K25&beyond d22 – Kunming – Tengchong (8.9.25)

I couldn’t avoid flying, and I’m still not sure I can justify it with this incredible travel experience, because everyone who flies and is aware of the problems has excuses to that effect. Now I have some, too.
Efan knows I’m against flying and told me we’d have a flight.
First of all, I made it clear that if I participated, I’d accept the full package, because organizing a trip like this not just for one person but for a large group is hard work anyway, and if there are too many extras to consider, it’s no longer fun.

Yesterday I tried to figure out why a flight would be necessary when, for example, Michi could go from Beijing to Kunming in just 12 hours by train, and we were only traveling in Yunnan Province (okay, the size of Germany + the Netherlands). And then I only found a bus, and it would take more than 10 hours to get to Tengchong.
That meant losing a whole day out of these two weeks.
Now you may ask:
If it’s so difficult to get there without flying, would that mean not going there or saying that flying is unavoidable?

Just yesterday, I read something that would provide a clear answer for some (at least Europeans!), but one that may still be difficult to grasp:
The AMOC flow that balances the climate in Europe and Central America is, as we know, threatening to collapse.  What’s new is that there’s strong evidence that CO2 emissions over the next two decades will determine a tipping point, but the collapse won’t begin until much later. No adult alive today will be alive then.
Climate change will worsen gradually, partly accelerated by various tipping points, but the impending AMOC collapse would mean a much faster and more dramatic reversal in parts of the world.
For me, the answer is:
After this trip, there can be no more flights for me.
And the things I lost on day 14 and day 16, which made me decide not to travel, only reinforce that decision.

Everything, including the transfer to our accommodation, was perfectly organized by you know who, and we had an entire area, not just our rooms—a courtyard, a living room, a large kitchen, etc.

We had to pay at the entrance checkpoint, and for the first time in my life, I received a senior citizen discount. (And I must enjoy the privilege of being the oldest in our group, which means I always sit in the front seat in the car. So, I have to crane my old, worn-out neck, and my old, less-able ears only catch a fraction of what the young people in the back are talking about.)

But first, we took a walk through the old town, which is a mix of well-preserved or renovated, most likely authentic, buildings and replicas built for commercial tourism purposes.

After a few photoshoots, we stopped at a nice snack bar and once again discovered new flavors and variations of what you can make even with (now to us) familiar ingredients. Of course, it was a bit too much, but being full didn’t mean it hurt, and on the way home, I already felt normal again.

We sat together for a while, Tony made green tea, and Efan was busy adjusting the schedule according to the weather forecast and booking more tour elements. Danny, her friend from her Hong Kong days, whom I met in Sydney in 2019 and who had joined the group today, helped her with this.

Then I thought it would be a good time to give Efan and Leo the churchula. I wanted them to guess what it could be, but the riddle turned into a nasty surprise because it was moldy.