丫ngshuo changes from 1984

The pictures of West Street came as somewhat of a shock to me. When I went to this lovely place in 1984 there were less than 3-4 foreign tourists. No signs were in English. I stayed in an unpretentious room in a hotel with a central courtyard. Dinner was taken in a poorly lit restaurant where I sat for many hours holding the owners baby in my lap as I simply relaxed and watched the family. There were bikes for rent and I went with a friend to the countryside for an afternoon. I met another traveler who was out too late one day to get back to town, so a family took him in. He slept in a large bed with the entire family under one big blanket. From the pictures on this site it looks like this place has become yet another "hip" tourist trap. It is completely unrecognizable. I am glad I went when I did.

Michael Leach