flavor. They are in the process of giving a baby a bath. That involves heating the water over a fire, putting out interlocking foam pads on the concrete courtyard floor, and having clean blankets & clothes nearby. After rub down [what the pads & blanket were for] baby gets dressed and wrapped in a Naxi back carrier. It looks like a quilted blanket but there is a head rest sticking up from the center of the top and two very long straps off each of the top corners. It takes two adults to get the baby in place. Baby is wrapped in the quilt then the straps, that are now crossing infront of the baby, are draped over an adult's shoulders, then crisscrossed over the adult's chest making a big letter X. The straps are now at the adult's waist level where they are wrapped at the adult's waist to the back becoming a seat for the baby. One adult needs to hold the baby in place while all this wrapping is done. When done the adult walks the baby to sleep, the little baby butt sticking out over the waist wrap. Very clever!
written by  prrrrl on March 8, 2012 from Qiaotou, China

TLG II Or, my lack of skill stays hidden
Qiaotou, China
They do not speak English at the Naxi Family Guesthouse. Go, but be prepared. Naxi Ma Ma was waiting outside my door one time because she wanted me to translate a phone call for her. But when she called the number the person was not there. Phew! My skills go unchallenged!
written by  prrrrl on March 8, 2012 from Qiaotou, China

TLG VI Or, it's the pictures that count
Qiaotou, China
It gets windy. Water drops occassionally from the sky. We press ever downward.
Tina's is bland but has nice views from the restaurant. It's hard not to have nice views in this gorge so that's not saying much. We're REALLY tired. Maybe Corey not so much as he is half my age - if I shave a few years off mine. [Youngins!] Eat & crash. What was suppose to be only a mildly challenging day has turned into a near disaster.
But I've got great pictures!
written by  prrrrl on March 8, 2012 from Qiaotou, China

TLG III Or, the not so perfect day starts
Day two in the gorge seems so long ago... Today is Thursday, Day two was Tuesday. The plan was to hike to the second guest House away, a 4.5 hour hike that we had all day to do. No rush. Noodle soup for breakfast [I've stopped ordering noodles here as they really are a northern specialty, the noodles down here are just packaged pasta - not the homemade yumminess that they serve in Beijing.] Now for the most challenging part of the hike: 28 Bends, two dozen plus four switch backs [I did not count to confirm] with significant elevation gain. They were not the most fun for me, mostly because I had brought a chest cold with me and the air in my inhalations, under extra pressure of high elevation and under the weight of a backpack, were not finding the membranes of my aveoli as usual. Cough, cough, hack...
I was a bit dismayed to find that when we had accomplished this infamously toughest portion of the trail we immediately descended in altitude. All that gain in elevation was for naught? The rest of the hike was much easier. We made the first guest House [Tea Horse GH] hoping to stop for the hour Thai massage. It was closed! They served us complementary tea and we pressed on.

TLG IV Or, the not so perfect day gets worse
We had a small lunch of Naxi Ba Ba [the local flat bread] and deep fried bananas. Had we known what was coming we would have loaded up some energy. But we thought we just had 1.5 hours to go to Halfway GuestHouse. We did. But the 1/2 Way had a school group and no en suite rooms. No heating pads on the beds, either. Noisy & cold was not appealing. The beds sans heat pads were in a room with breezy gaps in the windows. The non en suite toilets were down the hall, down the concrete steps and around the corner from the sinks. They were open air squatty potties with awesome views of the moutains [and completely private unless the Mountain goats have binoculars]. Pretty to see but cold to use on a windy Mountain night. We decided to press on 1.5 kilometer to th next guestHouse. We're tired but what's 15 more minutes?
Five Fingers GuestHouse was up - yes, UP off the trail. Stiff legs, just one more hill. We climb to the GH and it looks abandoned. We call out for humans. One responds. Can we have a room? Nope, too busy. To busy with what? Not a single guest there. Not a single remodeling project, though needed, in process. Not a single sound of industry anywhere. I tell her I'm old [I'm past the age of mandatory retirement in China] & sick [cough, cough, hack...]. She refuses to House us.
Go back 15 minutes to the noisy cold place?

