Day 10 (16-May-2011) Er Yuan - Dali

This was to be our last day of cycling, with again an alternative and more scenic route chosen to that stated in our original itinerary. Instead of travelling the more direct route on major roads to Dali, we would instead take a more circuitous route on the back roads along the shores of Er Hai Lake. Alas, on transfer by bus to the start of the day’s ride at the shores of the lake, the heavens opened, with low hanging clouds obscuring visibility. Undeterred, we nonetheless donned our wet weather clothing and set off along the dirt road.

The incessant rain however soon transformed the dirt road into a quagmire, with bikes and clothing soon covered in mud, and with bodies drenched and chilled to the bone. After just 15km of difficult and bone-jarring cycling we opted to abandon the bicycles in favour of a quicker and more comfortable bus transfer over the remaining 60km to Dali. Despite protection from the elements, we nonetheless arrived at the Landscape Hotel still shivering. Our immediate priority therefore was to wash clothes and warm bodies in a hot shower, before then meeting in the Hotel restaurant for a late lunch.

The rest of the day was spent drinking more coffee, touring the old town in Dali, and searching for some final souvenirs. Dali is situated in the foothills of the Himilayas and is the ancient capital of the Bai kingdom during the 8th and 9th centuries, and the Kingdom of Dali, which flourished from the 9th to 13th centuries. Situated in a once significantly Muslim part of South China, Dali was also the center of the Panthay Rebellion against the reigning imperial Qing Dynasty, and is still home to a large Muslim population.

We then assembled at 19:00hrs for yet another banquet, with Cathy and her accomplices presenting me with a sumptuous mint chocolate birthday cake! Needless to say everybody was eager for a slice, with only the candles left after the first serving. This birthday celebration also served to mark the end of a memorable trek, with everyone completing the entire route on bikes, with no injury or sickness encountered, and with nothing taken away except fond memories. We were also left with a new and enlighted respect and appreciation for both the old and new Chinas, rubbing shoulder to shoulder in an uneasy alliance in some places, and with amazement tempered with the ever present concern for both the human cost and environmental impact of China's meteoric pace towards modernity. Set against this chaos however was the serene and stoic smiles of the many people from the many different ethnic minorities that we encountered on our journey.This, in the face of so many adversities, is perhaps their greatest achievement of all.