Out with the girls

Wednesday evening we were heading out to a friend's house for tea, when we noticed about half a dozen cows inside a tent by the side of the road, where some road workers sleep. The road workers were nowhere to be seen and the cows were happily munching away at their food supplies and straw mattresses. At first we were laughing, but then realised it would probably not be quite as funny to the roadworkers. So Mum found a big stick and ran around chasing the cows and shouting until they all ran off down the hill.

Made our way to the friends house and sat while they slaughtered a chicken and some fish and then prepared them in our honour. At dinner we were treated to a few glasses of "Mother's" home made rice wine. Mum's glass was refilled a few times and then we set off home before it got dark. As we passed the road worker's tent, we saw that one man had come back and was sitting out the front of the tent cooking his dinner. Mum was about 50 metres ahead of Connie and I, and decided she wanted to convey to the man what had happened. Much to his astonishment, she walked up to him and began doing a cow impersonation, before grabbing a stick and running around waving it. The cigarette nearly fell out of the side of his mouth. He looked so astonished at this mad, blonde, Western woman who was holding her fingers to her head like horns and making mooing noises. I must remember to give Mum rice wine next time I want her to play charades. I got there and explained to the man what had happened, at which point he nodded and thanked mum (Connie was still doubled over with laughter). After a few more beers in the village, Mum skipped home singing Mosuo songs.

Friday we went back into Yongning to see a few more friends- Mum and Connie bought matching stripy hats. Caught a taxi to Luoshui, where we went for a boat ride out to the island- Gorgeous weather. That evening we went and had Mosuo bbq, cooking little strips of meat, potato, capsicum, fish and tofu.

Saturday it was back onto the bus to Lijiang. First we caught a minibus to Ninglang. Maniac driver. From there we changed buses and arrived in Lijiang at around 4.30pm. In the evening we went to Prague cafe and watched a dvd on the couch.

Sunday we caught up on a lot of shopping. Exhausting. In the afternoon we finished off the last of the cheese from Australia along with a couple of bottles of Dali beer on the balcony and in the evening went out to a restaurant on the square for some cold and stodgy noodles. Didn't think there were any Chinese people who didn't know how to make fried noodles.

Monday morning it was an early start. Packed small packs and jumped on a public bus to Qiaotou, from there a taxi into Tiger Leaping Gorge. Got to our guesthouse in Walnut grove, got rooms and ordered lunch, planning to begin a long hike into the middle gorge after lunch. Just as we finished lunch, two drops of rain fell so we went inside to have a nap till the rain finished. Woke at 5.30pm- oops. Went for a little walk around the area and had a pleasant evening talking to some guests.

Tuesday morning- another early start- but this time to go for our hike. A guy called Ron, whom we'd met the night before, decided to join us, so we set off around 8.30 with a guide we had hired. He was very friendly and patient and told me lots of stories which I translated for the others. I was a bit worried about my ankle- still a bit sore- and had to take it very slowly. The walk was difficult and steep, but spectacular. Fantastic experience. It was four very tired hikers who emerged from the gorge four hours later. The guy was still running around- and was planning to take someone else down later that afternoon!

In the afternoon we had a very relaxing lunch at Seans guesthouse. Then caught a taxi back to Lijiang. I got some take away pizza which we munched in our rooms before collapsing on our beds.

This is our last day in Lijiang. Tomorrow- on to Kunming.

Thanks to everyone who has sent their congratulations. Jesse- I don't actually have your email address, would you be able to send it? Brooke- any chance you can get down to Melbourne in July?