Today we had another early wake up for a morning flight from Kunming to Dali. After arriving we headed to the hotel to get settled into our new destination. Dali is one of Yunnan’s most beautiful cities, the name itself meaning “Marble” due to the famous marble quarries that are located near the city. We have begun to learn more about the multiple minorities that live in Yunnan, including the Bai minority which make up around 1/3 of Dali’s population. We are staying in a beautiful hotel in the old town, putting us within walking distance of the ancient Bai architecture and beautiful of the old city.

After getting settled in we headed to a lunch at a local restaurant in the old city, and everyone’s incredible appetites and willingness to try new dishes remained intact. We took a tour of the old town and the city walls, while learning more about the history of the city along the way. Afterwards, we took a cable car up to Cangshan Mountain overlooking the stunning Erhai lake. After taking the cable car, we  got to take in the beautiful scenery and amazing fresh air near the peak of the mountain.

For dinner, we headed back to the old city where students had an opportunity to choose what they wanted to eat (within reason!), and people had everything from steamed buns and dumplings to more traditional meals of Yunnan cuisine. Exhausted from a long day, we all walked back from the old city to the hotel to prepare for tomorrow.

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