TLG V Or, what a kick!
Corey [my new buddy & temporary travelmate] prefers to press on, on TWO MORE HOURS, to the last guest House, Tina's. I'm tired, I'm sick. I can do it! It's mostly down hill which is a killer on my knees. I don't remember if we made in 'time' or not. We crossed a Waterfall and were immediately met by a donkey. No, make that two, no, thre... Six? Several had bridles. All, I hoped, were not kickers as there was no space to get out of their way. We were up against The Rock wall, they were next to the drop off. I used my Uyghur, 'Chuh,' hoping they are multi-lingual. They peacefull marched in single file across the wettened by Waterfall trail. We were not kicked. Downward to Tina's!

TLG VII Or, Hot Pot, ya'll??
Southern Hot Pot! Why order off the menu when the staff is eating wonderfully warm hot pot one table over. We only get spicy dipping sauce, not the sesame and/or spicy they offer in Beijing, the home of hot pot. [I'm guessing on that one but it is a Northern dish.] Veggies and organs are washed & chopped and in tubs on one of the restaurant tables, of these we can help ourselves. We are given the choice of Chicken, bones in, or beef for the stock. No lamb? We are definitely not in the North! The green veggies are numerous but the scallios disappear before I can grab a plateful. There are glass noodles, too - a favorite of mine. We eat till stuffed. Aaaaahhhh....
Here, rice is rarely served in individual bowls. A wooden bucket, or large bowl of rice is placed on the table for all to share family style. I like it.

TLG VIII Or, big savings!
Time to go to Tiger Leaping Rock. Down! We bypass the sky ladder and opt for the safe way down. It is morning and the trail is empty. Most hilkers come from Halfway Guesthouse in the morning and add this bit on in the afternoon before hopping the bus to Lijiang or Shangri La. Tuesday totally shattered by 'take it nice & slow' approach to the trek but today should be better. It is windy and cloudy but no rain.
We see people at the bottom already! They are on the large, jutting rock on the left. We explore The Rocks on the right first. A mightly powerful River through the gorge! The group on the large rock leave. We make our way over. A woman sits by the path up The Rock. She wants 10rmb from us. I had asked in advance where exactly we were suppose to pay as locals like to set up signs and road blocks and illegally collect 'passage fees.' If the information I gathered was correct, we do not have to pay her. I tell her so and walk right past her. Corey is too polite. She grabs her cell phone & calls. For back up? For police? For muscle? We'll see. I enjoy the views. Corey pays the fee. I over hear her give a sigh of resignation. Whomever she called did not make her emboldened to confront me. After a bit I leave. She does not follow; back up, police and muscle do not arrive.
I saved myself $1.61.

TLG IX Or, no could do
Sky ladder! A scary ladder that is about 3 stories high at an angle of 89 degrees, or almost vertical. The rungs are a reach even for me and my long legs. How does the typical Chinese do it? At least the treads are deep. Now I can say I did it.
Back at Tina's level we decide to have an easy horse back riding afternoon. The trail we want to do is called the Bamboo Forest. It is suppose to be a highlight of the Tiger Leaping Gorge experience. First we are told 'no can do' because of the Bridges & wind - not safe for horses. We end up at a very pleasant looking Tibet Guesthouse for lunch. We inquire about horses again. Sure, they can take you through the Bamboo Forest & back to Tina's. Perfect!
No could do. The Bridges & wind really didn't allow. We ended up going through Walnut Garden to a very nice look-out high above the gorge. Sure wish I had seen walnut cakes on one of the menus.

TLG X Or, free ride
The menu at Tina's was not inspiring. Our horse guides [these people are Mountain goats - Corey & I rode, they walked the entire trail up & back down without any visible effort!] brought us back to the cozy Tibet Guesthouse for Tibetan food and the promise of a free ride back to Tina's after.
Food was fine. Beer was fine. The sun had long set. But by the time we finished our meal the kitchen was dark and not a soul to be seen or heard anywhere. "Hello?" "Wei?" I had a flashlight with me but a 3k walk in the quiet dark next to significant drop offs was not appealing.
We finally found everyone downstairs underneath the open patio we dined on. Phew!
Free ride!

