Day 2 (Part 1): Traveling to Lijiang: Jay’s thorough research uncovered that we might experience noticeable side effects due to the sudden altitude change since Chiang Mai is located only 300m above sea-level while Kunming is 1900m above. The initial leg of this journey was a significant transition so our one night stay in Kunming before moving on was intentional. The next day we packed our bags and checked out to take a train to Lijiang which is located at an even more extreme altitude of 2400m with our ultimate destination, Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, at 4506m above sea level.

It was colder now than it was on our arrival the previous day so we dressed a bit warmer and used DiDi ride sharing app to hail a ride to Kunming South railway station. We used Baidu Maps, the default navigation provider and I found it interesting how accurate it was in terms of pinpointing our location during the ride including the amount of time we’d spend sitting at a traffic light down to the seconds. Once we arrived at the train station, we took a short walk across the common areas where there were street vendors like one might see in Thailand but these offered not only some street food classics but also some items I’d never seen before. 

We checked in using our passports which were scanned by an attendant who confirmed our reservation with no ticket required. After wandering around for a few minutes we asked a janitor to help us find our gate and he gladly led us from the first floor to the second where we sat in a large hall with other passengers headed the same way. 

When boarding time came around, we queued up in the line that had an attendant who again scanned our passports before allowing us to exit out onto the platform. Finding ours was easy as there were lighted signs guiding hurried passengers to their train cars. The one we boarded seated us in rows of 3 on one side, 2 on the other and on this leg of the trip, we sat comfortably on the side with 2 seats. We brought our own snacks and food for the 3.5 hour ride to our destination. Of note were some crunchy peanuts that were decorated to look like bird eggs. I noticed a display that reported we were traveling 100 km/h while at other times it would reach nearly 200 and despite this high speed, it was a smooth, quiet ride on a clear day allowing us to take in the view of the countryside while I drifted in and out of sleep. We saw a nuclear power plant at one point and a wind farm built on the top of the mountains in the distance. The train sped through villages, farms, small communities, cities and valleys, entering and exiting tunnels carved into the mountains.

On arrival at Lijiang, we disembarked and emerged from the train station to a clear view of Yulong Snow Mountain - our destination for tomorrow. Jay dialed up another Didi ride where we noticed something else. Everyone seemed to be driving EVs. Even the motorbikes speeding in their own lanes alongside rented EV bikes with minimal noise were batter powered. The sidewalks in the area of the location where we’d be staying for the next couple of nights were lined with shops - mostly places where food was being sold. After a 15-min ride, our taxi driver stopped, stepped out of the car, unloaded our luggage and pointed us in the direction of an alley that meandered up a steep hill. He seemed to be in a hurry so we grabbed our things and began to walk the rest of the way up the connecting street. 

Around 100 meters up the hill, we came across a familiar doorway and realized we’d arrived at the place we’d sleep the next couple of nights, Fuyun · Oxygen Supply · Light Luxury Homestay. Bear with me now, because I absolutely have to tell you about this place. We are budget travelers which means Jay limits our spending while ensuring we have a comfortable yet affordable holiday. Because of this, we normally stay in modest accommodations but on this occasion she must have used some sort of cheat code because this - was budget luxury.

The entrance and foyer were lovely and so were the 2 giant golden retrievers lounging in the lobby. To be honest, I don’t know the breed of the docile dogs but they paid us no attention when we walked in as they slept quietly in the living room of this beautiful guesthouse. We whipped out our phones and readied the translators, greeted the young lady at reception and handed over our passports.  A few moments later, she asked a large man to grab our begs while she showed us to our rooms.

The corner room Jay booked looked like something out of a movie. There was a small washing machine above a state of the art e-toilet. The receptionist informed us we could use the drying machine in the common area at no charge. There was a hot/warm water dispenser installed next to the big LED screen which we used quite often but we don’t watch tv, so for us, the LED was just a nice decoration. There was central heat, a humidifier, an oxygen machine, a shoe dryer and the curtains were connected to the lighting system allowing remote operation. The down comforter draped across the bed and soft pillows promised a comfortable night’s sleep. 

Disposable bath, hand and face towels were provided in lieu of typical re-usable, cloth towels. A tub in the middle of the floor near the window beckoned, sparking Jay’s excitement which of course means it would definitely get used at least once during our stay. The room had everything we needed and more for a rate of 1100 baht per night. Can you tell I was impressed? We took the stairs up to find the drying machines and took a look at the view provided on the upper terrace then after we were settled in, we were ready to eat. It was time to go out and explore.

Let’s take a break and I’ll tell you all about what we found on our walk in my next entry, Day 2: Part II.