Day 12 #B.E. Dali - Li Jiang : Ascending Up To 2,400m Altitude, Entering Into A UNESCO World Heritage Site

Wish you were here

Today is the shortest distance I have to travel a day for #BeyondEverest, just 90KM!

Just as I was about the gleam in joy, my local guide told me "Short doesn't mean the road is gonna be easy!". 

Special thanks to Route 82 who printed motivational quotes I need on my T-shirts to remind me to stay strong

Wokay! Time to mentally prepare myself for some challenging terrains? 

Traveling on Dali line

Li Jiang is not very far off from Dali, and it being listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site certainly ensures that it has maintained its heritage cultures and beauty, which I'm hoping to discover since I did not really get a chance to do that in Dali.

Come explore China with me!

Even though I didn't get to really check out Dali, I made a point not to miss the landmark of every country/county/city that I traveled to.

So as I was on my way out of Dali, I stopped by The Three Pagodas Plaza of Chong Sheng Temple, which was one of the pit stop location during The Amazing Race: China Rush 3 season in 2012.

The Three Pagodas, with the tallest Pagoda in China's history stands at 227 feet

Positioned in all corners of a triangle, made of bricks and covered with white mud, The Three Pagodas built since the 9th & 10th centuries endured through the test of time, through disasters, and stood still over more than a thousand years.

She's got her ride and I've got mine :)

It is the landmark of Dali city and is a must visit.
Honor was mine to witness this remarkable piece of China's great history.

What I love about Dali are the houses so exquisitely detailed in architecture, showcasing one of the best examples of tradition by preserving the tiled-roof styles which somewhat reminisces traditional Japanese houses which may have been derived from ancient China itself.

Ascending up to 3,300m altitude here, before descending to 2,400m

Scenery changes quickly as I got out of the city within a short distance and into the mountains again. 
To acclimatize, you don't just keep ascending in altitude. Each time you ascend, you descend somewhere mid way, and stay there for the night. The next day, you ascend higher than the day before, and descend mid way again. That way, your body is able to gradually acclimatize and the chances of getting any high altitude sickness would reduce.

Though just 90KM from Dali to Li Jiang, the road was not smooth with a mix of very uneven tarmacs, a bit of off road and pot holes. I had to stand up and ride almost all the way to prevent the impact from hitting directly up my spine when I sit down and ride :(

Checked in safely into the hotel

I knew I have arrived into Li Jiang when I see all the beautiful tiled-roof ancient houses around me and red lanterns hanging from its edges again, a similar ambiance to Dali.

Tea of me? ;)

Today is one of the rare days I reach my destination for the day earlier than normal (around 4pm), so I quickly checked into the hotel, brought all my bags up, changed out of my gears into some normal civilian clothes and went out to explore the city on foot.

Li Jiang Old Town street is where all the buzz is happening, and there are four entrances to it.

Lining the walking streets are a wide array of stalls selling everything. From wet markets displaying fresh fruits, to home furnishings, art pieces, household goods, tourists souvenirs etc etc.

Hidden in between these ancient architectures are quaint little cafes too, serving your usual Mocha and Cappuccino.

I wandered off into quiet streets too, just admiring how well the locals here have preserved their heritage houses and cobblestone streets all these decades. Despite all the change that is going on around the world, I'd say it's sometimes refreshing to step back into nostalgia, walking through a culture that lived through history.

Before I knew it, the sky started to get darker and it started to get colder, at 16 degrees now. It was dinner time and what better way to have a steaming hot pot filled with succulent beef slices and fresh vegetables out in the cool open air!

Warmed my tummy with a filling soupy dinner and went straight back to the hotel for bed :)
We have more to explore here in Li Jiang, from snow mountains to night bars, when tomorrow comes!



[Singapore.Malaysia.Thailand.Laos.China]
[Mileage Clocked: 4,698KM]
[Weather/Temperature: Fair/16°C]
[Altitude: 2,400m]
[Terrain: Mountain Roads/Tarmac/Bumpy/Pot Holes]

Next: Li Jiang +1