To market, to market!
Shaxi, China
It's market day in Shaxi, a small village that once was on the Tea Horse Road where Yunnan tea was traded for Tibetan horses. The square is quaint and amazingly QUIET! I like it here! The market is in the newer part of town mostly under some metal shelters.
I saw the rug hat people and the black turban people and the woven bookmark with fringe draped across the head and held in place by a Mao cap people and the knit cap shaped like a squashed flower bud people and the animal skin on the back people and only one huge black half hexagon hanging off the back of the head person. Mostly it was the black turban people.
All these clothing distintions were only for the women. The men were drab in comparison.
I'll do my research and come up with proper tribal associations.
Twas a cool day!
written by  prrrrl on March 9, 2012 from Shaxi, China

Forget about it!
Shaxi, China
Cheap ride [20rmb] from Tina's to Jane's where our bags were stored. Short walk to Qiaotou. Wait by side of the road for a few minutes. Corey's bus came almost immediately; he was off for Shangri La. My bus came right after but being full did not stop. I waited an additional 10 minutes. Next appropriate bus was mostly empty of humans but FULL of molds and grime. Super yuk! But I need to be headed south so I find a seat.
After a 20 minute rest stop so the driver could eat I'm in Jianchuan about 2 hours later. I switch to a bus to Shaxi that's waiting to fill. I'm person 6 of 7. We only need one more. But two people walk up, one holding a baby. A man quickly gets off giving up his seat so the family can stay together. Nice.
1 hour later I'm in my home for the next 3 nights: Shaxi, Yunnan, the town time forgot.
written by  prrrrl on March 10, 2012 from Shaxi, China

Too hard!
Shaxi, China
Today I hiked with two Chileans & a Dutchman to some famous old grottoes in the hillsides near Shaxi. There are many and spread far apart in the hills. Seeing them all would take one very long day of non-stop hiking. We opt for a few along a curving path. A mini-van & driver will meet us at the end.
We make it to the first set [that include 'fertility' symbols on lotus pads]. To be cautious we inquire of the route to our next destination. The man says too difficult, go back to the parking lot and walk from there. Back to the parking lot would be a difficult down into the valley and up the other side that we already trekked. Over & over he said to go back, our route was too difficult & we'd get lost.
Thankfully, we ignored him. The route was easy to follow and almost totally down hill unlike the deep dip & back up he was recommending us to do. And it was beautiful! Even with no millenium old carvings to look at occassionally the hike was well worth it just for the trees, hills, blue skies, rock outcroppings and and views to distant villages.
Photos coming soon!
written by  prrrrl on March 10, 2012 from Shaxi, China

Disney Dali
Dali, China
Trams zipping through the streets, guides on loud speakers. Where am I? I'm in Dali. The mountains are close by to the west causing an early sunset. The lake is visible if on the [new] old city wall. Contruction everywhere. Gorgeous cherry blossoms everywhere, too. Beautiful blue skies & pleasant tempuratures. Could be worse. When do the tours leave???
written by  prrrrl on March 12, 2012 from Dali, China

Tomorrow's itinerary
Dali, China
AM: Walked around Dali's Old City; found the local market which was very photogenic. Tried to retrace my steps to the walnut lady but could not find her after three attempts. Bought fruit.
AM: Walked atop the [new] Old City wall and enjoyed many picturesque views. Filled my SD card in my camera - sat for a long time deleting photos and videos. The 'highlight' was finding an almost 6 minute accidental video. It was from the vantage point of my belly of me washing my hands, breathing, flossing - quite a hoot! DELETE!
PM: Ate spicy mint for lunch. Not a favorite but worth a try.
PM: Went for an oil foot massage. I fell asleep at one point so was pretty good.
PM: Inquired at the front desk about walking to a pagoda I was prominantly from the [new] Old City wall. It looked close enough to reach on foot but I wanted to be sure there weren't fences or such in the way. She suggested I take a bus. She wrote the name of the stop. Having been informed by the same person that I could flag down the #4 bus anywhere along the road I stood off the side walk & waited. The first bus came and by the time I noticed the small #4 it was too late to flag it down. The second would not stop. Neither did the third. The fourth bus did stop. I showed the driver the stop I wanted and paid my 1.5rmb. I assumed it would be only 2 or 3 stops away. Miles away I ask my seat mate about the stop I want. We had passed it long ago. The bus driver than acknowledged that he had forgotten. I motioned to get off so that I could cross the street and hail a bus going back the way I wanted. He said to stay and he'd get me there on the return trip. That he did. But I had to go all the way to the bottom of the lake eating up a lot of time. But hey, I guess he saved me 24 cents. :-/ At the bus station I had to switch to another bus, my first driver explaining to the second driver why I didn't have to pay and where I was to get off. I could have walked there by now! Well, I finally was advised as to where to get off and... it was not the pagoda I had wanted to visit. It was no where near the city wall I was looking from. But there I was road side. I crossed the street. The temple was shut and locked. I walked around the side. Behind the complex holding two pagodas and across the alley was an open temple. I wandered through there taking pictures. It was quite nice but I'm getting templed out. I wanted to climb a pagoda! I went back to the road and caught another #4 bus back to my guest house. I told the desk sraff of the misunderstanding and my misadventure. The owner [who is native English speaking] tells me the pagoda I want to see is an easy walk, no fences or barriers of consequence. Tomorrow's challenge!
written by  prrrrl on March 12, 2012 from Dali, China

