Relaxed in Kunming

I have just raised myself out of the spa in our room, and I am thoroughly warmed again! Our hotel has hot springs, and our room has a deep small pool that fills quite quickly with deliciously hot water. After a cold, damp day, I was chilled to the bone and ready to be warm.

I have spent several busy days here in Kunming. After my last post, I spent the day on my own. I began with an explore of the grounds of the hotel, which are very beautiful and immaculately kept. There are gardeners who squat and pick through the green lawns looking for invaders, and people who sweep with brooms made of bamboo tied together. They wear the old fashioned Chinese cone hats.

 I had brought along my watercolors, and thought to sit a paint a bit today, when no one was waiting for me to be done so we could move on. Painting requires solitude! I decided on a beautiful little bridge on the grounds and stood in the wet grass and began to paint. I have no idea how long I stood there, long enough for my left leg to quite fall asleep when I was overtaken by Bridapalooza. 10 being a lucky number, 10/10 doubly so, there are a lot of weddings taking place now. And, bam, brides with photographers were everywhere. I felt I was certainly not in the plans for the perfect wedding shot, so packed up my things and hightailed it out of there. I turned to get a few shots of Brideswarm.

Bride in a puddle of now damp wedding gown.

I continued my walk about the grounds, getting places I was certainly not supposed to wander, and even found a sign that may have been to that effect. "Out of Walk" was the English translation, which I took to mean, turn around, idiot tourist and go where you belong. Since I had not been assigned a particular such place, I decided to walk to Haigang Park, quite close to the hotel. It is very interesting to do things in a place where you understand no one. It is peaceful and isolating, but nice. You have to rely on their good will to literally point you in the right direction. People here are friendly, if a bit surprised to see me. The park is right on the waters of Dian Chi, and in the shadow of Xi Shan.

Dian Chi (Lake) from Haigang Park

Xi Shan (Western Hill) in the background.

The lake is a bit effusive, and the waves break right over the wall onto the area where there are benches, and many fishermen, and folks playing mah jiang. I found a vacant bench with a view of Xi Shan, and sat and painted it. The clouds were slightly clearing, and I could just discern Long Men (Dragon's Gate) and the temples carved into the stone face of the hill. I was a curiosity to the Chinese, and many stopped behind my shoulder to watch me paint. Now, I am no great painting talent, just something I enjoy, so my humble paintings were probably a bit baffling, but a Westerner is a bit baffling it seems anyway, and several took my picture whilst I painted.

In the park, I found my Sign of the Day. A beautiful wooden sign, on a fine modern structure reads "The toilet light box for the automobile cinema".  This was in front of a beautiful grove of cherry trees, lined with sycamores. Hmmm. If there had been a button, I would've pushed it.

I eventually made my way back to the hotel, still not time adjusted, and took a nap that left me, perhaps more numb and disoriented, but I roused myself just the same to go off to another bountiful meal. This was a taxi ride deeper into Kunming, and down a dark alleyway, all but deserted. I trustingly followed our hosts and we went through a door in a stone wall. I found we were in an old Chinese home. Open air courtyard, surrounded by rooms and a second story with a balcony all around. The walls were stone and plaster, and the wooden beams ornately carved. The original family must have been very wealthy, as the house was quite large. Unfortunately, finding out any history was nearly impossible with the language barrier. Even with a translator, in my dull state it was too difficult.

If you look up, there is a high rise building covered in neon sticking up into the sky. Juxtaposition.

My lack of hunger at night continues and I can only be a bit thankful. Offerings included, in the "identifiable" category, boneless chicken feet, identified by our translators simply as "chicken", and beef reticulum and omasum, identified as "beef". We also watched the chef fish our dinner out of a tank, club it and out it came on a plate, filleted, to be scooped into a pot of boiling broth. Fresh fish.

Shui, her mother, Louisa, Yu xi, Vicki, Dr. Kock, Dr. H.G. and Huz's head. All happily eating. In the foreground is my excellent water. 

I kept falling asleep on the way home, only barely staying awake for the meal. Sigh. Maybe I'll wake up more tomorrow.