@tigertiger, thank you for information. I have my college degree from US, but i have lived in several places in china and have had offers to teach oral english, but did not want to take position until i knew i was going to be in same place for several years. Have noticed many good positions ask for TESOL certificate in Kunming and competition for positions is tougher here. Other Chinese cities i lived in schools were recruiting me.

I am thinking about getting my TESOL diploma and Acadia has a price break right now. Wondering if anyone can tell me if they are a good school. I am also concerned because i will be 59 next april and have read in other posts that China is clamping down on age 60 retirement law for foreigners. Not sure it would be worth it to get diploma and then not be able to teach legally for a little over 1 year. I will not be able to leave Kunming for 5 years until my wife can retire. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

@Dazzer, you are so right Shuhe was great, many good food options and much more layed back than Lijiang. My wife has friends in Dali government and they have no desire to grow like Kunming or Lijiang. Dali is expanding but they are trying to keep to eastside near new airport. tigertiger, you are right about cars. I was also amazed at how many expensive cars were on road between Kunming and Lijiang. I saw more Land Cruisers last week than i usually see in an entire year in the usa. My wife pointed out to me that several of them were Military vehicles that did not have Yunnan plates. Entire families piled out of these vehicles. Have to admit driving in Lijiang and Dali is wonderful compared to Kunming. Roads seem better with less traffic.

I am just back from weeklong trip to Lijiang and Dali. I have been to Dali 3 times and just love everything about it. Please tell me i totally missed something as i found Lijiang not so great. Old city was packed with people, i could not find decent western food, most things expensive, lunch at mcdonalds cost me 34 rmb compared to same meal for 18 here in kunming My chinese wife who lived in Lijiang for ten years almost ten years ago said it has changed. All the parks and attractions they wanted over 100 rmb for each of us to visit because we were not local. Some kind of tax on outsiders. One attraction i could not get into because i did not have a certificate showing i had paid the Lijiang visitor maintenance tax? I am not cheap but even my wife was confused about the fees and she refused to pay to see the parks.Spent 1 night in Lijiang old town and then went to Shuhe last 2 nights. I liked Shuhe much better as we found a nice hotel for reasonable price, except beds were still very hard. Not sure can find a softer bed in Lijiang area. Started out for Tiger leaping gorge and so many trucks, buses, on older highway that it took 45 minutes to go 10 km and where so many close call accidents that we turned back. Will have to admit air was very clean in Lijiang as has always been when in Dali.

i am ashamed to admit i shop at Walmart here. It is not usually a price thing but i can find things that i cannot always find easily any where else. My experience with most places in china is the vendor prices are so much less than i pay in usa i will bargain sometimes, but often not aggresively. I never shop Walmart in USA because as Magnifico says Walmart has destroyed the economy in the USA. There is an interesting article on Web i think titled 50 reasons Walmart has destroyed US economy. Sorry i did get off the point somewhat.