Dali

We left Kunming early Sunday morning and took a 5 hour bus ride to Dali. Dali is famous for it's old town, as well as being close to many ethnic minority villages. We decided to only spend one night here and head on to Lijiang today (Monday). We really enjoy the hotel we're staying at. It's run by a Tibetan man and the whole thing has been decorated in Tibetan theme. All the rooms open up to a walled courtyard. The courtyard has grass, a pebbled walking path, and several picnic tables to sit at. Also, there is a sandbox, a swing set and a paved area with several children's toys (bikes, skateboards, etc.) The kids love it here and have played outside non-stop. It's refreshing change to be somewhere so kid friendly. Not that we've ever encountered any "kid hostility" here in China, but most places cater to the adult traveler.

We spent yesterday walking around the old town. So much to buy, so little time (and money). We could just spend and spend here. Every time I see something I think "OH! Chris' dad would love that" or "OH! I have to get that for my sister!" We restrain ourselves for the most part but we have bought a few interesting pieces. I am getting more confident in my bargaining tactics, which makes it easier for me to spend money with out Chris' help. Yesterday I bought two large medallions, one jade and one turquoise. They both have silver detailing on them and are meant to be worn as jewelry. I think they are much too big and too old to wear as jewelry, but I thought they'd look pretty framed together.

Dali is peaceful and beautiful, but it's time to move on to the next leg of our journey. I know the kids are already tired of traveling, but we still have two more cities to visit. We're trying to make this a painless as possible for them, but at their age they can only take so much. They really miss Josie :)