Odyssey to South of the Clouds... (p1) - 11 days in a glance ...

June 20, 2015

Odyssey to South of the Clouds... (p1) - 11 days in a glance ...

Shudu Lake

Puda Cuo National Park

Shang-rila / Zhongdian, Yunnan

April 2015

i remember the first time i got to know this southern region of China was few years back, as i read the TravelSixty magazine during one of my AA flights. a photograph of Naxi ladies in their traditional black-white-and-blue costume at one of the street of Lijiang Old Town, caught my attention. but no plan was ever materialized, as my interest to step my foot on China was not that hype. i mean i was on my adrenaline to go for something like hiking and beach gate away, and i didn't put that much effort to read and discover more, that the region also offers plenty of option for people like me (eh...like me la sangat).

in a way, it is a less known region for most, as people gave quite a frowning face wondering where i am going to, when i told them about my plan. Beijing always the phrase came out when i quoted China as my next travel destination, and Yunnan was like...ermm...where is that thingy.

the trip was almost happened back in 2014, but then was postponed as i decided to travel with my siblings to Busan. then, it came back into the picture again in January 2015, as i saw the ticket to Kunming was really cheap for the period that i googled - around rm400 return. why it was again cancelled? well...it was a last minute planning, and other than HangDhamin blog, i couldn't find much resources about the region blogged by malaysian. (tq min!). i wanted to go further till Shang-rila. John told me about Atlas Seorang Pengembara blog, which happened to be on early chapters of her 16 days travel. as the clock ticking, and knowing the visa need to applied etc. , i decided to defer the plan and flew for my beach holiday blogged earlier.

i was counting for the right time to embark on the trip, as being deferred twice normally meant i have to make a way for it for the third time orelse, it'd be on shelf forever. i thought Spring time would be the best time to visit the region, especially as i was planning to travel as far as Shang-rila where the cold-winter may be a challenge. ah..the good thing was - Atlas Seorang Pengembara finally completed her entries by the time i was started doing my planning etc. thank you very much kak!

it was almost to be a solo trip, and then TI told me his interest to join. i had some reservation earlier as it'd be our first time travelling together. it'd be a 11-days flashpacking trip, to a stranger land..where communication, halal food etc. would be the challenges. plus...i had hiking in the itinerary, and despite knowing him as a active person - gym, sports etc. , i was not sure whether he'd able to endure the high altitude thingy, the long hiking hours etc. anyway, as usual, i just put those worries and concerns aside...and continued with the plan.

in the end, it always back to the famous quote - you never know a person until you travel , live or drink(?) with them ...

so ...the 11-days Odyssey to South of the Clouds ...in a glance..