M-whY

Having arrived in Dali late the night before, I didn't rush myself into any tours, giving myself some time to look around first. Everywhere I looked were local Bai people, women dressed in their blue garb and shouldering baskets filled with all sorts of stuff. Following the flow of pedestrian traffic led me to a market in full swing. Vendors sold everything from fish to vegetables to live poultry (and if you look closely, rabbits!). People carried their struggling purchases as if it were the most common thing in the world. A stroll down the meat alley turned up even crazier goods. I circled the market several times, sneaking pictures and possibly risking a beating if anyone noticed what I was doing. But no one did, and I emerged from the chaos unscathed.

Afterwards, I returned to my hostel and rented a bike to see the sights nearby. The Three Pagodas wasn't difficult to find. I basically headed north out of town until the (duh!) three pagodas came into view. Among the oldest structures in southwest China, they were particularly beautiful when reflected in a nearby pond. I half expected to see swordsmen flying through the air, sparring with each other.

So inspired was I that I considered buying a sword from one of the many souvenir stands. Until I realized carrying would be too much hassle, and that I'd most likely ditch it within a week, making it 80 yuan (US$1 = 8 yuan) wasted. I zipped down to Erhai Lake, the seventh largest freshwater lake in China. Today, a layer of mist covered the surface, limiting visibility. I bought a ticket for a ferry ride to ... I don't know where, but it seemed to be the thing to do. On board, I sat down for a game of chinese chess with a good natured fellow who probably played a lot in his spare time. Or maybe I was just bad, after all, I hadn't played in years. But by the time we reached our destination, he had thoroughly beaten me three times.

It turned out I had gotten aboard one of those dreaded sightseeing tours geared towards Chinese tourists. First stop was Jinsuo Island, at a Bai village supported by tourist yuan. Since I was here already, I paid the nominal fee to enter, though the temples weren't really that spectacular. Supposedly, Bai tea is worth trying, so I did that too. According to traditional Bai customs, when a man goes to a woman's home to ask her hand in marriage, he'll be served three different cups of tea if the family approves, and meat if they don't. If you ask me (an admitted carnivore), it should be the other way around.

A snakehead fish on a skewer would keep me going until dinner, and across choppy waters we were taken to what I think was Guanyin Pavilion. Here, they tried to extract another ten yuan entrance fee. Forget it, I thought, it doesn't look worth it. Several other passengers agreed with me, and we sat around on the boat for an hour until everyone returned. Fortunately, this turned out to be the last attraction, and after losing two more games of chinese chess, we were back at the dock we began at.

Ideally, I should've studied the game that evening, so the next time I play, I won't have my ass kicked so badly. Except I was too beat to engage in any mentally demanding activity. Instead, I unwound next to a bottle of Dali beer, scribbling nonsense in my notepad which I'd later convert into this blog entry.

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