YUNNAN SHORT FACTS:

CAPITAL: KUNMING - 昆明

POPULATION: 44 million

AREA: 394,000 sq kms

PLACES VISITED: Kunming, Xishuangbanna / Jinghong, Dali, Lijiang

Imagine the combination of a relaxed lifestyle, vistas to die for, ancient buildings, incredibly friendly people who still believe in the old ways and everything 'modern man' needs... Welcome to Yunnan.

Situated in the deep south-west with borders to Lao, Vietnam and Myanmar, a river that links directly to Thailand and the soon-to-be-completed Kunming-Bangkok freeway, it's easy to see why the culture here is a blend of the best Asia has to offer.

We toured Yunnan in January of this year (2007) which, I hasten to add is more recently than any Lonely Planet writer. Actually, i read just last week that the customs in China on the Laos / Myanmar border posts are confiscating the latest edition of the LP because the colour of Taiwan on the map would indicate that it was not a part of the Chinese mainland. My 10th edition has the same map and is sitting safely beside me.

Before I kick-on with descriptions and tales of the most exciting province we've yet to visit in China I'd like to say this: We met some fantastic people here; backpackers from every corner of the globe and all, save one will be fondly remembered and kept in touch with.

We even lost track of one bloke, Billy who had swapped his girlfriend for a bicycle. I was going to establish a website, 'where-is-billy-boy.com' but his mother may get into a panic! More on Billy-Boy's Birthday later but in the meantime, if you know who I'm talking about please drop me a line.

On with the tour:

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