Chilli

They like chilli in Yunnan: it brings food to life. This is a slight problem for me.

Chillies at the market

Don't get me wrong, I like a bit of chilli. That is 'a bit' in the genteel English sense, enough so you can taste it and get a lingering tingle on your lips. I tend to avoid the hardcore stuff, especially when I'm travelling, it just doesn't suit me. I know many of you will disapprove, pointing out that I'm missing out on one of the joys of travel to distant exotic lands. You're right of course, but I got very ill on my first trip to India and that experience lingers. And I've never quite embraced the thrill of having my throat ripped out and insides purged. But each to their own.

This lady has a  rather knowing smile

As I mentioned earlier, I had a very pleasant meeting over lunch with Leo Kwan in Hong Kong. Mostly pleasant. During the course of the  meal I was surprised by a lurking chilli and had a bit of a moment. For those of you familiar with the closing scenes of the original (and definitive) version of Total Recall, I found myself on the surface of Mars, frantically writhing and gasping for air as my skull and eyeballs exploded. Quite a spectacle, which I attributed to the sensitivity of my highly developed tasting throatparts.

This bravura performance was however eclipsed in Jinggu when Ken discovered the exact combination of chilli and rice wine that would make his whole body turn purple. This is not expected to happen to locals.

Ken on another day. In fact this colour is just about right

It made sense of Leo's parting comment - "Remember, Yunnan is a dangerous place".