Dali, food and shopping

The bus to Dali took me through some amazing countryside and I tried to take photo's between sneezing and blowing my nose.

I felt no shame in repeatedly blowing my nose in public as I was in a country where citizens regularly hojked phlegm through their nasal passages and throat to deliver the contents at your feet.

The bus dropped me outside one fo the town gates. Which? Was the big question. East, West, North, South? If I could figure that out, I could figure out where my accommodation was. It was hot and I wandered around fruitlessly with a heavy backpack and a runny nose. An Australian man experiencing a mid life crisis chanced upon me and was able to sort out my quandry. He pointed out the streets for good noodles, bike rentals and tourist tat, leaving me to attend a massage appointment.

The gods smiled on me again. I received an upgrade in my room at no extra cost. Private ensuite and big comfy bed. Much needed, as I spent enough time over the next few days in it.
Old Dali sits in a slice of land between a mountain range and a lake. This generations Shangri La where ganga abounds and washed out, scabby westerners wander about having long forgotten where they were going and when they were supposed to be there. I was hoping to do some outdoor exploring, but it wouldn't be happening.

However, Dali is a really pleasant place to be and I ventured out for short spells to eat and shop.

The idea here is that you pick ingredients from the basins and tanks and they make you a meal. the lady kept gesturing to the fish tank and I kept averting my eyes. Although I do eat fish, I couldn't face the immediacy of what was being proposed. I would point the finger of death, take a seat and the same googly eyed, fried in garlic and chilli face would be staring back at me within moments. Because you know there'd be no smoke and mirrors, 'let me just fillet this for you ma'am' business about it. Out the front of many restaurants in China you will find cages and tanks with all sorts of animals for your eating pleasure and yes, dog can be served upto you in a restaurant if that is your want. My favorite story is that of a traveller who was encouraged by a local to try the river rat "Very tasty.... also...... very cute!". How's that for a sales pitch?

I went the tofu, mushroom and morning glory option. I then learned that rather then combing the ingredients to make a single dish, they made a dish out of each.
All really tasty, the cook had opted for a range of flavours - garlic, ginger and chilli with each respective dish. I made a valiant attempt to at least make a dent in the contents of each plate, moving food around strategically when this failed.

The next day I was fascinated by the method used by a street vendor to make noodles and decided I had to try it.

She attacks gelatinous masses with a special grater like instrument to produce the noodles.

















She spoons on crushed peanuts, pickled vegetables and a variety of sauces and you have a really tasty, spicy meal for about 50 cents.







Some of you are aware of my new obsession. Knitting and even more so, yarn. I was so excited to come across a shop and my spirits were lifted by the purchase of a lovely blue bundle of yarn. That's OK. You don't have to understand.