When you switch to a mac you forget how to use a PC. When the only thing available is a PC you try to remember how it works. Slightly more confusing here. The screen is all in Chinese and therefore it’s hard to know how to switch over to QWERTY… Help!
(Still raining, still in the YH internet cafe – it’s free. Dali 2 July)
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At 2000m Dali is already quite high. Yesterday when I arrived it was pounding with rain and there was nothing to see. In addition I foolishly left my camera on the express bus from Kunming… Thank god for Tao in Kunming and Peng here in Dali. 11 phone calls later and Peng was taking me back to Dali new town (I’m in the old town) on a bus to retrieve the camera from the lost property officer at the bus station. Between them they solved something that would have been impossible for me. Tao tells me I need to give one of the Rough Edge T shirts to the bus driver on my return to Kunming – he’s going to organise this.
Luckily this morning the rain had cleared and as I stepped out of the courtyard of Peng’s climbers’ guesthouse (bunkhouse) I saw the mountains for the first time – rising steeply above the streets of this amazing little walled city with pockets of cloud sitting in their hollows up to a dizzy 4116m. It is truly breathtaking and I can’t wait to get up there and discover more.
Now I am busy finding a partner to come with me and the first step is to move from Peng’s place to the Birds Nest – a small hostel where people can speak English and with a very wonderful relaxed Tibetan feel. I’m writing this along with a couple of earlier catch-up posts from the free internet cafe at the China Youth Hostel (I expect I’ll be back here during my time in Dali)
(Dali China Youth Hostel free internet cafe 1 July)
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The vibe is different here. More laid back, more friendly. Kids on scooters shout “hallo” when they see my wide eye face. The streets are mostly wide, there are lots of trees. In the smaller older streets there are Plaine trees, they call them French Tree. The food is spicy, wholesome and delicious. This is my first taste of Yunnan and it is very cool. (Near the Green Lake university district Kunming 28 June)
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Not on any rough edge in particular, but nerve-fraying enough. Time was not on my side as I struggled to find a taxi that understood the way back to the Golden Pineapple Youth Hostel. The guy with the motorbike taxi promised that he knew the way. I didn’t know what would be involved. Give me a mountain anyday. (Beijing 23 June after meeting with the British Council)
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/video/video.php?v=95421192451&re
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Crazy mad busy sticky and not enough sky. Way out – £1.50 bus ride across the island and head for the beach. (Hong Kong 22 June, just before leaving for mainland)
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There’s not really a picture to go with this. But there is no more exciting feeling than moments before take off on a long trip away to somewhere amazing. . (On board BA25 18.55 Heathrow. 17 June )
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Rough Edge exists to find new frontiers in outdoor adventure, cultural exchange and environmental awareness in unexpected and exciting places.
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One more full day to go before the China trip starts and I have been given so much fantastic encouragement and support from Shane at the Royal Geographical Society http://www.rgs.org/HomePage.htm and from Alex at The DofE Award http://www.dofe.org/
This is the place where you can keep up to date with what is happening on the trip and where I will be able to post photos and (hopefully) interesting stuff I find along the way.
If you like it, give it to a friend too.
Best wishes
John
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Well here we are and there are but days to go before I leave for China.
Thanks to the many supporters who have made Rough Edge possible so far.
Let’s see where we get
“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you’ve imagined” Thoreau
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