February 7, 2008
Jinghong: Happy New Year
Most of the stores and restaurants are closed this morning, it being New Year's day, but across the street from our hotel we spot a Muslim noodle shop. We slurp noodles for breakfast.
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Our airplane tickets for Kunming are for Monday. As this will be our first flight in China with bicycles, we would like to find out if we must box them (hopefully not) or if we can just take them on the plane as-is. We try to get information on flying with bicycles.
I said no one at the hotel speaks English but that's not true. We find someone at the reception who does speak English, I'm just not sure she understands English. Our idea is to get some kind of plastic material and wrap up our bikes for the flight if they aren't accepted as-is. We could then bike out to the airport with the plastic sheets and package the bikes there. So much for the logistics. I ask where I can buy such material and also explain what we want it for. The woman seems to understand and suggests there might be a packaging service at the airport. At least that is what I understand. She says she will call the airport to ask. Good idea. But the result is totally incomprehensible. She returns with information on flight times from Kunming to Dali. We thank her and decide not to pursue the subject.
Assuming we can get better information if we go to the airport ourselves, we cycle the short distance, 7 kilometers, out of town. At the information counter we are told we can take our bikes, but we must ... we must ... we must ... We must what? She doesn't know how to say it in English. She probably wants to say we must box them but we prefer not to understand and play dumb.
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At least we know the way to the aiport now. On the way back we take what looks like a more direct route. After 200 meters and too late to turn back there is a sign prohibiting bicycles on this road. We have no choice but to continue. But today is a holiday there is almost no traffic on the highway.
In the afternoon the parks are full of people enjoying a leisurely New Year's Day.
This evening we have a new eating adventure. I think the dish might be a specialty of Sichuan. A very large pot with a divider down the middle and containing two kinds of broth, one very spicy and one less so, is put into a hole in the middle of the table, underneath is a gas flame to keep the broth bubbling.
On a long long table various interesting ingredients for your soup are lined up for you to choose from. There are many kinds of greens, fish, meat, tofu, mushrooms, noodles, pickled vegetables and things I can't identify. The rest is easy. You return to your table with your plate heaped high and begin cooking.
I didn't expect the spicy to be soooo spicy, a different kind of hot from what I am familiar with from Thailand, and it leaves my mouth ablaze. I need a bottle of beer and a bowl of plain rice at the end of the meal to quench the flames.
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