Dali was quite easily one of the most amazing cities I have ever had the honor of visiting. Between the street and the sidewalk (which was overtaken long ago by street vendors) runs a stream of water, which is wonderful together with the mild climate of the Yun’nan region, especially Dali. As we walked through the streets peeking into little shops, the waterways would grow larger the farther uphill we went; at one point there was a waterwheel and at several others there were fountains. Our hotel was completely open (with the exception of our rooms). Each courtyard was surrounded by a three story building, with around ten rooms each. We stayed on the ground floor, and I had the fortune of staying in room 1109 (nine is the imperial number). In Dali, because the climate is usually so warm, orchids bloom out in the open. In our courtyard there must have been nearly twenty orchid plants, as well as massive bonsai trees half my height. Each open-air passage way opened up to even more courtyards, each also having numerous orchids, several in bloom with around thirty flowers. Possibly the most famous architectural aspect of Dali is the Three Pagodas, which, yet again, was B-E-
A-utiful. Dali is known as the “Venice of the East”, but it reminds me more of Rivendell…
Much Love, Namarïe
-Stefan Ramos, aka “Qin Qin”