One person, one month, embarking on a healing wandering journey (Yunnan)

Number of days：7 days
Time: May
With whom：a person
Updated: 2021.09.05

Later, I felt thankful countless times that I had chosen to set out.

On a dark and windy night, I set off alone, dragging my suitcase and carrying a backpack. It was my first time on a plane and my first time traveling far away alone.

This may not be a serious travelogue, but I want to tell you my wandering story.

First Stop: Wind, Flowers, Snow and Moon - Yunnan

"Travel is an escape from the mundane, to embrace the unfamiliar and to look forward to surprises."

——Wandering Notes

Itinerary Outline: Dali Ancient Town - Erhai Lake - Dali Ancient Town - Lijiang Ancient Town - Jade Dragon Snow Mountain

Day 1: Dali Ancient Town

Before arriving in Dali Ancient Town, I took a flight, high-speed rail, subway, and bus in Yunnan. Using various modes of transportation, I first explored the colorful southern part of Yunnan and felt the unique tranquility and romance of Yunnan.

Dali Ancient Town

Walking along the path to the youth hostel I had booked in advance, I ran into the hostel owner who happened to be out. We had never met before and had no agreed arrival time, but he had guessed it. What a coincidence! It's beyond words~

From my first day here, I was already thinking about staying here for a long time. I loved this fresh, warm, clean and comfortable hostel. As soon as I walked in, I walked past rows of lush succulents of various kinds.

The first floor features a glass-enclosed viewing area with a bookshelf, fish tank, bed and stool, and even Go dice for entertainment. The second-floor balcony, third-floor seating area, and fourth-floor rooftop area offer laundry drying. Enjoy the scenery from every floor, and every corner is a delight to the eyes.

Since we were checking in on the same day, I met two young men, K and Q, who were on a road trip. The very night we arrived in Dali, an earthquake struck. The strongest one was a magnitude 6.4. The open space was packed with people, and some people drove out of Dali Ancient Town overnight.

I still remember a Sichuanese lady at the youth hostel calmly saying it was no big deal, saying Sichuan often experiences earthquakes. It was both poignant and amusing to hear.

Luckily, it was a minor quake, with minimal overall impact. This is probably a classic event that will go down in my travel history.

Dali Ancient Town

Day 2: Erhai Lake

The original plan was to rent a small electric scooter and drive around Erhai Lake, but the road to the lake was fenced off, allowing only bicycles to enter. So we drove around and stumbled upon a sea of purple flowers. As the saying goes, "When you reach the end of the road, you think there's no way out, but you'll find another village."

During the drive, I would occasionally stop and walk to the edge of Erhai Lake to enjoy the breeze. It was cozy and comfortable. Dali's blue sky and white clouds are so soothing, and any photo I took looked beautiful.

Erhai Lake

My favorite is the sunset over Erhai Lake. The sun gradually fades, the clouds change, the breeze blows, the willow branches sway, the sea water flows slowly, and time seems to be slowed down. Suddenly I understand why many people say that Yunnan is a healing place.

Day 3: Dali Ancient Town

There are many recommended places to check in in Dali, such as Cangshan Mountain, Jizhao Temple, etc., but I didn’t want to check in just for the sake of checking in on this trip. In addition, I didn’t have time to make a plan because of the rushed trip, so I decided to be casual.

Dali Ancient Town

I only wandered around Dali Ancient Town that day, and then spent the rest of the day relaxing in the hostel and chatting with fellow travelers.

I really love the slow pace of life in Dali. Whether tourists or locals, everyone here seems relaxed and at ease, as if they were living on an isolated island, quiet and peaceful, feeling the slow passage of time.

Day4: Lijiang Old Town

The overall pace of life in Lijiang feels faster than that in Dali. The streets in Lijiang Old Town are much more crowded and narrow, and the architectural decorations are antique. Compared with the simple and elegant Dali Old Town, it has a more gorgeous temperament.

Lijiang Ancient Town

Amid the throngs of people, even solitary figures could be found. While taking photos in front of the waterwheel, I met a young woman named Ah C from Wuhan. I struck up a conversation while helping her take photos, and so the two of us, walking alone, found ourselves walking together through unfamiliar streets.

We walked past shops in the alleys without stopping, chatting from sunset to the lights coming on. At that moment, I understood the meaning of the phrases "It's a shame we didn't meet earlier" and "It felt like old times at first sight."

It’s a pity that our next itineraries were different. We added each other’s contact information and said goodbye at the fork in the ancient city. Maybe the chance of meeting again in the future will be very small, but I will remember the ice cream we ate together, the tourist photos we took of each other, and the souvenir bracelets we bought together.

Day5: Jade Dragon Snow Mountain

For convenience, I signed up for a one-day tour to Jade Dragon Snow Mountain at the youth hostel in Lijiang. I thought it would be impossible for one person to reach such a distant snow mountain alone, especially since I was not sure whether I would have altitude sickness. It was more important to follow the group and save my life.

This time, I met a young couple who were out for fun, a retired aunt who was doing volunteer work and wandering around, and two older men who were traveling on business trips. We chatted about all sorts of things along the way and heard some other people's stories.

Jade Dragon Snow Mountain

There are many small attractions scattered throughout Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. Due to limited time, we chose to visit Blue Moon Valley and climb the snow mountain.

The water in Blue Moon Valley isn't actually blue, but a clear green. It meanders down through lush trees, creating a lush green scene. With the mist-shrouded snow-capped mountains as a backdrop, it's a truly pleasing sight. After taking the cable car from the 3365m platform on a clear day to the 4506m platform, it suddenly started to drizzle and dark clouds covered the sky. After stopping for a while, everyone continued to move forward towards the plank road, as if walking through a fog, stopping and resting. Altitude sickness varies from person to person, so please proceed according to your ability.

Yulong Snow Mountain Cableway

Arriving at the highest point, the 4,680-meter observation deck, everyone was like the frozen camera button had been warmed up and started snapping tourist photos like crazy. You took pictures of me, I took pictures of you, and everyone took pictures of each other, so much so that later on the camera appeared a lot of emoticons, capturing the laughter and joy of this journey. It was summer when we climbed Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. Although there is snow on the top of the mountain all year round, the peak is basically bare. There was thick fog, which was occasionally blown away by the wind to reveal the snowy scenery on the top of the mountain, which attracted everyone to exclaim and take photos. The scene was really interesting and made people laugh.

Looking down from the top, you can occasionally see a magnificent view of sunlight shining down, white clouds floating among the green waters and green mountains, and it feels like you are walking among the clouds.

I was very fortunate to meet my teammates who distracted me from my fear of heights during the cable car ride and who helped me carry my backpack along the way.

Setting out alone, chatting with two people, and moving forward as a group—this is probably a special experience on a trip. We are fortunate to have met on this journey through mountains and rivers. Don't ask whether we will meet again, this moment is worth cherishing for a lifetime.

When you go to a place, you always have to leave some regrets to keep it in mind, to find a good reason to go again next time. So, see you next time at Hugu Lake, Shangri-La, and Tengchong in Yunnan.