Lost in China

Hello all! We have been terribly busy lately. The past week has been a whirlwind of activity. When we aren’t teaching, we have been gallivanting about town. We have weaseled our way into the city park for free. Once, we walked around aimlessly until we found ourselves lost on the other side of the river, a bit into the country. We could see the Temple of the Dragon King, which is in the park, so we just kept heading in that general direction. We ended up having to take off our shoes and pull up our shorts to cross the river in order to get back.

October 1st marked the 60th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China, which is celebrated by taking several days off, feasting, and festivals across the nation. Several channels showed the national parade and night show, which was, in one word: impressive. We spent our national day in Yangshuo, a tourist hot spot, but one completely worth visiting. The hills found in the area are unrivaled in their powerful beauty.

Not five minutes after stepping off the bus, we saw several people gathered around an old farmer, lying on his back in the road. The visage of pain and the drool makes me think it was a stroke, but the moment was shaking. Nobody was helping him. Even the cops were just standing around, not bothering to drag the man into the shade. Back home, I spring into action for dogs having heat strokes at Barton Springs; here, I continued walking. I even turned to Tyler and said lightly, “We haven’t been here five minutes and people are already dying.” I prayed for him and his family later, but I am ashamed that I did nothing to help and especially that I joked about something as precious as human life.

Could taking me out of my element cause this drastic a change? Am I not, in fact, the worst person in the East? There is a different regard for life here, especially when the one in danger is that of a peasant. The financial difference in people is severe and can easily be seen by simply taking a few steps out of the city. These two classes interact on a daily basis, but the contrast is not masked like it is in America. Back home, we are aware of the differences, but more or less, treat each other the same (even if it is just at face value). It was a haunting, eye-opening moment.

But then we moved on…We wandered through Yangshuo Park, visited Bilian Peak (aka Green Lotus Peak) and the Lui Ce Gardens, and went to West Street to pay for some overpriced nachos, lasagna, and pizza. The nachos were good, but NOT nachos. Tyler’s lasagna was good, but definitely one of a kind, and my pizza was all right…but it was pizza. After lunch, with no route in mind, we went for a walk down south to see where we would end up. We do this frequently, but this time, there was a man on a motorcycle who, by the motions he kept making with his hands and mouth, either wanted us to go smoke with him or he wanted to either give or receive fellatio. We aren’t sure to which we demurred, but whatever service he was providing, it’s better to be on the safe side and refuse. We walked back to town, ate dinner at McDonalds J, and went to see what all the hubbub was about in Yangshuo Park. They were celebrating China’s 60th with opera, dancing, skits, and even some gymnastics.

On the second day, we rented bicycles and rode through the countryside to enjoy the sunrise. We then took a two hour trip on a bamboo raft down the Li River. There, we retrieved our bikes, which had been driven down prior to our arrival, and rode over to Moon Hill. Impoverished women escort foreigners to the top, even though they are neither needed nor wanted, in hopes that they will receive some money in exchange for this or at least will be able to sell them a soda or water. Our woman taught us some Chinese and asked if I was pregnant (perhaps I haven’t lost any weight), sold us an overpriced water, and even waited on us when we entered a path with a sign that read, “Passengers no entry.” She was determined. That path took us on top of moon hill, instead of just under it. We ended up enjoying the experience with a group of hikers from Hong Kong, who all posed on a pole mounted on top of the hill. So we did, too.

Hmm…I do kind of look pregnant. Awesome.

After our descent, our escort took us to her family restaurant to eat lunch. We followed our meal up with a bike ride to the Water Cave. This was the greatest part of our trip. Awesome factor #1: We saved 180 yuan each by going through a tour agency (they were having a one day special or something). #2: We made friends with a group of university students on the bus there. #3: Due to road construction (aka a tractor tearing up the mud road and pouring water everywhere), we had to get off the first bus and walk a mile through a village to the second bus. During this, I was charged by a group of water buffalo and had to jump behind a motorcycle to evade an afternoon gore. It was Tyler’s fault. They saw him (a bison) and changed direction…my direction. The second bus ride was terrifying. Both buses went to fast over large pits and bumps in the road; however, on the second bus, we were all crammed in tightly, and Tyler and I were standing against the flimsy, unreliable door. #4: The cheap, straw sandals that are handwoven by the village women. #5: The caverns! Underground caves are the greatest. Here the safety is second-rate; you can actually touch the stalagmites/stalactites/columns that have taken hundreds to thousands of years to form, and at one point I had to sit down to get through the space between the bridge and the overhanging rock. #6: The mud bath! There is a big pool in the cavern filled with mud. You get to slide into it, swim in it, and it’s so dense that you get to float on it. I have pictures, but it will be until I get back to America that I can get them online. #7: The hot springs! Also in the cave were 10 pools of hot water. When you lie back and look at your bathroom ceiling, you’re looking a mile away at the top of a cavern. It was unlike anything else…and limited to thirty minutes. #8: Our university friends taught us some Chinese on our way back to our bicycles. #9: The nighttime bike ride through the hills of Yangshuo under the full moon. Granted when we reached the city, the traffic was awful and I ended up running into a scooter (pedal to tire action) when I had to dodge a middle-aged couple on a tandem that decided to come to a sudden halt in the middle of the road. That’s about when I noticed my migraine.

After fighting our way back, we returned our bikes, took a shower at the hotel, and then went out for another western dinner. This time, we went to Ramsey’s, which had delicious food and played Gym Class Heroes. We got cheese garlic bread and two pizzas. Then, we slept.
Now we’re back in Xing’an. The instant I saw the school, my heart dropped.

Yesterday was Moon Day aka Mid-Autumn Festival, so everyone ate round foods, especially moon cakes, and enjoyed the full moon. Tomorrow, we fly to Xi’an for another trip. That’s right. We have eight days of for National Day…followed by two weeks of teaching without a day off.
Hope everyone is doing well, eating delicious food, and being nice to one another.

PS- there are new photos up at http://betheeespics.shutterfly.com/

PPS- Congratulations if you made it to the end of this entry. I know it was a long one.