If you’ve been keeping up with the blogs and read Ms. Li’s latest, I’m sure you know all about the dancing that occurs in public squares at night. Well, Abby, Nik, and I woke up very tired today due to staying out late and bustin’ a move with the locals of Lijiang. You readers may not be aware of this, but ABBA’s hit song “Dancing Queen,” although written before our time, was actually about us.
Anyway, we left the hotel bright and early to go visit the Mu Palace in the old town of Lijiang. The Mu were the royal family of the Naxi minority. Stories say that the Naxi people, the Tibetans, and the Bai people all originated from one common ancestor. The Naxi have their own hieroglyphics that are still used today, unlike the Egyptian, Mayan, and Indian which have died out. The Naxi are extremely smart and are nationally ranked second best (behind the Koreans) in education. Not only are they book smart, they also have great taste in architecture. The 9 hectare Mu property displays an array of colorful buildings with intricate ceilings. There are separate buildings for just about everything. Something we found very interesting was the punishment center. Basically, it was a disciplining center that features a variety of long, scary-looking wooden pallets/hammers. Apart from that, astounding views of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain can be seen from almost every window in the Palace. The furniture and décor is very exquisite. In the meeting hall, there is a Bengal tiger pelt draped over the King’s chair. So apparent was the Mu family’s wealth that one time the Mu ruler met a delegate from Beijing in a separate part of town for fear that the emperor would execute him if he heard of the family’s lavish lifestyle. The Palace is definitely a welcome respite from the noise pollution of commercialized “Old Town.” Although Old Town with its canals of water seems quaint and charming in the wee hours of the morn, it is not. Newly renovated, it is swamped with stores and many humans stopping in the middle of the street to wield a selfie stick. Vendors sell everything from tea to earrings to yak meat. After a while, the smells, crowds and sounds become a bit overwhelming so it was nice to get away.
After wandering about the palace, we went to our final destinations in Lijiang. We took in the views of the Black Dragon Pool Park which provides water to the canals and then went to the Naxi culture museum. Although we only had a short amount of time in the museum, it was very interesting. The museum guide told us all about the hieroglyphics and introduced us to the local museum shaman. After a quick lunch at a local restaurant, we headed to the airport.
The temperature difference when we arrived in Xi’an was very noticeable. Whereas the temperature in Yunnan province was at around 70 to 80 degrees, Xi’an, located in Shanxi province, fluctuates anywhere from the high 30s to the low 70s. We were feeling excited to be in a new city until we arrived in our hotel room. Ladies and gentlemen, the bathroom saga continues. The hotel is great but the shower had us feeling some type of flummoxed way. To get to the point, our shower is see-through. Or rather, it was. Abby and I were extremely surprised when we saw that the sink was in the open and that the shower and toilet were behind separate glass doors through which everything was visible. It took us a full 15 minutes of just asking “Why?” before we unearthed a shade and two sliding doors that come out of nowhere. Feeling giddy, we went to a great Sichuan style dinner where we tried a new kind of noodle made out of peas and some weird yet tasty purple sweet potato dumplings. Upon returning to the hotel room, we thought we were going to settle in and have a good sleep. However, Abby and I made the ludicrous decision to stay up and amuse ourselves by watching a poorly produced Taiwanese drama.
That’s all for now. Zai jian!
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