Wednesday in Kunming

Today we went to see the Stone Forest and it was breathtaking! The stones are very large limestones, thousands of them, jutting up out of the ground like a huge forest. There are many trees growing among them including pine trees and there are small lakes scattered throughout. Several of the people there were in their native dress, which is beautiful. We rode in trams and went past a village with an ox, a goat that was showing off for us, a chicken, a cat and a couple of dogs running around guarding the huts.

The people of Kunming seem a bit more relaxed than some of the other places we have been. It is very close to some of our CP mission projects. I will write more about it later.

This afternoon, we went to a tea garden and tried several kinds of Chinese teas. It was a lot of fun trying the four kinds, Jasmine, regional Oolong, Black Tea with roses and another tea that is aged. (maybe puer?) I won one of the hot water testers called a peepee boy. When the water is hot enough for tea, the tester does just what it is called.

The ride on the bus to and from the Stone Forest was two hours each way. On the way back, the back of the bus sang. We started with contemporary music, then sang hymns, then sang Christmas carols. After a couple of hours singing, we started to run out of songs that everyone knew.

The motel where we are staying in Kunming is very nice. We are on the 21st floor and have a fantastic view of the city. Everybody drinks tea in China and coffee is very expensive, the equivalent of $4 to $6 for a small cup. There is a pot for heating water in our room and we are drinking instant coffee there.

Some things are abundant in China like tea and marble in the buildings. Other things are in short supply. They are very careful with paper. Napkins with dinner, if offered at all, are very tiny. There are no paper towels to dry our hands after washing. We air dry. We provide our own toilet paper many places.

Another thing in short supply is water and other things to drink in restaurants. We get one 4 ounce glass of something for meals and anything more costs extra.

There is a lot of conservation going on in China, just like in Japan. Our rooms were a bit warm last night and we were told it was because the whole hotel was set up so it would not get any cooler than what they had decided, which was not real cool. We are told that in some cities, all coal burning plants have been shut down because of pollution. There has been a haze in the cities so it is apparent it is an issue. The US started taking care of the same type of pollution issues years ago for the same reasons. Everything is recycled.

The airplane ride last night was pleasant. John and I had the very last seats near the tail. It took two hours to fly from Xi"an to Kunming.

Yesterday we went to a Jade factory and they explained all about Jade on the tour. There was an opportunity to buy jade and other jewelry which many people did. A few of us sat at a counter and talked and sipped free hot green tea and tried a free piece of hard candy.

We went to see the city wall and walk aroun on top of it. It is big but not as big as the Great Wall. Grady got a ride in a rickshaw around the top of the wall. He said it was his best experience so far. A man in a bright yellow silk outfit pulled the rickshaw around the wall. There was a problem with understanding English so he, and another couple that took the ride, got back to the bus late.

We went to a museum to see all of the artifacts from they dynasties. I was allergic to something in that one so had to leave before too long. We visited another temple and saw more people worshipping Buddha and making wishes to him. It was a busy day. I took lots of pictures. Many things are different than what we see every day.

We are getting to try lots of new foods, including many new fruits and vegetables. Each meal is a little bit like a potluck with many dishes to try, and it is okay to take some of every dish. Today one of the new things was a type of melon soup. We also tried burdock and enoki mushrooms.

Everyone is havng good time.