When living in China you hear the Provience of Yunnan being thrown around a lot. This is where they say the best of the best traveling is done in China. Located just south of Tibet, this is as close as you can get to Tibet without having to pay the traveling fee of $400 and going with an annoying tour group. That said, you can imagine this is a place I HAD to see.
Friday late evening we arrived in Lijiang. Traveling to the resort (Banyan Tree I might add), I already felt my lungs feeling more relaxed and my eyes trying to adjust to seeing stars for the first time in nine months. This was a place like no other in China!
Lijiang is a unique place in that it's been preserved very well over time. In the 90's the town suffered from an earthquake, but made it a point to preserve the character and boost tourism in the area. Eventhough the town was a cultural disney world, it was really unique in character.
Towards the end of the day I walked to the top of a hill in the city to have a beer by myself enjoying the view. It was nice to relax and reflect on all that I've accomplised both professionally and personally during my time in Asia. Siting on that hill and looking over the town I realized that I saw most of what I set out for and experienced more than I would have ever realized... it was a great feeling.
Unfortunately however, the following day we went to the airport and found out our flight was cancelled meaning that we had to stay in a hotel (much different than the Banyan Tree Resort) and couldn't catch a flight until the next day. This all made me realize how much I miss America :)
Aaron
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