Kunming – Unknown town – 80 km
Wow, how time flies! It was definitely time to move on, and though still not
100%, I could at least eat without getting stomach cramps.
The plan was to investigate Shangri-La situated further north. We followed a
secondary route out of Kunming which headed in that direction. As bicycles
weren't allowed on the highway, Ernest and I followed a potholed rural path,
making the journey slow and frustrating. I had no energy but pushed onwards
until a town sporting accommodation and food rolled into view.
In the countryside, rooms were inexpensive but came without any frills. As usual,
Ernest went to the market and later prepared potatoes to be eaten with a fresh
salad. The meal was greatly appreciated as I couldn't face anything fried or oily.
Unknown town - Lufeng – 38 km
I felt weaker than expected; my legs didn't want to do the job required. The road
was terrible but ran through a beautiful rural area where corn hung from
balconies and rafters; some had a better crop than others. With dogs snapping at
our heels, we pulled into Lufeng, known as the hometown of dinosaurs. Lufeng
was a fair-sized town, offering suitable accommodation in the city's centre.
At the time of our visit, Lufeng was well known due to the discovery of more than
110 dinosaur fossils, the location with the highest number and most complete
skeletons in the world. More recently, the earliest collection of fossilised dinosaur
embryos was discovered, dating back 197 million to 190 million years ago! That's
a seriously long time ago!