Flying Turtle Coffee

Looking across the street at Yuji House

Liu Huan getting ready to install the exhaust hood

As soon as we finish the floor we can move in the tables and chairs, hook up the roaster and oven, plug in the fridge and we will be open for business. We might even make it by January 1.

The Fremont Solstice Fair is a Seattle tradition going way back to 1989. The Solstice Parade is the official start of the fair but the main event, the Solstice Cyclists, unofficially kick off the weekend fair just before the start of the parade. The parade maintains it’s community image by not allowing advertisements or sponsored floats. In fact, no words of any kind are allowed on any participants or floats but there were some naked bicyclists sporting painted-on US soccer uniforms.

US supporter wearing nothing but his boots

Most of the Solstice Cyclists had interesting paint jobs covering their pasty-white bodies.

Cats

Others had no paint.

Ready for a swim

Those that weren’t naked went topless.

Topless despite the grey weather

The cyclists were followed by themed floats and more nakedness.

Where's her bicycle?

*To whom it may concern: please don’t block our blog, this is an annual public event held on the streets of Seattle, Washington, USA.

Flag culture, very interesting.

Leaves still developing inside bean

It has been a couple weeks since the coffee beans first sprouted and the leaves are just beginning to emerge.

3 days after leaves emerged from coffee bean

Now they are just starting to soak up some sunshine.

Ready to photosynthesize

FTC's location in Shuanglang

Flying Turtle Coffee will be opening it’s first cafe in Dali’s Shuanglang. Located just off the intersection of Shuanglang’s main street and the lane that leads to Yuji Island. We will open the 100 square meter location in September, we hope to open the roof top terrace with mountain and lake views some time next year.

Intersection showing sign for Yuji Island and our Coffee Shop location in the background

The coffee shop will feature espresso, Flying Turtle Ice Cream, deserts, pizza, lots of other tasty food as well as imported beer and wine.

小朋友在打水

The foot of Cang Shan has springs bubbling up all over it. This one is Xicun has excellent tasting water. The water comes from a spring, not from the stream flowing just in front of it.

Washing Clothes and Bottling Water

There is usually a line at the spring, lots people walk up from Old Town to get there water. Waiting for your turn under the two large Banyan trees is a pretty enjoyable experience.

One of the Banyan trees next to the spring in Xicun

The video shows Shuanglang locals doing various kinds of work. Apart from the traditional fishing, there is a lot going on in Shuanglang these days, seem like every other house is being remodeled or rebuilt. Everyone is anticipating a huge growth in tourism once the road that circles Erhai is completed. I will post more videos like this, maybe a “women at work,” in the next few days.

For those not able to view YouTube, here is the link for the video on tudou.

Umbrella carrying women heads to market in Shuanglang

It has been a long 6 months for Yunnan farmers but last night relief in the form of steady rain started falling all across Yunnan Province. Here in Dali, the drought has been tempered by occasional rains and by almost unlimited irrigation water from Erhai. Other areas have seen reservoirs completely dry out and huge swaths of forest die off. Today the region can rest easy knowing that their water problems have been eased, at least until the monsoon rains bring their own problems, landslides and flooding.

Clouds envelop White Crane Mountain as rain falls on Erhai

There will be more sunny days in Yunnan this summer. But for now, the rain seems to have settled in and the days of sunbathing or sun-avoiding have given way to kind reminders, including text messages from the government, to put on another layer so you don’t catch cold.

Lone skiff floats on a grey Erhai in Shuanglang