Nujiang City Life  (click on any of the pictures for a bigger view)

Big platform shoes are all the rage in China, even in the smaller towns. But usually they are not worn by preschool boys. I caught this kid trying on his mother's pair. Luckily, his parents (who were just outside the picture) did not mind me taking the photo, and were equally amused. Why is the boy standing at the entrance of a huge metal box? Well, I don't recall for sure, but structures like this often serve as guard houses, or (with a strategically placed window) small general stores.

Another reason we enjoy visiting cities; they love us! Kids always scream out "Hello!", and when they are in a mob with their peers, as with these kids being dismissed from school, the excitement sometimes borders on mass hysteria. We had just stepped out of our guesthouse to make a phone call, but the commotion made talking and listening almost impossible. So while Deb was on the phone, I ended up walking away several paces, to act as a decoy and draw the crowds and shouting away from her.

Some kids are drawn to foreigners, but more are drawn to candy. This man, holding and pouring molten sugar from a ladle, is making sugar sculptures which are sold (and immediately eaten) to kids on their way home from school. For 2 yuan, you can buy a relative masterpiece, such as the barely visible basket and dragon hanging on in the center of the photo. Or for a twentieth of that price, he'll fashion a tiny lollipop on the spot.

Bigger kids need bigger thrills. These men are placing bets on the outcome of the roll of some absurdly large dice, which you can see just to the right of the umbrella. The man sitting pulls a rope which releases, one by one, the three dice. Each face has the picture of an animal; I remember an elephant, a rooster and a tiger, and bets are made as to which faces will appear face up after the dice tumble to a stop. This game was all over one of the towns we visited, but we never saw it anywhere else. I suspect the game is illegal, as I got some fierce stares after taking this picture.

But some people don't find gambling thrilling enough. For them, there's always a trip across the "bridge." There is a pretty wide river running through all of Nujiang; people live on either side of it, and it's mostly unnavigable. Bridges are expensive, but villagers need to cross. What do people do? Find out on the next page.