Ch 24: Life's "Mistakes"

July 21,

Today was a long day. We set out in the morning to do the one hour climb up the Western Hills to one of the highest points in Kunming- the Dragon Gate in the western hills overlooking Lake Dian and the entire city. After arriving at the entrance to the park we headed off into the park. There was a small trail that diverged from the main path and we chose this one as it went UP- the direction we needed to go. One hour into the hike we asked a local mountain biker where was Dragon Gate- Down where you came from and up another path he told us.

Crap, we had already gone so far so we kept going. Along the way we ran into some local Kunming college kids back on their summer breaks. They were also hiking the western hills and invited us along to join them. It was a great opportunity for us. We ended up having lunch in a mountain village with fantastic local food (at 6 yuan or $.85 I was once again amazed at how far the right money can go in this part of the world.). They also showed up a "different path" not known to the foreign guide books. It was well worth the extra hours of climbing (and I mean climbing with both hands and feet across the hard rocks that dot the uppermost tips of the western hills. The views along the way were fantastic. When we got to the top I asked where Dragon Gate was. James Xian one of the local college kids informed me it was "down there"- pointing to a spot along the mountain side way below us. What a great experience to have the best unadulterated views of Kunming and be able to see below us what all the books describe as the city's premium vantage point. Lake Dian below us was a massive green inland sea. Kunming itself was easilly seen nestled between the lake and the rolling hills that suround the city. The sky was clear enough to see forever I thought. Life is good among the clouds.

Sometimes life an provide you with unexpected oppornities. They can come in the form of the wrong turn. They an come in the form of the unexpected, longer then planned journey. Never, ever, let these opportunities pass by. At the very least, they make for much more interesting memories and stories.