Experiencing the culture of China (and the traffic, too)

From Jenny Jervis, Upper School French teacher:
Our last dinner in Beijing was in the red district: red = restaurant. Here, we were received the most interesting presentations of food that we've had so far. Each dish was beautifully sculpted and appeared to have a signature on the platter. There was tri-color tofu and bean rhombus and a shes-kabob of candied fruit for dessert. The tofu construction was prettier than it was tasty but still a fun addition.
This morning we woke before 5 a.m. to ready ourselves for our flight to Kunming. Initially, we were going to tour this city before continuing on our journey, but after a lunch of hot pots (Chinese fondue), we were running late so we quickly boarded the bus for Dali. Driving through the foothills of the Himalayas, we were treated to amazing views of the mountainside as well as cascading watermelon patches and artfully crafted layered gardens. It was spectacular and dizzying (car-sickness for a few of us).

Although we traveled 240 miles, it took us quite some time to reach our destination, not just because of the winding roads, but also because of the Dali traffic. This included bicyclists who would use an entire lane, pedestrians pulling branch-laden carts, mopeds, motorcycles, workers sweeping the streets with brooms made of twigs (this was on the highway as well as the city streets - not terribly efficient but who am I to say). Traffic lanes are merely suggestions. We veered many a time into the oncoming traffic just to see if we could pass and we were certainly not alone. All of the aforementioned vehicles did as well. We finally landed in Dali around 7 p.m.

We're staying in the Linden Centre, a restored Chinese mansion that is designed to give an immersion into authentic China. An American couple bought this home in 2004 and have been carefully returning it to its former splendor. In addition to rooms (which includes a small workout room, an entertainment area, a terraced deck, a meditation area, and other wonderful comforts), they serve fantastic meals (we just finished dinner), organize excursions into this small village (Xizhou) where visitors can learn batik dying, Chinese calligraphy, and many other crafts.

Tomorrow, we'll begin our adventure here with a visit with some local artisans and a dance lesson. We're tired but eager to explore this gorgeous community.