Dali - South Gate

We are now in Dali in Yunnan province.  It is in the mountains and for the first time in China we are free of the terrible air pollution.

We have spent the day travelling and when we were en route from the airport to the hotel our guide told us we would be too late to get food at the hotel so we stopped at a family restaurant on the way and had a fantastic meal with our guide and driver (see second extra).  There were several courses of food and the total bill came to less than £6 a head (including beer).

My main picture was snatched from the car window as we drove past Dali old town on the way to our hotel.

The hotel is a bit out of town but is a lovely old building and is wonderfully quiet.  I have seen some hotel welcomes in my time.  Welcome letters on the bed,  bunches of flowers, a bottle of wine perhaps but this is the first time I have experienced a flower in the toilet (see first extra).  It seemed a shame to spoil it.