Welcome to Dali

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With Lucky Air I took the 35 minutes flight from Kunming to Dali. I arrived at Kunming Airport just in time to catch the flight starting at 7:45. So I could practice for my flight back to Germany from Kunming at 8:05 April 18 which I should not miss.
My guide, a pretty girl from the Bai Minority, could not believe that I am German, they usually are formal and stiff, not me! Around Dali there live about 1 Million Bai with their special tradition.
She told me that the driver wants to have time off to walk up the
mountain to see his ancestors for the yearly celebration. Well I changed my plans and went up the mountain with them. Dali is already 2000 meter high and we walked up for one hour together with many other people. At the grave they did some prayers, gave food to the ancestors and then Mrs. Yuang prepared cold noodles with some additional spices, vegetables and chicken, meat and claws. I just took the meat. Nevin, the claws were for you. My driver and his family were very friendly to me and even invited me to dinner in their house. I refused, that would have been too much expectation from their friendliness and I wanted to discover the old town of Dali.
After getting down to Dali by 1 pm my new driver from Lijang waited for us. He drives a comfortable Pachero, a Tojota I guess. He will be my driver for the rest of the time.
Miss Yuang, my guide leaded me through the Buddha Temple Area with the 3 Pagodas you can see on the picture. The Pagodas survived all the earthquakes and the cultural revolution. The temples are rebuilt with two new ones built for honor of getting Hongkong and Macao back to China. The area is so huge that we took some electrical bus uphill to the highest stage of Buddhism and walked down getting through the lower stages.
After a nap back in the hotel, which is built in a traditional style with calla flowers everywhere I strolled through the old town of Dali. I had dinner in a restaurant where they only make and serve wong tons. I hope I got the right spelling. The small pieces of dough stuffed with meat were delicious. You see the two cook with the steaming device. They are so fast, I know how difficult it is to make them.
Old Dali is the most exotic place I have ever seen so far. Modern shops just next to all kind of restaurants. Well most of them you would not call restaurants and better do not eat the food there.
After writing the blog, I will go out again to see old Dali by night.