Sobriety test
Dali, China
Ate at a local place for dinner. It was packed! Only one table was open and it was a little squatty one near the open door. I had to sit on an 8 inch high stool. But packed is a good sign, right?
In this case the locals packing it were significantly comprised of women in towel turbans. This is a minority group I had not seen yet. One had an hommage to Yassar Arafat but in baby blue. It was either that or she was trying to camouflage a cowboy hat.
My meal was good and it just felt right being in a place filled with so many lovely ladies.
But right next to my squatty table was a group of men. The two closest to me offered me what appeared to be hard liquer carted in a Sprite bottle. Had they been sober, one refusal should have surficed, right? I had to turn them down 5 times! Sobriety test? FAIL!
written by  prrrrl on March 12, 2012 from Dali, China

Tea party!
The poster in the room suggesting visiting a tea plantation as part of a custom tour where you hire a car for a day. Can I get there on public transit?
"Four kilometer walk from the bus stop."
"No problem, I can walk that far."
"The way is not marked; it will be hard to find."
"I speak enough Chinese and you've written down the location in characters. I can ask for directions long the way."
Short walk to the bus station. Inquired around for my destination and the first minivan was going my way. 3rmb [48 cents.]
The driver stops to let me out. I ask at the corner convenience store for the 'tea factory.' Straight up the road. Easy.
I found the tea factory but nothing of note was happening except renovations. "I want to see tea bushes." "Up the road to and to the left."
I did have to guess as when to go left. My first instinct was correct. Easy.
I did have to pass a gate guard house* where I wrote down my name. They also wanted my company and phone number. I suppose I could have made something up but I just said I don't have one for the first and that I forgot for the second. One asked about smoking. I thought maybe he was asking for a bribe. The other guard did not want me to pass. The first let me.
On I walked. I passed an electric grid substation and a nice but uninhabited compound. The stone road wound its way up the mountainside.
As last I saw rows and rows of short green bushes. Tea! I crunched up a leaf. No aroma. At the factory I was told that it was the wrong season. Further on many bushes were pruned of all leaves, just many gray stumps in a clump. Didn't matter - I've now been to a tea plantation in Yunnan. I walked on.
I passed a few rough and simple homes*, laundry & corn drying in the courtyard. I passed several graves* scattered about the tea bushes, all facing somewhat to the east.
Below me were towns, villages, factories and farmlands stretching to the lake, beyond which were low hills barely visible in the haze. Above me were snow-sprinkled mountain tops. Let's keep walking!
After some time I was passed on a motor bike by a local. I soon came to his destination. Not to many people on this road [I saw some power company people at the substation and no one since] and far fewer big noses, if any. He greated me and asked if I'd like some water or tea. I'm in Yunnan, the home of some of the finest teas in the world and I've just made a pilgramage to a tea plantation even though it's out of season... "Tea, please!!!" There was a small building consisting of open courtyard on the east and three small rooms across the west. The only entrance was from the south. Wanted and conduct posters told me it was a work station of some sort, not a home. The 10 people, 2 women and 8 men, were finishing up lunch, one dish still sizzling in the wok. They invited me eat! A huge pot of steamed rice sat on the table, enough for 20 more people. One gentleman took a thermos of hot water and rinced a bowl and pair of chopsticks. He wiped the rim of the bowl with his probably rarely washed fingers. I ate. I drank tea a few feet from where it's grown. I listened to them laugh hartily, probably at me some of the times. They seemed a happy lot.
Three started singing in turns, each turn being lengthy. I assume it was a tradition Chinese ditty but there must have been some improvisation as one line was sung directly to one gentleman and everyone but me roared in laughter.
But I must return to civilization and end my lovely walk and visit at the foot of the mountain*. Sigh...
Twas super easy day. I walked many more than four kilometers just because it was such a beautiful day with the blue-est skies* I've ever seen in China. It was quiet and wooded - perfect recipe for a walk. When I returned to the hostel I drew a map of my route so the next tea aficionado can make the same trek. So if you're ever in Dali and want to see the tea plantation just go to the Jade Emu and ask for Jan't map. I signed it.
Photos coming soon.

