Dali: Dallying in Dali

February 17, 2008

The days pass, the chill continues (according to the Internet weather report, and I agree, the felt temperature in Dali at 7 a.m. is 0 degrees C), and now it's Janos's turn to get sick. His cold has us staying another few days in Dali.

In our hotel: We get warmth from the glowing coals

When the sun shines, times are good: Here on the roof tops are solar collectors to heat the water in the tanks

A short distance south of Dali we come upon a small temple with brightly painted, naive figures. On the side of the temple courtyard a family is cooking its noon-day meal and they greet us with a friendly 'ni hao'.

We proceed to Guanyin Tang, a larger and very popular temple dedicated to the Goddess of Mercy. The joss-stick vendors outside of the main gate are disappointed that we aren't interested in buying their wares and they probably can't understand that we don't come to pray but just to gawk - but not disrespectfully. I love these brightly decorated temples with their wall paintings, jolly Buddha figures, gold fish ponds, miniature bridges, graceful roofs and smoking incense.

As in European cathedrals, wall paintings relate history and miraculous happenings of long ago

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