Want to travel back in time? I’m not talking about reading the latest headlines. I’m talking about heading to DaLi 大理, a funky backwards town on the edge of the Cangshan Mountains in Yunnan, China.
You can buy tie-died hangings just like what you had in your dorm room.
Or, you can drink too much with your friends and get your hair braided.
Then afterwards, get your ears cleaned. Traditional Ear washers use little spoons to scrape out what Q-tips can’t reach. Your fee will be upgraded to ear plucking if something that only can be described as a Wheaties flake is pulled out. And yes, Ear Cleaner keeps a jar of their finds.
If you’re hungry, you can look for a Chinglish sign for mushroom hot pot–not bacteria.
And after a few more beers? Look for this one.
There are lots of old world trinkets to purchase from ladies scrolling the latest phones.
You can even find a calculator like you had in the first grade.
Yes, Dali is where tradition meets power shopping.
There are reminders everywhere about who really carries the burden.