China. So far so fun.

Places are never what we expect, and China is fast living up to that maxim. We did expect great food, and we've found it, from wonderful dumplings in Dali where we ate our way down one street of dumpling vendors:






More dumplings please.




To amazing Naxi food in Lijiang.




All the ingredients are so fresh.



And of course nothing is made until you order it, but then the food arrives so quickly. Such a relief after Australia where we sometimes waited 45 minutes for our food.



And now for the cute critters. An integral part of any post.

We called him Nano pup. This was in Baisha, a village outside Lijiang. We ordered our lunch and he showed up to mooch some food. We fed him bits of tofu and the Naxi woman tending the restaurant smiled.


This guy would be right at home with my nieces in Colorado. They would have him hitched up to a pony cart in no time flat.



In Lijiang the restaurants line up along the canals, and over the rooftops well above the crowds cats have their own secret freeway to travel from window to window.



Lijiang is a very popular tourist spot with Chinese tourists, it's a cross between Disneyland and Venice. No cars in the central old town, everything is delivered by bike or on foot. I love a city center with no cars.





The night scene is amazing.





And as usual we got out and about on some rental bikes.



It's our favorite way to see the countryside. You see things and vistas that most tourists will never find.


It helps if your travel companion is Rich, or I like to call him, the tour guide for Ricky's no frills seldom supported adventure tours.



You never know where you'll end up.



Or who you'll have lunch with.



See Rich's blog for the full story on this lunch:
http://blogs.bootsnall.com/TravelRich/