Forums > Living in Kunming > Areas less prone to flooding
Kunming has many problems, but flooding is not one of them.
If you really want to play it safe, take a flat above third floor and keep a canoe at hand.
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Kunming has many problems, but flooding is not one of them.
If you really want to play it safe, take a flat above third floor and keep a canoe at hand.
We have not seen a change in water pressure or delivery times and are still down to a few hours in the evening where we have a little pressure. So, no change on that front.
But now we have a high-pressure pumping system (as have many other apartments in our compound), so now we have water all day, every day.
However, the pressure generated by the pump is so great (and cannot be varied) that we waste an enormous amount of water. We are showering under a pressure hose, same for doing the dishes. We have complained to our land-lady, who sent her plumber around again, who simply refuses to acknowledge the problem. He just suggested to always(!) have the tap running when we turn the pump on.
So, sadly, Kunming's solution to reduce water pressure in order to save water has resulted in the installation of a private pumping system (wasting power) and vastly increased water usage.
I assume similar measures have been taken by other compounds, leading to people believe that there is no water shortage, 'because the shortage is just cause by waste'. How true.
To be fair, even if the rooms where not taken, they might have been reserved.
I stayed there last November and well after dark a large number of Koreans arrived (they have short holidays, so to make the most of it they walk at night). They had obviously booked in advance as they had all whole roast chicken waiting for them. I assumed then the roast chicken thing was the 'thing to do' in TLG in their equivalent of Lonely Planet.
The guesthouse is expensive for what you get (assuming the views do not cost them anything), but then you are competing with people on a very short trip for whom 350Y is not all that much. (I stayed in the dorm for 30Y, as it had the best views. Could have done without the backpacking girls doing their makeup early in the morning, though).
I will probably go, leaving KM for Tonghai in the morning of the 5th and travel on to Longpeng in the hope of getting a room there. If that is not possible, there are other options in Xincheng (the next smaller town) or Shiping. After the event in Longpeng I will travel on to Jianshui for the annual harvest of the swallow nests in the swallow cave on August 8th.
If someone wanted to come along, drop me a line.
I will probably go, leaving KM for Tonghai in the morning of the 5th and travel on to Longpeng in the hope of getting a room there. If that is not possible, there are other options in Xincheng (the next smaller town) or Shiping. After the event in Longpeng I will travel on to Jianshui for the annual harvest of the swallow nests in the swallow cave on August 8th.
If someone wanted to come along, drop me a line.
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It is rare to find good approximations of western food anywhere in China and their lamb-chops (listed as lamb T-bone steak or so) were the best I have found so far. They came with good fries and the beer was cold. I liked the way that they serve the gloopy 'black-pepper sauce' separately, so one can just skip it. Pleasant and quick service too.
A pleasant modern eatery. The menu claims the chef worked for a large Chinese chain of Thai restaurants, but the Thai aspect of the food is difficult to find.
I gave the 'boneless chicken feet' a miss and had some spicy beef which while not bad was closer to the usual Sichuan fare than anything Thai. A dog under the table quickly lapping up any dropped food complemented the Sichuan experience.
The spring rolls were not bad though and together with a beer the bill came to Y58.
Easiest improvement would be better rice.
Easily the best bread to be found in Yunnan with friendly and efficient service. I have made detours to Dali just to pick up some bread on the way back to Kunming.
Getting away: Lijiang
Posted byI do not think Yereth managed to crawl out of bed 'looking for the perfect early morning shot': they do not keep the lanterns on until the morning, so it was probably accidental shutter release on the way home after a few beers.
Best time for a good picture at Black Dragon Pool is early morning, after 8:30 the light turns flat even in winter. Plus bring a long lens to shorten the perspective. With your Lijiang 80Y ticket you only get one entrance to the park, but it is easy to see if it will be worthwhile from the outside.
I am not sure if the building still exists, but near the market is/was a two story building where (with a little bribe to a local resident) you could climb on the roof for a shot over the old city towards the mountain: best in the afternoon.
Lijiang is the only place where I hesitate to take photos of the very few remaining locals. They must be feeling like Paris Hilton out in her underwear every time they leave their house. Give them a break.
Riding into Kunming's future
Posted byThe airport express busses are supposed to be starting at 5am, not sure if it is true though. #1 runs from the old Nanjiang Hotel at Xiaoximen.
en.kunming.cn/index/content/2012-03/05/content_2865380.htm
Otherwise I have found that it is no problem getting a taxi early in the morning from the Kundu area, much easier than later in the day. Around 6am plenty of taxis still show up to take people back from a night out and they always seemed to be happy to take me rather than someone likely to throw up inside their car.
The drought: Good and bad news
Posted byYou can all check how much water you are using by looking at your water bill: a cubic meter (=1000l) of water costs 3.45Y, so if your bill comes to more than 10Y per month per person you are using more than 100l per day.
Even on our half-day rationed water in our flat, we still managed to use about 70l per person per day in April/May. We blame the cleaning lady.
Getting Away: Trailrunning Tiger Leaping Gorge
Posted byAugust is certainly not the best month to go. Even if it does not rain, the mountains are most of the time shrouded in clouds. Landslides are the biggest risk, particularly if one attempts to cross a recent one.
Properly done, the walk is not difficult and there are some ways to cut out the more boring bits. I would suggest taking a car up to a little teahouse, called something like Sunrise Guesthouse where the trail branches off the dirt road that goes up to some village. (Starting from Qiaotou the walk is first along the road, then up the mentioned dirt road, before it becomes a trail.) The best guesthouse the Naxi Family GH, IMHO, then comes after a not too difficult walk. It has the nicest views in the afternoon (clouds permitting) and is not as crowded as Halfway House. The second day would take you through the 18 bends and the highest point to Halfway GH for lunch (not many people there for lunch, many Koreans seem to arrive after dark, hiking all the way from Qiaotou), and after lunch down to the road at Tina's, from where you could take a car back to Lijiang (the walk is then all along the road).
Getting Away: Xishan
Posted byThe coming weekend is particularly good for a visit to Xishan as 三月三 (the third of March in the lunar calendar, this year on March 24th) is the traditional folk festival day 耍西山. It is an occasion for theatrical performances like local opera plays, song and dance and is extremely popular. (If you are looking for solitude, this might be a day to avoid.)
To make the most of the weekend, this year the festival is extended to Sunday as well. More info on this year's activities here: yn.yunnan.cn/html/2012-03/16/content_2097736.htm