Great Little Restaurant in LiJiang

As a part of my business I inspect and try restaurants in most tourist cities so that I can recommend them to my clients as a China Only Tour Operator. In my favorite small city in the mountains of Yunnan province, LiJiang, I continue to go back and eat at LAMU'S House of Tibet. Both good Chinese and western food but don't expect gormet western food in any restaurant in China. In 25 years I have not found that restaurant yet. Meat Lover's Pizza is my favorite at Lamu's and I had it twice this last trip even talking my guide friend Jack Zhao into trying it. After a long day of checking small local hotel locations, we enjoyed some good beer with our pizzas. Lamu's has a upstairs area which is very comfortable as you can see as well as a new balcony outside overlooking the pedestrians only street below. Old Town as it is known in LiJiang has no cars allowed in the narrow streets wtih winding streams of water flowing through the town and over 350 bridges leading to quaint, funky and deluxe restaurants.....but I still love Lamu's for the food, comfortable seating and they never rush you to move on once you are served. Free internet upstairs, library and oh so comfortable furniture after a long day of site seeing. Sign up here on my blog to automatically have sent to you all my latest blog writings each time I write one telling stories of my latest adventures and tips on visiting China. .

Understanding of Jade

Jade and Pearls have both escaped an understanding by most people. I learned more about Jade this trip to China than ever before. Above is a Jade piece that I should have bought if it weren't the price of $17,500. What makes the cost so high? When you go to Xian check out the Jade and Jadite pieces at either the Hua Hui Arts and Crafts or Yu Hua Arts and Crafts centers. Mr. John King shown above is a Lecturer on Jade and extremely knowledgeable. I learned that the hardness and color of Jade determines the value. Yes, color of Jade we think of as green but there are many shades of green as well as white, lavender, pink and others. Some Jade is found in streams and can be translucent while other Jade is found in the mountains in veines like gold. Each has its own properties and colors. The piece above is light green with streaks of lavender in the background. Artists are given stones and they do the carving with diamond tipped tools to carve what they see in a stone. The better the stone and artist the higher the value of course. There are many places in China to see Jade carvings but the two mentioned above places I visit the most. My appreciation for good art is always satisfied in China but beware the imitations at low prices. I love my Jade ring set in 18 ct. gold and get many compliments on it. The cost has gone up 10 times since I bought it back in the early 1990's because good jade finds are less and less these days. Click on the photos for full screen views.

China Earthquake Visited

I just returned from China Oct. 20th after visiting the earthquake area in Sichuan province. One needs to see it to really understand what happened. Imagine a 100 mile long area by 30 miles wide being fully destroyed by the earthquake. I was allowed to go to one city at the southern end of the earthquake called Dujiang Yan City. Part of the city was unaffected but the rest is as you see above. 11,000 + people were killed, 20,000+ injured and 279 people still unaccounted for. 30,000 15' X 15' emty rooms have been erected for the survivors from several cities. No facilities in them. 15 rooms share one room for cooking and 50 rooms share a group bathroom with no showers available. One woman was walking down the street. She told us she had just stepped out of her house onto the street when it struck and that her whole house fell down and killed the rest of her family. She does not know what to do and just keeps walking around in disbelief as she has no family left. Most have jobs in other cities now but it will be years before they will have normal living conditions again. Meanwhile all along the road are tents made from blue tarps in which farmers are living in order to be closer to their land and to make some kind of living. Keep watching my blog for more stories from my recent trips. Check out my web site at www.interlakechinatours.com .

Bargain Tours - You Get What You Pay For!

While in France on vacation I met a couple who had been to China on a "Bargain" Tour this past year. They complained about the number of people on the tour, poor food, wasting time waiting for people who were late, poor hotel locations, noisy restaurants, crowded buses and other complaints. They went all the way to China and had a bad experience in which should have been the trip of a life time. Bargain tours are no bargain. One couple told me they were going to stay at the Beijing Hotel on their bargain tour. After we checked closely it was listed as "a" Beijing Hotel which turned out to be way out in the suburbs and a 3 star very old hotel. One needs to check bargain tours very closely. Ask the tour company for references. If they can not furnish them, do not book the tour. Past customers surely will tell you the truth. Group tours should not be over 16 people. If it includes a Yangtze River cruise, ask which Line they use as there are many very poor ones as well as excellent ones. Then check it on the internet. Private customized tours to your interests do not cost that much more and are far more enjoyable. You might as well see what you are interested in and how you want to tour as well. Private tours with your own guide and own private transportation with meals in non-group restaurants and non-group hotels are much more quiet and enjoyable. For more information check our web site. wwww.interlakechinatours.com

LiJiang - My Favorite Town in China

As a 25 year business in doing Tours to China, many people ask me which area or city is my favorite. That is a tough question as China has a very wide variety of cultures and sites. However, I must admit that I love LiJiang in Yunnan province the most even though it is getting a bit touristy for most people. Old Town is a photographer's paradise with the Naxi people living here, streams flowing through the town and no cars are allowed inside the Old Town with its narrow streets. So much to see and experience. Shops galore, evening shows, markets, Mr. Mu's Mansion and restaurants of all kinds. One needs to get out into the country side as well with the many stone villages and historical places as well as the snow capped mountains which is a perfect place to visit during the summer months too at 8000 feet and cool mountain air.  Side trips can be done to the Leaping Tiger Gorge and Lugu Lake the home of the Moseo people.    Visit my web site at www.interlakechinatours.com for your customized tour to your special interests.

Longsheng Rice Terraces and Hotel

For those looking for a wonderful country experience, clean hotel and some wonderful hiking, nothing is better than Longsheng Rice Terraces outside of Guilin. It is a bit of a walk up hill to the hotel but well worth the effort. Just for the day or spend a couple days hiking the Dragon's Back across the top of the rice terraces. Great local food and convenient clean rooms with western facilities. Run by a family you will feel at home enjoying the local culture of the Zhrung and the Yeo people in their colorful everyday dress. The Yeo women only cut their hair once in their life time when they are 13 and are in the Guiness Book of Records for the people with the longest hair. I wrote about them earlier. Note our guide from Guilin who took us to this area. Local guides make your tour as they know all the wonderful places to take you that most tours do not even know about. For those looking for a private tour to your interests, let me plan a tour just for you. Our web site is www.interlakechinatours.com We only do Tours to China and Tibet and no other country. For the best in depth knowledge of China, contact us to plan your next tour to China.