Shilin 石林，昆明
November 2, 2024
Before heading back to Kunming from Shangri-La on the high-speed train, we enjoyed a local breakfast at a café and took one last stroll through the old town. After checking into our hotel in Kunming, we visited Cuihu (Green Lake) Park, leisurely walking from one gate to another. However, after many days of travel, the repetitive yet undeniably beautiful architecture we had seen throughout the trip began to feel a bit monotonous. As a result, we didn’t spend much time in the park. Upon leaving, we headed to the nearby Coffee Street, but it didn’t leave much of an impression either.
Later in the evening, we dined at a well-known restaurant to try Crossing the Bridge Noodles. The dish was flavorful and satisfying, but we still preferred the version we had enjoyed in Lijiang.
November 3, 2024
Peimin left us to spend time with her mom in Shanghai, so we continued our journey together. After dropping her off at the airport, we returned to the hotel for breakfast and then booked a Didi to the bus station for a direct ride to Shilin.
Shilin, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is renowned for its towering limestone formations that create a truly mesmerizing landscape. Before this trip, it was the only attraction in Kunming we were familiar with, and we had eagerly anticipated visiting it. The site exceeded our expectations. We particularly enjoyed exploring the stunning scenery in the quieter areas, away from the main tourist crowds, where the natural beauty felt even more serene and unspoiled.
At night we visited Kunming old town and tried a few local snacks as suppers. They were delicious. In recent years, Yunnan coffee has become quite popular in China, with shops on this street selling beans for around 600 RMB per kilogram—a price we found steep for coffee.
2024年11月2日
清晨，窗户上蒙着一层水汽，透过朦胧的玻璃，隐约可见寺庙和经轮的轮廓，传递着窗外的寒意。我们在民宿附近找到了一家小餐馆，热乎乎的蒸饺，包子，煎鸡蛋等吃了个饱。回到民宿拿上行李，老板开车送我们到火车站。
今天我们从香格里拉乘坐高铁返回昆明。近六个小时的火车要比坐飞机舒服。挺喜欢火车上的盒饭，味道还不错，再来点小零食，不知不觉就到了昆明。办完酒店入住手续后，我们前往翠湖公园，从一个门漫步到另一个门。经过多天的旅行，我们对公园之类的已经有些审美疲劳，所以没有在公园里待太久，便去了附近的“咖啡街”，但这条街并没有给我们留下太深的印象。
晚上，我们去了一家昆明小有名气的餐厅再次品尝过桥米线。这道菜味道鲜美，但我们更喜欢前几天在丽江古城尝到的版本。
2024年11月3日
大清早佩民一人飞去上海去陪她妈妈，我们父女俩继续我们的旅程。我们在酒店吃了早餐，然后叫了一辆滴滴前往汽车站，搭乘直达石林的长途汽车。
石林是联合国教科文组织的世界遗产，以其高耸的石灰岩地貌而闻名，景观如诗如画。在这次旅行前，这里是我们唯一知道的昆明景点，因此我们早已期盼一睹它的风采。事实证明，这个地方没有让我们失望。我们特别喜欢远离主要游客区的景色，那里的自然美更加宁静和纯粹。
晚上，我们去了昆明老街，尝了几样当地的小吃作为晚餐。这些小吃味道地道，非常美味，给我们留下了深刻的印象。近年来，云南咖啡在中国逐渐流行起来，我们注意到这些街上的咖啡店价格不菲，每公斤售价高达600元人民币。云南咖啡的独特魅力正在吸引越来越多的关注。
