I started my time in China by taking two weeks of Mandarin classes in Hangzhou. After that, I met my friend Katie in Shanghai and then went to Beijing to visit the major tourist sites (Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven park, Tian'anmen Square and the Great Wall). A 42-hour train journey took me from Beijing to Kunming, my jumping-off point for Dali, Lijiang and Lugu Lake in Yunnan province. My final stop in China was Hong Kong.