7 Days (~650 KM)
Details:
Xichang to Lige, Lugu Lake: ~270 KM. Paved. Equal up and down. Lots of towns. (2 YHI Hostels in Lige 35 RMB for dorm).
Lige, Lugu Lake to Ninglang: ~ 90 KM. Paved. Big Ascent out of lake, descent the rest. Almost no commodities.
Ninglang to Lijiang: ~ 120 KM. Paved except for 20 KM outside of Lijiang. Big ascents, big descents. Yangtze river crossing. (Garden Inn, 30 RMB for dorm).
Lijiang to Dali ~ 170 KM. Paved, lots of commodities. (The Emu Hostel, 25 RMB for dorm)
After leaving behind what felt like house arrest in one of Xichang's cheap hotels (renewed visa = 7 days of waiting, $150 USD) I hit the pavement towards Lugu Lake. The road to Lugu Lake has very small villages mixed of Yi people and working Han Chinese taking residence for the million or so dams that were situated alongside the adjacent river. These had a mining town vibe, brothels, pubs, and pool tables were hard to miss. One night I slept on the side of a river, greeted by a deaf and mute horsemen as I tucked into dinner. He ended up ascending the hill across the river come nightfall with a lantern to guide his way. This reminded me of a story I had heard in Maui, the lantern holding shepherding ghosts of the West Maui Mountains, very spooky.
I arrived at Lugu Lake after two days (40 RMB entrance fee). An absolutely serene place and slept in a cozy tourist village called Lige. I had to fight my way into the hostel as the manager was blatanty racist, and mistook me for being Jewish. After complaining heavily and threatening to contact the hostels governing body (Youth Hostels International) they let me sleep. I have since complained to YHI anyhow as this is completely out of line.
The road to Lijiang was amazing, as it is under construction, though nearly complete, so traffic was limited to cyclists and local access. Light traffic, smooth roads and a great descent to Ninglang. Crossed the Yangtze river the next day to arrive in Lijiang, a VERY touristy town, which I think can be explored in about 5 hours. I counted 8 different types of shops in the touristy old town: Mosu Scarves, Tibetan Jewelry, Che Guevera Congo Shops, Food Stalls, Naxi Skirts, Tea Shops, and Health Stores. Meeting some fellow travelers this evening at a lovely hostel I decided to leach on to their trip to Tiger Leaping Gorge the next day. Tiger Leaping Gorge is beautiful, but a little on the short side.
The road to Dali is a breeze, nothing beautiful and filled with tourist buses, but easy nonetheless. Sipping good coffee in this bohemian town, which I think I quite like. It's a little less touristy than Lijiang, smaller and more relaxed. Planning the next leg of the trip: to Jinghong or Kunming? Hmmm – We'll see.
