Kunming

Due to poor planning, laziness, and some miss reading of plane tickets, we spent quite a few days in the Yunnan capital of Kunming. It is a nice enough city (with a great temperate climate), but we could have made it back to Vietnam overland if we had of been more organised. We made the most of our time there by exploring the city, including local cuisine. 

We had hot pot, simmering broth in which you cook meat and veg skewers. At one restaurant we had personal pots on small electric hobs, with skewers to choose from rotating on a conveyer belt. 

We also had "over the bridge noodles". This dish is named for a local story where a woman took her husband noodles for lunch each day over a bridge to his workplace. She would mix it up each day by adding in different meats and vegetables. Our noodles came with a dozen odd plates of sides to mix in. If you pay for the deluxe bowl, it all comes served on an actual mini bridge.

We did some sightseeing around the city. There is a large central park where everyone gathers to dance to folk music on the weekend. We visited an ancient temple, where we were a little naughty and decided to liberate a caged wild bird.

This was our last stop before returning to Vietnam, so we have included some photos of Chinese meals we had, and inexplicable knock-off New Balance shoe shops.