Tuesday 12^th December 2023 

Another busy day ahead, so I got up at 7.30, after Ling and had a shower and shave.

I made some porridge we’d brought with us, along with half of yesterday’s youtiao and we were ready to go out at 9.30.

We took the metro, which cost 5 yuan each for about 10 stops, to the huge flower market and spent an interesting hour here, during which time, Ling brought a large bouquet of flowers to send to Vicky in Shijiazhuang, which should arrive next day for 25 yuan.

 

As we were leaving, I bought Ling a bouquet of anemones and stocks, which we carried round with us the rest of the day. As I was feeling exhausted, we stopped at Luckin’ Coffee across the road, for a coffee and slice of banana bread, before taking the metro and a taxi to our next destination, Guandu ancient town. This was another typical ancient town with buildings being renovated, full of the same kind of shops as found in Dali and Lijiang.

As it was nearing lunchtime at 1.00 pm, we stopped at a well decorated restaurant and had a meal for two at 58 yuan, which I paid for using cash.

The meal included rice, carrot and vegetable soup, rice balls stuffed with minced pork and fried chicken, with chopped bones mixed up with the meat, but the taste was OK and it was nice surroundings, sitting outside, with lots of flowers etc.

Then we walked further on and passed a park, where loads of elderly people were singing, playing cards, erhu etc. From here we visited a well maintained temple, built around 1340.

 

From here, we caught a taxi to the Yunnan museum and stayed about an hour, during which I was interested in ore samples, as well as amazingly designed bronze figurines and cooking utensils from the Bronze age, plus a lot of dinosaur exhibits.

 

There was quite a long walk to the front of the taxi rank,from Kunming station, but there were plenty of them and it took about half an hour to reach our hotel, the Ha Lou, which was on 13^th floor of a large tower block. They didn’t accept Western credit cards, so I had to pay 533 yuan in cash for 3 nights. Last time we came to Kunming was 10 years ago, so we didn’t recognise anything.

Our room was on the 23^rd floor and quite well equipped, with fridge, radiator, safe, wardrobe, 2 armchairs and a desk for laptop etc, plus double bed and TV.

 

After we’d settled in the room, Ling noticed there was a Huang Luong  (Spring City) shopping mall. not far away, which is the same one we visit in Jinan, so we walked there for lunch on the 6^th floor.

There were quite a few Thai restaurants, but we chose a Hong Kong place and I had an excellent plate of fried spicy beef and garlic, with boiled rice. Ling had aubergine and salty fish with pak choy, and we enjoyed the food which came to 86 yuan.