Free as a bird

Sometimes fortune smiles down on us and hey, who am I to look a gift horse in the mouth? My once two-week vacation has now suddenly been extended indefinitely... at least until such time as I feel like going home. And it's a glorious feeling. The plan was to visit jfisher and yuppienomad in Hanoi and then travel together around Yunnan province before I returned to a summer job in sweaty Hong Kong. Apparently, it wasn't meant to be and lucky for me, my travel companions have determined that my elementary Mandarin and I are yet still useful... we'll see what happens when we head to Laos.

But no, I'm feeling very lucky as we sit in Lijiang, a charming preserved town in southwestern China, complete with lanterns and streams lining the cobblestone streets, kind folks, and evenings with candle-lit paper flowers set floating gently down the streets by the myriad of Chinese tourists. It's kitschy, but well done, and I'm definitely charmed. A horseback ride up Jade Dragon Snow Mountain earlier today with stunning views, whistling and song-singing guides who notably walked up the mountain with us, and I've had one of the most pleasant days in recent memory.

Sleeping under the stars on a boat and kayaking amid mountains jutting out of Halong Bay probably comes a close second, though. Even the Vietnamese karaoke blasting over the water from the fishing village didn't faze me. I'm a romantic, after all.

Anyways, more thoughts and photos to come. A bientot!