Mama Naxi

I've been blogging a lot about people we've met and the reason is simple -- the people we've met in Yunnan are some of the kindest I've encountered in China.

For other views and more details about our travels, visit j.fisher and YuppieNomad's blogs. I love the fact that we're travelling and blogging together because I, for sure, can't remember or capture all that we're experiencing; plus, reading their renditions as we go along makes me smile and I haven't even left them yet. Another upside for you guys is that they've posted some pics, which I promise to do... eventually.

Ok so back to Mama Naxi. I first heard of her on a boat in Halong Bay, Vietnam from Emma, an Australian girl who had never been to Lijiang herself. Then, there were the American girls in Zhongdian who raved about her kindness and Mama-like tendencies. And finally, there was Amit, the Israeli guy on the bus from Baishuitai who told us about her 8 yuan all-you-can-eat dinners and led us to her. Now we too know why she's famous. Bananas upon arrival and departure, dinners where the number of dishes on the table does not vary proportionately with the number of people sitting around it, and potpourri on a string that has rescued our noses on countless occasions since then. Plus, you can buy bus tickets from her and she'll pick you up/drop you off at the bus station or even the airport. The place also has free internet (limited to half an hour at a time) and a cozy atmosphere where guests eat, sit and relax together. If you go to Lijiang, pay her a visit. The official name for her place is Gu Cheng Xiang Ge Yun Ke Zhan (Address: #78 Wen Hua, WuYi, DaYan).