The group has left Kunming for the small city (relatively) of Lijiang of 1 million people but before we left, Ant and I visited a few sights in Kunming itself.

We spent a few hours at the Yuantong Si temple in northern Kunming. There were the usual pagodas (in notably good condition), people offering incense, fish swimming in pools, and lucky turtles. I even saw one koi that reminded me of our koi on LI, Mary Jo, so named because it gulps water out the side of its mouth- just like Mary Jo Buttafucco talks. Gulp gulp.

On the way out I saw something I never thought I would- a woman with bound feet. Technically, this practice was outlawed in 1911 (ish) and although it wasn't seriously enforced until the 1920s and 30s, it surprised me that anyone with it done was still alive. It took me a minute to realize it too because the woman moved so damn fast- not bad for someone who is probably 75-80 years old!!! She had the little pointy handmade shoes on that you see in museums. Eerie...

We wandered by the major park in Kunming and then made a second unsuccessful attempt at locating English language books at the Xin Hua bookstore. Grrr.. Before I could say the word "kangaroo" I was loaned a copy of Bill Bryson's Down Under on Australia, which I read on the bus ride to Lijiang. What a funny book- especially because I was just in many of the places he visited and noticed similar things.

When we reached Lijiang and got into the Old City, I felt like I had walked into Disney's EPCOT Center Display of China. There were traditional homes, women in Naxi clothing, and red lanterns hanging from buildings. It is also clean, which is maybe why I felt like it had that fake Disney sanitized look. Luckily it's not fake and I have completely enjoyed my time here. The people rock and the little old women actually let you take their photo and giggle when they see it. In fact, I had one woman approach me (I did bait her by making it obvious you could instantly see the photo on my camera) and ask me to take her photo. I figured she wanted money but she just smiled and laughed. Then her friend came over and they did a "casual" (or as casual as you can get in two elderly post-Mao era women can get for a foreign devil) pose for me. When I was quickly surrounded, I knew it was time to go back to my oh so tasty breakfast buns.

I also bought a few bananas from a little old lady and let her moderately overcharge me (25 cents for 4) to butter her up for a photo. It worked and she was a total cutie. She liked her photo as well. I felt I was neglecting the wrinkled old men so just a few minutes ago I approached two ancient looking guys and they laughed at their contributions. Hopefully, I will be posting this photos in the next few days.

Now for some interesting facts:

Lijiang is known for it's Naxi influence. The Naxi are of Tibetan/Burmese ethnicity and are known for their typically matriarchal society. Women run the show- so much so that Naxi women in the past could go directly to a man's mother and tell her that she wanted his son. The son didn't have much choice and became the woman's "friend"- he would live with his mother but spend the nights with her. If she had any children with this friend she was the one responsible for their upbringing, with financial support from the man. If she wanted to end the relationship, she would put his shoes outside her door and also forfeit support from him.

Tomorrow we're off to Chengdu, a city I need to give a second chance to... maybe I'll be lucky and get to hear about panda penis atrophy again...