After an uneventful night, we arrived on time in Kunming. The capital of the Yunnan Province is nicknamed the “Spring City” because of its nice weather all year round. Today was no exception to the rule. We were welcomed by a sunny morning.
We boarded the public bus to our hostel Kunming Upland International Youth Hostel. The fare was only 1 yuan each - 0.15 pounds! Public transport in Chinese cities is affordable and somewhat easy with the `Baidu Map` app.
The hostel provided a nice garden and a lively bar. Our bedroom was tiny but quiet and clean. For once the shower in our private bathroom was not above the toilet. Yeah, so far we always had the shower so close to the toilet you could have used both at the same time.
After an hour to freshen up and to do our laundry (something we did every two or three days), we headed to the Yunnan Nationalities Village (云南民族村). The open-air museum is devoted to the different ethnic groups making (Dai, Shui, Buyi, Bulang, Miao, Dulong, Pumi and 20 others) the population of Yunnan. Putting aside the fake feeling left by the actors, we discovered the traditional housing, costumes, crafts and ways of life of years of ethnic diversity in China.
After that fascinating and educational stroll, we were craving for some food. There were two dishes we wanted to try - the Over-the-Bridge Rice Noodles and the Steam Pot Chicken. Unfortunately, the restaurant we picked, based on the Wikitravel recommendation, did not offer those two dishes. The place was popular among Chinese people though and the food was great. We have more days in Kunming to try out those specialities.
