Hostel warden exchange in China: Travel report part 2

The hostel warden from Xanten travelled to Kunming, China, on 6 December 2023 for the hostel warden exchange. She spent the first few days providing us with reports and pictures before catching a cold. Fortunately, she was looked after by her hosts for two days and was able to enjoy the second week of her stay in the „City of Eternal Spring“. But read for yourself!

Day 6: Cloudland

I have spent the last two days trying to cure my cold. At the youth hostel, they nursed me back to health with hot tea and chicken soup so that I was able to take part in the exchange programme again today. The soup yesterday was a real highlight, but I was very confused when a black claw greeted me from the tureen.
Today we went to the neighbouring youth hostel „Cloudland“ for breakfast. During breakfast I learnt that there are black and white chickens in China. Now I also knew how to explain the black claw in the soup.
„Cloundland“ is the first youth hostel run by Simon, the owner of the youth hostels in Kunming. Many photos of his past travels can be seen in the youth hostel. These are also his motivation for opening youth hostels as a meeting place. The youth hostel is wonderfully cosy. After breakfast, we went to the market in Kunming together with two members of staff. It is currently strawberry season and the market stalls are bright red. Kunming is also known for its mushrooms. Like us, these are in peak season in autumn, so we only saw some dried ones today.

Day 7: Teatime in Kunming

This morning I was woken up by heavy rain. Just like the German spring weather, it's not all sunshine. Our planned trip to the lake with Simon literally fell through. Instead, we went for tea with Rita and other colleagues. The place is currently a viral hit in China as it offers a contemporary tea time. We had green tea from small champagne glasses and milk rose tea. The teas smelled heavenly and the milk rose tea reminded me of my childhood, as my grandma always used creamy rose soap to wash her hands. Numerous snacks were served with the tea, which could be eaten cold or heated on a small grill. There were two types of tofu, peanuts, edamame, various biscuits, sunflower seeds, crisps, mandarins, tomatoes, dates and southern stockfish. I have to say, I like that better than heavy cream cakes for tea. During our tea time, we talked about the day-to-day work, such as dealing with no-shows, the advance booking behaviour of guests, changing guest requests and dealing with unfair comments on the various platforms. It's simply fascinating that we face the same challenges here on the other side of the world and at the same time it's nice to know that we're not alone with some things and that people elsewhere are only cooking with water.

Day 8: Walking tour and work at reception

Every Thursday, the youth hostel organises a walking tour through Kunming. Together we walked past the lake, dance and kung fu groups, the military museum and finally the university in Kunming. The university district is characterised by many trendy shops (e.g. a cow's milk bar) and foreign restaurants with a Vietnamese, Korean or Japanese background. After the tour, we fortified ourselves with a Chinese breakfast. We had noodle soup in a strong broth with vegetables and lots of mint. I rarely start the day with a broth and after the meal I asked myself „Why?“. The day can only start well with a warm soup in your stomach.
After our walk, I had to do my laundry. Instead of using washing coins, you can start the wash by paying with a QR code. In general, everything in China can be paid for using a QR code. I find this very practical, as it means you always have everything with you and can keep a direct budget book.
I spent the afternoon at reception. In China, every guest's passport must be scanned and a photo must also be taken of each guest. At regular intervals, the police compare the pictures of guests with the pictures of people in their database.
A group of ladies brought us wreaths after their visit to the flower market. That was very nice and the wreaths were beautiful. We immediately organised a little photo shoot with the wreaths.
Tonight we had the urge for western food and went to KFC. But after the first bite, we regretted this decision. It feels more familiar, but with the variety of exciting and fresh dishes in China, we were in the mood for something other than fast food. So we finished our meal and went to the food market opposite. There we had delicious oysters au gratin and scallops. A real treat for the palate. I would give up fast food for life for this.