Lashi Lake
Feeling a bit disheartened after yesterday’s non-hike, we struggled to muster enthusiasm for today’s trip to Lashi Lake. Li Qiong had mentioned that we’d be riding horses, so we pictured hordes of obnoxious tourists abusing the tired sway-backed trail horses. Sullenly, I asked, “Will this be another long car ride?” Just 30 minutes, she responded.
Soon we were out of the city and driving on bumpy unmarked country roads. After stopping to ask directions a couple times, we saw some men watching three stocky little horses chomp at the grass. The horses wore crude saddles and bridles and looked to be about 13 hands (a little more than 4 feet at the shoulder). Nylon straps held the stirrups to the saddle frame and a thick blanket was draped over the top. A simple bridle had been fashioned with a metal bit and more nylon straps. Cath made a few jokes about breaking the tiny horse, but it didn’t even flinch when she pulled herself up onto the makeshift saddle (although it did stop occasionally to grab a mouthful of grass). Li Qiong commented that these horses were bred to be strong and sure-footed to carry people and loads on treacherous mountain trails.
We all climbed aboard our little steeds and loped across the grassy meadow, which was ringed by the Hengduan Mountains. Gauzy white clouds stretched across an enormous blue sky. The only other creatures in sight were water buffaloes, cows, donkeys, and more horses, as well as the local farmers. Not a single other tourist. Our spirits soared.
The horses took us to a large metal flat-bottomed boat that waited in the shallow marshes. We left the horses to enjoy the lush grass, walked across the water on wooden planks and climbed into the boat. Our Naxi host used a long wooden pole to push the boat out into the lake, and then he sat down to enjoy the tranquility with us. Complete silence was broken only by the squeaky scraping of the water plants under the boat, the swish of skimmer bugs dancing on the water’s surface and the hum of blue, black and yellow dragonflies. We held our breath and floated past mares and foals knee-deep in water, drinking and feasting on the foliage. Quietly we commented on the perfect reflection of the mountains in the lake.
Eventually, our captain stood up and plunged the pole back in the water to get us moving again. He sang a few traditional Naxi songs and taught us how to say “good-bye” in Naxi: lei duo duo. It translates to many, many tears. I love that.
Back on the horses, we tromped toward a nearby Taoist temple, but soon a messenger rode up to tell us that road construction had made the temple inaccessible. So we just trotted back to the car and said “lei duo duo” to our Naxi friends and horses.
Clearly, Cath and I need to stop trying to predict what our day has in store. The unhike in Tiger Leaping Gorge and the visit to Lashi Lake were both filled with surprises.
For more information on Lashi Lake, check out the Nature Conservancy’s website.
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Residential Old Town
Although Lijiang’s Old Town district features the traditional architecture, cobblestone streets and peaceful waterways, it truly is a tourist mecca. You don’t see much “real life” taking place amidst the shops, cafes, guesthouses and bars. Li Qiong asked whether we’d like to see the residential section of Old Town, and of course we jumped at the chance.
The façade was very similar to the touristy part of town, but the mood was entirely different. This was “real life” for the local Naxi people. At one of the town’s natural springs, we saw a well divided into three parts – one for drinking water, one for rinsing fruits and vegetables, and one for washing clothes. Several villagers squatted by the water, swishing bundles of spring onions in the cold water.
We passed a woman pushing a cart full of small trays that held green gelatinous goop. (Li Qiong explained that it was black bean jelly.) We watched as a man stopped, paid the vendor and then held out his hand. Expecting the woman to give him a tray of the jelly, we were surprised to see her turn the tray over onto his hand. He then carefully balanced the jiggling slime on his hand as he walked back into his home.
As we strolled through the neighborhood, we passed a house with two big red doors, each taped with a diamond-shaped white paper bearing a Chinese character. Li Qiong stopped and said, “This means someone has died recently.” Sure enough, as we kept walking, we came to a community center, where many villagers were wearing traditional mourning clothes (including a rumpled white paper hat and white apron). Li Qiong told us that Naxi people mourn quietly for three years. The papers on the door are white the first year, green the second year and red or yellow the third year.
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Ethnic Embroideries
There are 56 recognized ethnic groups in China, and many are known for their beautiful embroidery. Based on reports from others who have traveled to Lijiang, I expected the Old Town shops to be full of traditional handiwork. However, Li Qiong pointed out that Chinese entrepreneurs have filled the shops with cheap mass-produced copies and souvenirs in the last few years, so ethnic crafts can be difficult to find or authenticate. I stumbled upon a couple shops with lovely pieces, but the prices were shocking. I don’t mind paying a hefty sum for a genuine piece of artwork, but I want that money to go into the artist’s pocket. So, reluctantly, I walked away.
When I mentioned my failed quest, Li Qiong called up a Naxi friend who brings embroidery from her village to sell to the shops. We made an appointment to meet at our hotel. The diminutive young woman, Fen, showed up carrying two big bundles of stitched art. She laid them all out on a bench in our hotel’s open-air foyer. Every piece was far more stunning than anything I’d seen in the shops. Li Qiong translated as Fen explained some of the techniques. The amount of work and resulting detail in the colorful pieces left Cath and me speechless.
For a fraction of the shop prices, I bought a gorgeous baby carrier, stitched with shades of blue. It features tiny squares, each with about eight layers of fabric folded into miniscule triangles and secured using the sticky water left after boiling rice. The embroidery details include rows of swirling stitches and tiny knots. Li Qiong noted that the mother who carried her baby in this gorgeous carrier clearly took great pride in her workmanship.
Cath bought a whimsical piece featuring purple dragons. The technique involved separating the thread into seven fine pieces and sewing many overlapping stitches, giving the impression of silk. When Fen told her the price, Cath put her brilliant bargaining skills to work. She asked for the pengyou (friend) price and batted her big blue eyes. Fen laughed and stood on tiptoe to give Cath a big kiss on the cheek. They came to a compromise, and then Fen loaded all her pieces back into a bundle and led us to a local market. When we tried to give her a little money to thank her for her trouble, she jumped back, “No! You’re my friends!” she said in Mandarin, hugging and kissing us again before she headed home.
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Fay and Jiff
While we were perusing the embroideries, our friends Fay and Jeff called to say they were nearby. Cath ran to meet them and then brought them to our hotel. Jeff, a New Zealander who taught with us in Turkey and then followed us to Shanghai, hung back as his wife purchased a lovely piece from Fen. When Tony first met Jeff in Istanbul back in 2005, he had trouble understanding the Kiwi accent. He thought his new friend’s name was Jiff, and so it stuck. Although we were too tired and/or busy to socialize much with Fay and Jiff in Shanghai, I had a great time playing with the two of them in Lijiang and look forward to their promised visit to Laos.
Cath, Fay, Jiff and I went to a pub for a beer (after walking for a LONG time through Old Town, much to Jiff’s chagrin). The beer was warm, and there was no milk for Fay’s coffee, so after a short sit, Cath and I suggested another visit to our teahouse. Li Qiong had told us that she pre-payed for us to enjoy the tea one more time before leaving town. Although not entirely thrilled with the tea drinking, Jiff did enjoy the dramatics. He hammed it up and got lots of props from our Zhu Wei Li, our tea expert. Li Qiong stopped by for a few minutes before going to meet another tour group.
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