Dali - Chuxiong - Yuanmou
Irrational fear about the unknowns has been deterring me from moving, not necessary forward, but simply steps. I have been wanting to visit "the earth forest" in Yuanmou before I moved to Dali, yet, when I finally had free time, I subconsciouly seeked excuses not to go. Thanks to Qiqi, that kick in the ass was necessary:)
Maybe a perfectly comofortable trip should be well organized. Hotels, train and bus tickets shall be booked in advance. That's why Qi had been urging me to book the train ticket. After having checked availabilities and departures from Dali to Chuxiong, I decided not to book the ticket until I arrive at the train station. I'd go next day if I felt for it.
Woke up early in the morning, I found no more excuses. Washed my face, packed, I set off to the bus then train station. Jumped off the bus, I hurrily bought the earliest ticket to Chuxiong (no seat, 74RMB). In 20 mins' time, I quickly passed the security check, rushed to the toilet and voila! I was on my way to Chuxiong(楚雄)!
It was only approximately one hour's ride on the fast speed train from Dali to Chuxiong. A pretty young lady who sold snacks on the train approached me. Apparenlty she was not interested in selling me stuff but a chitchat. We had a pleasant exchange and I hoped she would not have an existential crisis since I kept encouraging her to get out of her comfort zone.
The first day would be touring around Chuxiong main center, and then I was supposed to head to Yuanmou via Guangtong(广通) early next morning. The route travelling on a train seemed pretty easy and straight forward, so I again decided not to book the ticket beforehand, in case of any sudden change of plan.
I did a bit of research on the main town of Chuxiong, it did not seem to have much to offer. And thus, a one-day hop-on and hop-off tour should be good enough. The first stop was the Yi Solar Ephemeris Park (楚雄彝族太阳历公园). It was not far away from the train station, only 2 or 3 bus stops away. The weather in CX was a lot hotter than in Dali, I had to take off my fleece and jacket only after 10 mins' walk. Though weekend, there weren't many people in the park, it was all quiet and warm. Small size city like such would be perfect for retired life. I walked past the lake, reached the roundabout, went round the construction, and then up to the platform.
Unfortunately, I did not have enough time to educate myself by learning how the traditionl Yi solar calendar works, nor did I try to comprehend the Yi characters on the signs displayed. Fortunately, I did enjoy the fabulous bird view of Chuxiong.
After the first landmark, I walked about 25mins to take the No. 17 bus to the Futa Park (福塔公园, The Fortune Pagoda Park). Judging from the direction, it seemed that the other park was located on the other side of the town.
There were more locals here than in the Yi Solar Ephemeris Park. I had a quick tour walking round the pogoda and temples, nothing special really. The pogoda looked resplendent and magnificient, and again, great for a retired life. I was about to spend 2RMB, climb up to the tower top and enjoy a great view. Nevertheless, I did not go in the end. My stomach started to rumble so I thought it was enough parks for today. I trotted downhill, thinking whether I should eat in the busy commercial pedestrian street area or in the Yi ancient town. Well, one last site for today, I took the bus to the Yi ancient town.
The Yi People's Ancient Town was an artificial old town which obviously was built to attrack tourists. Having lived in and visited several old towns in Yunnan, this pretencious commercial area soon lost my favour. I found a spot for noodles, fed my stomach, got my phone charged, and finally sat down to check for transport options to Yuanmou. The train ticket from Chuxiong to Guangtong(广通) was available, however, from Guangtong to Yuanmou in the early morning was sold out. Since I wanted to get back to Dali on the same day, I could not risk starting late in Yuanmou.
The struggle took about 30 mins, my final decision was to take the 18:00 bus (38RMB, about 2-2.5hrs) to Yuanmou. I arrived Yuanmou at about 20:45. Tired and hungry, I walked into an open night bar, ordered a glass of strawberry milkshake and some chicken wings, found myself a hotel, washed and slept.
By the way, Yuanmou was insanely hot. It was the first time after a long while that I had to sleep with the air conditioning on.
https://eamonsoon.blogspot.com/2023/02/dali-chuxiong-yuanmou.html
