Today I took my first-ever train trip in China and, at the suggestion of a Chinese friend of mine, went to the town of Mengzi. I was about two hours southeast of Yuxi:
The train was old and a little worn, but it was right on time and and traveled at a good clip. I was accompanied by Silas, a new colleague of mine at Shane English Yuxi.
When we got to Mengzi, we took a taxi to Nanhu Lake, which lies in the center of town. The lake is supposedly the place where over-the-bridge noodles were invented. It has a beautiful park around it that features many classic Chinese buildings.
After walking around the lake, we went into the older part of town. Today was market day, which brought throngs to the town center. At times, the narrow streets were so crowded with foot traffic that it was impossible to move. Many of the people there were Yi and Miao people. I was reluctant to take their photographs as if they were some kind of exhibit, but I did snap these candids:
Mengzi has many more older buildings than Yuxi does. They’re not in very good repair, but they provide a glimpse of the China that was:
Now that I have some train experience, I may do more daytrips around Yunnan. It’s a pleasant way to travel here.
