China HK 2007: Kunming, Yunnan Province - China

Wow, what can be said about Kunming that hasn't already been jotted down by Wikipedia?

Okay, where is it, you ask? Well, it's somewhere in the middle of China, and not quite near Tibet nor too low towards Beijing. Think, flyover-state, like a combination of Kansas, Tennessee and Nebraska. Believe me, it's on the map.

Anyhow, I'm gonna let the pics do the talking for awhile:

The view from our hotel room -- kinda like the skyline in Dallas.

We stayed right across from this giant convention center --
that no one seems to be using. It's 6 times larger than the
Staple Center, and just waiting to be filled, with, well, anybody.

This is the entrance to some caves we saw. It was kinda
like going to Yosemite -- if they turned it into an
amusement park.

Here are 4 female tour guides and their pimp. As you can
see, he means business.




This cave would stretch into the mountain a few miles or so.


We went into this thing called the Lion's Cave, 'cause the
rock in front of you looks like a Lion -- doesn't it?

They transformed the entire cave into a gift shop/kiosk.
Come for the beauty, stay for the knick-knacks.

And if you're lucky, you can buy...

Funny looking cigarette holders! Woo-Hoo!

With even more walking, the caves ended up looking a lot
like this:



Stalactites and stalagmites bathed in multi-colored lights.
As if Walt Disney stopped by and consulted on the deco.





Check it out! Can you see the sign in the bottom right corner?
And you thought the "Dark Knight" lived in Gotham City!

I'm not gonna lie. Everyone posed in front of this thing and
I didn't want to feel left out. Oh, the peer pressure!

This was the last 3 flights of stairs we needed to walk up
in order to get out of the caves. Although there were guys
lined up with sedans (basically, carrying your ass out) at the
bottom, most of us sucked it up and hit the pavement, er,
bamboo steps. I even helped out an old lady that was on
the tour with us. And I'm happy to report, she made it
through all 20 flights.

On the way back, we got to ride this ski lift back to the top
of the hill where our bus was (we will end up doing this
a lot at the other sights we go to).

Good thing I'm not afraid of heights -- much.

And the view was totally worth it.

As we were heading back, I saw that sign in the right hand
corner. It seems they're more worried about you dropping
garbage on the ground than YOU dropping on the ground.
Then again, it's a bitch to get the custodians down there!

Next Up: The Stone Forest

Literally made up of stones across a few acres, this place
TOTALLY ROCKED!

Check it out. Doesn't that rock look like a... here's a hint: it
goes "oink".

Now this was pretty cool. The guy is proposing to the girl
in one of the locals' ceremonies. The girl is supposed to refuse
a few times, so the guy has to keep pleading until she caves.
And with much persistence, she finally said yes, but not before
rushing into the bushes with the young man chasing after her.
Seriously, this part I am not making up. The happy couple
literally rode into the sunset -- their cars were parked a few
feet away.

I know, without the stones, it looks like the back 9 at Augusta.
However, it'd only be half true. The grass is actually, from
America -- imported Kentucky Bluegrass. Seriously,
I can't make this stuff up.



See that temple-looking thing at the top. We were gonna
once again hike up there...

... To capture this view.

Heck, I even took a tourist-pose with it.

All right, that's it for now.

Next up:

More of Kunming, the city itself...

Thanksgiving 2007 - Best Turkey EVER!...

Ah, what a Thanksgiving -- the combination of great food, friends and family never gets old. I have a lot to be thankful for, but most importantly, I'm thankful for being able to share this all with you.

Unlike last year, I didn't have to do Thanksgiving dinner solo: Mama did most of it, and I handled one side dish in particular (the pics toward the bottom). And since Mama was in charge, the turkey was absolutely stellar; juicy and delicious with that nice golden color that looks too darn good to be true. But you don't have to take my word for it, the proof is in the picture.

I hope ya'll had a good time too, and now, without further ado - THE PICS!

Ah, the stuffing. This is only the first phase, where the wet ingredients are cooked first.

The naked bird, in all it's glory. The recipe for the included ingredients is a secret, but the taste is for all the world.


Can't have turkey without the requisite fruit sauces to go with it: apple chutney on the left, cranberry chutney on the right...


... And canned-goods need some love'n too! Our family likes to "slice" our cranberry sauce straight from the can.


This ham brought to you by Honeybaked: When you need it delicious and taken home 10 minutes before closing, it's the brand for you.


The usual suspects -- Potatoes and corn go like peas and carrots.


Yep, that's me, boiling water. I got sooooo demoted!


Eh, just kidding! I'm here working on my side dish -- Pasta Shells and Cheese! I was gonna go with Macaroni, but I thought that I'd go a little fancier for the holiday.


First phase complete. The main sauce was alfredo, and I threw in some cheddar to give it that "extra boost." Cook at 320 for about 10 minutes and you should get something...


... That looks like this! You're not looking for that "too burned" cheese-look for this dish. More subtle, like you just slapped this thing last minute, but it's gonna taste good.


And finally, pose with said-dish, and watch it slowly disappear. Grins and smiles on faces should be the apropos norm.


The stuffing, with the croutons mixed in last so they won't sog up too quickly. Baked in the last half of the cooking cycle, it came out really well this year.


All right, with all the key players in their positions, what could be missing?


Friends and family? Got that covered. Okay, what you've all been waiting for...


BAM! Now is that a turkey, or is that a TURKEY! kudos to the mama - not bad for never having used this particular oven before (we've moved into a new place). What did I do to help out? Well, I did set the Digital timer, so I guess my share would be 20% out of 80%...


This is how I roll -- sweet potato, shells 'n cheese, and a piece of turkey that looks like roast duck. Fan-tabulous!


And remember, with no one to share this with, Thanksgiving just ain't the same.

Have a good'n and I'll catch ya'll in a bit... ;)

o.g.11/23/07

Haiku I Wrote On the Bus in Kunming...

When jet lag sets in,
heed this old traveler's trick --
eat some spicy food...



***Sorry it's taking so long with the pics -- I shot A LOT! And trying to find the rights ones will take a bit of time to upload and post. Anyhow, Happy Thanksgiving, and as always, Supa at ya!... ;)***