3rd January: Xishuangbanna, China
I woke up assuming it was early only to realise it was already gone 10! Coffee on the balcony woke me up as we did some more planning. It seems sensible now to take it a bit easier and not try to squeeze in Malaysia (one day!). So, our new plan is to spend an extra 10 days in Thailand and then space out Cambodia and Vietnam a bit more. That should mean more time chilling and trying good food!
It was cloudy in the morning here in Xishuangbanna Prefecture, which is usual at this time of year. It got quite toasty later when the sun came out. Lunch was a bit disappointing, although the spicy-sour Dai-style tofu was fantastic. I can’t wait for more of these balanced flavours over the next couple of months after oily and spicy Chinese food. Dai people are subset of Tai people, as are Thais and Laotians, and also practice Theravada Buddhism, so have cultural influences from southeast Asia as well as China. We’ve had some good meals and eaten well in China, but Chinese cooking definitely has too much Yang and not enough Yin for our liking. Hopefully these dishes are the signal of the change to a fresher palate!
The number one thing we needed to do today was the print our Laos e-visa. Fortunately, this was easy as we found a print shop just around the corner. 20p and we were sorted!
Wandering the east bank of the Lancang, so much construction is going on here. Apparently, there is an influx of people from the north buying houses to escape the cold and this, along with farming, is encroaching on the rainforest. The river here is deep and rapid. It carries the chaotic energy of a major tropical river system, which is also represented in the city streets.
The whole area sounding the Hongjing Grand Golden Pagoda is filled with the vast Gaozhuang market. This comes alive at night but in the late afternoon heat, we found some mango ice cream and a watermelon juice to cool us before entering the temple.
We were told that the temple was 1,300 years old and that it has just reopened to the public following ongoing restoration. However, everything looked brand new, and the spectacular gold and blue interior was still being painted. Outside, builders were still adding layers to the front as tourists posed amongst the cement mixers. Like much of supposedly historic China, it’s difficult to tell what’s genuine, which is a shame in a country with so much fascinating history.
Back through the night market, now in full swing since the sun had set whilst we were in the temple, we went on the hunt for snacks! One stall served a lovely simple baked potato and tofu, with a few spicy dips. We thought about how we’ll have buttery jacket potatoes when we’re home! We also tried some coconut sweets and a blitzed fire ginseng, but neither really had that much flavour. Walking back, the Moon and Venus were bright together in the sky in this corner of China away from the light pollution of the major cities.
