bjtokm you have come from the worst, gone to above average but deterioating. Of course you love it! That doesn't surprise me one bit and it wouldn't surprise any of the long term Kunming people here who would wonder what took you so long!
My intention is to ask others, particularly Kunming long timers, if they would consider moving elsewhere in Yunnan based on Kunmings constant deterioration. Those that have lived here for a long time seem to indicate they are at least thinking about it if not already doing it. Likely they will be replaced by other laowai escaping the east coast cities, which is fine, but for long term Kunmingers (ha haa mingers!) there appear to be increasingly greener pastures.
On my bike ride yesterday I also visited the big flower market and production area. I noticed that they use the water directly from Dianchi in canals to irrigate the flowers plus one hell of a lot of sprays... and the run off from those sprays go where? Give you one guess. I actually saw a guy washing out his spray containers in the canals coming straight from Dianchi! And they wonder why what they are doing to Dianchi isn't doing anything? All they are doing is taking the surface plants off.
I would argue that if you aren't really going to do anything to fix Dianchi then at least use the plants that come off it for biofuel production!
Anyone gone down Beijing Lu on a double decker bus? I did the other day...
The middle/side of the road was still open and not much work being done in most places. After garnering the opinions of several taxi drivers the consensus was "maybe next year" even from one who heard it from a subway worker that told him just that! Without the government coming out and telling us when it's going to be (which arguably is pointless anyway going by their track record) that's the best info I have...
I definitely would make a terrible used car salesman, I am way too honest.
"This ones steering wheel fell off when I drove it in. Makes a weird sound when it tries to start as well. I think there's a big hole in the exhaust. Oh yeah and the cambelt flew off when I took it for a spin. But it goes really fast! I took it up to 210 on the motorway after driving it home last night!"
Cheers guys, will google earth it first to check it out! When I go and ride a route I will have a look around using a GPS tracking application on my phone so I can tell people if I find some nice tracks. I am a pretty sensible and skilled mountain biker so won't end up skewered by my handlebars down some dead end track, well, it hasn't happend in my 18 years of mountainbiking (5 years of racing!).
My tendency when exploring new routes is to cycle it at a sane speed first, remembering turns and key points for dismounting etc. The next time at medium speed and the next at 3/4 speed, which is about as fast as I dare in areas that could be changed one day to the next!
Can you guys tell me if there are access issues (private property etc) around the area, apart from the military base on the South side of the mountain? This may be a general China question - will I get shot at or arrested if I stray onto some farmland where the farmer doesn't like visitors? Probably a pretty general question, but being new to China it would be good for any local advice. So far when I have been riding up around the resovior areas most people don't take any notice of me and those that do usually give encouraging shouts (well, I think so, my Chinese isn't that good yet!).
Just did this ride (the original, will try Daniels update another time!), its pretty good for a training ride, some good extended uphills that keep the heart going for some time. This is the only ride where I have noticed the slight oxygen depletion from the altitude!
Can anyone tell me if there is any good single track off the mountain and how to get to it? There may be some off the various small roads leading off the main route, but I aren't sure where to start looking! Thanks
Wow, just wow. Possibly the best Chinese food I have had in Kunming. And in one of the nicest, traditional courtyard style restaurant I have been in. A woman dressed in traditional qi pao playing a gu zheng just adds to it.
We had okra, mushroom soup, dried beef and chou dofu. All top notch with the bill coming in at just over 250 kuai. But we could have fed 3 people for that so not too bad at about 80-90 kuai each. Not the cheapest but for the quality, it's damn good.
If you have people visiting and want to take them to a traditional Chinese style restaurant with Yunnan style food, or want a romantic night out with a gal, you can't go wrong here. Close to Green Lake (down a little alley) for a romantic walk... Just perfect.
Pretty good place for getting all your documents translated and/or notarised. Note that there are a number of notaries in the building which you can find by going up the stairs (the elevators are impossible). But you have to find the stairs to do so... go in the door, head over to the right, go up the big wide stairs which head up a floor, turn right then right again into the elevator area and right again into the stairwells. Whew!
One point off for the elevators never being available and having to hike 7-9 flights of stairs (not good if you have to go 3-4 times a day like I often did!)
This does not stop at the Jinanya hotel at Da Shang Hui as the flyers state (and is on the images tab here). They need to have another stop in the same area or else they are missing out on covering a big chunk of the city.
You can take another bus, the 919C, I believe, if you are nearby Da Shang Hui, which leaves from the bus station on HeHong Lu, nearby the Qianxing road intersection. This bus goes every hour and is white, found at the western end of the station. It is operated by a different company and takes about 1 hour 10 minutes to get to the airport due to a large number of stops especially near the airport.
Friendly people, even got to the talk to the vice consulate, who told me she had done a stint in Malaysia's Siberian Consulate!
English is spoken by some of the Chinese girls working at the desk who are pleasant to deal with. I assume they do Visa's as well but I wasn't here for a visa, this time!
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Getting away: Changchong Mountain
Posted byCheers guys, will google earth it first to check it out! When I go and ride a route I will have a look around using a GPS tracking application on my phone so I can tell people if I find some nice tracks. I am a pretty sensible and skilled mountain biker so won't end up skewered by my handlebars down some dead end track, well, it hasn't happend in my 18 years of mountainbiking (5 years of racing!).
My tendency when exploring new routes is to cycle it at a sane speed first, remembering turns and key points for dismounting etc. The next time at medium speed and the next at 3/4 speed, which is about as fast as I dare in areas that could be changed one day to the next!
Can you guys tell me if there are access issues (private property etc) around the area, apart from the military base on the South side of the mountain? This may be a general China question - will I get shot at or arrested if I stray onto some farmland where the farmer doesn't like visitors? Probably a pretty general question, but being new to China it would be good for any local advice. So far when I have been riding up around the resovior areas most people don't take any notice of me and those that do usually give encouraging shouts (well, I think so, my Chinese isn't that good yet!).
Getting away: Changchong Mountain
Posted byJust did this ride (the original, will try Daniels update another time!), its pretty good for a training ride, some good extended uphills that keep the heart going for some time. This is the only ride where I have noticed the slight oxygen depletion from the altitude!
Can anyone tell me if there is any good single track off the mountain and how to get to it? There may be some off the various small roads leading off the main route, but I aren't sure where to start looking! Thanks