Zhongdian & Dali, China, Asia

The closest place to Tibet without actually going there, this Tibetan Town is the place where we rested after trekking the gorge. An Old Town with many little shops selling Tibetan knick knacks, cafes, bars & restaurants. We spent most of our time here looking around the shops, and watching traditional Tibetan dancing in the main square in the evenings.

The next day a few of us hired bikes and went and explored an local monastry. Quite an easy ride, however, still at altitude the slightest incline but us feel completely unfit and very tired by the end of it. With not much to do in this town, it was a good opportunity for some down time, drinking coffee and playing cards.

Our last stop on tour was the pretty town of Dali. It's main feature being the large lake (200km) and its Old Town. Again, some of hired bicycles and was keen to see the real rural China - armed with lots of water we meandered through the many rice paddies and farms, watching the local farmers tend to their crops. Small little paths led us through little villages and many fields.

With only a day here, we then explored the Old Town with more cobbled streets, cafes and bars. Dali noted the end to my time in China, such a large country with an intense history however, I am pleased with the ground I covered. With the Olympics being held in Beijing in 2008, who knows what the country will be like in the next 5 years, will it become a New World country? A lot of change is taken place already with construction work everywhere, a good thing in the Chinese peoples eyes. Definitely a country I am keen to learn more about, and pleased that I have seen it now before more dramatic changes happen.