LEAF-go-VSO   

Lugu Lake

    Different cultures in the far north of Yunnnan

From Lijiang we spent a full day being shaken, jarred and bumped along mountain roads to reach this beauty spot where Yunnan shares a northern border with Sichuan Province. This was one of the most beautiful, spectacular and varied of our journeys. We were introduced to the first wonders of the Yi minority nationality costumes - large table-top style hats that looked impossible to control on the windy plateaus that were inhabited by goat herders, horsemen and women and young children tending the animals on the dusty land. 

On arriving by Lugu Lake we decided to follow our guide book's advice and continue round to Lige. An apparently idyllic lakeside village, far from the tourist throngs and development. Unfortunately, while this may have been true a few years back, Lige has since been transformed into a wildlife-free dustbowl with an expanse of building development and garbage. We did, nevertheless, stay one night there. If you'd like more information regarding this, please contact us directly! On the next morning we headed back to Luo Shui, the main town (large village) on the shores of the lake. We found a hotel on the outskirts from where we had fabulous views over the water towards the remote hills of Sichuan, morning fisherman and ample bird life. We spent five days based here, despite the cold nights and dearth of green vegetables. A magical spot.

After relocating we took the girls, as promised, on a boat trip. We were paddled in a traditional Mosuo fishing boat (called a 'pig trough') to two island temples. Our oarsman was complemented by a beautiful woman skipper (at least, her job seemed to be to steer and look graceful while he broke out in a heavy sweat!).

There were no shortage of eateries offering a range of creatures - toads, eels, fish, mussels - although we stuck to the qiezi (aubergine) and noodles. In the centre picture Freda is colouring in her well-travelled Magic Key magazine, which she left with the cafe owners' daughters - much to their delight. Edie then wet her pants and we had to retreat quickly to the hotel before they froze!  

A visit to any new place wouldn't be complete without, of course, the customary visit to temples and stupas. The sister of our Mosuo paddler happened to be travelling to Yongning, where we visited Zhamei monastery and temple. We spent several hours here having a picnic, sketching and chatting to one of the resident Tibetan monks who had lived there (bar a 2-year spell with the Dalai Lama in India) since the age of 7. Freda particularly enjoyed the prayer drums.

The pictures above are a hilltop view of the monastery, situated in one of the most dusty, dry and remote parts of Yunnan that we visited. 

Back in Luoshui we visited the local weaver and tried out some new food delicacies - fried 'er kuai' - compressed then sliced rice. Before leaving the Lugu area Ali managed to capture a photo of this Yi minority nationality woman in  Ninglang market. Uncharacteristically, she was delighted to pose for a photo and even managed to let go of her magnificent hat without it blowing away!