Day 81 - Jianshui to Shilin - Wed 15 May 2013

Day 81 - Jianshui to Shilin - Wed 15 May 2013
Andy in back of our vehicle today, between dinette seats - swapped chairs with Phil’s low one so Andy can see out front windscreen (with high top window screens clipped up ). Hooked up his GPS to power, and we are leader for first time. On highway/ tollroad heading to Swallow Cave, hot springs, and Dai village, on way to Kunming. Passed "white bone stupa", collection of bones from graves not claimed by families when new roads put in - not religious icon, but rather a tower of respect. 

Swallow Cave more than just a cave, 2hr exploration, walkways, stairways through seven pagodas, suspension bridges etc. Walked through gate to heaven to entrance cave - enormous, many statues, prayer banners, grottos of burning offerings at entrance. Spectacular stalactites&mites. Unfortunately naturalness of Dry Cave spoilt by excessive shrines, flags and burnt walls from giant incense candles (and then to find a lighted shopping arcade inside Wet Cave was insane!!) Swallows darting everywhere. Dragon boat (complete with hairy goatee) through wet cave back to entrance was pretty cool though. Enjoyed cold pure watermelon drink before driving on.

 

 

No one wanted to stop at hot springs, so on to the national road to wine country around Mile.

Stopped at Jijie for picnic lunch, ugly industrial area, clay brickworks, scrapworks, crushed limestone (flux for smelting), nearby Geijie is " city of tin", coal/ iron smelters, mullock heaps, slag piles, trucks carrying coke, chimneys everywhere. Seriously huge mosque in town, Three languages on signs - Chinese, English, Arabic. Convoy language appearing from drivers "truckload of pigs coming down" (literally that is). On highway for part of afternoon towards Mile (Mi Le, name of a Buddha).

Getting late, long day, abandoned idea of seeing if grape farms meant winery/ tasting facilities, in favour of getting to Shilin. Countryside becoming more predominantly limestone, more scattered rocks than mountain ranges. Parked in carpark of Stone Forest in readiness for tomorrow's walk (won't charge for o/n, just by hour from opening time – bonus!) Dinner with Phil and Mads at hotel restaurant, easier with Andy interpreting and ordering on our behalf. Had bottle of French red wine as well (but imported, SO expensive). Cheryl and Guy took their head colds to another table, and were rewarded for their thoughtfulness when they found a horrible boiled chook head in their stew – ugh. Cool evening surrounded by weird and wonderful karst formations.