Our last day in Dali was all about the fishing...with the help of some feathered friends. We set off in a little row boat with 5 cormorants onto lake Er Hai.

the birds have their necks bound with wire to stop them swallowing the fish. Our fisherman friend gesticulated to just push them in and after a minor scuffle the birds were diving down to fetch our tea.

In 20 mins they caught about 10 fish. Up to 5 in the gullet at one time and then hauled aboard by the neck, the fisherman coaxed out the catch into a bowl.

After the birds had dried out perched on the boat, Tom rowed us ashore, much to the amusement of the locals and we continued our bike ride through the villages and rice fields around Dali...

And our reward for another long day on bikes? A trip to the Sweet Tooth bakery for the finest cheesecake in the East. Set up with the help of American missionaries to provide income and support to the local deaf population, it gave us a moral excuse to stuff ourselves with 100's of calories.