Ambitious plans are in place for our travels in Lijiang. Old town, going up the Jade Dragon Snow Mountains at 4000m above sea level, lakes, museums, getting a feel for Tibetan Culture in Shangri-La.

Not much of this happens, which might have something to do with the fact that I am puking my guts out after eating at a restaurant in Lijiang. We have to cancel our trip to the Mountains (the only tour we book – bye bye money) and the journey to Shangri-La and keep it low for a couple of days, where the only interesting sight is admiring the cracks in the wall. And we thought Kunming was bad.

The old town is a very touristy, commercial place. Since gaining popularity and more tourist traffic because of UNESCO status, Lijiang imposes a restauration fee. Controls are strict and not only in the old town but tickets are checked at basically any major tourist attraction nearby. Seems a bit greedy to me (and a lot of other people, according to the bad reviews on Chinese travel sights).

Lijiang may be pretty, but places are not only made up from houses or façades but from people and stories. And the people just were not that welcoming. A few cases of rip-offs and a few cases of racism. Happens.

Still, I manage to wedge in some decent images, these are all pre-sickness photographs.

February 1st – February 5th 2017