We arrived to our delight in a balmy Kunming (25 C). We spent our 2 days here snacking, recouperating and ironically going for a bit of a hike through the city outskirts to buy hiking shoes in preparation for Tiger Leaping Gorge in a few days time.

Aidan went for an early morning run around the inner city refuge of Green Lake Park, navigating his way through groups of people doing Tai Chi, playing badminton, and even doing Tai Chi while holding badminton racquets!

We left the comforts of Kunming to discover Dali Old Town. With old cobblestone streets and Bai style buildings it was like stepping into a Chinese fairytale. We stayed in a traditional Bai style guesthouse in a quiet part of the old town. There are endless local treats to be found along the roads and alleyways, and we observed (and sampled) countless ways to dress up a potato! We got hooked on some beef rice pocket snacks at a local street stall, and although we never found out how to order "the usual" in Mandarin we somehow managed to become regulars during our brief stay in Dali.

Our daily excursions included a hike along the Cang Shan (mountains) just out of Dali Old Town and a bike ride around the villages that surround Erhai Lake. After sore legs and bike bums our training for Tiger Leaping Gorge is well on track!