The
first thing that struck me when I moved across to Ruili from Muse is large
scale use of electric scooters and carts. Andy told me that the government
supports this venture in a big way to reduce pollution. Apart from the electric
scooters and carts being relatively inexpensive, due to a form of government
subsidy, it is also hassle free to register them for use. One could almost buy
them and drive them away – as easy. In the towns of Ruili, Dali and Huize I
found that this initiative has kept the environment free from air and noise
pollution. They are so silent that they almost ‘creep’ on you in the markets.
Besides, the scooters are invariably fitted with fancy umbrellas to shield from
the rain. Besides, even the heavy freight trucks that plied between Muse and
Huize across major mountain terrain did not spew ‘poison’. It shows that good
governance ultimately support the citizen and improves quality of life.
What
has left me gaping continuously in the past two days is the infrastructure of
roads, bridges and tunnels. I have done over 1000 km from Ruili to Huize.
Driving has never been such a pleasure before. Totally uninterrupted stretches
of freeways that are linked by huge tunnels and bridges that are maintained so
well that one can even ‘sleep’ behind the wheel. I have liberally used cruise
control and kept the legs free of stress. Not a single pot hole! How is it possible?
The terrain through which I passed through gets very foggy and rains almost
through the year due to the tropical climate in the Yunan province. In India it
is customary to blame the weather for the poor upkeep of the roads. Monsoon and
heat wave are the favorite excuses. Another feature is that the freeways are
completely isolated from the villages, towns and cities in that there is
neither encroachment nor hindrance for smooth ride. Proper signages herald
exits and entries and at intermediate locations there are comfort stations that
offer fueling, parking, restaurants, shopping and restroom facilities. Undoubtedly,
use of such freeways is expensive. Over 1000 km I have paid 540 Yuan – the
equivalent of nearly Rs 5600! In turn I have enjoyed a safe and stress free
drive that has taken me longer in a shorter time! The investment in such
infrastructure is done by private companies under the guidance of the
government.
Before
turning in last night, Andy and I had decided to go for a morning walk to the
ancient city of Dali. It was just a short distance away from the place where we
stayed overnight, the Jade Emu. It was a pleasant walk the market was yet not
crowded. There were shops of all types. Bakeries from where the smell of fresh
pastries filled the nostrils, butcher shops that did not smell of the freshly
cut animal meat, restaurants that showcased their morning wares such as Bao,
dumplings, noodles and rice and many more. There were Italian restaurants and
there was a McDonalds. Fresh fruits and vegetables were sold on the sidewalks.
Some of the shops were creatively decorated and some outlandishly named. But to
me, the feature of the morning walk was the beautiful Catholic Church that had
been established in 1927-32 by Fr Pierre, a French priest. The architecture was
very Chinese with some of the European at the entrance. It was so peaceful
inside that spending some time in soulful prayer there was a gift from the
heavens.
After
the walk Andy and I settled to have breakfast in a restaurant where Bao and
dumplings were being made fresh. We sat down to a serving each of the steamed
pork Bao and dumpling delights. I helped myself to liberal doses of the spicy
chilli paste with every bite of those, almost shocking Andy who finally
ventured to taste some of the paste with the last bite of his helping. On the
way back to the hotel we dropped into a bakery from where Andy suggested that we
buy some breads for the day. He also wanted me to taste the flower pastry, a
local delicacy. Later when I had it the taste was extra ordinary. It was like a
croissant baked with fresh flowers inside them! Besides the great taste the
smell of the flowers was the added attraction. It was glorious. The breads were
also unique. One of them was green tea flavored and had boiled red beans in it
and the other was liberally laced with red bean sauce and sugar syrup.
By the
time we set course for Kunming, which was the original destination for the day,
it was 9 am. It was just over 300 km to the big city. Along the way Andy asked
if I was good for a longer drive than that for the day. With the glorious roads
that stretched endlessly I readily accepted the offer to drive some distance
more for the day. Andy came up with the suggestion of Huize, which he said was
a small county township. Most importantly, he was able to come up with a
fantastic hotel offer that would give us a large twin bed room for Yuan 165,
which included breakfast. Even the stay in Jade Emu had cost me about the same,
but without the breakfast. Andy and I decided on twin sharing accommodation to
reduce costs, since lodging of the guide was the responsibility of the client!
About
50 km short of Kunming, after Chuxiong, I overtook a car that was ‘lazing’ in
the driving lane. In a short while the car overtook me on the overtaking lane
and hung around. Then the passenger seat window opened and a very Indian face
came out of it. I pulled alongside that car on the driving lane because Andy
thought that the person had smiled at me. The head popped out yet again and
smilingly said, “This is Kerala registration”! And his pronunciation left me in
no doubt that he was a ‘country cousin’. My word, my eyes popped out. Then Andy
told me that there were many from India in the IT and ITES industry in China.
I did
not know what it was, but I was overcome by sleep on a couple of occasions
along the route to Huize. We pulled over for breaks each time at the way side
facilities and on one of them I took a twenty minute power nap that stood me in
good stead till we reached Huize. It is said that in the ancient past dinosaurs
roamed the terrain through where I was travelling. The World Dinosaur Valley is
a major attraction on the route and I was told that there is a large Museum of
exhibits of the animals of early civilization.
We
drove into the small town of Huize at about 4 pm having done over 550 km. I was
not at all tired or in need of rest. The hotel was not difficult to find given
Andy’s familiarity with the GPS. The large hotel was being decked up for a
Chinese wedding. The check in formalities was done without a fuss and the
excellent Wifi connectivity immediately brought in WhatsApp messages. Gmail and
Facebook were not available. Later in the room Andy tried to set up a VPN
connection, as suggested by a Facebook friend, but could not succeed.
After
catching up with friends and family on WhatsApp and completing some
documentation Andy suggested a visit to the old part of Huize. We parked and
walked. The township by itself was unremarkable and it was not a touristy
place. But such walks help to understand local culture and sample life there.
We saw many restaurants were many during the walk and assessed each one of
them. In the end we plumbed for a Chinese set meal dinner. I had a pork fried
rice with soup, kimchi, steamed egg and a bottle of Yanjiang beer. The portion
was so huge that I sought Andy’s help to finish most of it. Later we went to
the main town square and were greeted to a large gathering of people. The
centre of attraction was the large replica of an ancient coin which was bridged
through and under the bridge were lovely dancing fountains. There were many
groups of ‘dancers’ who moved their bodies rhythmically to lovely music. Anyone
can join any of the groups and I came to now that the dances are after dinner
exercises. People of all age groups could be seen enthusiastically
participating in them. I wondered about the level of community engagement even
on a working day. Moreover, even in a small town such community infrastructure
had been planned and maintained by the administration.
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