So, we're in Jinghong. The Plan, which was a great one to be fair, didn't quite come off as we had hoped, though only just. We made it to the rice terraces in Yuanyang for a rather misty sunrise - spectacular views and several thousand photos taken though and, three buses later got to Jianshui, from where we'd hoped to take a sleeper bus to Jinghong. By the time we arrived, however, there was only one ticket left! Blame lies solely with the bus conductress (a word?) who wasted time tring to rip us off and then bullying other passengers, one of whom was a mother with an ill daughter, potentially trying to go to the doctors.
We got a bus back toKunming, of all places, again, though only stayed twenty minutes at the south bus staion. Anna sprinted to the ticket desk and got us onto the last sleeper bus to Jinghong. It actually arrived here two hours before The Plan would have had us here, so I shall be sending both The Plans to Lonely Planet for inclusion in their next editions.
The only downside of The New Plan is that it had us here two hours before any of the traveller cafes (with bacon breakfasts) opened but we'e fed and watered now, yet is depserate need of showers having spent two consecutive nights on sleeper buses.
We'd hoped to do a cruise down the Mekong to Thailand -shock addition - between Laos and Burma (!!) but they don't start until next week, so we'll be heading for the Laos land border tomorrow, I think, and hopefully catching a junk between Huay Xai and Luang Phanbang.
I'm feeling very grubby, but having a great adventure, falling in love with this part of China.