Gang Sha or Ganja?

Picture this.... A little old lady, about 150cm tall dressed in traditional Tibetan clothing approaches me in the streets of Dali and whispers in the most perfect American accent ' would you like some weed?' I was flabbergasted, to say the least. How could this sweet little grandma have such a perfect accent? :)

Yes, boys and girls, it's harvest season in Dali. The time when the streets begin to fill with backpackers wearing their finest hiking boots sporting large wicker baskets cum backpacks in tow head for the mountain and start picking. Gang Sha Mountain lies to the west of old Dali city and is a truely maginificent place. To quote that famous Australian Darryl Kerrigan 'Serenity, my friends, serenity'. I did a 14km hike around the mountain with Eric from Seattle and Mayelon from Antwerp. It made for a glorious couple of hours away from the hustle and bustle of Chinese tourism. We did enter a military zone, but there was no one there to shoot or shout at us, so we went on our merry way with few issues. We saw three other people during the hike.... ahh, serenity.

Back in town I headed for Er Hai Lu, the lake sitting east of old Dali. Managed to cycle over 50 kms through some very interesting little villages, one of which was hosting its weekly market, a sight to behold. Altogether, Dali was pretty cool experience, even if the town itself is pretty much spoiled by Chinese tourism. There are few (Han) Chinese visiting the further reaches of the city, which makes these areas relatively unspoilt. I wish I had time to see Lijiang and Tiger Leaping Gorge.... maybe next time.

Whilst in Dali, I stayed at Jim's guesthouse. Jim is a Tibetan who fought against the Chinese in the Vietnam war, and he has many stories to tell, most of which I am unable to publish (will explain at a later stage). Jim, however, does make a wonderful brew dubbed the 'jim Special'. It is 50% alcohol, contains Chinese brandy infused with ginseng, gingko and a number of other herbs. It does a wonderful job in curing any possible ailments. It does make for a good change form the 3.3% beer they have over here.

Making my way back home already.... I leave China in two days with mixed feelings. I would love to stay longer and explore this place, but there are a number of stories which have left me somewhat disturbed about this country. More later...