Days 95 & 96 – Around Lugu Lake - Wed 29 & Thurs 30 May 2013

Days 95 & 96: Around Lugu Lake - Wed 29 & Thurs 30 May
Wednesday: Slept in - bliss. Read (fiction!!) until hunger made us get up. Caught up on chores, including vehicle checks and tightenings. No swimming allowed in lake - what, the whole 50sq kms?? (because it's 93mts at deepest point? or eco/purity reasons?) Jon and Jude took their canoe out for a day's paddle, rest of entourage looking on enviously. Apparently "accidentally" fell in. Guy also "accidentally" let his hat blow into the lake and had to wade out to retrieve it..... 

 

Mads has a bad back, trying to set up acupuncture appointment in Chengdu. Drivers met with Andy to change upcoming routes, trying to shorten the longer driving days. Noticed that 7-8 tourist buses arrive late arvo (from Lijiang?), cable car up or luge down the mountain, walk lake (and stalker-talk us!!), stay in village for dinner and join traditional dancers before buses depart.

 

We dined in town at a B&B, helpful Chinese tourist translating menu and order, pork noodle soup, egg with potato and rice, barley tea. Shopped at little store, passed old lady twirling prayer wheel and fingering her prayer beads. Another woman kept her cash in polystyrene box under the open counter - must be an honest town. Met rest of travellers who all agreed to stay another day – hadn't acknowledged weariness of daily travel until we'd stopped….

Thursday: A second sleep in – guilty, but divine. Beautiful weather continues. Completed all the departure chores before driving back to pretty Loishou village but couldn't find Mosuo museum to view Joseph Rock's 1920 photos.

from Joseph Rock collection

35% pure - Miles' face says it all....

Dinner together sharing lotus calyx, yak, pork, eggplant etc. Some tried plum wine (cold in sealed glass) from next door, sweet, 25% alcohol. Miles bought a bottle of clear corn and barley spirit at 35% ("pure ethanol" was the popular opinion!) Went on to experience traditional Mosu dancing in a circle around the fire. Noisy and colourful. Strolled home to the soothing lapping of waves in breeze...