Hygiene disaster averted!
During my lovely visit amongst the tea bushes where I was enjoying a local brew I almost had too much hospitality. My cup had cooled a bit so I decided to pour it into my almost empty water bottle. One of the gents saw this and that my water bottle was still not refilled. He took his tea bottle and with out asking started to pour his tea into my bottle. "Enough, enough!" I have have enough tea, thank you. Not a drop of his made it into mine. If you've ever been to China you'll understand...

Just not my day? Just not my two weeks!
I've had a very bad chest & head cold since the start of my vacation. Today is my last day. The coughing and sniffling have tapored off but are still there. So what happens the last day? Emptying of my digestive tract at both ends. I'm 'home' in my hostel bed with an upset tummy. Are vacations suppose to be like this?

The Developing Country Game!
Let's count how many things can go wrong in one day:
Haven't eaten in 36 hours due to stomach bug. -1
Even after drinking water, I don't need to use the toilet +1
Pack bags quickly and am out of room early. +1
Bus not there at expected time -1
Comment to staff that bus is late, staff looks surprised; he checks book - my name is not on the list but I have the receipt. Best guess is he forgot and I actually missed the bus even though I was waiting well before departure. -5
Staff quickly refunds the 10rmb difference in cost for the next bus. +1
Small bottle of plum juice [a Yunnan specialty] does not upset my tummy. +1
Next bus is also late. -2
Taxi comes, takes me three blocks to bus. Bus than drives rigth past hostel. I realize that though the hostel says no 'booking fee' I probably could have crossed the road and caught the very same bus for about half the price. -3
I happen to pick the shaded side of the bus, so no sun in my eyes. +0.5
Two lanes of traffic headed North on a two lane road [the truck on the left was passing a vehicle on the right] means total traffic stoppage. People are getting out of their vehicles to look at the road block. I've got a plane to catch and I'm already twice delayed! -5 [Turns out it was a traffic accident, the passing truck forced a south-bound van to veer to its left but the veer was insufficiant and CRASH! Twas just the corner of the passenger side so hopefully no one was injured.]
Traffic delay number two - just an overturned mini-truck on the side of the road to drive around. At least it was a shorter delay. -1
Three hour bus to Lijiang takes 4 hours to get to Lijiang outskirts. -2
Dropped off at airport road. I thought I was to flag down another bus but it turned out that the airport was literally across the road. I walked up the trafficless Departure Ramp to the terminal. +3
Lugged all my travel possessions in two backpacks [one worn front, one back] the block distance to the terminal without having eaten any solid food in 40+ hours. -1
Get to the airport 30 minutes before the check in counter closes for my flight. Phew! +1
Chose the shortest line at the check-in counter but apparently the slowest agent. The line next to me moved much faster. -1
Agent tells me I don't have a ticket. I show her my passport. No. I show her my ticket number as emailed to me by Delta. Nope. "Take your luggage and go to the ticket counter across the hall." -2
Ticket counter checks my passport & ticket number. Verdict? No ticket. :-O -6
Delta's China ticket office is only open during US business hours which means that's it is closed during China's business day. Now what?? I guess that my boarding pass for my flight from Beijing will prove that I have a ticket. I actually find it and... I'm right! They send me back to the check in counter. +5
It is 2 minutes past check in counter closing time [30 minutes before flight time]. They check me in quickly and tag my bag. -/+0 [They had better check me in quickly!]
I still have security to go through and the get to get to. Final score??? I made it to Beijing. But what a day!
The ticket number Delta gave me had one extra digit on the end. But wouldn't my name have made the difference? There were only two people on the flight with non-character names. It's not like there was a Jane Fu Jonah Du on the flight. Not in English, anyway.

I still hear in English
Three new people checked into my room. They were all Chinese from Guang Zhou. We chatted the usual 'where are you from, where are you going, how long have you been traveling' conversation - all in Chinese! I was so proud of myself. They spoke slowly, I spoke slowly. But the communication worked!
Then I heard, "Beijing how long?" "One week," I answered. But he had said, "Beijing hau leng?" which means, 'is it very cold in Beijing?' proving that I'm stuck in English whether I try or not.
:-/