7 days in Yunnan, China. Can't stop thinking about it

p1-2: Erhai Lake, Dali
p3: Yunshan Ping, Lijiang
p4: Blue Moon Valley, Lijiang

Just got back from a week in Yunnan with a friend. We did Kunming, Dali, Lijiang by train. Every stop was worth it.

Kunming was mostly food. Stone Forest and the Ethnic Village were solid, but I keep thinking about the wild mushroom hot pot. The server brought it over, set a timer on the pot, told us not to touch it. There's a mushroom in there called jianshouqing that's apparently toxic undercooked. So we sat there, hungry, watching soup. When the timer went off I grabbed a bowl of broth and it barely looked like anything special but the flavor was deep. I think this is what Chinese people call xian.

Dali was where we slowed down. Erhai Lake was stunning, wedding photoshoots everywhere, can't blame them.Second day I planned my route based on recommended spots from EasyGoChina and checked out Seven Dragon Maidens Pools and the Chongsheng Three Pagodas. Best part though was a bonfire after dinner. Ethnic minority aunties led everyone in traditional dances, tourists, locals, old, young, everyone holding hands around the fire. None of us knew the steps. Perfect. A local guy told me they have a Torch Festival in summer that goes way harder. Coming back for that.

Lijiang was the one that got me. Jade Dragon Snow Mountain from Spruce Meadow looked fake. Photos don't do it. Couldn't make it to the summit because altitude hit me hard, but I'd bought an oxygen canister ahead of time. No shame. Then Blue Moon Valley. The water was this shade of blue that looks edited in photos. It's not.

Spring weather was real, sunny every day, perfect temps. But wear sunscreen. The UV at altitude is no joke. Got home and my family said I was a full shade darker. If you're on the fence about Yunnan just go.